“What an ass.”
“Not really.”
“Yes, really. When Miley was dying of cancer, that was ‘a drag,’ too, but I never once thought about leaving her.”
“You loved your wife. I could see that from the few minutes I spent with you. It’s not even in the ballpark of the same thing.”
“Sick is sick.”
“Hey.” She pulled up short, her eyes flashing. “I’m not sick. I’m going through a rough patch. I’ll figure out what to do with the next forty-odd years of my life soon, and everything will be fine.”
Aidan took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. “Okay, I’m sorry. I get touchy about it.”
“Yeah, well, so do I.” She trailed her gaze over their joined hands then looked back at him. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“It’s all right.” He released her hand, letting the two of them walk on in companionable silence.
After a bit, Aidan glanced back at her. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her curls floated around her, every step she took. “So, what do you like to do besides tame cats?”
“I told you about my love for trash television. I read romance novels. Like, I devour them. I read one every couple of days.” She caught his gaze. “Those are not trashy, and I’ll fight anyone who says they are.”
He held up his hands. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I read true crime stories, sometimes, and I feel the same way.”
“Good.”
He stopped and she paused beside him. “We’re about halfway there now. A good place to stop and hydrate.”
“Hydrate. Water, gotcha.” She pulled two out of her backpack and handed him one.
Aidan drank his, slower than he’d have liked so his stomach wouldn’t cramp. “You’re open to new experiences.”
“I guess so.” She stuffed her water bottle and his back into her pack and put it on.
He admired that about her. They began walking again. His previous question occurred to him and he was determined to get answer out of her. “What made you decide to come with me today?”
Her breathing was coming much harder than his own, reminding him that reading and TV watching probably hadn’t prepared her for a three-mile hike. But she wasn’t complaining, and his admiration for her shot up another notch.
“I…” She looked up at the sky then back down at the ground. At no point did she meet his gaze. “I guess I realized solitary activities weren’t doing me any favors, not without something to balance them out.”
“And so that’s why it was ‘convenient’ I invited you, why you absolutely ‘had’ to come.”
She exhaled slowly, and he spotted his black truck sitting in the parking lot through the trees.
“Give it a rest, Aidan. I’m here.” This time she turned to him, arms out. “Isn’t that what matters? I’m glad I came.”
He nodded as they entered the dirt parking area. “So am I.”
And the weirdest part of all this, weirder still than her evasive answers, was he really was glad she’d come. When was the last time he’d enjoyed spending time with a woman? It had been years.
A few days later, Roxie sat on her bed, reading a book when her mother walked by the door three times. Once, she was holding laundry. The other two times, she had a coffee mug in her hand. Each time, she stopped and looked in at Roxie. When Roxie didn’t speak, her mom would sigh, turn away, and walk off, muttering to herself.
Eventually, she’d work up the nerve to say something. Roxie’s anxiety was starting to feel like a big rubber band around her chest, getting tighter and tighter.
Meredith came to the door, this time with two mugs. She walked straight into Roxie’s bedroom, with her teen years’ crushes hanging on the walls, and handed her one.
“You haven’t been out of the house in days.”
“I’ve been busy.” Roxie shut her eyes, because that was the exact wrong thing to say.
“I’d like to know what you’ve been busy doing, Roxanne.”
And there it was. Her mom had called her Roxanne, and that meant shit was getting real.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I don’t want you to ‘say’ anything. I want you to get out of the house, to go somewhere—anywhere—that isn’t the cat rescue.”
“I’m meeting my friend in an hour.” The lie came, unbidden, because she couldn’t have this fight with her mom again.
Meredith sat back, seemingly satisfied, and sipped her coffee. “Then shouldn’t you get ready?”
Roxie looked down at her t-shirt and sweatpants. She could scrounge up some clean clothes, maybe even take a shower, she supposed. “I was just getting ready to.”
“Excellent. Drink your coffee before it gets cold.” She left Roxie there, with a full mug of coffee and no clue what she was going to do with herself when she left.
Roxie stormed into the bathroom, shed her clothes, and turned the shower as hot as she could stand it. She climbed in and stood there as minutes ticked by. Eventually, she was soaked and the water was cooling fast. She washed her hair and body then decided what the hell, she’d shave her legs, too. After she finished, she twisted the water off and, snatching a towel from the rack, towel dried then wrapped her hair up in it.
Rather than deal with her hair, she combed it then French-braided it. She’d taught herself how to do it by feel a few months ago when she needed her hair out of her face, needed to show her mom she was cleaning up nicely. She grabbed a pair of denim shorts and pulled them on, then topped it with a clean, but faded t-shirt. There. Good enough.
Now, she’d go get in her car and… drive around for a couple of hours? She shrugged, brushing her teeth. When she finished, she examined herself in the mirror. Before everything happened, her hair had always been fixed in perfect curls, her makeup immaculate. She didn’t think she’d been vain so much as she had enjoyed doing those things. Now, she couldn’t imagine where she’d get the energy from.
“I’m going out, Mom,” she called as she walked through the kitchen and out to her beat up old Subaru. She’d had to downsize her car situation from a behemoth payment to something she could buy outright. She’d sold her car and used what little profit she made to buy this taupe, late-model, sensible car.
