Time Changes Everything

by Dozier, Melinda

  Her friends laughed. Amanda, on the other hand, remained wordless, biting that full lip of hers.

  What the hell did she think? He looked at her, that damn lip calling his name. Shit. Since when did her lips entice him? He stiffened. Why did she have to look so damn good?

  “I’ve been here a month already.” He pressed his body against her side, one arm along the back of the booth behind her head. His nerve endings stirred and tingled with the desire to touch her, so he grazed her shoulder with his fingers.

  Chloe offered her hand. “I’m Chloe, and this is Veronica.”

  Jake sat up straighter, having to move his arm away from Mandy, and shook the girls’ hands. “Excuse me. I’m Jake, an old friend of Mandy’s.”

  Amanda blushed. “Jake and I grew up together.”

  “We were neighbors.” He smiled at her and then picked up a bruschetta piece, smelled it, and put it back down.

  “Why didn’t our moms tell me you were headed this way? I could’ve shown you the city. How long are you here?” Amanda’s voice bubbled. He remembered this Mandy: talking non-stop, even with her hands.

  He fingered his beer bottle. “I told them not to. I didn’t want to take up your time and my firm handled everything, anyway.”

  “You moved here?” Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe they didn’t tell me.”

  “Well, I found you all on my own.” Then he cocked his head to the side. “I’d love to get together and hang out.”

  Veronica inched Chloe out of the booth. “We’ll leave you two alone for a moment. Chloe needs the bathroom.”

  “I do?” Chloe arched an eyebrow.

  Veronica shot Chloe a hard stare. “Yes. You do. Now move.”

  The waiter delivered another martini to Amanda. “Oh, I said no olives.” She smiled at him.

  He nodded and walked away.

  Jake studied Amanda.

  In high school, Amanda was someone special. Hell, even before then. Their parents were best friends, which had forced Jake and Amanda together. At first, he’d thought it was a hindrance. Later, when she developed longer legs and a bigger bust, he found himself around her more. After discovering her quirkiness, her love of art and her sense of humor, he actually enjoyed being around her. But he never touched her.

  He contemplated running his fingers through her hair like he did his first year of college--the last time they were alone--the night he left town and never saw her again.

  Did she remember the night he left? Of course she did. Seven years ago, he’d ruined their friendship. He knew Amanda almost as well as he knew himself. Well, he’d known her. Now she was a different woman.

  Jake leaned in closer, running his hand down her arm. “Know what I’m thinking?”

  Amanda fiddled with her coaster and smiled at him. “I’m not sure I want to know.”

  “I’m thinking we should spend a lot more time together.” He reached over and held her chin. “It’s been way too long.”

  Amanda licked her lips, and damn it, it actually turned him on. Sweet little Mandy Larson wasn’t so sweet anymore. She was driving him crazy.

  She moved closer bridging distance. “Why wait? There’s no time like the present.”

  “Exactly.” He drank the last of his beer as the waiter returned with her martini sans olive.

  Jake leaned on the table with his elbows, folded his hands together and studied her. “Look at you, drinking a martini, living the life in New York City.” He examined her from head to toe. “A sexy skirt. Tall boots.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “A beautiful face.”

  Amanda hiccupped and put down her glass. “Now, wait a minute. I know it’s been a while, but some things never change, including you.” She wagged her finger at him. “No smooth talking with me. Don’t forget I used to know you better than anybody.”

  Because his fingers actually ached with the need to touch her again, he reached over and held her hand. “Yeah, but things have changed, Mandy. We’re two different people now, and I can’t wait to get to know who you are now.”

  Chapter Two

  AMANDA FINISHED HER SECOND martini and watched Jake over the glass rim. Up close and personal, she couldn’t miss how gorgeous he still was. Hell, even from far away there was no mistaking that. He’d always been gorgeous. No wonder he was her first crush.

  “What exactly are you doing in New York?”

  “Well, my company transferred me here.” He bit into a bruschetta, made a face, and put it back down.

