Needing You_A Friends to Lovers Romance_Book 2

by Alexis Winter

  “Oh Bridgette that is such a relief!” He said with a loud sigh. “I was so worried you were going to be heartbroken and devastated! Thank you for handling this in such a mature manner, I definitely saw this going a different direction.”

  Bridgette couldn’t help but laugh a little to herself. She wanted to tell him to relax, he wasn’t God’s gift to women and that he might want to reconsider thinking so highly of himself. She’d be just fine without him but she once again swallowed her pride and politely wished him well and a goodnight.

  She groaned loudly and flopped back dramatically on her bed. “I’m going to die alone…with cats!” She said to herself as she grabbed a pillow and screamed in it. She really was going to be fine without Bret, she wasn’t even heartbroken that their relationship was over. More than anything she felt defeated that once again she’d picked the wrong guy. This was relationship number three that had gone up in flames in the past two years.

  It was Friday night and she was once again set to rummage through her freezer for some half eaten ice-cream or finish off the bottle of vodka leftover from her last breakup. She set about removing her makeup that was now running down her face and changed into her pajamas. “Awesome, 7:30 on a Friday night and I’m already in pajamas and eating ice cream out of a family sized tub…winning at life Bridge, winning at life.” She enunciated the last statement but jabbing her spoon in the air.

  She had just finished her second cocktail of vodka and and some very questionable orange juice when her phone rang. “Heeeeey Luke. What’s going on?” She tried to sound casual as she stretched out on the couch and yawned into the phone.

  “Uhhh hey Bridge you okay? You sound a little…drunk.”

  “Yeah I’m good, I’m goooood. I’m great actually! What about you? What’s going on? Removing yourself from some hot blonde’s legs I assume?”

  “Jesus Bridgette, no! I’m just finishing up basketball with the guys and figured I’d see what you’re up to. I was going to ask if you wanted to grab some drinks but it seems like you beat me to the punch. You drinking alone or is the man friend there?”

  “His name is Bret and no he dumped me tonight so it’s just been me, impending doom and self-destruction throwing ‘em back tonight.”

  “Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry. I don’t have any plans so how about I come over and we can drink together?”

  “Well it’s been a very exciting evening so far but you’re more than welcome to crash the party but you might want to bring more booz! Oh and bring pizza!”

  Luke laughed into the phone and agreed. “I’ll be there in a bit, don’t finish the bottle without me.”

  Bridgette was just pouring herself another drink when Luke knocked on her apartment door. She walked over to let him in, sloshing her drink around in the process. She threw the door open and gave Luke a huge smile trying to fight back tears.

  “You really need to tell your super to fix the front door to your building, anyone can just walk in this place!” He was setting the pizza and beer on the table when he noticed the look of sadness on Bridgette’s face. “Come here baby girl.” Her head drooped toward the floor as she shuffled over to Luke’s arms and laid her head on his chest. She couldn’t hold the tears back any longer as Luke softly caressed her back. “Come on let’s go over the couch and tell me what douche bag did.”

  They both sat on the couch and Bridgette proceeded to tell Luke about her phone call with Bret earlier. “Wait, he broke up with you over the phone?! What a piece of shit! Ya know Bridge I told you from the beginning I didn’t like him. Didn’t I?” Luke ran his hands through his hair in an exasperated manor. He had always been protective of Bridgette especially when it came to her dating life. He only wanted the best for her and part of him wondered if anyone would ever be good enough.

  Luke and Bridgette had known one another since her freshman year in high school. She had been paired up with him as her ‘senior buddy’ to help her navigate the halls and class schedules the first week of school. At first she had been so shy and embarrassed to be buddied up with the most popular and hottest guy in school. You know that stereotypical jock that all the guys wanted to be and all the cheerleaders wanted and did date? Well that was Luke Foster. Not only was he incredibly smart, driven, athletic and well spoken, he was hotter than sin and had only gotten hotter over the years.

