“Thank you,” she said, thankful he felt that way as she knew her cheeks must be growing redder by the minute. “Everything seems to be your color.”
He smiled, letting out a soft laugh as he buttoned the black suit jacket he was wearing. Underneath, he’d chosen a simple black tie and white shirt. He was breathtaking no matter what he wore, but seeing him in a tux made it hard to take her eyes off of him.
He ran a quick hand over his messy-on-purpose blond hair and bent his arm at his waist, waiting for her to run her arm through the opening. “You ready?”
She slid her arm through his, walking out the door with a racing heart. She couldn’t stop smiling, and it was starting to hurt her cheeks.
When they climbed into the cab, he rubbed a finger over his jaw. “So, are you glad you skipped work tonight?”
“This is definitely more fun,” she agreed. “Thank you…for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you could come,” he told her, pressing his lips into her head. “They’re going to love you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve never been to a fancy New York party. I’m not sure I’ll fit in.”
“Trust me, you’ll do fine. I’ll be right here the whole time. Just stick with me, and I’ll have you turned into the life of the party in no time.” She shook her head, not sure she believed him but thankful for the encouragement. “Besides,” he told her, “it’ll be nice to have some fresh blood at these parties. It’s usually the same old boring wives and girlfriends of my coworkers. A new face will liven things up.” He traced a finger over her shoulder. “The guys are going to be so jealous I’m going home with the most beautiful girl at the party.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes, but she couldn’t deny that he knew all the right things to say. She leaned in as he did, feeling their lips collide again.
“I’m so glad I met you,” she said when they separated.
“At least something good came from that terrible party,” he agreed.
“I mean it,” she told him. “I know we just met, but…you make me really happy.”
He squeezed her hand, looking out the window as they rounded the corner. “We’re here,” he told her. “Come on, beautiful.” Asher stepped from the cab, handing over a stack of bills to the driver with a quick thanks, and holding out his hand to help Blythe.
She stepped out, looking up at the tall skyscraper that was in front of them. “This is where you work?” she asked.
He nodded, pointing up toward the building. “Sixteenth floor.”
“I’m afraid of heights,” she admitted. “I couldn’t get anything done if I were up that high.”
He sucked in a breath. “Well, that might be a problem. The party is on the roof.”
“What?” she asked as he pulled her inside past two doormen and into an elevator. “I don’t know if I can be up that high.”
“I’ll protect you,” he said. “I promise you’ll be fine. The ledges are taller than we are. Short of you planning to jump, there’s no chance you’ll fall.”
She nodded, feeling only slightly better as they rode to the top. When the elevator doors opened, she gasped. It was a party like she’d only seen in the movies. Everyone was dressed up, waiters swarmed with cocktails and appetizers, and the partygoers looked incredibly happy. And why shouldn’t they be? They were gorgeous. Each and every one of them looked as though they could’ve stepped straight out of the pages of a magazine.
“Breathe,” Asher warned, and she realized she’d been holding her breath. She let it out.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as they made their way through the party. She couldn’t help but notice that a few eyes had started to drift toward them—more specifically, her—and she heard his words in her head again. New blood.
An older couple approached them first, the man’s bald head held a shining reflection from the lights around the edges of the building. “Asher,” the man said, reaching out his hand.
Asher shook the man’s hand warmly, moving his hand from Blythe’s waist to touch his arm. “Mr. O’Connor, sir, I’d like to introduce you to my date, Blythe.”
“Blythe,” the man said politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He looked at Asher with raised eyebrows, and for a moment Blythe thought he was going to compliment her. “Did you see we snagged the Deluthe account?”
Asher let out a confident laugh. “I did.”
“Well done, m’boy,” Mr. O’Connor said, patting his shoulder. “Elderman will be getting a call Monday morning, you can bet on that.” He wagged a finger in the air. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got to catch up with Chad and see if he’s heard anything about the Miracle account. Nice to meet you again, Bright.” With that, he offered Blythe a quick handshake and disappeared.
“Sorry about that,” Asher said. “He’s never been very good with names.”
“Is that your boss?” she asked.
He nodded, grabbing two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handing one to Blythe. “Thank you,” she told the waiter, tapping her glass against Asher’s. “It’s weird being here and not being one of them.”
“Well, get used to it,” he told her, his eyes burning into hers.
“I don’t know if I could ever get used to this,” she told him honestly, looking around the crowded party.
“Come on, you attend fancy parties all the time.”
“It’s not exactly attending, and honestly, no. I attend parties like the one I met you at…mostly in houses, and though they’re nice, they’re nothing like this.”
“Well, I know it looks fancy, but honestly, it’s mostly just about impressing our clients. If it were up to most of the guys here, we’d all be at a sports bar with a bottle of beer.” He smirked, waving as they passed a few of his colleagues. He introduced Blythe to a few more men as they hurried past, making their way to a far corner of the roof.
