The Escape

by Alice Ward

  “I mean are they broad? Muscled?”

  “Oh yeah.” I gulped, just the thought of Cristiano’s body, hidden as it had been under his clothes made me tingle. “And he’s nice too,” I added. “At least I think he is. We only talked once.”

  “That’s all you need, girlfriend.”

  “No, it’s not. It could just be a cover. A nice facade hiding...”

  “Hiding what, a lizard face?”

  I stared at her.

  “Lizard people,” she explained, rolling her eyes. “They’re all over the internet. Supposedly they’re real. The Queen of England is one.”

  “Mm. Okay.”

  “You’re just freaking out because you really like this guy, and you also happen to have a boyfriend. It’s fine, Blair. You don’t have a ring on your finger. You can see people if you want to. You never had the ‘we’re exclusive’ talk, did you?”

  I forcefully shook my head. “I wouldn’t feel right about it. I just can’t do two guys at one time.”

  “No one said you had to bang them both.”

  I stabbed her in the shoulder with my pointer finger. “You’re putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say anything about screwing. You’re projecting because you haven’t had sex in three months.”

  “Hey,” she pouted. “Not fair. That was a low blow. My sex life has no part in this. What else are you going to do with a man who’s ‘so freaking hot’ as you put it?”

  “Lots,” I argued, the only thing on my mind being Cristiano’s good looks.

  “Uh-huh,” Evie sarcastically sniped.

  “And who knows what he’s even like with girls. A guy like him can probably get any woman he wants.”

  “So you’re suggesting he’s loose?”

  I lifted a palm up in a plea of innocence. “I don’t know.”

  “You’re just looking for excuses to write him off because you feel guilty about liking him. You have no clue what he’s like with women. Just wait. See if he asks you out.”

  I stared at my friend, impressed with the wealth of wisdom she just blurted out.

  “I think he already kind of tried,” I confessed, my voice small.

  Evie’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

  “He told me he didn’t want to wait to see me again at the orphanage, or something like that.”

  “Shut up!” Evie squealed. “That’s so romantic... or creepy. Wait, no. It’s definitely romantic.”

  I nodded. “So I mentioned that I had a boyfriend.”

  “Ugh.” She stuck out her tongue. “Well, you and your starter kit boyfriend have a great night tonight.”

  “We will,” I spat back. “We might watch a movie.”

  “Good. That sounds like a really special time.” She made a dramatic act of studying her nails like she couldn’t give less of a shit.

  I crossed my arms and stared at the coffee table. I didn’t want to believe Evie’s words about feeling guilty, but they were probably true.

  “So just how long are you going to lie to yourself about you and Starter Kit?” she surprised me by asking.

  “I don’t know,” I replied, trying for sarcastic, but failing. “How long do you plan on calling him that?”

  “It’s a good one,” she grinned. “I think it’s a nickname that’s going to stick.”

  I stood up and crossed the short space to my bedroom. “What are you doing tonight?” I yelled over my shoulder.

  “I might go to the movies with Jamie,” she said to my back. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

  “The other meanie from work?”

  “Yeah.”

  I opened my closet and started pushing hangers to the side, looking for my embroidered peasant blouse. It had been months since I last wore it — the summer before, specifically — and the time had come to break it out again.

  “Do you have this guy’s phone number?” Evie yelled from the other room. “Maybe I’ll go out with him while you and Starter Kit sit on the couch and talk about the weather. Do you want to borrow my Farmer’s Almanac?”

  “Har har,” I grumbled, taking my t-shirt off and pulling the blouse on. I leaned over the little vanity pressed against the wall and swiped on some tinted lip balm before raking my fingers through my hair in an attempt to tame the unruly bits. My hair had a slight amount of body, but nowhere near enough to classify it as curly. On good days, you could call it wavy. On bad days, it was frizzy as all hell.

  A knock sounded on the front door.

  “It’s Derek!” I yelled over my shoulder as I searched the vanity for my black-brown tube of mascara. “Will you get it?”

