by Ella Sparkle
“Thank you. Although I don’t think my night is going to get any better than this moment right now.” Nick winked at me and smiled again which made my heart start to flutter. What was it with this guy? I had never been so dumbstruck by another person before. Come to think of it, I had never felt a flutter quite like that. It was crazy. I had to get out of there... and he winked at me! He winked at me and it was so dang hot I thought I might melt into a puddle on the sidewalk. I had to get a grip on myself.
“Well, good night,” I said quickly as I turned and started to walk back to the delivery car. My face must have been as red as pizza sauce, I felt so flushed.
I had only made it a few steps before Nick shouted at me. “Wait! What's your name? It doesn’t seem quite fair that you know mine, but I don’t know yours.”
I turned and without even thinking about it first, gave him a big smile and said coyly, “Well, that is not something I just give out to anyone.”
Nick looked surprised, but there was no way he was as surprised as I was by what came out of my mouth. Who was I? I didn’t flirt and play cute with strangers. Especially an insanely handsome stranger. An insanely handsome stranger that had my heart racing and my palms sweating. I suddenly realized... all I had to do was say yes. Yes, I will flirt with a handsome stranger. Just say yes, Jenna.
I let out a giggle at the baffled look on Nick’s face. A few beats passed before his face slowly morphed into a half-cocked grin. Hot dang, he was even sexier when he smiled. I couldn’t help but flash him my biggest and brightest smile back. Hopefully, it looked seductive and not like I was having a stroke. It was really hard trying to be calm and coy when in reality, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate and pass out. How did people do that on a regular basis? No wonder I was single. It was difficult to flirt with sexy strangers… especially strangers named Nick who answer the door wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts.
“Well,” Nick said slowly, never losing his grin. “What should I call you then? You know, in case I want to have another pizza delivered.”
“You can call me Pizza Girl,” I said with a laugh and a wave as I got into the delivery car and drove off. I had no idea where that came from, but it just seemed to fit the moment. As I pulled away, I looked in the rearview mirror and my stomach did a flip-flop when I saw that Nick was out on the sidewalk holding the pizza box with a big grin on his face as he watched me drive away.
Chapter 8
Nick
As I stood up from my desk to stretch, I decided to go ahead and leave work a little early. Well, early for me, which meant it was a few minutes after seven o’clock. I had finally broken down and placed an ad for a full-time assistant following last Friday’s late-night slog through paperwork. I was shocked with the number of applications I had received and was trying to sort through all of them to set interviews for the week ahead. I was also in the process of putting together bids for a few big projects that could really propel Blaine Construction forwards. One of the projects was a multi-year, multi-phase sub development and every construction company in the area was chomping at the bit to be a part of it. The other was for a smaller development that consisted of very expensive luxury homes. That one looked to be a very demanding job with a tight timeline, but it was one that would be incredibly beneficial in setting Blaine Construction apart from other construction companies. I couldn't take my eyes off the ball for one second, getting the contracts was pivotal to our success and growth.
I decided I was going to go for a run to try and clear my head and loosen myself up after sitting behind a desk all day. I was eager to get someone hired to manage the office so I could spend more time out at the job sites, which is what I really enjoyed. Sitting behind a desk all day made me feel trapped... and I had been feeling trapped way too much lately.
I could feel more and more of the tension disappear with each thud of my running shoes on the pavement. I continued to push forward until all of it had completely melted out of my body. As I ran through a residential neighborhood, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as I noted all of the houses I passed that Blaine Construction had either built or remodeled. It made all the late hours and sacrifices worth it, seeing how much the company had grown in such a short time.
I finished out my run and decided to order a pizza from Pete’s Pizza for dinner. Pete’s had the best pizza in town by far and had been a favorite of mine since college. When I called to place my order, the girl from Pete’s said that they were really busy and delivery might take a little longer than usual. That was fine by me since it'd give me time to take a quick shower first.
Either I lost track of time, or the delivery arrived sooner than expected because I had just stepped out of the shower and started to dry off when I heard the doorbell ring. I quickly grabbed a pair of black athletic shorts and went to answer the door. When I opened it I had to do a quick double-take at the woman standing on the other side.
She was not what I expected at all.
Luckily, she was looking down at the pizza box she was holding and not paying me any attention as I stared at her, trying to get my shit together. When she finally looked up, I literally lost my breath for a moment.
She was absolutely fucking gorgeous.
I just openly stared, taking her all in. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but there were random pieces that escaped and framed her face. She had full pink lips that I instantly wanted to kiss, sparkling blue eyes, and flawless creamy skin that was starting to flush pink around her cheeks and neck. It didn’t look like she was wearing any makeup which just showcased the fact she was naturally and effortlessly beautiful. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her.
