by Parker, Ali
“We’ll get you back up and running in no time,” Charlie told him.
“I have no doubt in my mind you will. I need to go up and check on things.”
Charlie and I were left alone to diagnose the engine trouble. He was running through his list of diagnostics, but I could see the problem almost immediately. I checked the specs against what I had on my iPad and determined it to be the issue. It took less than five minutes to right the wrongs with me directing Charlie on how to fix it.
“Damn,” he shouted over the sound of the humming engine. “You are good.”
I shrugged. “I can be.”
We left the noise of the engine room and set out to find the captain. He was already barking orders to his crew, making ready to get back on course.
“Thank you,” he said, shaking my hand. “I have to say, when I made the call, I wasn’t expecting the damn engineer to show up. You’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s no problem,” I told him. “Charlie is the guy who fixed it. He’s good at what he does.”
Charlie was more than happy to accept credit for a job well done.
The captain shook his hand. “Thank you,” he said. “You really saved my ass.”
“Not a problem at all,” Charlie answered. “Happy to help. You shouldn’t have any more problems.”
“If I do, I’m calling you two,” he joked.
“Please do,” I replied. “I take my ships very seriously. I want to know if there is an issue.”
“These puppies sail like a dream. This is only my second run with her, but she’s been a really great ship to captain.”
“Glad to hear it,” I told him.
“We better get out of here,” Charlie said.
We said our goodbyes and headed back to the helicopter. We climbed in and were back at the plant in no time.
“Thanks,” Charlie said. “I would have figured it out eventually, but you were a big help.”
“Sure, it isn’t like I had anything else to do,” I teased.
“We didn’t get to finish talking about your new lady,” he said.
“Yes, we did. I said all I had to say.”
“What’s up? Are you guys dating?”
I thought about it. “No.”
“It was just a hookup?” he asked with a skeptical look.
I shrugged. “Yes, I guess it was.”
“Bullshit.”
I frowned at him. “Why do you say bullshit?”
“Because I know you.”
“I have had one-nighters before,” I said, suddenly feeling like I was in a locker room.
“Haven’t we all, but you don’t do it much.”
“We agreed not to complicate things. I’m really not interested in a relationship. I don’t want all the baggage. I like things just the way they are. I don’t want the messy stuff.”
He shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. “It sounds like you already got messy. Little late to turn that one back.”
“Whatever. She’s got her life and I have mine. Neither of us is interested in making this a thing. It was an itch that needed scratched and that was that.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’ll see her again.”
“Care to wager on that?” I asked him.
He grinned, never one to turn down a bet, especially one he thought he could win. “Fifty bucks says you will see her again. Not just see her but sleep with her.”
I extended my hand. “You’re on. Now, I have to get to work.”
“No, you don’t.”
I laughed. “No, I don’t, but you do.”
“I’m checking on you and I will know if you are lying about seeing her again.”
“I doubt it,” I called as I walked away. “And I won’t be seeing her again, at least not in that way.”
I heard him laughing as I crossed the lot and headed for my car. It had already been a week. I had not heard a word from her. Granted, I hadn’t texted or called her either. We both agreed to keep things simple. I wouldn’t mind another hookup with her, but it would be a repeat of the boat incident. We would both get what we wanted, and life would go on. I wasn’t interested in dating or getting serious. That took a lot of effort and I didn’t want the hassle of going through those early weeks in a relationship.
I didn’t want the getting to know you stuff and all that. She was fun. She was fucking gorgeous and she seemed to be on the same page as I was. Neither of us made any commitments to call.
Why did I suddenly regret that?
Chapter 14
Evie
I closed the dishwasher and turned it on. Being a single lady that was rarely home and didn’t eat a lot at home meant few dishes. I had to practically wash my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If I didn’t, they would be crusty and gross by the time I got a full load. I put the towel on the counter and shut off the light.
I had plenty of candles going. I loved candles. Anytime I got a chance to burn candles, I did. I carried my glass of wine out to my itty-bitty balcony and sat down. It was a warm evening with some serious humidity.
I settled in, putting my feet up on the railing and staring out at the pool below that was packed with tenants taking advantage of the warm weather. My phone chimed, alerting me to a text. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to deal with a client bitching at me. I was completely chill at the moment. Not a minute later, the doorbell rang.
“Nelle!” I said, already knowing it was her.
I walked barefoot to the door and pulled it open. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“I thought I would stop by.”
“You’re off on a Thursday?” I questioned.
“I am.”
“Do you want some wine?” I offered.
“No thanks. What are you doing?” She looked around at the many candles and then me.
“I have to do some more work, but I’m taking a break before I dig in again.”
She slowly nodded. “I see. Rough week?”
I sat down on the couch and stretched out my legs. My feet were aching. “Yes. I have a party this weekend and took on two new clients with events scheduled in a couple of months. It’s been crazy.”
