Chapter 14
Olivia
Brad arrived at my hotel room just before eight. This was the first time we were going out together since we’d had sex and I felt nervous but excited. My week at the gallery had been a long one, and I was eager for a night out. I had fun working for Carla, but she kept me busy, constantly assigned me different tasks or pushing me to complete more sketches and paintings. Already, I’d learned more from her than I ever did from art teachers back home.
I couldn’t wait to tell Brad all about it. The more time we spent together, the more I wanted to be with him. Our relationship had shifted from strictly sexual to something more. I wasn’t sure when or how it changed, but I knew it had. Part of me was scared by the new development, but I decided just to ride it out. We both knew what this was. I wasn’t staying in Santa Fe forever. Eventually, I would leave. Brad and I both knew that getting attached wasn’t an option.
I told myself we were just having fun, finding companionship in each other while we could. He knocked on my hotel room door, and I bounced over, eager to see his face. My tight black dress hugged my curves perfectly, and I was excited to see the effect it would have over him. When I opened the door, I wasn’t disappointed. His blue eyes filled with desire as they trailed over my body. I smiled at him brightly, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips.
He kissed me back, but it was swift, barely long enough to feel. I frowned slightly and pulled. His eyes were still on me, but his expression was darker than I’d seen it.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said quickly. “Just tired from the day. You ready to go?”
“Yup.” I smiled and swung my purse over my shoulder.
Stepping out of the room, I pulled the door closed behind us and followed Brad down the stairs. We were walking to the bar since it was close by. Brad wrapped his arm around my waist while we walked, but his silence was deafening. He insisted he was just tired, but I felt a distance between us that hadn’t been there before.
He held me close to his side while we walked, not speaking but also not letting me go. I nestled into him, enjoying the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me. The cool night air whipped across my face and my bare arms, making me shiver. Without a word, Brad slid his arm off me and took off his jacket. He wrapped it around my shoulders and then pulled me back against him. I smiled my thanks but didn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say.
Everything felt so strange. We were almost to the bar, and yet, he had barely spoken to him since he arrived at my door.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked as we walked up to the bar.
“I’m great,” he said, smiling. “Let’s get a table.”
“Sure.” I nodded and followed him forward.
We sat down and quickly ordered some food. I was starving after a long day at the gallery and Brad had a rough day at the shop. We each ordered a beer to go with our dinner and quickly sunk into an easy rhythm. The conversation was light, and soon Brad became himself again. He seemed to lose the tension in his shoulders, and his eyes lightened.
“Need another?” he asked, pointing to my empty beer.
“Sure,” I said with a smile. “But I’ll get it.”
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s on me.”
“Brad,” I began, but he waved me off and hurried toward the bar.
When he came back, he wasn’t alone. A man I recognized from the auto shop was walking by his side. I frowned at the look on Brad’s face, somewhere between annoyed and pissed. The man, Rex, was smiling brightly as he slid into an empty chair at the table.
“Olivia, you remember Rex, don’t you?” Brad asked in a clipped voice.
“Of course.” I smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You too,” Rex said politely.
I glanced at Brad to see him glaring off into the distance. Whatever had been bothering him all night was now worse. The sudden appearance of his friend was enough to send his mood spiraling, and I didn’t know why. I wanted to pull him aside to ask, but I knew that would be rude. Instead, I tried to pull both men into a light conversation.
“So,” I said. “You both know Carla, right? From the gallery?”
“Oh yeah,” Rex said, laughing lightly. “She’s a trip.”
“I love her!” I said enthusiastically. “She’s so damn talented, but I’m exhausted. I swear I’ve never had a boss work me as hard as she does.”
“She’ll do that,” Rex said with a nod. “Carla is no nonsense.”
“No kidding.” I laughed. “I think I’ve cleaned more in the past week than I ever have in my entire life.”
Rex laughed but shot Brad a meaningful look that I didn’t understand. When my eyes turned back to Brad’s face, I saw that same angry and annoyed look in his eyes. I frowned and waited for him to say something but when he did, it wasn’t at all what I expected.
“Gotta pee,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
With that, he jumped out of his chair and hurried away. I watched him, feeling more and more concerned by the second. Something was obviously really wrong with him, and I had no idea what it was. With Rex around, I didn’t have any hope of asking him either.
“So,” Rex said, pulling my attention to him. “What’s going on with you two?”
I hesitated. Rex was obviously looking out for his friend, but there was a stern look on his face that brought me up short. I wasn’t sure how to answer his question.
“Listen,” he said, softening slightly. “Brad doesn’t usually act like this, that’s all.”
“Act like what?” I asked.
“He doesn’t open up to women,” Rex said. “He’s been through some shit and because of that, he’s closed off. He never sees the same woman for any length of time. That’s why I’m surprised by how much time he’s been spending with you.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well, I mean, I guess we were just…”
“Having fun?” Rex asked.
“Yeah,” I said, shrugging. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“No,” Rex said kindly. “But I know Brad. The way he looks at you… it’s obvious he isn’t just having fun. He feels something for you, something deep. I’m not even sure he realizes it yet, but it’s there.”
“I don’t really know what to say,” I said.
Rex was making me uncomfortable, and I knew he didn’t mean to. It wasn’t his words that bothered me. It was my feelings about the matter. Brad had been distant all night, and now I knew why. My own feelings for Brad were much stronger than I wanted them to be. I’d realized that a while ago but I pushed it away, not wanting to ruin a good thing.
“You’re leaving,” Rex said bluntly.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Eventually,” he said. “You’ll be leaving town, right?”
I nodded.
“Just be careful, okay?” he said. “Brad is already attached to you, even if he can’t see it. When you leave, it’ll hurt him.”
I nodded again and looked away. My head was spinning, and I didn’t know what to say. Rex was prying into something that wasn’t his business, but I didn’t blame him. He was looking out for his friend. It was nice in its own way but my mind was still reeling over it.
I shrugged off Brad’s jacket and jumped to my feet.
“I should go,” I said softly.
I didn’t look back as I hurried through the bar. When I stepped outside, I felt the night air hit me sharply. It stung my eyes but I pushed forward, Rex’s words still playing in my head.
He wasn’t wrong, not about anything. My feelings for Brad were growing stronger by the day, and I didn’t know how to stop it. What started as something casual and fun had quickly turned into something much different.
I thought it was just me, but now that I knew how Brad felt, I couldn’t ignore things any longer. Rex was right. It wasn’t fair of me to let Brad get attached to me when I was just going to leave soon. Besides, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle the goodbye myself. Just the thought of leaving Brad was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
I blinked them away and jogged toward my hotel, eager to tuck myself away from the world.