The Man I Thought I Knew

by E. L. Todd

“Dax hooked me up with one of his friends.” Matt waggled his eyebrows. “So, we’re going out for an introduction.”

  “Oh, that’s great.” I turned to Charlie. “Where are you going?”

  “Tagging along,” Charlie said. “It’s casual.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t expect Charlie to continue to see Dax so much, but now their friendship was solidified. I didn’t mind. I was just surprised.

  “You want to come along?” Charlie asked. “They got those fries you like.”

  “Ooh…I do like fries. And I’m interested to meet this fella for Matt.”

  “Dax already sent me a pic,” Matt said. “And he’s hot.”

  A part of me didn’t want to see Dax because it felt too soon, but I also wanted to see his face after that text he’d sent me a few days ago. I glanced at the groceries, knowing I couldn’t cook anything decent without Charlie there. “Let me put these away, and we’ll go.”

  Charlie didn’t say anything about Dax. After I told him I’d ended things, he let it go. “Hurry up. We’re starving.”

  “For food as well as dick,” Matt said.

  I put the groceries away, and we walked to the restaurant. When we stepped inside, Dax was sitting there in a classic shirt, his muscular arms stretching the seams. He was listening to his friend talk, a focused expression on his face, his dark eyes sexy.

  “Ooh…he’s even better in real life,” Matt said to Charlie.

  “I wonder if he plays basketball,” Charlie said back.

  “He could play badminton, and I wouldn’t care,” Matt said with a chuckle.

  We walked to the table, and I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten how sexy Dax was. He was so gorgeous, so fit, so perfect. I couldn’t kiss him the way I used to, greet him in any kind of affectionate way, and now I missed it a little.

  Dax turned to us when he heard us approach. “Hey, guys.” He rose to his feet, and he hesitated slightly when he realized I was there. His eyes narrowed on my face. The look only lasted a nanosecond, but it was long enough to show a slight hint of affection. He turned back to the guys. “Matt, this is my friend Jeremy.”

  Jeremy shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Pleasure is all mine.” Matt shook his hand as he looked him up and down appreciatively.

  Charlie leaned into his ear. “Be cool, man.”

  Jeremy chuckled. “It’s flattering. I like what I see too.” Jeremy shook Charlie’s hand next. “Nice to meet you.”

  I came closer then shook his hand. “Carson. Nice to meet you.”

  “Definitely.” He glanced at Dax before he looked at me again. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “Oh…thank you.” I smiled, loving a compliment from a gay man.

  We walked around the table and sat down. Matt sat across from Jeremy, and Charlie sat across from Dax. That left me at the end of the table, but it brought me closer to Dax than if I were sitting across from him.

  Matt and Jeremy immediately started talking.

  Dax looked at the menu. “I’m not in the mood for beer. I’m getting something stronger.”

  “Like what?” Charlie asked.

  “A scotch.”

  “Damn.” Charlie looked over the menu. “If I drink scotch, I’m down for thirty-six hours.”

  “True,” I said. “I’ve seen it.”

  Dax put down his menu and turned to me. “What about you?”

  “The cheeseburger.”

  He raised both eyebrows, a smile rising to his handsome face. “I meant, to drink.”

  “Oh…” I looked at the menu again. “Probably the blueberry martini. Sorry, I’m just hungry. Didn’t eat lunch today.”

  The waiter came over and took our orders then returned with the drinks.

  Matt and Jeremy hit it off right away.

  For Dax and me, there was a bit of an awkward pause.

  Charlie glanced between us before he took a drink.

  Dax turned to me. “I really enjoyed your article.”

  I knew he wasn’t just saying that. He’d read every word. “Thank you. Means a lot to me.”

  “I understand why it took you so long to put together.”

  “Nobody wanted to talk, of course. But once you pull out one block, the whole thing becomes unstable, and then more and more people talk to save their necks. But that first block, like in a Jenga set, is the hardest.”

