by Jami Wagner
Conner’s door is ajar. I hesitantly take a step toward it, rethinking skipping out on dinner since he clearly cooked, when the very guy himself comes through the building’s front door instead of his own. He’s caught off guard to find me standing in my doorway.
“Hey,” he says with such a lazy grin that I find myself smiling back too. “Were you looking for me?” He’s wearing a simple gray pair of sweats and a plain t-shirt. Sans shoes.
“Yes, I was actually just going to step out for some groceries when it occurred to me that I don’t know where the closest store is.”
His chuckle is deep as he closes the door behind him. “Well, there is actually a place within walking distance, but it’s getting late and they don’t stay open past 10. If you leave now you’ll probably make it just fine, but you’d miss the awesome dinner I made.”
“Oh.”
I feel his hot gaze wash over me as he steps around me. “I made pasta. How about we eat dinner tonight and then tomorrow we can go to the store?”
“We?”
“Yeah,” he answers, walking into his apartment. He starts talking again, which means I have to follow him inside. “I need to go to the store too. So if I need to go and you need to go, we could go at the same time.” He pauses to look over his shoulder as he pulls garlic bread out of the oven. “Unless, of course, you don’t like to grocery shop with other people.”
“I guess there’s nothing wrong with that, but what makes you so sure you’ll want to hang out with me again after tonight? I mean, I could be crazy and you’re only minutes away from finding that out.”
Pulling two plates from his cupboard, he flashes me a grin that warms my cheeks instantly. “What type of crazy are you talking about?”
Although he makes me nervous, it’s as though my mind and lips have their own plan.
“What kind of crazy can you handle?”
Plate midair, he freezes and stares at me. My body is drawn to him. I take a step and so does he. Then my phone rings.
Brought out of my daze, I pull my phone out of my pocket. It’s an unknown number. Normally I wouldn’t answer it, but it could be the gym.
“Hello.” I step into the hall as I see Conner dishing out our plates.
“Hi, is this Alexis?”
“This is,” I answer, a little thrown because no one has called me by my full name in more than two years.
“This is Maggie from the gym. We would like to offer you the position, if you’re still interested.”
“I am, yes. That would fantastic.”
“Great, can you start on Thursday? That’s two days from now.”
“Yes, I can.”
“We’ll see you at three in the afternoon.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
I hang up and feel a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I step back into Conner’s apartment to find him sitting on the couch, both plates ready to go with a glass of milk on the coffee table in front of his plate and mine.
“My place is kind of a mess. I hope this is okay.”
“It’s great.” I say, taking the seat next to him.
We eat in silence, probably because I am famished and because it is some damn good pasta. Before I know it, I’m leaning back against his couch, watching The Hangover on his television as though it were something I did each day. Conner stands, reaching for my plate.
“Oh, I can get these.” I push off the couch and try to take his plate. He objects and grabs mine out of my hand.
“I don’t invite beautiful women over just to watch them do the dishes. No way. If you want to clean up, next time dinner is at your place.”
I think he just asked me out again.
“Okay. I should get going anyway.” I don’t want to intrude for too long.
“At least stay until the movie is over.”
Again, I lean back and nod. Sure, why not?
“So I know my sister asked you this, but what made you pick Wind Valley to move to?”
This is a question I have a rehearsed answer for.
“I opened up a map, picked a state then a town at random and here I am. I just wanted something different.”
“I don’t think I could ever do that. Not even before Jake. I’ve always liked knowing where I’m going and why.”
“Jake is very sweet and polite. From my brief meeting with him, I can see you’ve done a great a job raising him.” I switch the subject like I always do when the questions are about me.
Conner comes back to the living room, a sad smile on his face.
“Thanks, that’s really nice to hear. We had a bit of a rough start, but things are going well now.”
Somewhere in that sentence I pick up that there is bigger story than what he letting on. I know exactly how he feels, and because I wouldn’t want him to do it to me, I don’t pry.
“You should be proud” is what I say instead.
“He’ll actually be back next weekend, and a friend of mine is having a barbeque at his new house. He isn’t moved in yet. I think that’s what the barbeque is for, kind of have people over and stuff before everything is moved in or maybe he’s luring us over there to help him move. My sister and Beth will be there—you should come.”
“Oh, I’m not sure.”
“Come on, Logan and Sara won’t mind.”
That settles it. I’m definitely not going.
“I, uh, could be working.” Oh that’s good, and could possibly be true.
“You got the job?” Conner is clearly excited for me.
“Yeah, that was the phone call I got earlier.”
“Well, congrats. We should celebrate. I have some wine or beer in here somewhere.” He stands and begins to search the fridge. “I keep everything for the adults in back where Jake can’t reach it.”
He pokes his head around the fridge and smiles. “So, what’ll it be, wine or beer?”
“Wine,” I answer, knowing a drink isn’t the smartest idea right now, not when I’m around Conner, but a glass of wine also sounds delicious. He ducks his head again and I hear cupboards open and close as he pours me a glass.
