Chapter 2
As the meeting moved into its second hour, Grayson wondered how much force it would take to thrust his pen into his skull to end the misery. It wasn’t as if he expected a room full of accountants to be exciting in any way, but there was only so much to talk about.
Yes, two plus two still equals four. Yes, having a positive number on the bottom line is still a good thing. The world is still rotating. Back to work.
He snickered at his imaginary meeting, and Doug raised a curious brow. Gray would explain later. If they ever got out of the meeting.
It wouldn’t have been so bad, but he knew this meeting was the extent of his entertainment for the evening.
After spending the night before with Alyssa Sinclair, he knew his Thursday was going to be lacking.
While sitting at the conference table, zoning out, daydreaming about Liss in that skirt, and planning whether to order a pizza or Chinese for dinner, he realized his whole life was becoming pathetic. He could quite possibly be the only person from a suburb in Connecticut to be bored stiff with life in New York City.
He needed to do something. Something… real. His thoughts shifted to the woman he’d been with the night before.
He hadn’t expected to strike gold when Doug talked him in to going to ladies’ night. After all, Wednesday was probably the least sexy day of the week. Or maybe it was Tuesday.
After his initial crash and burn when he asked to buy her a drink, they eventually found common ground—getting both of them to point B, as she called it.
He laughed, causing Randy to look over at him before going back to the topic on hand. Grayson allowed himself to drift deeper into his memories.
Maybe it was the way they’d connected, or the fact that he was in the world’s most boring meeting, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Every touch, every moan.
He wanted to be with her again. Except Alyssa had been adamant about it being one night only. He’d have to find a way to change her mind.
“You left with that hot blonde pretty quick last night,” Doug said as he sat across from Grayson’s desk after the meeting finally let out.
“Wasn’t that the point?” After Jade’s announcement that things weren’t working, he planned to give the relationship the normal six-month mourning period. But Doug convinced him to go out and “get back in the saddle” despite Doug’s track record with romance.
“I didn’t have any luck.” Doug shrugged it off.
“What’s the matter? Weren’t they desperate enough for you?” Gray said with a chuckle.
Doug was a thirty-five year-old divorced father of a little girl he rarely got to see. Every time Grayson had to listen to Doug’s stories about the cost of daycare and fighting his ex to get visitation, it made him want to pull out his wallet and double check his condom supply.
“At least the drinks were cheap.”
“I only needed to buy one anyway.”
“Seriously? You didn’t even have to buy her a drink?”
“That’s right.” Gray couldn’t hold back the smug smile.
“You suck.” Doug flipped him off as he left Gray’s office.
Doug would really be pissed off to find out it was the best sex he ever had.
Grayson went about his day, catching himself smiling every once in a while. Alyssa’s face in the line at the coffee shop was priceless.
At lunch, he glanced around the street at the crowds of people.
“Who are you looking for?” Doug asked.
“The woman I was with last night works here.”
“Uh-oh. You want me to hide you?”
“No. Actually, I’d like to run into her again.”
“Seriously? You just got out of a relationship. Give it a rest.”
Technically it had been three months. “This coming from Mr. Family Man himself.”
“We’re not talking about me. I’m trying to spare you,” Doug said. Grayson knew Doug would do anything to go back to his family, even though his wife had treated Doug horribly and used their daughter to manipulate him.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.”
“It was a Wednesday,” Doug protested. Gray laughed again and surveyed the crowd on the sidewalk looking for Alyssa’s long, golden hair.
“I know. I’m as surprised that your idea worked as you are.” With a sigh of disappointment he went back to work.
“You want to hit the gym after work?” Doug asked later that afternoon.
“Sure. We’ll have to swing by my place so I can get some clothes.”
While going to the gym with Doug wasn’t what he’d been daydreaming about most of the day, at least he wouldn’t be sitting home alone.
They took the elevator in his building up to the second floor—the metropolitan equivalent of trying to find the closest parking spot at the gym.
“You still haven’t found a roommate?” Doug asked as they stepped inside his barren living room. The TV and the sofa had been Gray’s, but the decorations had been Trent’s.
“No. You want to move in?”
“Nah. I couldn’t afford it.”
“I’d be willing to lower the price for you.”
