Everleigh fidgeted. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do,” he told her. “I know it because I know what an asshole people think I am.”
She crinkled her nose in that certain, concerned way that made Grant’s heart skip a beat. “I’ve never thought that about you.”
“Not even tonight?” he challenged.
She shook her head. Now it was Grant’s turn to writhe. “That’s because when I’m around you, I don’t feel obligated to act like one.”
Everleigh stared long and hard at Grant with what he understood to be great consideration. After a time, she rolled on top of him. The tee shirt between their bodies bunched upward, exposing her bare bottom. She did nothing to cover herself and Grant held still beneath her. Everleigh held his smoldering gaze, issuing a silent challenge.
“You don’t know how close I am to tearing this shirt right off your body,” he confessed.
“Yes, I do.”
Grant lifted himself off the bed just enough to reach Everleigh’s lips. He kissed her ambitiously and was excited by her surrender. The kiss soon consumed them both, their tongues eager in their mutual conquest. Everleigh’s hands roamed unashamedly all over Grant’s body while his hands maintained their firm grasp on the tee shirt. Her movements, both deliberate and inadvertent, were nothing less than exquisite. Their connection was the perfect combination of physical and emotional—stunning and natural, overwhelming and peaceful. Neither attempted to undress the other. The couple simply engaged in the most powerful kiss of their lives until they were both sated. When they finally broke apart, Everleigh returned to her original resting place on the left side of the bed. Grant rolled toward her and the two lay on their sides, facing one another. Within moments, they were both asleep.
Everleigh was the first one to wake. It was still dark in Grant’s apartment and she hoped to get more rest. She was feeling much better, however, and the relief she experienced as a result coursed through her body in the form of adrenaline. Not wanting to disturb Grant, Everleigh was content to watch him and allowed her thoughts to drift.
Ever since Grant first asked Everleigh about her own destiny, the conversation lingered within her. With that one question, Grant had opened Everleigh up emotionally, as though he’d taken a scalpel to her soul. Tonight, they moved beyond friendship into something romantic, giving that conversation more of a troublesome weight.
Talk of the future between them had sparked ideas and feelings Everleigh hadn’t given serious consideration to since her undergraduate days. Back then, she’d deliberated taking her psychology degree and going into charity care. She’d even applied for more than a few positions with social service non-profits, but then reality had kicked in. Facing stiff competition and little on-the-job experience, she made the practical decision to continue her studies by enrolling in medical school. The world hadn’t been ready for her to explore it quite yet, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t at some point.
Cleo’s death had shaken Everleigh. Mere hours after the terrible incident, she already knew that the course of her professional life would alter as a result. She didn’t care if she ever set foot inside another emergency room. She didn’t want to spend her career listening to other victims like Cleo deliver deathbed accounts of their own murder. Everleigh was a protector and although she’d thought she could fulfill her purpose by working at the hospital, she’d been wrong. Her true calling was to help people like Cleo before they became a casualty.
Grant would not be deterred from his path. Everleigh knew this. Beyond that, she did not want to discourage him. She believed he was destined for greatness in neurosurgery and accepted that he could not afford the complications and distractions a relationship with her would inevitably deliver. She’d known from the beginning that jumping into bed with him wouldn’t be good for either of them, but here she was.
Her eyes drank in Grant’s handsome face and she sighed out her regret. The extraordinary events of that night had distanced Everleigh from her common sense. She wanted nothing more than to wake him up with her kisses and fully enjoy the pleasure their bodies were designed to provide for one another. But the more she thought about acting on her impulses, the more she thought about how acting on such impulses would shape their futures. He’d become all important to her well-being and she couldn’t afford to end up hating him. He couldn’t fulfill her ultimate wishes and fully dedicate himself to becoming a world class surgeon. With more than a little sadness, Everleigh closed her eyes, eventually willing herself back to sleep.
Soon after sunrise, Grant opened his eyes. Everleigh was still beside him.
He got out of bed carefully, not wanting to disturb her rest. His kitchen was devoid of food and they both needed to eat. Grant ducked into the walk-in closet to dress and retrieve his wallet. There was a decent bakery around the corner where he could get coffees and breakfast. He jotted a quick note and left it on her bedside table, just in case. When he closed the apartment door behind him, he made sure it was securely locked.
He strolled, rather than hurry. The slower pace gave him more time to process his current situation. Last night had been a true test of Grant’s sexual resolve. During the course of his twenties, he’d become used to enjoying the benefits of casual relationships. Grant had never taken the opportunity to express love and affection through sex, but his friendship with Everleigh was showing him the importance of such an expression.
He could have taken her the night before. She was as willing as he was, perhaps even more so. He’d chosen to hold back only because, for once, the circumstances weren’t ideal. Grant didn’t normally assume a submissive role in sex, but last night he’d left the ultimate decision to Everleigh. There was no more speculation about her attraction to him, so it was likely she had abstained for one of two reasons. She either wanted him to take the lead or she was trying to protect him from something.
