by Alison Mello
“Thanks.” I slip it over my body and start drying my hair with my towel.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to throw these in the wash, and I’ll put them in the dryer in the morning.”
“Okay.” I go to his room, pull down the sheets, and wait for him. When he sees me sitting on the bed, a huge smile takes over his face. “What?” I ask, confused as to why he’s standing there staring at me.
“I love the fact you're in my bed wearing my t-shirt with nothing else on. It’s a great way to end my day.”
I shake my head. “You gonna join me?”
He laughs. “Of course, there’s no way I’m sleeping on that couch.” He points over his shoulder with his thumb.
I pat the bed. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”
He climbs in bed next to me and pulls me close. Our bodies fit perfectly together. He runs his fingers through my hair, relaxing me. I’m glad that I can at least show him what I can’t manage to say even though it’s on the tip of my tongue.
“Goodnight, beautiful.” He kisses me on the temple and continues running his fingers through my hair until I’m asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Bentley
I’m on my way to Jade’s house for dinner and a movie. We’re hoping to hook Collin up with Katia tonight. That poor girl has been so depressed since Jade and I started dating, and we both feel really bad.
When I first told Collin about her, he, as I expected, was quite shy about it, but after showing him a picture of her and really encouraging him, he finally agreed to meet her.
I was going to pick him up to ensure he couldn’t back out, but Jade wants me to spend the night, so I told him I would meet him downstairs, and we could walk up together. I’m seriously hoping he doesn’t bail. I don’t think he will because he would have to face me on Monday. He does, after all, work for me.
When I pull up outside of Jade’s building, I shoot her a quick text to let her know that I’m here and that I’m just waiting for Collin to get here. I climb out of the car and scan the lot, but I don’t see him anywhere, so I shoot him a text.
Bentley: I’m here waiting for you.
I wait for a reply but get nothing.
Bentley: Don’t you even think about standing her up.
I feel foolish just standing here waiting for him to show up, but I promised him I would. I give him another minute to reply, and when he doesn’t, I decide to call him, but just as I’m about to dial his number, he calls me.
“Hey, man. Where are you?”
He sighs. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“I’m just not sure this is a good idea. What if she doesn’t like me.” He asks, sounding legit scared.
“Trust me, you and Katia are two peas in a pod. You are perfect for each other.”
All of a sudden, I hear a car door shut, and Collin appears wearing fitted jeans, a snug t-shirt and a new pair of glasses. “I’ve been sitting in the car for a few minutes now. I feel kind of stupid.” He admits.
“Why? You look great.” He shrugs. “Did you get new glasses?”
He smiles, “Nah, I have a few different styles. I like to switch them up, depending on my mood.”
“Both pairs suit you.” I try to encourage him. It’s kind of funny to see him so shy. At work, where he is in his element, he is a confident guy.
He smiles. “Thanks, man.”
“Come on. Katia is going to love you.”
He rolls his eyes and shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never been confident when it comes to women. I was the nerd growing up. No one wanted to hang with the kid who wasn’t good at sports and would rather read than play them.”
I chuckled. “I’m going to tell you the same thing Jade told Katia. You just have to find your person.” I pat him on the arm. “I think Katia may be it for you. Like I told you, she likes to read and watch movies too. And you both enjoy wine.”
He adjusts his glasses and slips his phone into his pocket. “Okay, let's go meet her.” He finally agrees, so I press the buzzer to let Jade know that we’re ready to head up. We are planning to order pizza, hoping that they are both good with that. It’s simple, and to be honest, who doesn’t like pizza.
When we get upstairs, Jade is at the door waiting for us. “Hey, babe. This is my friend Collin.” Collin holds out his hand. Jade accepts it and then steps to the side to introduce her friend. Collin’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head when he sees her.
“Collin, this is my friend, Katia.” He steps inside, takes her hand, and kisses her knuckles.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His voice barely above a whisper. Katia’s cheeks turn a bright shade of red as she looks to the floor completely smitten with Collin.
“The pleasure’s all mine.” She bites her lip. “Come on in. We were just looking at the pizza menu so we could order.”
He smiles. “I love pizza.”
“Me too.” She hands him the menu. “Pizza and wine are my two favorite things.”
He nods. “And they go great together.”
“Agreed. What do you like?” She asks as they glance over the menu, acting as if we’re not here.
I look down at Jade with a huge smile on my face. Her jaw is on the floor. She is so shocked by the scene unfolding between them. She looks at me and mouths, “Thank you.”
I nod. “What kind of pizza do you want to order?”
She shrugs. “They have a creamy garlic shrimp pizza that is to die for.”
“I’m down.” I lean in and plant a chaste kiss on her lips.
They agree to split a Hawaiian pizza, so Jade grabs her cell and places the order. I try to give her my credit card to pay, but she won’t accept it. I don’t want to argue in front of our friends, so I decide to let it go, but I’ve never been a fan of a woman paying for food. My mom raised me better than that.
“Okay, pizza is ordered. What movie shall we watch?” Jade asks, pouring herself a glass of wine. They both shrug, taking a seat on the couch next to each other. “You have a nice place. I like the way you decorated it.”
