“I planned on it. She’s a doctor; why wouldn’t I want to show her off?” Matt laughed and bumped fists with Trevor. Doctors could still be a little crazy, but at least the chick had brains. I gave him credit for that.
“Makes sense. It’s about time you bring her around us. She needs our stamp of approval, you know. We didn’t do that for Tyler and look how he turned out. Left alone while she’s out getting it from who knows where,” Cylas piped up with his two cents.
“Trevor, you mind telling your wife to take Hilary under her wing? I want her to get to know my friends but, to be honest, I’m scared you guys are either going to scare her off or take her for your own. I already called dibs.” The last remark from Matt was directed to Cylas and me. Like we’d take his sloppy seconds.
“Psh. Unless she has some kink to her, doctors bore me. You can have her.” I dismissed the remark. We’d been going back and forth on the court for the past half hour and Cylas hadn’t even broken a sweat. I wondered if he ever intended on settling down or if he envisioned himself being the fifty-year-old still chasing tail. I wouldn’t put it past him. He was good with a girl for three to four months but never any longer. His face had commitment issues written all over it.
Once the game was over, we solidified our plans for the reunion that was only a week away. It felt good that even when I was at my lowest, the guys still had my back. I welcomed their distraction but returning to an empty home was bittersweet. The bachelor lifestyle didn’t seem so attractive anymore. My fridge consisted of grilled chicken that I had fixed yesterday for the week, eggs, broccoli, and Gatorade. Oh, and ranch dressing. It was my guilty pleasure.
Relaxing on my couch, I flipped through the channels without a clue of what I wanted to watch. I ended up on the news, pretending to be the normal adult that I should be. Everything felt like it was about to change. Now that I was actually thinking about it, I had to change up my game. My old choices in women were not relationship worthy, to say the least. I was curious to talk to Tyler and see where he stood on the topic. Shit, he was basically single but still had the strings tying him down. He needed to get his shit together, too.
Finding Cylas’ number on my phone, I called him and anxiously waited for him to answer. When he picked up, I skipped the small talk. “Where’d you meet that chick Allison at? She was a good girl in public but from what you said, a kink in the bed. I need to find one of those.” She was the girl next door, take home to mom kind of girl. That was what I wanted.
“Uhh?” Cylas blurted out without an answer.
“This is serious, Cylas! Where did you guys meet?” I was on a mission now. Staring aimlessly at the television, I was starting to question where my life was going. I was tired of being single.
“At the coffee shop. She was going through emails on her laptop, and I couldn’t stop staring at her. I sat down next to her, and it didn’t take long for us to start up a conversation. Now can I ask you why?” He knew that I was up to something. The deepening of his voice as he asked the question told me.
“Seems easy enough.” I thought about all the girls I’d dated in the past, and I’d met most of them through friends or at school. Only a few had I met while out with friends and none of those ended well. A coffee shop seemed tame and sophisticated. Picturing Tyler and me strolling in there and asking for an iced mocha to sit down for a talk had me laughing. We’d stick out like a sore thumb.
“Why? Did one of the bars kick you out? What’d you do, Tate? Talk to me.” His tone was nurturing yet stern. I felt like one of his students getting a lecture on morals.
“Maybe I’m at a turning point in my life, okay? I don’t know why, but I have this gut feeling that something has to change. I gotta call Tyler and break the news to him because I somehow doubt that he feels the same way that I do. Thanks, man.” Once I’d hung up, I contemplated what in the hell I was setting myself up for. Why was I rushing it? I could go about my days and if someone came around, great. If not, there wasn’t a clock on it.
I decided to text Tyler first before breaking the news to him. To be honest, the man confused the shit out of me. How he could jump back into the game so easily after his wife left him was beyond me. I’d be pissed at her, sure. I didn’t get how he thought it was a solution to pretend to be single when he hadn’t even filed for divorce. No papers had been drawn up; they were at a standstill, comfortably ignoring each other and pretending the marriage never happened.
