by Elle James
She smiled through her tears. “I’m glad I have you as my best friend, too.”
He brushed a tear away from her cheek. “Then why are you crying?”
“I don’t know.” She wiped her face with both hands. “Maybe they’re happy tears. A girl can cry happy tears, can’t she?”
“As long as they’re happy.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “One more date. This one might be the one for you.”
“You, too.” Her arms tightened around his neck. “And then what about us? How will our significant others feel about you and me being friends?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said. He gripped her arms and set her away. “For now, we’re still friends, and I’m here for you.”
Leslie nodded. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “For what?”
“For all you do for me.”
“I’d do it no matter what. You’re my friend, and I love you.”
Her eyes flared briefly.
He hadn’t meant to tell her he loved her yet. Hopefully, couching it with being his friend made it less scary for her. He didn’t know her true feelings for him. If she didn’t love him as more than a friend, he didn’t want to make things awkward between them by confessing his undying love for her.
He was walking a fine line. He didn’t want to lose her. If all she wanted was to be his friend, he’d be disappointed, but that wouldn’t change his desire to be close to her.
After finishing his meal, he pushed back from the table and stood. “I’d better get going. We both have to work tomorrow. I’ll see you Wednesday,” he said.
“You won’t be into my office before then?” she asked.
“I have some corporate meetings Monday and Tuesday. Though I have people to run my corporation, they like it when I show up. It lets them know I care.”
Leslie took his hand and walked with him to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for coffee or a nightcap?”
He wanted to stay but knew he had to let her think about her last date and whether she would match with him, if she even wanted to.
When he reached the door, she pulled him to a stop.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” she whispered.
He gripped both of her hands in his. “I’m always a phone call away.”
“Sometimes, that isn’t near enough,” she said.
“Are you feeling Randy’s loss?”
She shrugged. “I’ll always miss him, but no, that’s not it. I guess I’m just feeling a little lonely.”
He pulled her in for another hug, loving the feel of her body against his. He was tempted to stay. So very tempted.
After holding her for a long time, he kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. “I’ll see you Wednesday.” He opened the door and left, closing the door between them.
For another long moment, he stood staring at her door, wondering if he was an idiot. He could have stayed. They might have made love.
And he might have blown their entire relationship because he was moving too fast.
Tag sucked in a deep breath, performed an about face and left.
Wednesday was D-Day. He’d see her then. Hopefully, his plan would work, she’d realize she loved him as more than a friend and she wouldn’t be curious about any other date BODS might match her with.
Or all his plans could blow up in his face, she could be beyond angry with him for leading her on with his Joe Fox persona and their friendship could be a thing of the past.
Tag’s gut knotted. He’d know soon enough.
Chapter 13
“Woman, do you ever stop pacing?” Ava walked into Leslie’s office, carrying the mail she’d already gone through.
Leslie stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown Austin and faced her assistant and friend. “I can’t help it.”
“Tonight’s the night, isn’t it?” Ava smiled and laid the papers on Leslie’s desk. “Your final date. Are you excited?”
Leslie sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “No. I don’t want to go. I know in my heart who I want to be with, and I don’t know how to tell him.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“And that who is…?”
“You know.”
She smiled. “Tag?”
Leslie nodded.
Ava squealed and hugged herself. “I knew it.”
Leslie’s brow pinched. “You knew?”
“Of course, I knew,” Leslie said. “It was obvious to everyone but you.”
“Everyone?” Leslie cover her mouth with her hands. “Even Tag?”
Ava frowned. “I’m not sure about Tag, but the rest of us could see it.”
“I love him. I don’t want to be with anyone else.” She flung her hands in the air. “What am I going to do?”
Ava hurried over to Leslie and gathered her in her arms. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go out with Joe. You can cancel the date.”
“It’s too late,” Leslie wailed. “I don’t have his phone number.”
“Then email him. Tell him you’ve had a death in the family and can’t make it.”
“What if he doesn’t get the email in time?” She shook her head. “He’d be at that restaurant, expecting me to show up. What a horrible thing it is to be stood up.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
“At least, try to email him.” Ava led her to her desk and guided her into her seat. She leaned over her shoulder and brought up the BODS application. “Go on, give it a shot. He might be online.” Ava snatched a tissue from the box on Leslie’s desk and pressed it into her hand.
Leslie wiped her eyes, blew her nose and tossed the tissue into the trash bin. Then she squared her shoulders and logged into BODS. As soon as her profile came up, she saw that she had a message from Joe. “He’s messaged me,” she whispered.
“Maybe he’s cancelling,” Ava said. “Open it.”
Leslie opened the message and read it out loud.
Dear Leslie,
I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to meeting you at last. I didn’t know how I’d feel about being matched with someone through BODS, and I appreciate your patience and your communications before we actually meet in person. I love that we seem to have more in common on a deeper level than I’ve had with most women. I’m hopeful for our future but don’t feel pressured. No matter how this ends up, know that I am eternally grateful for the chance to get to know you better. You’re an amazing woman, and you deserve a lifetime full of love and happiness whether it’s with me or someone else.
