by Bella Emy
Fuck, am I drooling?
I quickly put my hand up and pretend to lean my head on it, but I’m low-key wiping the corner of my mouth to check for drool. Nope, no drool, thank God.
Wait, did his eyes just dip from my eyes to my chest? I must be seeing things.
“Yes, thank you. I am. Must have been like a forty-eight hour bug or something, you know?” I lie, thinking of anything to save my ass.
He furrows his brows. Yeah, he’s not buying that. He’s not stupid, and I know that.
“Yeah. Sure... I hear something’s going around.” He adjusts his tie and then says, “Well, the main thing is that you’re better now. We are swamped with cases we need to take care of.”
“I know. I had just signed in and noticed my inbox was beyond full. Not to mention the thousands of manila folders stacked up like mountains and spread out across my desk welcoming me when I walked in.”
He chuckles, and I’m transfixed. God, I love the sound of it.
OK, I really need to get a hold of myself.
He nods his head. “This is why I try to not ever get sick.”
“Exactly.”
He offers me another smile and then goes to get up. Fuck, as nervous as I am knowing that the candy gram was delivered to him, I still don’t want him to leave. “All good on your end?” I try, stalling.
He goes to say something, but then suddenly stops.
“What? What is it?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nah, no. Forget it, it’s nothing.” He spins around, starting to walk out the door, when suddenly, he flips right back around and takes his seat again. “Well, yeah. Actually, I do want to ask you something.”
Oh, fuck. He knows! He knows, and I’m going to die!
“Y-yeah?” I swallow hard, sweat beads beginning to form on my forehead. My right leg bounces uncontrollably, and the butterflies in my belly begin going nuts all over again.
Get it together, Paige! Get it together!
He squints his eyes and then begins talking in a hushed tone. “So, I received this really interesting piece of mail yesterday when I got home from work.”
Oh, my God... he knows it’s me. He’s going to confront me and ask me if I’ve lost my goddamn mind. I know he’s going to tell me I’m crazy. We’re just friends... co-workers, after all.
“Oh?” I hesitate. What more can I possibly say? That I know exactly where he’s going with this and that I’m really sorry? Maybe I should just apologize and tell him it was all my crazy friend’s idea? Oh, my God... this seriously cannot be happening. This cannot be my life. Ugh!
“Yeah...” he leans in closer and continues in his low voice. “It’s actually really sweet... it was like a love note with a lollipop attached to it... I can’t think of the word...”
“Candy gram?” I suggest.
“Yes! That’s it! A candy gram! That’s exactly what it was! Shit, Paige... if I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was from you!”
Now there’s a thought...
He chuckles again, and I join in, giggling nervously.
I wait for him to say more because right now, I’m at a total loss for words. But thank God, he doesn’t know it’s from me. He doesn’t even suspect me. I should definitely be feeling relieved, but knowing that he’s going to see me there at the proposed meeting location tomorrow, I still feel like I’m hyperventilating.
“Oh, I see,” I add.
“Yeah, here. I’ll read it to you.”
Oh, fuck. Shoot me now. I think my cheeks are bright pink by now. How am I going to ever survive this day as well as tomorrow night?
He pulls out his iPhone and begins looking through it. I look over and see he’s opened up his camera roll. Great. Of course, he took a picture of the damn thing.
When he finds the picture he’s looking for, he sits back and begins reading for me to hear.
“Your secret admirer wants you to know, that she has been wanting to hold you so. The feelings she feels for you are so intense, she hopes you’ll soon bring her happiness. Enjoy this treat, a special lollipop, that with each lick and suck, you will make her heart stop...” He stops reading for a moment to look up at me. “Isn’t that kind of kinky?” He chuckles, shaking his head but doesn’t wait for me to respond. He picks up right where he left off.
“Listen, there’s more. So if you indeed get a sugar rush, meet her on Valentine’s Day, and find out who’s your special crush. Jackson Fierce, your presence is required on Thursday, the Fourteenth of February 2019 at the Harborstone Pier at seven p.m. sharp.” Once more, he looks up at me and says, “Isn’t that funny? That’s one of our favorite spots.”