“Thank you.” She smiles at him. “I learned from my mom. She always had our house nicely decorated and very tidy.”
Jade and I sit on the loveseat. She takes the remote and opens Netflix. “Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance?” she asks, hoping for some direction.
“Romance.” They both blurt out at the same time. They both quickly look at each other and laugh.
We finally decide on a movie called ‘All the Bright Places.’ It’s a romance about two broken people. Jade presses play and snuggles into my side. I can’t help but glance over at Katia and Collin, who are practically at opposite ends of the couch, each slowly sipping their wine.
We’re about thirty minutes into this movie, and as much as I’m trying to get into it, I’m totally bored. Of course, they seem to be enjoying themselves, and that’s all that matters. Movies are just not my thing. I have a hard time sitting still through them.
Finally, the buzzer rings, letting us know the pizza was here. Jade and I both jump up to get the pizza while Collin and Katia stay put. A minute later, Collin comes in and offers to pay Jade for the pizza, explaining that she ordered before he had the chance to do so. She told him not to worry that this date was on her and winked at him, causing him to blush fifty shades of red. He grabs two paper plates and puts pizza on both of them, bringing one to Katia, who is coming out of the bathroom.
“Collin, do you want more wine?” Katia offers.
“Sure, I’ll have one more.”
“If you want to head back into the living room. I’ll be right there.” He takes a seat at the end of the couch with their plates, holding hers until she comes back. She puts their glasses down on the end table and takes a seat right beside him this time. He hands her the plate with a smile.
“Thank you.” He grabs his glass of wine and takes a sip. Katia presses play on the movie, and
we start watching again.
After a few slices of pizza and another thirty minutes of this movie, I’m thankful that it’s almost over because I keep yawning, and I feel terrible, but I can’t help it.
Jade glances up at me, and I mouth an apology, but she smiles and nods her head toward the couch where Collin and Katia are sitting, laughing and whispering. My guess is it’s the movie. Jade and I quietly get up and leave the room, acting as though we are going to clean up, but we really head to her room, hoping they’ll enjoy some time together.
When Jade closes the door, she erupts into a fit of giggles. “Can you believe it? I think we did it.” She wraps me in a hug. “I’m so excited.”
“I told you they’d be perfect for each other.” I wiggle my brows at her. “Now, what do you say we have a little time to ourselves?”
“You mean you don’t want to watch another movie?” She asks.
I quirk my brow at her. “Please tell me you’re kidding?” She bursts into laughter. “Oh, you think you have jokes, do you?” I scoop her up and plop her down on her bed. She squeals with laughter as I tickle her ribs.
“Bentley, stop.”
“Oh, but you want to be funny, so I’m being funny.” She fights me to stop, but she’s no match for me. I had no idea she was so ticklish, but it’s fun, and I love hearing her laugh.
“If you make me pee, I swear we won’t have sex for a month.” She threatens.
My eyes go wide. “Did you really just threaten me with sex?” I laugh. “That sounds like a challenge, my love.” I stop tickling her.
“How so?” She asks, sitting up on the bed, trying to catch her breath.
“Do you think you could handle me not touching, kissing, sucking on this beautiful body of yours for an entire month.” I pepper kisses down her neck as I massage her breast.
“Good point.” She moans when I nibble on her ear.
Our moment is cut short when the buzzer rings repeatedly. We both jump up and run to get it meeting Katia and Collin in the dining room. “I got it.” She informs them, hoping they’ll go enjoy more time together, but they stay with us.
“Who is it?” She snaps into the speaker.
“Jackson, let me in. I need to talk to you.” She sighs and presses the button to let him up. “I’m sorry.”
I just shrug. “It’s your place and your ex.”
His jaw drops when he gets to the top of the stairs and sees me standing there with Jade.
“I was hoping we could talk alone,” He mumbles.
She shakes her head. “Sorry to crush your hopes, but that’s not going to happen. What’s up?” She plants her hands on her hips. This woman has some sass, and I love it.
He glances to the floor, contemplating his words for a moment. “I wanted to apologize for Brittany’s actions. I had no idea she was going to behave like that when we saw you at the club.” He shakes his head. “She was so angry when we left the club. She threw a fit, telling me that I was supposed to be helping her get the spotlight, and I wasn’t.”
I want to be cruel right now. I want to throw it in his face, that he’s an asshole because he gave up an amazing woman for a dumb chick who is only using him. But I can’t because I actually feel bad for the guy. He looks like shit.
“I’m sorry to hear that Jackson, but I’m not sure what that has to do with me.” Jade crosses her arms at her chest, taking a stance. I’m proud of her.
“I was hoping I could convince you to give me another chance, but clearly that’s not happening.” He nods toward me.
“I have this funny way about me, Jackson, once someone cheats on me, I never go back. We had that conversation early on. You knew how I felt about cheaters, and yet, you still chose her.” I shake my head. “Besides. I love Bentley.”
My jaw nearly drops when she says the last part, but I quickly gain my composure. That’s the first time she’s said those words.
