The One I Love

by Mia Ford

  “Look at you, always on the go.” I laughed.

  “What did you do last night?”

  “Took a bath, watched a movie, and crashed.” I smiled.

  “Wow,” she said in a monotone voice. “Thrilling. How about this weekend? You have any awesome plans?”

  “Do I ever?”

  “No, but I will keep asking every week in the hopes that one day you will shock me with something outrageous, like, oh, I don’t know, a date or something,” she said, hip-checking me as she walked past.

  I was perfectly content with continuing to work on the business, focus on growing and learning, and all the while, keeping my eyes open for that guy. That guy that makes everything fall into place, the one that every girl dreams of meeting one day. Leena however, thinks that I am insane for having that fairy tale and is more than willing to get me out, get me laid, and move me on a different path. I wasn’t a virgin because I was waiting for Mr. Right. I just hadn’t found any Mr. Right now that could actually fit the bill. In fact, there hadn’t been any mister anything’s for quite a while, and I was okay with that, even if it seemed to bother everyone else around me.

  “I do have that wedding this upcoming weekend,” I said, pulling out my supplies and lining them up on the table.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said. “Who is getting married again?”

  “Caroline Haynes,” I said. “She was a girl I hung out with when we were kids.”

  “Oh, yeah, at the club that your dad was a member of,” she replied. “I still think it’s so weird that you came from a family of money.”

  “Why?”

  “You just seem so normal.” She laughed.

  “I guess, if you consider a twenty-three-year-old virgin, college dropout normal,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “You do remember that you own a really successful business that you built from the ground up, right?”

  “Yeah, and I am proud of that, but my dad is another story,” I said with a sigh. “He didn’t come around to the idea of this business until we bought the building.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you run your life, not your dad,” she said, patting me on the shoulder. “Besides, your mom loves this place. I’m pretty sure it’s past the time she usually comes and visits all the doggies.”

  “It’s the end of summer events at the club,” I reminded her. “She has like, three days left to buddy up to the other women before the weather gets cold and all the rich people hide away in suburbia.”

  “Are they coming to the wedding?”

  “No, thank God,” I said with a nervous laugh. “They are going to be gone for the weekend visiting my brother in New York.”

  “Well, there you go,” she said, turning toward me. “Then you can totally count the wedding as weekend plans. I thought you were going to be dragged around by your parents and shown off like a little doll, the way they like to do so much.”

  “No.” I laughed. “And you know what? It does mean I have plans this weekend. I’m going to drink champagne, dance, and stare at the beautiful, happy couple, wondering how many weddings I will go to before I ever have my own.”

  “So, you could totally take a date to this shindig, right?”

  “If I knew anyone that could be a date, yes,” I said. “But you know just as well as I do that I haven’t met any men lately. Hell, I haven’t met anyone without fur and four legs in a really long time.”

  “Wow, what kind of bars are you going to?”

  “Very funny,” I replied, laughing.

  “You should start coming out with me and meet some men,” she said, starting up on her normal nagging. “You never know who you could meet out there.”

  “Ugh, yeah right,” I scoffed. “I’ve seen the guys at the bars our age. They’re just looking for a piece of ass to take home, not someone they are genuinely interested in.”

  “Honey, all men are looking for a piece of ass,” she replied. “The interest comes with your sparkling personality, which I am seeing may need some work.”

  “I really am happy on my own,” I said, walking over to the puppy area and lifting one into my arms. “I don’t have to answer to anyone, I don’t have to worry about someone cheating on me, the drama of relationships, and everything else that goes along with dating. Trust me, I have a Facebook page. I see the drama that all the girls I grew up with go through. It just doesn’t seem worth it to me.”

  “I get that,” she said. “But what I don’t get is why you have to stay a virgin to stay the course. If you are going to choose to be alone, then you might as well get some in the meantime.”

  “I’m not choosing to be alone,” I said. “I just can’t find the right guy.”

  “And sitting at your apartment is going to help you with that?” She laughed.

  “Well, it sure isn’t going to help going out to some stupid bar,” I grumbled. “Besides, I know exactly the kind of man that I am looking for, and I am sure he is out there.”

  “Hot bod, gorgeous eyes, rich, and ready to spoil you rotten, right?”

  “No.” I laughed. “I want someone that has dreams for the future. A man that is a little awkward and shy, just like me. A man that loves animals like I do so we can have like a farm or something, but instead of selling the animals, we play with them and give them love.”

  “You know you sound like an eight-year-old,” she said, laughing. “Like I’m sure there are plenty of males out there like that, but they are either hiding in their mom’s basement, or they are attending primary school.”

  “Oh, come on.” I laughed. “There has to be a guy out there for me, someone who fits the bill perfectly and enjoys all the things that I do, just on a manly level.”

  “How do you love a puppy in a manly way?”

