When Cassie knocked on my door the next day, I was laying on my couch in a pathetic, hungover heap. I dragged myself to the door to let her in, then flopped back down on the couch. Cassie sat down in the chair across from it and regarded me suspiciously. "Are you moping again?" she asked.
"Hungover," I grumbled.
"Ohh! What'd you have, like 4 drinks?" she teased. My low alcohol tolerance was practically famous.
"Five."
"Oh man, you must really be hurting," she cackled. "Wait, didn't you go out with James last night?" I nodded miserably. "Oh no, please don't tell me you got drunk and talked about Brody."
"Not quite that bad. I bitched about work for 45 minutes."
"Almost as bad!" she exclaimed.
"I know," I moaned, burying my head in my pillow. "But I was so nervous and stressed out, I could barely even look at him. I was a disaster."
"What did he do?" she asked.
"He was great. He listened to me bitch, he gave me a few 'That sucks' and 'wow, really?'s and then he brought me home. I was so drunk I couldn't even get my seatbelt off. He made sure I got inside okay, kissed me on the cheek, and left. He didn't mention a second date. Probably a good thing," I sighed.
"And that's why you can't have nice things," she said, shaking her head.
I was about to reply when my phone starting ringing. I cringed at the high pitched tones and fished it out from under me. "Shit, it's him!" I said in amazement. I turned wild eyes on Cassie. "What do I do?!"
"Answer it, you idiot," she replied.
"And then what?" I asked frantically.
"Tell him the truth? I don't know, just answer it!"
"Hello?" I said, answering.
"Hi, how are you feeling today?" His voice was warm and sounded slightly amused.
"Hungover and embarrassed," I said, my face heating up just thinking about the night before.
He laughed gently. "I had a feeling you'd be at least one of those."
"I am really, really sorry. I was ridiculous. I was just really nervous, and I do stupid things when I'm nervous, like drink too much. And talk about work for 45 minutes." I was starting to ramble, and Cassie was shaking her head, so I stopped.
"Like I said last night, it happens to the best of us. At least I know what you're like when you're drunk now," he teased.
"Lucky you," I grumbled sarcastically.
"Well, I hope your injured pride will be okay, because I was calling to ask you if you wanted to go out again."
"Really?" I asked incredulously, before I could stop myself.
He laughed. "Yes, really. I didn't think it would be productive to ask last night. If you're free next Saturday, I have a friend who is opening a comedy show and I was hoping you'd join me for it. Damien was talking about asking your friend Kinsley, too."
"That sounds like fun," I said. "I'm pretty sure I'm free next Saturday, hold on a sec." I looked at Cassie who was shaking her head in amazement. I put my hand over the phone and whispered, "Do we have anything going on next Saturday?"
"Yeah," she whispered back. "You're going on a second date, somehow!"
I took my hand off the phone. "Saturday is good. What were you thinking?"
"Well, the show starts at 10, so I thought maybe you and I could get dinner together before, and then we could meet Damien and Kinsley there if they go. There are a few good restaurants near the club, so maybe 8 for dinner?"
"That sounds perfect," I responded. We said goodbye and hung up. Cassie was still shaking her head.
"You are the only person I know that can get so drunk they complain about work for 45 minutes and can't get their seatbelt off on a first date and still land a second," she said. "It's a good thing you're pretty and smart, because you're completely socially inept sometimes!"
"Thanks," I said, rolling my eyes.
On Sunday morning, I met Kinsley, Lauren, and Kendra for brunch. Kinsley reported that she was going out with Damien on Tuesday. I wasn't sure if he'd asked her about the comedy show (or if he was going to) so I didn't mention that to her. I told them about my horrible date, and they all laughed at me, except Kendra, who sympathetically patted my shoulder. They were also shocked when I told them that James had called me the next day to ask me for a second date. I felt embarrassed again just
talking to them about it, and quickly changed the subject back to Kinsley and Damien.
Kinsley seemed really excited for their date, but confessed that she was worried he was too good for her. We all told her she was ridiculous, of course. Lauren was especially helpful, saying, "Don't worry, Kins. As long as you don't get drunk and complain for 45 minutes, you're one up on Olivia!" I glared and they laughed, but I soon gave in and laughed with them.
