by Tia Siren
Beer was a splurge for me. I worked too hard to let a beer belly sneak up on me. I pulled out a veggie dish and popped it in the microwave before heading into my room to change. I threw on a pair of sweats and headed back out to the kitchen to grab my dinner. My phone was flashing, indicating I had a message.
Mia was quite the comedian. She pointed out the many features of my Judy doll, providing graphic images in case I wasn’t sure.
I thanked her for the help. Normally, I would hate sitting home alone on a Saturday night. Tonight, I didn’t feel alone. I had Judy after all and Mia on the other end of the phone. I was comfortable sitting on the couch in a pair of sweats and watching television.
Flipping through the channels, I found some stupid old-school sci-fi show and put it on. It reminded me of something Mia and I would watch just so we could make fun of the horrible acting and terrible special effects.
After finishing my dinner, I settled in with a pillow, stretching out on the leather couch. Mia and I continued to text back and forth. It was late. I was happy to know she wasn’t out at some swanky club or on a date with another man. She was at home, curled up in bed and watching TV as well. After a lot of prodding and begging, she finally told me she was watching her favorite reality show. I made fun of her. She deserved it.
My day on the waves was catching up. I kept dozing off only to be woken by a text from Mia. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to go to bed. It was only ten, but I was beat. I sent a sweet text telling her I was going to bed and would text her first thing in the morning.
Her response was a sleeping emoji. It was enough. It was hard to imagine a stupid little yellow face making me so happy. The simple emojis were all I needed—for now. I had to see her soon. She hadn’t asked me for any specifics of my trip. I knew she didn’t believe I was actually going to do it. I was. I wanted to surprise her and sweep her off her feet.
Chapter Twelve
Mia
Helga waved at me from across the restaurant. It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed her sitting next to the window wearing the massive black sunglasses that told everyone she was someone important. I gave a slight wave and weaved my way through the tables to make my way to her.
“Good morning, Helga. You look fabulous this morning. New?” I asked, taking in her glitzy green jacket.
She smiled. “Yes. I promised Karen I would wear it. You know, free publicity and all that,” she said, waving her hand as if it was a chore to wear designer clothing.
I sat down at the table and nodded my head, pretending to understand her plight. “I think it’s very nice. Is it the fall line? I don’t remember seeing that.”
She shook her head. “Couture.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Would it be bad if I ordered a mimosa?”
I giggled. “You’re the boss. You can do anything you want.”
She sighed. “I wish I could, but I better not. I’m sure I’m supposed to set a good example and all that nonsense. So, tell me, how have you been? Your mom told me you have a new man in your life.”
Leave it to my mother. “I don’t know that he’s really in my life.”
“Oh, I hear a story. Tell me everything!” she squealed.
Now I needed a mimosa. “It’s really no big deal, Helga.”
She shook her head. “Nope. It is. Please tell me.”
I drew in a long breath and told her the short version of my story. She was smiling and nodding as I spoke.
“That’s it? You haven’t seen him?”
“No. I really think he’s just playing games. Nothing will come of it.”
She looked at me as if she could see into my soul. “I think something will come of it, and I think you want it to.”
“No! I don’t. I can’t. I mean, it’s silly. It’s a joke.”
“What if it isn’t? Can you imagine? A real marriage pact. Here I thought those things had become out of fashion.”
I laughed. “They are out of fashion because they rarely work. We don’t have to marry to save our country.”
She shrugged a dainty shoulder. “I think it’s romantic. Is he handsome?”
“He used to be. I haven’t actually seen him for eleven years.”
“You haven’t looked him up? Come on, you have to have Facebook stalked him a little,” she teased.
I blushed. “I’ll admit I used to.”
“But you haven’t recently?”
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about him until he called me completely out of the blue.”
She nodded. I could tell she wanted to say something.
“What?” I asked. “I know you have an opinion. Please, tell me. I could use all the advice I can get.”
“In that case,” she said with a huge smile, “I think you need to give this a chance. I can tell you used to love him, and those feelings seem to be rising to the surface.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I can trust him.”
“That’s always the risk. That’s what makes love so special. When you take a risk, you gain great rewards. Love lost and all that bullshit,” she said in a whisper.
I giggled at her cursing. Helga was usually very ladylike. It was part of her image. When she slipped up, it was always funny.
“I don’t know if I want the risk. You can’t go back. I’m not the same girl, and I know he isn’t the same. At least I hope he isn’t. Our more mature, adult selves may not get along quite as well as our younger, more carefree selves.”
“Or you might.”
I smiled. “Yes, there’s that. I’m not going to worry about it. It’s all a lot of harmless flirting. He has a busy career on the West Coast. I have a busy career here. Neither one of us is going to pick up and move our lives. But I’ll admit it’s kind of nice to have someone who at least pretends to want me.”
“I bet it is. This is that fun part of a relationship, the early beginning where everything is fresh and new and you can really enjoy it all. I love young love,” she said wistfully.