Very truly yours,
Joe Fox
Leslie leaned back and groaned. “I can’t do it. I can’t cancel our date. Not after a letter like that.”
“Yes, you can,” Ava urged. “Just put your fingers on the keyboard and tell him you’ve changed your mind about everything.”
Leslie shook her head. “I can’t. That’s not something I can do in an email. He’s been so kind. I can’t be that cold.” She straightened. “I’ll go, but I won’t stay. I’ll tell him I’m not interested, but that he shouldn’t give up. Oh, hell.” She pressed a hand to her lips. “Tag’s supposed to be there with his date.”
“So, bust them up,” Ava said, planting her fists on her hips. “Tag’s your man.”
She shook her head. “He’s not my man. He’s my friend.” Her gaze met Ava’s. “What if that’s all he wants from me? Friendship. What if he doesn’t love me the way I love him?”
“Oh, sweetie. How could he not love you?” Ava smiled down at her. “It’ll be all right. His date can’t be a better match for him than you.”
“But BODS chose her for him. I wasn’t even in his lineup.” Leslie at her monitor. “Why didn’t I show up as his match?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Ava turned Leslie’s chair around so that she couldn’t look at her monitor. “You love him, don’t you?”
She nodded. “More than I ever thought I could love
again.”
“Then you have to tell him.”
“When?” Leslie asked. “He’s got a date tonight.”
“Have him over for dinner tomorrow night.”
Leslie shook her head. “I had him over on Sunday night.”
“Go to his condo, knock on his door and blurt it out,” Ava suggested.
Leslie’s brow wrinkled. “He might not be there. He goes out to his ranch more often than not.”
“Go to his office, strip naked and make love with him on his desk.” Ava flung her hands in the air. “I don’t know. Just do it.”
Leslie’s hands tightened into fists. “You’re right. I won’t know where he stands until I tell him how I feel.” She looked up at Ava, her jaw tightening. “I’ll do it.”
“When?”
“I’ll call him after his date tonight. He’ll want to know why I left the restaurant without eating dinner. And I can ask him how his date went.” She nodded. “Then I’ll see if he’s going to his condo or the ranch.”
Ava grimaced. “And if he’s going alone.”
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Oh, God, what if he’s not alone? What if his date is his perfect match?”
Ava took her hands. “Don’t borrow trouble. The other two dates haven’t worked out. This one won’t either. Think positive.”
“What if she is his perfect match?” Leslie buried her face in her hands. “I couldn’t come between them. Not if she makes him happy. I love him that much. I want him to be happy, with me or without me.”
“Sweetie, you’re borrowing trouble.” She pulled Leslie’s hands away from her face. “Pull yourself together and plan for your happily ever after outcome.” She handed her another tissue. “Now, wipe your face and get ready to go home, shower, change and get to the restaurant on time.”
Leslie wiped her face and pushed back from her desk. “You’re right. I have to do this.”
Ava left Leslie’s office, returning to her own. A deep voice sounded from within that made Leslie’s gut knot and her heart race.
“Ava, good to see you. Is Leslie in her office?”
“Tag, I didn’t know you would be coming in today,” Ava said loud enough for Leslie to overhear her clearly. “Yes, of course, Leslie’s here. We were just about to close up shop and head home.”
Leslie grabbed her compact out of her purse and gasped at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy, and she had a smear of mascara below one of them. She rubbed the mascara and dabbed powder on her face to mask the tracks of her tears.
“Come on back,” Ava was saying. “She’ll be happy to see you.”
Leslie shoved her compact into her purse and sat up straight in her chair.
Ava led Tag to her office and stood by the door as he passed through it.
“Hey,” Tag said.
Leslie stared at his beloved face, gulped and replied, “Hey.”
Behind Tag, Ava was mouthing the words, Tell him!
Leslie gave a brief, hopefully imperceptible shake of her head. “Thank you, Ava. You don’t have to wait for me. I’m sure you need to be heading out to pick up Mica from the daycare.” She prayed Ava would take the hint and leave.
Ava pursed her lips and pointed her finger at Leslie.
Tag turned toward Ava.
Ava dropped her hand and smiled broadly at Tag. “I’ll be going. You two don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She winked at Tag and smiled at Leslie. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Leslie nodded and waited for Ava to leave them alone.
The door to the outer office opened and closed, leaving Leslie and Tag alone.
“I stopped by to let you know I won’t be bringing my date to the restaurant tonight.”
Leslie’s heart dropped into her shoes. On one hand, she was glad he wasn’t going to date his Bachelorette Number Three and fall in love with her. On the other hand, he wouldn’t be at the restaurant to fake a double date. Not that she was going to stay. Leslie sighed. “That’s too bad. Did she say why?”
Tag shook his head. “Not a word.”
