Aubrey glanced at Jordan uncertainly. “Um, well, not yet. But then, we’ve been pretty busy since I arrived.”
Finn’s green eyes twinkled again with merriment, or, more accurately, devilry. “I’m sure you have been,” was all he said in reply, but Jordan at least didn’t miss the innuendo in his voice. “Jordan, why haven’t you told your very lovely houseguest about the big event?”
Jordan had never, ever wanted to flip someone the bird more than he did at this moment, and had to shove his hands into his pockets to restrain himself from doing so. “I was actually going to discuss it with her in a few minutes over dessert,” he bit out. “Thank you, Finn, for beating me to the punch.”
Finn laughed in delight. “Hey, buddy, what are friends for? Now, between you giving me the stink eye and Max checking his watch every ten seconds, a guy can take the hint. We’ll head out and leave you two lovebirds alone. Until next time, that is.”
Jordan was sorely tempted to plant his foot squarely in Finn’s arrogant ass as he and Max finally walked out of the restaurant, but once again found the willpower to hold himself back.
Aubrey was regarding him curiously as he took his seat. “Your friends seem very nice,” she offered. “At least Max does. Finn is - well, no offense, but he’s a bit of an ass.”
“A bit!” scoffed Jordan. “Try a one hundred percent, obnoxious, irritating, and arrogant ass. I know you’ve asked about meeting some of my friends, but maybe now you can understand why I wasn’t exactly rushing to do so.”
She patted his forearm reassuringly. “He wasn’t that bad. I mean, he obviously thinks he’s God’s gift to women, and the way he flirts makes you look like an introvert, but I suppose some women might find him charming. Max, on the other hand, is a real gentleman. But he’s also a very sad person, I think. Am I right?”
Jordan squeezed her hand. “You’re very perceptive, sweetheart. And very polite to have tolerated my pain in the ass friends the way you did. As far as Max goes, he wasn’t always so somber and withdrawn. Something happened a few years back, Finn and I aren’t sure what, but it’s a safe bet there was a woman involved. He went to Seattle for a couple of months on a business trip and came back more moody and withdrawn than we’d ever seen him. And he won’t talk about it at all, denies there’s anything wrong, but we know there’s something off there.”
“Poor man. He seems very nice, very kind. Not to mention,” she added teasingly, “very good looking. That British accent is pretty sexy. Though nowhere near as sexy as a certain Southern gentleman’s drawl.”
He grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind for future reference. Now, since I managed to shoo off my pesky friends, how about that dessert I mentioned?”
Aubrey groaned, patting her stomach. “I think I’ll have to skip it tonight. That was an awfully big meal. But I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea.”
Jordan beckoned their waiter over to request tea for Aubrey and some coffee for himself, then turned to her with a sheepish expression. “So you must be wondering about this big charity ball that Finn was blabbing about.”
She shrugged. “Maybe a little. Were you really going to discuss it with me over dessert like you told them?”
“I hadn’t exactly pinned down an exact time and place,” he admitted. “But I was going to ask if you’d like to attend. It’s in a little over two weeks, at one of the big hotels in town, and it’s very fancy, very elite. Black tie for the men, long gowns for the women. I’ll have to take you shopping for sure if we go.”
“Jordan, no,” she protested. “I already told you no more clothes. Just tell me the sort of thing I’d be expected to wear and I can buy my own dress.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he argued. “We’re talking designer labels here, baby, and price tags in the thousands, not the hundreds. And I know you’ve got some money saved, but probably nowhere near that much. And you shouldn’t be spending your hard earned money on a fancy dress and shoes.”
Aubrey scowled. “Oh, but you should?”
“Of course,” he replied cheerfully. “First of all, I already told you I’m a trust fund baby. I’ve got plenty of money, and nothing would make me happier than to spend it on you. Second, the only reason you’d need an expensive gown is so you can accompany me to this event. But, hey, if you feel that strongly about it, Aubrey, we don’t have to go. Okay? I don’t want to force something on you, or make you feel uncomfortable. Your decision all the way.”
