Chapter Eighteen
THE NEXT DAY, Lori and I were in my bedroom talking about the night before. Well, Lori was doing the talking, trying to keep my mind off things. I’d checked the papers and the news. My mishap had made it everywhere. I was dubbed the girl who collapsed after kissing Grayson Jackson, billionaire music producer. That morning my phone hadn’t stopped ringing. All of my lunch friends wanted to know what was going on between Grayson and me. Ignoring their calls, I sent off a text to all, stating how it was a onetime act for the camera—of course it was all staged. I wasn’t sure if they believed me or not, but I then went on saying I couldn’t talk about it and was spending time with my family while they were in town.
Like my father and Grayson had said, they could believe what they wanted. I’d walk into the office come Monday with my head held high and pray I didn’t vomit from nerves.
“All we were doing was talking and then Dad has to come downstairs and embarrass me.” Lori sighed.
Smiling sadly, I said, “Don’t worry about it. I had a talk with Dad earlier and told him to back off. That he should be proud you’re coming out of your shell around a guy in the first place. I think he just needs to see that Dylan genuinely likes you.”
She bit her bottom lip and looked at me through her lashes. “Do you think he does?”
“Dylan?” I asked, and she nodded. “I really think so, sweetie.”
“He’s so nice, sweet, and handsome.”
“I can see some swooning going on,” I teased.
“There is, but I’m not sure how it could work with me going back home to finish college. There’re a lot of women who would kill for his time.”
“As far as I can see, he only has eyes for you.”
She shrugged. “All I can do is see how it goes. Now, what about you and Grayson.”
I laughed. “No. Nothing there.”
Her head tilted to the side and she raised her brows at me. “That kiss last night wasn’t nothing.”
Groaning, I flopped back onto the bed. “I can’t believe I attacked him like that.”
“He didn’t seem to mind. After all, he was the one who dragged you up to continue.”
“Lori,” I started, as I sat back up. “I’ve just come out of a marriage. I’m not looking for anything.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Besides, when was the last time you and Robert… you know?”
“Before I left him, it was about eight months.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “He wasn’t interested. And honestly, neither was I.”
“And tell me, when was the last time he showed any lovingness for you? When he took you out without a client being present? Bought you flowers, or any type of present?”
Biting my bottom lip, I thought about it. “At least nine months or more.”
She took my hand in hers. “Honestly, I think your marriage ended a long time ago. It’s okay to move on if you want to. No one will think badly of you for it.”
Shaking my head, I told her, “I don’t want to move on yet anyway.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “Sister to sister. Do you have feelings for Grayson?”
Dropping my eyes, I thought about it. I had a crush. I just wasn’t sure if the desire I felt for him was more than a fantasy. He was the most handsome man I had ever met. His height, his voice, body… everything about him appealed to me. But then we argued. He was stubborn, pigheaded, and a workaholic.
Yet… I admired him for getting to where he was, and I knew his stubbornness and such helped him accomplish his goals.
He was also sweet and caring at times.
He sent my nerves, body, and my heart into a tailspin every time he was around, and for the life of me, I couldn’t get the kiss out of my head. The way he did drag me up, the way his hands then splayed across my hips and held me tightly to him.
Meeting my sister’s gaze, I nodded. “I’m pretty sure I do, when he isn’t being a bossy bastard.”
“Then just see how things go. Be brave and don’t let anyone get to you when it comes to what happened last night. All that matters is you being happy.”
“What happens if he crazily has feelings for me also and we try a relationship only to then break up? I’d lose my job, my friend, since Dylan’s his brother, and I’d lose him.”
God, I sounded like a scared, whiny teen.
“Do you know something someone taught me?” she asked.
“What?”
She smiled. “Life is all about chance. People need to take them. Sometimes they work, and then sometimes they don’t. It’s the what-ifs that aren’t worth worrying about. Because even when the chances you take don’t work out, you learn from them. You even become a better person from them.”
“Who taught you this?”
“You.”