I giggle nervously yet again. “Yeah... funny.”
“Wait, there’s a bit more. You, along with nine other singles will be assigned to a table to enjoy a fun night of painting and devouring the sweetest treats. Candies and chocolates will be spread across the tables while you paint the gorgeous scenery over the pier. The one who sent this candy gram to you will be there, sitting across from you. Do not disappoint your secret admirer and crush her dreams. Give in to your sweet tooth...”
He puts his phone back into his pocket and then says, “I can’t for the life of me figure out who it’s from.”
“Yeah,” I say.
“Well, I was hoping you would be able to help me. It just says secret admirer. I have no idea who it could be, but since we’re so close, and you pretty much know everything about me, maybe you can help me figure out who it is before I meet her tomorrow... whoever she may be.”
I take a sip of my coffee. I need the warm beverage to soothe me right now because I’m going to lose my shit. “I-I really don’t know, Jax.” Trying to turn the tables on him because I don’t like the spotlight on me, I ask, “Do you have any suspicions at all as to who it might be from?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure.” He turns his head around to look toward the receptionist’s desk and then says, “I was thinking Jill. She’s always super nice to me... smiling and all. I can’t tell if she’s flirting with me or if that’s just how she is with everyone.”
Fuck, I can’t have him thinking Jill likes him. What if he then begins liking her? I’ll lose any chance I may have with him. She’s so pretty and sweet, I would never stand a chance. Someone like me against her? Yeah, right.
“Are you serious? No way, that’s just her personality. She’s sweet and always smiling at everyone.”
“Hmm, you’re right.” He stops talking momentarily before saying, “I do have another suspicion.”
Fuck, please don’t say me... please don’t say me.
“Yeah?” I ask.
He nods his head three times. “My best friend’s sister, Candace. I think I’m going to give Tristan a call right now.”
Candace? I don’t know Candace. I know his best friend is Tristan, but I’ve never met him. I’ve only heard him talk about him every so often. Who is Candace, what is she about, and what does she look like? Fuck, I wonder if I just pushed him into the arms of another woman.
He rises from his seat and smiles at me. “Thanks, Paige. You always know how to help me. You are a great friend.” He turns around and walks out of my office.
A great friend...fuck. I’ll never be anything more to him. He doesn’t see me as anything else. But, on the bright side, he doesn’t suspect me. And until tomorrow night, when he sees me at the pier alongside the other couples Single Status hooked up, he’ll have no freaking clue.
Mission one: accomplished.
CHAPTER NINE
Jackson
As I exit out of Paige’s office, I’m all smiles. I think it really could be Candace that has a crush on me. Not saying that this is particularly making me happy, but I’m glad to finally be making some headway.
“Good morning again, Jackson,” Jill says, greeting me with her famous bright smile. Somehow, it just seems brighter than the last time. She had already said good morning to me when she saw me walking in. Maybe Paige is right. Maybe I am reading too much into her
friendliness and taking it as though she’s flirting with me. She does have a point that Jill is always super friendly to everyone... who knows?
I nod at her but don’t stop to make small talk. I’m on a mission, and I need to get to my office and make a phone call.
As I step foot into my office, I can’t get the thought of how pretty Paige looked today out of my mind. OK, don’t get me wrong. She’s always been pretty, but I have never thought of her as more than just a friend. After all, that’s all we are: friends and co-workers. I know she’s got no romantic interest in me whatsoever. Like I said, we’re just friends and co-workers. Nothing more.
Still, I don’t know, though... something about today and the possibility of a new crush... who knows? Maybe it is her. Yeah, right. Wake up, Jackson and feel the sting from the pan that just slammed into your face. Not in a million years would she consider me anything more than a friend. And plus, I know Paige would have never sent me something like that. That’s not something she would do. She’s not particularly shy, but I know that would have been a damn bold move. I just can’t picture her doing it.
But fuck. She’s so pretty.
