The One I Love

by Mia Ford

  “Uh huh.” She giggled.

  “Thank you for having me at the wedding,” I said. “It was really beautiful.”

  “You are welcome, and thanks for showing up.” She smiled. “Did you meet any lovely single ladies?”

  “He sure did, and she totally threw him shade,” Caleb said, ignoring the rolling of my eyes.

  “Oh yeah? Who was it?”

  “I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” I said, ignoring Caleb. “I’d really like to talk to her again. Her name was Reese.”

  “Reese Tenor?” she asked. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming at all. Reese is an interesting girl, very quirky, but all in all, one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. We grew up running around the club together while Caleb scouted girls and our fathers had ‘business meetings’ on the golf course or tennis court. We kept each other out of our parents’ hair. Her parents are a lot like mine and Caleb’s. They loved us very much but were too business oriented to show it.”

  “What does she do now?” I asked,

  “Honestly, I don’t know,” she said, smiling as the waitress sat her food in front of her. “I think she started some sort of business. She bought one of the buildings from my father’s firm just a year or so ago.”

  “Do you know if she is seeing anyone?”

  “I talked to her last night about that,” she said. “She’s definitely single, but I can assure you, she is not interested in someone like you.”

  “What does that mean?” I chuckled and sipped my orange juice.

  “She may have come from a rich family and everything, but she is a really down to earth girl,” she explained. “She doesn’t do one-night stands or casual encounters, and she isn’t interested in people’s money. She is a genuine person through and through.”

  “I think it’s safe to say Blaine is interested in a little more than a one-night stand,” Caleb said, teasing me. “He couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about this girl, and he turned down a hot chick at the reception last night.”

  “Wow,” Caroline said, sounding impressed. “Well, I don’t have a problem giving you her number as long as you play nice and don’t get your hopes up. I’m telling you, she is not the kind of girl that goes out to parties, bars, and expensive dinners every night. She made her own way in life trying to prove to her dad that she could, and she is very protective of herself. She always has been.”

  “It’s not like he’s planning on stalking her.” Caleb laughed. “He just wants to get to know her.”

  “Thank you.” I laughed. “I promise that I won’t get my hopes up and that I won’t scare her.”

  “Thank you,” Caroline said, pinching her brother’s arm.

  She gave me Reese’s number, and I put it into my phone, feeling nervous all of a sudden about having to actually call her to talk to her. I was not the kind of guy that got nervous over these things. I was the kind of guy that was confident, headstrong, and not afraid to go out on a limb to get what I wanted. This, however, was throwing me for a loop, and I couldn’t figure out why. She was just a girl, right? I had randomly called girls a million times, and I never gave it two seconds of thought. That also could be because every girl I ever decided to chase was more than willing to be caught.

  I had a seriously competitive nature about me, and when I was told I couldn’t do something or have something that I wanted, it just made me try even harder. I was pretty sure that by Caroline telling me that Reese was not going to be interested in a guy like me, my mind instantly went into overdrive, deciding that not getting the girl was not an option. I also had to remember though, that she was a person and not a play thing, especially if I wanted her to take me seriously at all. There was obviously a reason that I was feeling this way about this girl, and even though I was not looking for anything serious whatsoever, she made me want to not rule it out. Her beautiful smile and sexy body were one thing, but the fact that she was as awkward outwardly as I felt on the inside, I knew that we had more in common than she really knew.

  Now, all I had to do was get up the courage to actually call her and find out just what I needed to do to get this girl in front of me again. I knew with my charm and personality, I could keep her engaged long enough to show her there was more to me than just good looks and money. I could show her that we weren’t as different as she really thought in the first place. I had a mission now, and this girl was not going to get away from me again.

  Chapter 6

  Reese

  When I got to work that Monday, I could barely keep my mind off what happened at the wedding. Blaine was so handsome and so strong, but I had completely panicked and driven off without even a word of explanation. It was pretty rude of me to assume that he was just like every other guy, but how could he not be? He was rich, handsome, and he had the whole world in the palm of his hand. He would never be interested in a girl like me for the long-term. I swore, if it weren’t for the fact that one day I wanted to have children, I would just swear off all men and live alone. I didn’t like when someone got into my head like that, and Blaine was right there, burrowed into my skull.

  “Hello there,” Leena said, coming through the side doors. “How are all my animals? That includes you too, Reese.”

  “Gee, thanks.” I giggled. “And everyone is happy and healthy. I’m really glad we hired that weekend care staff. It’s a load off of my shoulders.”

  “I know, I told you,” she said indignantly. “You need a life. I need a life. We need to not always be at work, and luckily, we’ve gotten to a financial point where we could make that decision. Speaking of weekends, how was the wedding?”

  “Man, it was amazing,” I said, shaking my head. “Caroline really went all out with the thing. I don’t know how she did it. It would have been a full-time job to get that thing together like that.”

  “Must be nice having daddy’s purse strings,” Leena commented. “But that is just my raging jealousy talking. If I were in her position, I would have done the same thing.”