“Your job must be so fun,” she mused, wrapping one arm around her middle to protect herself from the cool breeze.
“It can be,” he admitted. “But it can also be super stressful.” He nudged her hip. “Which is why I’m thankful I ran into you.”
She looked up at him, shocked by his words. “You are?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re so low key, Blythe. It’s kind of refreshing. New York girls are…stressful and dramatic and…honestly, I’ve never met anyone like you.”
She offered a small smile. “I’m nothing special,” she drawled.
“You are,” he told her, lifting her chin so she would look at him when she looked away. “You are special.” With that, his lips met hers and the party faded away. She lifted one arm, draping it over his shoulder as his arms went around her waist. She’d never felt more special in her life.
Chapter Six
“Have a good night, Cathy,” Blythe called to her coworker as she exited the building. She’d worked two parties back to back, and Blythe was thankful when Cathy offered to clean everything up so she could go home and catch some sleep. What she really wanted was to get out of her shoes—she was exhausted, and her feet were on fire.
She stuck a few of her tips into her back pocket—mostly ones—but held onto a twenty as she spied a coffee cart up ahead. She needed something to help her stay awake on the cab ride to the suburbs. She approached the young man, holding out the bill. “Double shot Americano please.” Who cared that she hated coffee? If she couldn’t stay awake, she wasn’t sure what might happen. Her luck, she’d end up a state away with a sky-high cab bill.
He took the cash, slipping it in his pocket and pouring her a glass. She stared at the sign on his cart, letting her know he accepted PayPal and Venmo. When he handed her the drink, she thanked him and turned around, ready to walk away when something caught her eye. She froze in her spot, despite the agitated people in line behind her just waiting for their turn to order.
She stared through the glass of the restaurant, the glar
e on the windows making it hard to tell if she was seeing what she thought she was. She swallowed, taking a step forward and placing one hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the light. Without conscious thought, she found herself headed into the restaurant.
“Asher?” she said as she approached his table. The brunette with the pompadour turned, confirming her fears.
He was sitting at a small table across from a woman with strawberry-blonde hair and a dark tan. When she smiled, her teeth were almost too white.
“Blythe? What are you doing here?” he asked, staring up at her with a look of confusion.
“Better question…what are you doing here?” she asked, gesturing toward his date. She was exhausted, which was only aiding her irritability. Normally she would’ve been much more reserved; she rarely chose to start a conflict, but she couldn’t hold it in.
“I’m…on a date,” he said slowly. “This is Bianca.”
“Hi—” Bianca started to say, waving her fingers pleasantly.
“Seriously? A date?” She took a breath, nodding her head slowly. “Okay.” Turning away from him as tears formed in her eyes, she walked out of the restaurant in a hurry. She couldn’t let him see her cry. Granted, they’d only been seeing each other for a few weeks, but it hurt nonetheless. She’d truly grown to like him.
“Blythe, wait,” he called, grabbing her arm as she exited the restaurant.
She spun around to face him. “What, Asher?”
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Are you mad?”
“Am I mad? Of course, I’m mad! You’re cheating on me!” she squealed.
“Cheating on you?” He furrowed his brow, putting a hand to his chest. “Wait a second, Blythe, I’m not…I’m not cheating on you. We aren’t exclusive.” He said the words slowly, surprising her with how blunt he was being.
“We aren’t?” she asked, staring into her drink. How could she have been so stupid? She felt like a child who’d been scolded.
“I mean, we never had that talk. I just assumed we were on the same page. Look, I like you a lot and I want to keep seeing you. But I can’t commit to anything serious right now. I’m sorry if you misunderstood. That wasn’t my intention.” He used his thumb to brush away a stray tear from her cheek, leaning down to look at her. “I’m really sorry, Blythe.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, too. I guess I should’ve known. I just…I don’t know. I really like you.”
“I really like you, too,” he said, stroking her cheek. “I do. I’d like to see you again. But only if you’re okay with this.”
“This? As in you seeing other people?”
“As in both of us seeing other people,” he corrected. “You’re new to the city. You need to explore and try new things. I’m nowhere near ready to settle down yet, and you shouldn’t be either. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you, it just means I’m not sure I want to be with anyone just yet. I mean, I’m twenty-seven years old.” He shrugged, keeping his voice light.
She wanted desperately to accept what he was saying, but she wasn’t sure she could. She felt tricked, even though realistically she knew that wasn’t the case. She’d believed Asher wanted to be with her and only her, but that belief was formulated only in her mind rather than being based on anything he’d actually told her. In Darlington, twenty-seven typically meant you were settled down, married, and raising two children. But New York was different. People settled down later here. She’d seen that. She knew that. And yet somehow, in her heart, she still hoped for what she’d always known. She wanted to love and to be loved. Exclusively.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” she admitted, biting her lip.
His gaze fell to the ground and he removed his hand from her cheek. “Okay,” he said. “I can respect that.” He leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “If you change your mind, you know how to find me.”
