by Kim Carmody
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, tonight…so what else?”
“What do you mean, what else?”
Will let out a slow breath, looking up at the sky. “I guess I want to know what’s so good about this guy that you’ll go on a date with him. Lord knows I’ve been trying for weeks.”
I gaped at him in surprise. “Are you serious? You’ve been trying for weeks?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I have, and I haven’t gotten anywhere so I’m wondering how he has.”
“You have got to be kidding me, Will. All you’ve done is try to get me into bed. Not once have you shown any more interest than that.”
“Bullshit, I took you out for lunch the first day we met.”
“Oh right and it’s that easy, is it? A quick burger for lunch and I should just roll over and give you what you want.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not that easy and Lord knows I’ve shown interest in you from the start. It’s not like it mattered though, you seemed to have made up your mind about me before we even met. I never stood a chance with you.”
“Why do you even need a chance with me? Is it really that inconceivable that a woman won’t give you what you want?”
His head fell back and he pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. He took a step closer to me, his hands landing on my shoulders, my body enclosed between him and the back of the van.
“What do you want Emma? Forget all the work bullshit and just give me the truth. If you tell me you’re not interested…that’s fine, I’ll back off.”
He looked down at me, his eyes so intent on my face, I felt like I could melt under his stare. This was my chance to put an end to his advances; he was finally giving me an out. I opened my mouth to speak, to say yes, please back off, please stop putting me in these situations that have my head screaming no and my body screaming yes. Please let me go back to the carefree girl I wanted to be in New York, the one who didn’t have images and thoughts of a man she couldn’t have running through her head every waking moment. But try as I might, nothing came out. Because the truth was, I didn’t want him to back off. I didn’t want the little thrills I felt every time he looked at me or spoke to me to go away. Hell, just being in the same room as him made me feel all warm and fuzzy, made my blood pump a little faster through my veins. Unable to speak, I could only stare up at him, open mouthed, a feeling somewhere between terror and elation setting in as I finally acknowledged that maybe I did like him a little more than I was letting everyone believe.
His hands pushed away from me gently as he shook his head, eyes meeting mine again.
“Enjoy your date.”
And with that, he turned and walked away.
CHAPTER NINE
I met Nick at a bustling Spanish bar, a long narrow hovel that served truly delicious tapas that I had spent the better part of the last hour devouring.
The first-date gods seemed to be smiling down on me tonight, with Nick and me picking up where we had left off on the weekend, conversation flowing easily between us. That, and he was still as cute as the vision I had stored in my mind.
After an hour and a half and three glasses of wine, I was having a swell time listening to Nick regale me with stories of his and Leo’s time in college.
“You can’t seriously tell me you stole a car just to get into a fraternity.”
“Well we didn’t technically steal it. We just relocated it, which isn’t the same thing because we never actually got into the car or drove it.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “So where exactly did the car get relocated to?”
Nick leaned closer to me. “This is the best part. We left it in the parking lot behind this seedy strip joint in town. The next morning the dean reported the car stolen from campus and then a few hours later, the police called back to inform his wife—who answered the phone—that it was waiting with no signs of a break-in, where he must have left it the night before…at the club.”
“That’s terrible, the poor man!”
“Poor man my ass—he was a regular at the joint. That’s why we did it.”
“Well I definitely feel sorry for his wife. What a way to find out.”
Nick took a swallow of his beer and nodded. “I know, that did kind of suck but at least she found out. Nothing worse than being the last to know.”
I nodded in agreement just as my phone lit up on the table.
“Sorry, I should put that away.” I glanced at it as I opened my purse, frowning at the unfamiliar number. And then even more so as I read the text:
How’s your date going?
Who would know about my date yet not be on my contact list?
Nick pulled me from my thoughts, nodding to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, sure.” I used the opportunity to suss out who my random texter was.
Who is this?
Almost immediately, I could see there was a response coming.
Pretty quick to reply. I assume that means your date’s a dud?
Seriously? Who was this?
I’m sorry but I’m really not sure who this is???
There was another immediate response.
If I tell you, will you fill me in on your date?
NO. But if you tell me I might not report you as a stalker to the police.
Oh come on Bambi, you wouldn’t do that to me.
I blinked at the phone in shock. How on earth did he get my number? And what was with the friendly texts? He’d been pissed at me only a few hours ago.
Will?
The one and only. So tell me, how’s your date?
Whose phone are you using? This isn’t your number.
I had his number in my phone and it wasn’t this one. I just didn’t realize he had mine.
It’s my personal number. Now seriously, don’t hold out on me. Is he boring you to tears?
Nick sat down just as Will’s last text came through and I quickly shoved my phone away. Annoyingly, that familiar warm buzz was running through me again, but along with that, I was also a little pissed. Here I’d been, having a grand old time with Nick, my mind for once not distracted by thoughts of Will and he still somehow managed to digitally plonk himself right in the middle of my date.
