by Lee Heaven
He took a step and was barely an inch from me. His hand raised and wiped at a tear that had leaked from my eye despite trying to hold it in. His finger was smoother than expected. The heat that shot through my body was more than I expected. This man who has been in my life for five minutes was making me feel things I had never expected. His eyes looked down to my lips and I froze. Was he going to kiss me? Oh god, I would have done anything to have had a sexy guy like him kiss me years ago. But now? Now, that I was just walking away from the most toxic relationship in the world? Why would he want to kiss me anyways? The fucking man barely said a handful of words to me before my phone call.
He looked back into my eyes and before I could say a word he crushed his mouth to mine. My phone fell to the floor as my hands grabbed the lapels of his jacket to steady myself as his wrapped around my face and pulled me closer to his body. Holy fuck! My head was screaming to pull away but fireworks were going off in my body making me kiss him back. He spun and backed me against the fridge as he drove his tongue into my mouth.
The swinging door Sarah had walked out of a few minutes ago swung open and laughter followed a few seconds later. Two sets of laughter. One I recognized the other I didn’t. Tyler placed a light kiss on my lips, let go of my face and then walked out of the kitchen without saying anything, all before I opened my eyes.
I turned my head to look at Sarah and who turned out to be Maggie. I wiped at my lips with my fingertips as I tried to catch my breath.
“Those men are very intense,” Maggie smiled. “If you’re not careful you’ll be in trouble.”
Sarah started laughing and before she could open her mouth I put my hand up to stop her. “What the hell happened while I was gone?” She laughed ignoring my hand.
I looked down at the floor to where my phone now laid. How the fuck did I go from arguing with my soon to be ex-husband to kissing one of the sexiest men I ever met? A man I never thought I would ever meet on top of that? How do I even begin to tell them what happened when I don’t even know. I bent and picked up my phone and then looked at Sarah.
“One minute I was arguing with Jeremy because he finally went home and everything is gone and the next Tyler was kissing me before I could even say no,” I said as I stared at her. “He heard my phone call and then asked about Jeremy hitting me and you guys giving me money for food. Then all of a sudden he was so close I could tell you what toothpaste he uses. Then you guys walked in.”
Sarah’s smile stretched across her face bigger then I had seen in years. “I guess I won’t have to try too hard to find you that player of your own we talked about.” She linked her arm in mine and gave me a tug, “Come on we have to go or we’re going to be late.”
I walked out of the kitchen with Sarah and Maggie each flanking one of my arms. I looked around the room and couldn’t find Tyler. Sarah excused herself and went to the bathroom. Ten minutes later she walked out of the bathroom and straight into Decker’s arms. As I walked by the bathroom towards the front door I looked in to see Tyler sitting on the toilet looking ruffled. I smiled for a minute thinking I put that look on him and then I realized that Sarah had just walked out of the bathroom. The smile on my face faded and tears threatened to fall. It couldn’t be true. Sarah wouldn’t do that to Decker. As I walked toward the front door I looked at her. She was smiling at Decker who just walked past me. She looked over at me and smiled. When I didn’t smile back she looked behind me, I felt as Tyler walked past me and out the front door. She looked back at me and shook her head no and then mouthed ‘long story, ex-girlfriend, another time.’ I smiled back at her knowing nothing happened between her and Tyler and that she didn’t betray Decker.
But that still didn’t explain what was going on in that bathroom and why he looked so rumpled and satisfied, then pissed when he looked at me. I stood on the opposite side of the elevator as we rode down to the garage. I could feel his stare burning into my skin and all I could do is turn my back on him. If I didn’t then I was going to stare right back.
Chapter 6
By my third day back my kids were so in love with New York City they were asking to get an apartment there. I wished I could afford a place there but I knew I wouldn’t be able to, not for awhile at least. I needed a job and needed to save until I could.
Decker offered me an assistant job for one of the managers at his foundation and I started today. During the summer I was to bring the kids every day and leave them at the apartment for Maggie and Chelsea to deal with. Maggie laughed and said “Guess it’s about time I actually did some work to earn the money I get.” Sarah’s ex, Shawn, had taken Josie to Europe for the summer and she wasn’t due back for a couple more weeks, so Maggie hasn’t been doing anything the days Sarah actually went into the office. When Sarah worked from home, she only spent a few hours working and then went shopping with Maggie and Chelsea. While my first week was spent in a courthouse and then a nervous week waiting for a verdict, I was happy to be back in town. Sarah got her day in court and the justice she needed.
Sarah, Maggie and Chelsea keep talking about how they have watched Tyler and me looking at each other the past two weeks and how they’re going to find a way to hook us up. While I completely understand how they feel, I honestly don’t think things are going to happen between Tyler and me. Honestly, the heat is there I can feel it zap through the air and across my skin every time we are in the same room. I can see it in the way his bright blue eyes sparked and brighten when he looked at me. He haunts my dreams, at night and day. Dreams of us spending our lives wrapped in each other’s arms. But he’s an ass. He’s been cranky since the first day I met him, the day he pinned me against the fridge and kissed me. The day that I really saw him and started to believe I could spend my life happy again.