She nodded, not meeting his gaze.
“It was really nice getting to know you, Blythe,” he said. With that, he disappeared back into the restaurant, and she was left alone with her racing thoughts.
She wandered the streets, sipping her coffee and trying to determine her next move. If she went home still upset, her aunt would surely have things to say about her lifestyle. She wasn’t in a place to handle that.
As she took the last drink from her cup, noticing the sky had grown dark as she wandered around for nearly two hours, she tossed the paper cup into a nearby trashcan and stepped out onto the curb to wave down a cab. When she looked up, she gasped, surprised to find the building in front of her was a familiar one.
Without thinking too much about it, she hurried into the building and up the stairs. This was crazy. What she was doing was certifiably insane, and yet, with every step, she felt a bit more safe. A bit less heartbroken. As she reached his floor, she approached his door with her fist raised.
Knock, knock, knock. Why hadn’t she come here sooner? Why had she stayed away from the one person who’d protected her when she’d stepped into the city for the first time? She regretted it now, and she wondered what he would say to her. Would he blame her for waiting so long? Would he even remember her? Surely he’d met loads of people since then.
As the door swung open, she smiled at the surprised face awaiting her. He looked the same, his scraggly brown hair hanging down past his ears, dark brown eyes staring into hers. He was shirtless with a pair of unbuttoned jeans around his waist.
“Bly—”
“Fin—”
They greeted each other at the same time, a small laugh escaping her throat. He remembered her. “Can I come in?” she asked boldly, expecting him to open the door wider.
“Who is it?” a voice called from just behind him. A woman’s voice. He opened the door a bit more, leaning his head against the wood, and Blythe stared at a young, red-headed woman with a blue T-shirt and no bottoms on. She was dressed in Finn’s clothes.
“Oh,” Blythe said, because no words seemed to fit.
“What are you doing here?” Finn asked, and she stared at him blankly because the truth was, she had no idea.
Chapter Seven
“What are you doing here?” he repeated, staring at her with a strange expression. He looked as confused as she felt. What was she doing there? The truth was, she’d longed to be at the last place she felt truly safe…which, as it turned out, was Finn’s apartment. But why was that true? He was basically a stranger, after all.
He was still waiting for an answer and the air around them was growing thicker with tension, so she backed away, blinking herself out of the trance and clearing her throat. “I’m so sorry.” She turned to walk away from the apartment when she heard him speak.
“Blythe?” he called her name, and she spun back around to face him as if pulled by magnets.
“Yes?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly.
“Do you need me?” he asked, studying her expression with his head cocked to the side.
She shook her head, but her eyes filled with sudden, betraying tears. Without another word, Finn looked behind him. “I’m sorry,” he apologized to the woman who was struggling to get her pants back on. “We’re going to have to take a raincheck.”
“A raincheck?” she asked, disdain clearly in her voice. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not really,” he said, his voice firm. “You need to leave.”
The woman scoffed, grabbing her clothes from the floor and casting an angry look his way. She didn’t blame her, really. How could she? Blythe had shown up unannounced and interrupted their obvious plans. She should leave, but she couldn’t move as she watched the woman stroll past Finn. “You know I won’t be back, right?” she asked with a hateful tone, though the question was filled with hope. She wanted Finn to ask her to stay. To change his mind.
He nodded, looking above her head with a stiff jaw as he responded. “Yep.”
The woman offered a feigned laugh. “Whatever.” She disappeared down the stairwell, her stomping foots
teps echoing throughout the hall for what seemed like way too long.
When silence surrounded them, Blythe looked back up at Finn, in awe of what had just happened. What he’d done for her.
“You didn’t have to—”
“I know,” he confirmed, opening the door wider. “Come in.”
“Finn, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“I know that, too,” he told her. “And it’s okay. What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
He sat down on the arm of his couch, locking his fingers together and resting his hands on his knees. “I mean…it’s been over a month, Blythe. What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why I came here. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Problems with your aunt?”
“No,” she answered, surprised at just how much he remembered. She wouldn’t have been shocked if he didn’t even recognize her at all. It was one insignificant night…but he seemed to be just as drawn to her as she was to him. Maybe the night meant more to them both than she’d previously realized.
“Then what?” he asked. “Talk to me.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s stupid.”
He stood, walking toward her slowly. “If it’s gotten you this upset, it’s not stupid.” He placed a careful hand on her arm, caressing her gently. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “No, it’s just…you’re going to think I’m ridiculous.” She bit her lip. “I guess I probably am ridiculous. I had a…I guess a fight. With a guy.”
He dropped his hand from her arm instantly, but the warm expression didn’t leave his face. “A boyfriend?”
“No. Er, well, I don’t know. I’ve only known him for two weeks. I thought he wanted to date me seriously, but I guess it wasn’t too serious for him. He was seeing someone else. Multiple someone elses, probably.”
The Better Choice Page 4
