by Beth Rinyu
“What?” Juan screamed into the phone.
I held the phone away from my ear. His piercing screaming on the other end was only intensifying my headache.
“Juan, tone it down; my head is pounding.”
“Well, what happened, Mia?” I gave him a complete breakdown of the evening. “Mia, you know that you can’t handle more than one glass of wine. Why would you do that?”
“I know; I guess I was just nervous and needed something to relax me a little.”
“So I’m taking it that there wasn’t a good night kiss involved. Oh God, Mia, please tell me that you didn’t kiss him after you puked.”
“What? No! He did ask for my phone number, though.”
“Wow, either he’s a glutton for punishment or he really likes you.”
“Ha, ha, very funny. I have to go to bed now, unless you want me cutting more customers tomorrow.”
“All right, see you tomorrow, baby cakes!”
“Good night, Juan.”
I brushed my teeth, quickly changed into my pajamas, and lay down in my bed. My mind began to wander, the way it always did right before I fell asleep. Juan was right. Why would Travis Montgomery want my phone number? He could probably have any girl that he wanted. He probably just asked for it to make me feel better about my embarrassment from tonight. Yes, I’m sure that’s why. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, putting any more thoughts of tonight and Travis Montgomery out of my mind.
Chapter 7
Travis…
I got into the cab, feeling really bad about how the night ended. Surprisingly, I had really enjoyed hanging out with her. She was so different from all of the other women I was around. She was able to carry on a conversation. She had her own opinions on things and wasn’t afraid to express them and she actually ate. Most of the girls that I took out to dinner would just move the food around on their plate for fear of gaining a pound. There was definitely something about this girl that made me feel drawn to her, even though that wasn’t how I was supposed be feeling. She was just a means to an end for me. I tried to remind myself of that, but wasn’t having much success. I felt really bad when she told me about her fiancé. I could see the pain in her eyes. It was so apparent how much she had loved him.
The ringing of my cell phone startled me. I looked down and rolled my eyes when I saw the name Chloe. Chloe was my agent and the biggest pain in the ass ever.
“Yeah, Chloe.”
“Well, how did it go? Did you ask her to go to the EFE party?”
“No, I didn’t get a chance.”
“You didn’t get a chance? Travis, what are you waiting for?”
“I will, Chloe. Just chill out. I got to go.”
“Okay, but don’t-”
I hung up the phone before she could finish. I scrolled down to Mia’s name in my list of contacts and smiled. Mia Taylor – there was just something about her. She had me intrigued and I definitely wanted to get to know her better.
***
“Travis, that was really good.” Jackie said as I got up and dressed. I had just returned to New York after being in Chicago for three days. I found myself thinking about Mia a lot and I didn’t know why. I was tempted to text her a few times, but then decided against it. I needed to get this girl out of my head, so the best way I knew how was to have sex. I called Jackie on the way home from the airport and ended up at her place. I liked Jackie because she didn’t expect anything else from me. She knew that the extent of our relationship was casual sex. Most of the women I was with knew that I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but there were a few who had become somewhat stalker-like after I had slept with them. I knew that I didn’t ever have to worry about that with Jackie. “Don’t be such a stranger,” she said as she walked me to the door.
I stepped outside of her apartment building, realizing that the thoughts of Mia were still just as strong. What the fuck? I never let a woman rent space in my head like this. This was my lifestyle; sleeping with any woman I wanted, whenever I wanted. Not pining over just one girl and having my thoughts consumed with her. I decided that I would go with my second best option to clear my head – a good run. I got into the cab and headed home to change, but not before leaving Mia a message, asking her to go to dinner.
Chapter 8
Mia…
By the time Saturday had arrived, I was just about over my humiliation with Travis Montgomery. I hadn’t heard from him, which was just as well. Obviously, his request for my phone number was just as I thought; a kind gesture to make me feel better about myself.
I had just finished up with my last client for the day. Brian, Juan’s boyfriend, was pacing the floors in the salon, waiting for Juan to finish up. Juan was taking his time on purpose to prolong having to spend the night at dinner with Brian’s parents. “Juan, let’s go; there’s no need to stock any more of that shampoo on the shelves. There’s plenty there!”
“Calm down, Brian, and let me go make myself look presentable. You know that bitch sister-in-law of yours is going to be there and I can’t have her looking better than me.”
“Honestly, Mia, if I hadn’t invested all of these years in this relationship, I would be back on the market,” Brian said as he shook his head.
“I heard that!” Juan shouted. “And you know that could be easily arranged.”
I giggled at the two of them; they always knew how to make me smile. Juan came walking up to the desk. “I can’t help it if I’m high maintenance.”
I shook my head at him. “Yeah, a little too high maintenance.”
“Hush, you,” Juan said. “Call me tomorrow when you get done at the Ice Queen’s; I need to go shopping for a suit for this wedding that I have to attend in a few weeks and I need your opinion.”
“Juan, you already have three perfectly good suits in the closet. Why are you wasting money on another?” Brian scolded.
