Chapter 8

CARRIE

My laptop is my haven. Whenever I’m stressed out, sad or feeling a little emotional, I know I can sit down, spend a few hours typing, and all those emotions will melt right off me. But today, I’m at my laptop for a different reason. It’s all to do with Blake.

He is incredible. I can’t stop thinking about him. I haven’t been able to since last night. My sleep last night was one of the most uncomfortable in recent memory. The moment I got home from my date, I got ready for bed. But it was a fruitless effort as I quickly realized that sleep wasn’t going to come. I tossed and I turned, all the while wondering if I made the right choice in denying Blake. Maybe I should have gone home with him? Maybe I should have invited him in for a night cap?

That is why I’m sitting at my laptop right now. I have all these thoughts running through my head, so I figure I best channel them into my work. I was working on another book, but I’ve decided to put that to the side for now. I feel a fresh wave of inspiration, and I know that while I have that, I best take advantage of it.

My new book will be a romance. It will be filled with passion, love and regret. And, most importantly, it will be inspired by Blake.

***

I have been writing for the better part of two hours now. As predicted, the plot is coming along nicely and I have already come up with some great dialogue. I don’t want to get too cocky, but I think that this is going to be the one. I can just feel it. If I keep this up, there is no way that it won’t be.

As a writer, I am constantly on the lookout for that big break. I am only ever one good piece of work away from writing something that sells. This is going to be it.

All I need is to keep the inspiration coming. That’s going to be the hardest part. What I need is to see Blake again.

I just can’t get last night out of my head. Even now, channeling my thoughts into words, my feelings are as strong as ever. I have never been so turned on before. I have never wanted someone more. I keep telling myself that I made the right choice by coming home instead of going to his. But now, I’m not so sure. What if I never hear from him again?

Divine intervention is a real thing. And if I need any proof, the fact my phone has just started to ring as I am having these thoughts should be all the proof that I need.

Snapping myself back into reality and the moment, I look across to my phone, smiling to myself when I see that it is none other than Blake calling me.

I reach out to pick up the phone, but stop at the last second. The phone has only rung the one time, and I let it ring out a couple more times before finally answering. I want to make him think I am busy, and that he has put me out by calling. I don’t want him to know that I have been thinking about him all night and day.

“Hello?” I say casually as I answer the phone.

“Apparently there are rules that say not to call the next day, but I decided to break them. Just this once,” he says, speaking into the other end of the phone. His voice carries that same effortless charm, and even as he speaks, I feel the need to keep typing. He is a fuel for my inspiration.

“I’m sorry, but who is this?” I reply, trying my best to sound like I mean it. I’m not usually this playful, but he brings it out in me.

“Oh, sorry. It’s the plumber. I’m calling about that busted pipe that you wanted me to fix. I wanted to know what time I can come over and service it.”

“Oh, that pipe?” I say with fake realization. “You know what? It no longer needs servicing. Yeah, I thought it did, but I checked it out when I got home last night, and it is actually in perfect working order. Sorry to get your hopes up.”

“I think you mistake me. My hopes weren’t up. It was you I was doing it for.”

“Is that right?” I smirk, leaning back in my chair as I do. I’m glad that he is on the phone and not here in person because I wear the biggest, goofiest smile on my face. I’d hate for him to see it and know what effect he has on me.

“That’s right. So, if you want me to come over and double check that for you, now is that time. Otherwise, you might find me very hard to book in again.”

“Oh no,” I gasp. “I guess I better make that booking. I’d hate to ruin any chance I had of requiring your services again.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Through the whole charade, he hasn’t broken character and has kept that same cool arrogance that he wears. If it wasn’t for how teasing I am being, I might have held it against him.

“So, Mr. Plumber. Now that we have that figured out, what can I do for you?”

As I speak, I lean across to my laptop and type out snippets of the conversation we are having. Some of it is too good to waste.

“In all seriousness,” he says. “I want to see you again. I had a good time last night, believe it or not.”

“How generous of you,” I say.

“I can be. I’m going to assume that you had an okay time last night, too. If just okay. “

“Maybe,” I say, biting my lip. I am going to go out with him, of that I am sure. But still, I have to play with him just a little more.

“What if I told you I had a proposition for you? Something I can’t ask over the phone.”

“Really?” I ask, sitting up. I’m curious now, despite how coy I am acting. What could he possibly want to ask me?

“Really, really. I promise that it will be worth your while.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess there’s no way I can say no,” I relent. “Where and when?”

“Tomorrow night. I’ll text you the time and place.” He says in his usual, short manner. It’s odd, but I felt almost like a client in the way he asks me. As if it’s a business dinner, rather than a date. What could he possibly want?

“Deal,” I say, and I hang up the phone the moment I do.

I know that if I stay on the line any longer, I might say something I regret. And besides, I could feel the power slowly going in his favor, and I wanted to realign it in my direction.

As I put down the phone, waiting for his text to come through, my heart beats faster and faster and my mind races. Despite myself, I am incredibly excited to see him again. I just hope that I am able to exercise the same level of self-control that I had last night. But having said that, I’m not ruling out anything.