One glass of wine, that’s it. No more. More than that and I’ll start talking, and I can’t have that happen.
Conner
My hand shakes as I pour her a glass of white wine. I’ve spent more time with her today, and it’s been better than the last two days, so I should feel more comfortable around her and I do, yet my nerves are all over the place.
I let out a deep breath before I step into the living room. One of Jake’s stuffed Ninja Turtles is lying in the corner, and I laugh inside. Of everything I did today, picking up my apartment should have been on the list.
“I see you like to take pictures of Jake.” Alex points to a photo of us on the swing set in the park across the street.
“Have to keep track of the memories in more than just your head, you know. A picture can spark a dozen emotions, and, well … my kid has the cutest smile.”
Alex laughs.
“He looks just like you, you know.”
“I do.”
“Could you tell even when he was a baby?”
I keep smiling, but it’s hard to hold it strong. She’s going to find out eventually; I may as well tell her now. It’s not like it’s some sort of secret.
“Actually, I didn’t know I had a son until Jake was two years old.”
Her lips part in shock and her hand lifts to rest over her chest. Her eyes flash around the room as if she’s looking for her words. Logan does this, too; it must be more common than I thought.
“How?”
“His mother didn’t tell me. We were a drunken one-night stand. My behavior from our night together turned her away from contacting me.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, it was hard at first, but we have a pretty stable relationship now, and I’d never trade him for a thing. I just wish I could go back and get those first two years back.”
“You would have kept him?” Her voice isn’t asking in a way th
at she doubts me, but in a way that she looks up to me. It hits somewhere inside my chest and I find myself quickly taking a pull from my beer.
“I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. I mean, he’s a baby, a kid, and he should have had a father.”
Her eyes tear up then she gulps down her entire glass.
“I guess you were right,” she says once she’s finished.
“Right about what?” I ask.
“Earlier you said you’re not the type of guy I assumed you to be.”
“What kind of guy was that again?”
“I feel horrible that I thought you were trying to cheat on Jake’s mom with me. I actually thought you were the kind of guy who would pick a random chick over family.”
“As long as you don’t keep secrets from me, I’m the nicest guy ever.” I chuckle, because, come on, nothing could be worse than keeping the fact someone fathered a child from someone. And also because right now it does look like I’m picking Alex over Heather, but not for the reason she thinks. Alex, however, doesn’t find my statement funny.
“I should get going.” She stands and heads for the door. I stand, too, following after her. It hadn’t crossed my mind until just now how badly I want to kiss her. If she leaves, I may miss my chance.
“Dinner was great, and I had fun hanging out with you today.” Her smile pierces my heart, and without a second thought, I’m pulling her into my arms and hugging her. The second I realize what I’m doing, her body goes stiff, and I get the feeling I ruined our good day with just one move. But then I feel her arms around my waist and I don’t let go. I kiss the top of her head and pull back.
“Goodnight, Alex, I enjoyed your company as well.”
She blushes as she backs away, turning for her apartment. When her door is closed I stand there for a moment. How can I possibly feel this attracted to someone I hardly know? And why, even though I know so little about her, do I feel as though I’ve known her forever?
My cell rings. Heather. Shit, I should be making this dinner effort with her.
“Hello?” I answer, concerned why she is calling me at 10 at night.
“Hey, Conner, Jake can’t sleep and says he needs to talk to you before he could try it again.”
My heart grows.
“Put him on.”
“Dad?”
“Hey, bud, can’t sleep?”
“No. I forgot Donny.”
I glance around for the stuffed turtle I saw earlier.
“Yeah, he’s right here.”
“Oh.”
“Can I bring him to you tomorrow?” I ask, trying to make him feel better. He sleeps with him every night. Last night he must have been too tired to notice he was missing.
“I just thought I lost him. Can he sleep with you?”
“Sure thing,” I say, completely honest.
“Okay, ’night Dad.”
“’Night, buddy.”
““I’m glad you picked up,” Heather says after Jake gives her the phone.
“Me too. I didn’t realize he was so attached to one stuffed animal.”
“You know, maybe one night you could try staying over here and maybe we wouldn’t run into this sort of thing. As part of giving us a try?” she asks.
The reminder is like a punch to the gut. I don’t know if I can keep going through with this if I’m developing feelings for Alex. It’s not fair to anyone involved.
“It’s probably best if we take it slow until we know this is what we want for sure,” I say.
“I know it’s what I want, Conner. Are you having second thoughts?”
“I can’t just make an emotion appear. It takes time. How about lunch tomorrow?” I suggest.
“Conner, we can’t just keep doing dates.”
“That’s how people get to know each other and decide if they want to be in relationships. They do things together. What do you want to do?”
“I want to go to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
The line goes dead. I grab my charger and the turtle and head for my room. I’ve got an amazing son who I love, a woman across the hall who is making me feel things I’ve never felt before and who I shouldn’t be attracted to if I’m going to make this work with Jake’s mom, and my son’s mother who says she wants a family but isn’t willing to put in the time. Life is about to get very interesting.
