Violets are not Blue

by Melissa Toppen

  And the wheels are turning again. Maybe that’s it. Maybe I need to sleep with the asshole and get it out of my system. He loses and I get, well, you know. Win, win. Right? But am I seriously considering sleeping with a man I couldn’t bear to look at without wanting to punch in the throat just days ago?

  Funny how quickly someone’s perspective can change. Before, I never even considered the idea because, well, I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to me, like all the other women who had come before. Now, I don’t know. It might be fun to beat him at his own game. Besides, if I win he promised to never talk to me again. There’s a silver lining after all.

  But if that’s how I truly feel then why does the thought of him never speaking to me again make me feel like my hypothetical dog just died?

  “Get it together,” I scold myself. This is Harris Avery. Harris-freaking-Avery. The playboy of all playboys. I’d either have to be really desperate or really stupid to sleep with a man like him, and right now I don’t feel like I’m either.

  Still, there is a game to be played. And I wouldn’t mind trying these hot dogs I’ve heard so much about. Before I have time to talk myself out of it, I pull up Harris’ number and shoot him a text.

  Me: I’ve got my car covered. Quick question though...how did you know which apartment I live in?

  Harris: You got the flowers?

  Me: I did.

  Harris: I may have had someone in HR pull your file.

  Me: You didn’t?

  Harris: All’s fair in love.

  Me: Is there nothing you won’t do?

  Harris: When it comes to you? Very little.

  I don’t have time to respond before another message comes through.

  Harris: So, tonight’s game?

  My fingers hesitate over the screen for a long moment before finally typing out a response. I hit send before I can talk myself out of it.

  Me: I’m in.

  ——-

  When Harris pulls up outside of my apartment building I’m an absolute ball of nervous energy. Even if this is some stupid game we’re playing, it’s still nerve racking to be around Harris. He puts me on edge. I guess in a way he always has.

  As I start to make my way toward the sleek, black sports car parked on the curb, Harris steps out and hits me with a smile that damn near knocks me on my ass.

  He’s decked out in a Red Sox hat and shirt, and when he crosses around to the passenger side to open the door for me, I take a moment to check out how incredible his backside looks in his ‘fit just right’ jeans.

  “Hey.” He smiles when I reach him.

  “Hey.”

  “Before you get in.” He stops me just shy of the open door and quickly leans inside, pulling out a bag. “I got this for you.” He holds it out to me.

  I open the bag and pull out the contents, holding it up to get a better look.

  “You got me a Red Sox shirt?” I bite my bottom lip in an effort to contain my smile.

  “You can’t really go to a Red Sox game without one.”

  “First flowers and now this. A girl could get used to this treatment. Here, hold this.” I hand him the empty bag and my purse before sliding my current top off. I have a tank on underneath, so I’m not worried about giving anyone a look at the goods. Taking the empty bag back, I drop my other shirt inside and hold my arms out to the side. “Well, how do I look?”

  “A Sox shirt has never been sexier.” He gives my body one good, long sweep with his eyes.

  “Is this how it’s going to be for an entire month?” I ask him, humor in my voice.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You. Acting like this.”

  “What’s wrong with how I’m acting?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just...weird.”

  “Weird good or weird bad?”

  “I’ll let you know once I figure it out.” I take my purse from his hand and climb into the car without another word.

  “I’m really glad you decided to come with me tonight,” he says, his eyes on the road as he drives away from my apartment building.

  “You talked the hot dogs up so much, how could I say no?”

  “Just wait. You’re going to love this.” He smiles, ear to ear like an excited child on Christmas morning.

  Who is this guy?

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then I guess I’ll owe you one.”

  “Yeah you will,” I tell him matter of fact, causing his laughter to filter through the car, followed by my own.

  “I like you,” he says seemingly out of nowhere after a few moments of silence have stretched between us.

  “You do, do you? Are you sure it’s me you like and not just the idea of winning a certain bet?”

  “No, I mean it. I genuinely like you. You’re like a female version of me.”

  “I’m not sure I would classify that as a compliment.”

  “I would. It’s fucking refreshing. A girl who can hold her liquor, clear a plate of boneless wings, and still want dessert after. Not to mention, you call me on everything. You don’t let a single thing slide by. I like that about you. I like that you aren’t afraid of me.”

  “Why would I be afraid of you?” I watch him while he watches the road.

  “I’ve been told I’m intimidating.”

  “You?” I gasp dramatically in shock, like it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

  “Yeah. Yeah.” He chuckles. “I’m just saying, I’ve never met someone like you before.”

  “And you never will again.” I wag my finger at him. “But alas, our time will be over in one month and we can go back to hating each other.”

  “I never hated you.” He glances at me out of the corner of his eye.

  “Then why did you basically avoid me like the plague until this past week?”

  “Robert,” he says without explanation.

  “What does Robert have to do with any of this?” I don’t try to hide my confusion.

