Chapter 9

Aidan

I was a fucking mess. If it wasn’t for Abandon needing me right now as the club settled into its new identity, I would have gone on vacation and left all this shit behind me. My body had decided it was in love with Lori. Either that or I had a major crush that was way out of control. It didn’t help that my cock had been buried deep inside her.

But she couldn’t ever be mine.

Is that why I wanted her so damn much?

I’d kept dates with Ember at a purely platonic level, something she was becoming impatient with. I knew that soon I was going to get an ultimatum. What would I do? I liked Ember a lot, but she wasn’t Lori. But I couldn’t have Lori, so did I keep trying with Ember?

Such a fucking mess.

And now I’d fucked up even more by pushing Lori away as a friend and then trying to apologize and instead offering to pay her for her services. With the sex and the acting I’d basically hired my own porn actress. I’d mixed my personal and professional life together which was my biggest resolution for me NOT to do and lost my friendship. Lori’s now dulled eyes clearly displayed that anything she’d admired in me as a friend was long gone. I’d used her, and friends didn’t do that.

There were two chances left. Two dates in which to get her back as a friend. Having her as a friend was better than not having her in my life at all. Eventually my brain would realize that it couldn’t be in love with her and I’d move on. I realized at that point that I was going to have to end things with Ember. If I liked her enough, surely Lori would have faded to the back of my mind? I’d take her for dinner again in the next few days and break it to her face to face. She deserved that much.

The day of the double date at H and Amelia’s came around and I went to pick up Lori from her home. She came out wearing a tight pair of black skinny jeans and a white off the shoulder sweater. Her hair was in a side ponytail. She looked stunning, and I wanted to drop to my knees and beg God to change the world and make her mine.

“Hey. You look great.” I told her.

“Thanks. Do I look the part of a girlfriend, okay?” She replied curtly.

She might as well have sliced me with a knife. It cut deep.

The journey to H’s passed in relative silence, something I was unaccustomed to with Lori. Yet the minute the door opened, she was all smiles, like the car journey had never happened. Tactile, leaning over to keep giving me little kisses. She was determined to earn her acting money. It looked completely legitimate to me. And that made me feel even worse. Now I was lying to my friends too. The only reason I didn’t call quits on the whole thing was because Eli needed to fucking well ask that woman out and if I had to cheat to get it to happen, I would because the guy was amazing and deserved his own happiness. Plus there was no way I was taking out that bitch of a daughter of his. I’d never be rid of the money-hungry leech (her own father’s name for her).

“Come in and take a seat,” Amelia beckoned us through to the living room where we sat on the couch. A baby wailed and Amelia sighed heavily. “Thank God for Mary cooking and babysitting because otherwise we’d having nothing to eat because I don’t get a minute with that demanding child.”

“And what about Lewis?” I quipped.

“I’d like to meet him.” Said Lori. “If that’s okay?”

“Sure.” Amelia beamed. She’d obviously been dying to show off her son, but not known whether Lori would be into babies or not. She brought him in. He had blond hair just like his mom and dad and was a cute little thing. Amelia passed him straight over to Lori and Lori stared, cooing at him.

“Hey little guy. You’re heavier than you look, dude. But that’s okay. It’s worth it to see that little smile. Yes, are you smiling at me again?”

“He just cut his first two teeth.” Amelia said.

“Oooh, I can see that. I can see those two cute little tiny teeth. You’re going to be a heartbreaker aren’t you, Lewis.”

At that point H walked in and introductions were made again.

“Okay, Lew, it’s time to go back to Mary because dinner is served.” He proceeded to make cooing baby noises to his son.

The meal was beautiful and general chatter passed between us all. As the wine flowed, Amelia took her opportunity to ask questions.

“So, how did you two meet?”

“It was back in October. Aidan had come to Abandon to do a run through ready for opening and I was a new member of staff. We just hit it off. He didn’t want to date a staff member, one of his new rules, so we met for coffee as friends. But things just developed from there, really. I guess when chemistry hits it’s difficult to fight it.” She leaned over and took my hand and squeezed it.

“Absolutely.” I said truthfully. “The last thing I expected was this girl to come along and knock me sideways. My rule about dating staff went straight out of the window. Lori just is that special. I can’t explain it.”

“Sounds like love to me.” Said Amelia smiling widely. H elbowed her.

“Jesus, Amelia, you can’t say that to them.”

Amelia bit her lip. “Ooh, sorry guys if I made you feel a little uncomfortable. I just kinda love fairy tales and happy ever afters. I can get a little carried away.”

“Oh I like fairy tales too.” Said Lori. “Especially Cinderella. My absolute favorite.”

The women, though they looked like adults to me, proceeded to talk about fairy tales and Disney movies while H and I chatted sports.

The wine flowed, and I decided I’d get a driver to pick us up and leave the car behind. I told Lori this. “If you’re sure. You going to get wasted then? Will I need to carry you to bed?”

I thought of the last time I’d been drinking. “Maybe, or there’s always the couch again?” I winked.

“Ssh, you’re embarrassing me.” She replied. If I hadn’t paid her, I would believe every word that came out of her mouth. As an actress she was completely faultless.

“Babe, I’m sorry, I can’t help it.” I told her as Amelia and H looked on. “Because I think Amelia might be right. I think I am falling in love with you.”

Lori gasped, and I wondered if I’d gone too far with the charade.

“Oooh, this is amazing. We need champagne.” Amelia clapped her hands. “Go get some, Henry.”

Lori leaned over and kissed me, her mouth hard against my own. I wanted nothing more than to take her back to my home and make love to her over and over again. But this was all a lie.

Everything I’d said I’d meant, yet it could never be.

Lori

The evening was heartbreaking. Everything I said I’d meant, yet it could never be.

Though there was nothing stopping me from telling him I wasn’t gay, I couldn’t allow myself to go into a relationship with someone who paid for my services like I was a commodity not a person.

Knowing all the words he said were completely fake and his acting a role crushed me inside. The worst thing was I’d hit it off with Amelia, and Henry was a great guy. I could really have seen myself being friends with them for life and yet in another couple of week’s time I’d never see them again. Soon, I was moving on. I’d decided to study in New Jersey, to get away from here. A fresh start was needed. Somewhere I wasn’t likely to bump into Aidan or any of his friends.

I thanked the couple for a lovely evening and then Aidan had his driver pick us up and drop me home. I wanted so desperately to invite him in, to wrap myself around him and lose myself in his touch, but instead I put my walls up around myself. With my expression as cold as I could get it, I turned to him and said. “One date down, one to go. I think I fooled them.”

He didn’t reply with anything other than a goodnight.