  He nodded. “I heard the FBI has launched a full investigation.”

  “They’ve already made a few arrests, actually. It’s the article of my career.”

  “Some of the biggest scandals have been exposed by investigative journalists before the CIA or FBI even become involved. Like Watergate.”

  “Exactly.” I was surprised he knew that.

  “So, you should be really proud of yourself.” He held up his glass and prepared to tap it against mine.

  I smiled and reciprocated the gesture. “Thank you.”

  “You’re a great writer, by the way.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I can hear your voice when I read it, even though it’s not a narrative piece.”

  “You can hear her attitude, you mean,” Charlie teased.

  “Definitely,” Dax said. “That’s what makes the article so good.” He brought his scotch to his lips and took a drink. “What’s new with you, Charlie?” He shifted the conversation away from me.

  But I kept thinking about what he said, stared at his face while he was busy looking at Charlie, feeling the tightness in my stomach, the way my nerves set on fire. I brought my glass to my lips and took a drink, trying to drown my urge with booze.

  “Carson is the talk of the office right now, so I’m pretty much invisible,” Charlie answered.

  “What are you working on?” Dax asked.

  “A small piece about this independent movie theater in town that’s about to close. It’s been surviving on donations because of its historical significance to the city, but it’s getting more difficult to stay open. They tried to have it made into a national landmark, but that didn’t work.”

  “The industry is changing so much. With streaming services, it’s hard for big theaters to stick around.” He swirled his glass as he continued his conversation with Charlie. “What’s new with Denise?”

  I was surprised Dax asked that.

  Charlie shrugged. “Haven’t seen her much lately.”

  “Can I ask you something about that?” Dax asked.

  “Sure.” Charlie glanced at Matt, who was absorbed in his conversation with his date.

  “Why did you feel so strongly for her that you would leave Kat? Was there something specific that happened? Or she just walked in, and you knew?”

  Charlie shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just feel like…when we’re in a room together, the chemistry is so intense that it completely suffocates me. Kat can be sitting right next to me, and it doesn’t change anything. Maybe it’s all chemical…” He tapped his fingers against his skull. “Or maybe it’s not. I really don’t know.”

  “Well, I’ve got a good guy who would probably fit well with Kat. Maybe something will happen.”

  All of my friends were going to be dating Dax’s friends pretty soon.

  “That’d be great,” Charlie said. “If Kat is happy, then I can finally do something about it.”

  Dax turned to me. “Does Denise have any idea?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve never told her how Charlie feels. She’s never brought it up to me either. So, I really don’t know.”

  Charlie took another drink of his beer before he got to his feet. “I’m gonna use the john.”

  When he was gone, it was just the two of us.

  Dax drank his scotch then turned his gaze on me, watching me with his elbows on the table, that focused expression that held a million thoughts inside aimed right at me.

  I returned the stare, felt my heart race, felt the numbness in my fingertips.

  “Have you and Charlie ever been together?”

 
An eyebrow almost rose off my face because I was so surprised by the question.

  “You guys get along so well together…it seems like a good fit.” He brought his glass to his lips and took a drink.

  He was my friend now, and friends shared. I had nothing to hide. “Nothing has ever happened between us. We’ve been friends since we met, and he kinda just got friend-zoned. And we do get along well, but we’re also terrible for each other at the same time.”

  “How is that possible?”

  I shrugged. “We butt heads a lot. We disagree on almost everything. And honestly, there’s just no attraction there. I think Charlie is a good-looking guy and he’s got a nice body, but I’ve never had the urge to jump his bones. It’s weird.”

  “He’s just not your type.”

  “I guess. I’ve never been into blonds.”

  He smiled, probably because he had dark hair that was similar in color to his eyes. His hand grabbed his glass once more, and he brought it to his lips for a drink. “I thought it was sweet that you tucked him in that one night.”

  “Tucked him in?” I asked.

  “On the couch.”