She started the engine and backed out like she had a purpose, a place to be. A mile down the road, she pulled onto the shoulder and dug her cell out of her purse. She looked up Aidan’s contact info and hit call.
It was two in the afternoon, but Aidan sounded bleary-headed when he picked up the phone.
“Did I wake you?” Roxie rubbed her hand absently on her jean shorts.
“My shift ended this morning and I was up all night fighting a house fire.”
“I hope everyone was okay.”
“We got them all out, even the family dog.” Aidan yawned and the mattress creaked as he shifted in bed. Wonder what he sleeps in?
Okay, time to keep this thought process PG-13, at least. “That’s so good. I couldn’t do a job like that, with all those lives depending on me. I’d screw it up.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You’re more competent than you give yourself credit for, Rox.”
“Well… anyway, I’m just saying I admire you for the work you do.”
Sheets rustled. “Okay, I’m awake now. Want to meet at Cupid’s Cafe for coffee?”
Roxie chewed on a hangnail, thinking it over. “That place is a little weird. All the Roman decor in a coffeehouse? It’s strange.”
“That’s why you fit right in.”
“Ha, you’re hilarious. Fine, I’ll meet you there.” She started up her engine. She was getting antsy sitting here, worried her mom would figure out what she’d done and come looking for her.
“See you soon.” He hung up and relief washed over her like a cool rain. She wouldn’t be lying to her mom when she told her she went out. She’d never have had the guts to ask him for coffee. She still nursed a bit of a crush on him, although he obviously only wanted to
be friends with her.
Obvious, except the kiss. No. She shook her head. She wouldn’t think about that. It was a one-off, an aberration. An accident, maybe. Sorry, I accidentally fell into your face. Exactly like that.
She put her car in drive and drove to Cupid’s Cafe in the city. The traffic was light and it only took her about fifteen minutes. She loved this part of Louisville. Bardstown Road was eclectic and full of creative energy. She drove by a thrift shop named Eyedia and turned her head to look inside, earning her a honk by someone behind her because she’d slowed down. She’d loved finding old furniture and making it new and different in her other life, before everything went wrong.
When she walked in, the odd sense of tranquility bathed her. So interesting, the way this place creeped her out a little, because it seemed like more than a coffeehouse, with that Angel character and the beautiful baristas. And yet, when she came here, she experienced a peace she rarely knew. Like… maybe everything could be okay again.
Roxie walked up to the coffee bar and ordered a frappe. She needed something sweet and caffeinated.
After a bit of people watching while she sipped her frappe, Aidan walked in. He was perfect. Like he could’ve been there for a photoshoot. He was ridiculously hot. He had the sexy widow’s peak going on, full brown hair, hazel eyes that looked blue today. His t-shirt stretched taut over his muscles, and his jeans did nothing to camouflage his strong thighs.
He ordered a drink and caught her eye, gave her an abbreviated salute while he waited, then walked over to sit beside her. How was she at a cool coffeehouse sitting with the sexiest man in the room?
“How’s Roxie?”
“Serene, which is weird. I never feel serene.”
“Take what you can get, I guess.” His mug steamed with black coffee. “So, are you excited about going camping?”
She traced a pattern on the table, the eight-shape of infinity. “I didn’t think you were serious about that.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“So many reasons, I don’t seem to be able to pick one.”
Aidan’s smile grew and he took another sip of his coffee. “I have to wait until I can get an extra couple of days off. Week after next.”
“Sure, sounds like fun.”
“Great. Before that, I thought we’d try rock-wall climbing. You said something in between rafting and jumping out of a plane, and I’m doing my best to accommodate you.”
“Is it like climbing a mountain? Because I’m out.” She pushed tendrils of hair out of her face. They tended to snake out when the humidity was high.
Aidan laughed. “No, it’s like climbing a wall with little divots for your hands and feet.”
“How high?”
“Depends on the wall. They have walls for beginners and you can wear a safety harness, so quit making that face.”
“I’m not making a face.” She shook her head for emphasis, schooling her features into neutrality.
“You’ve got little worry lines in your brow. It’s definitely a face.”
She sucked air from her empty frappe cup, considering her options. If she went out again and told her mom she was going away in a couple of weeks, it was a win/lose proposition. Her mom would likely leave her alone to read and yell at the television in peace, but she’d assume Roxie was at the start of some big affair. And this was so clearly not dating. They were two buds, hanging out.
If she worded things carefully, maybe she’d convince her mom of that. “Okay.”
“Tomorrow, my last day off before my shift starts again.”
“So soon?”
“You got plans?” Aidan blinked at her, all innocence now. He knew she didn’t. She’d told him she never went anywhere except to work with the cats.
“I can cancel a thing, push another couple of events back, I suppose.”
“Good deal. You want to split one of those pastries? They look unnaturally delicious.”
“Sure. You’re paying.”
He, at least, had a job and could afford such luxuries.
Wow, tomorrow she’d climb a rock wall. Okay, then.