Chapter Five
Alexis
I walk into the gym, heading behind the counter where I was told to go after my interview a few days ago. I clock in the way I was taught to do as well and then I just stand there. I smile at a couple as they walk in, rubber mats rolled neatly under their arms, ready for an hour of yoga. Each of them runs their keys over the corner of the counter until a beeping noise occurs. They continue on their way past me. There isn’t anyone else coming in, or anyone else behind the front counter for that matter.
Another man and a woman, who look to be the most fit people I’ve ever seen, walk through the sliding doors a moment later. He slings a bag over his shoulder while she shakes a bottle in her hand. They both nod in greeting, and my hand flies up in an awkward wave slash swatting the flies away sort of wave. They don’t seem to notice though; they just walk right on by, not doing the weird key thing the couple before them did.
Surely, they’ve got someone here to train me or at least show me around. Perhaps the lack of attention at the front desk is why they hired me in the first place. I take a step toward the gap that allows people behind the counter but am again distracted by the noise the front door makes when it opens.
Skylar. I haven’t seen her since our afternoon hike when I dropped her back off here. She must really like the gym.
“Hey Alex,” she greets me and her hands immediately go to her hair to smooth is over. When she’s closer, I see a smudge of dirt on her face and what I assume is grass in her hair.
“Sleep in the grass lately?” I ask, smiling at my own joke.
She pauses, “Yoga in the park.” She shoots me a wink before she scans her card and continues past me.
“Can I help you?” an annoyed voice asks behind me.
I turn, finding the same girl who waited on us at the bar, but who I also didn’t officially meet. Abby, I think, is her name. A quick glance at her nametag, which is set in the perfect place to draw attention to her chest, confirms my memory is still all set.
“You’re that one girl, aren’t you?” Abby continues to glare at me, clearly sounding annoyed with my lack of response.
“If you mean Alex, then yes. I’m that one girl.”
Her eyes narrow as her chin rises so she can look me over.
“Sassy one, huh? We might just get along after all.”
She taps my shoulder and points behind me.
“First things first, Alex. Greet everyone who walks through the door. Whether it’s a smile, a nod, or a simple hello, make sure you acknowledge everyone.” She waves to a gray-haired man with a slight limp who has just arrived. “People come here to relax, cool down. Working out is a de-stressor, and people who work out are normally happier too. Don’t ruin their workout before it’s even begun by pretending you didn’t see them.”
She’s giving me the stink eye again, like I’ve already done something to not impress her.
“Got it.”
“Second, everyone needs to swipe their card. It will beep if their membership is good, and it makes this god-awful buzzing noise if their account is bad.”
“Bad?”
“Yeah, like they owe us money because they haven’t paid for the month or something.”
“And what happens when it buzzes?”
“You tell them they need to pay or leave. It’s simple, just don’t be a dick about it.”
“Okay.”
In other words, don’t use the tone she has with me right now—check. I don’t really have a response to anything she’s said so far, but I have to wonder what has happened to give her this attitude with me. Is there some reason she has already decided sh
e doesn’t like me? After a moment passes, Abby rolls her eyes before brushing past me toward the other end of the counter.
“We have snacks over here, and this is the list of smoothies and protein shakes we make. I’ll teach you those as people order them.”
I follow Abby around for a while, nodding my head as she instructs me. She shows me how to make two different smoothies, one from a yogurt machine and one that uses a yogurt powder. Any shake that includes peanut butter is my least favorite and, sadly, they are the most popular. Once I think I’ve mastered the kitchen part of the job, Abby tells me there is more. Apparently we wash the towels, and, holy crap, this place goes through a lot of them. And in the last hour, one person has come in to sign up. New memberships at this point are not my thing either. Too many numbers to remember.
“Okay, so then we pull all the towels into these giant gray bins and we fold them,” Abby says, bringing my attention back to the dang towels.
“All of them?” I ask.
“Yep, and you need to keep up with them throughout your shift, or you will be here after closing, catching up. You don’t want to leave work for the person who opens.”
“Alrighty.”
She tilts her head in annoyance, because, well, I can 90 percent confirm she doesn’t like me, at the same time a bald guy in gray shorts and a blue cut-off shirt joins us. He looks young but definitely older than me. The balding is definitely a choice.
“Sorry I’m late. Mrs. Mulligan got to talking about her grandkids again.”
Baldy sets his bag under the counter and a grin splits across his face when his eyes land on me. “I’m Pete—you must be Alex. Abby told me you were starting tonight.”
I find his comment funny considering Abby pretended she didn’t know who I was when she got here. From somewhere next to me, she huffs.
“Back off, Pete, she’s with Conner.”
“I’m not—”
“You can show her around the back when we get done here. Go shower. You’re all sweaty and gross.”
Pete chuckles, giving a salute to Abby’s back.
I grab a towel and try to mimic her folding skills.
“If you want a player, Conner is definitely a better pick.”
I stop folding. A player? Conner?
