by Kelsie Rae
“Thanks. We’ll be back in a few.”
As he guides me to the exit, Suzette calls, “Take your time!”
I toss a quick glare over my shoulder then fold my arms defensively when the bell chimes. We walk side by side in silence. Chewing on my lower lip, I scan the bustling street around me, unsure of our destination.
“Come here,” he murmurs before leading me to a bench not too far down the road.
It’s still warm outside, and the sun is shining brightly in the sky. But it does nothing to heat the deep cold that seeped into my bones the night before. I’m not sure if anything can take away the chill. I rub my hands up and down my arms before tucking them into my lap.
After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally crack. “Spit it out, Levi.”
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes widen in surprise, but I keep my mouth shut.
Daring to look at me, his gaze shines with remorse. And I melt just a little bit.
He’s always been good at that. Sure, he’s screwed up more than once in our relationship, but he always comes back with a genuine apology and a promise not to do it again. And I’ve always forgiven him, knowing he’ll do the best he can. Because he always does.
Levi doesn’t do things half-assed. It’s one of the things I love about him.
Shying away from the thought, I lick my lips. “Okay. You’ve apologized,” I acknowledge. “Can I get back to work now?”
“Not quite yet.” He smirks. It’s clear he’s enjoying my feistiness. “I was wondering if you’re busy Friday night?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because I wanted to know if you’d want to go out on a date.”
Rearing back, I spit, “So help me, Levi. If you’re honestly trying to force me to go on another date with your friend after your reaction last night, I will hit you in the balls until your voice is cracking like it did in middle school. I can’t believe you would honestly—”
He cuts me off by smashing his mouth against mine. Okay, maybe smashing isn’t the right word. It’s more like possessing every inch of me. I sit there frozen and in shock for about two Mississippis before my instincts take over. Then it’s game on.
Hands tangling into his short hair, I pull him closer, pressing my chest into his shoulder and bicep before he turns his upper body to face me fully. He wraps his arm around my waist and inches me closer. I smile when I realize I’m practically in his lap, but it vanishes almost instantly when I feel his fingers dig into my ass to hold me in place.
With the precision of a sniper, Levi had zeroed in on my mouth, and now, he’s desperately exploring every inch as if he owns it. And he does. He owns every piece of me. Ripping my mouth away from his, I take a deep breath and look up at the shining blue sky. The heat from our kiss burns me up like an inferno. I want to laugh at how quickly the tide turned.
Levi doesn’t waste any time as he cups each side of my face, clearly not finished with me yet. His teeth nibble my lower lip before the tip of his nose grazes my neck as he places a gentle kiss along the column of my throat. Chest expanding beneath my fingertips, he breathes me in like a fine wine.
“God, you smell good.”
With a light laugh, my brain tries to catch up with what the hell just happened.
“You, uh….” My voice is breathy as I search for a response. “You smell good too?” It comes out as more of a question than a witty reply.
His pouty lips tilt up in amusement, his eyes softening before he tucks that same piece of stubborn hair behind my ear. With his hands still cupping my jaw, he plants another kiss against my lips. This time, it’s softer. Slower. More innocent, yet just as promising.
“I want to take you on a date, Charlie. A real date. Just me and you.”
“Why?” I choke out. My brain pushes aside my mushy emotions in an attempt to protect my fragile heart.
“When I saw his hands touching you, his mouth kissing you, his eyes eating up every inch of your skin,”––he shakes his head like he can’t bear the thought––“I realized something. I realized that it should be my hands.” His calloused fingertips release their hold on my face and brush along the exposed skin on my arm. “My mouth.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss against my temple. “My eyes.” Lifting his hand, he holds my chin and tilts my head up until I’m captured in his intense gaze. His breath fans across my face, kissing my flaming cheeks as he whispers, “This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. But if I don’t ask you out, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
Logic still fights against his declaration, giving me no choice but to ask, “A date? That’s all you want from me?”
“I put you in a box a long time ago, Charlie. A can’t-be-touched, wingman-only, look-at-her-like-a-little-sister box. Then, when I saw you with him, I realized something. You were never meant to be tucked away, and I’d lose you if I didn’t figure out how to let you out of those boundaries I’d forced on you. It’s not that I never appreciated you. I think I was afraid that if I ever let you out of that box, I’d risk breaking us and our relationship.” Clearing his throat, he drops his hold. “Although, I probably should’ve asked how you felt about me before I stuck my tongue down your throat so….”
My mouth stretches into a full-on grin as a laugh bubbles out of me.
“Yeah, that might’ve been the more gentlemanly thing to do.”
“Gentlemanly?” he questions, quirking his brow.
I laugh. “Yup. It’s a good thing I’ve always had a thing for players.”
“Is that right?”
“Maybe.”
With a look of pure satisfaction, he leans closer and whispers, “So what do you say? Will you go out with a player who’s willing to settle down for you?”
“You’re willing to settle down for me?” I ask, my emotions shoving my stupid logic aside like a linebacker rushing the endzone.