  “There were flowers everywhere, at least three hundred guests, and her dress—oh my god—it must have taken hundreds and hundreds of yards of tulle to make,” I said while filling the jars at the cleaning station. “I don’t even know how she fit through the door.”

  “And the men? Did you meet any amazing ones?”

  “Is that all you think about?” I asked.

  She laughed. “No, but it’s important that my best friend starts to break out and have a good time.”

  “Well, it just so happened that I did meet someone,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

  “What? Do tell. Everything. Don’t leave anything out.” Leena pulled up a chair.

  “It wasn’t that exciting,” I said, looking down. “He was charming and sweet, but I knew what he wanted, and it wasn’t what I did.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Well, he didn’t exactly come out and say it, but he’s rich, powerful, and very good friends with Caroline’s brother Caleb, who is a notorious playboy,” I replied. “His name was Blaine, and he asked me for my number, but instead of playing games, I just told him the truth.”

  “Which was?”

  “I wasn’t the girl he was looking for,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders and walking over to put away the supplies. “Why string him along and make him think anything was going to come out of it? I wasn’t going to sleep with him, and he wouldn’t be interested in a normal girl like me.”

  “You are unbelievable,” Leena said, shaking her head and putting the chair back.

  “Why?”

  “You had a handsome, rich man hitting on you, and you blew him off before you even found out what he wanted,” she replied. “For all you know, he could have been Prince Charming, but you’ve got this fear, and I don’t know where it came from.”

  “It came from the fact that all men want the same thing,” I replied harshly. “They are all identical. They want to take whatever they can and leave, and to be honest, th
at is not at all how I want to play things. I would be much better off being alone than being some sad girl weeping into a pint of ice cream and watching chick flicks when I get dumped for something I already knew was coming.”

  “Or you can be miserable and alone because you never want to take a chance,” she said. “Honestly, Reese, I just want you to be happy. I want you to be well and settled, and I want you to find love. On top of all that, you shouldn’t have to be a virgin forever.”

  “Well, even if I wanted to find him, even if I could find him, he has probably already forgotten about me,” I said, turning back to what I was doing.

  “If you never take the chance, you will never know,” Leena said, walking from the room.

  I waited until she was out of the room and slammed the papers down on the table, lowering my head. I was so terrified of getting hurt, of being on the giving end of unrequited love, and of falling in love with someone that just took my virginity and never wanted to see me again. I didn’t want to be sad and alone on birthdays, holidays, and parties. I didn’t want to be the girl everyone knows is heartbroken, and the best way to avoid that was to not take chances on men I already knew were after something I was not. Still, Blaine’s ice blue eyes would not leave my mind, and I wondered if somehow maybe, Leena might be right.

  I took a deep breath and put the thought out of my mind. I had a lot of work to get done. There were six dogs being picked up, and I wanted to make sure they were dressed, looking good, and smelling wonderful before their owners arrived. After that, there were four new dogs coming to stay with us for at least a week each, so the pens would have to be cleaned and taken care of. I went to work bathing the dogs and talking to them like they were humans. At least twice, Leena stuck her head in the door and shook it at me, realizing I was using the dogs as therapy again.

  As I finished up bathing the last dog, my cell phone rang. I let the dog go, dried off my hands, walked over, and looked down at the screen. I didn’t recognize the number, but there were still a few websites with my private number listed, so I figured it might be a customer calling. I cleared my throat and pulled the phone to my ear, taking in a deep breath before answering.

  “Hello, this is Reese,” I said professionally.

  “Well hello there, just the girl I wanted to talk to,” the deep voice on the other line said. “This is Blaine from the wedding.”

  “Blaine,” I repeated, too shocked to say anything else.

  “Yes, Blaine,” he said, chuckling. “You know, the guy you blew off in the parking lot?”

  “Oh, yes,” I said, blushing. “I, uh, I’m sorry about that. I realized afterward that it must have been insanely rude of me.”

  He chuckled. “It’s all right. I have to say, though, I’ve never scared a girl off like that before, and it stuck with me. To be truthful, you stuck with me all weekend, and I hope you don’t get upset but Caroline gave me your number. She pretty much said the same thing you did, but I couldn’t let it go until I had the chance to talk to you again.”

  “Okay,” I said, wondering where this conversation was going. “Look, I’m not a snob or a man-hater. I’m just careful when it comes to dating, I guess.”

  “I don’t blame you,” he replied. “I’m a man in this dating world, and I honestly feel horrible for the good women out there that are serious about meeting someone.”

  “I suppose it’s tough out there,” I replied, still unable to find the words.

  “Anyway, I wanted to call and invite you to dinner tomorrow night,” he said.

  “Oh, I mean, I don’t know. I have a lot of work to get done.” I automatically came up with an excuse.

  “We all have work, but we all have to eat, too.” He laughed. “Look, I’m not expecting a thing. I would just like to get to know you a little better and have some nice company for dinner.”

