Excluding my epic dates with JT, of course.
Leah’s brow rose in anticipation and she grinned. “Still got his number?”
“Not happening.” I laughed. “But he did show me his six pack abs out in the parking lot after our date. JT almost had a heart attack when he found out how much the guy made in tips every night.”
“How is JT these days?” Leah asked with a sly smile playing on her lips. “I wouldn’t mind seeing him up on a stage in a thong. Or without.”
“Leah.”
“What?” She crossed her arms lightly over her chest. “JT is hot and we both know it. Too bad he’s your brother’s best friend. It kind of makes him off limits. Huh?”
I bit my bottom lip and wondered if I should bare my soul to my best friend. Leah would keep my secret—of that I was sure. Truth be told, I was worried that Leah would try to convince me to stop pursuing JT. And I simply didn’t want to hear it. But I felt like I owed it to him to think about what he’d said.
Could it be true that I was only attracted to him because of my failed dates; that he wasn’t my Prince Charming? My heart rejected the thought immediately. I had enough boyfriends in my twenty-two years to know that the fire JT ignited within me was something special. I wasn’t imagining our attraction. But did we have enough emotional connection and shared interests to sustain a long-term relationship? My heart screamed YES. But my brain told me I was only one side of the equation and couldn’t speak for JT’s feelings. I owed it to him to at least consider the validity of his concerns and prove our feelings would last forever.
“Funny you should say that.” It suddenly felt very warm and I opened the top button of my shirt to fan my neck with my hand. Grabbing my cup, I took a fortifying sip before dropping the bomb on Leah. “JT and I kissed.”
Leah stared at me wide-eyed for a few moments and then shouted, “You what?!”
I sank into my chair a few inches as all heads in the coffee shop turned to stare at us. Maybe I should have eased into the conversation a little better.
“Kissed,” I said sheepishly. I didn’t know why I felt like I needed to whisper, but I did, and then leaned into the table so Leah could hear. “Actually three times—to be exact. Well, the last two were more like make-out sessions than just a kiss. And let me tell you…he’s a really good kisser.”
I could feel the blood rush up my neck and into my cheeks just thinking about it. I’d better not tell her about what happened in JT’s basement or she might have a heart attack right there in the coffee shop. But it felt so good to talk to her about it. Like it somehow made the situation more real. I wanted to be able to shout out from the rooftops, not keep our attraction shrouded in secrecy.
Leah stared at me for a few seconds, probably trying to digest the shocking news. “Does Jared know?”
“What do you think?”
“Hell no.” She sank back into the cushion of the bench seat and ran her hand slowly through her hair. “Holy shit. You really kissed JT? What does that mean? Are you two dating now?”
“Ummm…not exactly.” I chewed at my thumb nail for a few seconds. “I want us to date. In fact, I think I’m already well on my way towards falling in love with him. But he isn’t ready to commit to dating yet. He’s worried about what would happen if we broke up. And he thinks that maybe I’m overreacting to a few hot kisses; like I’m giving up on dating because of my poor prospects with the dating service. He’s open to thinking about dating but he wants to take time to think it through. He gave me some crap about needing to be focused this year on his studies.”
“JT always did have a strong head on his shoulders.”
“What?” I said, furrowing my brows at Leah. “So you think he’s right and we shouldn’t date?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just saying he makes good points. What would happen if you dated for a while and then broke up? Wouldn’t that get weird?”
“Not for me. I’m still friends with a lot of my ex-boyfriends.”
“Yeah, but you rarely see them, Jordan. JT is your brother’s best friend. The guy comes over to your house multiple times per week. And even if you’re cool with it, he might not be. Have you ever seen JT hang out with his ex-girlfriends?”
“No,” I said and sighed, hating the fact that Leah made a good point. “He’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. I can’t recall him dating anyone more than a few months. And then it is goodbye forever. No looking back.”
“Maybe he has good reasons for not wanting to get too attached to anyone? Could it be that he’s using his studies as an excuse and there is a bigger issue he’s afraid to discuss?”