I wasn’t sure that was what it was, but I could admit the idea of young love and a new relationship was exciting. I had to guard my heart, but that was easy to do when I didn’t have to worry about ever seeing him. I could flirt and tease via text messaging and relaxed about it all. If he were to show up, though, things would be very different.
“We’ll see. This is all a lot of harmless flirting right now,” I told her.
She wasn’t listening or didn’t care to. “When he shows up, I have to meet him. He sounds like a lovely man.”
“I don’t know if he is. That’s the problem!” I stressed. “He was great a long time ago, but what if he’s become some kind of womanizer and he’s bored so he’s coming back to old conquests?”
“He’s not,” she said with all the confidence in the world.
I nodded. “I’m glad you are convinced. It’s going to take me a little longer.”
She smiled, and we got back to our breakfast. I loved our breakfasts together. It didn’t happen often. Helga was a busy woman, but she was my mentor and someone I could talk to. No matter how busy she was, she always made time for me. She was one of my few friends. It was then I realized I had really shut down after Brad left. My mother and Helga were my two closest friends. I didn’t really hang out with anyone my own age. Even the dates I accepted tended to be with older men.
I silently groaned. I needed some fun and excitement in my life. That was probably why I had welcomed Brad’s recent attention. I had to get out there. Life was passing me by.
By the time we go to the office, my mind had conjured up all these different ideas of who Brad was and what he looked like now. Maybe he’d let himself go and had gotten a little plump. The guy had always been so health-conscious; it would be understandable if he relaxed a bit and enjoyed all the good stuff life had to offer, like ice cream.
I shut my office door, wanting privacy to do a little internet stalking. I had to know. I had denied myself for too long. Every time I c
aught myself thinking about him and longing to look him up, I would do something else. It had been painful to see those eyes looking back at me. Now I knew I wouldn’t feel that familiar pain. I wanted to see how he had changed.
I quickly typed his name into the search bar, along with his show’s name, and was rewarded with a page filled with articles and images of the man I used to love. I took a deep breath and clicked on one of the most recent articles. It was a grand opening of some sort.
There he was! My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the slightly older version of the Brad I had known way back when. He looked the same. His hair was shorter, the curls barely noticeable, but it was still blond. His arms were toned, and his skin was tan. The dark skin made his eyes look even bluer than I remembered. I smiled at the man looking at an elderly woman and grinning. I imagined he was probably flirting with her. He flirted with everyone and especially loved to dote on the older ladies.
I read several articles about his show. His success was fairly recent. It was only the last couple years that he had become syndicated. Each time I opened a new article, there was a different picture of him. There were signs of a few wrinkles around his eyes and a more mature, defined face.
I groaned. If the man truly did show up in New York, there was no way I could reject him easily. He was gorgeous. If the man sending the texts was really the man in the pictures, I was screwed. I was going to lose my heart again. That terrified me.
I drifted out of my office and headed into Helga’s.
“What’s the matter?” she said, peering up at me over the top of her glasses from her position behind her desk.
“I looked him up,” I groaned.
She grinned. “And?”
“And he is going to stomp all over my heart if I let him.”
“Ooh, that good looking,” she said with a dangerous smile. “I have to see this man. Let an old woman live vicariously through you.”
“Yes, very good looking, and I’m sure he knows it. He knew it when he was younger and I’m sure the women pawing all over him have reminded him quite often,” I snarked, feeling a little jealous of the women who were likely drooling over him right now.
It was only seven over there. He was probably in bed with a woman at that very moment. My blood heated with jealousy, making me feel like screaming and smashing something.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Helga said, pulling me back from my internal jealous tirade.
I shook my head. “He can’t come here. He just can’t. How can I reject him and keep my heart safe if he’s here? Those eyes,” I mumbled.
She was nodding her head. “You still love him.”
“How can I know that? I don’t even know him.”
“You do. Your heart does and your body does. Tell your brain to sit down and shut up and have some fun with a handsome young man,” she lectured.
I wanted to remind her that he wasn’t exactly young and neither was I, but Helga was pushing sixty. I imagined in her eyes we were young, just like I looked back and realized twenty-four was young.
“Thanks. I still think the best thing would be for him to just not come out here. I can’t handle seeing him.”
“You’ll handle it fine. Let your heart lead you. If you realize he’s not the man you want, he goes home and you go back to your life. No harm, no foul. You have to try.”
I let out a long sigh. She was telling me the same thing my mother had. I had a feeling the two of them were colluding.
“All right. I’m worrying about something that may never happen. I better get to work. I can’t sit around and wonder if he will or won’t. I will not let myself do that for any man,” I said, feeling more resolved than ever. “Thanks, Helga.”
I left the office and heard her snickering behind me. She was getting a kick out of all this. I was glad she was, because I sure wasn’t. I went back to my office and picked up my phone. I had only gotten a couple messages from him this morning and wondered if he was already losing interest. He had spoiled me with a barrage of messages every morning for the past week, wishing me a good day, telling me how sexy I was, and, of course, promising to do certain things to my body.