“Thanks, but I’m saving up to get a place with two bedrooms. The caseworker says I can’t keep Lucy overnight until she has her own room at my place. The apartment also has to meet all the other criteria of their inspection. Clean and safe. Do you know how much a clean, safe two-bedroom costs in the city?”
He did. He was living in one at the moment. And the empty bedroom was just sitting there.
“Until then, I’m going to stay in Queens so I’m close and can see her more. Besides, I don’t want to move in here, and then have Trent break up with his girlfriend and want to move back.”
“Fiancée,” Gray corrected. “And no. He won’t be moving back. They’ve sent out the save-the-date magnets.”
Trent had paid his rent through the next four months, giving Gray enough time to find a new roommate, or for Trent’s fiancée to change her mind and kick him to the curb.
Gray had to admit that he was kind of hoping for the second thing. Not that he had a problem with Tiffany or wanted his friend to be heartbroken. It would just be easier than finding a new roommate.
“Do you want me to put some feelers out to find someone?” Doug offered.
“You sure you don’t want it?”
“I can’t pay what Trent was paying, and I won’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity. It’s friendship.”
“Friendship is me helping you find someone who can pay you what it’s worth.”
“Fine. But the offer’s still open.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Are we doing this?” Gray asked holding the door while Doug inspected the kitchen.
“Yeah.” Neither of them sounded very convincing.
* * * *
Gray didn’t see Alyssa at the coffee shop on Friday morning, and wondered if she was avoiding him. He caught himself looking around, expecting to see her hiding behind a street sign or something.
By Friday afternoon, he found his wanting to see Alyssa again had turned into something a bit stronger. He headed out of the office a little early and sat on one of the benches outside their building. Waiting. He pulled a magazine out of his bag so he wouldn’t look so obvious, but he couldn’t fool himself. He knew exactly what it looked like. Stalking.
He would have missed her if she hadn’t spotted him and stood in front of him.
“I’m pretty sure you’re stalking me now,” she said with her brows raised.
“Who said I was waiting here for you?”
She gave one nod and walked away. Shit.
“Okay. Hold up. I was waiting for you.” She turned to look at him. “I wouldn’t have to resort to this if you’d just given me your damn phone number.” He smiled to let her know he was joking.
“What do you want?”
“It’s Friday. I’m not really looking forward to going to a club tonight. I thought maybe you’d like to give us another go. I live nearby.”
She rolled her eyes and walked away while mumbling something that sounded like, “One night means one night.”
Gray laughed and chased after her as her heels clicked down the sidewalk.
“How about a drink? I never got to buy you a drink.”
“No thanks. I have stuff I need to do tonight.”
“We were pretty efficient together. You would still have plenty of time.”
“Look. I’m sorry, but you have the wrong girl. I don’t do any form of relationship. Whether it be marriage or going for a drink, I don’t want any of that. I just wanted to have a good time and keep going.”
“Okay. Got it. Sorry I bothered you. I feel the same way, except I didn’t have a good time.” This made her stop walking. She turned on him, scowling. “I had a fantastic time. The best time ever.” He grinned and saw the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.
“I’ll allow that. It was somewhat fantastic. I’m still not interested in a repeat. I have too much other shit going on right now.”
“Sure. Fine. I get it. Take care, Liss.”
“You, too.” And with a small smile, she ducked down into the subway.
Why did he feel so strange watching her walk away?
He shook it off and went home to get ready for the bar. He wasn’t going out with Doug this time. He had plans to meet Trent and Tiffany. Nothing was more pathetic than being the third wheel. Hopefully, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
He sighed, remembering how easy it had been to talk to Alyssa. How direct she was. Her honesty was even more of a turn-on than her long legs and size Cs.
“So you said you went out Wednesday?” Trent asked with his head cocked to the side. “It’s been a while since you’ve done that.”
“Yeah. It turned out great though. I met this woman who was funny and hot.”
“Wow. A funny, hot woman at a club,” Trent said with a wink at Tiff who had once been just a funny, hot woman at a club, but was now the love of Trent’s life.
“Her name was Alyssa, Liss. She actually works in my building.”
“That must be awkward,” Tiffany said as she pushed her fries toward Trent to share. Gray wished he had someone to share fries with.
