Taking a deep breath, Lauren nodded. “God, that’s me...well alright, I’m good with that. I just feel like I need to impress someone who’s decided to give me nearly a million dollars.”
“That’s just it, he hasn’t given you anything. He’s invested, there’s a big difference. You aren’t beholden to him. You don’t work for him. He isn’t your boss. He’s taking a calculated chance that his million could turn into ten million or more. You’re just the engine he’s hitched on to. We’ll do this thing then have dinner at my place. I know it isn’t Manhattan, but we can order in, okay?”
As he held the office door open for her she wondered, How is he so good at making me feel better?
4.
“I can’t believe you flew to California without me. I’m deeply, tragically hurt. I don’t think I’m gonna recover.”
Lauren laughed. Ali’s penchant for drama was an endless source of amusement. “I’ll tell you what. When I have enough money to hire you as a personal assistant, you can come everywhere with me, okay? How does that sound?”
“Well...alright. I suppose that’s fair. I am mad you didn’t even say goodbye.”
Lauren slowly paced around the guest room at Landon’s house. The thick, cream carpet squishing between her toes. She hated keeping so much from Ali. With everything going on in her life, she desperately needed the foundation of their friendship to hold on to.
She sighed into the phone. “I’m sorry, Llama. It was very last minute. I’ll pick you up a souvenir shot glass. What are you up to anyway?”
“Watching Project Runway and eating sushi while sitting in my underwear. You know, stayin’ classy. How about you? Hitting the town? Plan on trashing any more restaurants?”
“God no,” she said gazing out the window. The sun was just beginning to set, turning the low clouds a gorgeous pink. “We—uh, I just ordered some pizza. Gonna make an early night of it.”
Entranced by her show, Ali thankfully hadn’t noticed her little pronoun slip. Lauren breathed a sigh of relief when she mumbled a distracted reply. She could hear the TV blaring in the background and almost started to say goodbye then hesitated.
Idly chewing on a fingernail Lauren said matter-of-factly, “I think Nick’s actually cheating on me.” It felt good to say it, to put it in words. The thought had tumbled around her mind for long enough.
“What?” Ali exclaimed. “Wait, hold up. Seriously?”
“What are you so shocked about? You were the one who told me about Rose.”
“But I didn’t think he was actually cheating. Did he tell you or something? What’s happened?”
Lauren explained how Nick had been acting cagey about his phone recently, keeping it on him at all times and the new passcode. Ali freaked out when she told her about the small portion of the text she’d seen the night before.
“You know, I was gonna give that bitch the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Nick was feeding her all these, ‘oh, it’s complicated’ lines or he hadn’t told her about you in the first place. But this bitch has met you. She knows you’re together and she’s still going after him? Not cool.”
Lauren could hear Ali stomping around her room. “I know, that’s what I said last night. Really it’s Nick you should be mad at, not her. He shouldn’t be let off the hook.”
“Oh, I’m plenty mad at him too.”
“What are you doing?” Lauren asked as she heard a particularly loud thump on the other end of the phone.
“I’m getting dressed and hauling ass over there. It’s Friday night and he’s working and when he’s working, I know she’ll be there.”
“Listen Ali, don’t. I love you for wanting to but please don’t make a scene.” Lauren sat on the end of the bed with her shoulders hunched, rubbing her forehead absentmindedly. “I told him to take care of it, whatever that means. If he wants to be with her, that’s wonderful because honestly, I’m getting pretty tired of fighting for us. If he wants to move on, I’m actually okay with it. This whole back and forth bullshit has gotten really old.”
“Sweetie, I thought you guys were getting back on track.”
“I know, so did I. Forgetting everything that we’ve been through, all the history we have together, I keep coming back to one thought. I don’t want to be with any man who treats me like he’s been treating me.”
A gentle rap on her open door caught her ear. She looked up to see Landon holding his hand up as if to apologize for interrupting. He placed a note on the dresser by the door and backed out silently. God, how much did he just hear?