Talk soon turned to Kinsley's upcoming birthday. It was coming up in two weeks, and we were working on some plans. Kendra had offered to host a cook out in the afternoon and evening and her and Christian's house, and then we planned to head out on the town after that.
I spent the rest of the day getting my house cleaned and getting prepped for my work week. I had a crazy week facing me again, and I was dreading it. Hopefully getting some work done ahead of time would help, but I was definitely counting down the days until I could start looking for something new.
I
was just pulling into my garage on Wednesday when my phone rang. I
wasn't able to park and fish my phone out in time to answer. I looked
at the missed call and saw it was James. I called back. Maybe he had
changed his mind and didn't want to see me again after all.
"Hey! I was just leaving you a voicemail," he said when he answered.
"Hi, what's up?" I asked curiously, a little nervous.
"Well,
I'm finishing up some work and I'm in your neighborhood. I was
wondering if you wanted to hang out for a little bit. I'd like to see you,
but I know you have a busy week and you're probably tired, so if you say
no, I promise you won't hurt my feelings."
"That afraid of rejection that you have to throw in a disclaimer?" I joked, feeling more at ease.
He laughed. "No way. I'm so sure that you'll say yes that I threw that in just to tempt fate."
"So,
I should say 'no' to spite you then, huh?" I teased back. This was the
friendly banter that had come so easily during the not-date. Where was
it on Friday?
"You could say no, but then you'd miss out on seeing me," he pointed out.
"Got
me there," I responded, laughing. "I'd love to see you. Do you just want to come over here?" He responded that that worked, and I asked if I could have a little time to shower and change, since I just got home and the air conditioning was broken at work.
"How long do you need?" he asked.
"Can
you give me 20 minutes? And just so you know, I'm absolutely putting
on yoga pants, so don't expect much of anything good to look at."
"20 minutes is perfect, but have you seen yoga pants? I think I'll have plenty to look at," he responded, chuckling.
I
hurried inside to shower and was in and out of it in 5 minutes. I
pulled my hair up into a bun and put a little light makeup on. I would
let him see me in yoga pants and a gray v-neck t-shirt but no way was he
getting to see me without makeup on before we even went on a second
date.
I was sitting on the couch for about 2 minutes
when the doorbell rang. I opened it and allowed myself to briefly enjoy
the sight of James in a suit on my front porch. I let him in and he
hugged me.
"Now I really feel under-dressed," I said, motioning to his suit.
His
eyes slid from my face down my body and back up. "I think you look
amazing," he said with his characteristic easy, perfect smile. I
blushed and muttered a thank you. Then he took off his jacket and tossed it over the back of one of my chairs. "Better?" he asked.
"Much,"
I said with an approving nod. "Do you want something to drink? Water,
Coke, tea, coffee? Otherwise I have wine and whiskey, but don't worry,
I'm not drinking." I said it with a smile so he knew I was joking.
He laughed. "Whiskey? Really?"
"Why does everyone say that?" I exclaimed. "It's good whiskey too!"
He shook his head, smiling. "Water is great, actually."
I brought him a bottle and sat next to him. "Have you eaten? I'm starving. We could order something."
He
agreed and we settled on pizza, because pizza is always the best
choice. I handed him the TV remote and instructed him to find something
while I called in the order. He found a Big Bang Theory marathon and
put it on.
When I got off the phone, he asked about my
week. "Oh, as good as can be expected," I said quickly, before asking him about his week. He talked a
little about work and house hunting. Then I asked him about his
brother, and how it was working for him.
"We get along
better now. And since he handles one aspect and I handle another, it's
more working with him than for him, though I guess he is technically my
boss."
"You get along better now?" I asked. "So
does that mean you didn't used to?" He explained that they were pretty
close in age growing up and were both really competitive, so they were
constantly competing for everything.
"He's a total
womanizer, too," James continued, "and he can charm the pants off of
women more easily than anyone else I know, though I'm not sure how. I
don't find him particularly charming, especially when he's drinking. We have thrown punches over that
before." He was telling me about the time he gave his brother a black
eye two days before prom when the doorbell rang. James jumped up and
beat me to the door, paying the pizza delivery person before I could
even open my mouth.
"You didn't have to do that," I said. "I would have paid."