  “That sounds promising. Doing what?” Amanda asked, pretending her mom didn’t already report Jake’s career moves.

  “You’re looking at the newest athletic contracts attorney at Snell, Marlow, and Grimes.”

  Amanda smiled as the waiter placed a new beer in front of Jake and another martini in front of her. She probably shouldn’t have another drink, but her nerves kept transmitting conflicting signals and she needed to control all the quivering body parts.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  She took a deep breath. “I always knew you’d end up doing something sports related.”

  Jake’s physique suggested he’d continued his active lifestyle after high school. Back then, he ran track and all the girls lined up along the fence to catch a glimpse of the best view of all –– his butt. His eyes came in at a close second though.

  “Yeah, except I’m behind desks far more than I’d like. It’s rewarding, though. I represent some top athletes and I get tickets to their games.” He grinned. God, that grin tempted her. Goose bumps popped up on her arms.

  “Your mom told me you worked at Macy’s. You’re still into fashion?” Jake leaned forward on the table and rested his chin on his palm.

  She nodded. Before she could continue, her friends returned and picked up their drinks. “Where are you off to?”

  “We’re sitting at the bar. Don’t worry about us.” Chloe winked.

  “Nice friends.” Jake nodded in their direction.

  “It’s Chloe’s birthday, and she has her eyes set on the waiter over there.”

  He swiveled in the seat and looked. The waiter was talking to Chloe and Veronica. Jake turned back and played with the neck of his beer bottle. “So, do you have a boyfriend? Is that why you’re not interested in the waiter too?”

  She was not going to talk to Jake about her non-existent relationship status. Back home he teased her about getting serious with one person. He always declared that it was more fun to mess around –– not her style.

  Amanda shook her head and twirled an orange rind in her fingers. “Not going there.”

  He smirked. “What do you mean not going there? You used to tell me everything.”

  “Well, that was then, and this is now.” She downed the martini, choking as it went down wrong. Amanda twisted her napkin between her fingers.

  Jake laughed and patted her on the back. “Now, now, Squirt. Take it easy.”

  She wiped her chin, sure her face was redder than the open sign at the front door. She took a deep breath. “I don’t like the waiter.”

  His voice lowered. “Why not?”

  “Well, for one thing, I travel a lot, so I don’t have time for anyone. In fact, I have a trip planned to Paris in a few weeks.”

  “Ooh la la, Paris, huh?” Jake placed his arm against the back of the booth, his thumb tracing her shoulder. “Interesting.”

  She jutted out her chin. “I travel for the company a few times a year. Paris is a regular venue.”

  A soft chuckle made the hair on her arms stand up. “All those high school French lessons paid off, huh? I remember you trying to tutor me in French.”

  “You and a new language never mixed.” She lifted her glass, swirling the liquid around, and pressed next to him just a little. “Remember the French sweet nothings I taught you to whisper in Leslie Deveroux’s ear?”

  He nodded.

  “They were actually bad words.”

  He sat up. “You’re shitting me. No wonder she was pisse
d.”

  Amanda laughed.

  He raised his bottle up in a mock salute. “I’ve gotta hand it to you, you always were one to surprise me.”

  “I beg to differ. I was quite boring then.”

  His fingertips brushed lightly over her cheek and something deep in her belly quivered. “On the contrary, you were the only person who captivated me.” He cleared his throat and dropped his hand from her face “And like it or not, boring is not in your personal dictionary at the moment. You have this fancy job. You must speak French. Plus, every man’s eye has been on you, including the waiter.”

  She squirmed uneasily around in the booth, and brushed her hair down with her palms.

  He chuckled, sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “Look, Mandy, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

  “Oh? For seven years? It took you long enough.” She giggled while she tore at the napkin with fingers full of nervous energy. What was he going to say? He wasn’t going to bring up that crushing night was he?

  “Your senior homecoming night; I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  She didn’t want him to know she cried the entire next day, or that she didn’t date anyone for a whole three months, waiting for him to return from college. She had to play it cool. “The night you kissed and ran.”