“Sounds like it.”
I sighed, knowing my break was over. I needed a few more things for the event on Saturday. It wasn’t an event I was looking forward to. “I need to find some cigars,” I said, thinking out loud.
“Taking up smoking?” she teased.
“It’s for some corporate thing, all men. A few women, but mostly men. I’m doing an old twenties kind of vibe. I need some good cigars.”
She quickly named a place. I opened up my laptop and pulled up the name of the store. “Hey, you are right. How did you know?”
“I work in a bar. I know things.”
I laughed as I quickly typed in my order. “Of course, you do.”
“How is Xander?” she asked.
I looked up, catching the sly smile on her face as she stared at me from her place in the chair. “Subtle,” I said.
She shrugged. “Subtle is boring and it takes too long. Have you talked to him?”
“Nope.”
“Why not? I thought you liked him?”
“He’s all right, but we are just friends. We both agreed to keep things neat and tidy. Neither of us wants the baggage. I work all the time and a boyfriend would quickly feel ignored. I have been down that road before. It’s better if I just stay single.”
“That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” she said.
“It isn’t dumb, it’s practical.”
“You liked him.”
I nodded. “I do like him. He’s fun to hang out with. He has a very dry sense of humor and it makes me laugh. He isn’t wild. He isn’t boisterous. He doesn’t try to impress me. He’s just him. It’s refreshing to be with a man that doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. He’s his own man and that’s that.”
She was smiling. “You really do like him. Did something happ
en that has you running scared?”
“No,” I assured her. “It isn’t that. Now, I’m going to get my shoes on. Will you run me over to that cigar place?”
“You’ve been hitting the bottle pretty hard?”
I laughed. “No, I had one glass of wine. Trust me. I deserved it. I want to pick up the cigars before they close. Then I need to stop by the party rental place and pick up some stuff.”
“Your wish is my command,” she said and got to her feet.
I quickly put on my shoes, not caring that I was very dressed down. I had been going for what felt like four days straight. I needed some casualwear and my feet were begging for the comfort of my tennis shoes.
She drove to the cigar store where I quickly picked up my order, along with a few accessories. Then it was to the party rental place to pick up more decorations for the gig. It was almost seven before the last of my errands were done.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” she said once we were back in the car.
“Sure,” I answered. I was so ready to go home and crawl into a hot bubble bath, but she was obviously not ready to call it a night.
She drove us to a restaurant that specialized in wings. “So Xander,” she started again.
I rolled my eyes. “I knew there was a reason you wanted to sit down and eat.”
“I usually sit down and eat,” she replied.
“No, you don’t. You are always on the go.”
“Anyway,” she said, steering the conversation right back to the place I didn’t want to go.
“I already told you,” I insisted. “I like him well enough, but you know how much I work. I don’t have time to date regularly. I rarely sleep as it is.”
“I bet your dad would like him,” she commented.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think my dad would ever like any man I brought home to meet him.”
“But this guy sounds like he’s got his shit together. He’s an engineer. He’s wealthy. He’s not wild and dumb. I think the two of you would be really good together. He would tame you and you would liven him up.”
“You haven’t even met him,” I protested.
She shrugged. “I don’t have to. You told me all about him.”
“I can’t take him to meet my dad. For one, we are not even close to being at that stage, and for two, no way. You know how critical my dad is. Xander would cut and run before we even get started. My dad would find fault with a royal prince. There will never be a right man for me in his eyes.”
She smiled, sipping on her diet soda. “That’s because he loves you. He wants the best for you.”
“He wants me to be a spinster.”
“I think he just wants to make sure you are with someone that is going to treat you right. He loves you. He raised you. He has some very high standards. It’s normal for dads to be picky about who their daughters date.”
“My dad takes that a little too seriously.”
“You won’t know until you try,” she said.
I shook my head. “Nope. I have not taken a man to him yet and I don’t plan on doing it now. Not until I am a million percent sure he is going to be the man I am going to marry. Then, I will be more willing to fight for the man.”
“Makes sense, but I think your dad is also a good judge of character,” she said. “He might be able to see something you can’t.”
“Oh, yes, you are right there. He can see all the negative in a person. He doesn’t see good in anyone. If I need to know the flaws of someone, all I have to do is ask him.”
She softly giggled. “I’m afraid to know what he thought about me.”
“You have passed his high standards but just barely. The fact you work in a bar is still one of those things he is less than thrilled about.”
She rolled her eyes. “It isn’t like my parents were overjoyed either. I simply remind them I get paid more than a lot of people with shiny college degrees. I don’t have the student loans dragging me down. I’m very content with what I do.”
“I know you are and that’s all that matters,” I told her. I hated that people looked down at her because of what she did. She was one of the smartest women I knew, and she loved what she did and was paid very, very well for it.