“If I wasn’t, I never would’ve jeopardized our friendship, Charlie.”
And I know he’s right. Levi isn’t an idiot. Well, not usually, anyway. He’s meticulous. Brilliant. And brave as hell. It’s that last trait that pushes me over the edge, forcing me to take the leap I’ve been desperate to jump for years, yet I was too terrified to witness the outcome before. But now? With his own eyes urging me to take a chance, I finally feel brave. Powerful. And maybe even a little confident in my own skin too.
“Yes,” I agree. “I’ll go out with you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And what about Conner?” he presses.
With a shrug, I say, “What about him?”
“Charlie—”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Any chance you could do it delicately?” He grimaces, which only makes me giggle.
Rolling my eyes, I nudge my shoulder against his. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks. Even though I was insanely jealous of the guy, now that I’m the one walking away with the girl, I kinda feel bad for him.”
My stomach tightens when the words insanely jealous reach my ears, but I try to keep it cool.
With a one-shouldered shrug, I murmur, “I’m sure he’ll be fine. Plenty of fish in the sea, and all that jazz, right? But you’re welcome.”
“And Charlie?” Levi tugs on the end of my ponytail playfully, though his expression is consuming.
“Yeah?” I ask, squirming under his intense gaze.
“I’m really glad you said yes.”
Sucking my lips into my mouth, I attempt to keep my smile hidden from my best friend, who just made it very clear that he’s interested in pursuing something…more.
“Me too.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Levi
The walk back to work goes by quickly. My body moves on auto-drive as my mind replays the conversation with Charlie a thousand times. After I step off the elevator, I head to Alexandra’s office then rap my knuckles against her partially open door.
“Com
e in.”
With a few deliberate steps, I set the Get Baked box on her desk.
She grins. “And?”
“And she said she’d go out with me.”
“Yes!” she whisper-shouts. “What are you guys going to do?”
“No idea,” I admit on a laugh. Running my fingers through my hair in desperation, I ask, “Where do you take your best friend on a first date?”
“Don’t overthink it, and don’t put too much pressure on anyone. Just choose something you both love to do,” she offers as though it’s the easiest solution in the world.
With a groan, I sit down in the chair across from her then rest my elbows on my knees. “I know what Charlie and I like to do when we’re hanging out. We’d go to the batting cages, watch a movie, or go for a run. But I literally have no idea what she’d like to do on a date. Hell, I’m pretty sure the only date she’s ever been on was during her Sophomore year with a dick named Johnny, who, by the way, I confronted afterward and told him to stay away. And then she went out with Conner, which we both know was lame.”
Amused, Alexandra asks, “Why did you tell Johnny to stay away?”
“Because he was a dick.”
Didn’t I already say that?
“You said that already,” she points out, reading my mind. “I’m just curious why you thought he was a dick.”
“Does there need to be a reason? He was some asshole in high school. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted from her.”
Laughing, Alexandra leans back in her office chair.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” she replies through bouts of laughter.
“Bullshit. Tell me.”
“I just think you’ve had a thing for her longer than you realize, that’s all. It’s kinda cute, actually.”
I roll my eyes but don’t bother to argue. “We’re getting off point. What are we supposed to do on a date? Usually, when I take a girl out, I only have one thing on my mind and….” My voice trails off.
“And it feels wrong to want that,” she emphasizes the word, “with your best friend?”
Scratching my jaw, I say, “Kind of, yeah. I feel guilty.”
“Don’t. You’re a guy. And she’s a girl. Even if she’s as innocent as you say, she’s not an idiot. Especially since she knows you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I mumble under my breath.
Assessing me, she probes, “What do you mean?”
I shift in my seat and look up at the ceiling.
This is such an inappropriate topic of conversation to be having at work, let alone with one of my bosses. But she’s also a woman. And since I can’t pick Charlie’s brain on the topic, yet I’m still desperate to know what she’s thinking, Alexandra will have to do. I just hope I don’t get fired for it.
“I don’t date women seriously. They know what they’re getting into when we start seeing each other.”
“And you’re afraid Charlie’s expecting the same thing?”
Clearing my throat, my attention drops down to my lap before shifting from left to right. Finally, it lands back on Alexandra. “Yeah.”
“So, you think she only wants you for your bod?” she asks. A teasing grin is plastered on her face as she assesses me.
With a dry laugh, I repeat, “Yeah.”
“But you want more than that with her?” I open my mouth to reply when she cuts me off with her dainty forefinger raised in the air. “And so help me, if you say no, I will cut off your balls and ship them to her so she doesn’t have to do it herself.”
“I can get sex anywhere,” I explain though it doesn’t stop me from shifting my crotch away from the woman who just threatened it. “With Charlie…it’s different.”
She nods her approval. “Good answer. As far as the date goes, it’s really simple. Go have fun. Do something that relieves the pressure you’re both inevitably going to feel as soon as you pick her up. Get your minds off the what-ifs and focus on exploring your relationship. And then, when you’re both in love and are over the awkwardness, invite her to the grand opening of the Jelani Arts Center so I can say hi and tell her how awesome I am for guiding you through your epic meltdown.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I argue.