  Jake’s jaw tightened and a wrinkle formed on his forehead again. “I didn’t run.”

  Amanda rolled her eyes.

  “Well, the point is I’m sorry. The kiss was nice and all, but I didn’t want to lead you on. I was in college and you were my little squirt back then, you know?”

  She heard it loud and clear. She was just his neighbor--a little girl--nothing more. He’d never be interested or attracted to her. She understood then, having denied the shame in the past, that the kiss was just a pity kiss, a lesson on hurt, and a wasted teenage crush.

  Perfect. Now, they could be friends, just like old times. No strings attached and no need to worry about any hidden feelings behind those stares. Her imagination apparently ran wild. All those touches and stares now couldn’t mean what she hoped it meant -- damn it to hell.

  Amanda plastered a smile to her face. “Of course it doesn’t matter. That was a long time ago, and now we’re adults. It’s time to move forward. That’s my new motto.”

  Jake seemed to relax as he smiled his huge Jake-The-Wonder-Boy smile, which didn’t help with the memory of her past crush on him.

  “You’re right. Let’s move on. I’ve always admired your optimism.” Jake put his hand over hers and rubbed his thumb in circles over her skin.

  A twinge of pleasure enveloped her. What was with all the mixed signals? She removed her hand from his and reminded herself that her focus had to be on the show, not Mr. Dreamy next to her.

  Amanda went to take another sip, but her empty glass held nothing but a toothpick and a floppy orange slice. Did she already have three martinis? “Uh-oh. I’ve had too much to drink.”

  Jake smirked. “That hasn’t changed then. Alcohol and Mandy don’t mix.”

  “For sure.”

  “Can I take you home?”

  She nodded. “I’ll just tell the girls.”

  ****

  During the walk home, Amanda pointed out some of the locations that Jake had to visit as a first-timer in New York. She called him a Big Apple Virgin and laughed when he raised his eyebrows at her.

  She couldn’t believe they somehow found each other in the city. The last person she expected to see tonight was Jake. What an excellent end to her day -- starting with her pursuit of a new business endeavor, and moving into an adventure with a new man. No. Scratch that. Jake wasn’t just any man. He was her childhood friend and it had to stay that way.

  “Have you seen a Knicks game at the Square?”

  With his hands in his pockets, he shook his head. Amanda waved her hands in the air. “You’ve got to see Madison Square Garden. I can’t believe you haven’t been yet.”

  She stumbled over a crack and he grabbed her elbow. “Whoa. Steady,” he said.

  Her body slammed against him and her laugh fluttered against his chest. When she looked up into his dark eyes, her body quivered again with all sorts of strange signals to her head. Her nipples hardened, her thighs tingled, and she shook her head to get rid of the fuzziness. She closed her eyes, absorbing the feel of being close to him.

  His voice woke her from the fantasy that played out in her head: the one where his lips discovered every nook and cranny of her aroused body. “How much further? Should I carry you?” He lowered his brows into a frown.

  “It’s just two more blocks.” She stood up straight, reminding herself they were just friends, and that his hand low on her waist shouldn’t feel so good. She moved away. “I think the alcohol has gotten to me. I haven’t drunk this much in a while.”

  He smiled as he followed her like a schoolboy on a field trip.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “Remember when I had to drive your skinny butt home from the lake because you drank two wine coolers. Two. And you were, what, fourteen?”

  She turned and pointed a finger in his face, stopping him. “Now, wait a minute. I was fifteen. I didn’t have my license yet and I asked you to drive me home.”

  “Good thing, too.” He clutched her finger. “Or Charlie Williams would’ve gotten past first base with you.”

  She tore her finger from him. “What? You saw us making out?”

  “Just keeping an eye on you.”

  “Men are pigs.”

  Jake held out his hands. “Hey, I take offense to that. I took care of you.”

  She shrugged. “Well, Charlie Williams was a pig anyway. Once he couldn’t get down my pants, he dumped me.”