“Hey,” she said and pointed to a TV mounted on the wall behind me. “Isn’t that your man?”
I sighed, shaking my head. “I don’t have a man.”
“Just look.” She pointed.
I turned around to look up at the screen. There was an image of Xander and another man getting off a helicopter. I squinted to read the text. “What does that say?” I asked.
“He saved a ship or something?”
“I can’t see,” I complained. I got up and walked closer to the TV to be able to read what was running across the bottom of the screen.
“Look at that,” Nelle said from behind me. “Your man is a hero.”
I had to smile. “He’s still not my man and I’m proud of him. He is a good guy.”
“He builds ships. That is crazy. I really didn’t think it was true.”
“Yes, he does. He is smart.”
“I told you, you like him.”
I sighed and headed back for our table. “I do like him, which is why I’m not taking him home to Dad. He would turn and run in the other direction before I could blink twice.”
“I hope you won’t let that stop you from enjoying time with him,” she said.
I shrugged. “I don’t know if it even matters. I haven’t talked to him since the boat incident.”
“It isn’t an incident. It was sex. Damn good sex, judging by how red you got when you told me. Maybe you should reach out to him. We aren’t in the Stone Age anymore. You can call him. Text him. Whatever. I’m not saying marry the man. I’m saying have fun with him. You have said repeatedly you like him.”
She had a point. “Maybe I will next week. I have to get through this weekend.”
“Take him to the park again on Sunday or maybe ask for another boat ride, and by ride, I mean—”
“Don’t even say it,” I told her, cutting her off.
“Call him.”
“I will. Sunday.”
“I’m going to keep hounding you until you do it,” she warned.
“I know you will. Now, if you are done trying to set me up, I need to get home. I have a few more details to iron out before I go to bed.”
We finished our late dinner and headed for her car. After she dropped me off, I couldn’t stop myself from doing a little more Googling. I wanted to know more about the man that had captivated my attention. I couldn’t quite figure him out. I got the impression he wanted to make people think he was the tough, unfeeling guy. I didn’t think he was all that tough. Definitely alpha male but not tough in a mean way.
I clicked off the image of him that appeared on his company website. I wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could pass my dad’s litmus test. He was successful and well spoken, at least when he wanted to speak. If there was ever going to be a man that could get close to measuring up to my dad’s very high standards, I had a feeling it would be Xander.
What could it hurt to have a little fun and a casual relationship? Spending my one day off a week with him would be fun. We could agree not to be the kind of couple that fawned all over each other every minute of the day. We would be the kind of couple—not couple, friends. We would be friends who needed a date for a party on occasion and could call one another up without explaining where we’ve been the last week or two.
Chapter 15
Xander
I flipped off the TV and walked outside. I had my swim trunks on and was ready to dive into my pool. I had gone down to the beach earlier, but it was packed. I couldn’t wait until school picked up and some of the tourists drifted away.
I dove in headfirst, the cool water washing over me. I swam a few laps before drifting to the edge of the pool and holding on. I waited to see if I heard the sound again. My brain could be playing tricks on me.
When I heard the birdsong again, I sprang out of the pool, using my arms to lift myself up. That was Evie’s ringtone. I felt a bit like a teenage girl, but I wanted to make sure I knew when she called. I picked up my phone. “Hello?” I answered, pretending to be totally cool and casual.
“Hey, it’s me, Evie.”
I smiled as I picked up my towel and rubbed it over my head. “Yes, I gathered that. What are you doing?”
“I am calling to ask you for a huge favor,” she said.
“What would that be?” I asked, praying like hell she didn’t ask me for money. I didn’t want to think she was using me. I would never trust my judgement again if that was the case.
“Are you busy tonight?”
“I don’t think so,” I said hesitantly.
“You don’t think so? That sounds like you are keeping your options open.”
Busted. “Not entirely.”
“It’s not terrible,” she said. “Well, not too terrible.”
“Now you are making me a little worried.”
“Would you like to go to a party with me? You wouldn’t have to mingle. I need a man to save me from the other men.”
I rubbed the towel over my bare chest. “What? What does that mean? Is someone bothering you?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I have an event tonight, a corporate party for a bunch of lawyers at one of the big firms here. It’s mostly men. Married, single, and in between. I’ve done other parties for them. The men are very, um, flirty. Very handsy. If I had a guy there, posing as my boyfriend of sorts, it would help deter the constant barrage of flirting and hitting on me.”
I was immediately jealous. “Yes,” I heard myself say. “I’ll go.”
“You will?” she asked with surprise.
“Where? Should I pick you up?”
“I have to be there early to get everything set up. If you could meet me there, that would be great.”
I couldn’t believe I was willingly agreeing to go to a party, but here I was, signing up for an evening of hell. “Text me the address. What do I need to wear?”
“A suit will be fine,” she quickly answered. “You can wear the one you wore to the other party.”
