Saving Her

by Mia Ford

  “I met someone,” I said, realizing I had to get it out.

  “Oh, my God, tell me everything,” she said, leaning forward.

  “Well, after you canceled dinner, I moved to the bar and met this really hot guy,” I said. “We ate dinner, drank, talked a lot, and then we went back to my place.”

  “Saucy,” she said, jiggling her eyebrows. “Who is he?”

  “His name is Nathan Roberts, and he owns—”

  “iTech,” she blurted out. “Holy cow. You had sex with Nathan Roberts? That is crazy. Jordan works for him in the IT department.”

  “That’s who Jordan works for?”

  “I told you that,” she said excitedly.

  “No, you told me he was VP of technology for some big company,” I said, astounded. “That’s so crazy.”

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “I mean, I think I want to.”

  “You think?”

  “Okay, I know I want to, but I gave him my number, and I have to wait for him to call,” I said, looking down at my phone.

  “Ugh, guys always wait forever to call back,” she said. “Jordan didn’t call me for a second date for like a week. It is so exhausting.”

  “We both know they live in their own little world, thinking these crazy things about chasing a girl,” I said. “It’s like they think if they call the same day or the next, they will come off as needy. Personally, if you call me within a couple of days, I know you are really interested and not leaving me as back up because you have something better on the books.”

  “Right?”

  “Jordan, of course, is the exception because we all know he was head over heels for you the first time he saw you,” I reminded her. “And wasn’t the reason he didn’t call you for a week because he was taking care of his sick grandma?”

  “Yeah,” she said, pointing at me. “That’s right. I forgot that.”

  “How could you forget that?” I asked. “It’s like the sweetest thing ever.”

  “I’m sure he will call you soon,” she said.

  “Or not at all,” I replied. “I can’t really expect a lot. I met him at a bar and took him home that night. I gave up the goods right away.”

  “That means you know what you want,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Or I wanted to get laid.” I laughed. “I think it was a little of both. Anyway, if he doesn’t call, so be it. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ll be disappointed in a man.”

  Just as I said that, my phone buzzed on the table, making me jump. I looked down at the screen and saw a number I didn’t recognize. I looked back at Lindsey with wide eyes.

  “Is it him?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t have his number, remember?”

  “Answer it,” she said.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, beautiful, it’s Nathan,” he said.

  “Hey,” I replied, shaking my head at Lindsey. “How are you?”

  “I am excellent. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “No,” I said nonchalantly. “Just having lunch with my best friend.”

  “The one getting married?”

  “Yeah, the one getting married that stood me up on Friday,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

  “Tell her thank you for that.” He chuckled.

  My cheeks immediately went red, and I did not repeat what he said. I couldn’t believe that he had called so quickly. Maybe I should have had just a little more faith in him than I originally did. If he was calling that quickly, that meant I was on his mind, maybe even as much as he was on mine. I definitely wanted to see him again, but I wanted him to be the one to ask.

  “Why do I feel like you are blushing right now?” he asked.

  “Because I am.” I giggled, watching Lindsey’s face turn to shock at the sound of my girlish laughter.

  “I don’t want to keep you from your wedding duties,” he said. “I just wanted to call and find out if I could see you again. I really had an amazing time on Friday, and then again on Saturday morning. Well, actually consecutively. I consecutively had fun that whole time, and I wanted to start that all over again on an actual date where I asked you and you accepted.”

  “So, you are assuming I’ll accept? I’m just kidding.” I laughed, hearing his silence. “Yes, you can see me again, I would like that.”

  “That is awesome,” he said, chuckling. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

  “Tomorrow night?” I asked, smiling at Lindsey. “Nothing.”

  “How about I pick you up at your place at six, and we go have a nice dinner at Iliad’s?”

  “Iliad’s? Don’t you have to have a reservation like a year in advance?”

  “Usually, but the owner is a friend, so I have a standing reservation,” he said shyly.

  “Oh, well then yes, I would love to,” I said, shaking my head.

  “Perfect,” he replied. “I’ll see you at six then. And convince your friend to do the whole wedding in paisley. That would be so much more interesting.”

  “I will do that.” I laughed. “And I’ll see you at six.”

  I hung up the phone and sat there for a second, thinking about what just happened. I had just gotten done talking about guys calling in a few days, and then my phone rang. Did that mean he was interested in me more than just inside the bedroom? I shook my head and looked up at Lindsey.

  “So?” she asked.

  “We are going to dinner tomorrow night at Iliad’s,” I said quietly.

  “That’s a nice place.” She smiled. “That’s where Jordan asked me to marry him.”

  “I don’t think I have anything to wear to a place like that,” I said.

  “Come over to my place,” she said, waving her hand at me. “I have a ton of stuff for places like that. I can get you all dolled up for your date. You know how I like to do that kind of stuff.”