  The floorboards squeaked, and the front door opened. A low male voice traveled across the apartment, but it wasn’t Derek’s. I tensed and dropped the mascara.

  Evie laughed lightly over something. “These are amazing,” she cooed.

  “Who is it?” I asked, going to the doorway.

  Evie was just shutting the door, hiding whoever had stood there a moment before. In her hands was a bouquet of red roses sitting in a green vase.

  “It’s a dozen,” she announced, grinning wide.

  I stared, baffled. “Huh?”

  “Someone sent you roses.” She buried her nose in them. “Wow, they smell so good.”

  “Who sent me roses? Who was that at the door?”

  She rolled her eyes and set the vase on my tiny little two-seater kitchen table. “It was the delivery guy. And according to the card...” She pulled the pale pink square of paper from its holder and read what was written on it. “Cristiano Leventis.” Her eyes glowed. “The guy?”

  I slowly nodded, dumbstruck. “Yeah.”

  “He must have gotten your address from the orphanage. Wow, he works fast.”

  I walked across the living room, the intoxicating scent of the roses enveloping me and drawing me in. They were freshly cut, their petals vibrant and crisp at the edges, no signs of wilting on them at all.

  Evie, still wearing a wide grin, leaned against the table. “Homeboy is making quite the move. I swear, Blaire, if you don’t go to him now, you need to send me in your place.”

  “I told him I have a boyfriend,” I mumbled, my gaze still fixated on the roses. “Let me see that card.”

  She handed it over. “Here, read for yourself. There’s a sexy love note attached.”

  Blaire, the card said. It was lovely meeting you. I hope you have a wonderful week. Until we see each other again, Cristiano Leventis.

  Evie sighed. “Even a simple note from him is swoon worthy.”

  Another knock came from the front. I sucked in a breath. “Hide them,” I hissed.

  Evie smirked but picked up the vase.

  “Under the sink,” I whispered.

  She complied, opening the cabinet and pushing some cleaning products to the side. “There’s some water down here. It looks like one of the pipes is leaking.”

  “Forget about it,” I snapped. “Why are you worried about that now?”

  Another knock sounded.

  “Coming!” I announced in a louder voice.

  Halfway to the front door, it opened. Derek looked down at the knob, a slightly puzzled look on his face. “Why is your door unlocked?” he asked.

  “Why did you try to open it?” Evie snapped from somewhere behind me.

  I quickly made a move to put out the swiftly encroaching fire. With Evie’s quick temper, it could only be a matter of seconds before we were all surrounded by a hellish inferno. “It’s fine,” I insisted. “I must have forgotten to lock it after Evie got here.”

  “Really?” His eyebrows knitted together. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I agreed and wiped my sweaty palms on my blouse. “I didn’t have enough caffeine today. I’m totally suffering from it.”

  “Yeah,” Evie agreed. “I thought you weren’t thinking straight.”

  I turned and pierced her with a look. Her arms folded, she leaned against the kitchen counter that made a little peninsu
la to separate the living room from the kitchen. She gave nothing away, not even looking at me when I stared her down.

  “I should be going,” she said. “Lots of things to do and places to be, you know. Movies to see... men to meet.” She walked over to the couch and picked up her purse. “See you guys later.”

  “Bye,” I responded, wanting to literally push her out of the door at that point.

  “Later,” Derek mumbled, stepping into the apartment so she could get past him.

  A heavy silence followed the shutting of the door.

  Derek peered at me. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded vigorously and forced myself to stop. “Yes. Totally. Why?”

  He pursed his lips and cocked his head slightly. “You just seem... uncomfortable. What were you and Evie talking about before I got here?”

  “Nothing,” I blurted. “I mean, she was just sharing stories about work. If I seem out of whack, it’s the lack of caffeine.” I took a step backwards to sit down on the couch’s arm. “I have a headache from it.”