This is where Grant struggled to find the right answers. He knew his weaknesses. He was not always in tune with other people’s feelings and he wasn’t good at expressing his own. He had a propensity to hold his sentiments in check. Providing emotional support did not come naturally to him, but Everleigh was challenging him on nearly every level to do so.
Grant had met this complicated woman at the exact moment in time when he was most committed to avoiding all emotional obstacles. Perhaps she already understood this. Maybe she was trying to protect Grant from himself. He scrubbed his face in frustration and entered the bakery. He needed to eat something before he allowed himself to spend the day navigating a psychological maze.
Despite their separate and private mental struggles, Grant and Everleigh spent a leisurely morning together, enjoying their time away from the hospital. Grant’s apartment provided a comfortable place of refuge from reality. They both held back from addressing more serious topics, opting instead to learn more about one another’s backgrounds and interests outside of work.
As afternoon approached, they exchanged cell phone numbers. Everleigh had just finished adding her number to Grant’s contact list when his phone buzzed in her hands. She held his phone out toward him.
“It’s the hospital,” she said.
Grant answered the call and within a minute ended it. He set the phone down and returned his attention to Everleigh. “I need to go in at noon and relieve someone who worked extra to cover for me last night.”
“I should call in, too.”
Everleigh’s supervisor was happy to hear from her and offered another day off to get some much deserved rest. She was grateful, but she also felt somewhat guilty.
“Where are my scrubs?” she asked Grant after the call. “I’ll need to wear them home.”
He shook his head and disappeared into the closet. “You don’t need them back. You’ll borrow a pair of shorts from me.”
She accepted his offer without argument and closed the bathroom door behind her to put on her underwear as well as Grant’s clothes. When she rejoined him in the main room, he was already dress
ed for work. “Do you need an Uber?” he asked.
“No. I could use a run to clear my head. I’ll walk with you to the hospital and then jog from there.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s fine. I do it all the time.”
“You don’t have your keys? Where are they?”
“In my locker, but that’s okay. I’ll get them later. The super will let me in.”
As soon as they left Grant’s apartment, he took her hand in his. They walked the short distance to the hospital in companionable silence. Outside the main entrance, they turned to face one another.
Grant’s serious side returned with a vengeance, his eyebrows knitting into a familiar frown. “We need to redefine our friendship, but I have no idea how to proceed.”
Everleigh reached up and attempted to smooth the worry lines on Grant’s handsome face.
“The scientist and the protector have a personality trait in common that we’ll have to keep in mind going forward.”
“What’s that?”
“You have a tendency to believe you’re always right.”
Grant straightened to his full height. “Only because I am.”
“So am I.” Everleigh smiled. “And this is why we’d have long-term compatibility issues.”
Grant took Everleigh’s remark straight to the heart. “You don’t think we’re right for each other?”
“I didn’t say that. All I’m saying is that it would be challenging under the best of circumstances.”
Grant frowned, keeping his words to himself. Everleigh withdrew her hand, breaking her physical contact with him.
“I know it goes against your nature,” she told him, “but we don’t need to figure it all out today.”
“I suppose not.”
“A day at a time is going to have to suffice.”
Grant nodded and Everleigh enclosed his hand within both of hers. “No matter how this ultimately plays out, I will never forget how you took care of me last night. I know I have a friend for life in you.”
Grant squeezed her hand in return and Everleigh extended an invitation.
“After your shift, come over to my apartment for dinner. I’m a good cook. I’ll make you something special.”
Grant was thoughtful. “That sounds good, but I’d be terrible company after a long shift.”
“You’re never terrible company. Come over anyway. Sleep if you’re tired. Eat if you’re hungry.”
“I don’t know where you live,” he reminded her.
“It’s not far. I’ll meet you right here and I’ll show you the way.”
Grant hesitated again, even though he loved the idea.
“Our time here together is short,” Everleigh reminded him. “Stop overthinking it. Just enjoy it.”
His sudden answer surprised her. “Okay.”
Grant leaned in and kissed her. His gesture was mostly virtuous; his closed mouth moving against her own with delicate respect, but his contact lasted longer than a mere peck. He was doing his best to follow her sage advice and ended the kiss before he could get lost within it.
“I’ll see you on the other side,” he told her before dashing off into the hospital.
Everleigh watched until Grant disappeared into the building, then she turned and began the jog home, feeling content and cared for.
Meet-Cute: When boy meets girl in a way that’s considered adorable, awkward, or amusing.
Screenwriter Britt Daniels is the queen of the meet-cute. From mixed-up cappuccinos at coffee shops to awkwardly intercepted text messages, Britt creates the perfect first meeting for rom-com movie characters.
Unfortunately for Britt, life doesn’t imitate art.
Or does it?
Hollywood heartthrob Luke Taylor is fed up with demanding divas and spoiled brats. He’s looking for someone simple. Someone sweet.
Someone like Britt Daniels.
When he learns that Britt has a strict no-dating policy when it comes to actors, Luke takes it as a personal challenge.
Unfortunately for him, Britt’s immune to his big blue eyes and trademark charm.