He narrows his eyes at her. “How can you say that?” His hands shoot up in frustration. “I mean, we had years together. You two have only been dating a short time.”
Jade’s looking at him in shock and anger. She’s pissed. “First of all, I’m pretty sure we admitted to loving one another rather quickly as well. The difference this time…” her words trail for a moment. “I know the difference between being in love and lust. Bentley loves me, and he treats me far better than you ever did. He respects me, and I know that he won’t run off to shove his dick into someone else,” she explains with passion.
His jaw drops once again. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
She shakes her head. “Nope.”
“Clearly, it was a mistake coming here.” He growls in frustration.
“Not at all. Thanks for stopping by.” She closes the door with Jackson still standing there with his jaw dropped to the floor.
She turns back to me with a huge smile lighting up her face. “You have made me the happiest man on this planet tonight.”
She steps into my arms. “I love you, Jade Anderson.” I squeeze her tight, but she pulls away to look into my eyes.
“I love you too, Bentley Taylor.” She bites her lip. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
I press my lips to hers. “Never.”
Chapter Thirteen
Bentley
Jade and I have spent the last few weeks growing incredibly close. When we’re not at work or a rehearsal, we’re spending time together, simply living life. I’ve either been at her house or her at mine. I’ve honestly never been so happy, and it’s the best feeling in the world. Tonight, I’m taking her on a very romantic dinner date.
I expel a deep breath as I put the finishing touches on my hair. I’m about to leave to pick her up for our Valentine’s Day date. All I’ve told her is to dress nice and to have an overnight bag so she could spend the night at my place. I wanted every aspect of this evening to be a complete surprise.
I grab the flowers that I have for her in the kitchen and head down to the car. If I don’t leave now, I’m going to throw the timing of the evening off, and I don’t want to miss our reservation. I knew the exact place I wanted to take, her but it’s a very busy place, especially on a night like this, so we will lose our spot if we’re not on time.
When I pull up to her place, I hurry to the door and press the doorbell. The buzzer instantly rings, and I rush up the stairs to find her standing before me, the most beautiful woman in the world. She is perfect from head to toe.
“Jade, you’re stunning.” My eyes rake over her body, my breath catching in my throat.
She runs her fingers over the suit she picked while standing in my closet. “You’re looking pretty stunning yourself. This suit is incredibly sexy on you.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you liked it. It’s the exact suit you picked that morning in my closet.” There’s so much more I want to say as I stare into her beautiful eyes, but we need to go. I hand her the red roses I got for her. “We need to get going, my love.”
She puts her finger up. “One second.”
She runs to the kitchen to put her flowers in some water. While I’m waiting, Katia and Collin come into the dining room. “Hey, guys.” I shake Collin’s hand and give Katia a quick hug. She is all Collin has talked about since the night we got together for pizza and a movie. I’m so glad they’re working out.
“Thanks again for introducing me to this angel.” He smiles down at her and kisses her on the head.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you guys are hitting it off.” I tap him on the arm.
Katia is grinning ear to ear. “You two have fun tonight.”
“You too.” Katia wiggles her brows at them. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jade tells her as we leave. “Where are we off to?” She asks when we get down to the car.
“We are starting with dinner reservations at the Steak House. That is all I’ll tell you for now.” He opens the door for me, and I climb in.
“Oh, wow, I’m excited. I’ve never be
en to the Steak House.” She puts her seatbelt on as I pull out of the spot.
“I’m glad. You deserve a special night.”
Thankfully, the restaurant isn’t far. We pull up to the valet right on time. I toss him the keys as another gentleman opens the car door for Jade. I take her hand to help her out. Her eyes light up when she sees the restaurant has gone all out for Valentine’s day. It’s beautifully lit, and there are red roses spread out all over the place. The tables are dressed in white linen cloths with red napkins, and there’s a black piano in the far corner with a gentleman dressed in a tux playing. It’s the perfect scene for a romantic dinner.
We finally get to the hostess station, and I give my name. “Bentley Taylor, I have a reservation.”
She nods. “Yes, sir. Follow me, please.”
She escorts us to our little table for two. I’m thrilled when I see it’s not far from the small dance floor by the piano. The hostess drops two menus in front of us and fills our water glass. She tells us that our waiter will be right with us and leaves us.
“Bentley, this place is beautiful.” Her eyes scan the restaurant. There’s a view of the water from our seat, but we’re not directly in front of the window, which is fine with me because the music is stunning.
“I’m glad you like it.” I pick up my menu. “We should decide what we’re going to eat.” She glances down, and her face contorts. She goes from excited to concerned. “What’s wrong, Jade?”
She looks up at me and whispers. “Bentley, this place is crazy-expensive.”
I laugh. “And.”
“You shouldn’t have picked this place. We could have had a nice dinner at a much cheaper restaurant.”
I take her hand in mine. “First of all, you deserve far better than a cheap restaurant. Second of all, I can afford it.” I can’t help but chuckle when a look of shock takes over her face. “Jade, just because I don’t flaunt my money, it doesn’t mean I don’t have it.”