  Bridgette on the other hand had always been your small, shy girl next door. She didn’t play sports, she was the violin chair in orchestra, editor of the yearbook and pretty much kept to herself and small group of friends. Luke had taken her under his wing from the moment they met and they had formed a lifelong friendship from that day on. Naturally she developed a crush on him that turned into a slow burning love she kept inside until one stupid, drunken night in college…when she had confessed to him that she had harbored feelings for him all these years. He did his best to let her down gently but hearing someone you’ve been madly in love with for the better part of a decade tell you he ‘loves you like a sister’ isn’t exactly great for the old self esteem. She had quickly tried to rebound by blaming in on the alcohol and the fact that it was finals week of her senior year in college.

  They had both attended The University of Illinois and relocated to Chicago after graduation. Luke had actually stayed on to do his Masters in Engineering while Bridge finished up her undergrad. He landed a fantastic job with Boeing in Chicago while Bridgette got an internship at her desired publishing company and continued to work on her Masters at the University of Chicago.

  Bridgette wiped the last of her tears from her swollen cheeks and chuckled at Luke’s response. “Honestly Luke I’m ok. I think more than anything I’m just mad that I keep picking the wrong guys! I just don’t get it, they seem like ideal matches at first and then a few months later the rug is ripped out from under me. Maybe I should just be like you and vow to stay unattached and emotionally unavailable forever.” She said as she waved her drink in the air, causing a wave of the liquid to slosh over the edge on to her t-shirt. “Shit!” she quickly jumped up and began removing her shirt before Luke jumped up to stop her.

  “Whoa! Slow down there.” He pulled the shirt back down before she could raise it further.

  “What?” It’s not like you haven’t seen it before, I’m not an alien ya know.” Before he could stop her Bridgette had pulled her shirt over her head and was left standing in her tiny sleep shorts and a very see through lace bra that left little to the imagination.

  Luke couldn’t help but notice how round and firm her breasts were or how her stomach was curved and defined in all the right places. He suddenly found himself wanting to reach out and touch her body, let his fingertips explore the edge of her lace bra. He was snapped out his thoughts when he heard her stumble backwards. He reached his arms out just in time to catch her from falling backward right onto her tailbone. “Okay we’re done with the booz tonight.” He said as she laughed in his arms and tried to steady herself.

  “Okay dad,” she replied as she rolled her eyes and leaned down to reach for her tumbler. Luke still had has arms around her as she leaned down causing the hand he had on her back to drag across her stomach. He could feel himself stirring in his pants and panicked, quickly turning to grab the tumbler from her hands.

  “I mean it! Now go get some god damn clothes on!” he said as he pushed her towards her bedroom. He turned around and ran his hand roughly over his face and through his floppy dirty blonde hair. What the hell had gotten in to him?! He walked over to the table with the pizza and beer and cracked open a bottle chugging the brown liquid. “When you get your ass in gear don’t forget we have some pizza to demolish.” With the mention of food Bridgette came bounding out of her bedroom with a fresh t-shirt on and a pep in her step. If there was one thing that could get Bridgette out of a funk it was food!

  They continued to laugh and talk on the couch while they ate their pizza and drank the beer.“Ahhh man!” Bridgette slapped her thigh as Luke reached for another slice of pizza
. “I’m not going to have a date for my 10 year high school reunion now!” She scrunched her face as the waterworks started up again. “Everyone is going to think I’m the same dorky loser I was in high school and they’ll probably think I have a bunch of cats or whatever.”

  Luke couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous she was being. “Oh my God Bridge stop! First of all, nobody thought you were a dorky loser in high school and furthermore you were NOT a dorky loser nor have you ever been!” He reach over and patted her back as she wallowed in self-pity again. “Ok how about this, I’ll be your date.”

  She looked over at him with wide eyes, “Seriously?!”

  “Yeah why not? I can stop in and see my parents when we’re down in central Illinois and you can stop crying on the pizza and ruining our night.” He said with a smirk.

