by Ali Parker
“Exactly.” She wasn’t even going to try to deny any of that. It was all true. And, sure, there actually was a possibility now for something to happen between her and Kade, but that didn’t really make the fact that she’d fantasized about it for sixteen years any less strange.
Rebecca picked at a few potato chips. “I’m actually having dinner with him on Thursday night to work through our past and see what the future holds for us, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a comfortable friendship.”
“Oh yeah? When did you schedule dinner? I didn’t hear about it.” Her friend pouted and Rebecca chuckled. Trisha often acted like they were still connected at the hip, as if they were still in their teens.
“He sent a large bouquet of flowers to my office today and asked me to dinner. I texted him just before coming to see you. So, see, you are getting firsthand knowledge of it.”
“I’ll need to know what happens on Thursday night when you leave the restaurant, unless you sleep over at his place. Then just text me.” Trisha bit into her sandwich, which had hovered in front of her face as she spoke.
“I’m not sleeping over. I’m honestly not interested, and though it’s going to suck to high heaven to tell him, I have to.” She shrugged and cut her sandwich, not trusting her skills of maneuvering the large roast beef mountain before her.
“We’ll see. What was up with Parker?”
“Wife troubles.”
“Oh no … is he staying with you again?”
“Yeah, but just for a little while. He needs to make some decisions.” Rebecca shook her head. “I just wish life would throw him a bone.”
“He married a hooker, Becca. He set himself up for this crap.”
“A stripper, not a hooker.”
“Did she cheat on him?” Trisha put her sandwich down and gave Rebecca a knowing look across the table.
“Point taken.”
“He can’t live with you if you expect to actually get a boyfriend and go past the first date.” Trisha huffed, wiping her mouth and taking a quick glance around the restaurant, her eyes focusing on something.
Rebecca turned her head to see the young guy she’d been talking to in line approaching, his gaze laser focused on her. She put down her silverware and wiped her mouth as he approached, an apologetic smile on his handsome face.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt your lunch.” He extended his hand to Trisha. “Robert. Nice to meet you.”
Trisha blushed and introduced herself. Robert looked over at Rebecca and put his hand out, his smile softening. “Robert, by the way.”
She shook his hand and dabbed at her mouth with her other hand. “Rebecca Martin.”
He moved back and pulled a small card out of his pocket, extending it and sliding his other hand into the pocket of his slacks. “I’d love to take you out sometime for lunch. Call me if you’re interested?”
Rebecca nodded and stared at him, a little in shock.
“She most certainly will. Have a good day, Robert,” Trisha answered for her and laughed softly as the handsome thing waved, turned and walked out of the shop. “You lucky bitch.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes, slipped the card into her purse and turned back to eating her sandwich. “I don’t have time for that.”
“What? Then give me the card.”
She took it out of her pocket and handed it to Trisha, who laughed and pushed it back at her. “You need to call him. He’s young and hot and probably loaded.”
“He’s too young.”
“No he’s not. There is no such thing.”
“You sure about that?”
“More than sure. Call him and give me the juicy details.”
Rebecca shook her head, her thoughts leaving the warmth of the small sandwich shop and moving to the juicy details of the kiss she’d shared with Jason the weekend before.
Their trip was coming up. Just the two of them away in a different city and in the same hotel.
What would happen between them?
Hopefully something worthy of the term ‘juicy details.’
Rebecca choked on her food and reached for her drink, her cheeks burning and her mind lost to the thought of the soft lips and strong hands of a man who was far too young for her.
Chapter 17
The rest of the afternoon was filled with client calls and coaching some of the new staff on various complex accounting principles. By the end of the day Rebecca was beat and could think of nothing better than a hot bath. She stood, turning and walking to the file cabinet at the back of her office where the roses sat. She leaned over and breathed in deeply, the sweet smell filling up her senses and reminding her of beauty and innocence.
“They’re beautiful.”
She turned and smiled at Jason. “Yes they are. I thought they might be from you.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not exactly a ‘rose’ kinda guy, but I’ll take you fishing and bait your hook for you.”
“And take the twenty-pound bass off the line when I catch him?” Rebecca smiled and walked toward him, stopping on the other side of her desk.
“Girl, if you catch a twenty-pound bass I’ll take the fish off, skin it and cook you a meal you’ll never forget.” He winked at her, his eyes shifting a little to look back in the direction of the flowers. “You still thinking about where you stand with him?”
She turned and looked at the flowers, staring a few seconds before turning her attention back to Jason. “I don’t know. I know him coming back into town isn’t what I thought it would be.”
“It never is.”
“I guess. I’ll figure it all out, though.” She turned and bent down to her computer, turning everything off while the weight of his gaze followed her.
“I know you will, I just hope I’m included in the resolution.” He smiled and moved back toward the door. “You wanna grab some dinner?”