Two weeks ago as we waited for the jury to come in with a verdict for Sarah, she baked her ass off out of nervousness. The night before the verdict came in she sent Tyler and me out to hand out the bread and cookies that she baked for the neighbors. While we sat in the kitchen he was all smiles and talking, even scooting his chair closer to mine as we sat at the table and ate. But the second we walked out the door and were by ourselves the scowl was back on his face and all he did was grunt when I tried talking to him. By the time we handed out the last of the cookies and bread I was ready to nail him in the balls. I just couldn’t figure him out.
He sits here on my mind all day, invading my thoughts, my day dreams, I’ve zoned out a couple of times thinking about what a future with him could be like. I even spilt a cup of coffee all over my pants when my boss had tapped me on my shoulder once when I was zoned out. She laughed and asked me which one I was thinking about. When I had looked at her funny she pointed to the picture on the wall in front of my desk. There standing on a golf course was Decker, Tyler, Tobias, Roman and a couple other team members. I must have turned red because she was giggling, when I looked up at her she said “Don’t worry we all do it. How can we not, their all so friggin hot. Just make sure to stay aware of your surroundings so no one bust you for not working,” she giggled and walked off.
I had to say that the job was easy so far, just entering invoices and other important papers. Running around and getting things for the managers when needed. I was even told that I could be loaned out to the fundraising managers if their teams ever needed help, which meant that there was a chance that Sarah and I could work together every once in a while.
I was just about halfway through my day when I felt him enter the office. I was standing in front of my desk with my back to the door when I felt it crawl right up my spine. I was not going to give in and turn and acknowledge him. I could feel every step he took closer to me. I began to frantically search my desk for the paper I was looking for so I could run the other way, but was having no luck finding what I needed.
I felt his hand wrap around mine as he spun me around and stepped way to close to me then what should be normal office appropriate. I tried to pull my hand away but his fingers tightened arou
nd mine. I watched as my boss stood in her office gaping out the windowed wall. I tried again to pull my hand away and he took a step closer to me.
“Tyler, don’t, I’m working. It’s my first day, please I don’t need the whole office talking about me already,” I whispered.
His smile turned to that scowl that is normally on his face. He didn’t let go of my hand as his face scanned my face. “There will be a car out front for when you get out of work. Take it and meet me at the stadium.”
“You could have just called and asked if I would like to go to the game. The answer in person or on the phone would have still been the same.” I scowled at him. “The answer is no. I have to get the kids and get home.”
He stepped closer to me and I watched as my boss took a step closer to her office door. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I begged her with my eyes not to intervene yet. I was so pissed that this man thought it would be ok for him to walk into my work, on the first day that I was working and boss me around like he was.
“Sarah and Maggie are bringing your kids to the stadium. Your mother and father are coming to…”
“Step-father,” I interrupted him.
“Tomato, tomahto,” he smirked making me want to punch him in his face. “The car will be out front, get in it. Don’t make me have to leave the stadium and get in trouble because I had to come get you.”
“You can’t just boss me around. I’m not your girlfriend or little plaything or whatever you want to call them. I’m not here to play around. I have a job to do and kids to worry about. You can’t just come into my life and start ordering me around and expect me to fall all over you like all your little groupie whores do.”
His eyes smolders as he pulled me into his body and whispered “Maybe I should bend you over my knee and then slap the shit out of your beautiful ass.” His voice ended with a growl.
Tears filled my eyes. I knew his words didn’t mean what I just processed them to be, but it was the first thing that came to my mind. He wasn’t even fast enough for my reaction. My hand came up and slapped him across the face. It was so loud the whole office came to a stop and turned to see what was going on. His face was instantly red, as tears poured out of my eyes. “You stupid ass motherfucker! How can you possibly say something like that to me after what I told you?” He reached for my hand and I pushed him away, “Don’t touch me!” I stepped back and into a wall of muscle.
“Tyler, go,” I heard Decker say as he turned me and walked me towards his office. “Chrissy, he doesn’t always think before he does things,” Decker said as his office door closed.
“All he had to do was ask and I would have said yes. He didn’t have to order me into a car at the end of the day. And he certainly didn’t have to tell me he was going to slap the shit out of my ass. He knew from the second I met him what I went through and he still says that to me.” I collapsed into a chair and buried my face in my hands.
“Like I said, he doesn’t always think. I have to get going to head to the stadium. Stay in here as long as you need to compose yourself. There’s a bathroom over there to fix your face when you’re ready. Sarah has a pile of makeup on the sink. Don’t worry you’re not the only one to break down here.” I heard the door clicked behind him.
Stupid ass motherfucker! All he had to do was ask! Now I’m going to be known as the office psycho, the bitch who slapped the gorgeous Tyler Ellis across the face. Motherfucker! I now know what Sarah meant by not fitting in. I didn’t fit in. I was out of my league when it came to these people.
My phone chirped in my pocket a few minutes later as I was gathering myself.
*That stupid ass motherfucker, I’m going to kick his fucking ass. I really hope his face is as red as Decker said it was. Hope your ok! Get in the car and I’ll see you at the game. I told him not to go in there and act like a Neanderthal. But like a typical man he didn’t fucking listen. Love you have a great rest of the day.*
Sarah always finds away to make me laugh just when I need it.