“I’ll think about it,” she conceded somewhat grudgingly. “I mean, I don’t want to embarrass you by buying some bargain basement dress when everyone else is wearing haute couture.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “You could never embarrass me. And even if you showed up to the ball in jeans and a T-shirt, you’d still outshine every other woman there. So think about it. Whatever you decide will be fine with me. Ah, here’s your tea.”
He had considered the topic of Finn and Max closed for the evening, but as Aubrey stirred a packet of sugar into her tea she brought them up again.
“You know, when I met your friends earlier, the way they were staring at me was sort of - well, disturbing,” she admitted. “Not in a creepy, stalker-ish way, of course. It’s just - well, tonight’s the third time in the past week that people you’ve introduced me to have looked at me oddly. Almost as though they recognize me from somewhere. Your friends just now, the staff at your office. And of course there was that nurse at the hospital who was convinced she’d seen me before. Is there something I should know, Jordan? Like, do I have a doppelganger or a twin sister here in San Francisco?”
It was only with the greatest of control that he didn’t start choking and sputtering from the sip of coffee he’d just taken. Instead, he cleared his throat and smiled at her reassuringly. “Of course not. I explained all that to you already. My staff at the office was just shocked that I actually introduced them to someone I was dating since that’s never happened before. And that nurse was almost at the end of her shift and probably too tired to see straight. As for my friends - well, let’s just say that while Finn is a definite manwhore he isn’t always too picky about his partners, especially when he’s shitfaced. And Max might as well be living in a monastery these days since he hasn’t dated anyone in ages. Neither one of them has ever been this close to such a gorgeous woman before, so they were both tongue tied for a few minutes. Besides,” he added jokingly, desperate to change the subject, “if you did have a twin sister, don’t you think you’d have known about her long before now?”
Aubrey nodded and gave him a little smile before picking up her tea cup, and didn’t bring the topic up again. But Jordan knew it was only a matter of time before someone commented directly on her startling resemblance to Tessa, or worse - before the two women came face to face with each other.
‘Which means you’d better start thinking of a way to break the news to Aubrey fast,’ he reminded himself. ‘Because if she has to find out another way, it’s definitely not going to end well for you, Reeves.’
***
“What the fuck, Jordan? I mean, come on, dude. It’s not even that your girl is tall and blonde and stacked. She doesn’t just resemble Tessa Gregson, she’s her fucking identical twin! What the hell were you thinking of anyway, inviting her here to San Francisco? Wait, never mind. I know exactly what you were thinking of. Problem is, you were thinking with the wrong part of your anatomy.”
Jordan winced as Finn’s verbal tongue lashing continued. He’d been on a roll since they’d sat down to lunch less than five minutes ago, and it didn’t seem likely that he was going to ease up on the abuse any time soon. Max, who’d been reluctantly dragged along on this lunch/intervention, remained impassive, not joining in the fray but also not saying a single word in support of Jordan.
“What do you want me to say, Finn?” retorted Jordan sullenly. “I mean, there’s no point in denying the fact that Aubrey looks just like Tessa. Kind of tough not to notice that, after
all. But I already know the dirty, twisted thoughts going through that even dirtier mind of yours. I am not using Aubrey as a substitute for another woman. She and Tessa might look the same, but they’re totally different people. And Aubrey’s the one I care about - the only one I care about.”
Finn gave him a look of disbelief. “I see you’ve managed to convince yourself into believing that load of bullshit, but Max and I aren’t about to buy into your pathetic explanation. Are we, Max?”
Max sighed, obviously unhappy about having been dragged into this situation. “Frankly, Finn, I’m not sure that it’s any of our business. Jordan’s a grown man, after all, and doesn’t need the two of us telling him how to live his life.”
Jordan smiled gratefully at his longtime friend. “Thanks, Max. Maybe Finn will learn to keep his nose out of my business.”
Max held up a hand. “However, as much as I dislike meddling in someone else’s personal affairs, Finn does have a good point, Jordan. This situation with your girlfriend who just happens to look exactly like a woman you’ve had - well, let’s call it an infatuation - with for several years isn’t likely to end well. I assume you haven’t broken the news to Aubrey that there’s another woman walking around San Francisco with the same face as hers?”