"Be quiet and eat your pizza," he said with a grin.
We
ate in comfortable silence, at least until I spilled my glass of water
all over the couch. James looked at me and cracked up, and I followed
soon after. I made it to the kitchen for a towel, and soaked up the
water as best as I could. I stood there looking at the wet cushion and
shaking my head while James continued to laugh. I tossed the wet towel
into the laundry room and walked back to the living room, where he had
managed to collect himself. "Too bad, I guess you'll just have to sit a
little closer," he said with a flirty smirk.
"I don't
know, I might prefer sitting in the spilled water," I said, cocking an
eyebrow. He reached for my waist to pull me down next to him but I
twisted away, laughing. I grabbed our empty plates and took them into
the kitchen to avoid any more casualties, and when I came back into the
living room, he was waiting for me. He grabbed me around the waist and
spun me around, pinning my back to his chest and wrapping his arms
around me.
"Now you don't have much of a choice where
you sit," he teased, his voice low. I felt the now-familiar flutter in
my stomach from being so close to him. I wiggled, testing his
grip, though I wasn't completely sure I wanted to be out of it. I felt
his biceps flex against my shoulders as he tightened his hold around me
just a little.
"I seem to be entirely at your mercy, sir," I conceded with a grin.
"So you'll come willingly?" he asked.
"I suppose I don't have a choice," I replied.
He
laughed. "That doesn't sound terribly willing," he said, loosening his
grip and nudging me towards the couch. I pulled the soaked cushion off
and tossed it on the floor.
"Otherwise, I will likely
forget and sit on it before it dries," I explained in response to
James's raised eyebrow. "I'm a disaster even when I'm sober." He laughed as he sat back down and I sat next to him. He
slipped his arm around me and I relaxed against him. It felt comfortable,
and I was glad he had come over so we could spend a little time together
in a low-pressure situation. Maybe I wouldn't make a fool out of
myself on Saturday.
When I starting yawning every
couple minutes and sagging further against him, he stretched and said,
"I think I'd better let you get some sleep." I nodded and we stood. At
the door, he turned to me. "Thank you for taking me up on my sort-of
crazy request to come over at the spur of the moment. I was having a
hard time waiting until Saturday to see you again."
"I
tend to have that effect on people," I replied, grinning. Wow, his
cockiness was starting to rub off on me. He laughed. "Seriously
though, thank you for the pizza and the company. I had fun." He hugged
me, then kissed my cheek. He paused after the kiss, with his lips
still just barely touching my cheek, as if he was considering actually
kissing me, but then he pulled back.
"Goodnight, Olivia," he said, but he made no move towards the door. I looked up at him, considering my options for a second, then stepped closer to him. He put his hand on my waist and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you could get a priest to rob a bank for you by looking at him like that?"
"Could I get a gorgeous guy standing in my living room to kiss me by looking at him like this?" I asked, my eyes locked on his.
In response, he leaned down and touched his lips gently to mine. I slid my hands up his arms, letting them rest just below his shoulders. He pulled away briefly, then took a half step closer to me, slipped one hand behind my neck, and kissed me again. My lips parted and this kiss was longer, deeper, more intense.
"Will that work?" he asked softly, when the kiss ended. I nodded, slightly breathless. "Good," he said, running his thumb along my cheekbone. "I'll see you on Saturday."
I smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Another One Bites the Dust
Well, another person is gone from work. This one quit, and she did it with very little notice, which I think is always stupid because burning bridges is generally a poor choice in my book. But either way, if things don't improve in the next few months, I'm going to have to start looking for something else. I didn't come here to spend all my life at work. I'm stuck for 6 months per my contract (at the time it seemed a small price to pay for getting the moving bonus, but now I can see why they were willing to pay a moving bonus!) but I'm definitely going to start looking at my options.
So, this week I was back to being super busy again. On top of that, I was starting to stress out about my date with James. I was questioning the decision to go out with him. Part of me was holding out hope that at the end of 60 days (only a couple more weeks, at this point) Brody would be back. The couple times I had talked to him he sounded so tired and miserable, and I didn't think he could possibly want to stay for that. But, even if he came back, it didn't necessarily mean that we'd get back together (and really, we were never even really together in the first place) or that things would be the same. I was seriously over-analyzing everything, and I called Lauren on Thursday for a reality check.
