I knew going over to Minnie’s house again wasn’t going to go well for me. I’m not going to lie, her sister scares me. Not having much to lose, I sent her a text this morning hoping she would respond. When she did I felt like there was maybe a possibility that we could figure this out. Then the responses stopped.
I have this overwhelming need to talk to her. I need her to know I didn’t think of her as a booty call. Minnesota Walker is a lot of things, but a throwaway piece of ass isn’t one of them. God knows she deserves better than me, though I can’t stand the idea of her being with someone else. It occurred to me around lunchtime that if she was at her parents’ house, she was near her ex-boyfriend. What if she went to see him? What if he asked her to take him back?
That last thought sent my pulse racing and my fear of not seeing her again consumed me. And, it’s how I find myself in the office of Strauss Construction trying to get Jameson to tell me something.
“Look, O. I don’t know when she’s coming back. I have the info on your backordered lumber and it’ll be here Monday. Just relax.”
“I don’t care about the damn lumber. When is she coming back, J?” My voice is trembling as my patience wears thin and I watch as Jameson sits up and tosses his pen on the desk. With his arms crossed across his chest, he leans back and squints his eyes. I see his mind working a mile a minute when he starts laughing.
“You asshole. I told you not to mess with her. You couldn’t keep it in your pants, could you? Goddammit, Owen.”
“I’m not going to talk to you about that. Just tell me when she’s coming back.”
“With your track record? Probably never. Thanks for that, asshole.”
“Why am I the asshole?”
“Why?” Jameson stands and walks over to the cupboard and pulls down a couple of short glasses and returns to his desk. Pulling a bottle of whiskey from his drawer, he pours two fingers’ worth in each glass and slides one my way.
Tossing back the dark liquid, I let it burn as it slides down my throat and into my stomach. I watch as Jameson does the same and then places the bottle back in his drawer.
“I’ll tell you why. Minnie isn’t one of the randoms you pick up in a bar and then never call again. She works here. She is friends with the girls. Fuck, man, she’s a good person. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the women you’ve been with before aren’t good people. Minnie is just different.”
Frustration builds in me again. I get it. I fucked up. I haven’t been the best guy. Using sex and hookups to run from my problems. To ignore life and everything around me. I’ve gone through the motions but never truly let myself feel anything.
“You don’t have to tell me she’s different. You have no idea about her and how different she is.” I throw my head back and look up at the ceiling. If I talk to Jameson about this, I’m betraying her trust. I’m telling her boss about her personal life. This is why people who work together don’t hook up. This is why Jameson warned me off her in the beginning. Complications.
“Owen, remember when I didn’t have to tell you about Ash and you just knew? I am right here with you now, brother. You finally met a woman that made a difference for you, didn’t you? And, then you fucked it up.”
“I think the words you’re looking for are royally fucked up.”
Jameson laughs. I laugh. It’s not funny but so very true. I unload my burdens on Jameson. I tell him about my dad, our fight, my time with Minnie, the conversation with her sister, and the realization that as much as I don’t see Minnie as a random hookup, a booty call, I treated her like one.
His advice? Beg. Grovel. Get on my knees and declare myself the biggest douchebag to walk the earth. And pray while I’m down on those knees. I don’t often take advice, but I think it may be time I start.
After playing a game of true confessions with Jameson, I head home. To my surprise, Landon is home and in the kitchen.
“What’s up, man?” I grab a bottle of water and apple from the fridge while he finishes making a very large sandwich.
“Not much. Called it a day early. I ran into Ash at the store and she said everyone was going out tonight. I figured I’d come home and grab a nap. What’re you up to?”
“Not much. It’s been kind of a rough week. I was tired so I took the afternoon off.”
“Yeah, I noticed you’ve been home all week. Minnie pissed at you?”
“How’d you know it was her? I never said anything?”
“Other than the fact you didn’t deny it the last time I said something? After like the tenth time you spaced out texting with a goofy grin on your face, I looked at your phone to see who you were talking to.”
“What the fuck, Lan? That’s an invasion of my privacy.”
