by Lea Hart
“She has two brothers, and they’re both big guys. But give her a call and see what she needs.”
“Thanks, Ronnie. I’m serious about this, and I want a real chance of making something with Ana.”
“Fine. Don’t make me regret this. Do you see this bowl of voodoo dolls?”
“Yes, Ronnie. Everyone knows about your bowl of voodoo dolls.”
“I can have your face on one of these in less than an hour if you misbehave.”
Jack stood and smiled at Ronnie. He appreciated the way she felt about her friends, and it was one of the reasons he chose her to manage his finances. That and her massive brain. He didn’t know too many people who held a Masters in accounting from Stanford and a JD from Tulane. All before the age of twenty four. “See you tonight, Ronnie. Thanks for the info.”
“See you later, Jack.”
********
Jack walked through the market with Ana and couldn’t have been happier. They were standing in the aisles with the pasta, and Ana was holding up one of the bags and asking him a question. “What was your question?” He knew he was probably smiling like an idiot again, but he didn’t care. Ana was happy, and no one was taking pictures of them.
“How much do you eat?”
“I usually eat about three quarters of a bag. Clark probably eats a whole bag, and so does Justin.”
“So you’re the light weight?”
“Yeah, all two hundred and seventy pounds of me.”
“I need another pan. I don’t have one that’s big enough.”
“Ana, I don’t want you to go to all of this trouble. Let me order some food from a restaurant.” He watched her eyes go small and her mouth turn into a flat line. That might not have been the right thing to say. “Tell me what to do.”
“I’m more than capable of feeding a group of people. Do you think I was raised in a barn? My mother would be horrified if she thought that I invited people over and ordered food from a restaurant. The woman is still alive, and I do not plan on having her disapproval rain down on my head.”
“She lives in California. How would she know?”
“My mother could be in space, and she would find out.” She shook her head and started pulling bags of pasta off the shelf as she calculated how much she would need. “I need to go to the Cuban market after this, and then you can take me home. I need to get started on the sauce.”
“Did I just make a ton of work?”
“No. My aunt cooks for thirty people every Sunday, and she makes Cuban food, which takes time. I’m making pasta, which is relatively easy.”
“So this is a cultural thing?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’m more than my brain.”
“Oh, I get it now.” He leaned down and kissed her head. “I’m here to help, so you can tell me what to do.”
She smiled up and winked. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She turned the cart around and swung her hips down the aisle.
She fit his picture of the woman that he wanted in his life. She wore jean shorts, a t-shirt and Converse, and he’d never wanted a woman more, because she didn’t try to be anything that she wasn’t. What you saw is what you got with Dr. Ana James. The fact that she didn’t want to impress him, made him want her all the more. He caught up with her and took the cart. “Let me push the cart. You can tell me where to go.”
She laughed and took his hand as they made their way over to the vegetables. “Follow me, Jack.”
Yeah, he’d follow her just about anywhere. Why was doing something so mundane so much fun? He was walking around the market and shopping for dinner, and he felt like someone just gave him the key to the kingdom.
********
Ana worked in the kitchen while Jack was in the office assembling her desk. She couldn’t believe he wanted to put it together and wondered if she was giving him the wrong message. She was definitely attracted to him, but felt wary. How much encouragement was too much? She heard him call her name, and she wiped her hands before walking toward the office.
Jack sat in her desk chair and pressed the button to turn on her computer. “I think I have everything set up. Come and see if your computer is hooked up properly.”
“Wow, Jack! This would have taken me forever. Thank you so much.” She stepped up to the desk and started putting her password in. He tugged on her waist, and she landed on his lap. She gave him a questioning smile as she looped her arm around his massive shoulder.
“You just have the one chair, so I thought we could share.” He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder then moved her until she was squarely in his lap. Sharing a chair was definitely a good idea. All of Ana’s soft curves were pressed into him, and he couldn’t have been happier or more turned on. Well, he could be happier, but he’d take what he could get.
“I’m glad that I didn’t meet you when I was in college. I would’ve never been able to resist your slick moves. But then again, I doubt we ever would’ve met. The science geeks had a tendency to hang out together and never mix with the football players.”
“Is that how you see yourself?”
She studied her computer for a moment and then glanced at him. “I hate to admit it, but I probably still see myself as the shy girl with the big brain and awkward personality. Sometimes, I think we never grow out of our high-school identities.”
“That may be true. Sometimes I wonder what people get so excited about when they meet me. I think they’re seeing the big clumsy kid who struggled to read. The classic dumb-jock stereotype.”
“I guess we’re more than what we were in high school. But somehow I never feel very far from it.”
“Neither do I. I feel confident when I’m on the field, but I’m not real comfortable with all the attention I get.”
“I can see how that would be the case. So we’re the odd couple. The jock and the geek.”
“The best odd couple in the world.” Tipping her back slowly, he lowered his head. A smile formed on her lips as her eyes grew big in anticipation. He lowered his mouth, captured her lips and felt her soft mouth beneath his. Slipping his tongue inside her mouth, he felt his body react instantly as their mouths began to play against one another. He fell under her spell until the doorbell rang, a timer from the kitchen went off, and her computer gave off an alert. “Damn.”