After spewing all my thoughts from the past week at her, the first thing she said was, "Olivia, you are a total head case." Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it was what I was expecting.
"I know!" I wailed. "That's why I called you! Help me not be a head case."
"Oh, sweetheart," she said, a note of sympathy in her voice. "Look--I think you need to stop worrying about what Brody's doing or not doing. If he comes back, he comes back and you go from there. But you can't just sit around and plan your life around what he might or might not do. You don't know. So you can sit here and wait, and pass up the opportunity to go on some dates with a potentially great guy, just to find out that Brody is staying in Miami forever, or you can decide to go ahead and live your life now. If Brody comes back, figure it out then. If he doesn't, at least you didn't put your life on hold."
She was right. It was good perspective and I appreciated it, but it didn't really help me not be really nervous and stressed out come Friday. I didn't get home until almost 7, which left me all of about an hour to get ready. I jumped in the shower quick and then pulled on the dress I had picked out. I dried my hair and did my makeup and was finishing up the last curl in my hair when the doorbell rang. I quickly ran my hands through the curls to loosen them then ran down the stairs.
"Hi!" I said, pulling the door open. "Sorry, I got out of work late, I'm almost ready."
"Hi," James said with a smile. "Don't worry, take your time. You look beautiful already though, so I can't imagine what else you need to do." He looked down at my feet. "Oh, I guess shoes would probably be helpful, at least!"
"I thought I'd go without," I said with a grin. "Maybe start a new trend." He laughed and shook his head. "You can sit if you want, I'll literally just be a minute or two. Do you want something to drink?" He shook his head and thanked me, and made his way over to the couch. I ran upstairs to finish. I went back into the bathroom and worked a little pequi oil into my hair and finger combed the curls, then put on my necklace and earrings and grabbed my shoes. I slipped them on as I walked out of my room.
When I got downstairs, James was standing, looking at the pictures I had around the living and dining area. He looked up as I walked around the bottom of the stairs. "Sorry, I'm being nosy," he admitted.
"Don't be, that's what they're there for," I laughed a little. Why was I so nervous? I am a nervous giggler, so I hoped it would go away soon, or I'd be giggling all night. He asked me a couple questions about the pictures and then we left. He opened the car door for me and I realized I was starting to take it for granted. Someday, someone would not open the car door for me and I'd stand there like an idiot waiting for it.
"So where are we going?" I asked curiously, as he pulled away from the curb. He wouldn't tell me when he had called to finalize details with me, he'd only told me that casual dress was okay.
"Well, when we had drinks last week, you had mentioned that soul food restaurant at home that you loved. So I found a place here that sounded similar." I was impressed that he had remembered and used the information to pick a restaurant for tonight. "I've never been there, but I got the recommendation from a very trusted source, so I'm sure it will be great. I guess it's a pretty casual place, but the food is supposed to be excellent. I hope that's okay." He laughed and looked sideways at me, and I realized that he was nervous too.
"Are you kidding? It sounds perfect. Really thoughtful," I assured him honestly. He looked relieved, but for some reason, his nervousness made me even more nervous.
The first thing I did was order a glass of wine. It disappeared quickly. Halfway through the second, I was still struggling to make conversation. I excused myself to go to the bathroom. In the bathroom, I took some deep breaths and gave myself a silent pep talk. I was being absolutely ridiculous.
When I returned back to the table, feeling a little calmer, our appetizers had arrived. At least that would give me something to do besides drink. I finished the rest of my second glass of wine while we were enjoying the appetizers. Conversation started to flow a little better, and even though I knew I shouldn't, I got a third glass of wine.
The rest of the food came quickly, and it was amazing. I smiled to myself as I enjoyed a bite of beef brisket. "Well, is it as good as the place at home?" James asked, seeing my smile.
"Actually, it's better," I responded.
"Good," he said, flashing an easy smile. His confident demeanor was starting to return. It actually put me a little more at ease. When our server came by and asked if I wanted more wine, I made a smart choice and asked for water. I opted out of dessert, and we decided to walk to a nearby bar that had a rooftop patio.