“I know hon, I know. It’s a really shitty situation, I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry for just dumping all that on you,” Lauren continued as she walked to retrieve the note. “I’ve become one of those girls who does nothing but talk about her boyfriend.”
Dinner’s here, get changed into your PJs. We’re having a sleepover!
“No you haven’t and don’t you ever apologize for that! I’m your sister-from-another-mister and that’s exactly what I’m here for. I promise I won’t go down there but you can’t stop me from cyber-stalking her and mocking all her photos.”
“I wouldn’t dream of stopping that,” Lauren laughed. “Alright, I think my dinner just got here so I better go. I’ll see you on Monday, okay? Stay out of trouble.”
After hanging up, Lauren read Landon’s note again and smiled. It was actually exactly what she needed.
A couple minutes later, she hesitantly walked into the empty living room trying to understand what she was seeing. Landon had apparently taken every blanket and pillow in the house and transformed the living room into a big, fluffy lounge. It reminded her of the days when she and her brother would create gigantic tent cities using chairs and bedsheets.
“Hey, is that you?” he called down the hall from the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’m in here. I love what you’ve done with the place,” she replied.
“Come here a minute.”
Landon stood in the open French doors that led to a small balcony off the kitchen. The room was dimly lit, under cabinet and floor lighting cast a warm glow. Henry trotted over to her as she entered, his nails clicking on the tile floor.
“I’m keeping the pizza warm. Do you smoke?” he asked, holding up a small joint.
Lauren chuckled, “Not since college. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you do. This is California.”
Landon shrugged. “Eh, I don’t very often. I have a few of these left over from a party from a while back. It’s a really mellow high, won’t make you stupid or anything. I figured it’d set the tone for our adult sleepover.”
“Yeah sure, why not?”
Leaning against opposite sides of the door frame they passed the lit joint back and forth, blowing the smoke up into the darkening sky. After a few minutes, she felt relaxed and loose but still alert. As she passed the last of the joint back, she caught him looking her up and down.
“I haven’t told you how much I like your jammies,” he laughed. She wore an over-sized sweatshirt and black yoga pants that stopped just below the knee, her hair pinned back in a messy bun. “I was expecting a matching ensemble, working in fashion and all.”
“Yeah, well, if I had known I was going to a sleepover, I would’ve packed something more appropriate. What about you?” she scoffed. “You’re wearing practically the same thing!”
“I don’t think those pants would look half as good on me, unfortunately. I’ve got a pair of Spongebob boxers upstairs I could change into if you’d like?” he said pointing to the ceiling.
“Maybe later,” she laughed.
Landon stamped out the last of the joint and clapped his hands together. “Alright! We’ve got pizza, chips, and soda. I’ve got every channel known to man plus Netflix plus the internet.”
“Good start.”
“We’re gonna eat until we feel sick, watch stupid shit on TV and bond. How’s that sound?”
Suddenly feeling very glad she’d let him talk her into sta
ying, Lauren reached out and squeezed his arm. “It sounds perfect. Let’s do this!”
Lauren soon discovered he had an odd love of old Warner Brother cartoons; Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweety. Laughing as though he were watching them for the first time, she caught a glimpse of what he might’ve been like as a kid. His infectious laughter had her giggling along with the old-school antics. It was nostalgic and familiar all at once. Stuffed full of pizza and soda, Lauren stretched out on the pillowy floor with a groan. Henry came over tail wagging, hoping she had a scrap of food to offer.
“Was it lonely being an only child?” she asked looking up at him on the sofa. He turned the volume down on the speakers.
He scrunched his face up a little as he thought. “You know, people always ask me that and I never know how to answer. I mean, sometimes I thought I was missing out but having siblings just seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Didn’t you feel...what’s the opposite of lonely? Encroached? Some other person hogging the attention, breaking your stuff, barging in all the time.”
“I suppose so,” Lauren said shifting to one side, cradling her head in her hand. “I’m the big sister so I think I was doing most of the bullying. Dave’s always had crushes on my friends and stuff, so he’d hang around when they’d come over. That got pretty annoying but we pretty much always got along.”