  She lightly punched his arm and then threw herself at him, “Thank you so much!” she said into his neck as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

  “Okay, okay stop getting your snotty tears all over me and tell me more about your single, hot classmates.” Luke winked as he took a swig of beer and Bridgette rolled her eyes in exasperation…just when he starts being cute he has to ruin it, she thought to herself.

  Chapter 2

  Bridgette’s alarm blared in her face as she groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. She had promised her best friend Harper that she’d be at the gym bright and early this morning for her boot camp class. All of the images of drowning her sorrows in vodka last night were coming back to her on in the form of a freight train of regret and a pounding headache. She was tempted to text Harper and make up an excuse but instead she pulled her hungover ass out of bed and crawled to the bathroom.

  Harper and Bridgette had been friends since middle school. They grew up down the street from one another. They had met the on the bus the first day of 7th grade and had been inseparable ever since. They went to the same high school but attended different universities, Bridgette staying local at the University of Illinois and Harper going to college in Michigan. They still talked and texted every day throughout college and had made plans to move to Chicago together after graduation.

  Harper had recently left her corporate job to pursue her dream of being a personal trainer and fitness instructor. Today was her first day teaching the super intense full body boot camp class her high end gym was known for and Bridgette had promised to come support her and join in on the hellish torture.

  She hoped a quick body shower and some very vigorous teeth brushing would mask any evidence of her very hungover state. She pulled her long, chocolate brown locks into a pony tail, shimmied and squeezed her way into some leggings and a sports bra and ran out the door.

  “OH MY GOD,” Harper said as Bridgette strolled in to class. “You don’t even need to tell me you’re hungover because you look like you got hit by a bus and dragged a few blocks and you smell like a frat house.” Bridgette sniffed herself and furrowed her brow, seems like the shower did little to mask the stench of last night. Harper couldn’t help but show the disappointment she felt on her face. “I don’t know what happened last night but I’m telling you right now I’m not taking it easy on you today. You might want to get a spot in the back in case you puke.”

  Bridgette understood her frustration and tried to be sympathetic. “Hey I’m here aren’t I?! Look I made some stupid choices last night which we can discuss over brunch after this, but I promise I’ll still bring it this morning. I may be hungover as shit but I’ll still put these Lululemon wearing, yoga moms to shame.” She said as she flipped her pony tail and grabbed a spot in the back of the class.

  Over the next hour Bridgette cycled through several phases. One minute she felt like she was probably a shade of green and about to puke last night’s decisions all over the room and the next she felt like she was on cloud nine, running on endorphins and feeling like she could flip a car. This class was torture but in the most euphoric and addictive way. She actually felt a thousand times better than when she arrived, she was sure it was because she sweat out the remaining alcohol.

  “So? What’d you think? I thought I’d find you dead halfway through class but you looked like you were going to rip someone’s head off back there!” Harper had finished up saying goodbye to the rest of the class and was cleaning and putting away the exercise mats as she talked to Bridgette.

  “It was incredible! I definitely want to add this to my routine, I’m going to be in kick ass shape in no time!” Bridgette wiped the sweat off her face, “plus it helped me sweat out the booz and I may have been fueled by my recent breakup.”

  Harper spun around, “Breakup?! Oh no! What happened Bridge? You know I never liked that guy!” she said mater-of-factly as she pointed a finger at her friend. Bridgette laughed a little remembering Luke had said the same thing last night.

  “Yeah, yeah you and Luke both. I’ll explain over brunch so hurry up. I’m heading to the showers. Thanks again for the class Harper, honestly it was kick ass and you’re an amazing instructor. So proud of you for taking the leap to pursue your dreams, boss bitch!” She punched her fist in the air as she jumped up and kicked a leg out then scurried off to the locker room.

  The girls finished cleaning up and headed out to a local brunch spot. “Mmmm, my soul needed that.” Bridgette took a long sip from her coffee and relished in the warm liquid running down her throat.

  “Okay so tell me what happened?” Harper gestured with her hands and raised her eyebrows dramatically. Bridgette spent the next few minutes giving her a rundown of the phone call she had with Bret and how Luke had come over afterward to cheer her up.