  “Aw, sorry to hear that.” He stepped forward and placed his hand against my forehead, the palm nice and warm. “I’ll get you a Coke.”

  “Um, okay. Thanks.” I tensed as I watched him walk around the couch and into the kitchen, each of his steps bringing him closer and closer to the hidden vase of flowers. He opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a can of soda.

  “This is the last one,” he announced, dragging out the cardboard container. Setting the soda down on the counter, he pressed the cardboard flat.

  Realizing what he was about to do, I jumped to my feet. “I already took the recycling out,” I nearly shouted.

  My recycling bucket sat under the sink... as in right next to the spot where the flowers were hidden. I hid enough things in my life, and I didn’t want to make doing so a habit, but under no circumstances could he see the flowers. Not only would I have to explain who Cristiano was, I’d also have to explain how unwelcome the flower delivery had been.

  There’s nothing going on, I pictured myself saying. I barely even know this guy.

  Then why is he sending you roses? Derek would ask.

  On and on the conversation would go, for much longer than it needed to. Derek would want to know if I planned on going back to the orphanage, and I’d have to tell him Cristiano’s attention had nothing to do with my volunteering. It won’t get in the way, I’d promise. I’ll tell him to back off, and he’ll listen.

  My head hurt in the two seconds it took just to imagine all the things we might say.

  Derek stared at me like I was a crazy person. “Oookay,” he drawled out.

  I walked across the living room and reached out to take the cardboard from him. “And I just cleaned the bucket, so I don’t want to put anything in there. I’ll just drop it in the bin on our way out. Thanks.”

  I pulled the cardboard from his grasp. His eyes were on me, questioning everything. I forced myself to look up and smile. “Thanks for the soda. What did you want to do tonight? You still feeling up for a movie?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, that sounds good, but it’s whatever you want to do.”

  I pressed the cardboard against my chest, holding onto it for dear life. “Let’s go to the movies.”

  “Okay. Anything in particular you want to see?”

  “Nope. Even James Bond would be good. I just want to get out.” And away from those fucking roses.

  “Cool.” Derek wrapped an arm around my waist. “You sure you’re all right?”

  “Yeah,” I insisted, looking deep into his eyes. “Really. I’m fine.”

  He slowly nodded. “Okay.” He leaned down, scooping his face towards mine. His lips pressed against my mouth, warm and gentle... but that was all. There was no spark, no flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

  And I know those feelings typically don’t last forever. But when was the last time I felt them? Had it been that morning? I didn’t think so. Had they ever been there? Had I ever gotten giddy when Derek and I kissed or had it always merely felt pleasant?

  Basic boyfriend. Evie’s words echoed in my head.

  And the roses under the sink snuck into my vision, filling up the darkness beneath my eyelids as Derek kissed me.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Scarlett

  It was after ten o’clock, and I was exhausted but had promised Amy I’d drop by the bar for a few minutes at least. I showered in the women’s locker room at the hospital and pulled on the spare jeans and shirt I kept there for occasions just like this. She told me that the bar wasn’t fancy, so I didn’t need to run home and change into anything better. Besides, it was only for a few minutes, I kept telling myself. I needed sleep before I had to be on my feet for another twelve hours tomorrow.

  The minute I saw Amy’s face, I was glad I’d made the effort to come by. There was also Kim, Jana, and Tami rounding out the group, ladies I’d grown to adore.

  “The band is great,” I yelled over the noise, turning to take a look at the five-piece group on the little stage. I wasn’t ordinarily a fan of jazz, and it wasn’t something on my playlist, but listening to it in person always brought a new appreciation of the unpredictable jittery sounds that meshed together into something that simply made me happy.

  “I know,” Amy yelled back, her hips swaying side to side to a laid-back, bluesy rendition of a song I vaguely recognized but couldn’t name. “What do you want to drink?”

  I turned to the bar, looking to see what was on tap for tonight. It had been so long since I’d gone out I couldn’t even remember which one I liked. As I took in the room, I caught a glimpse of… whoa. A glimpse of him.