I downed the remainder of wine number three, trying to shake off thoughts of Will and put myself back in the present…with Nick.
“You want another drink?”
I paused, considering briefly before nodding. “Sure, one more can’t hurt.”
We spent another hour or so at the bar before realizing how late it was and closing the tab.
Outside, Nick hailed a cab, leaning against it when it pulled over and reaching out to link our fingers together. “I had a good time tonight.”
I smiled up at him and surprised myself by answering honestly. “Me too, it was fun.”
He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear with his other hand, giving me a small smile. “We should do it again sometime.”
I nodded, taking a deep breath as I sensed what was coming next. “I’d like that.”
And with that, he leaned in and kissed me. It was soft, tentative, almost a question, Is this okay? And when my lips parted, he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me in closer.
When he broke off the kiss, we were both smiling like teenagers. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“No problem, I’ll call you when I’m back in town next week.”
I slid into the backseat of the cab, waving to Nick as we drove off. My head fell back against the seat as I let out a long breath. The kiss with Nick had been nice. No fireworks, but the type that made you say yes, I would be open to another one of those.
I chose to ignore the fact that an image of Will popped into my mind the instant before Nick’s lips touched mine.
#
I received my own version of the Spanish Inquisition when I got home, in the form of a five foot, six inch, bubbly blond housemate.
“Ohmygod! You’re home. Final
ly! I’ve been dying, sitting here waiting for you. How was it? Tell me everything.”
I laughed at her. “It was good, we had a great time.”
“Really? Yay! I’m so pleased. What else? Did he kiss you?”
I gave her a sly smile. “There might have been a small goodnight kiss as I was getting into the cab.”
“Ohhh, what sort…was there tongue?”
“Julia!”
“What? When I said everything, I meant everything.”
“Well, remind me not to tell you next time I sleep with someone because you’re certainly not getting all those details. But yes, there might have been a small amount of tongue, if you must know.”
Julia made a noise that was somewhere between a squeal and scream. She could barely sit still on the couch.
“Was it amazing or was it one of those awkward first kisses?”
I considered this for a second. “No, it certainly wasn’t awkward…it was nice. A good first kiss.”
She screwed up her face. “Nice? What does nice even mean?”
“What? What’s wrong with nice? It was a perfectly nice first kiss.”
Julia shrugged. “Nice is just such a meh kind of word. Are you sure it wasn’t toe curling or spine tingling or something?”
I laughed. “First of all, I would never describe any kiss like that and secondly, there’s nothing wrong with nice—that’s exactly what it was. A nice kiss.”
I looked up to see Julia giving me a curious look.
“What?”
“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“What do you mean? I’ve told you the good bits, unless you want me to re-hash the food we ate as well?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not that, but it’s something. What else happened?”
“Nothing, I swear!”
“Emmaaaaa.”
“Juliaaaaa.”
She kinked her eyebrow at me. Clearly she wouldn’t be letting it go lightly.
“Fine,” I huffed. “If you must know…Will sort of digitally hijacked my date.”
“He did what?”
“He started texting me halfway through, wanting to know how the date was going. And it turns out he was using his personal phone so I had no idea who it was. It sort of threw me off track for a while.”
“Right…and what did you tell him?”
“Nothing actually. By the time I figured out it was him, Nick came back from the bathroom so I put my phone away.”
“How did he even know you had a date?”
“He found out this afternoon. James mentioned it in front of him. I’m pretty sure on purpose too. The whole office seems to think there’s something going on between us. It’s humiliating.”
Julia nodded, considering this information. “Well, you have to admit, he seems to be going to fairly considerable lengths, given you think he just wants to get into your panties.”
I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. He had some pretty choice words to say when he found out about tonight…he seemed genuinely upset that I was going on a date. I feel like I might have misjudged him a little. But then it’s so hard to know if he just sees me as this conquest, and as soon as he’s had me, he’ll get over it. I have so much to lose with my job and all but I just….”
Julia dipped her head to meet my eyes. “You just…what?”
“I just think I’m starting to really like him.” I fell back against the couch, throwing my arms over my face. I’d finally voiced the feelings I’d been trying to hide and it was slightly terrifying, even if it was only to Julia.
She patted my leg, her voice soft. “Em, there’s nothing wrong with liking him. It would honestly be a bit strange if you didn’t.”
I nodded from below my arms. “I know, but I don’t mean the kind of like that the wider female population feels for him, not the I-want-to-see-him-naked-and-jump-his-bones kind. I mean the kind where I could seriously get myself hurt if I’m not careful. It’s just so easy between us—or at least it feels like that to me. He probably has this sort of charm with every woman he comes across.”
