CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Katie stared at the wall-mounted television on the screened-in porch of her favorite Mexican restaurant absent-mindedly running her fingertips up and down a glass of water dripping with cool condensation. Her head felt heavy as it rested on the soft cushion of her palm propped up by her elbow on the table. She was in a daze and didn’t realize Stacey had come back from retrieving their cocktails from the bar, watching her with a mischievous grin on her face. Katie blinked several times before reaching for her margarita on the rocks.
“What’s gotten into you?” Stacey asked, sipping on her margarita. The ceiling fans overhead twirled on high in an attempt to keep the shaded porch area from becoming too hot in the summer evening. Her blonde hair moved slightly in the breeze.
With wide, guilty eyes, Katie brought her drink up to her mouth and fingered the red straw. “Nothing.”
“Don’t ‘nothing’ me, missy. I know that look.”
“What look?” She swallowed a large mouthful of her beverage, not quite ready to divulge the details of her weekend with her best friend. It felt strange not to tell Stacey everything. What was up with that? In a way, she felt like she was protecting Clay—she didn’t feel right talking about his childhood trauma. He had trusted her with that information and deserved to be spoken about with respect and kindness. What she had experienced with him wasn’t some bootie-call weekend with a hot guy. What she had experienced was over-the-top, something-she-would-never-forget, special. She had never felt this way about anyone and wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with her bestie.
“There you go again, staring off into space. Girl! What happened?” Stacey reached across the table and grabbed Katie’s wrist. Concern was etched all over her face as she patiently waited for her to speak.
Katie slowly pulled her hand out of her grip and held her fingers in her lap. She could feel the heat rising on the back of her neck. Looking directly at her best friend, she smiled reassuringly and sighed. “I had a great time.” She’d been home for the past four days, working around the clock at trying to keep her mind off Clay. Stacey called her relentlessly, and after several voice messages and worried texts, Katie finally agreed to meet for drinks on Thursday night, the night before Clay was supposed to come back into town.
Stacey’s gaze was penetrating. “I know this look, Katie. You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
Pursing her lips, Katie looked down at her lap forlornly.
“Hey… hey!” Stacey leaned in trying to get her attention. “If you had a great time, why are you acting so sad? This isn’t like you.”
She looked up and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sad…because I miss him. I can’t stop thinking about him night and day. My heart actually…hurts.”
A huge grin spread across Stacey’s face. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I never thought I’d see this day.” Her face softened, and she tilted her head. “Sweet girl, you’re falling in love!”
Katie sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes wide with revelation. Could her best friend be right? Could she be falling in love? But it was way too soon—or was it? Her hands trembled as she picked up her drink and downed it in three gulps, making Stacey laugh out loud.
“You’ve got it bad! Have you told him?”
The strong alcohol burned her throat, making her grimace and shake her head vehemently. “No! I don’t know what I’m feeling. I haven’t told him anything except I want to see him again. He’s coming this weekend, you know. He’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Are you kidding me? We need to go on a double date! You and Cowboy, me and Brent! Holy shit! Let’s make some plans!”
Katie blushed and shook her head. “I don’t know…”
“Oh, come on! When was the last time we double-dated? Huh? Like, never! This is cause for a celebration shot. I’ll be right back with our buddy, Jose Cuervo!”
She watched Stacey bolt into the restaurant, relieved that she had a moment to ponder the intense feelings that swelled within her. Was she really falling in love with Clay Watkins? The long drive back to Atlanta was agonizing, her thoughts consumed with every detail of the time they had spent together. She could hardly get through the work week, anticipating their late-night conversations as they lay in bed pining for each other over the long-distance line. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, and the low rumble of his voice did things to her insides that made her desperate to have him near her again. Now she understood the agony of a long-distance relationship. But was theirs a real relationship? Sure, they had joked about being married at the bar with the silly tourists, but he had never indicated that she was officially his girlfriend or that he was even leaning in that direction. Still, he was coming back to Atlanta; to be with her again. That alone should make her happy. But there was something else. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Cheers,” Stacey said, interrupting Katie’s deep thoughts. The two girls held up the shot glasses clinking them together. The look on Stacey’s face was one of pure excitement as if she knew what lie ahead for Katie. She could only hope.
***
Clay counted the rings echoing on his phone knowing that after the fourth ring it would go straight to Katie’s voicemail—again. It was close to eleven. They were usually done talking by this time because she had to get up so early for work. Every night he anticipated hearing her sweet voice, soothed by their conversation because he missed her so damn much. He was starting to get concerned that she wasn’t answering, his mind going down a dark trail. What if something terrible had happened? What if he couldn’t get in touch with her? Who could he call to check in on her? He tossed the cellphone on the mattress when her voicemail message came on and clasped his fingers together behind his head, looking up through the skylight at the Batman building. He had it bad for Katie Parker. Their weekend together was like something out of a country music video. He was smitten and on sensory overload with song ideas and thoughts, jotting down note after note on several spiral notebooks he had placed in strategic places throughout his home. He was always prepared for those brilliant moments because he never knew when a lyric or a melody would sneak up on him. His phone suddenly lit up and vibrated across the sheets making Clay sit up with a start.