  “Ok first of all, what an ass bag for breaking up with you over the phone that is inexcusable and says a lot about his character and maturity. More importantly though, how are you doing? I know you guys had only dated for a few months but you seemed to really like the guy.”

  “Yeah we had fun, he was nice to look at,” she said with a coy smile. “The truth is I’m not so heartbroken that we broke up, I didn’t think he was the love of my life or anything but I’m just so tired of getting dumped.” She flicked the hash browns around her plate, wallowing in her self-pity for a moment. “I know it’s not all on him, I have a history of picking the wrong guys. I just don’t understand why it’s so hard to find someone! I’m tired of the game Harper.”

  “Well, I think a lot of us women can commiserate with you there. I know you get weirdly panicked thinking you’ll end up alone with 15 cats—and don’t say you don’t, I know you do!—but I know you’ll find someone when the time is right. We’re only 27 so we have plenty of time and besides F the pressure from society to fine ‘the one’ and settle down. Do what makes YOU happy! In the meantime, how did Luke make you feel better?” She said with a smirk. She had teased Bridgette about Luke since the first day of freshman year. “Did he console you? Maybe offer to bang the memory of Bret out of you?”

  Bridgette rolled her eyes, “God no! He brought pizza and beer over and let me cry it out. One of these days you need to get over this weird obsession you have with him and me hooking up or whatever.” She flipped her hand in the air as she took another large gulp of coffee. “OH!” She exclaimed almost choking, “I almost forgot he said he’d go with me to our 10 year reunion! I think that was another thing that had me upset about the breakup…showing up to our reunion alone.”

  “Uh excuse me? I’m going alone…well actually I thought you and I were going together?” Harper’s look of frustration was written all over her face.

  “We are! Luke said he’d drive down with us and it would also give him a chance to see his family. His brother just had his second kid so he’d like to go visit with them.” She took the last bite of her breakfast and pushed her plate back. “Well, looks like I just completely negated that workout.”

  “You’re a twig, one giant breakfast won’t change that. So, the plan is still we drive down together? I kind of feel like a third wheel now that you have a date…I wonder if
I could convince Jason to go with me.”

  “You’re ex Jason? The guy who tried to sleep with your sister?! Yeah Harper that’s a great plan! Talk about my bad judgement in men!” She flailed her arms around wildly.

  “Hey he was going through some serious stress at work and had a bit of a breakdown! I’m not excusing his behavior by any means but he’s still a nice person and we’re friends.”

  Bridgette suddenly shot up in her chair with a huge grin on her face. “What about Grant? Luke’s best friend. I know he’s single and you’ve met him a few times at softball games and when we’ve gone out for happy hours!”

  Harper shrugged her shoulders, “I dunno Bridge, I’d feel weird having to hang out with someone I don’t really know and make small talk.”

  “Come on he’ll be talking to Luke the entire time I’m sure, this way they can be entertained with each other and we can do whatever we want, but we still show up with dates so we don’t look like sad, lonely 27 year olds.” She said with a fake smile plastered across her face. “Let me just find out what he’s up to that weekend and see if he’s available, sound good?”

  “Yeah I guess, can’t hurt. Why is he single anyway? He’s one tasty snack, I can’t imagine he has a hard time finding women.”

  Bridgette laughed at her comments, “Ya know…I’m not sure. I know he’s dated quite a bit in the past but I haven’t seen him with anyone in some time. Luke doesn’t usually share too much about his friend’s personal life but I should pry…see what kind of dirt I can dig up.” She said as she rubbed her hands together.

  “Well don’t do it on my behalf, I was just curious. No intentions there.” She put her hands up in the air to emphasize her point. “Okay so anyway, I need to get back to work. I have two more classes to teach today and then I have some client meetings so I need to get a move on. Thanks for brunch and again I’m sorry about Bret. I know you’re already over him but still I know it hurts. We’ve all been there girl, I’m here for you.” She stood up and pulled her friend into a warm embrace. “Alright I’m outta here. I’ll call you later, love ya doll.”