  Dark hair fell across a forehead I itched to stroke with my fingers, wanting to soothe the line of what looked like tension away. He sat on a stool beneath a soft light that gave me a good view of him. His eyes reminded me of a tiger and pierced me, pinned me to the floor where I stood. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He was ruggedly handsome, with a raw sexuality that pulled at me in a way I’d never experienced before.

  He lifted his glass and smiled in my direction. Was he really looking at me?

  The part of my brain still able to process incoming data wasn’t certain at all. I looked over my shoulder, knowing I’d probably see some incredible-looking woman right behind me, and then I’d be a fool for thinking any man who looked like him would be interested in someone like me. Behind me, there was nothing but a couple of tables of men leering at Amy’s ass, which made me then wonder if it was my best friend Mr. Gorgeous was staring at.

  When I found the courage to look back at him, he was still smiling, and my toes curled in my shoes. I found a sudden need to press my thighs together, to sooth away the ache that was growing there.

  I was saved from more uncertainty when Jana jumped up, clapping her hands, a huge smile on her face. “I love this song,” she yelled and grabbed Tami’s arm, who then grabbed Kim’s arm, who then grabbed Amy’s arm, who then grabbed mine. Soon, all five of us were on the dance floor, and I finally recognized the song and began to sing along to the familiar lyrics.

  “Get Lucky.”

  A shiver went through me as Mr. Gorgeous stood and headed in my direction, his lion’s eyes still penetrating me as I mouthed the lyrics.

  I wanted to be up till the sun.

  With him.

  I wanted to have fun.

  With him.

  And god yes, I wanted to get lucky.

  Which was a terrifying thought.

  I didn’t do lucky. Especially within five seconds of meeting a man.

  But I wanted lucky now. I wanted it with every breath in my body.

  “Hi.”

  I realized I’d stopped moving as he approached and was just standing like a dork in the middle of the dance floor. I was jolted from behind, and from the height of the ass on my back I knew it had to be Amy, who was giving me a little push in his direction.

  He reached out, his hands circling my arms to steady me
from her bump. I licked my suddenly dry lips. “Hi. We’re twins.”

  Like me, he was in jeans and a white button up, looking similar even down to the brown shoes. “Yeah,” he said, a smile curling up one side of his mouth. “Fraternal or identical?”

  I laughed, even while feeling a stab of pain at the memory of my twin, but shook it away as we just stood there while the music and people faded. He smiled and dropped one hand from my arm and offered it into the space between us. I took it, my fingers curling around his warm palm. He smiled wider, making me smile too, and the moment was like a dream as he pulled me into a swaying dance.

  He was a head taller than me, forcing me to crane my neck to look at him, making me feel petite and small, even though I measured out at an even five-seven. His thumb made little circles on my back as we moved to the music, the span of his hand nearly taking up my entire lower back.

  “Why me?”

  I hadn’t meant to ask the question, but since it had escaped, I wanted the answer.

  His golden eyes searched my face, the smile falling away from his lips. “I don’t know.”

  I liked that he told me the truth. I liked that he appeared as stunned by our immediate connection as I was. I liked his face. I liked the smell of the beer on his breath, the light tones of some body wash on his skin. I liked the calluses on the hand holding mine, the way it engulfed my fingers.

  “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked and motioned his head toward the bar after the next song ended and we drew apart to clap for the band, who announced they were taking a short break.

  I licked my lips again, my core squeezing as his eyes fell to my mouth to follow the movement. “I’d like that very much.”

  This was a dream, I thought as I turned to find Amy and let her know where I was going. She was grinning big, two thumbs up in the air. Go, she mouthed with a wink.

  Still holding my hand, he led me to the bar where he’d been sitting before, waiting until I was seated before reclaiming his stool, turning until he was facing me, his long legs brushing mine. “What do you want?”

  You.

  I eyed his beer. “What’s that?”

  He pushed it toward me. “Mosaic Dream.”