“Amazing,” I say, finishing the sentence for her.
Sabrina smiles fully then, all teeth and gums. “Yes, he is. But what I was going to say is that I think he’s kind of perfect for you and that we’re just friends. You of all people should know that better than anyone. So stop saying you feel weird about it, because you shouldn’t.”
“I know. You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry I kept it from you. Although there wasn’t much to keep from you up until recently, to be honest.”
“What about that Marisa person you were telling me about?” she asks thoughtfully.
I purse my lips and make a face of distaste at the mere mention of Miss Teen USA before explaining the situation to Sabrina. “They’re not dating really. As it turns out, they never were, according to him and his niece.”
At the mention of Josie, Sabrina’s eyebrows shoot up in curiosity. “Yeah, about that,” I say. “Do you remember that deal Alex and I made last year to get your résumé to your now boss?” Sabrina nods in understanding. “Well, he finally decided to cash in on the favor I owe him.”
“What does he want you to do?”
“Plan his niece’s tenth birthday party at his house.”
She lets out a small giggle. “That sounds like fun.”
“It is. I’m having the best time planning it.”
Right then it occurs to me that with all the crap that went down yesterday, I really was supposed to have a meeting with Alex about the party. Obviously we got sidetracked, so I’ll have to remember to bring it up to him at some point tonight.
“So, has he restored your faith in men?” Sabrina asks teasingly.
I bring the mug to my lips with an evasive smile. “Perhaps.”
“Oh my God, I just had a great idea!” she yells, making me almost spit my coffee out. “We should all go out to dinner the next time I’m in town.”
“Sabrina, settle down. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I say in between coughs. “We only started dating, or hooking up—whatever you want to call it.”
“Well, promise me that you’ll at least think about it.”
I raise my hand up and twiddle my pinky finger at the screen. “Fine. Pinky swear.”
Sabrina does the same thing on her end with her finger before letting me know that she’s running late to meet up with Tyler and has to cut the session short.
“That’s fine. I have to start looking for something to wear that’s ‘semi-nice’ anyway, and I really would like to take a nap before Alex picks me up later.”
“Wore you out, did he?” she guesses with another giggle.
“You have no idea, Sabrina.”
We end the session as I finish what coffee is left in my mug. After a quick refill, I head straight into my bedroom. First, I change into a pair of beat-up sweatpants and an old Depeche Mode concert T-shirt that has seen better days before tackling the outfit situation.
An aggravating hour later, I’m staring at possible selections on my bed when my cell phone rings. Holding it in my hand, I roll my eyes and prepare myself for the worst before I answer it.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, sweetheart,” she replies. “Your father said you’d be coming over today. What time should we be expecting you?”
“Mom, I didn’t say that.”
“Carter! Pick up the phone!”
Oh dear God, it’s one of those calls.
My dad gets on the line in the middle of yelling about a play gone awry in the college football game he’s currently watching. “What kind of bullshit call was that, ref? Pass interference, my ass! Let them play the game, for chrissakes!”
“Carter!”
“What?”
“I thought you said Julia was coming over today,” my mom says to him.
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
“No, I most definitely didn’t say that. I told you she’d be calling you today.”
“Are you sure?”
“Marilyn, I may be retired, but I’m not senile.”
My mom sighs into the phone. “I never said you were going senile, but I could have sworn you told me she was coming over today.”
“Are you sure you’re not the one going senile?”
I clear my throat loudly to get their attention. “I’m sorry to interrupt you two, but is my presence required within this conversation?”
“Julia?” my dad says, completely puzzled. “When did you get on the phone?”
“I’ve been here the entire time, Dad.”
“Are you watching the Hurricanes game, Julia? The fucking refs are killing us. It’s total bullshit.”
“No, I’m not watching the game, Dad. I’m kind of busy, actually.”
My mom decides to chime in. “Is that why you can’t come over?”
“Um, no. I’m trying to find something to wear for a date I have tonight,” I confess, and take a seat on the edge of my bed. My dad is momentarily distracted by another god-awful call, so my mom continues with her questions.
“Is this your first date with the lucky guy?” she asks excitedly.
“Yes, kind of.”
“It either is or it isn’t, Julia,” my dad says, popping back into the conversation.
“It’s complicated.”
“That doesn’t sound promising,” he adds under his breath.
My mom butts in next. “How can it be your first date and already be complicated?”
I fall back on my bed, exasperated, and onto some of the outfits I’d laid out.
“Well, Carter, obviously there is something Julia isn’t telling us.”
“You think?” my dad says with a snort. “If he’s anything like the other guys she’s brought home to meet us, I give it another week.”
“Do you remember that one who wouldn’t drink anything all night, even with his food? I mean who doesn’t want even a little sip of water to clear their palate during a meal?”
“I remember that one,” my dad says. “How about the one who kept going to the bathroom every five minutes? He must have had a serious drug habit.”
“He didn’t have a drug habit, Dad.”
“Oh, so he had the shits then? I’m not sure that’s any better, Julia.”