“No,” admitted Jordan reluctantly. “There’s really no easy way to tell someone that, is there? And when I first invited her to stay with me, I didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know how long she’d actually stick around. I suppose deep down I was hoping that I could orchestrate it so that Aubrey and Tessa never came face to face the whole time.”
Finn shook his sun-streaked light brown hair emphatically. “You were out of your mind then, dude. Mark my word - sooner than later worlds are going to collide, and when they do you’re going to find yourself caught smack in the middle of the explosion. It’s going to be a shit storm of epic proportions. Unless, of course, you find a way to get Aubrey to leave town before that charity ball.”
Jordan glowered at Finn. “The charity ball that you just had to open your big fucking mouth about. And now that she knows, there’s no easy way to tell her I changed my mind about going. Thanks a bunch, asshole.”
Finn gave a careless shrug. “Hey, not my problem. After all, I’m not the one banging the woman who’s a substitute for the one you really want.”
Jordan was so incensed that he rose out of his chair, hovering over Finn threateningly. “Shut your mouth, you stupid sonofabitch,” he hissed. “As usual, you’ve got no idea of what you’re talking about. And if you ever dare to even hint about something like that to Aubrey, I’ll shut that big mouth of yours for good.”
“Easy, there. And sit down, for God’s sake. We don’t want everyone in the restaurant staring at us,” reminded Max sharply as he tugged urgently on Jordan’s coat sleeve.
Jordan sat back down reluctantly, glaring icily at Finn. “Fine. So long as Finn agrees to never say something that disgusting again. Listen up, asswipe, and listen good. Aubrey is not a substitute for Tessa. She’s not a substitute for anyone. She’s her own person, totally different in so many ways than Tessa, and she’s made me happier than I’ve been in as long as I can remember. And somehow or other I’m going to have to break the news to her about Tessa, because the last thing I want is for her to leave town. Because - well, hard as it is to believe, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with her.”
Finn spewed out a mouthful of water, dousing Max’s six thousand dollar Italian suit in the process, and coughed so hard he had tears running down his cheeks.
“Damn you, Jordan,” he wheezed, wiping his face with his napkin. “Didn’t you learn anything from the last time you sprung something like this on us? You need to break this sort of thing to people gently, not go right for the throat. Jesus, that’s the second time you’ve almost made me choke in less than a month. Tell you what. Next time you’ve got some shocking news to tell us just send a text.”
Max was calmly blotting water drops from his navy wool Brioni suit jacket. “Finn might have something of a point there,” he agreed. “After all, it isn’t like you to just blurt something like that out, Jordan. Not to mention being completely out of character for you to even believe in love. I’m not sure which of you has been the bigger skeptic over the years - you or Finn. Are you positive that’s what you’re feeling, or is it just - well, a good old-fashioned case of lust?”
Jordan shook his head. “It’s definitely not just lust. If it was, don’t you think I’d be over it already? Aubrey’s been living with me for almost a month now, and, well, without giving away too many intimate details, let’s just say she’s been keeping me plenty busy. So it’s way more than simply a physical attraction, or even obsession. I like her. I like being with her. She makes me laugh, she makes me feel needed, and more importantly she makes me feel cared for. And mostly she makes me feel that she’s the only woman in the world, the only one who really matters. So speaking as someone who’s never been in love before, who’s never believed in the concept before, I’m not completely sure that what I feel for her is actually love, but whatever it is - well, it’s something pretty powerful. And not something I’ve ever felt for a woman before.”
Finn and Max were both staring at him in astonishment, as though they couldn’t believe that such a profound speech had actually come out of Jordan’s mouth. Max recovered first, smiling faintly at Jordan.
“Well, they do say that wonders never cease,” he observed dryly. “So perhaps it’s actually true - Jordan Reeves is in love. However,” he cautioned, “you do need to heed Finn’s warning about the potential consequences of Aubrey and Tessa meeting each other. And if you hope to convince Aubrey to stay in San Francisco it’s not a question of if they’ll ever meet but when. So do yourself a favor, my friend, and break the news to Aubrey as soon as possible. Tonight, for example.”