Me: You okay going solo next time you hit the bar? I’m thinking about trying something new.
While I waited for his response, I grabbed my laptop and pulled up my work emails. Getting settled in and comfortable, I smiled when I had eight new emails. A few clients weren’t able to meet with me as much as they’d like in person so they checked in every few days to discuss their progress. I had some high-powered CEOs who I’d been recently training, and with them, came their friends. Business was amazing, but the problem with them was that they were always traveling to some foreign country.
I made it a goal of mine to give them tips and strategies of how to eat right while on the road, and how to utilize their hotel gym for workouts. The money was still rolling in, and they were still making progress.
Just as I was about to head to bed, I finally got a text back from Tyler.
Tyler: You’ve got the best timing, bro. Remember Polly?
Me: Polly Pocket? That was what, six years ago?
Tyler had a one-night stand with this little fun-sized chick that was barely pushing a hundred pounds. He bragged about her flexibility and the benefits of her size, including how easy it was to fuck her standing up, without the wall for support. He was pissed when she told him that she was only in town for the night since she was a flight attendant on a layover.
Tyler: Guess who is now flying to Chicago every week for the next three months with layovers on Wednesdays and Saturdays?
Me: Polly Pocket? Good for you. Sounds like we’re both trying something new. Good luck, bro.
Tyler: She’s a kinky freak. We’re perfect for each other.
That settled that. Tyler wouldn’t even miss me. There was still no fucking way I’d fit in with the people at a coffee shop. At least Cylas was a teacher. He had that softer side that worked for him. Me? I was just a gym rat who had lost the girl he wanted.
Walking into my room after finishing my emails, I felt more confident in my plan and was actually excited to venture out into the unknown tomorrow. I could be sweet and affectionate when I wanted to be. I just needed to find someone deserving of my time. I looked around my room and shook my head.
There wasn’t anything on the walls except my flat screen TV. Even my bed screamed masculinity. The four-poster bed had a black leather headboard and deep graphite sheets strewn haphazardly from when I had woken up this morning. Only two pillows were on the bed, the others in a pile in the corner. I couldn’t remember the last time it had been made.
After turning off the lights, I slid into bed with my phone and started going through my contacts. Starting with the As, I began deleting any girl’s number who had been part of my conquest to fuck Payton out of my system. I hadn’t called them again and most of them were easily forgettable. I laughed at how many Tiffanys I had in my phone. Tiffany Bar, Tiffany D, Tiffany Gym, Tiffany Hilton, Tiffany Portland. Each time I deleted a girl’s number, I felt a little lighter and more confident about what tomorrow would bring.
As I fell asleep, I thought about how, no matter what, I’d make the next week one to remember.
MONDAY MORNING CAME AROUND and I quickly realized one thing. Coffee shops weren’t my thing. I’d sat there, drinking overpriced coffee for an hour, and watched people walk in, order their coffee, and leave. There was only one girl sitting down, enjoying her coffee, but she had a wedding ring on. Everyone was so focused on their phone or laptop that there was barely any interaction at all.
This was Cylas’ good plan?
I wasn’t cut out for this. People were on autopilo
t in here. Shaking my head, I finally tossed my coffee cup away and made my way down the street, keeping track of time so I didn’t miss my next training session.
As I walked outside, I welcomed the crisp fall air. The summer had been torture, but today was the first day I could feel the seasons changing. Looking around, there was a group of moms in yoga pants pushing strollers down the sidewalk, laughing as they conversed. Others were on their phones, walking with determination while dressed for a day at the office. An elderly couple walked to their car and I watched as the gentleman held the door open for his wife and made sure she got in safely. I wanted to be that man in forty years.
I passed by a bookstore and thought maybe that it could be my version of a coffee shop. Walking through the security detector, I nodded at the guy at the cash register and began looking at the sections labeled on top of the bookshelves. Cooking, children’s literature, autobiographies, self-help, romance. I read them off in my head and didn’t have a clue where to start. Walking randomly down the aisles, I was about to throw in the towel and give up when I saw an attractive woman at the end of the romance section. Dressed in dark blue jeans and heels, I allowed my eyes to wander up to her tiny waist and full chest.