Chapter Six
Aidan and Roxie strolled into the rock-wall climbing gym. A couple of guys he knew waved at him and he threw a hand in reply. He glanced over at Roxie. She looked nervous. Her face pinched, and her shoulders tensed.
“Hey,” he said. “Relax. We’re supposed to be having fun.”
She heaved a sigh. “I know. Fun.”
He walked up to the counter and explained he was here with a beginner and wanted to rent a safety harness. When he reached into his pocket for his wallet, he came up empty. Damn. “Can you put the rental on my account?”
The trim guy in a blue polo checking them in nodded, and Aidan signed for the harness.
Roxie spoke up from behind him. “You mean they don’t just give them to everyone? You’re going to climb without one?”
He grinned at the man checking them in then turned his attention to Roxie. “I’ll be fine. Trust me?”
“Yes.” She dug her hands in her pockets. “That answer came way too easy considering you want me to jump out of a plane.”
“I will always make sure you’re going to be okay.” Something in him wanted to protect her, to nurse her back to wholeness, to never let another bad thing happen to her. That came altogether too easy for his liking, too.
They made their way to the beginner walls, her harness trailing in his hand. As Roxie walked, she massaged one hand with another. He’d make sure this was as awesome an adventure as rafting had been. She’d have fun if it killed him.
On the sidelines, Aidan began the process of getting her into the harness. She stepped into it and he pulled it up to her waist.
“You don’t have to do this.” Her voice was soft. Did she feel shy, maybe, with him sliding the harness up between her thighs?
“I want to make sure it’s on correctly. Stop worrying. You’re making the worried face again.”
“Worried is like my default expression. Let’s not read too much into it.”
“Yeah?” He stood up, pulling the harness tight around her waist. “I like when you smile. You’ve got a beautiful smile, Rox.”
They were inches apart now, his hands on her hips. It was so much like the night he’d kissed her. All he could think about was kissing her again. That night, she’d tasted spicy and hot, and he wanted to know if he was just a little drunk and imagined the electricity passing between them. “Snug?” he asked her. His voice sounded strange to his own ears, too husky.
“Snug.” The moment passed when she raised an eyebrow. “Are we ready to climb a wall? This has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I swear, I think I get less sane when you’re around.”
“I know the feeling.” He moved away and led her to the wall. “Okay, watch me first.”
He stepped up to the wall, judged the best route, and clambered to the top. His breathing barely came any harder—he’d done this so often and was accustomed to more challenging climbs. Once there, he swung a leg over the top and glanced down. She stood at the foot of the wall, looking up at him, a hand up to shade her eyes from the natural sunlight flowing through the high windows.
Damn it, he still wanted her. The cut-off jeans and the harness outlining all her curves wasn’t helping anything. Maybe some physical activity would.
With a sigh, he made his way back down the wall and hopped off a few feet from the ground. “Ready to give it a try?”
She swallowed hard and nodded her head. “Oh, sure. This might as well happen.”
After a minute, she made her way over to the wall and frowned at it.
“Just start by judging your first few steps. After a while, you’ll be able to plan your way to the top. Then we move on to more difficult walls.”
“I don’t think that will be today.” She put a hand out, grasped a handhold, and put her foot in an indentation a few inches off the floor.
He planned to go up beside her, a little lo
wer, to guide her up the wall. When he made his first move to climb, she slipped and fell. The harness lowered her to the ground. It wasn’t much of a fall anyway.
On her ass, she looked up at the wall with narrowed eyes. “Like hell I’m going to let a damn wall beat me.”
“There you go. Get up and try again. Figure out where you slipped up, try to avoid it this time.”
Roxie stared at the wall for a moment, the tip of her tongue touching her top lip as she thought. “Okay.”
Step-by-step, hand-over-hand, she started to climb again. Aidan went up behind her, which put him in the enviable position of staring at her ass a most of the time. He pushed himself to concentrate on what she was doing rather than how much he’d like to cup her behind and pull her against him.
“You’re doing great. Everything looks great from here.” Did he really just say that aloud? “I meant your form and the way you’re moving. Making progress. You know what I mean.”
She paused to give him a narrow-eyed glance down. “What else would you mean?”
“Nothing. Pay attention to what you’re doing.”
She grabbed for a handhold a little too high, slipped, and the harness lowered her safely to the ground. “Shit!”
He made his way back down. “You all right?”
“Of course I’m all right. I’d have two broken legs if it weren’t for this harness, but now I have no excuse but to keep going.”
“We can stop if you want.” When she stood, he brushed a hair from her face. “Hey, you don’t have to get to the top today. You’ve gotten a decent workout and, I hope, had a little fun doing it. That’s all this was about.”
“I’ll have fun when I make it to the top.” She marched past him and hauled herself up onto the wall.
For a couple of hours, he followed her up the wall. She fell several more times, the harness easing her to the ground.
Physical activity should have helped him, but being so close to her, reaching out to touch her, to correct her hand and foot-holds, ignited a slow burn on his desire.
Finally, after at least three hours, she made it to the top. “Yes,” she called out. “Horrible clumsiness, 47. Me, one. But, my one beats all the falls!”
Exactly Like You: A Cupid Cafe Story Page 6