It was a gorgeous night to be outside, and as we sat with our drinks, James pointed out various buildings and landmarks that I wasn't familiar with. Conversation got easier and easier and before I knew it, I was chatting freely. A little alarm bell went off in the back of my head that I had probably had a little too much to drink and needed to be careful, but I blocked it out and started talking about the crappy things going on at work. It didn't take long for me to get worked up about it either (thanks alcohol!).
You know how some girls have rules about how many dates they need to go on before they'll kiss the guy, or have sex with him? I have no such rules--when it's right, it's right. My only rule is to never have more than 2 drinks on a date, because I get drunk so easily. I had gotten away with three on my not-date with James just because we had been there for four hours But here I was on number 5 in just a couple short hours, and it wasn't pretty.
James, thankfully, listened patiently and made appropriately supportive comments. When the server came around, I asked for a glass of water. I wasn't so drunk that I didn't know I was drunk, at least.
I wobbled unsteadily on my heels when we stood to leave. James put an arm around my waist to steady me, and even in the state I was in, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. After assessing my walking abilities, he seemed to decide it would be safest to keep it there. I didn't mind one bit.
I was out of my over-sharing phase and into my sleepy phase, and I was quiet on the ride home. After James parked, I struggled with my seatbelt. I was still fighting with it when James pulled my door open. He laughed and reached across me, unbuckling it easily. He offered me a hand and pulled me up out of the car. When we got to my front door, I finally began to feel a little embarrassed.
"I am so sorry," I started, struggling not to slur.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he cut me off, gently. "It happens to the best of us." I struggled to get my key in the lock. He gently took them out of my hand, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. "Please take off those shoes so you don't kill yourself on the stairs," he said, chuckling. I did, blushing a little. I looked up at him. He didn't even look irritated. If the roles were reversed, I'd be irritated.
"Thank you," I managed. "Choosing that restaurant was really thoughtful. I loved it." He smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek.
"You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm going to go, you should get some rest." He pulled me into a quick hug, and then left.
I was so focused on getting upstairs and ready for bed without tumbling over that I didn't even realize until I was in bed that he hadn't mentioned another date. I wouldn't have either, if I were him.
So, this week I was back to being super busy again. On top of that, I was starting to stress out about my date with James. I was questioning the decision to go out with him. Part of me was holding out hope that at the end of 60 days (only a couple more weeks, at this point) Brody would be back. The couple times I had talked to him he sounded so tired and miserable, and I didn't think he could possibly want to stay for that. But, even if he came back, it didn't necessarily mean that we'd get back together (and really, we were never even really together in the first place) or that things would be the same. I was seriously over-analyzing everything, and I called Lauren on Thursday for a reality check.
After spewing all my thoughts from the past week at her, the first thing she said was, "Olivia, you are a total head case." Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it was what I was expecting.
"I know!" I wailed. "That's why I called you! Help me not be a head case."
"Oh, sweetheart," she said, a note of sympathy in her voice. "Look--I think you need to stop worrying about what Brody's doing or not doing. If he comes back, he comes back and you go from there. But you can't just sit around and plan your life around what he might or might not do. You don't know. So you can sit here and wait, and pass up the opportunity to go on some dates with a potentially great guy, just to find out that Brody is staying in Miami forever, or you can decide to go ahead and live your life now. If Brody comes back, figure it out then. If he doesn't, at least you didn't put your life on hold."
She was right. It was good perspective and I appreciated it, but it didn't really help me not be really nervous and stressed out come Friday. I didn't get home until almost 7, which left me all of about an hour to get ready. I jumped in the shower quick and then pulled on the dress I had picked out. I dried my hair and did my makeup and was finishing up the last curl in my hair when the doorbell rang. I quickly ran my hands through the curls to loosen them then ran down the stairs.
"Hi!" I said, pulling the door open. "Sorry, I got out of work late, I'm almost ready."
"Hi," James said with a smile. "Don't worry, take your time. You look beautiful already though, so I can't imagine what else you need to do." He looked down at my feet. "Oh, I guess shoes would probably be helpful, at least!"