“You mean his parent’s death? Do you think he’s afraid to love someone that he may lose?”
Leah shrugged her shoulders in a sympathetic gesture. “Just saying. He was young when his parents died and he was forced into a caregiver role. Derek was a kid when it all happened. That’s a lot of responsibility to take on—both financially and emotionally. It had to have left some kind of mark on him. Made him ultra-cautious?”
“He’s worried he’ll lose my whole family if we date and then break up,” I confessed and took a sip of my latte. “We’re the only family he has left.”
“Hard to argue that point,” Leah said, staring down at her cup. “If you move forward in a relationship, you better be damned sure this has a happy ending, Jordan. So what’re you going to do?”
“I told him I’d keep dating these jerks from the agency and prove to him that he is The One. But I know what I want and how I feel. This is real. I’ve known JT all my life. There’s no doubt in my mind what an incredible person he is and that we get along. I respect him so much. And after having been kissed by him…well…I’m definitely attracted to him. What else is there to know?”
Leah smiled broadly. “Hard to argue those points as well. It sounds like a good plan. Maybe now that you’ve kissed, he needs to see you dating another man for it all to hit home? Don’t sweat it. You’ve got time.”
“Yes, we do,” I sighed and peered out the window.
But Grannie does not. The thought screamed through my head and broke my heart. If only I could get JT to see that his friendship with Jared wasn’t an obstacle, and how right we were for each other, in time for Grannie to share in our happiness.
“Any chance you want to date my brother, Leah? You know, get him warmed up to the idea of best friends dating siblings and all?”
She smiled at me and folded her arms over her chest. “I might consider a short affair. Jared’s pretty hot and I haven’t scored any dates recently.”
“Leah!” I said in mock horror. “He’s my brother.”
“I’m joking!” She rolled her eyes and giggled. “You know how I feel about men in the medical field. It just wouldn’t be fair if Jared fell madly in love with me and then found himself dumped because of his career path.”
I pointed my finger at her and shook it with force. “You need to see someone about that attitude. You can’t discount every single male in the medical profession as a possible mate just because your father is an asshole surgeon who puts his work before his family at all times. That’s one person, Leah. I’m sure there are many, many males in the medical profession that are loving spouses, devoted to their families.”
“No thanks. Why risk it when there are plenty of other fish in the sea?”
“Good plan,” I said facetiously, shaking my head back and forth. “If my recent experience has taught me anything, the majority of those fish are deadbeats. Take my advice; don’t limit the pool.”
***
J.T.
I cursed under my breath as I jogged up to the restaurant entrance. Why did everything have to be so difficult? I had just wanted to stop by the bank and deposit Grannie’s check on my break. And if I’d been paying attention to the road instead of daydreaming about Jordan and a possible future with her, then I might have seen the broken bottle in the parking spot. The last thing I needed right now was a flat ti
re. At least the bank was only a mile away. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure how to change a tire, and had been afraid it would have taken me a long time. I would go back after my shift. As it was late already, I had probably missed the beginning of Jordan’s date.
If the last thirty minutes had taught me anything, it was that my thoughts were completely and utterly distracted by Jordan. The way she smelled. How her hair fell across her shoulders and down her back to frame her beautiful face. The feel of her silky hot tongue against mine and the way her hand had clasped my cock, like she knew what she was doing. I buried that thought deep in the recesses of my brain, not wanting to imagine Jordan in the throes of passion with some other guy. Certainly she had only read a lot of juicy romance novels.
Thankfully it was summer break and I didn’t have to worry about resuming my studying until the fall. That bought me a little time to figure this mess out. But one thing seemed certain; either I needed to jump on board with both feet and fully embrace a relationship with Jordan or I needed to jump ship completely. And I needed to decide before the next semester began so my head would be in the game.