“Excuse me, but do I tell you how to spend your money?” He didn’t let Brian answer before he continued. “This is between A and B, so see your way out of it,” Juan said to Brian as he jerked his head and went sashaying out the door.
I busted out with laughter as Brian looked at me and shook his head. “Good luck with him tonight, Brian; he is in rare form.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it,” Brian said before heading out the door.
I quickly looked at the schedule for Tuesday to see what time my first appointment would be coming in. I was so happy to have the next two days off. I sat back and thought about how I would spend my Saturday night. I couldn’t take another lonely one of sitting around my apartment watching romantic comedies, which only made me more depressed. So, I decided that I would head to Macy’s and check out some bathing suits. My sister was renting a beach house in a couple of weeks down the Jersey shore and had invited me to come down for few days. I wasn’t a swimmer at all; in fact, I was scared to death of the water. But I did have to look fashionable while sitting on the beach and working on my tan. The last time I had bought a bathing suit was well over five years ago, so I figured it was time to update. Yes, shopping would be the perfect remedy to beat the Saturday night blues. I said my goodbyes to everyone as I fumbled around my purse for my phone. I finally found it and pulled it out to call my mom. I looked down at the screen to find a missed call and a voicemail from a number that I didn’t recognize. I stepped outside of the salon, into the warm muggy July air, and punched in my password. My stomach dropped when I heard the voice on the other end:
“Hey, Mia, it’s Travis Montgomery. I know it’s kind of late notice, but I just got back in town and wanted to see if you had any dinner plans. Give me a call when you get a chance.” A smile stretched across my face. I bit my lip, contemplating what to do. I looked down at the time on my phone; 4 p.m. I hit the call back number with shaky hands. I waited in anticipation for him to answer and was becoming a little disheartened by the third ring.
“Hello.” His voice gave my stomach butterflies.
“Hey, Travi
s, it’s Mia.” I could hear my voice shaking.
“Hey, Mia, how are you?” He sounded like he was out of breath.
“I’m good. I’m sorry, was this not a good time to call?”
“No, it’s fine. I just got done with my run.”
Was he nuts, going out for a run today? It felt like it was 100 degrees out. “Well, I was just returning your call.”
“Oh, yeah. Did you have plans for dinner?”
“Well, no, not really. I was just planning on doing some shopping, but I can do that tomorrow.”
“Okay, so do you want to go out to dinner? No wine,” he joked.
“Um, sure. Where were you thinking?”
“It’s your choice.”
“Hmm…how about Island Burger?”
“Really?” He sounded surprised by my choice.
“Hey, I’m easy to please. Plus, I’m dying for a milkshake.”
“Okay, does seven sound good?” he asked.
“Did I mention I’m starving?” I giggled.
“Six?”
“Perfect. I’ll meet you there.”
“No, I will pick you up.”
“Really, I can just-”
He cut me off. “I will pick you up at your apartment at six.”
I hung up the phone and smiled. When I got back to my apartment, I stared into my closet, trying to figure out what to wear. I finally put on my casual khaki mini-skirt and white tank top, threw some curls in my hair, applied a fresh coat of make-up, and waited in anticipation for Travis to arrive. My stomach dropped upon hearing the knock on my door. I ran my hand through my hair and fluffed it out one last time before answering. He once again looked incredibly handsome, dressed in jeans and another one of those form-fitting tee shirts that was making it hard for me to keep my eyes from wandering.
“Hey,” I said, unable to contain my smile as I opened the door and let him in. “I just have to grab my purse.” He waited in the doorway as I found my purse and we headed out the door. I walked toward the curb, waiting to hail a taxi. He waved his hand for me to follow him. “Don’t we have –”
“I have my car.”
“Oh.” I was a little surprised, thinking that it would be much easier just to take a taxi and not have to deal with the hassle of finding parking.
We walked over to his silver Lexus and he opened the door for me as I got in.
He got in and turned the key. “So, I know you said you were in the mood for a milkshake, so do you care if I switch the venue? I know a place that blows Island Burgers’ shakes away.”
“Sure. Where’s that?”
He smiled. “It’s a surprise.”
He pulled out into the traffic and drove with ease through the busy streets of the city. I found it so easy to keep up the conversation with him. Strangely, it felt like I was talking to a friend that I had known my whole life. I was able to get some more insight into his life. He was an only child who developed his love of swimming at only two years old, finally achieving his lifelong dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer. He had appeared in the last two Olympics. In the first, he received three medals, one of which was gold. In his most recent Olympics, he received seven, all of which were gold. He had decided to call it quits at only twenty-eight years old and focus on something new that would still include swimming. He had a few business ventures that he was involved in, one of which was starting up a swim school for handicapped children. He did a lot of charity work and had a ton of endorsements with major corporations from all over the world. He still competed from time to time and was a stickler for keeping himself in the same shape that he was while in the Olympics. I felt a little guilty for not really paying much attention to the Olympics; I had heard his name mentioned before, but never paid much attention to the man that was behind it. I wasn’t into sports, especially not swimming. I had a strong fear of the water that stemmed from my childhood. During one of our scarce childhood visits with my dad, I almost drowned in his girlfriend’s pool. My father had left my sister and me in the care of his girlfriend’s ten-year-old niece, while he and his girlfriend went in the house to “grab a bite to eat” – or, in other words, have a quickie. My sister and I were playing kickball and when I ran to get the ball, I lost my footing and fell into the pool. I had never seen my mom angrier than that day. If she could have ripped my dad’s eyes out, I think she would have. I never stepped foot into a pool, or any body of water for that matter, since then.