  Everything in me was screaming “yes,” especially when his charming smile and gorgeous eyes started to run through my mind, but for some reason, I was apprehensive. Maybe it was because I was so drawn to him. Maybe my need and desire to be around him was terrifying to me because I wasn’t sure if I could control myself with him. I was curious about who this man was, what he was about, and what he was really looking for.

  “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some dinner,” I replied. “Where would you like me to meet you?”

  “How about the Tin Room at seven?” he asked. “I can have a car pick you up if you’d like.”

  “No, I’ll be okay,” I replied. “Thank you, though. I will see you tomorrow at seven. And thanks for going out of your way to get ahold of me. It was sweet.”

  “Thank you for being receptive,” he replied.

  We said our goodbyes before hanging up. It was an awkward conversation because I was awkward, but I knew that I’d made the right decision by agreeing to go out with him. He had gone through extra effort to spend time with me. I wasn’t sure what more he could do to prove that it wasn’t all about sex. Part of me was nervous and apprehensive, while the other part of me was excited and ready to go on this date already. I was intrigued by Blaine, and I was really interested in finding out more about him. He was definitely forward, and he went after what he wanted, which I never thought that I would find attractive in a man. However, as I sat there thinking about how he pursued me, I could feel the butterflies churning in my stomach.

  “Hey,” Leena said, startling me. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing,” I said, shaking my head and grabbing the shampoo off of the counter to put back in the cabinet. “I just agreed to go to dinner with Blaine.”

  “Wait, what?” she asked, shaking her head. “I thought you didn’t give him your number.”

  “I didn’t,” I responded with blushed cheeks. “He got it from Caroline and called me.”

  “Well, congratulations,” she said, smiling.

  “For what?”

  “For taking a chance and stepping out of your comfort zone,” she replied. “I don’t know if this guy will turn into anything, but maybe it will help you open up to future opportunities. You know, loosen you up and make you realize that the dating world isn’t that terrifying.”

  “Maybe,” I said with a smile. “We will find out tomorrow night.”

  “And it’s an excuse to buy a new dress,” she said, wagging her eyebrows and smiling as she walked from the room.

  I chuckled to myself as I gathered my things and looked over at the fresh, clean puppies. Part of me was terrified, but the other part of me knew that I had made the right decision and that Leena was right. I needed to start putting myself out there. Who knew? Maybe, just maybe, Blaine wasn’t what I thought he was. Maybe he was exactly the guy that I was looking for, and this dinner could be the start to something amazing. At the same time, I knew it could also be the start to something that could end in heartbreak. Being a virgin put a lot more pressure on me in the dating world, and most guys were not going to wait around for me to finally decide to sleep with them.

  I could only hope that Blaine was different, and I didn’t start my new venture back into the dating world with a complete asshole.

  Chapter 7

  Blaine

  From the time I woke up that morning until the time I looked over at the clock in the evening, I had Reese on my brain. I wasn’t the kind of guy that chased after a woman, especially if she wasn’t interested in seeing me in the first place, but this girl was different. There was something about her that really intrigued me and made me want to know more. Not only was she sexy as hell but she was awkward in a way that made me feel like there was someone really amazing underneath that shy persona. That, or she was a complete idiot that didn’t know how to talk to people, although I couldn’t see Caroline being friends with someone like that.

  I could feel the nerves rising in my stomach, and I felt completely out of my element. I was always in control of my emotions and actions, but with the time drawing closer, I could feel myself losing that contro
l and replacing it with nerves. I felt like I was on trial, like I was the one who had to go in and prove myself, but instead of being angry about that fact, I was nervous, desperately wanting her to loosen up around me. She was intimidating but not in the normal way a woman could be, but instead, in a fragile way that made me pause my normal routine with women.

  I looked over at the clock and realized it was getting late. I needed to wrap things up at the office. I saved the files that I was working on and closed them out. It was the first time I had ever put a woman before my work, and although it made me nervous, there was no way I was missing this date over a few unfinished files tonight. I closed down my computer and stood up, straightening the cuffs on my shirt before pulling my jacket over my shoulders. I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in my office and looked out at the lights of Philadelphia, wondering what Reese was thinking in that moment, wondering if she was just as nervous as I was. I thought about the different dates I had been on in the past, and I still couldn’t think of one that gave me as much trouble as this one was.

  I took in a deep breath and walked over to the door, making sure I had my wallet and keys before flipping off the light and heading for the elevator. The office was empty since everyone else had left over an hour before. I always worked late and was used to the silence of the building, but this time, my heart was beating in my ears. I climbed into the elevator and took it to the lobby where I waved at the security guards as I passed. Outside, a car was waiting for me like usual, and I climbed inside, giving them the instructions on where I wanted to go. As we drove along the crowded streets, I looked out the window at the people making their way home. I couldn’t deny that it felt good to be leaving work to meet this girl. Being alone was tiring after a while.