  “Oh.” I chuckled. “I just didn’t want him to get cold in the middle of the night, wake up, and stumble to his bedroom and trip along the way.”

  “Exactly. Sweet.” He took another drink.

  I’d had guys be jealous of my relationship with Charlie, wondering if we hooked up in secret, if we’d ever been together in the past, and sometimes it was such an obstacle that I had to dump them. Dax seemed curious but not jealous. “Ever slept with a friend?”

  He set his glass down and considered my question. “You.”

  There was something sweet about his answer, but I couldn’t identify what it was. “I mean, someone like Charlie. Do you have someone like that?”

  He shrugged. “You’re the only girlfriend that I have.”

  “Really?” I asked in surprise.

  He nodded. “I guess I have my sister, but that doesn’t really count.”

  “Wow. I feel kinda special.”

  “You should. I feel like the women in my life have one single purpose. When that purpose is over, our relationship is concluded. But you and I… I feel like we have more than just that physical purpose.”

  Again, it was sweet. Almost too sweet.

  Charlie returned from the bathroom. “Oh, good. Food’s here.”

  The waitress placed the food in front of us before she walked away.

  Dax got a salad with grilled salmon on top. He squeezed his lemons onto the lettuce and started to eat.

  I felt a little self-conscious about what I’d ordered, a burger and fries.

  Without asking, Dax reached over and grabbed a couple fries before placing them in his mouth.

  “Uh, excuse me?” I asked playfully.

  He grinned back, like he knew I didn’t mean it.

  Charlie did the same, reaching for a handful.

  I smacked his hand away. “Whoa, what the hell?”

  “He can have fries, and I can’t?” he asked incredulously. “I came home the other day, and you pretty much devoured my entire sandwich.”

  I considered his words for a moment before I pushed the plate closer to him. “Alright…that’s fair.”

  After dinner, we walked home.

  Matt kept talking about how great Jeremy was, what they had in common, how hot he was. When that was over, Charlie addressed me.

  “How was it with Dax?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, walking beside him.

  “I mean, it’s the first time you’ve seen him since you broke up,” Charlie said. “Was that weird?”

  “One, we didn’t break up. And two, it was totally fine. Not weird at all.”

  Charlie walked with his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, it seemed like you guys got along pretty well.”

  “I think choosing to be friends was the best decision I made. Because at some point, it wouldn’t have worked out and it might have gotten ugly, but this way…we can be friends.” I was deeply attracted to him, missed kissing him, missed hugging him the second I saw him. But those feelings would go away…in time. “I really like being friends.”

  Kat and I met up together after work, going to a bar close to both of our apartments. She was in a black dress and heels, her hair slicked back into a ponytail with the curled ends hanging down her back.

  I’d just left the office, so I was in my stuffy attire, a pencil skirt and a formfitting blouse tucked in. These clothes were professional and flattering to my figure, but once I started to eat too much, I could hardly breathe.

  Sometimes I felt like I had to juggle Denise and Kat, like a two-timer. It was awkward to be around them both, when Kat had no idea that Charlie wanted Denise, and Denise had a really gorgeous man on her hook and had no clue. So I tried to see them individually, but we had a lot more fun when it was all three of us.

  Kat looked across the bar to another booth. “Isn’t that Dax right there?”

  I turned to follow her gaze, finding him in a booth with a group of guys, their beers in front of him, a beautiful woman beside him, leaning in close and finding any excuse to touch his arm. There was a bit of jealousy when I looked at the supermodel he’d go home with at the end of the night, but I tried to focus on his face, the way his five-o’clock shadow had grown in and how his eyes lit up when he was having a good time. “Yeah, it is.”

  “And who’s that skank?”

  I shrugged and looked away. “None of my business.”

  “The two of you are really done?” She sipped from her drink, looking at me through thick lashes. She had plump, cherry-colored lips, soft eyes, and a complexion that made her look like a doll. She was gorgeous, so I didn’t understand why Charlie had lost interest so abruptly when Denise came around.

