Ten
“The fuck happened to you?”
Emily sat up from her slouching position on the couch with a pint of rocky road ice cream in hand.
I must’ve looked like a bigger mess than I’d thought if she was calling me out as soon as I walked through the door. The last thing I needed was her awake on the couch waiting for me to get home. But I should’ve known that’s exactly where she’d be. That girl had to be the center of all things that revolved around good looking men, and Everett was at the top of that list.
“Everett happened to me,” I blurted out without thinking.
Emily’s eyes grew large as she pulled the now empty spoon from her mouth.
“Let me rephrase that,” I tried to back pedal.
“Oh, no, no, no.” She jumped up from the couch. “Don’t you even try to feed me some bullshit now, you already opened the can of worms when you didn’t mean to.”
I tried to evade her by making a beeline toward my room but she cut me off and blocked my escape.
“Spill the beans, little missy, or I’ll give him a call myself.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You don’t even have his number.”
She grinned. “Are you seriously going to play that card? Don’t you know I can find shit out, and easily at that?”
If anything, she definitely could find just about anything out. My head dropped back on my neck and I deflated. It was going to be an even longer night than it had already been.
I believe the quietest I’ve ever heard Emily was the entire time I was explaining how the night unfolded. She gasped a few times and giggled here and there, but in all she was silent.
“Okay, tell me how big of a screw up I am.” I flopped back on the couch and covered my face with a pillow.
“Are you kidding?” Emily chuckled.
I moved the pillow and cocked an eyebrow at her.
“I was ready to call up someone to come over and jump my bones from how hot that story was. Everett is obviously into you, and you’re into him. I don’t see the problem here. Yes, it could become a catastrophe if it ends on a sour note, but you don’t know that it will end on a sour note.”
“I don’t know that it won’t.” I sat up and tucked my foot beneath me.
“All I’m saying is, why pass up what could potentially be an epic romance on a bunch of what ifs?”
As much as she had a point, I still couldn’t call Everett up and tell him that we were letting our ‘what ifs’ win by not taking a chance on our feelings.
“But what if it’s strictly a sexual attraction? I hardly know the guy!” I tossed my hands in the air and slammed them down on the pillow in my lap.
“There you go with those wonderful what ifs again.” Emily rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know…I can’t risk this big of a client for my own personal needs.”
“I would.”
“You would?”
“Hell yes, I would.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Sexual attraction, epic romance, potential disaster, I’ll take whatever comes my way if it’s worthwhile at some point.”
I threw the pillow at her head. “You’re an epic mess is more like it.”
We erupted with laughter.
“But seriously, I wouldn’t blame you if you did give it a try. There are tons of clients out there that we could grab if things fall through with Evergreen.”
I rolled off the couch into the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Emily had a point, but she was a walking sex fiend most of the time. Was she really someone I wanted to take advice like this from? Don’t get me wrong. I trust her with my life, but the potential outcome wouldn’t affect her, it would affect me.
What had I gotten myself into?
I padded into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I needed some orange juice in my life, and I was hoping that Emily hadn’t downed the remainder of it without letting me know. She was good at that. The only reason it got on my last nerve at times was because we literally liked the same exact things grocery wise.
“Score,” I whispered and pulled the carton off the shelf and filled my glass.
The tangy taste soothed me. Always had as a child, and always would in my adult life. The clock above the stove read quarter ‘til four. I knew it wasn’t time to roll out of bed, but my mind had gotten the best of me since I’d laid down. Rest wasn’t happening, thanks to Everett.
Emily’s creaking door interrupted my pity party.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” I turned and sloshed orange juice all over myself.
“I’m so sorry!” An almost naked man in a pair of boxers sitting low on his defined hips quickly came to my rescue. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He grabbed a towel from the counter and began rubbing my boob area where the majority of the orange juice had landed.
“Give me that.” I yanked it from his hands and tossed it on the counter so I could cover myself. “Who the hell are you?”
Emily’s laughter broke up our spat and we both turned to find her leaning against the doorframe of her room watching us with amusement.
“Lonnie, meet Arbor, and Arbor, meet Lonnie.”
He extended his hand for me to shake.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” I swatted his hand and headed down the hall.
“Down kitty.” Emily held her hands up.
“Don’t down kitty me!” I huffed, glancing back at an almost naked Lonnie standing in our kitchen. “He scared the living daylights out of me. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to have someone over?”
“It was a spur of the moment thing.” She shrugged. “I figured you were already sleeping so I didn’t bother. I told you I needed someone to jump my bones after that story you told me.”
“Stop your rambling.”
“I’m just saying…” She grinned. “He definitely jumped my bones all right.”
“What am I going to do with you?” I sighed.
“I know what the three of us could do,” naked Lonnie butted in.
“Oh. Hell. No.” I scoffed. “I’m going back to bed!” I tossed my hands in the air, forgetting I was wearing a men’s t-shirt that barely covered my ass.
“That’s one mighty fine tush.” Emily smacked my backside.
“You need your hormones checked!” I groaned as I slammed my door behind me.
Their muffled laughter had me laughing at just how carefree Emily was in some aspects of her life. I envied that about her. I guess you could say at times I was the same way, but once I got into my head and began overthinking a situation, it was downhill from there.
I unplugged my phone from its charger and swiped the screen. No new messages on any of my apps. “How boring.”
My finger hovered over the new text icon as I debated on sending Everett one or not. I nibbled my lip and my heart raced as I took the dive and pushed the icon. I quickly typed his name and clicked his contact before I could talk myself out of it.
“What to say...”
A split second passed and my fingers flew over the keyboard as I spoke aloud what I was typing.