“Carter,” my mom says while laughing, “stop teasing her.”
“You started it.”
“Julia, maybe this guy is going to sweep you off your feet.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” my dad says.
“Okay, guys. As much as this conversation has been as enlightening as ever, I’ve gotta go and start getting ready.”
“So you’re not coming over?” my mom asks again, like she hasn’t heard a word I’ve said.
“Not today. Maybe next week, okay?”
“Okay, sweetheart. That would be nice. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Julia,” my dad says in a cautious voice before I hang up. “Make sure whoever this guy is that he treats you good.”
I smile in spite of myself at the warning. Even though my parents might officially be off the reservation, I know in my heart they mean well and care about me, so I put up with their antics.
“I will, Daddy.”
We say a collective good-bye, and I toss my phone onto the bed. I’m still smiling while staring up at the ceiling and thinking about last night and this morning. My eyes eventually start to grow heavy, and although I really should decide what I’m wearing later tonight, a nap wins out instead.
I guess Sabrina was right. He wore me out. But in the best way possible.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It’s 7:17 p.m., and as much as the nap did wonders for me and I feel completely rejuvenated, I slept until just after six o’clock, leaving me about an hour to get ready. Thank God I had already taken a shower today, which ended up helping to save me some time. Well, two showers, but who’s counting.
I switch off the blow-dryer and put it down amongst the clutter on the counter before performing a thorough final in
spection of myself in the mirror.
Word to the wise, ladies: always perform the final inspection. The one time I didn’t, I ended up with my tits on display because I had an extra button undone on my blouse. Of course it wasn’t until my date kept staring at my chest with a lascivious grin that I looked down and noticed it. Needless to say, it was our one and only date.
After a lengthy debate with myself over whether to show too much leg or not, I opted for showing them off tonight. I settled on a simple black shift dress with a plunging split neckline and dolman sleeves that end somewhere along my upper thigh. I paired it with strappy leopard-print high heels. My hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and the only accessory I’ve added is gold hoop earrings. To the untrained eye it looks like I’m not wearing any makeup, but in fact I’m wearing enough to make it look like I’m not, which takes years of practice to perfect.
Overall I’m extremely pleased with how I turned out, given the fact that I only had an hour to get ready. I turn around and crane my neck over my shoulder to take one last look at my backside in the mirror. Once I’ve ensured that there is no back fat or panty lines visible, I switch off the bathroom light and head into the living room to wait for Alex.
First, I take to sitting on the couch but quickly decide that it may wrinkle my dress. Next, I try the barstools by the kitchen island and sit comfortably for all of a minute before my leg, kicking back and forth like an impatient child’s, drives me crazy and I jump off the seat. I start to pace back and forth behind the couch, but I stop when I realize my pits are starting to perspire again. So I freeze in mid-step and crane my arms up to let them air dry. I probably look like Daniel-san in The Karate Kid standing in the middle of my living room when I hear a light knock on the front door.
My heart hammers in my chest, and my stomach does a flip-flop while my adrenaline skyrockets. All because he’s on the other side of that door.
It’s only Alex. You’ve known him for years. You’ve seen him naked now, so calm down and stop being such a spaz.
I snap out of my awkward stance and approach the door. As he starts lightly knocking again, I fling it open, and my mouth drops open in shock.
Because it’s not Alex. Nope, it’s asshole extraordinaire, Aiden.
Before I can say anything because my head is flying in all sorts of different directions, one of which is that Alex will be here any minute, Aiden steps forward and goes to kiss me hello on the cheek.
When he gets within an inch of me, I take a step back. “What are you doing?”
“I was trying to say hello,” he says.
“I get that. I don’t necessarily understand it, but I get that’s what you were just trying to do.” My hands clench into fists at my sides, trying to control the raw anger raging inside of me at the sight of him. “What I meant was what are you doing here at my house?”
Instead of answering me, he takes a second to look me over from head to toe. His head tilts to the side before he licks his lips when he’s done with his perusal of me. “You look amazing, Julia. Better than ever.”
“Answer me, Aiden.”
He takes a step forward so that he’s now officially standing inside my house. I’m almost surprised the jerk doesn’t burst into flames and collapse into a pile of ashes when he crosses the threshold, given the amount of hexes I’ve put on him over the years. What makes it so much worse is that he looks sinfully good wearing distressed blue jeans that hang low on his hips and a snug white T-shirt that showcases his muscular arms, allowing me a sneak peek at the tribal tattoo around his right bicep.
“You didn’t return my phone call,” he says, taking yet another step forward.
I answer by taking a step backward.
“So I figured I’d come by to see you instead.”
He gives me a cocky look like I should be grateful that he decided to grace me with his presence.
“See and that’s where you figured wrong. When someone doesn’t return your phone call, it’s the polite way of saying they don’t want to talk to you. But you’re too fucking stupid to realize when I’m trying to be polite, so I’ll say it in a way that you can understand.” I put my hands on my hips and lean forward until I’m as close as I can afford to be around him without wanting to do bodily harm. “Stay the hell away from me. Don’t call me, don’t write me, and don’t ever show your face here again. If you do, I’ll pick up the phone and call your fiancée faster than you can say, ‘I’m an asshole.’”