Pretty? No, scratch that. She’s sexy. Like, lick-my-lips-and-tongue-her-down-right-now sexy. The way her eyes look at me like she wants it, too sometimes... her pretty smile... her curvy body.
Fuck, what’s wrong with me? I know I’m a guy and all, but this is Paige I’m talking about. Shit. I still can’t deny the way I felt when I first saw her minutes ago in that white top hinting at the slightest amount of cleavage. The Lord truly blessed her on top, and all over. But it’s not my fault, honestly. When she brought her hand up to her face, I couldn’t help but follow, and damn, I’m glad I did.
Fuck. I think I need to get laid again. That or find out who this damn secret admirer is so that I can make something happen. Hopefully...
I drop down into my black mahogany leather chair and spin around to pick up the receiver on my desk phone. And just as quickly as I pick it up, I drop it down into its proper place. My eyes dart to the door as my uncle winks at me and walks right in.
“Morning, Jackson.”
“Hey, Good morning, Uncle Jeff.” He’s carrying his leather briefcase that he takes with him everywhere. It looks like he’s on his way out. He’s probably off to meet one of our clients or he’s possibly heading to court.
“Making any new headway on that Johnson case?” he asks.
“I’ve honestly been preoccupied with... things, but I’ll get to it in a bit,” I say. It’s not totally a lie. I am planning on doing some more research, but not ‘til I research my own shit first. I can’t concentrate until I figure out who this secret admirer of mine is.
“All right, son, well, don’t let it slip through the cracks. We’ve gotta take down that son-of-a-bitch... his soon-to-be ex-wife is hurting for the money she deserves. Once we bring justice to her, he’s going to pay. Suits him right for leaving her with those three little babies. I don’t even think the oldest one is out of pull-ups yet.”
I give my uncle a disapproving gaze as I shake my head back and forth. Uncle Jeff is a complete family man; he would never mistreat Aunt Sally. The two of them have been together since their senior year of high school. He proposed to her a year later, married her after another two years, and then came my cousins Donnie and Julie. I’m younger than the both of them, but my cousins and I are fairly close. Anyway, his belief in family and keeping promises is the reason why he got into this field of law in the first place. He’s a good man, and I look up to him.
“Damn. No problem, Unc. I just have one phone call to make, and then I’ll get right to working on that case,” I say, hoping he’ll be on his way out now so that I can call Tristan.
Uncle Jeff taps the door three times with his free hand and then nods at me. “Sounds good. I’ll see you later, Jackson.”
“See ya, Uncle Jeff.”
He spins around and begins walking toward the front entrance. As he does so, I hear Jill bidding him adieu. I look up just in time to see her smiling her wide open grin at him. As I shake my head back and forth, my eyes casually avert over to Paige’s office. Damn. Look at her. My eyes dart back down to her cleavage, admiring the view.
Fuck, Jackson, don’t you see she’s busy? She doesn’t have time to worry about your pathetic ass. Stop staring at her!
She’s busy, typing away at something on her computer, not even noticing me. Then again, why would she?
I take a deep breath and pick up the receiver of my desk phone once more. I dial Tristan’s number and wait for him to respond. It rings four times and then goes to voicemail. Fuck.
I slam the receiver back down. I’m getting so aggravated. Why the hell isn’t he answering my call? I pull out my cell phone and see that by now, he should be at work. I decide to call him from my cell instead.
“Yo, what up, Jax?” Tristan’s assholic voice comes through the line.
“Why the fuck didn’t you answer when I first called you like ten seconds ago?” I demand. I know I shouldn’t be coming off so strong, but I don’t care. I want answers. He could possibly have them.
“Oh, that was you. I didn’t recognize the number...”
I let out a sigh of frustration. “Dude, I called you from my work phone. I’ve been working here for years... I’ve called you from this line before... how the fuck did you not know it was me?”
He chuckles. “I don’t know, man. I don’t memorize numbers. I only answer calls from numbers I recognize. Anyways, what’s going on, dude? Any new chicks spending time in your bed?” He chuckles again. Man, he loves cracking himself up, doesn’t he? And he thinks he’s so damn funny.
