Chapter Twelve

“If you don't call him, I will.” Marcy tried to grab Devon's card out of Aria's hand as they sat together on the couch. “I can't believe Devon Mann gave you his fucking phone number, his own personal line!”

“You will not call him!” Aria jumped up off the couch and ran behind it. “He just gave it to me yesterday. I don't want to seem too eager; I want to wait a couple days before I call.”

Marcy stood on the front side in a crouch, getting ready to run at a moment's notice. “Lame.”

Aria faked to the right, but went left, and Marcy stumbled. “No, I know you'll call if you get your hands on this, but I won't let you.” Aria held Devon's business card in the air.

Marcy straightened. “You're right. I give up.”

Aria stood there with her mouth hanging open. “Seriously? You're gonna give up?”

Marcy nodded. “Yep, tell me how it went down again. I wish I had been there.”

Just as Aria began to walk around the couch, Marcy, in a ninja-like move, jumped over the side of the couch and on the way over the arm she managed to grab the card away from Aria.

“You bitch!” Aria screeched and fell into a fit of laughter. “What the hell kind of move was that?”

“Me, being resourceful.” Marcy gloated, holding the card in the air.

“Fine, give me the card, I'll call now.”

To Aria's surprise, her friend handed the number over freely. “I'm gonna head out now, text me after you call him. If I don't hear from you, I'm going to call every fifteen minutes until you tell me you talked to him.”

This time, Aria dialed all the numbers and hovered her finger over the send button. She hadn't made it that far in all her attempts thus far. The phone let out a ringing sound. “Oh!” She must've hit the button. “Shit.”

“Hello?” Devon's voice sounded gravelly, like he'd just woken up.

Panic-stricken, Aria couldn't decide whether to hang up or respond. If she hung up, Devon would still have her number on record.

“Hello?”

“Please, tell me I didn't wake you.”

“I'd be lying if I did, who is this?”

Aria heard rustling noises in the background. “Uh, it's Aria.”

Silence.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called. You don't remember me, and now I'm so embarrassed.”

“I remember you,” Devon said simply.

“I doubt it. I'm just going to hang up now. Forget I called, all right?” She pulled the phone from her ear, but before she could hit the end button, he said something. Raising the phone back to her ear, she listened and was met with silence again. “I'm sorry. What was that?”

“I said, don't go. If you hang up, how I am supposed to get to know you better?”

Aria sighed. “You're not. Remember, I have a boyfriend. And I'm still not convinced you remember me.”

“He's not your boyfriend. You have beautiful fair skin, freckles dot your nose and cheeks, your hazel eyes shine bright, and your red hair is the most stunning color I've ever seen. You dance with such grace, it makes me want to write songs about you.”

Now it was her turn to go silent. Her mouth hung open, but nothing would come out. How did she even reply to that?

“Aria?” He waited a beat. “You still there?” Devon's voice was more alert now.

“Uh, yeah, I'm here. You do remember me.”

“Of course, I couldn't forget you if I tried.”

“Yes, well, I really have to go now.” She didn't, but she was on the verge of freaking out.

“I can't say I'm not disappointed, when can we talk again?”

“I'm not sure. I'll try to call when I can.” That was an empty promise, and she hoped he couldn't hear it in her voice.

“I guess that's better than nothing.” He chuckled. “Aria, have a good day. Talk to you soon. I hope.”

“Goodbye.” She managed to squeak out before ending the call.

Before she could put the phone down, it rang in her hand, causing her to jump. She fumbled the phone and it fell to the carpeted floor. Grabbing it up, she saw Marcy's name on the screen. “You can't be home already,” Aria accused. “I was hardly on the phone that long. How fast did you drive?”

“Wow, you actually called?” Marcy sounded in awe.

“I did, but I don't plan on talking to him again.”

“Why? Was he a dick?”

“No, he was kind and said sweet things about me.”

“Then what the hell is your problem?” Marcy yelled. “Have you lost your mind?”

“He seems too intense for me.”

“You've hardly spoken to him or spent any time with him, it's too early to know.”

“You're going to nag and nag until I talk to him again, aren't you?” She sighed. “Before you say anything, I promise I'll see him one more time before I make a decision whether to bail or not.”

“I love you,” Marcy sang.

Aria laughed softly. “I love you, too.”

After hanging up, Aria stared at her phone. She needed to prove to her friend that Devon was nothing more than a passerby in life—or did she need convincing herself?

Emboldened, she sent a text to “Dev” on her phone. “Hey, sorry about hanging up so quick. That was rude of me.” She sat her cell down next to her and as soon as it left her fingers, it chimed with an incoming text.

“Not a problem. I sort of understand.”

“What do you think you understand?”

“Can I call you?”

Staring at the last text from him, all kinds of thoughts ran through her mind. He was nice, he remembered her, he was sexy as sin, but her stance on dating could be a damper on things. Knowing he was waiting on her answer, she shook her head. She had to stop letting her past get the better of her. And she had successfully gone out with Bernard a few times, but that was because he was safe.

“No.”

“Okay, maybe another day, then?”

“I'm sorry, I didn't answer that correctly, ask me again.”

This time he was the one who didn't respond right away. “Damn, did I fuck this up already?” She stared at her phone. Nothing. Groaning, she jumped up and went to the kitchen to gulp down a glass of water. When she got back to the couch, she checked her phone. Still nothing.

Should she reply? She placed her phone on the cushion beside her before she could do or say anything stupid. Her phone chimed, and her stomach knotted. Too much time had passed for anything positive to be said.

“Hey, can I talk to you later? Something came up.”

“Yeah, sure.” What else was she going to say?

“Thanks.”

There. She'd done it, she’d scared him away. “Way to go.” She tossed her phone on the table next to her and fell back against her sofa with a groan.

Even though she didn't think it was a good idea to talk to him again, here she was thirty minutes later, wanting to see him again.

After sitting and stewing for a whole two minutes, Aria jumped up and ran to her room to change her clothes. She needed to dance off some frustration.