  “Yeah.” I laughed. “Like when you sent me to prom looking like a train wreck?”

  “I’ve gotten a lot better since prom.” She laughed. “I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade along the way.”

  “I hope so,” I said, shaking my head.

  “Just be careful,” she added. “I saw how much it hurt you when you caught your ex cheating on you.”

  “With your sister you mean?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “My sister and four other women. I just don’t want to ever see you hurt like that again. I mean, it kind of turned you into a scrooge when it comes to love, and I thought you would never get over it.”

  “Do you ever get over something like that?”

  “I hope so.” She smiled. “Because you are too amazing to not be sharing your life with someone else. You have a damn heart of gold, Amanda, and there is a guy out there that will appreciate that. I know it. Maybe it’s Nathan, maybe not, but I am happy that you are taking the opportunity to test the waters more than just the line of one night stands you’ve had since you and the asshole broke up.”

  “The asshole? Is that what you call him?”

  “I’ve always called him that,” she said, shaking her head. “I just think it’s now safe to call him that around you instead of in conversation when you aren’t listening.”

  “Just don’t tell your sister,” I said.

  “Of course not,” Lindsey replied. “I don’t really even talk to her. She thought it was a betrayal when I took your side during the whole drama. I don’t know why she would think I would stand by her after she slept with your boyfriend. Blood may be thicker than water, but I consider you my sister, too. She doesn’t need to know about anything going on in your life.”

  It was crazy to me that Nathan owned the company that Lindsey’s fiancé worked for. All the past drama aside, I was really excited to get to know him better. Not only did he know Jordan, but he was taking me to the place where they got engaged. I was starting to think that fate was reaching down and playing a hand
in all of these things. I pushed that thought down, though, remembering how dangerous it could be to think of relationships like they were designed. You tended to lose track of reality and that was when you missed the things that could be huge red flags. I had done that once in my life, and once was enough.

  “I just want you to be careful,” she said, smiling at the waiter as he took her plate. “I’ve heard that Nathan is a bit of playboy.”

  “I think I am finally in a place where I can handle myself,” I said. “Though I do love you and thank you for being such a great friend.”

  “Always,” she said. “So, are we done with all the wedding talk?”

  “I think so,” I said, scanning my notes.

  “Good, let’s figure out what you are going to wear tomorrow night,” Lindsey said.

  Chapter 4

  Nathan

  When I was done with work for the day, I grabbed my suit jacket and raced out of the office. I had to get ready for my date with Amanda, and I didn’t want to be late picking her up. This was going to be our very first real date, and I wanted to impress her in every way. When I got home, I jumped in the shower and picked out a nice suit to wear to dinner. I smoothed my hair back and made sure that every thread was in the right place. I had to admit, I looked pretty good in a five-thousand-dollar suit, even though I hated paying that much for it. I might be a billionaire, but I was picky about what I spent money on.

  As I stood in front of the mirror picking lint off the bottom of my suit jacket, I noticed my stomach churning. I looked up at myself and took a deep breath, realizing that I was a lot more nervous than I thought I would be. This girl had kind of turned my world upside down, and only in the blink of an eye. She was beautiful, smart, ambitious, and sexy in a way that made me hot just by the touch of her hand. Usually, I would wait a week before calling a girl, but with Amanda, I had to see her again right away. I was nervous that she would be put off by my forwardness, but on the phone, she sounded just as excited to see me as I was to see her. Taking her to Iliad’s was a big deal to me because I never took dates there, not that I had very many dates anyway.

  I shook the nerves off and finished getting ready, seeing that I was cutting it close on time. I headed outside to the street where the limo for the evening was waiting. The driver opened the door for me and smiled as I climbed inside. I thought it would be a nice touch to pick her up in a fancy limo instead of just a town car. When I got to her place, she came to the door, stunning me in a little black dress that sat off her shoulders. It was tight and hugged all of her curves, sitting right below the knee. She was wearing six-inch heels, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was beautiful.

  “You look amazing,” I said, leading her outside to the limo.

  “Thank you,” she said, her eyes wide at the car parked outside.

  “I thought it would be nice to ride in style,” I said, helping her inside.

  “Did you know that my best friend’s fiancé works for you?” she asked. “His name is Jordan.”

  “Jordan,” I said, laughing. “It’s a really small world.”

  “That is what I said when I found out,” she replied. “Lindsey told me what he did but never the company he worked for, so it didn’t click until I mentioned it at lunch yesterday. I couldn’t help but think how strange it was that we were connected in that way.”

  “I am pretty sure Jordan asked Lindsey to marry him at the restaurant we are going to tonight,” I said, thinking about it.

  “He did,” she said excitedly. “I mean, I wasn’t there, but when I told Lindsey where we were going, she freaked out. She loves the place.”