Aiden chuckles and rubs his jaw with his hand. “Now that’s the Julia I’ve missed so much. I knew she was in there somewhere.”
“Aiden, just stop it already. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s not true. I’ve missed you.” He pauses and tries his best to look sincere. On him it looks more like the devil trying to pass as an angel. Yes, it’s sexy as hell, but I’m not falling for it.
“Seeing you the other day has made me think about things,” he says.
“Wait a second. Maybe I have wax buildup in my ears or I’m losing my fucking mind, but did you just say you’ve missed me?” I ask incredulously.
He tries to reach for my hand, but I take a couple more steps away from him. “You know what? Don’t even answer that because I don’t give a shit. You left me, and now you’re engaged. End of story. So I’d like for you to leave right now because no one here is buying the bullshit you’re selling today.”
“I’m not leaving until you give me a chance to explain,” he says.
Through clenched teeth, I say, “Please. Leave. Now.”
He doesn’t budge. In fact, he crosses his arms and leans against the wall in the foyer as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
And this is when the shit officially hits the fan.
“By my count, the lady has already asked you to leave twice.” Alex’s assured and scary calm voice comes from the direction of the door. Aiden and I both look in that direction to find him with his hands in his jeans pockets, leaning against the frame. “That’s one more than necessary, don’t you think?”
Aiden looks back at me with his lips fighting a grin, and then he looks back at Alex. “Don’t I know you?”
Alex casually starts walking toward me, completely ignoring Aiden. My heart is in my throat when he comes to stand beside me and wraps his arm possessively around my waist, pulling me into his side, blatantly letting Aiden know that he’s here for me. He couldn’t have made it more obvious if he would have pissed at my feet like a dog marking its territory. I’m usually not one for displays of ownership by a man where testosterone starts flying everywhere, but for some crazy reason, what Alex just did makes me so incredibly happy that I find myself moving farther into his warmth.
“Doesn’t matter if I know you or not,” Alex says tersely. “Julia asked you to leave. Not once, but twice. But you’re still standing here. My suggestion is you turn around right now and go home.”
Aiden’s eyes roam over us in our semi-embrace, and he chuckles as he turns around and starts walking toward the door. Just before he walks outside, he cranes his neck over his shoulder and says, “Julia, I’ll be in touch.”
Alex’s hand tightens on my waist as if he’s trying to keep himself in check. Quite honestly, I’m more shocked at Aiden’s performance than Alex’s. Seriously, what an asshole! But the performance is still not enough that I can’t say one more thing before he leaves.
“Don’t bother, Aiden.”
“Close the door behind you while you’re at it,” Alex adds with a dimpled smile.
Once the door snaps shut behind him, I exhale a shaky breath in the hopes that it will regulate my sanity and temper. Now I’m left with having to explain the situation to Alex, who did nothing wrong but show up for a date and walked in on a disaster in the making. I turn in his arms and look up at him. He’s still smiling from ear to ear.
“Now I have a good reason not to like him,” he says. “When I met him at the engagement party the other night, I thought he wa
s a dick, but this just cements it.”
“Alex, I had no idea he was going to show up here,” I say.
“You don’t need to explain. I heard everything.”
“Don’t you want to know—”
“No, I don’t, Julia.” Alex’s hand comes up and cups my face softly. “As far as I’m concerned, the guy has already taken enough of our time tonight, so let’s forget about him and let me take you out to dinner.”
I grin with pleasure and relief, not only at what he just said, but at being so close to him again too. And now that I have a moment to appreciate him in all his splendid glory, my eyes make a path from the tiniest hint of tanned flesh visible at his neck and collar, to his black dress shoes, and then back up again where a lazy smile spreads across his face.
“Let’s start over, shall we?” he asks. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“You look beautiful, Julia.”
“So do you.”
“Are you ready?” he asks, while taking his turn at looking me over from head to toe.
“I just need to get my keys and purse.”
I reach for both things on the foyer side table. When I turn around and try to take one step to start walking toward the door, he grabs my wrist.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I scrunch my eyes while I think of what I could have forgotten. “Um, no. I have everything I need.”
Alex pulls me to him until I collide with his hard chest, and I put my hands out to brace myself. He cups the back of my neck while his other hand snakes around my waist, vanquishing what little space was left between us. When his lips touch mine, at first it’s a flutter of soft and light kisses as if we were becoming reacquainted. But it switches gears, and when I feel his tongue graze across my bottom lip, I lose myself to the kiss and to him. I grip onto the lapels of his jacket, and a soft moan escapes my throat, which encourages him further. He deepens the kiss but never once lets his hands wander.
I don’t know how long we stand there kissing, but when we break it off, we are both gasping for breath and our foreheads are resting on each other’s.
Playing It Safe Page 17
