by E. L. Todd
“Yeah, probably.”
I took a long drink of my beer now that the conversation was over. “I wish you all the luck in the world. It would be sick if it worked out because you’d be my brother-in-law someday.”
“Yeah, that would be cool.”
But that was wishful thinking. If Rae had a thing for Zeke, it would have come up a long time ago. She would have flirted with him or dropped hints. I could read her pretty well, so I would have noticed it.
But I didn’t have the heart to tell him that.
***
I opened the front door to see Kayden on the other side. “Hey, what’s up?”
The second she saw me, she tensed up. “I’m picking up Rae. We’re going shopping.”
“Cool.” I invited her inside and shut the door behind her. “For slutty lingerie?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
Her entire face turned beet red.
“I’m just kidding…” I didn’t mean to offend her.
“I know.” She looked even more awkward, standing there and twirling her hair. Then she stared at the ground, growing more uncomfortable by the second.
Why was it always so weird when we were alone together? She was here on Sunday, and there wasn’t any weirdness. The concert was fun, and we both had a great time. But when no one else was in the room, it was like nails on a chalkboard.
“So, is Rae ready?” She wore dark jeans that fit dangerously low on her hips. I wondered if her ass would show if she sat down. But she was wearing a long blouse, probably to cover her behind for just those events.
“Actually, she’s not home yet.”
“Oh…” Panic washed over her face, either because they had an appointment to make or because she would be stuck with me.
I had a feeling I knew which one it was.
“Do you want a beer?” I asked. “Or some water?”
“I’m okay.” She continued to stand in one place, not sitting at the kitchen table or on the couch. She’d been here enough times to make herself at home. But she was acting like this was her first time visiting—and we’d never met.
“I’ve got to ask you something, and I hope you don’t take it in the wrong way.”
She turned pale as a ghost. It was like looking at Casper. “Okay…”
“Do you have a problem with me?” Maybe she hated me or something. Maybe I did something stupid to offend her and I didn’t even realize it. I tend to do that.
“A problem?” she whispered. “No, not at all. I think you’re great. Actually, I think you’re one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known. You’re so sweet and compassionate, but you’re also strong and protective. You look out for the people you care about, and you never expect anything from anyone no matter what you gave them in the past…”
That was one long-ass response. “Thank you.”
“I don’t have a problem with you, Rex.”
“It just seems like…” I pointed between us. “There’s something off here, like you’re uncomfortable around me or something.”
“No, you don’t do anything to make me uncomfortable.”
“Then what’s the deal?” I’ve seen her with Rae. She was fun and upbeat. She was the same way with Jessie. Sometimes, she was the life of the party. But when it came to just her and me, there was terrible chemistry.
“I…” She shrugged then fidgeted with her hair. “I don’t know. I guess you make me nervous.”
“Nervous?” I asked. “What? Me?” I was the most easy-going guy in the world. How could I possibly intimidate another person?
“It’s not you,” she said quickly. “I’m just…a little skittish.”
“Around me? We’ve known each other for ten years. How can I possibly make you feel anything but at ease?” It didn’t make any sense to me.
“You know, I don’t have an explanation. But I’ll be different from now on. How about that?”
I could keep interrogating her, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. If things were going to change, it was best just to focus on that. “That sounds perfect. Let’s go out to dinner tomorrow and give it a test run.”
“Di-din-ner?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“You know, when people get together and eat their last meal of the day.”
“I know,” she said with a forced chuckle. “I just…never mind. I’d love to go.”
I pointed at her. “That’s better. Now, we’re going to have a good time, and you’re going to be comfortable around me. No more of these weird, awkward, tense meetings.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Sounds like a plan. I’m really excited.”
That was better. “Okay, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Chapter Seven
Rae
I pulled my specimen out of the refrigerator then examined a sample under the microscope. It was only day three of the experiment, and there was significant biodegradable material. The bacteria had eaten away the surface of the plastic and it’d become far more flimsy than before.
My experiment was working.
I wasn’t sure how people would respond to it. The fact that bacteria were eating it away would turn off a lot of consumers. But if they knew how much bacteria were in everything they used on a daily basis, they wouldn’t blink an eye over it.
I was on to something.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind me, and I knew it wasn’t Jenny. “Am I interrupting?”
I didn’t need to see his face to know who he was. I recognized his voice the moment he spoke. “No. How can I help you, Mr. Price?” I pulled my gloves off and shoved them into the safety box before I turned to him. I suspected we would run into each other at work sometime, so I was prepared.
He wore a dark blue suit with a gray tie. Like everything he wore, he looked good. Those pretty eyes looked pretty no matter what colors he wore. Even though the suit covered all of his skin, the definition of his arms and shoulders was noticeable.
How did I not sleep with him again? That was a miracle.
“Just came down here to check on things.”