Landon ran his fingers through his hair and suppressed a yawn. “Ugh, I’m slipping into a food coma. We need sugar!” He bounded off the sofa, an excited dog chasing him down the hallway to the kitchen. Lauren fell on to her back and laughed, gazing lazily up at the ceiling. I can’t believe how much fun I’m actually having. It’s so silly but I’m really enjoying just being a kid again. He returned arms laden with bags of treats.
Still following her thought and without looking at him Lauren asked, “Don’t you think it’s sad that we need drugs to make us feel the way we used to naturally as kids? Isn’t there something wrong with that?”
He dropped a small bag of gummy worms on her stomach and sat on the floor nearby. “I think it makes sense. When you’re a kid, you don’t really have to worry about anything. Adults have all these responsibilities and pressures, expectations.” He tossed a handful of M&Ms into his mouth, the candy shells crunching loudly. “Sometimes you just need a little help shutting that part of your brain off, ya know?”
She paused, feeling her mind spiral down a dark path. “I’m afraid I’m going to fuck all this up you know. I feel like I’m just playing make-believe. Who the hell gives someone like me millions of dollars to start and run a company? It’s insane!”
“None of that,” he said slapping her foot. “Business tomorrow, fun tonight.”
Lauren pulled herself up to sitting and looked at him, considering if she wanted to press the issue further. As she debated whether or not to continue, she found herself studying his messy hair, the tiny cleft in his chin. It dawned on her that this evening felt just as intimate as the night they’d spent together. She must’ve been lost in thought for a little while because she suddenly noticed he was grinning at her.
“What?” she said defensively.
“Nothing you freaking stoner.”
She stuck a gummy worm in the corner of her mouth and said, “I was just thinking we would’ve been friends in high school. We would’ve gotten along.”
“Probably. Unless...were you a cheerleader? I hated cheerleaders. Those girls were really horrible at my school.”
“That was backhanded,” she said incredulously.
“I’m not saying I think you were mean in school but yeah, I can imagine you as a cheerleader.”
Lauren arched an eyebrow at him, chewing the gummy worm. “You can, can you? Short skirt? Pom-poms? You’re imagining that right now?”
“God, no, that’s not what I meant. I just talked my way into a corner, haven’t I?” he said pulling his knees up and into his elbows. Lauren was briefly distracted by the way his biceps and forearms flexed.
“I’m just picking on you. I actually was a basketball cheerleader. I also played field hockey in the fall and softball in the spring.”
“Nope, see, we wouldn’t have been friends. Remember, I was the chubby loner kid who liked to cook and eat.” She caught a flash of sadness in his eyes, as if he hadn’t realized the full truth in that sentence until after speaking.
“I would’ve liked you,” she said softly. She rubbed his foot with hers, his eyes rising to meet her gaze. The moment was like a breath held, quivering, timeless. They each knew what the other wanted, the simple touch destroying their defenses yet neither moved. It was Landon who finally broke the spell, shifting to his knees and allowing the moment to exhale.
“Want to watch a movie?”
Lauren nodded and replied quietly, “Sure, as long as it’s something funny.”
After much debate, they settled on Blazing Saddles. Landon turned off the lights and switched on the gas fireplace below the wall-mounted TV. A cool, damp breeze drifted in through the windows but rather than shut them, the pair wrapped themselves in blankets and got comfortable on the floor.
Lauren was amazed how at home she felt, as if she’d been with Landon her entire life. She remembered nights when she was a young teenager watching movies with her friends. Her mom would always make some excuse to come in or through the living room, just to ensure all hands were above the blankets and there wasn’t any funny business. She giggled at the thought of her mom walking in with drinks.
“What’s up?” he said settling on the floor beside her. She lifted the blanket to allow him under, their arms brushing against each other as he sat.