I pretended to look at the titles, but clearly, I had no fucking clue what I was looking at. I only knew that I wanted to get closer to her. She was slowly making her way toward me, and I pulled out a random book from the shelf to look at. It had a shirtless guy on the cover, and before I could put in back in its rightful place, I heard her trying to stifle a laugh.
“You have a thing for men in power and the poor, defenseless girl submitting to him? I didn’t peg you for that genre.” Her laughter continued and I shook my head, not knowing how to recover.
A blush crept up my face as I searched for an explanation. “I, uhh, I thought I’d get my sister a new book for her birthday. As you can see, I might be a little clueless on the topic of what she’d enjoy reading.” I looked over and caught her smiling at me, but her eyes were looking me over. After a moment, her eyes drifted back up and she knew I’d caught her. She had hazel eyes that had a beautiful green hue and her blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail.
Smiling back, I held out my hand. “I’m Tate.”
“Morning Tate, I’m Brianna. You don’t look like you belong here. Bars not doing it for you anymore?” She went all in and didn’t hold anything back. She was still smiling but had curiosity written all over her face. She scrunched her nose as she tried to figure me out.
Her bar comment made me wonder if she knew my routine at the bars. Had I taken her home before? I didn’t remember deleting a Brianna on my phone. I think I’d remember her curves and doubt she’d be this nice to me if we’d met before.
“I’m kind of past that stage in life. I’ve had my fun, for sure, but I’d rather settle for a hot cup of coffee with a beautiful woman instead of trying to have a conversation over the loud speakers from the DJ.” I sounded so damn cheesy; I hated it.
“Really now?” She eyed me curiously as if she was trying to see if I was lying.
“Yes, ma’am.” She bent down to look at one of the books on the lower shelf. Images of her lowering herself on top of me came to mind, and I tried pushing the thought away. No way was I getting a hard-on in the bookstore. She sat that way for a moment, reading the description on the back, before gracefully standing back up and looking over at me.
I teetered back and forth on my heels, unsure if I was supposed to be pretending to look for more books or if this was really working.
“You have no idea what you’re looking for, do you?” She was right in more ways than one.
“Am I that obvious? I was honest about not being interested in bars anymore, but I feel like a fish out of water. I have no clue how to flirt in a bookstore.” I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a sigh. I needed to walk away and never come back.
“Little bit. For starters, you stick out like a sore thumb. Most are going to assume you’re in here to pick up women or to buy a book for your girlfriend. My advice? Stop looking and let it happen organically. Oh, and look for engagement and wedding rings. You probably shouldn’t put too much effort into those ones.” Winking, she showed off the huge ass ring on her left ring finger, and I could only nod in response.
“Noted. I feel like a jackass. I’m really sorry.” I put the book back that I had in my hand and felt awkward walking away just then. I was making a fool out of myself, but she was being sweet about it.
“It’s okay. You seem like you could be a sweetheart and are hot as hell. If I was single, your flirting might have definitely worked, but in the back of my head, I’d be questioning your agenda. Give it time, Tate. Don’t try so hard, though.” She came in and gave me a light hug, but her hands moved down to my lower back and around to my abs before she was finished. “Fuck. Ryan had better be happy that I’m a faithful woman. Your body is so hard and—rigid. Whoever you end up with is damn lucky.” She bit her lip and she looked me up and down. Standing there, staring back at Brianna, I again felt out of place.
Her advice was spot on, and I intended to take it seriously, but with her looking at me like she was planning something naughty, she was sending me mixed signals.
“Thank you? I work at a gym so if I didn’t have the definition that I do, I’d be doing something wrong. And thank you for the advice. I’ll try not trying for a while and see how it works out for me.” I held my hand out to shake her hand and she looked up with a question in her eyes.