“So, you won’t even give me a hint as to where we are going?”
He smiled and shook his head.
“Okay, you’re not some crazy kidnapper who’s going to take me to the middle of the woods and kill me, are you?” I joked.
He laughed. “Now, that’s not one of things that you read about me on the internet, was it?”
“Actually, that was probably the only thing that those crazy websites haven’t said about you.” I giggled.
“Well then, you’re safe. Don’t you know that everything they print on those websites is true?” he joked.
“I sure hope not, for your sake.”
“Why? What do they say?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“Mia, when I told you that night that you get used to living your life under a microscope, I meant it. The first rule is, never read anything about yourself on the internet.”
“Hmm…I guess that’s good advice, but I think I would be dying, knowing that people were talking about my personal life all around the world. I would have to know what they were saying, truth or not.”
“That’s because you’re a woman.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, women tend to care more about other people’s perception of them than men do.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know, maybe.”
We finally pulled into the parking lot of what looked to be a hole in the wall diner in the middle of nowhere. “Where the heck are we?” I asked.
“The middle of the woods. I have to give you your last request of a milkshake before I murder you,” he laughed.
“Okay, so we just drove an hour to a diner. When there are probably about one hundred of them in walking distance to my apartment.”
“Oh no, Mia, this isn’t just a diner. This is the diner. You’ll see what I’m talking about.”
We got out of the car and walked inside. It was decorated in 1950’s décor and I wasn’t sure if was meant to look that way or if it really hadn’t been updated since then. I looked around – it was packed!
“Well, either you’re right or this is the only restaurant out here in the boondocks.”
I could immediately see the eyes of the customers focusing on Travis. This was making me feel a little uncomfortable, being with him. I hated having any attention placed upon me. We followed the hostess to the only empty booth and it was just a matter of seconds before he was approached by a middle-aged woman and her two sons.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, Mr. Montgomery, but my boys are huge fans of yours. Would you mind signing this?”
He smiled at her and her boys. “Sure, no problem.” He took the piece of paper and the pen that she was holding and signed his name. He shook both of the boy’s hands.
“How old are you guys?”
“I’m thirteen, and he’s ten,” the older boy said, pointing to his brother. I watched as they both looked at him with admiration.
“Do you guys like to swim?”
“Yeah, a lot,” the younger boy finally spoke up.
I propped my elbow on the table and rested my head on my hand. I couldn’t believe the enjoyment that I was getting over watching him interact with these two boys.
Okay, maybe Travis Montgomery was a womanizer and not boyfriend material, but a friendship – yeah, I could definitely see that happening.
Chapter 9
Mia…
Travis walked me to the front porch of my apartment building. I really had a great time and was so glad that I
had agreed to go out with him. I had caught a glimpse of the old Mia tonight, the one who loved to laugh and actually got enjoyment out of life. He was so easy to talk to and I found that I wanted to continue to build upon this relationship. I actually wanted to be his friend. Yes, he was gorgeous and I certainly was attracted to him, but I had read all about his “love ‘em and leave ‘em” reputation and I didn’t want that. I actually wanted more. If it meant just being friends – hanging out once in a while and being able to feel again – then I was willing to overlook that perfect body, that adorable dimple in his cheek, his cleft chin, his beautiful hazel eyes that changed colors, and those flawlessly full lips that looked just perfect for kissing. But somehow, I didn’t think that was what he was looking for. I had a feeling that he was expecting more.
“So, was that shake worth the drive?”
“Mmm hmm. I had a really good time tonight, thanks.”
He was silent for a brief second. He smiled and took my hand in his. “I did too, Mia.” He kissed me gently on the cheek and stared into my eyes as if he were waiting for me to make the first move and kiss him on the lips.
Well, it’s now or never, Mia. Let him know how you feel from the get go and if he doesn’t want to be just friends, then you can both just move on.
“Look, Travis, I really think you’re an awesome guy and I really and truly love spending time with you. But the only thing I have to offer you is friendship. I just hope that we can continue to hang out together as friends.”
He looked at me as if he were surprised. I could tell that he wasn’t used to being rejected by women. He seemed to be deep in thought before he nodded. “Okay, I would love to consider you a friend.”
I smiled at him and began to giggle. “So, I guess this means that I’ll never hear from you again, right?”
“No, actually, just the opposite. I have this event that I have to go to next Saturday night and I really wanted to bring just a friend. But the problem is all of my friends are guys, up until now.”
I raised my eyebrow at him and smiled. “Well, I don’t know. That would mean I would have to rearrange my busy Saturday night of watching romantic comedies and eating bad takeout to fit you in.”