  “Robert told me to stay away from you.”

  I’m shocked to learn this little bit of information.

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I guess he thought I was bad news.”

  “Well, he wasn’t wrong there now, was he?” I laugh, even though I’m still trying to process what he’s just told me. “So you’ve been avoiding me for the last six months because a guy we work with told you to?”

  “Pretty much. You know Robert. He’s super protective of you. I was new and wasn’t looking to ruffle any feathers.”

  “Interesting. And here I thought I was the only woman in the office who wasn’t good enough to garner your attention.”

  “Quite the opposite, actually. You were the only woman I wanted to give my attention to.” He reaches across the center console and takes my hand in his. My gut instinct is to pull away but for some reason I don’t.

  “So if you stayed away from me because of Robert, why the sudden change of heart?” I’ve barely finished the question when the realization dawns. He sees me piece it together. “Because he’s leaving.”

  “Ding. Ding.” He impersonates a bell.

  “Hmmm.”

  “Hmmm what?” His lips turn upward.

  “Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought.”

  “Does that mean you’re falling in love with me?” His face shifts into a full smile.

  “Not even close,” I deadpan, knocking the wind out of his sails.

  “Ouch. That’s harsh, Ms. Daniels.”

  “Just being honest, Mr. Avery.”

  “Well lucky for us both, I still have plenty of time.”

  “Do you really believe you have a chance in hell of winning your bet? Mine, maybe. I think anyone can go four weeks. But yours? I don’t know, I think you might have bitten off more than you can chew.”

  “Can’t you see, I’m already winning you over.”

  “And how do you figure that?”

  “Because you let me touch yo
u and you didn’t even flinch.” He squeezes my hand. “A week ago you would have punched me before you’d let me hold your hand.”

  “I might still punch you,” I warn playfully.

  “You may not be willing to admit it yet, but you will. You just wait.”

  “Oh, I’ll wait alright. I’ll wait until four weeks from now when you lose not one, but two bets. I wish I could tell you that I’ll be a good sport about it, but that’d be a lie. I’m going to gloat so hard you’ll have to change departments to escape all the gloating I’ll be doing. I might even have balloons that say LOSER delivered to your desk.”

  “You have such little faith in me.”

  “Or maybe I just have a lot of faith in myself.”

  “Well, no matter the outcome one thing is for sure.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “These next four weeks are going to be fun.” He winks, his expression a mix between determination and amusement. It makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve.

  Not that I’m worried. I may be attracted to the guy but I’m at zero risk of falling in love.

  Love is just a chemical reaction in the brain, I remind myself of the stupid scientific explanation of love I read on the internet one day.

  Nope, there’s no way he’s going to win.

  He can send me flowers, take me to baseball games, and buy me as many things as he wants, it won’t change my outlook on love.

  You’re going down, Harris Avery. It’s time to put my game face on...

  Chapter Eight

  Blue

  “Why do you usually not go to the Friday night team builders?” I ask Harris before taking a big bite of my hot dog. Harris was right, these really are the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. So much so that I’m not ashamed to admit that this is my second one.

  “I don’t know. I spend forty plus hours a week with these people, I don’t want to have to spend my Friday night with them, too.” He turns his attention from the game and meets my gaze.

  “So you skip them because you want to?” I ask, shoving another bite of hot dog into my mouth.

  “Pretty much.” He chuckles.

  “You’re rotten.” I giggle.

  “Rotten?” He quirks an eyebrow.

  “Just something my mom always says.” I pop the remainder of the hot dog into my mouth and then wash it down with a long drink of beer.

  We’re already in the seventh inning, and while I originally didn’t think I would enjoy myself, I’m not ashamed to admit when I’m wrong. I’m having a blast.

  Harris was so right about this. The lights. The crowd. The energy. The hotdogs. It’s everything he described and so much more. I’m honestly kicking myself for not trying this out sooner. Then again, I wonder if I would be enjoying it as much as I currently am if it weren’t for the man sitting next to me. I know I’m supposed to hate him, but is it bad that I don’t really hate him anymore? I’m honestly not sure if I ever did or if hating him was just some kind of attempt at self-preservation.

  “Tell me about your parents.” He angles toward me so that our knees touch. “Do they live close by?”

  “Not anymore. They moved to Florida last year after my dad retired.”

  “So, you grew up here?”

  “About a half an hour outside of the city.”

  “Any other family around?”

  “Not really. A couple distant cousins that I’ve never been close to. My grandparents are gone and my mom’s sister lives in Texas. My dad was an only child. Our family is pretty small.”

  “No siblings?”

  “Only child.”

  “So it’s just you?”

  “It’s just me.” I nod. “I have friends from college I still talk to and of course, my friends at work. But as far as family goes, it’s just me.”

  “Do you miss them being around? Your parents.”

  “Every single day. But it also gives me an excuse to visit the sunshine state a few times a year and I don’t have to pay for a hotel, so there’s that.”