  I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head, kissing the puppy on the nose and setting him back in the cage. Was it truly that impossible to think that there was a man out there like that? Was it insane to dream of someone caring and loving that wasn’t a show boat or extremely narcissistic? If it was, then I was doomed to live alone, the crazy cat lady, for the rest of my eternity. Except I didn’t have any cats at home.

  “I’m going to go let the dogs out in the yard to play,” I said, calling to Leena as I walked away.

  “Watch out for Mr. Awkwardly Right while you are out there,” she yelled back.

  I let all the dogs out of the cage and opened the door to the fenced-in yard, laughing as they shot out in the grass, rolling around in the sunshine. I wrapped my hands around my shoulders, realizing it was already starting to get cool outside. I loved my pups and kittens, and they kept me completely content. Although I knew the connection between me and a man was something that I wanted deep down, I couldn’t help but be okay as long as I had my animals to love me. Maybe I was starting to lose it, surrounding myself with the four-legged kind of love instead of just getting out there and meeting someone.

  I sighed and walked through the lawn, petting the different pups that ran up to me, wagging their tails. I leaned down and got a big wet doggie kiss right across my cheek, and I giggled, feeling better already. Who needed the complication of a relationship when you had so much furry adorableness around you at one time?

  Chapter 3

  Blaine

  I had to say, there was something completely miserable about donning a suit on a Saturday, and a really fancy one at that. The wedding was starting in just an hour, and I needed to get to the location so that Caleb would get off my case. I looked at my freshly washed black hair in the mirror and pushed it down, realizing that I probably could use a haircut pretty soon since my cow lick was starting to fight back against me. I put some pomade on it and smoothed it down, checking my rustic five o’clock shadow in the mirror and deciding that it fit me. I knew that was me being too lazy to shave, but I had to admit that every time I went out with this rough shave, I picked up a lot more women. I didn’t know what it was, but they seemed to be attracted to the well-groomed man that looked like t
hey forgot to shave.

  I pulled my shirt over my shoulders and reluctantly buttoned it up, tucking it in before grabbing my silver tie. I placed it around my neck and tucked it under my collar, feeling the cool silk fabric between my fingers. Most days, I really enjoyed putting on a nice suit, but today, I just wanted to sit around and watch television. I knew I had to let it go. There was no getting out of it, so I took a deep breath and smiled at myself in the mirror. My fake grin quickly diminished, and I grabbed my jacket and walked into the bedroom. I pulled on the coat and stood in front of the mirror, admiring how good I looked. Call it cocky if you want, but I was a pretty good-looking guy.

  I hated weddings. The glitz, the flowers, the giggling bridesmaids, and the little children running around in fluffy dresses was all a bit too much for my single guy mentality. That being said, there was free food, free booze, and plenty of women that would chomping at the bit to find a single guy to hook up with for the night. There was something about weddings that opened a woman’s legs, and I had a hard time believing it was because they were hoping to find Mr. Right in the caterer’s closet with her panties around her ankles. Either way, who was I to deny these beautiful babes the chance to feel pretty and special for one night, at someone else’s happily ever after?

  I picked up my keys and my cell phone and put them in my pocket, hoping that I wouldn’t be coming home, but instead, shacking up with one of Caleb’s sister’s hottie girlfriends in the hotel later that night. I whistled as I walked through to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and drinking it before heading for the door. If I was going to be drinking heavily, I needed to make sure I was hydrated. No one wanted a hungover Blaine waking up next to them in the morning. I tended to be a bit grumpy.

  “Lights off,” I said loudly, watching as all the lights dimmed except for those lining the windows.

  “Have a good night, Mr. Butler,” the computer AI replied in the sultry voice I created for the system.

  I bowed my head at the invisible woman and walked out the front door, listening to the locks click shut behind me. It was pretty awesome being able to navigate the technological world like I could, but no matter how cocky I was, I was never into letting on just how smart I really was. It tended to push people away a bit. I went down to the bottom floor and hopped in the car, heading off to the wedding.

  When I arrived, I was ushered into the large ornate complex where the wedding and reception would be held. Everything was draped in rich fabrics and covered from floor to ceiling in floral arrangements. A little girl brushed past my leg, giggling as she ran past me and toward her mother scowling at her from across the room. I did my best to keep the irritation off my face and looked over beside the doors to the ceremony room where Caleb was standing, looking dapper in his expensive Armani tuxedo and shiny shoes.

  “Hey, you came,” he said, reaching out and shaking my hand.

  “I wasn’t aware that I had an option,” I whispered, turning and looking out at all the guests arriving.

  “You didn’t,” he replied. “But I know how you like to do your own thing.”

  “That is very true my friend,” I said, smiling at a tall blonde walking past. “How is your sister?”

  “Completely calm, which is shocking because she is like the most nervous person that I know,” he said, chuckling.

  “Yes, I remember,” I groaned. “You forget that I helped her plan your twenty-fifth birthday surprise party. I thought she was going to have a complete meltdown when the cupcakes had blue icing instead of ‘aqua.’”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” he said, laughing. “You were a real trooper for not killing her.”