Flopping into my chair, I held my phone as I spun around to stare out the window. I sent him a short message admitting to the stalking and then put away my phone. I had to focus on my work. I was not going to let him distract me.
My phone beeped and I smiled. He was still there.
Chapter Thirteen
Brad
My plan was working. I hoped. It was risky—I knew that—but I wanted her to be completely surprised. I knew what she was thinking. She had told me as much. Mia didn’t think I was serious about going to New York, the pact, or her. She was about to find out just how wrong she was.
In order to keep her in the dark, I had quit texting her. I smiled, imagining how pissed she was at me. I bet she was cursing me and thinking of different ways to get revenge. I had gone radio silent. No texts, no little emojis, nothing. I wanted her to think I had changed my mind and had no intention of seeing her or rekindling our friendship.
It was risky. Very risky. Mia could be a bit of a hothead, and I was pressing her buttons, especially since she had only just started warming up to me. I walked past the baggage claim area at La Guardia and was glad I had only brought a single carry-on bag. Now that I was in the city, I didn’t want to waste another minute. I had to see her.
It had been a long time since I’d been in New York. It smelled different than LA. There was a different vibe altogether. I pulled up the handle of my suitcase, rolled out the doors, and inhaled the East Coast air. It was good to be home.
I hailed a taxi almost immediately. That was something else I had kind of missed. It was a bit fun to try to get a taxi to pull over. I gave the driver the name and address of Mia’s office and sat back to enjoy the ride. The hustle and bustle of the busy city never ceased to amaze me.
Though fully aware it was unprofessional for me to show up at her office unannounced, I figured it was safer territory. She wouldn’t make a big scene if we were in public and had her coworkers around us. At least I hoped she wouldn’t. She was going to be shocked when she saw me; I just hoped she didn’t throw anything at me or refuse to talk to me at all.
When the taxi stopped in front of the massive building, I hesitated a split second before jumping out and going inside. I read the directory and quickly found the offices of her magazine. The ride up in the elevator seemed to take forever, yet the second the doors slid open, I felt like it had been too short.
Gulping down the giant lump in my throat, I headed for the reception desk. A pretty young woman was smiling at me and looking me up and down. I was used to the attention, and it didn’t faze me, especially when I was on a mission.
“Hi,” she said, showing her perfect white teeth. “You look like you need something.”
“Someone, more like.”
That amped up her smile. “I’m someone.”
“I’m here to see Mia Hunter.”
The woman’s smile slipped a little as she nodded her head. “Oh. Let me see if she’s in.”
I waited while the woman called someone on the phone. I glanced around the walls, looking at the various past covers of the magazine that were framed and hanging on the wall.
“She’ll be right out,” the woman said.
I suddenly had the urge to run. I was excited and scared at the same time.
It wasn’t long before the huge doors opened and Mia strolled through. She took one look at me and stopped. I was paralyzed as well. She was absolutely fucking stunning. I knew she was pretty, but this woman was gorgeous. It was my same Mia but with a more refined, mature look. Her body was slender, her hips slightly fuller than I remembered. Her brown hair was still long but styled with choppy waves and some highlights.
I quickly looked her over, taking in the black pencil skirt, black high heels, and white shirt tucked in tight. My body instantly reacted to hers. Once I managed to
catch my breath, I walked to her, dropped my bag, and threw my arms around her.
She was stiff, her arms hanging at her sides while I embraced her, squeezing her body against mine. I kissed one cheek and then the other before stepping back, my hands on either of her shoulders as I gazed into the hazel eyes I remembered so well.
“Hi.” I grinned. “You look amazing.” She was still in shock.
“Brad?” she croaked out.
“In the flesh,” I said, still grinning like an idiot.
“Brad? You’re here?”
I nodded. “I’m here. I told you I was coming.”
She was shaking her head as if she were seeing a ghost.
“Mia, are you okay?” I asked, a little concerned about her mental health.
She nodded but still didn’t answer.
Glancing over, I saw the woman at the desk openly staring at us. I shot her a look and she quickly diverted her eyes, pretending to busy herself on the computer in front of her.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Mia said.
“I told you I was coming,” I repeated. “I was very serious, which I told you as well. You know when I set my mind to something, I’m going to do it,” I said, hoping to remind her of our old friendship.
“But, nothing. Two days and nothing.” She waved a hand. “And you’ve said things before and haven’t followed through.”
I dropped her shoulders and slapped my palm over my heart. “Ouch. I said I was sorry.”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming today. I mean, you didn’t tell me any date, actually.”
I winked. “I wanted to make sure it was a surprise. If you knew I was coming, you might have dodged me.”
“Yes. I definitely would have,” she spat out.
“Mia, come on now. You know you’re happy to see me. It’s been so long,” I soothed.
She opened her mouth to fire another retort but quickly shut it when she heard the doors open behind her.
An older woman with perfectly smooth black hair cut into a sleek bob walked through. She had a commanding appearance. She had to be someone important. She was beautiful in a regal sort of way. I imagined she had probably been a model in her youth. She had excellent bone structure and healthy, glowing skin despite her years.