Parker moved in behind Jason, carefully pushing the other man more into the room. “She can’t. I’m her date for dinner tonight.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes and grabbed her coat and briefcase. “I’m having dinner in the tub tonight.”
Parker wagged his eyebrows and looked at Jason. “Lucky, lucky me.”
“Alone.” Rebecca laughed and moved toward them, extending her hand and pushing her way through. She looked back at Jason. “We’ll have dinner on our trip and talk about everything.”
The look on his face gave her pause. He almost looked like he’d been slapped. She couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking about what must be going through his mind.
“Parker is like a brother to me. There will be no dinner plans in the tub, rest assured.”
Jason visibly relaxed as Parker slapped him softly on the back and chuckled too. “She’s right. She does think of me as a brother, which sucks to high heaven.”
Parker told her he’d meet her at the car, and she left, not wanting to stay for the rest of the pseudo pissing contest. Her mind was tired from the emotional drama of falling for the wrong man and seemingly not feeling anything for the right one. Is Kade necessarily the right one? No.
She walked in welcomed silence to the car, her thoughts giving her a slight headache, and yet she needed to find resolution sooner than later. She hadn’t led Kade to believe anything would come of them, and in all actuality, it almost angered her that he would come back into town thinking that it was a given. Just because she wasn’t married or actually dating anyone didn’t mean that she’d automatically be interested in him.
You thought you would be.
True.
Rebecca had just slipped into her pj’s, her skin still stinging from the hot bath she’d soaked in for an hour. Her latest romance novel sat limp on the side of the tub, the air moist with heat. She tugged at her hair, pulling the long copper strands into a bun and walking from the bathroom, a growl on her lips at having to still wear her bra with her nightgown. Parker had gone out for soda and would be home any minute. Even though she wasn’t incredibly blessed in the bust area,
there was enough there to get his attention.
“I’m thinking a stump with boobs would get his attention.”
“Who are we talking about?”
She jumped and yelped, turning to see Parker smiling as his eyes moved across her.
“Dammit. You scared me to death. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I didn’t want to bother you. I figured you were eating dinner in the tub, so I just made a sandwich and laid on the couch for a while.” He ran his fingers through his blond hair, his tie off and the top three buttons of his shirt undone. She had to admit that he was beyond cute, sitting there like that.
He had become so important to her. The fact that he’d been cheated on again hurt her heart.
“Why the sad face?” he asked, tilting his head but keeping his distance.
They both knew that nothing would ever come of them romantically, and they would never push it. Their friendship was precious, something that was hard to find. Society had it right about men and women being friends, though. One of the members of the relationship always wanted more, always felt the pull to something sexual, and maybe they both did at times, but they kept it under wraps.
“Just thinking about your situation.” She nibbled at her lip, crossing her arms over her Scooby Doo T-shirt and watching him.
“Yeah, sucks.” He shrugged, ran his fingers through his hair again and walked toward the kitchen. She followed him, the need to give him reassurance and comfort rushing over her.
What would she do if it were Trisha hurting?
“Hey … let’s go to the corner store and pick up our favorite ice cream and watch a sappy movie.” She smiled as he looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes.
“I refuse to turn into a woman.”
She laughed and stopped at the counter that separated the kitchen and living room as he moved into the kitchen and pulled down a few mugs.
“I’m making hot chocolate from scratch. You want a cup?” He looked over his shoulder as his finger played along the large cream-colored cups in her cabinet.
“Sure, but I don’t think I have the ingredients. I can throw on something and go pick them up for us, though.”
“I stopped at lunchtime and got a few things from the house, including the stuff to make this. It’s my favorite drink at night.” He pulled down two cups and turned his back to her, the dejection of his situation showing in the curve of his shoulders.
“What else did you pick up?”
“Just some clean clothes, my work files and some candies I keep stashed in the cupboard.”
“What are your plans? Are you going to try and work it out, or are you leaving her?”
He pushed the button on the coffeepot, which began working to percolate hot water, and turned to face her, leaning against the counter behind him.
“What would you do?”
She sat back, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. It was tough question, and really it depended on how much she loved the man. Would life be harder without him than with him? She stared at the counter in front of her, Parker not pushing her to answer, but turning back to work on their drinks. She didn’t have a fair answer. If it were someone that she didn’t have deep feelings for, she’d leave him, but if the thought of not living forever wrapped in the man’s arms was unbearable, then she’d have to work through it.
“Do you love her? I mean, I know you said you weren’t sure, but …”
Parker didn’t answer right away, but pulled a spoon from the drawer in front of him and scooped two heaping spoonfuls of chocolate and sugar into a cup of hot water, stirring methodically as he walked toward her. He set it down and pulled the spoon out, blowing on it and then licking it clean. Rebecca waited patiently, knowing that half of the struggle with his relationship with Mina was the fact that Cindy, his first wife, had meant a lot to him. Mina was a rebound, the worst kind, but maybe over the last few years he’d grown to care for her. Maybe not.