“I was just thinking about my mom. I used to have friends over to watch movies at my house when I was in junior high, just like this really, but she always thought it was an excuse to make out. She’d walk through the living room pretty much every fifteen minutes with a snack or a laundry basket, to make sure we weren’t up to anything. I was just imagining her walking in right now.”
The way he smiled at her made her feel weak. He threw a brotherly arm around her shoulders and said, “Not tonight. Just us, although I wouldn’t mind someone bringing us a drink. Henry! Sodas!” The dog perked up, cocking his head slightly at the command which made them both burst into laughter. Landon pressed play and started the movie.
Like something obvious and left unspoken, Landon’s arm remained, the connection throbbing between them. It was unmistakably deliberate but without pressure or obligation, both knowing they could pull away at any time. After a few moments, she snuggled in closer, her shoulder slotting in his armpit, head resting lightly on his arm. She felt him breathe deeply, exhaling a satisfied sigh that made her quiver.
Try as she might, she simply couldn’t concentrate on the movie. The majority of her attention was focused on the action between them. The rise and fall of his chest, the heat of his skin just under the cotton shirt. If someone were to stop the movie and quiz her about the plot or the main characters, she wouldn’t have been able to answer one question.
At one point she realized how hot it’d gotten under the blankets. I don’t want to move but I’m sweating to death in this hoodie, she thought. After a short debate, she pulled away from his arm and lifted the sweatshirt over her head, revealing the gray tank top underneath. Landon casually left his arm on the seat of the sofa, allowing her to shift right back in as she leaned back. This time, she settled her head against his chest. She pretended to watch the movie for a few more minutes, laughing when he laughed, but couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting back to his body. Closing her eyes, she listened to the steady, strong heartbeat in his chest.
At one point he smoothed her hair and asked, “You okay? Falling asleep?”
Lauren looked up at him and managed a tight smile, shaking her head. “Nope, I’m good,” she replied softly. He squeezed her a little as she nestled back on his chest.
After laughing at one particularly funny scene with the Waco Kid, she pushed her breasts against
him. Breathing heavily into her chest, innocently pressing them against his body, Lauren smiled to herself. She wasn’t sure what she expected to happen. The fact he seemed oblivious to her growing desire confused her and made her want to push the envelope just that little bit farther. Covering her mouth as she yawned, Lauren placed her left hand on his chest. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she felt him shift at the touch.
For long agonizing moments, she let her hand rest there. It felt leaden, nearly unmovable, her mind willing it to travel further down until finally she gained the courage. Pretending to scratch an itch on her face, she lightly placed her hand back on his stomach this time. His abs slightly tensed under her fingers. Wanting nothing more than to feel his skin, she slowly tugged the shirt up exposing his torso. She noticed he’d stopped laughing, his breathing quickened. I guess I have his attention now. If Lauren was honest with herself, she didn’t know what she was trying to do. Something in her brain just snapped whenever she was close to him, something close to animalistic and uncontrollable.
Her fingers slid underneath the shirt, hand flat on his hard muscle. His fingers dug into her side, pulling her body close to his. She let her hand travel up his stomach to his chest. Lifting her head and slipping her leg over his, he pulled her half on top of him, the curves of their bodies melding. She nuzzled into his neck, lips barely grazing his skin. His right hand threaded through her hair, cradling her head.
Their breath came hot and heavy, pulses quickening yet neither of them jumped over that precipice. They never once made eye contact, their lips never met. For a few agonizing moments the temptation became nearly overwhelming, their bodies yearning for more than their minds were willing to give. Just as slowly as it built, the fire diminished. His grip on her side loosened, her hand slid from under his shirt, pausing briefly on the waistband of his sweatpants. She returned to the crook of his arm, head resting lightly on his chest, their heartbeats returning to normal. Lauren was too weary to wonder what it all meant. She was just happy in his embrace, feeling safe. The world beyond his arms didn’t matter as her eyes closed and she listened to his heart, head moving with the rise and fall of his chest.
Playing with Power - Book 4: New Adult Office Romance Page 3