It was then that I realized she was also checking me out. Judging by the flush on her face and the fact her lips had parted slightly, she liked what she saw. This totally fueled my cocky side and I decided to take full advantage of the fact that I was standing there without a shirt. I crossed my arms to flex my biceps slightly. Did I do it just to see if I could get a reaction out of her? Absolutely. Was it kind of an arrogant dick thing to do? Absolutely. In my defense, I work my ass off at the gym regularly... it's one of the few things that I actually do, other than go to work. As this beautiful woman stood in front of me and checked me out, I decided to take full advantage of all those hours busting my ass. Suddenly every workout I had ever done became worth it when she gasped a little and parted her lips even more as her eyes landed on my upper body. I couldn’t help but smile.
I would have just stood there and stared at her all night if she hadn’t reminded me that I needed to pay for my pizza. As I grabbed the cash I'd left on the table by the door earlier, I tried to think of something clever to say to her. I was totally out of practice with flirting or even being around a beautiful woman... it had been a really long time since I had felt anything even remotely close to how she made me feel. There was something about this woman on my doorstep that had me completely and utterly rattled. My pulse was racing and I felt like I was back in junior high trying to talk to a girl for the first time.
I handed her the cash and she handed me the pizza and I swear we had a moment. I didn’t think that kind of shit was actually real, but we both seemed to be frozen staring at each other for... I don’t even know how long, but I know it wasn’t long enough. Even the Pete’s Pizza t-shirt and jeans she had on couldn’t hide the fact that there were some luscious curves under her clothes. I was just over six feet tall and I seemed to tower over her as she stood there in her tennis shoes... fuck... tiny, curvy, beautiful, and she kept blushing which I found to be oddly adorable on her... everything about her drove me fucking wild.
When I told her that there was no way my night was getting any better, I meant it. Fuck, my entire week couldn’t get any better than that moment. As she turned to leave I was so distracted by the fact that her cheeks had flushed an even deeper shade of red I almost let her slip away without even asking her name.
Imagine my surprise when
the little minx wouldn’t tell me. As I stood on the sidewalk and watched her drive away, all I could think about was how much I wanted to see her again. My pulse continued to race and I could feel the big goofy grin plastered across my face that I wore all the way back into the house.
Once I was back inside, I turned on the game and sat down to eat my pizza. I couldn’t even pay attention, all I could think about was Pizza Girl. The more I thought about her, the more conflicted I became. There was no question that I was attracted to her, more so than I had been to any other woman in... well maybe ever. There was just something about Pizza Girl that drew me in from the moment I opened my door and first laid eyes on her. Problem was, I didn’t have time for distractions... that included dating. Blaine Construction was really starting to take off and there were the big new projects I needed to focus on landing. I had employees that depended on me and I had spent the past several years solely focused on getting Blaine Construction to the place it almost was... things were at a real tipping point. Any one of the big jobs I was looking at would be the thing that would send Blaine Construction over the edge and to where I envisioned it. I needed to stay focused on what I was doing and not get distracted by anything outside of work... especially brunette bombshells that randomly showed up on my doorstep delivering pizza.
I tried to push Pizza Girl out of my mind for the rest of the evening, but by the time I crawled into bed, I had already decided that I had to see her again. I had no idea how to contact her other than by ordering another pizza. I chuckled to myself as I laid in bed thinking of her beautiful blue eyes and what it would be like to kiss those perfectly pink lips. Looks like I'd be having Pete’s Pizza delivered for dinner again the next night.
Chapter 9
Jenna
A few nights after my delivery to the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on, I was with Cassie at High Five for drinks and appetizers. The popular bar was fairly busy for a weeknight. Normally it was not my scene, but when Cassie asked me to meet up with her, I had to say yes. It ultimately worked out to be alright since hanging out with Cassie was a welcome distraction... I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Nick.
“You know, I am really starting to feel like an absolute genius. I should win some type of award or have a monument named after me,” Cassie said as she looked at me and popped a nacho chip in her mouth. “At the very least, I should have my name on a park bench. Or my picture on a stamp.”
“Oh really? Why is that?” I raised an eyebrow at her and took a sip of my cocktail.
Cassie leaned forward with a big smile on her face like she was about to divulge a huge secret. “Because my spectacularly brilliant plan is working. More perfectly than even I thought it would. I'm proud of you babe.” Cassie leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms with a smug expression on her face.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, not quite sure I was following.
Cassie rolled her eyes at me. “Why the saying yes plan, of course! It has only been a few weeks and look at how many things in your life have changed. Look how much you have changed!” She exclaimed triumphantly.
I thought about it for a moment before I responded. “I guess you're right. I have a job that is actually fun, where I can just show up, put in my hours, and be done. I don’t want to do it forever, but it pays the bills for now. Plus the tips are pretty great.”
“Yes!” Cassie shouted, loud enough that a few people sitting around us turned to look. It didn’t even phase Cassie as she kept on talking, “Plus you've made new friends. When I stopped by the other day during your shift, it was great to see how well you were all getting along. I know it has been hard for you to step out of your shy shell and make new friends in the past. I'm seeing a real change for the better and it's only been a few weeks!”