  “I don’t think I have ever met Lindsey,” I said. “I’ve heard all about her, though. Jordan is head over heels in love, and we all knew she was it when he first started talking about her. She is a model, right?”

  “Yeah, she landed her first gig when she was like sixteen and has been doing it ever since,” she explained. “It’s funny to think of her that way, for me at least. I’ve known her my whole life.”

  “I’m sure she is an amazing woman,” I said. “Jordan is a hell of a guy.”

  “He is, and they are perfect or each other,” she said dreamily.

  “I am actually going to their wedding,” I said, laughing. “I hope you didn’t talk them into paisley.”

  She laughed. “No, I did not fulfill your request on the paisley,” she said. “There is enough craziness going on with everything.”

  “You are doing a lot of the planning with her?”

  “You mean for her? Sure.” She chuckled. “I am working closely with the wedding planner and trying to pry decisions out of Lindsey. She made me her Maid of Honor, which was really exciting until I figured out exactly what that meant. Lindsey is like the opposite of bridezilla. The guests she invited are expecting this big shindig, but I am pretty sure she would be happy getting married in her living room.”

  “Poor girl.” I laughed.

  “No, I don’t think she truly understands everything going on,” she said, rolling her eyes. “She is caught up in this love cloud and just signs the checks. If I weren’t there, we would still be on track for floral, and no one would be eating anything but the lobster rolls she said she wanted there. I really don’t know why she is having food anyway. Half the list is made up of models from the industry. She could have just served lettuce and water.”

  “But then I would be hungry,” I said, smiling. “How long have you and Lindsey been friends?”

  “Gosh, our entire lives pretty much,” she said. “My mom used to babysit her when she was like two, and we became inseparable after that. I thought when she got picked up for modeling, things might change, but she is the same old girl I used to sneak out of the house with, just with better style.”

  “It’s nice to have those kinds of friends,” I said, smiling. “Ones you know will always be there, no matter what is going on in their lives. My right-hand man, John, is that guy for me. We met in college and have been best friends ever since. I don’t know what I would do without him sometimes.”

  “He sounds like a great friend,” she said, smiling. “I don’t know what I would do without Lindsey, either. She has kept my feet on the ground for a long time.”

  “You seem so level-headed,” I said.

  “I am, but I’m still human,” she scoffed. “Making mistakes by the handful as I figure out life.”

  “That’s me through and through.” I laughed.

  “How long have you known Jordan?”

  “Man, I met Jordan at a tech conference in college,” I said, thinking back. “I trusted him right away, and I could see how brilliant he was. It was right before I started the company. He loved the idea and has been on board with it ever since then. As soon as I could afford it, I made him VP of technology, and he is next in line for the President position. My main guy was in place right before I met Jordan, so they are kind of neck and neck for seniority. He is one of my greatest assets professionally, though. He is the mind behind some of the biggest technological creations that the company is known for.”

  “Wow, I had no idea,” she said. “I knew he was really smart and successful, but I didn’t know how far that really went. Lindsey doesn’t really understand his job, not that I’m a whizz at it, but it keeps her from really discussing it with anyone. She is very careful with what she talks about since she doesn’t want to be given the ‘dumb model’ label that goes around in her world.”

  “I can understand that,” I said. “It’s a smart choice. To be honest, I don’t always understand everything that Jordan does. We are close and work closely together every day, but we aren’t best friends or anything. Sometimes, it’s hard to be that close with everyone in your company. It can mess things up for you. I do know that he is a great guy, though. Oh, it looks like we’re pulling up now to Iliad’s.”

  The driver opened the door to the limo and helped Amanda out, with me scooting out behind her. Before we had even reached
the door, the hostess had it open, greeting us like old friends. I had been going there since my company had its first stock exchange. Most people would need to make a reservation there at least six months in advance, but since I was who I was, and since I knew the owners pretty well, there was always a table available for me. It was one of the perks that I had grown accustomed to, and I liked how doe-eyed the attention made Amanda. I wanted to impress her, and I was starting to think that I was doing a really good job at it. Either way, I was just happy to be there with her, holding her hand as we walked through the restaurant and over to our table in the corner by the window.

  The hostess pulled out Amanda’s chair and pushed it in as she sat. Immediately, we were rushed by servers, prepping the table and bringing my usual choice in wine over. Amanda watched them hurry around us, treating us like we were part of the royal family. One of the servers smiled sweetly at her as she tasted the wine, smiling and nodding her head. I could see by the look in her eye just how excited she was to be there, especially when she reached over and took my hand. The staff lit the candles in the center of the table and retreated, waiting in the wings for when we were ready to order our appetizers.

  “Do you like it here?” I asked.

  “It’s amazing,” she whispered. “And I think that is Robert Deniro over there, eating dinner.”

  I smiled and turned around, waving at him from a distance. He waved back and nodded at Amanda, blushing her cheeks. She shook her head and laughed as she placed her napkin in her lap.