Julia sighed. “Look. You’re never going to have all the answers before you go into it, but that’s just something you’re going to have to decide if you’re comfortable with or not. Yes, he could very easily break your heart, but if he is genuine, do you really want to risk not seeing where it goes? And as for the work stuff, it sounds like it’s pretty obvious that it’s him chasing you, not the other way around. No one can judge you for that.”
Julia shocked me sometimes. For someone so bubbly, someone who went about her day-to-day life as if everything was hearts and roses, she sure knew how to make a bit of sense every now and then.
I pulled her into my side for a hug. “How do you always make the muddy waters of my life seem so clear?”
She laughed and hugged me back. “Sometimes it’s easier when you’re on the outside.”
#
It was close to 1 a.m. by the time I crawled into bed, and I was dozing almost the moment my head hit the pillow, knowing I had to be up in less than six hours. I was somewhere between sleep and consciousness when the piercing noise of my phone sent me bolt upright.
“Hello?”
There was a beat of silence before. “Oh, hey, it’s me. Did I wake you?”
Even in my semi-asleep state I knew who me was. Somehow hearing Will without him actually being here only highlighted the deep tenor of his voice.
“Will, is everything okay?”
He let out an awkward laugh, not at all like his usual smooth self. “Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Me? Of course, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I could feel the tension radiating down the line from him. “Well, I just never heard back from you and…and I just…Fuck, I was worried.”
I sat cross legged in the middle of the bed, stunned into silence.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. You just caught me off guard.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have called. Did I wake you?”
Will’s voice still held an awkward tone, an octave above his usually deep sound. “I was just drifting off when you rang.”
“Well now I know you’re home, so I’ll let you go.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing full well what he really wanted to know. “Yes Will, I’m at home, alone, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
His low chuckle reverberated down the line. “I won’t pretend I’m not happy to hear that.” There was silence then, followed by a loud sigh at the other end of the line. “Jesus, I feel like the world’s biggest fucking idiot right now.”
I stayed quiet. It was awkward as hell, but I literally didn’t know how to remove us from the conversational black hole we seemed to have fallen into.
“Look, you go back to sleep and try to forget I ever called. I’m gonna go find the balls I seem to have lost. I’d rather not play like a pussy this weekend.”
I laughed then, enjoying the thought of Will squirming at the other end of the line.
“Good night, Will.”
“Night Em.”
I should have been annoyed at him for hassling me during my date, for calling wanting information he had no right to know. But I wasn’t. I couldn’t be. Instead I fell asleep with a giddy grin on my face. A man who only wanted into your pants didn’t call you like a fool with some stupid excuse just so he could be sure you went home alone.
CHAPTER TEN
I was off to Texas. Dallas to be specific, a place where they lived, breathed and consumed football every waking minute. Home of the Dallas Knights.
Carrie, James and I flew in late Sunday morning, the day before the team was scheduled to play a pre-season exhibition match. I was excited. Texas seemed like such a faraway place, in both distance and familiarity. While I knew that my ideals of Texas were probably akin to most people�
�s knowledge of Australia—that we kept kangaroos as pets and wrestled crocodiles for fun—I was still hopeful that I’d leave the airport and walk onto a John Wayne movie set.
What I got was something quite different. Dallas was a modern city with high rises and bustling traffic. Nothing compared to New York but still, where were the cowboys?
“So we’ll meet in the lobby in fifteen?” I stood outside my door, which by coincidence was right in between James and Carrie’s.
“Actually, I can feel a headache creeping on, do you mind if we make it an hour?” Carrie held one hand to her forehead, massaging her temple.
“Of course, do you want some pain killers? I’ve got some if you need them.” I leaned down to open my bag but she waved me off.
“No, it’s not too bad. I think a quick nap should fix it. I’ll see you soon.” She gave James and me a small smile before ducking into her room.
I looked at James. “Guess I’ll see you in an hour, unless you feel like getting out for a bit?”
James shrugged. “I’ve actually got a few emails I need to respond to, so I’d better pass.”
“No problem, I’ll see you soon.”
Game day would be busy, so I decided to pop down and do a little exploring of my own. I slipped on a sun dress—the oppressive heat was definitely not a Texan myth—and grabbing my purse, made for the door.
As I stepped out, the distinct sound of Carrie’s laugh made my head snap up.
I only saw them for a split second, but that was all the time I needed to piece things together. James had Carrie pushed up against the door frame, his hands roaming her sides while his mouth devoured her neck. They had been oblivious to me standing there, wrapped up in their own little bubble of intimacy.
I stood frozen to the spot for a few seconds after Carrie’s door closed, my mouth hanging open as I absorbed what I’d seen. I made my way to the lifts wracking my brain for any signs that should have clued me in but came up blank.
What the actual hell?
An hour later, I’d walked around a few city streets, still no closer to spotting a cowboy, and was back in the hotel lobby waiting for the two love birds to emerge.
James arrived first, plonking himself onto the couch opposite me.