  “I wouldn’t describe it like that. It was just casual.”

  “Yeah, but it seemed like you were into him.”

  “I mean, he’s super hot…and a good guy.” The more I got to know him, the more I realized he was special. He wasn’t average in intelligence or appearance. He was thoughtful, observant, secure…perfect. “But we’re just friends now.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  I shrugged. “It’s better this way. I’m just not ready for something more.”

  “Did he want something more?”

  “Not explicitly, but I was starting to like him, so…I jumped ship.”

  She gave me a sad look.

  “I’m fine. Really. We were never exclusive, so I don’t care if he’s with someone else.”

  She glanced at his booth again but abruptly turned back to me. “Well…he’s coming over here.”

  “He is?” I asked in surprise.

  She nodded discreetly before grabbing her drink.

  Dax appeared at the table, tall, dark, handsome. His hands were in his front pockets, and his attention was on me. “Hey.” His eyes were lit up with affection, and he was friendly, like he wasn’t uncomfortable being seen with another woman, a woman much more beautiful than I was.

  “Hey.” I forced a smile and acted natural.

  “Just the two of you?” He was in jeans and a shirt, his muscular body noticeable in the way everything fit him.

  “We wanted to get together and talk shit about work,” Kat said. “We do it at least once a week.”

  His gaze shifted to her. “What do you do?”

  “Personal shopper for rich people,” she said.

  “Wow.” He nodded. “That sounds interesting.”

  She shrugged.

  He glanced back at his table before he turned to us. “You know, I’ve got a friend over there that I intended to introduce you to. His name is Nathan.”

  Kat glanced back to the table. “Which one is he?”

  “He’s wearing the blue collared shirt.”

  Kat narrowed her eyes and then clearly liked what she saw because she quickly turned to me. “Ooh…he’s hot.”

>   I chuckled. “Go for it.”

  He nodded to the table. “Come on.”

  “Oh my god, right now?” Kat asked. “I’m nervous.”

  “Girl, you gotta go,” I said. “Be cool.”

  “Easy for you to say.” She turned back to me. “You took a rifle from an Iraqi soldier and hit him over the head with it.”

  Dax turned to me, wearing a surprised expression.

  “Then this should be nothing.” I snapped my fingers. “Get it, girl.”

  Dax chuckled. “He’s harmless. I promise.”

  Kat took a big drink from her glass then scooted out of the booth. “Wish me luck.”

  “I don’t need to, Kat.”

  Dax walked her back to the booth and introduced them.

  My glass was empty, so I grabbed hers to finish it off. I could walk over there and join them, but I thought it was best to let Kat have all the spotlight. I opened my wallet and pulled out some cash to leave on the table.

  Then Dax slid into the booth across from me, scotch in hand.

  I stared at him for a few seconds, surprised to see him join me. “What are you doing here?”

  “I gave up my seat so Kat could talk to Nathan.”

  “Oh.” I glanced back at the table, seeing Kat talking to the guy she’d been introduced to. The woman Dax had been with stared at our booth, clearly hurt that he’d left her to sit with me. I turned back to him. “The woman you’re with seems upset.”

  He shrugged and took a drink.

  “That’s it?” I asked in surprise.

  “I just met her.”

  I turned back to him. “Well…she’s gorgeous.”

  “Aren’t they all?” He eyed the two glasses in front of me. “Rough day?”

  I smiled. “No. Just a dehydrated day.”

  “Have a new assignment yet?”

  “Yeah. Vince gave me a few smaller articles. He wants me to cover the big court case they just moved to Brooklyn. A little below my level, but I’ll take it. There aren’t very many high-profile articles that come around often.”

  “So, you’ve got to tell me about the gun incident.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Kat made it sound way more intense than it really was.”

  He gestured with his hand, encouraging me to talk. “Then tell me what happened?”