“It’s not awkward. Well, except that I’d like to see her again and she keeps blowing me off.” Trent and Tiffany giggled at his comment, causing him to roll his eyes at their immaturity before laughing himself.
Two hours later, Gray bought another pitcher and sat down at the table.
“What’s going on?” Trent asked.
“What do you mean?” He looked at the pitcher as Tiffany filled her glass. “Were you ready to go?”
“No. We just figured you would be.”
As much as he hated feeling like a third wheel on their date, he wasn’t ready to go home. He shrugged and poured himself another beer.
Eventually, he had no choice but to go back to his apartment alone. He wasn’t even drunk enough not to mind it. He sprawled out on the sofa to watch television and fell asleep there, pretending it was an accident rather than the truth: he didn’t want to sleep in his empty bed.
While Jade hadn’t stayed at his place often—maybe that should have been a sign—he hadn’t been alone. Spending the evening with Trent and Tiff forced him to see the truth.
He was a relationship guy. As many times as it hadn’t worked out, he wasn’t willing to give up. His parents made it look so easy.
Maybe Gray was making this more difficult than it was. His mother and father had met when they were both dating other people. Trent met Tiff in a club and wasn’t expecting to fall in love. The right person might start out as a one-night stand. Again, his thoughts turned to Alyssa, but he quickly shook them off. She’d made it very clear she didn’t want the same things he did.
The next night, he was determined to do better. It was Saturday. He put some effort into his clothes, and even put some crap in his hair so it would look like he didn’t care about his hair.
He wasn’t going to go out on the search for a girlfriend, he was simply going to meet someone and let it turn into whatever it was supposed to be. He sat down at the bar beside an attractive redhead. When she looked his way he smiled.
“I’m Kelly.”
“Grayson.”
“What do you do?” she asked next. He and Alyssa hadn’t bothered to ask what the other person did for a living. Though looking back, that discussion might have prepared them for what happened the day after they’d been together.
Alyssa had said it didn’t matter where they worked. The only thing that had mattered was if he could get her from point A to point B. He’d accepted the challenge.
“Accountant.”
“You don’t look like an accountant,” she said with a laugh.
“What do you do?” He went along with normal protocol.
“I’m a life coach. Or I’m going to be.”
“That sounds interesting. What kind of training do you go through to become a life coach?”
“I don’t need any training. I’m a natural.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I can meet someone and know what they should be doing.”
Gray thought she might have life coach mixed up with palm reader, but he smiled and went along with it.
“And what should I be doing?”
“Definitely not accounting. In fact, you should walk into your office on Monday and quit that job. I can tell it doesn’t make you happy.” Grayson blinked. Accounting made him more than happy. It also made him a lot of money, which he enjoyed. Something else he enjoyed was having a roof over his head, which seemed in direct contrast to her plans.
“Actually, I like my job a lot.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I really do.”
“No, you don’t,” she repeated more adamantly.
It seemed Kelly was going to be more of a life dictator than a coach.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” he said before waving to an unknown person across the club and wandering off.
He’d tried two more times with the same disastrous results.
Finally at midnight, he thought he was onto something.
Desiree had just moved here from Miami.
“Thought I’d see what New York has to offer,” she said.
“It has me,” Gray said with a stupid grin. She smiled back. They chatted for a little while and she seemed like a fun woman who was struggling to find her way in the big city.
“Do you want to go back to my place? I have an early appointment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t party until it’s time to go.”
“Sounds good.” Gray nodded. She hadn’t said anything about it just being for one night. “Let’s go.”
He steadied her when she slid off her stool, noticing for the first time that she was a bit more drunk than he’d thought. Shit. He didn’t sleep with wasted girls.
“Hey, maybe we can just stay here and talk for a while.”
“No. No.” She slurred. “Do you know where we can score some blow?”
The word blow had made him laugh when Trent and Tiffany giggled like fifth graders the night before. In this sentence, however, he didn’t find the word amusing at all.
He held up his hands in surrender.
“And now I’m out. Sorry, that’s not my thing. You should call a cab.”
“Asshole,” she spat as she stumbled away.
He ran his fingers though his hair, or tried to until they got stuck in all the hair product.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered as he headed for home, cursing Alyssa unjustly for ruining his life.