  “Thought it would be rude since it was your birthday,” I replied nonchalantly.

  “Yeah, blood red birthday surprise probably would have put a damper on our friendship,” he said. “But I’d still visit you in the clink and bring you some better sheets for your cot.”

  “You are a real pal.” I laughed, patting him on the back. “So, how much time until this whole thing goes down?”

  “Uhm,” he said, looking down at his watch. “We will be seated in about ten minutes.”

  “I want you to know how much I hate weddings,” I said, leaning against the wall. “It’s all a bit much just to celebrate the fact that the government now controls your relationship, along with everything else in your life.”

  “At least you get a tax cut,” he said, shrugging. “But yeah, I don’t understand why we have grown accustomed to throwing these massive parties, spending thousands and thousands of dollars, all for one day.”

  “Not to mention half of them end in divorce, which is where I really think the party should be thrown,” I said, laughing.

  “Come on, man. You don’t see yourself ever tying the knot?”

  “I’m sure I will,” I sighed. “And knowing my dating history, I’ll be forced into one of these giant parties, but I will fight to the death for elopement before I give in. I have to go down with some of my dignity intact, not that it will happen for a very long time.”

  “I feel you,” Caleb sighed. “Women are all the same, and I tell you what, from the ones I’ve seen frequenting our favorite spots lately, I don’t have a very good feeling that I will be taking the plunge anytime in the near future.”

  “Agreed,” I said, staring at a red head’s ass as she passed. “The girls at the bar are good for one thing. The marrying girls are already married, divorced and bitter, or hiding out because they don’t want to meet guys like you.”

  “Hey, I resemble that remark,” he said, laughing. “But it’s not like you are the most charming man I have ever met.”

  “It’s not my fault that I am too smart to hold a conversation with the bimbo at the bar.” I laughed. “Maybe if the smart girls started to come out, you’d see a completely different side of me. I don’t want to end up with another Katerina experience.”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot about her,” he said, shaking his head. “She was fucking hot. Dumb as a box of rocks but hot. Whatever happened to her?”

  “She got a modeling contract out of LA and wanted to get hitched, so we could stay together,” I replied. “I pictured my life flying back and forth from LA, Katerina forgetting how to tie her shoes, and me trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends. It was terrifying, so I broke it off with her.”

  “I’m sorry, man,” he said.

  “I’m not,” I replied. “Her tits kept me in the relationship, but I was tired of explaining every little thing to her. My AI freaked her out every time she came into the apartment.”

  “That’s because you would program it to freak her out.” He laughed.

  “Only near the end,” I said. “I thought maybe humor would brighten our relationship, but it was not even close.”

  “Alright man, we better take our seats,” he said, leading the way into the room. “I’ll hit you up at the reception.”

  I nodded my head and took a seat midway down the line, smiling at the older woman who was sitting next to me. The smell of her perfume was overwhelming, and I turned my head toward the aisle for some air. There was a pink satin runway all the way up to the altar where the groom and six of his closest assholes were standing, looking worse for wear after, I was assuming, one hell of a bachelor party. The groom looked okay, though, and I could only assume that Caroline had threatened his manhood if he showed up at the wedding hungover. As the music started to play, everyone turned in their seats to watch the bridesmaids make their way down the aisle in strapless, floor-length, pink silk gowns. They smiled and blushed as the crowd oohed and awed at their presence.

  When the wedding march started, everyone stood up, and I turned to wait for the bride to make her grand entrance. As my eyes panned past the people across the aisle, they stopped, landing on a beautiful girl dressed in a dark teal dress and clutching her purse in front of her. She had long, sandy blonde hair and dark green eyes that stared lovingly to the back of the room. Her curves were smoking
hot, and the way her pencil skirt hugged her body was making me weak in the knees. I was so obsessed with staring at this girl that I didn’t even realize that Caroline was approaching until she blocked my view with her giant tulle skirt and sparkling jewelry.

  By the time she had passed, the girl was facing the front, and I continued to glance over at her, even after we had all been seated. She smiled as the officiant talked about true love, forever, and all that other stuff that went along with getting hitched. I could tell she was a dreamer from the dewy-eyed school girl look on her face. There was no way that I was going to let this event go by without talking to her, and maybe if I played my cards right, she could be the wedding zombie girl that I ended up taking to bed that night. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling as I looked over at her, that she was different in some sort of way. Maybe it was the nervous way she rubbed her fingers across the satin of her purse, or the fact that she was probably the most stunning woman I had ever seen, but either way, there was something about her that screamed secret.

  I turned myself back toward the front of the room after several nasty looks from the people around her. I caught Caleb’s eye as he glanced back at me, nodding his head and rolling his eyes. I stifled a laugh and watched as Caroline married Troy, the man she had been obsessing over for years. Maybe they would be happy, maybe they wouldn’t, but either way, they just gave me a really good excuse to be at my best when I entered that reception hall.