*Left a very visible handprint. Hope it’s still there. Love you. I’ll see you there*
I hated that in the end Tyler won and I was going to be sitting in that car and going to the stadium after all. But, I couldn’t let Sarah down. I went into the bathroom that Decker pointed out and sure enough there were piles of makeup all over the sink. There was a makeup bag sitting empty on the sink counter. I wondered why he never put her makeup away. It’s not like she was in the office all the time. I washed my face removing the trails of black mascara running down my cheeks. After redoing my makeup I threw everything into the makeup bag, zipped it and placed it neatly on the sink.
I turned toward the door and looked at the picture frame hanging on the wall in the bathroom. It was a picture of them the night Decker took her dancing. The night she lived for herself, for the first time in a long time. The night that she started to realize she could have a life that didn’t involve the hell she lived through for years. I was able to walk away from Jeremy and all his abuse, but could I possibly end up with a happy ending like Sarah is getting?
I walked back to my desk and amazingly not one person turned their head to look at me. Maybe they’re used to people freaking out. Decker did say I wasn’t the first one. I sat at my desk and looked at my computer screen. There in the middle was a note taped to it.
My Darlin’, I’m sorry for the words I said. Again my big mouth worked before my brain could stop it. Please know that I would never lay a hand on you. Please know that it broke my heart to see the look in your eyes, when I said those words and you took them how you did. If you would like there will be a car waiting out front to bring you to the game. I would like for you to come watch me play. Please come. Again I am sorry. Forever, Tyler
I looked up into my bosses face. She was smiling at me. “He has a gigantic heart. His mouth doesn’t always wait for his brain to tell him to stop. Just like his father. Give him a chance to prove that you need to look beyond his words and more at his actions.”
I was stunned. “How long have you known him?”
She smiled at me again. “Since we were kids, third grade. I’ve wanted to slap him like you just did for years,” she giggled. “Hope he has to play with that hand mark on his cheek.”
I giggled as she walked back into her office. I looked down at the note and folded it, placing it in my purse. I knew where I was going to put it when I got home. In that same box where I held the love letters Kristopher sent me before he passed away.
I got back to work but Tyler and his note were never far from my mind. After I spent the rest of the day running around like the office slave I have become, I walked out the door, there sitting in front of the building was a black town car. I knew it was mine because standing next to it was Jimmy, Sarah’s bodyguard.
He handed me a single white hyacinth flower. Tied to the flower with a small white ribbon was a card. It read: My Darlin’ I’m sorry ~T
I looked at Jimmy’s smiling face as he opened the door. I squealed as I slid across the seat. There was Sarah, Maggie and Chelsea sitting on the seats, all of them holding a glass of champagne. Sarah held one out to me and I took it.
“To first days, to breakdowns, to emergency supply makeup and hot ass baseball players that drive us completely insane,” Sarah giggled as we clinked glasses.
I linked my arm with hers and the four of us giggled all the way to the stadium. Sarah and Maggie talked about what sex was like with their men. When they talked about how loud the bed slammed into the wall that it made Maggie move her bedroom across the apartment, I watched as Jimmy’s ears turned beat red in embarrassment. Chelsea started laughing when she saw how red he was getting and started going on and on about how her and Jimmy have actually broken not one but two bed frames. If he had not been driving I’m sure he would have been on top of her shoving something in her mouth to keep her quiet.
I wished I had something to share with them. Besides the kiss that Tyler attacked me with my first day her
e, I’ve had nothing for months. It’s not to say that there hasn’t been a moment where I didn’t want to throw Tyler down on the floor and lick his body. Just the other day when I got in the elevator to head up to Sarah’s place, as the door was closing an arm reached in stopping it and in walked Tyler, half naked and glistening with sweat from the run he had just come in from. I was so ready to lick his stomach right there and I’m sure it was showing on my face. But the second I looked up into his scowling face all I wanted to do was punch him. What the fuck did I do to him to make him scowl every time he saw me? I rushed off the elevator when it stopped on Sarah’s floor and flipped him my middle finger when he chuckled out a goodbye. I stood staring at her door for a minute as I composed myself, all I wanted to do was go up to his apartment and punch him in the face and then kiss him.
This isn’t the first game I’ve gone to since I got back home two weeks ago, but it feels like it. Maybe because it’s the first game Tyler asked me to come to? Maybe because he asked me to watch him play? Holy fucking shit, I am out of my league.
I may have been in a suite and he was on the field but I could feel every time his eyes looked up at me. I could feel it sear into skin. He knew when I looked down at him. I could see the slight smile on his face as our eyes collided. I felt it so often I wondered how he was even paying attention to the game. Standing in the dugout, standing there on third base, even when he’s at bat he looks up at me before he steps in the box to hit. Every time he did it I could hear Sarah and Maggie giggle.
Maggie passed me a beer as she giggled, “You know he wants you? We all see it. We’re just trying to figure a way to hook you two up.”
I snorted at her, “Yeah. That’s why he has a pissed off look on his face every time he sees me.”