“Oh, calm your dick. It’s no big deal. Why hasn’t she been around here? I like Minnie. She’s a cool chick. Plus, she’s not bad to look at.” He better stop with those eyebrow wiggles or I’m going to punch his pretty face.
“Watch it,” I growl.
“Oh man, you fell for her! Ha! I never thought I’d see the day. Owen Butler is whipped!” Landon walks out of the kitchen with his big sandwich, making whipping noises all the way to his bedroom. Dick.
I hate when he’s right. More than that, I hate when I’m wrong and everyone is right. I have to fix this. This is why I don’t do feelings. It’s too much stress.
“Are you sure she’s coming?”
Ashton rolls her eyes at me for at least the third time in five minutes. Yes, I’ve asked her the same question twice already. I don’t care. The guys are playing a game of pool and I’m sitting at the bar while Ashton makes up a tray of shots for our group. She’s not working but she also refuses to let anyone else make her shots. She’s a bit of a control freak.
“Yes, I’m sure. Still. I told you, Piper is bringing her. Geez, you’d think you were about to declare your love to the girl or something.” I swing my head around to stare at Ashton, my mouth agape, and hers posed in a telling smile.
“Jameson has a very big mouth.”
“Yes, he does. You should know better than to tell him anything you don’t want any of us to know. Ah, looks like you’re up, loverboy. Don’t fuck this up or I’ll cut off your dick and feed it to the coyotes.”
I spin in the chair and watch as Minnie and Piper walk through the door. Piper is looking around the room trying to find our group, but my eyes only see Minnie. She looks nervous and that’s not like her. She’s hung around everyone enough that she shouldn’t be nervous. Unless, she’s worried about seeing me. She still hasn’t responded to my text messages from this morning.
From where I sit, I can freely watch her as she smiles at Piper when she leans in and says something. Piper spots the gang in the corner by the pool tables and begins walking toward everyone with Minnie close on her heels. Speaking of heels, she’s wearing tall red ones that have me thinking all kinds of very dirty thoughts. I catch a glimpse of her beautiful ass as she disappears into the crowd. My dick twitches in my pants in anticipation of what I hope is a long night of making up.
I turn back around and flag down Taylor, ordering two dirty martinis with extra olives. Hopefully a dirty martini will soften the attitude I’m sure to get from Minnie. Walking toward the group, I watch as they all toss back a shot and Minnie shakes her head. One of the reasons Ashton makes her own shots is because she likes them strong. And, Washington Apples are her favorite. I’m glad I missed out on that. I watch as Ashton picks up the remaining shot, my shot, and holds it up toward me before tossing it back. As she does, Minnie turns my direction and I smile.
“Hey,” I say while holding one of the martinis out to her. She hesitates, but if I know one thing my girl can’t resist, it’s a dirty martini with extra olives.
My girl.
“Hi.” Her voice is timid as she takes the sword of olives and stirs her drink before pulling it to her lips, lips painted red tonight. The same ones I’ve envisioned wrapped around my dick. The color matches the fuck me heels she’s wearing and I swear to God it is taking everything for me to not throw her over my shoulder and walk out of this bar.
The group has disbursed to the other side of the pool table. I know they’re all listening and watching. Nosy bastards. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You didn’t respond to my texts.”
“I deleted them.”
“Why?” I ask, stepping closer to her and placing my glass on the bar height table next to her. The movement puts me directly in front of her, pinning her between me and the wall. Her breath hitches.
“I didn’t want to read them.”
“Again, why?” My hand moves to her arm and she shivers.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what?”
She sighs in frustration before taking a drink of her martini. A very long drink that almost finishes it off more like a shot than a cocktail. Minnie peers over to where the girls are standing but neither are paying attention. Well, I think they are paying attention, they’re just pretending not to be.
“This. Us. Our midnight rendezvous.”
“I think we need to have a conversation,” I say, taking the glass from her hand and placing it on the table next to mine. I extend my free hand to her. I will her to take it. To leave here with me. To let me tell her how I feel.
She hesitates. It’s enough for me to worry she’s going to say no. Only, she doesn’t. She takes it and allows me to lead her from the bar and out to my Jeep.