“Talk about micromanaging…”
“Or maybe it’s just an excuse to talk to you.” He came to my side, his arm touching mine.
“I guess I’ll never know.” I turned away so he wouldn’t see how widely I was smiling. The last time I saw him, it was a little awkward. I was practically running from him because it was the only way I could keep my legs closed.
“I’ll tell you…one day.” He eyed the piece under my microscope. “What are you working on?”
“It was the thing I mentioned before. Things are looking good.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“Would you rather wait until you know if it’s even feasible?”
“Hmm… I’m not the kind of person who likes to wait for things.”
“You don’t say.” I didn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
He nudged me in the side playfully.
“So, how are things in the big office upstairs?”
“Boring.”
I removed my goggles and set them on the counter. “You don’t sound particularly passionate about your job.”
“What gave me away?” His voice was full of bitterness.
“Then why did you take it?” Did his father make him? I found it hard to believe anyone could make Ryker do anything.
He shrugged but never answered. “I’ve been thinking about you lately.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “In a purely platonic way?”
“Not really…” He gave me a perverted smile.
I swatted his arm playfully. “You’re terrible.”
“Any exciting plans coming up?”
“Not really,” I said. “I’ve been helping Rex remodel his bowling alley. His business has been scraping by but just barely.”
“Yeah, opening a business can be hard.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have bought it to begin with.”
He shr
ugged. “At least he was trying to invest his money instead of blowing it. Give him some credit.”
Everyone defended my brother because they loved him so damn much. “I guess.”
“Rex is a pretty cool guy. He was definitely Mr. Popular in high school.”
“I’ll never understand why.”
“I was popular because I’m good-looking. I think he’s in the same boat.”
“Were you prom king?” I teased.
“No. But I was homecoming king.”
I tried not to roll my eyes.
“Were you one of the losers?”
“Pretty much,” I said. “I was in academic decathlon, I was the president of the science club, and I played basketball. I was as nerdy as they come.”
“Science club?” he asked. “That’s actually pretty hot. Wearing your goggles and using a Bunsen burner…sexy.”
“Shut the hell up. Stop making fun of me.”
“I’m not making fun of you.” He came closer to me, his face near mine. “I think you’re the sexiest woman in the world.” He kept a straight face as he said it. “Why do you think I haven’t stopped thinking about you?”
My skin flushed with heat, and I suddenly felt a million degrees warmer. “I should get back to work. I’ll give you an update when I have more data.”
He seemed disappointed with the brush-off. “I hope I see you soon—and not at work.”
“Well, we’re playing pool this week if you want to come.” I wasn’t getting tangled up with him. Last time I was too close to the fire, I got burned.
“Let me ask you something.” He walked around me then approached me from the other side, circling me like a shark. “Why won’t you be with me?”
“I told you why.” I didn’t want to keep having this conversation.
“Not really.”
“I don’t want to have a meaningless fling.”
“So, you want a relationship?”
“I guess.” Not every guy had to be my future husband, but I didn’t want to fool around with a guy when I was absolutely certain it wouldn’t go anywhere—and I would fall in love with him. “And you don’t do those. That’s why it’ll never work.”
“We can’t just have some fun?”
“We already did.”
“More fun,” he said.
“Our time has run out. But my friend Jessie is interested in you.”
His eyes darkened in anger. “I told you I wasn’t interested.”
“Then Kayden is your next pick.”
“She doesn’t do anything for me either.”
“Geez, you’re picky.”
“No, I’m really not,” he said. “But when I find something I really like, I stick with it.” He kept staring at me.
“Ryker, listen to me.”
He stood up straight and looked me in the eye.
“The only reason you want me so badly is because you can’t have me. I’m not going to change my mind about this. You can keep trying to seduce me all you want, but it won’t work. We both want different things in life, so let’s just leave it at that.”
“Actually, I think we want the exact same thing,” he said. “I can give you exactly what you want—night after night.”
My thighs screamed in desperation. “More than once leads to emotional attachment.”
“Just don’t get attached.”
Easier said than done.
“You clearly aren’t considering the fact that you threw Jessie at me.” His voice suddenly became angry, like he was offended I gave my friend permission to pursue him.
“I didn’t throw her at you. She was into you, and I told her to go for it.”
“Just like that?” he asked incredulously. “You wouldn’t have cared if I slept with her?”
“No.” I wasn’t lying either. “Because we aren’t anything, Ryker. We don’t mean anything to one another, beyond our friendship. And let’s keep it that way. If we keep sleeping together…”
“What?”
“It just…makes things blurry.”
“You’re afraid you’ll start caring about me.”
No. I already did care. I was afraid I’d fall in love with him. “Yeah, I guess.”
He nodded in understanding.
“You’re a pretty man with pretty words. You can have whomever you want. Don’t waste your time on me.”
“That would be fine if there was someone else I wanted.”