“True,” I nodded in agreement. “The group at Pete’s Pizza are totally unlike any people I have ever met before. They work hard, but they also have fun and genuinely seem to enjoy what they are doing. Weird thing is, I haven't known them for very long, but I already feel like they have my back. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to this job, but so far I am really glad that I did it.”
“See! You just had to put yourself out there! Plus, I like this more confident, less stressed, and dare I say, more carefree version of you. Not having a plan looks good on you, babe. Keep saying yes.”
I laughed and took another sip of my drink. I had to agree. I felt better than I had in a long time. Although there were times I started to worry about not having a plan, I just kept reminding myself to say yes and take the experience. This was for now, not forever. It felt really good to be more relaxed and not constantly worried about things that ultimately were beyond my control.
“Speaking of saying yes, my work friends, Mike, Steven, and Kimmy invited me to go out dancing with them Thursday night. They said to invite you along as well. What do you say? Want to join us?” I asked as I looked at Cassie hopefully. I really wanted her to come. Going to a club and dancing was way outside of my comfort zone. Having Cassie there would be a huge help.
“Hell yeah!” Cassie shouted and banged her palm on the table causing people to turn and look at us again. “I would not miss you at a dance club for anything! How many times have I tried to get you to go out with me and you said no? Let me answer that for you. About sixty hundred billion and twelve. I am such a fan of you saying yes!”
“I am not even sure that is an actual number, but I get what you're saying.” I laughed. “It should be fun, but I am a little nervous. I think I've only been to a dance club once before and that was with Brett.”
“Well, Brett is a stupid bastard who wouldn’t know a good time if it came up and bit him on the ass. Prepare to have your mind blown, girlfriend! You, at a dance club saying yes— this is going to be my best night ever!” Cassie was clapping her hands and literally bouncing up and down in her seat. I laughed at how excited she was. It was true that Cassie loved to go out and I usually stayed home. Thursday night was going to be way out of my comfort zone, but I was ready. As Cassie pointed out earlier, so far saying yes was working well for me.
“Where are we going to be shaking our booties on Thursday?” Cassie asked as she took a sip of her drink.
“Ummmmm... I think it’s a place downtown called The Star.” I saw a weird look flash across Cassie’s face but it was there and gone so quickly part of me wasn’t sure it had actually happened. “You still want to go, right?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t sure if I was reading too much into that look or if it really was nothing.
“It's going to be the best night ever,” Cassie answered as she took a big gulp of her drink. I raised my eyebrow at her, wondering what was up since she hadn't exactly given a yes or a no answer. Cassie set her drink down and a mischievous look came over her face as she leaned forward. “Speaking of best nights ever, any more deliveries to your pizza hottie with the beautiful brown eyes?”
I blushed as Cassie wiggled her eyebrows at me. Of course, I had told her about the delivery to Nick. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since that night. There had been multiple fantasies of him holding me in those strong arms, me kissing his perfect lips, and licking that finely sculpted chest. My favorite fantasy was of him peppering kisses down my neck and continuing to move further down my body until...
“Hey! Earth to Jenna!” Cassie waved her hand in front of my face. “Wipe that drool off your chin and answer me! You better not be holding out critical information about another encounter!”
“Nothing like that.” I paused as I stirred my drink with my straw. “I haven't been back to work since that night. We had some schedule changes which meant I had a bunch of days in a row off. I am back at work tomorrow night.”
“Well, you better keep me posted if you just happen to make a delivery there again tomorrow night.” Cassie got a big smile on her face as she chewed on a nacho chip. “You know this is the start of a great porno movie, right?” She chuckled saucily.
&nb
sp; I choked on the sip of the drink in my mouth and started coughing as I nervously looked around to make sure no one overheard her. I knew my face was bright red. “Cassie! You can’t just say stuff like that!” I exclaimed, flustered. It was true, after all.
“Why not?” Cassie shrugged. “You have to admit it is pretty perfect. Super hot delivery girl just happens to deliver a steaming hot pizza to an ultra sexy guy wearing nothing but a pair of gym shorts. Throw in some cheesy music and the story practically writes itself.”
I started laughing uncontrollably. Cassie batted her eyelashes and spoke in a super high-pitched, sugar-coated voice as she stuck her chest out. “Oh my! What other services would you like me to deliver? I just love the taste of great big sausages!”
I threw my napkin at her as tears rolled down my face from laughing so hard. “Stop it! You're too much! I can’t take you anywhere!”
“Admit it, you adore me and my totally twisted sense of humor.”
“You are right, Cass, I do. Seriously though, I'm sure that I am never going to see him again. What are the chances of that actually happening?”
As much as I hated to admit it, the thought of not ever seeing Nick again made me feel kind of sad, which felt strange since I had only been around him once and for just a few minutes.
Cassie took a sip of her drink and smiled at me. “I don’t know... but if it does, remember to just say yes.”
Chapter 10
Nick
It had been four days since the night of Pizza Girl. I had ordered pizza from Pete’s every goddamn night since then and much to my disappointment, and increasing frustration, every night she was not the delivery driver who knocked on my door.