I gaze up for a moment and look back over at Paige, but now she’s not at her desk. Damn.
“Nah, listen. I have something I need to ask you,” I say.
“Aww, are you asking me to prom?”
“What? No! Shut the fuck up, man!”
He’s laughing again, and I have to admit that he did catch me off guard, and I’m laughing a little, too.
“Listen, I got a note in the mail from a secret admirer and–”
“Oh, a secret admirer, huh? Sorry, it wasn’t me, dude,” he says, cutting me off. Once again, he’s cracking up.
“Fuck, that’s not what I’m getting at, man. I was going to ask if you know of anybody who might have a crush on me... besides you,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Possibly someone you’re close to that knows the both of us?” I don’t want to insult him or whatever by blatantly naming his sister, but I hope he will mention her himself.
“Hmm... let me think, let me think. Nope. Sorry. Just me,” he says, blowing me a kiss through the phone.
I shake my head back and forth... Tristan and his damn jokes. “Fuck, that was fast... you don’t think anyone has a crush on me? Someone obviously does...”
“Yeah, well, maybe. But no one I can think of. Every chick I know is unfortunately taken,” he says, finally taking me seriously.
“Everyone?”
“Yeah. Even Candace started dating some hunk about a week ago... she’s fucking crazy about him. So far, I don’t have to rip his balls off and hang them around his neck; he seems to be treating her alright, I guess.”
Fuck, there goes my intuition, failing me once again.
“Really? Candace is dating someone. Damn, good for her.”
“Yeah. No idea who it could be, dude.”
Well, this sucks. My only lead and it was wrong. I made no damn progress, and I still have no fucking clue who it could be that sent me that damn candy gram.
Suddenly, as if a bolt of electricity hits me, I think I know who may have sent it to me. I mean, it’s a long shot, but seriously, I have no other fucking clue. This could be the worst possible fucking thing ever if it is who I’m thinking.
“Listen, T. I’ll call you back... I have to take care of some things here at the office. Later.”
Not even waiting for him to say goodbye, I quickly hit th
e end key and dial another number.
“Hello? Jackson?” she answers sounding surprised as hell on the second ring. I mean, I wasn’t expecting anything else. Who would think I would be calling her?
“Amelia. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks. What about yourself? How have you been doing?” she asks after getting over the initial shock. I haven’t spoken to her since her sister and I broke up.
“I’m hanging in there, thanks.” I pause for a second before asking her what I really want to know. “How’s Amalia? And Paul?” I swallow hard and wait for her to respond.
“Well, she’s OK. But they did have a falling out last month.”
Oh, fuck. A falling out? As in they broke up? I knew it. It was her. This would definitely be the type of thing she’d do to surprise her crush... me. She’s the one who sent the candy gram. She felt like an asshole for breaking off our engagement, and now she wants to rekindle our relationship. Can’t say I’m technically thrilled it’s her, but at least I know. Not that I’ll go along with it. Now that I’m about 99.9% sure, I’m not going to the meeting place tomorrow night.
“Oh? I’m really sorry to hear that,” I lie. Well, maybe not completely. I mean, it sucks what she did to me, but I don’t wish her anything bad. Maybe I just don’t want her relationship to work out with Paul because he’s the dude she left me for. But I would never take her back, nor do I want her or miss her.
She chuckles. “Yeah, sure you are. Anyways, it doesn’t matter. They worked shit out a week after they fought... I just wanted to make you sweat a bit.”
Wow, that was a close one.
I chuckle, but I don’t really find it funny. “Oh, OK. Well, I was just calling to say hello. Please take care, Amelia, and tell your sister I said the same.”
I hang up after she says goodbye and then sit, thinking to myself.
I don’t even know why I thought Amalia might have sent such a thing to me, but I’m honestly relieved it’s not her. Guess I’ll be going to the pier at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, after all. I need to know who likes me.