I turned to him, confusion sweeping through me. “What?”
He stared at me for several heartbeats, without blinking. The look lasted for ages, practically years. Then he stepped away and headed to the door. “Nothing, Rae. Nothing.”
***
I just sat down to dinner with Rex when my phone vibrated. Zeke was calling me.
Rex shoveled an enormous piece of lasagna into his mouth. “Damn, this shit is good.”
“You eat food out of the trash, so your compliments don’t mean much.” I took the call. “Hey, dude. What’s going on?”
“When did you start calling me dude?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I guess now.” I ate while I talked.
“Who is that?” Rex asked. “Is it Zeke?”
“Mind your own business.”
“Excuse me?” Zeke asked.
“Sorry, I was talking to my dipshit brother.”
“Oh. Gotcha.”
“We’re having dinner right now,” I said. “Want to come over?”
“No, it’s okay,” he said. “I already ate. I was wondering if you’re free on Saturday for dinner.”
“Dinner?” I asked. “With the gang?”
“Actually, I want it just to be you and me.”
Zeke and I had done stuff together alone tons of times, but he never asked me to dinner before. Maybe he wanted to talk about something. Or maybe he was just sick of Rex. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good.”
“Cool,” he said. “I’ll talk to you then.”
“Alright, see you later, dude.”
He chuckled. “Alright, dudette.”
I hung up and kept eating.
“So…what did Zeke want?” Rex kept his eyes glued to his food.
“He wants to hang out on Saturday.”
“Like…just you two?”
Why was he acting like a weirdo all of a sudden? “Yes. Why?”
He shrugged. “Just curious.”
“He wants to go to dinner. I suspect he wants a break from you, so that’s why he just invited me.”
“Uh, maybe.”
“Or maybe he wants to talk about the bowling alley without you being there.”
“I guess that’s possible.”
I reached for the last piece of garlic bread but Rex jacked it. “Hey.”
“That’s payback for all those mean comments you just made.”
“Jerk.”
“Like I care. I give jerk a good name.”
***
Sometimes Ryker came into my mind, but whenever he did, I pushed the thought away. Anytime we were alone together, the intensity was alarming. It actually burned me.
He had the kind of passion that I wanted in a relationship—particularly in a husband. I wanted someone who could be my best friend but also be my greatest lover. Ryker excelled in one category but failed in the other. He was bad news—to the bone.
But sometimes, my imagination drifted away, and I thought about that hard chest and those washboard abs. There had to be hundreds of women before me. Maybe even a thousand. It didn’t make me jealous that I wasn’t his only one. But I was sad there would be so many after me. One day, he would probably forget he had sex with me at all.
I was in the lab when Aaron, the delivery guy, came down the stairs and entered the lab. “Any harsh chemicals I should be worried about?”
“Nothing but water.”
“But that’s not a chemical.”
“Technically, it is.” Most people didn’t know that. Water was the most important component to chemical reaction
s. Without it, most reactions wouldn’t happen.
He was carrying a glass vase with two dozen roses inside. They were beautiful and primed. They smelled like summer, a scent I hadn’t inhaled in so long. “Wow. Who sent those to Jenny?”
He set them on the table. “Actually, they’re for you.”
“Me?” I blurted. The last time someone sent me flowers was…never. “Are you sure?”
“That’s what the card says.” He pointed to the large envelope pinned into the bouquet.
“Who are they from?” The only person who might send me flowers was my brother…and even that was farfetched.
“I don’t know. I was just told to send them down here.” He headed back to the door.
“Well, thank you, Aaron.”
“Sure.”
When he was gone, I grabbed the envelope. The handwriting on the front was strictly masculine, but I didn’t recognize it. I opened it up and began to read.
Rae,
I want to share a hot dog at a ball game.
I want to play board games with you.
And I want a date.
Ryker
Chapter Eight
Rae
Ryker asked me out on a date.
A real one.
Did that mean what I thought it meant?
Or did I need to ask for clarification?
I didn’t contact him or ask him about it. I was still processing the note he sent. It was sweet, almost too sweet. Did I misread him? Did he want something more? Or did he just want to give me what I wanted so he could get what he wanted?
I left the roses at the office because I didn’t know how to explain them to Rex. He wouldn’t jump down my throat about it, but he would still ask. I couldn’t lie to him, but I didn’t want to tell him about Rex. It was easier not to bring them home at all.
After dinner and watching TV, Safari and I went to bed. I had a queen-size mattress, so the two of us barely fit on it together. There was a lot of cuddling between human and canine. But I was used to it and so was he. Safari made cute noises in the middle of the night, and when he dreamed, he released quiet barks. Sleeping with him was better than most guys I’d been with.
My phone lit up on the nightstand the second I closed my eyes.
Ryker was calling me.
I wasn’t even sure how he got my number. I took the call, lying in the dark of my bedroom. “Hello?”