  He flinched. “Really?”

  She turned around and pointed down 52nd Street. “Over here is Rockefeller Center. Have you seen the Christmas Show? It’s amazing.” She continued, with tightness in her chest. A good tightness that made her heart swell. Every time she pointed something out, Jake’s eyes lit up, like a boy waiting to open presents at his birthday party.

  “You really haven’t been to these places? What have you done?” She stopped in front of an apartment building.

  He shrugged. “I moved here to work, remember. I haven’t had time to do much yet.”

  She studied him with a sideways glance. He’d matured. He’d always been tall, but the wide shoulders next to her belonged to a man, not the teenager who’d broken her heart. His dark hair framed his chiseled face and he had a hint of a five o’clock shadow. His deep, dark blue eyes soaked up every inch of Amanda’s body. She shuddered at the appraisal. For something that should feel all wrong, it felt all right in the places that mattered.

  Once they arrived at her apartment building, she stopped and leaned against the wall, smiling as she gazed at him.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Is this your place?”

  She nodded. “The one and only.”

  He reached over, paused, then placed his thumb on her bottom lip, caressing gently. “You gonna be okay?”

  “Just fine, Jake Edwards.” Her breathing accelerated. This is what she remembered. A sweet closeness with him. Even if he did see her like a little sister, she could persuade him otherwise. And hell, what kind of neighbor looked at her like that?

  An excited flutter swarmed her belly as she stepped closer to him. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him in to her. “I’m cold,” she whispered.

  “You are?” He asked in a husky voice.

  “Want to keep me warm?”

  He seemed to study her with a quiet intensity as he rubbed her arms. She moved in closer. Her heart turned over when the corner of his lips quirked into a small smile. God, he was sweet. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, and she wouldn’t wait this time around.

  Before she could inch up to kiss him, the door to her building opened and her doorman appeared out of nowhere. “Good evening, Ms. Larson.”

  Her head was fuzzy -- from the alcohol or
the mixed feelings or both. She couldn’t be sure. “Oh, hello, Jorge.”

  Jake grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You better get upstairs, then, before you do something you regret.”

  Oh, she’d like to slap that smug smile off his face. Okay. She’d actually prefer to kiss it off. Too bad she liked the teasing.

  Jake bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “Then see you later.”

  He walked away a few feet. By his third step, he turned around. “Hey! Want to meet in the morning for a run?”

  She stood in the doorway where Jorge held the door open. “Like old times?”

  “I’ll meet you here at around seven.”

  “Make it eight.”

  Jake nodded and waved. Slowly, he turned around, walked up the sidewalk and whistled into the cold night.

  Careful, Amanda.

  She could easily owe this toying with her emotions to the three margaritas, but she knew better. Jake tortured her past and now he already crawled back into her present.

  Chapter Three

  AT EIGHT O’CLOCK sharp, Jake appeared on Amanda’s doorstep dressed in black athletic shorts, an official Yankee t-shirt and a Yankee cap. Amanda smiled. He already looked like a typical New Yorker, proud of his team.

  Amanda pretended not to notice his appeal, and locked the building’s front door. After last night’s embarrassing almost-goodnight-kiss debacle, Amanda demanded her body not to respond to his today. It didn’t obey. She took a deep breath. Get a hold of yourself. She’d never been so nervous about a simple run before.

  “Since you live on the Upper West Side, I thought Central Park would be the best place to run.”

  “Sounds perfect, but be nice to me since it’s been a while. I don’t run like we used to in high school.” She hadn’t even made it to her regular Wednesday night Zumba class Veronica taught.

  “Why not?”

  “I’ve been extra busy with work.”

  Jake smiled and tipped his cap in her direction. “Well, then, I ought to thank you for making time for me today.”

  Amanda’s heart skipped a beat. It was true; she had made time for him today. She had plenty of items on her agenda now that she managed Denalo’s fashion show. It’s only to catch up with an old friend… an old friend who had tight muscles and to-die-for butt.