She lifted her head and looked at him with desire-laden eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.” Sitting up, she fixed her shirt and then lifted herself off him. “I guess I’ll answer the door. Though, I’d much prefer to stay in your lap.”
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.” He sat up and adjusted himself. It was going to take a while before he got over the effects of sharing a chair with Ana. He smiled at her retreating figure and let out a small laugh.
Ana walked toward the front door and tried to remember the last time that her brain was quiet and couldn’t. Her body was buzzing with desire, and her hormones were dancing, but her mind was blessedly quiet. Answering the door, she watched her best friend study her.
Ronnie shook her head as she walked in. “Jack Ellis was smooching you, and you liked it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on your face before.”
“I think you may be right. I’ve never had a kiss like the one he just gave me. I think he may have magic kissing powers.” Closing the door, she turned and smiled. “It’s going to require a lot more research, so my plan of dating beta men is going to be put on hold. I need to see about that big alpha one sitting in my office first.” She took one of the bags from Ronnie and walked into the kitchen.
Jack stood in the hallway and smiled to himself. Magic kissing powers. Damn, he felt the same way about her. He stood there quietly and waited for them to move away. He didn’t want them to know he’d been eavesdropping.
The doorbell rang, and Jack walked out and looked into the kitchen. “Ana, do you want me to answer it?”
“Sure. Thanks, Jack.”
He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Ella, Clark, and Justin. “Hi, guys. Com
e on in. Ana and Ronnie are in the kitchen.”
Ella swept into the house and left Clark and Justin standing in the hallway with Jack.
He watched one of his closest friend’s eyes trail after a woman who didn’t seem that impressed. “So what did you guys bring?”
Clark held up his bag. “I brought gourmet popcorn. It’s from the shop in South Beach that sells those fancy snacks. Ella told me that it was a good idea.”
Justin held out a bakery box. “I brought brownies. Ronnie told me that chocolate was always a good idea. I should go in and introduce myself to Ana, and thank her for including me tonight. This is a welcome change from the bars in South Beach. I’m tired of hanging out with those rookies—it makes me feel old, and I hate having to supervise their stupidity.”
Clark laughed. “When did we become the old guys with more sense?”
“I was always that guy,” Jack responded.
Clark clapped him on the back. “That’s true. How’s it going with Ana?”
“It’s going as well as can be expected. I’m taking it slowly, so she has time to get used to the idea of me.” Rubbing his hand over his face, he stared into the kitchen and caught sight of Ana speaking with her friends. “She’s not a big fan of football players, and the paparazzi are becoming a problem for us. I hope that her feelings for me overcome her concern.”
The doorbell rang.
Jack heard Ana call out for him to answer it. He moved around the guys, opened the door, and was greeted by a pretty woman with red hair and blue eyes. “Hi. Ana’s in the kitchen, and she asked me to answer the door.” He put his hand out. “I’m Jack.”
The woman stared with a confused expression. “I’m Sara, Ana’s neighbor.” She watched the large man step aside and was greeted with the sight of two equally large men. She smiled tentatively at the group.
“I bet you were not expecting to walk into Ana’s house and see the defensive line waiting to greet you,” Jack said.
Sara studied the men and let out a laugh. “I’ve just gotten to know Ana, and I didn’t think that she hung out with football players. Especially such large ones. I thought Alex was the only professional athlete in the group.”
Clark stepped forward. “We’re new additions to the group. And we’re hoping to get on the permanent roster.”
Ella chose that moment to walk into the living room. “Clark, there isn’t an opening for a permanent position. It’s a fling thing.”
Clark shook his head. “No fling, Ella. If you want to sample the goodies, then it has to be more than a fling.” He watched her give him a narrowed look as her hands moved to her hips. “Your mean eyes have no effect on me.”
“I think it’s terribly inconvenient that you’ve decided to acquire a moral code at this moment. Why couldn’t you just be the playboy that you’ve always been?”
“Those exploits have been blown out of proportion, and I’m not a playboy.” He walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I know you’re going to come around to my way of thinking.”
Leaning into his kiss, she closed her eyes and wondered why he wasn’t cooperating with her plan. He gave her a wink before walking into the kitchen. She watched his very fine backside walk away, and then felt Jack walk up and put his arm around her shoulders.
“If I were you, I’d think about what he’s offering.”
“But it’s not part of my plan,” Ella responded.
“Things like this never are.” Jack turned and noticed Justin and Sara deep in conversation. “That didn’t take long.” He heard Ana call for everyone to come in and start eating. He led Ella into the kitchen and perhaps her destiny. Little did she know that Clark was no longer playing the field. He was playing for keeps, and if Ella wanted a shot, then she was going to have to consider it as a possibility.
********
Ronnie sat next to Jordan, leaned over, and spoke quietly. “It must be ten, because Ana is asleep, and so is Jack. They could be a perfect match. How is it that two perfectly healthy twenty-six year olds can fall asleep at ten most nights?”