Laughing, I asked, “How?”
“You took a chance on Robert. You were fearless enough to have a good try at it. Even though Robert was a chance that didn’t work out, you learned from it, and you’re a better person for it. You’re even stronger from it. Tell me, would you have argued back with Robert like you do Grayson?”
I shook my head. There was no way I would have. I was all about conceding when anything came to my ex. With Grayson, I felt… Lori was right, I felt stronger in myself to share my piece of mind and damn the consequences.
“How did you become smarter than me?”
“She takes after me,” Dad said, entering the room. “Now what are we talking about?”
“Men.”
He stopped and his hands went to his hips. “Do I need to kill anyone?”
We both giggled. “Not today, Dad.”
“Good,” he huffed. “Grayson was just showing me the gym floor. Get your swimsuits on. We’re gonna head down there.”
“Can’t,” I said. “I got a visit from Aunt Flow this morning.” Lori hid her snicker behind her hand.
Then, of course my luck was still down the crap hole, because Grayson appeared behind my father as he boomed, “You don’t have a fuckin’ Aunt Flo. What are you talking about?”
Grayson’s eyes widened. He then spun back around and walked out.
“Dad,” I whined, shaking my head at him. “I was talking about my period.”
Dad paled and then it was his turn to shift back around and walk out the door. What was it with men and periods? At least they didn’t have to go through it. They only had to put up with our mood swings, but shove a chocolate bar down my throat, and I was back to being happy.
“Son,” we heard Dad call. “We need to get to the shops pronto. Buy the fuckin’ store out of chocolate. It’s the only thing that soothes the wild beast.”
“Dad!” I screamed. “Shut the hell up.”
“See what I mean. Let’s go.”
Lori looked at me; we both bulged our eyes out at one another and then burst into a fit of giggles.
It wasn’t until later, when Grayson and Dad got back from wherever they went, that Dad appeared in my doorway. Lori and I were watching a movie. He threw a box of Baby Ruths onto the bed and backed out of the room. “That should keep you satisfied for a while. There’s more in the kitchen. I’m heading out with Grayson.”
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“For a drink,” he yelled from outside the door and then disappeared.
I snorted. “Trust Grayson to actually take time off to spend with our father. God knows what Dad’s telling him.”
“I think Grayson knows by now you can be a little mental at times.”
The cough medicine.
The speaking my mind when it should have stayed in my head in the first place.
The kissing him.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
“Dad will put fear in him for whenever you have your period though.” Lori giggled.
“If I get chocolate out of it, I don’t mind at all,” I said, reaching for the box.
“Remember the first time you got it and how Dad reacted?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Yes. He’d just gotten home from work and Mom told him his firstborn was growing up. I was lying in the living room on the couch. He came in and asked if I was okay. God, I can’t believe I yelled at him and said, ‘I’m bleeding out of my vagina, Dad. How do you think I am?’”
Lori fell back laughing, holding her stomach. “I never knew Dad could run that fast.”
Nodding, I added, “Then he went outside and threw his fists to the air yelling, ‘You couldn’t have given me one boy?’”
“I don’t think he’d have it any other way though. He loves us.”
“He does, and even when he’s too overprotective, we love him back.” After talking a bit, and moaning around my Baby Ruth, I asked, “Do you think he’s happy back home?”
“You’re worried about when I leave him also?”
“Kind of.”
“I think he loves his job cooking, but I’m not sure how much he’ll love it after I’m not there. We did a lot together. He’s not only my dad but a friend, you know?”
“Maybe we can convince him to move? We could all get a house together.”
Lori scrunched up her nose. “I-I can’t live with him forever,” she said quietly, no doubt guilt eating her up.
“That’s true. How would you bring guys home otherwise?” I winked. She blushed. “We’ll think of something before the time comes. I’d love to have Dad close, but I agree having him living with us could be a problem in the long run.” I gripped her hand, passed her a chocolate with my free hand, and said, “We’ll figure it out.”
She smiled and nodded. “We will.”