As I stepped into the restaurant, my eyes searched the tables until they rested on the familiar sleek dark brown ponytail, slim neck and shoulders. Warm contentment spread through me like a stream of hot water filling a bath. I immediately felt the involuntary upward curving of my lips and sighed. I had it bad. And it scared the shit out of me. I waited at the back counter for Chloe to finish taking Jordan and her date’s order.
“Hey,” she said, walking up to the kiosk and glancing at the sweat stains soaking my shirt. “What happened to you? I hope you don’t mind, but I didn’t know if you were going to make it back, so I told Maggie I’d take your table.”
“Thanks.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and glanced over to check out Jordan’s date from afar. It was hard to make anything out from this angle. “I got a stinking flat tire. Can you believe it?”
“That sucks,” Chloe said and smiled at me. “But no worries here. It doesn’t look like Jordan will need you to save her from this date. This guy has his act together. He’s a little older—maybe thirty or so—and he’s a real looker to boot. She’s been smiling and laughing for the last fifteen minutes straight.”
I eyed Chloe skeptically as she went about loading a tray with plates. Was she being straight with me or was this her way of getting back at me for rejecting her at the graduation party? But she seemed normal enough. Guess I was going to have to check it out on my own. Only it wouldn’t be so easy this time since I wasn’t waiting on Jordan’s table. After the way I’d pushed her away and agreed she should keep dating, I couldn’t just show up and introduce myself. That didn’t seem right or fair.
Luckily the hostess had seated them in my section so I was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation as I went about my job waiting on the surrounding tables. I slipped in a wink at Jordan when I brushed past their table with both arms loaded with plates and chuckled when a smile tugged at the corner of her lips in acknowledgment. But judging by the occasional laughter and free flowing conversation I witnessed, Chloe’s assessment wasn’t far off the mark.
As the minutes ticked by and the date moved beyond the critical sixty minute mark, the repeated peals of laughter, which usually brought a smile to my face, began to grate on my nerves. What was this guy saying that could possibly be so funny? I knew Jordan’s laugh like the back of my hand and this was no-holds-barred, genuine laughter. I cashed out my final table and headed over to the bar to take a breather with Mike.
“Looks like Jordan’s having a good date,” Mike said as I walked up. “Did you get to meet the guy?”
I stared at their table. “Nope, I got a flat tire at the bank and had to hoof it back here and was too late. Chloe’s taking care of them tonight. She said he seems like a nice enough guy though. It’s hard to tell at a distance.”
“Oh snap,” Mike whistled deeply as Jordan’s date stood to head towards the restroom. “I know him.”
I cocked my brow at Mike in what I hoped seemed like a brotherly gesture. “And?”
“The dude is married,” he said, shaking his head in disgust. “He lives about three houses down from my sister. What an asshole. You need to warn Jordan while he’s in the restroom. I feel the need to piss coming on right now. Go talk to her. I’ll keep him at bay.”
I slipped into the bench seat next to Jordan and whispered the news. Her sweet scent overwhelmed my senses and it took all of my self-control not to nibble on her delectable little ear. I had missed her so much in the last couple of days.
“Shut up!” She frowned and scrunched up her eyebrows. “I don’t believe it.”
“Why would Mike lie about something like that?” I asked with a raised brow.
“But he isn’t wearing a ring.”
“Guess he isn’t a complete moron,” I said in disgust. “I’ve got to go. He’s heading back now. Mike just met him in the restroom. Let’s see how he reacts after having been caught red-handed by someone he knows.”
“Check please.”
The words were out of her date’s mouth the second Chloe arrived at their table with dessert. He threw cash down on the table and was out of the door in minutes.
I sat across from Jordan and pulled the untouched plate of cheesecake toward me, taking a big bite. “Grannie should have done a better job researching that dating service. Sorry your date was such a creep.”
A wide grin spread over her face. “Yeah, I bet. Is that why you have a shit-eating-grin plastered on your face? Because you feel sorry for me?”
“Uh…huh,” I mumbled with my mouth still full. The sparkle in my eyes probably convinced her otherwise. But why did I feel like I had dodged a bullet to my heart? She had looked way too comfortable in that guy’s company.