“No, I don’t suppose I do.” He exhaled loudly, the sound painful and shaky.
Rebecca felt her heart clench at the sadness and betrayal that sat on her friend. He meant the world to her, and if there had ever been a romantic spark between them, no matter how much she loved their friendship, she’d probably struggle with not pushing it.
No you wouldn’t. You just feel bad for him.
“So, is the pain more about her cheating on you and less about you losing her?”
Parker worked to get his drink prepared, simply nodding and leaving the emotion to hang in the air.
A significant other cheating on you and rejecting you had to be one of the hardest pills to swallow.
Rebecca looked up, not looking forward to the conversation that hung between them.
“What does it say about me?” he asked, moving to stand in front of her, his eyes filled with emotion.
“That you don’t love her?”
“No. That Cindy cheated on me and then Mina did the same thing. Does it say that I’m not worth commitment? That I’m not enough to be all that a woman needs?”
Rebecca flinched at his words, knowing all too well that she’d feel exactly the same way. She didn’t interrupt because he wasn’t done.
“Am I not handsome enough or kind enough? I’m funny and wealthy, loving and playful. And what about sex?” He stopped and looked at her.
Rebecca lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, what about sex?”
“Exactly,” he yelled, throwing one hand in the air and setting his drink down with the other. “Does this mean that I’m not good in bed? That I can’t please a woman the way she needs to be pleased? Why else would both of my wives go somewhere else for that?”
Rebecca’s cheeks burned, and she felt like crawling under the counter. This wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss with Parker, and yet she knew she needed to help him see his wives’ faults and not place blame on himself for something he had no control over.
She stood up and walked around the counter, placing a hand on his chest. “Hey, look at me.”
He looked up, but his eyes were rimmed with tears. Her heart broke and she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his strong torso and pressing her cheek to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his chin on the top of her head. She didn’t even know what to say, but knew something needed to be resolved.
“You’re funny and handsome. You’re cheerful, loving, wealthy and incredibly sexy, Park.”
He squeezed her a little tighter and breathed out softly, his body rigid and unyielding.
“You’re probably fantastic in bed. This isn’t really about you. It’s about them.” She leaned back and looked up at him, his emotions under lock for the moment. “It’s about their need to feel beautiful and to be adored by the masses. This is a fault in them, not you.”
“Feels like it’s my fault, Becca.”
“I know it does, but if you could see you from my vantage point, you’d know that it’s all them. You deserve better, and even though it hurts because of what they’ve done, this frees you up to find a woman that treats you right and loves you, only you.”
He smiled sadly, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. “Thanks. I’m not sure I believe you yet, but I’m thinking the ice cream and chick flick might help.”
She laughed and pulled him into another tight hug. “I’ll help you find her, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Parker would be moving in for a while. The evening had been filled with ice cream and sappy movies, but it ended with a deep conversation about his need to move on. Rebecca had agreed to let him move in, taking over her couch and half the fridge. It wasn’t a good move when it came to ensuring that her love life took off in some direction, but there was something about her deep desire to love her friend through his healing that helped her ignore her own desires.
The cab ride to the airport was quick since their flight was out of Hobby, which was in the middle of the ghetto but rather convenient from downtown. She
’d texted Jason to make sure he was packed and on his way, his text back assuring her that he was and that he was looking forward to getting to see her in action. It took her a few minutes to realize he meant in a client setting and not naked in a bed. The smile on her face gave credence to her need to kick her love life back into gear.
The trip would quickly help her determine if Jason was the right way to go, or better yet, the right man to start building something with. He was professional and mature at work and yet fun and adventuresome outside of the office, but was he all of those things in a relationship? It wasn’t just about the admitted heat between them, but her sense of wanting to belong to someone, someone that needed only her in his life. If she had to go through what Parker had been through, not once, but multiple times, then she might not make it to marriage.
The cab pulled up to the airport entrance and stopped, Rebecca pulling a few bills from her wallet and slipping out of the car to help the driver get her bags. She paid him and took her rolling suitcase from him, turning to see Jason walking toward her.
“You’re already here? I thought you were just leaving the house.”
He smiled and reached for the handle of the suitcase. “You thought wrong, silly woman. I’ve been here for an hour, waiting on you. I’m always early to everything. I checked in so that I’d be free to help you with your bags.”
She smiled, working to get her wallet back into her purse as she moved beside him. “You tricked me.”
“I did not. You asked if I was packed and on my way.”
“But you’re not on your way. You’re here.” She smirked, thinking she’d caught him.
“I am on my way, on my way to Oklahoma. You’ll have to be more specific next time.” He winked and pulled in front of her as they moved to the counter, a growl on her lips and her eyes on the lovely view of his perfectly shaped rear in his faded blue jeans.
Chapter 18
“All settled in?” Jason worked to get his seatbelt buckled, his hair a bit disheveled, making him appear more boyish.