“I know it’s late, but I just wanted to say thank you for being a gentleman. Even if I was more like a harlot.”
As soon as I hit send, I regretted the second part of the message. Hopefully he would get my humor in it and not think I was simply calling myself a prostitute. I tried to convince myself that it was too late for a reply as I sat there watching the screen like a teen wishing her crush would contact her back. What almost thirty-year-old woman acted like that?
“An immature one.” I huffed and placed my phone on the nightstand.
I flipped onto my side, facing away from where my phone sat and closed my eyes. Thankfully the walls were thick enough in our place so I couldn’t hear Emily and her sexual escapades across the hall. Since the laughter had died down, I knew they weren’t simply sleeping over there. Was I jealous? I’d be lying if I said no. My heart and soul changed the day I’d left Jonesborough, at the time I hadn’t realized just how much so. But I couldn’t keep going back to everything I’d endured over the years. It was way past time for me to pick up the pieces and live my life how it should be lived. To enjoy the time I have, and make the most out of every day. I hadn’t been doing that for the most part. Yeah, I had my dream job, a best friend, and my health, but so much was still missing from my puzzle. Figuring out where to start was the hardest part.
Ding.
My eyes shot open and I hesitated to roll over, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me.
“No freaking way.” I paused, knowing if I’d actually gotten a message my phone would alert again in a couple minutes.
But the anticipation was killing me so I flipped over and snatched my phone up from the nightstand. I quickly pressed my thumb to the home key to unlock, denied. I hated when it done that, and it always seemed to be at the worst of times.
I pressed it again, denied for a second time.
“Are you kidding me?” I shouted louder than I’d anticipated.
Instead of trying it again, I bypassed the stupid thumb indicator and typed in my passcode. The screen came to life and the little number one shined brightly beside my text messaging icon.
“Why am I so nervous?” I shook my hand out before tapping the icon.
It opened directly into his message since I hadn’t closed out after sending. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and toss the phone across the room, pretending that he hadn’t responded. But instead of doing that, I forced myself to read his response.
Harlot, I think not. More like a Siren who underestimates her own power.
When I say I felt my body flush, I seriously mean it. My entire body warmed from his words. That man wasn’t your average man. He had a way with his words, in text and vocally. My response was lacking with each tap of the screen. I deleted probably five responses before his three little typing bubbles popped up. My heart was galloping like a wild stallion. The anticipation of what he was going to say caused me to stop trying to respond all together.
I enjoyed the night with you. Even if it was a bit sporadic and wild. I wanted you to know that.
Gah!
I had to respond. I couldn’t simply open Pandora’s box and pretend nothing came out of it. So, I took a deep, steady breath, let it out slowly, and began to type.
Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words? I enjoyed myself too. Now that I’ve had a chance to decompress from the craziness of the night, I look forward to seeing you Monday.
“I look forward to seeing you on Monday?” I scoffed as I reread what I’d sent. “Who the hell says that in response to something like that?” I slapped my hand on the screen where he’d sent those two swoon-worthy replies.
I was a fool, a horrible romancer and a flat out fool.
You’ve decompressed? I wish I’d been so lucky. Monday can’t get here soon enough.
If you looked up grinning like a fool in the dictionary, or via Google, you’d find a picture of me lying in bed staring at messages from Everett. That was a given. How can you meet someone, have one dinner, almost have sex, and feel like you’ve known them for years? Was that even possible? Or were my hormones taking the lead yet again?
Rolling onto my back, I kicked my covers off and sat my phone on the nightstand. There was nothing else I could muster up to say in response to him that wouldn’t be straight up naughty. Which I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, but we’d agreed to be professional, even though we were both failing miserably.
“So much for getting some sleep.” I got out of bed and sat down in front of my computer. I hadn’t checked emails since before dinner with Everett, so I knew there was plenty of work to be done most likely. My mind needed a distraction, and work was the best one to give it.
A loud thud and the turn of the doorknob to my room interrupted my new mindset. I quickly spun in the chair and found a completely naked Lonnie standing in the doorway. Dick swinging freely, messy blond hair, and ripped abs on full display, I couldn’t look away.
“Even though I’m sure she’s enjoying the view, I have my own bathroom, dipshit!” Emily hollered across the hall.
“My bad.” He crookedly grinned and cupped his junk.
“Oh, by all means,” I sarcastically replied.
He turned and walked back into Emily’s room, leaving the door wide open to both rooms.
She stepped into my doorway with her comforter wrapped around her.
“Sorry. He’s not that bright.” She chuckled. “But his nice ass-sets make up for it.”
“If you say so.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I saw you ogling his perfect ass. Don’t even act like you weren’t.”
“Hey, if it’s on display, I’m gonna look.” I held my hands up. “Just saying.”
We both laughed.
“I am sorry he interrupted whatever you’re doing. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“It’s fine. Not like I’m getting any sleep anyway.”
“What are you doing?”
“Catching up on emails and a few small jobs.”
I wasn’t going to divulge the information regarding my conversation with Everett. She’d never leave my room and bring Naked Lonnie with her for the gossip.
“At this hour?”
“Yeah.”
She sighed, “You really need to get laid.”
“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”
She shook her head and walked back into her room.
“Give Everett a call. You’ll feel much better after he tunes up that body of yours.”
She shut the door before I could respond, but left mine wide open.
“Thanks for shutting my door, hussie!”
“You’re welcome!” she shouted back which was cut short by a long moan.
There was no way I wanted to hear their party in the sheets so I rolled myself close enough to the door to kick it shut and turned on some music. Tunes and work would be my saving grace for the remainder of the night, or shall I say morning.