“Katie! I was beginning to think you had fallen asleep on me.”
“Clay! Hey! How are you?”
“I’m fine, baby. I…I was worried about you. How come you weren’t answering?” He hated it that his voice sounded desperate. Running his free hand through his hair, he sighed with relief finally allowing himself to relax.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been out with Stace. We had margaritas.” She hiccupped before saying, “Excuse me.”
Clay couldn’t help but grin as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Margaritas, huh? How many did you have?” He could tell by the slow timbre of her voice—she was inebriated.
“I only had two. But Stacey gave me a couple of shots of tequila to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
“Me and you!”
His heart seized with joy at the sound of her happy voice, and he wished he could be by her side celebrating with her. Packed and ready to hit the road first thing in the morning, Clay was anxious to get to Atlanta and fold her into his arms again.
“Clay? Are you my boyfriend?” she asked innocently. He doubted such a question would come from her luscious mouth without a shot or two of tequila loosening her lips.
“Do you want me to be?” he replied softly.
“Mmmm,” she sighed breathily into the phone. “I do.”
“Okay, then yes. I’m your boyfriend. Which means you’re my girlfriend.” There was silence on the other end. “Katie? Hello? Are you still there?”
“Yes…” her voice was higher than usual as if she were trying to keep her emotions in check.
“Pretty Girl, are you crying?” He had to bite his lower lip to keep from chuckling, imagining his tipsy new girlfriend trying to navigate her amplified feelings with no inhibitions due to the alcohol.
“I’m…just…so…happy,” she spluttered in between breaths.
Clay stood and paced in his bedroom, wishing he could climb through the phone to comfort her. “I’m glad I made you happy. That’s all I want to do…Now I want you to do something for me, okay?”
“Okay,” she sniffled.
“I want you to make sure your front door is locked tight.”
“It is.”
“And I want you to drink a glass of water and take two Tylenol before you get into bed. You have to get up early and work tomorrow, right?”
“Mmhmm…”
He could hear the faucet come on. “It’s really late. You need to go to bed and get some rest. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see you either.” She paused. “Clay?”
“Yes, baby.”
“I really, really, really like you.”
Her voice sounded so young and small reminding him of those days in high school when he crushed on her. Contentment washed over him like a warm shower. He sat back down on the edge of his bed and smiled. “I really, really, really like you too, Pretty Girl.”
***
Katie barely made it into work the next morning. The incessant chatter of her third conference call sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, making her wince. She leaned her elbows on the edge of her desk, forcefully pushing the pads of her fingers into her throbbing temples. Stacey was a bad influence on her, especially in times of celebration. She couldn’t remember how many shots they ended up drinking, vaguely recalling several empty glasses scattered across their table by night’s end. They were so caught up in their impromptu drinking game that they forgot to order dinner altogether. By the time the Uber driver picked her up at the restaurant and dropped her off at home, it was after eleven. All she wanted to do was call Clay and hear his sexy voice before she went to sleep. She remembered calling him but couldn’t remember what they had said to each other. There was no telling what she communicated to him in her intoxicated state, which left her feeling uneasy.
Looking at the clock on her computer monitor, she realized she only had a couple more hours until she would lay eyes on him again. Just thinking about their reunion sent a jolt of electric shock waves to her inner thighs making her press her knees together under her navy-blue pencil skirt. When the last of her colleagues signed off on the call, she collapsed in her office chair and closed her eyes.
“Knock, knock!”
Recognizing Dale’s voice, she cocked her head and opened one eye to see him entering her office. He raised an eyebrow and immediately put his hands on his trim hips.
“Napping on the clock, Kathryn? That’s not like you.”
Katie moaned and sat up holding her head in her hands. “I’m not napping. I’m hung-over thanks to Stacey. We went out last night and drank tequila.”
“To-kill-ya! That’s hardcore Ms. Parker. What was the occasion?”
“I’m in like…”
“So I see.” Dale sat in the office chair directly in front of her desk and crossed his legs settling his hands daintily on his knee. “When do I get to meet this, Mr. Watkins?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You’ll have to get in line. It seems he’s a pretty popular guy among my friends.”
“This is true. The man who can snag the beautiful Kathryn Parker is worth the wait in line, my dear.” He smiled brilliantly. “Have you eaten today? You look peaked.”
“I told you, it’s the alcohol. I’m never drinking again…” She dramatically collapsed her head onto her arms on the desk.
Dale stood and approached the desk, tapping her on the shoulder. Looking up at him through narrowed eyes, he offered his hand. “Come on. I’ll buy you an afternoon latte and a Danish in the employee cafeteria. That’ll make you feel better.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Katie hoisted herself up out of the chair and put her hand in his.