“What happened to you tonight, anyway? Why was Chloe waiting on us?”
“I went to the bank to cash a check Grannie gave me and got a flat tire,” I said, staring down at my plate. I didn’t know if I was more embarrassed about cashing a check from Grannie or admitting to a flat tire that I didn’t know how to change.
“She told me about that,” Jordan confessed in a soft voice. “I’m so happy for you JT. It should at least take some of the burden off of you for the next year until you begin your career.”
“It was very generous of Grannie.” I shifted in my seat before finally meeting her gaze head on. “I told her she should give the money to you.”
Jordan flashed a smile at me. “I heard that too. You’re so damned stubborn. Lucky for Grannie she is even more so! I’m glad you accepted it. It gave her so much joy to do this for you.”
I nodded my head and rubbed the back of my neck to ease the tension caused by thinking about my mounting student loan debt. “Yeah, I know. It’ll definitely put a dent in my debt. My last year of school comes with a fifty thousand dollar price tag. Even the grant money I qualify for won’t cover a quarter of the cost.”
“She’d have given you more if she thought you’d have accepted it,” Jordan said. “But I think she knew how hard it was going to be to convince you to accept her gift as it was.”
I could feel a red hot flush staining my cheeks and wished I could be more gracious about accepting Grannie’s generosity, but it simply didn’t sit well in my stomach. Right, wrong or indifferent, I was used to being responsible for myself and for my brother. I had to be or we weren’t going to make it in this world. The way Grannie had embraced me and my brother only made the choice of whether or not to date Jordan that much more difficult. Her family was undeniably my family. Could I risk losing them? Would I lose them if things didn’t work out?
“I know,” I said with my eyes trained on my clasped hands resting on the table. “It’s just so ingrained in me, you know. It’s hard for me not to earn my own way through life. My dad used to always say: ‘If you didn’t earn it, then you don’t deserve it.’ Sorry I’m such a pain in the ass sometimes.” A slow smile li
fted the corner of my mouth. “Speaking of which, maybe you can give me a lift back to the bank so I can change the flat tire?”
“Sure,” Jordan scooted out of the bench seat. “Let’s go.”
She pulled into the bank parking lot a few minutes later and I quickly cautioned her to park a few spaces away to avoid any surrounding glass. We hopped out of the car and went to assess the damage.
“I can’t see anything,” I said. “Can you?”
“No. Don’t you have a flashlight?”
I cleared my throat, “Uh…no.”
“JT!” She placed one hand on her hip and wagged a finger in my face. “That is survival basics 101. Grannie would cuss you out right now if she knew you didn’t keep one in your car. And don’t think I won’t tell her!”
“Come on Jordan,” I said, leaning in to rest my forehead against hers. “I’ve had a rough night. Be nice, babe.”
“Ok.” She conceded immediately with a small peck on my lips before heading back to her car to find her flashlight.
“We’re going to have to brush this glass away so you don’t get another flat tire when you put on the spare,” she said.
“Good idea.” I began kicking the larger pieces of glass away with the toe of my shoes.
“Have you ever changed a tire?”
“Nope.” I scratched behind my ear with a frown marring my face. “Can’t even say I know where the spare tire is located.”
Jordan giggled and pulled out her phone. “That’s what Google is for. I’ll look it up while you go find the tools. Start searching in your trunk.”
I leaned into my trunk and muttered under my breath. How embarrassing. My father had diligently prepared me for so many things in life but changing a flat tire wasn’t one of them. .He’d probably turn in his grave if he knew I didn’t keep a survival kit, including a flashlight, in my car at all times. Mark that one on my list of things to do in the near future.
Jordan read off the instructions while I carried out the task, working up a thorough sweat. We laughed and talked as I muddled my way through it. I filled her in on Derek’s recent visit to the WSU campus and dorms where he’d be living next year.
Date Night (Wish Come True Book 1) Page 8