“Can you lift your shirt? I felt them, but I am dying to see them, too. Just to give me a little memory before I head off to married life,” she asked, all giddy.
Now I was the one laughing and couldn’t believe how the day was turning out. The old Tate wouldn’t mind showing off, and while I was tempted, I knew it wouldn’t be for the benefit of either of us. Winking, I told her, “Maybe I’m saving those for someone special. It was nice meeting you, Brianna. Your fiancé has great taste in women, by the way. See you around.” Backing up a few steps, I watched as she took one last look, and I turned to walk away. I needed to get back to work, and I felt like I hadn’t wasted away the day now.
Pushing open the door, I felt better about my situation and kept repeating to myself to let it happen naturally.
OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I focused on spending quality time with friends and really thinking about where my future was headed. I did things that made me happy and tried being more helpful to others, putting forth more effort to be nice to those around me. I felt so much better about my life in general compared to how I was just a few weeks ago.
Before I realized it, it was Friday night and the reunion was planned for the next day. I didn’t mind going solo; I wasn’t up for pretending to be settled down. Cylas, Graham, and I had agreed on no dates to leave the night open for opportunities. Trevor and Matt would be the happily taken men of our group. I’d gotten a haircut the day before and as I lay in bed, I wondered how things would have been if Payton and I had worked out.
Would we have gotten married? Had kids? I smiled at the thought of seeing her with her sweet little Emilynn. That baby was the spitting image of her mother and they were inseparable. Motherhood looked good on her, and she was truly happy. I might not get to see her often, but the pictures she sent of the family and our weekly chats helped to keep us connected.
Looking back over the past couple years, Payton and I had a rollercoaster of a friendship, but we’d stood the test of time. While I settled into friend mode with her, we had that weird bond that allowed us to remain friends, even after our kinky nights together in Vegas. Hell, she invited me to her baby shower and wedding. That definitely showed how far we’d come into the friend zone. As far as female friends went, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
Checking the time, I figured why not give her a call to see how everything’s been. Baby Emilynn was only four weeks old, but Payton already had her on a set schedule from what it sounded like. If I r
emembered right, she should already have her in bed by now.
I found her number in my phone, one of the few girls I hadn’t deleted, and waited as it rang. After the third ring, her beautiful voice came on the other line, and I could tell she was exhausted.
“Hey, pretty girl. How ya hanging?” I asked.
“Desperate for sleep. Ryder had some business upstate that he had to tend to and I’ve been a single mommy for the past two days. Tate, come watch her for two, three hours tops so that I can take a damn nap. Please?” Desperation filled her voice, but I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You know I’d be there any time you needed. A three and a half hour plane ride from Chicago to San Diego just for a nap, though? Call Tristen. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” I felt bad, but I lived way too far away for convenience.
“You think? I didn’t want to burden them.” In the distance, I could hear the sounds of Emilynn cooing. It made my chest feel funny.
“I’m sure they’d love to and don’t they say it takes a village to raise a baby? Utilize the village, Payton!” I said the last sentence sternly, causing her to laugh.
“Enough about me. What’s new with you, hotshot?” Exhaustion laced her voice, and I wished there was more I could do for her. At least Ryder would be back within a few days.
“High school reunion is tomorrow. Oh, and I’ve finally decided to stop whoring myself out. I’m being good now,” I replied, not knowing how much she knew of my tendencies. I waited a moment for her response, itching to hear her thoughts.
“That’s amazing, Tate. I’ve seen the softer side of you that I know you hide. You’ll know when she’s worth it. Don’t be afraid to let her in. It’s a lesson I learned the hard way.” I wanted to tell her that she saw that side of me because I wanted it to be her. I was ready to take the leap with her, but she didn’t reciprocate my feelings. She was part of the reason of why I ended up using women. She was the one I pretended I was with each time.
Deceitfully (Sinfully Series) Page 3