“That’s because it is. I knew from the moment you introduced me to her in Get Baked that there was a spark between you two. I’m just glad I get to help fan it into a flame.”
“And now we get to wait and see if Charlie and I are going to wind up burned,” I mutter before rubbing the back of my neck.
She laughs. “That’s what flowers and apologies are for. You’ll be fine, but you better get to work on those reports Greg mentioned before he comes searching for you.”
Pushing myself up from my seat, I say, “Good point. Thanks again for your help today.”
“Anytime. Keep me updated.”
“I will.”
Turning around, I stride to the door when her voice stops me. “Oh! And thanks for the eclair.”
I smile over my shoulder. “Don’t mention it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Charlie
“Good luck on your date tonight,” Suzette says with a smirk as I drop off Bonnie from our afternoon run.
“It’s not a date,” I argue, though it falls on deaf ears.
“It’s totally a date. Don’t lie just because you’re nervous.”
My phone vibrates with a text alert, and I pull it out to see if it’s from Levi. It’s not. And the name that flashes across the screen makes my face scrunch up with guilt.
Conner: Hey, beautiful. What’s up?
I slide my phone back into the pocket on my running shorts then hand over the leash to Suzette’s outstretched hand. Thankfully, she’s too hellbent on getting me to admit that I’m going on a date with Levi to notice my reaction to Conner’s text. If she did, I have no doubt she’d be grilling me as to why I’m too much of a coward to tell Conner I’m not interested in him. I mean, it was one date. And one kiss. We aren’t exclusive. At all. But that doesn’t mean he deserves to be dumped over a text, either. I make a mental note to give him a call or maybe even drop off a pastry or something at his office for a quick chat to let him down easy.
Shaking my head, I wipe my sweaty palm on my spandex-clad hip. “I’m sorry, what was the question?”
“I’m still waiting for you to admit you’re going on a date with the infamous Levi McCoy.” She taps her toes against the tile floor like a mom waiting for her kid that’s late for curfew.
“Okay, so maybe it is a date. Or maybe I misunderstood him. That’s possible, right?”
“And did you misunderstand the kiss too? Or is that something you usually do with your friends?” Suzette quips before crossing her arms and popping out her hip. The girl is totally rocking the unamused mom look.
“Shut up,” I mutter, my cheeks heating.
With a laugh, an amused Suzette pulls me into a friendly hug that somehow brings a smile to my face even though I’m beyond overwhelmed. I’d hoped the running would ease my anxiety, but it still seems to be pulsing through me just as strongly as before.
“It’s a date. And you’re going to have a blast. I better get all the details, okay?”
Stepping back, I check the time on my phone. “Deal.”
“And you have your outfit picked out?”
“Yup.”
“And you remember how to curl your hair like Sophie taught you?”
I fight the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes. “Yes, Mom,” I tease.
“Good girl. Go have fun. And don’t forget to wrap it.”
My forehead wrinkles in confusion. “Wrap what?”
“His dick.”
Gasping, I shove Suzette in the chest playfully, which manages to push her into a fit of giggles. Meanwhile, Bonnie’s head snaps up in surprise, assessing the two weirdos who are acting like a bunch of schoolgirls.
“I’m kidding!” Suzette teases. “But se
riously. Didn’t anyone ever give you the talk? Or do I need to step up and take one for the team?”
“Please don’t—”
“‘Cause I will!”
Oh, I know you will, I think to myself. And I’d be scarred for life from it.
“I’m just fine,” I tell her, praying she’ll drop it.
“So you know all about the birds and the bees? I mean, if someone’s gotta teach you how to curl your hair—”
“I got it!” I practically shout. My face is officially beet red.
Suzette pats Bonnie on the head then turns to me and does the same thing with a mischievous smirk. “Good girl, Charlie Brown.”
“Not you too!” I groan.
She laughs. “Hey, you can’t fight destiny, my friend, and you can’t fight me, either. Now get out of here and get ready for your date! I expect a detailed report as soon as you’re done. Deal?”
A glare is all she gets in response. Unfortunately, it’s quickly followed by a soft chuckle because the girl is so freaking entertaining. “Fine. See ya.”
“Bye!”
Racing out the door, my nerves frazzled, I rush to my apartment and jump into a scalding hot shower. Once I’ve shaved all the parts of me that needed it and have washed my hair, I slip into a little black dress that Sophie insisted every girl needs while Indie and Suzette nodded their heads in agreement.
After I’m dressed, I dig deep for my inner girl and do my hair and makeup with a little help from YouTube. Feeling primped and polished, I check the time on my phone and gasp when I see it.
Day-um. Being girly takes up a shitton of time.
A soft knock echoes throughout my apartment and makes my adrenaline spike. My eyes shoot to the closed door at the same time my phone vibrates with a text. Curious, I read the message, letting the stranger at my door wait a minute.
Levi: I’m here.
Grabbing my jean jacket and red Chucks that Sophie assured me match the dress perfectly, I head to the door.