Jordan exhaled wearily. “You’re right. Problem is, I’ve got no idea how to even start a conversation like that. Any ideas, Max? You’re the most level-headed one of the three of us.”
Max shrugged. “It’s always been my experience that honesty is the best policy. Though you might want to leave out the part about how you’ve been rather infatuated with another man’s wife for the last few years. I sincerely doubt that Aubrey - or any woman - would want to hear something like that.”
“Of course.” Jordan gave a quick nod of agreement. “And I’ll do my best to tell her tonight. Do you think I should start the conversation off by telling her that I love her? Maybe then she’ll take the part about Tessa better.”
Finn grimaced as he reached for his whiskey sour. “Seriously? You’re actually asking us for advice now on how to talk to a woman? Good God, the two of you have really turned into a couple of duds who are zero fun these days. Max here has been living like a priest for the last few years, ever since he came back from that trip to Seattle that he still won’t talk about. And now Jordan is actually thinking he’s fallen in love. You know, I really, really need to find myself some new friends in a hurry. Some fun friends. Because the two of you have apparently forgotten what that even is.”
“Maybe,” pointed out Max calmly, “you just need to start growing up, Finn. None of us are twenty-one, or even thirty-five any longer. At this rate, you’ll be fifty years old, dating women young enough to be your daughter, and wondering where the hell the last twenty years of your life went.”
Finn scowled. “How the fuck do you know all that? Have you suddenly become a philosopher or something?”
Max smiled, but his eyes held the saddest expression Jordan had ever seen. “No,” replied Max matter-of-factly. “I know because even though I’m only forty and not fifty, I’m already wondering that.”
***
Jordan rehearsed the talk he intended to have with Aubrey all afternoon in between seeing patients; went through it in his head during the drive home; mentally prepared himself for her reaction as he took the elevator up from the garage to the condo. He would
tell her this evening, he determined. It wasn’t fair to keep the fact that there was another woman who looked exactly liked her in this very city, especially since Jordan had always harbored suspicions that there was some connection between Aubrey and Tessa. What that connection was exactly he had no idea, but he felt he owed it to both women to make them aware of the other’s existence and see where they wanted to go from there.
And Finn, that troublemaking bastard, had been right about one thing. If Jordan didn’t take a proactive approach here, the situation could get real ugly were Aubrey and Tessa to run into each other by accident, or meet for the first time at the charity ball without any prior warning. No, he definitely, absolutely, had to alert Aubrey and he was determined that he would do so before the evening was over.
But his determination faced an unexpected roadblock the moment he walked inside his bedroom in search of Aubrey. Several articles of her clothing were scattered across the bed - jeans, T-shirt, bra, thong. He could hear the sound of the shower in the en suite bathroom, and gulped as the image of her wet, naked flesh came immediately to mind. He ran his fingers over the shallow lace cups of the pale blue bra, and then, like the pervert he was - at least when it came to Aubrey - he picked up the tiny thong and brought it to his nose, finding her scent that lingered there the most erotic of perfumes.
And then, because he was a horny bastard with absolutely zero willpower when it came to her, he quickly stripped off his clothes and strode briskly into the bathroom. He slid open the door to his walk-in shower, and at the sight of a smiling Aubrey soaping up her lush breasts in a very deliberate, very seductive manner, Jordan forgot every single word of his carefully rehearsed speech as she beckoned him to join her.
Chapter Fourteen
Aubrey sighed in frustration as she surveyed the assorted paperwork spread out on Jordan’s dining table - the place she’d made her unofficial workspace since coming to visit him six weeks ago. Though she supposed that six weeks had officially gone past the “visiting” mark and was quickly becoming the “living with” stage. And she was no closer now than she’d been on her first day in San Francisco of figuring out just what it was she wanted to do with her life. And, when push came to shove, the options she realistically had to consider were nowhere near as plentiful as she had once imagined.
The Girl of His Dreams (Bachelor #1) Page 20