“I’m sorry.” She wasn’t really. Just sad he wouldn’t be there.
“I’m sure you’ll be all right. Give Joe a chance. And if things don’t work out, you can call me and let me know.” His lips twisted. “Either way, call me and let me know you got home all right.”
She nodded. “I will,” she said past the lump in her throat. “Are you going to try to go out with your date another time?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll give it a day or two and see how I feel. Your main concern is tonight. Focus on this date. If you’re open to the possibilities, it might be your lucky night.” He took her hand. “No matter what, I hope we will always be friends.”
She nodded. “I hope so, too.” And if he didn’t leave soon, she’d burst into tears. Ava’s entreaty to tell him that she loved him roiled in her gut. She didn’t feel right telling Tag she loved him until her slate was clear and she’d broken it to Joe that she was in love with another man. As soon as she did that, she would call or go by Tag’s place and open herself to the possibilities of loving Tag. She prayed he would be there, and that he wouldn’t think she was ridiculous.
“Will you be staying the night in Austin?” Leslie asked.
“I have a meeting tonight. After that, I don’t know. It depends on how my meeting goes.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I hope everything turns out great tonight, and that whatever happens, you’ll be happy.”
“Thank you. I’ll call you later,” Leslie said.
“Can I walk you to your car?”
Leslie nodded. “I’d like that.”
He waited for her to gather her purse and lock the office door. Together, they traveled down the elevator to the parking garage. He walked her to her SUV and waited as she opened the door.
“Remember to be open to the possibilities,” he repeated and kissed her knuckles again.
“I’ll try,” she said and climbed into her Lexus, closed the door and started the engine.
Tag walked to his truck and waved at her as she passed by him.
Leslie kicked herself all the way to her house. She should have told him she loved him. Why had she balked? She knew next to nothing about Joe, and he wasn’t the one she loved. Tag was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, to grow old and gray with. Joe was sweet, and he said all the right things, but Tag was the one who’d been with her through thick and thin. He’d admitted that he’d loved her once. Surely, he could love her again.
Leslie dressed in a simple black dress and sexy heels. If Tag’s meeting went well, and he stayed in Austin, she might stop by his place after she broke it to Joe that she wasn’t going to stay for dinner or anything else. She hated that she’d be disappointing the man after he’d been so nice and said all those lovely things in his messages. But she had to do it. She loved Tag.
As she neared the restaurant, her belly clenched and churned. She wished Tag had been able to come tonight. She always felt better knowing he would be there.
She climbed out of her Lexus and closed the door, hitting the lock button on the handle. Five minutes, and she’d be back in her vehicle, driving toward Tag’s penthouse apartment. Five minutes, and she’d be on her way to tell him that she loved him.
Squaring her shoulders, she entered Rosa’s Patio and looked around. The restaurant was divided into many different sections, designed to give each customer a little privacy. She’d been here before with Tag after Randy had passed away. Tag had brought her here to cheer her up. She’d enjoyed the food and the ambiance. She thought it ironic that Joe had chosen a place she’d been to with Tag.
The hostess greeted her with a smile. “How many in your party?”
Leslie blinked. “Two. But I think my date might already be here.”
“Name?” the hostess asked.
“Joe Fox,” Leslie said.
She nodded. “He’s waiting for you on the patio. Do you k
now where that is?”
Leslie nodded.
More guests entered behind Leslie.
“I can find it myself,” she assured the hostess.
“Thank you,” the young woman said. “Enjoy your evening.”
Leslie weaved her way through the maze of tables and alcoves toward the back patio. She paused as she reached the door leading outside and stared through the big windows out into the open. She stood for a moment, studying the people seated out there. One table had a couple sitting together, hands entwined. Another table had four women drinking margaritas. Another table was blocked partially by a large potted plant with big palm fronds. On the table lay a single yellow rose.
Leslie’s heart skipped several beats and her hands tightened into fists. That had to be the table where Joe Fox was sitting. Waiting for her. She wished this meeting was already over so she could tell Tag how much she loved him and wanted to be with him.
She drew in a steadying breath and held it. Then she stepped toward the door.
“Leslie,” a familiar voice said behind her. “I’m glad I caught you.”
Leslie turned to face Tag.
She let go of the breath she’d been holding in a rush. “Tag. I didn’t think you were coming.”
“I wanted to catch you before you met Joe Fox.” He captured her hands in his. “There’s something you should know.”
Leslie stared up into his eyes, her heart swelling so large she thought it might burst from her chest. “And there’s something I need to tell you.”
He pressed his lips together in line and nodded. “Ladies, first.”
Leslie stared up at him, her pulse hammering through her veins. “Tag, I can’t go through with this date. I came to tell Joe Fox that I won’t be able to go out with him.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because…” She licked her lips and threw herself into her confession with all her heart. “Because I already love someone else.”
Tag stood completely still, his hands tightening around hers. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, her eyes filling, a crooked smile twisting her lips. “I’m absolutely sure.”