Jordan studied his friend sleeping in the arms of a very large football player. Jack held her hand even though they were both dead to the world. “I never thought I would see a day where Ana would consider a professional athlete as a viable option. But looking at the two of them makes you feel like it might work. It all seems to be done, except for the details.”
Clark leaned in front of Ella and asked, “What’s wrong with us? Why wouldn’t she be interested in Jack?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just that Ana had her high school heart broken by a football player and then had her college heart broken by a hockey player. She’s only dated non-athletic men for the last five or six years,” Jordan responded.
“I don’t think Jack’s interested in breaking anything. In fact, I think he’s interested in the full monty. I’ve never seen him act this way with anyone,” Clark said.
Ronnie looked over and considered what he’d said. Sometimes the best information came from an unexpected source. In this case, Clark may have some very real insight into how his friend was feeling. “When you say full monty, what exactly do you mean?”
“I mean, walk down the aisles, big ring, and a lifetime together,” Clark answered.
“Ana wouldn’t like a big ring, because her hands are small,” Ronnie responded. “I understand that you were not speaking in the literal sense. But, god forbid it should ever come to that. I want you or I to talk some sense into him about the ring.”
“Nothing like jumping ahead, Ronnie.” Clark shook his head and laughed.
Jordan shushed them as the final scene of the show came up. “Be quiet. This is where it all comes together.”
Ronnie elbowed him. “This isn’t reality. This is all staged. Why are you making me be quiet?”
“The same reason that you make me shut up during the proposal of the bachelorette.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right.” Ronnie stared at her best friend asleep in the arms of one of her best clients. She wanted to be optimistic about their chances, but she didn’t want to be foolhardy. It was her job to protect Ana, and she didn’t want Jack’s good-guy reputation to give her a false sense of optimism. She needed to stay on guard. After all, she had experienced heartbreak at the hands of one of his best friends. The one time she’d let her guard down for more than a minute, Brian swooped in and ultimately broke every little-girl dream she’d ever held in her heart. No, she needed to keep her eyes open and make sure that Ana was going to be okay. “Should we wake them?”
“No, let them sleep for now,” Clark answered.
Justin stood and held out his hand for Sara. “I’m going to walk Sara home, and then I’ll be back. See you guys in a little while.”
Sara waved to the group as she and Justin made their way out of the living room.
“I guess Justin likes being included as part of our group,” Clark said.
Ella joined the conversation. “Who says you’re part of the group? Maybe you won’t end up hanging out with us.”
Clark took her hand and kissed her head. “Oh, we’re part of the group. You’re just mad because I won’t let you get at me without a commitment to date. It’s funny how roles change. I’m tired of women wanting me for my body, my hair, and my money. I’m worth more than that.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “Oh, let me feel sorry for the big, handsome, famous, and rich football player. Or not!”
“Don’t be mad because you are not getting what you want right away. All the good things in life take a little work,” Clark said. He looked at Ella and watched her fume. This was going to be fun, and by the time they came together….it was going to better than the fireworks show over Disney World.
The show ended, and the group started getting up and taking their dishes into the kitchen. Ana and Jack didn’t move, even with the people walking around them. They had that in common. They both fell asleep quickly and then passed out like the dead. Thi
s actually could be a match made in heaven.
CHAPTER SIX
Halloween
Ana walked into Ronnie’s house and looked around. Her friend had outdone herself in decorating her worn-down mansion. Ronnie liked re-decorating almost as much as she liked making money. Her house was starting to show all the love and devotion that she’d poured into it. She thought the Halloween decorations played perfectly against the faded grandeur of the house. “Ronnie, where are you?”
Standing at the top of the staircase was her best friend dressed as a southern grand dame. She wore a gold caftan and large jewels, and her dark hair was piled on top of her head. “Good evening, dear friend. I’m dressed as my mother in her heyday. What do you think?”
Ana started laughing as her friend descended the staircase slowly with a martini glass in hand. “Why…Mrs. DuMond, it’s a pleasure to see you in our fair state of Florida.” Ana giggled.
“It’s not my practice to travel so far for such a small social affair, but I felt it was my duty to attend.” Ronnie started laughing as she hit the landing. “I swear I felt like my mama was taking over my body when I said that. I think she’s here in spirit.”
“Did you steal the caftan out of her closet?” Ana asked.
“No. I had her maid steal it and send it to me.” She flipped out her hand and flashed her rings. “These are, however, paste jewels. I didn’t dare ask to borrow the real thing.”
“I think your mama would be proud if she could see this. It might actually give her a false sense of hope that you in fact have turned into the proper southern woman that you were raised to be.”
Ronnie snorted in response. “Like that was ever going to happen.” She took her friend’s hand and twirled her around. “Are you dressed as your date this evening?”
“Yes, Jack Ellis, defensive end for the Miami Sharks. Am I a believable football player?”
“No. It’s one of your more sorry attempts at a costume. I know dressing up isn’t your thing, but this is pretty pathetic.”