  “I’d love to meet them one day.”

  “My parents?” I look at him like he has five heads.

  “Why not?” He chuckles at my reaction.

  “I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. Or are you forgetting about our ticking clock?”

  “The ticking clock only applies if I don’t succeed.”

  “I think we both already know that you won’t.” I tap his nose with the tip of my finger playfully.

  “I think maybe you’re underestimating me.”

  “I think maybe you’re underestimating me. And besides, it’s not like we’re going to actually be a couple after this anyway. Love or no love, in four weeks this ends.”

  “No, in four weeks I get you.” His eyes narrow. “I don’t think you entirely understood the bet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I said if I win I get you, I didn’t mean only in my bed. I meant, I get you.”

  I don’t try to hide the laughter that bubbles out of my chest. “Man, you’re really playing hard.”

  “Why are you so sure I’m playing?” He cocks his head to the side.

  “Because I know your type.”

  “My type?”

  “You’re a player. It’s cool. But don’t try to pretend you’re something you’re not.”

  “How do you know what I am? You don’t even know me. I think you’re making unfair assumptions,” he challenges and if I’m not mistaken, I swear I see a little hurt in his eyes.

  “You know what, you’re right. It’s unfair of me to judge what I don’t know.”

  “Thank you.” His smile falls back into place.

  “But you’re still not going to win,” I quickly tack on.

  “Guess we shall see.”

  “Guess we shall.” I nod in agreement, a long moment of silence stretching between us.

  “So, do you have any siblings?” I ask, directing us back to our original conversation.

  “I have a younger brother. Everett.”

  “Younger as in?”

  “Thirty-two.”

  “So he’s the same age as me. And you’re how old?” I ask, realizing I don’t actually know.

  “Thirty-five.”

  “Old man. Where does Everett live? Is he local?”

  “He’s in the military and is currently stationed in Hawaii.”

  “Seriously? God, I wish someone would send me to Hawaii to live.”

  “No joke.”

  “Especially when we’re sitting under ten feet of snow this winter,” I add.

  “I went down and spent a week this past spring. It’s incredible there. The bluest water, the brightest sun, the friendliest people.” He pauses, a small smile playing on his lips. “We should honeymoon there.”

  I nearly choke on my drink of beer.

  “First you want to meet my parents, now you’re planning where we’re going to have our honeymoon?”

  “What?” He tries to play innocent. “I like to think about the future.”

  “Maybe you should point your thoughts in another direction,” I tell him.

  On one hand, it irritates me that he’s so sure he’ll win. On the other, I’m kind of hoping he does. Did I just think that? Maybe I should stop drinking...

  “What about your parents?” I question, eager to get the conversation back on track.

  “My dad died when I was ten and my mom passed a year ago in December.”

  My chest instantly tightens.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Of course you didn’t.” He gives me an easy smile, reaching over to rest his hand just above my knee. I try to ignore how that one touch radiates through my entire body.

  “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “My dad was killed at work. A machine malfunction. Complete freak accident. My mom passed of Huntington’s Disease. She had been fighting the battle so long. As sad as it was to let her go, it was alm
ost a relief at the same time. She struggled for years and it gave me comfort knowing she was finally at peace.”

  “Did she live with you?”

  “I lived with her through college and a couple years after, but then it got to the point where I couldn’t do it alone. With Everett gone, I had no choice but to put her in a long-term facility.”

  “Was she somewhere here in Boston?”

  “Maine.”

  “Maine?”

  “That’s where I’m from. I moved here after my mom passed.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

  I’m starting to think maybe he’s right...

  “So why Boston?”

  “My dad brought me here one year. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven. He brought me to a Sox game.” His eyes sweep the field of players before coming back to me. “Among other things. I remember being so enamored by everything. When I decided it was time for a change, Boston was where I wanted to be.”

  “I get that. If I were ever going to move I’d probably want to move somewhere that I had some kind of connection to.”

  “Exactly. It felt like home the day I arrived.”

  I let the silence drift between us as we both turn our attention back to the game, but a thought hits me and without really meaning to, I ask it.

  “Huntington’s Disease, isn’t that hereditary?”

  “It is.” He nods, his gaze coming back to me. “Don’t worry, I don’t have it. Neither does Everett. My mom had us both tested. I didn’t really want to know, but I guess it’s better now that I do.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think I could live with the not knowing.”

  “You already do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t know what’s going to happen in the next week, or year. Hell, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next five minutes. Life is all about not knowing what’s next.” He pauses, leaning in so close that our foreheads almost touch. “For example, I bet you had no idea that this was going to happen.” He runs his nose along mine. I breathe in deep, relishing his intoxicating scent as it dances around me, overwhelming my senses.

  “Harris.” He shakes his head, his nose once again sliding against mine.

  “I want to kiss you so badly that I can already taste you on my tongue.” His breath slides across my face and I swear every inch of my skin heats.