Luke realizes it’s going to take more than Hollywood glitz and glamour to win Britt’s heart. He needs to be sincere. He needs to get creative.
He needs the cutest meet-cute of all.
Scene 1
The Girl
“They could meet in a bookstore.”
“Been done.”
“What about a park?”
“Been done.”
“Coffee shop?”
“Seriously?” With a weary sigh, Britt removed her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. She and Jon, her best friend and writing partner, had been buried in her office for nearly eight hours—as evidenced by the cartons of Chinese and cans of Red Bull littering the table.
“Everything’s been done, Britt.”
“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try to come up with something new.”
“Well, it’s not happening tonight. Let’s go home. Don’t you have a cat that needs fed or something?”
Britt smiled apologetically. “You know I don’t have a cat. You have a date, don’t you?”
“I had a date. I don’t anymore.”
“You should’ve told me.”
Jon shrugged. “I’ll make it up to him. He’s my date for the premiere tomorrow night.”
Britt wrinkled her nose. Most screenwriters would be thrilled to attend a movie premiere—especially when their name will appear on the screen when the credits roll—but she wasn’t a fan of crowds or the spotlight, and a film premiere’s a definite media circus. She wouldn’t mind so much if she could bypass the paparazzi and sneak in through a back door, but Landon Scott, the film’s producer, had invited Britt and Jon to join him on the red carpet.
“I still don’t understand why Landon wants us there,” she said.
“Because we’re awesome.”
“Besides that.”
“You know why. Every reviewer said our meet-cute is their favorite scene in the movie. Landon wants to show us off. We’re getting quite a reputation in town, Britt.”
She stared at the cursor on her screen, silently praying for inspiration to strike. “It’s a strange phrase, isn’t it? Meet-cute?”
“Who cares? It’s making us rich. Who knew you could become a famous Hollywood screenwriter just by writing epic first encounters for movie couples?”
Britt smiled. She wished she could be more like Jon and enjoy the fame and fortune that goes along with writing Hollywood rom-coms. The money was nice. The fame, not so much. She just wanted to hide in her office and write.
“Speaking of the premiere,” he said, “have you found a date?”
“A date? I haven’t even found a dress.”
“Britt, it’s tomorrow night.”
“I’m aware. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch the flu or something.”
“You make it sound like a root canal.”
“Well . . .”
Jon chuckled. “I’ll never understand you. You get to meet the stars of the movie. You get to wear a fancy dress and high heels—”
“Because you know how much I love wearing high heels.”
“But you clean up nice.”
She smiled. Jon really was such a good friend.
“Thanks. And I’m sorry about your date. You shouldn’t have cancelled. Just because I don’t have a love life doesn’t mean everyone else should suffer.”
“You could have a love life. Brody Lee asked you out yesterday. You said no.”
“Brody Lee is an actor.”
“So?”
“You know my policy. I don’t date actors.”
“Stupid policy. This is Hollywood. Everyone’s an actor. Or wants to be an actor. Besides, you shouldn’t judge the entire male acting community on a few epic disappointments.”
They’d had this discussion so many times. While Jon was more than willing to date any guy that looked good in a tux, Britt was a ta
d more selective. And she didn’t date actors. Not anymore. The few times she’d tried had been horrible experiences. The guys were either arrogant, shallow, or hoping she’d drop their name to the producer of whatever movie she was working on at the time.
“Well, I’m not ready to risk it. Are we going to write tonight or not?”
Jon shook his head. “I’m beat, and I think you are, too.”
With a nod, Britt gathered her computer and her bag and followed Jon to the elevator. He was right, of course. They weren’t getting anything accomplished tonight, and it would be nice to see her apartment for a change. When the words were flowing, Britt often wrote into the wee hours of the morning before passing out on her office sofa. But tonight they’d hit a brick wall, so it was time to head home, sleep in an actual bed, and recharge the batteries.
As she drove to her apartment, Britt couldn’t help but smile. Despite the long hours, she loved her job. All writers have their strengths, and Britt Daniels and Jon Reynolds were known in town as the King and Queen of the Meet-Cute—that first awkward but adorable meeting between the hero and heroine in romantic comedies. They were both just twenty-five years old, and they’d already been nominated for Emmys, Golden Globes, and the occasional Oscar. They’d even won a few, and the golden statues were displayed with pride in their offices. The accolades were nice, of course, but for Britt, it was all about the writing. She loved to watch actors bring her words to life on the screen, and nothing made her happier than to hear the sweet sighs of an audience whenever two characters come face-to-face for the first time.
If only her own love life was just as sigh-worthy.
Finding a nice guy in Hollywood isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you work eighteen-hour days. Still, Britt found it hard to complain. She had a wonderful and fulfilling career. What more could she possibly need?
Britt was struggling with the zipper of her gown when Jon knocked on her door just after five. Hoping to avoid flashing her friend, she held the dress in place with one hand and opened the door with the other. A tuxedo-clad Jon walked hastily into her apartment.
What the Heart Wants: An Opposites Attract Anthology Page 15