"I thought I'd go without," I said with a grin. "Maybe start a new trend." He laughed and shook his head. "You can sit if you want, I'll literally just be a minute or two. Do you want something to drink?" He shook his head and thanked me, and made his way over to the couch. I ran upstairs to finish. I went back into the bathroom and worked a little pequi oil into my hair and finger combed the curls, then put on my necklace and earrings and grabbed my shoes. I slipped them on as I walked out of my room.
When I got downstairs, James was standing, looking at the pictures I had around the living and dining area. He looked up as I walked around the bottom of the stairs. "Sorry, I'm being nosy," he admitted.
"Don't be, that's what they're there for," I laughed a little. Why was I so nervous? I am a nervous giggler, so I hoped it would go away soon, or I'd be giggling all night. He asked me a couple questions about the pictures and then we left. He opened the car door for me and I realized I was starting to take it for granted. Someday, someone would not open the car door for me and I'd stand there like an idiot waiting for it.
"So where are we going?" I asked curiously, as he pulled away from the curb. He wouldn't tell me when he had called to finalize details with me, he'd only told me that casual dress was okay.
"Well, when we had drinks last week, you had mentioned that soul food restaurant at home that you loved. So I found a place here that sounded similar." I was impressed that he had remembered and used the information to pick a restaurant for tonight. "I've never been there, but I got the recommendation from a very trusted source, so I'm sure it will be great. I guess it's a pretty casual place, but the food is supposed to be excellent. I hope that's okay." He laughed and looked sideways at me, and I realized that he was nervous too.
"Are you kidding? It sounds perfect. Really thoughtful," I assured him honestly. He looked relieved, but for some reason, his nervousness made me even more nervous.
The first thing I did was order a glass of wine. It disappeared quickly. Halfway through the second, I was still struggling to make conversation. I excused myself to go to the bathroom. In the bathroom, I took some deep breaths and gave myself a silent pep talk. I was being absolutely ridiculous.
When I returned back to the table, feeling a little calmer, our appetizers had arrived. At least that would give me something to do besides drink. I finished the rest of my second glass of wine while we were enjoying the appetizers. Conversation started to flow a little better, and even though I knew I shouldn't, I got a third glass of wine.
The rest of the food came quickly, and it was amazing. I smiled to myself as I enjoyed a bite of beef brisket. "Well, is it as good as the place at home?" James asked, seeing my smile.
"Actually, it's better," I responded.
"Good," he said, flashing an easy smile. His confident demeanor was starting to return. It actually put me a little more at ease. When our server came by and asked if I wanted more wine, I made a smart choice and asked for water. I opted out of dessert, and we decided to walk to a nearby bar that had a rooftop patio.
It was a gorgeous night to be outside, and as we sat with our drinks, James pointed out various buildings and landmarks that I wasn't familiar with. Conversation got easier and easier and before I knew it, I was chatting freely. A little alarm bell went off in the back of my head that I had probably had a little too much to drink and needed to be careful, but I blocked it out and started talking about the crappy things going on at work. It didn't take long for me to get worked up about it either (thanks alcohol!).
You know how some girls have rules about how many dates they need to go on before they'll kiss the guy, or have sex with him? I have no such rules--when it's right, it's right. My only rule is to never have more than 2 drinks on a date, because I get drunk so easily. I had gotten away with three on my not-date with James just because we had been there for four hours But here I was on number 5 in just a couple short hours, and it wasn't pretty.
James, thankfully, listened patiently and made appropriately supportive comments. When the server came around, I asked for a glass of water. I wasn't so drunk that I didn't know I was drunk, at least.
I wobbled unsteadily on my heels when we stood to leave. James put an arm around my waist to steady me, and even in the state I was in, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. After assessing my walking abilities, he seemed to decide it would be safest to keep it there. I didn't mind one bit.
I was out of my over-sharing phase and into my sleepy phase, and I was quiet on the ride home. After James parked, I struggled with my seatbelt. I was still fighting with it when James pulled my door open. He laughed and reached across me, unbuckling it easily. He offered me a hand and pulled me up out of the car. When we got to my front door, I finally began to feel a little embarrassed.
"I am so sorry," I started, struggling not to slur.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he cut me off, gently. "It happens to the best of us." I struggled to get my key in the lock. He gently took them out of my hand, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. "Please take off those shoes so you don't kill yourself on the stairs," he said, chuckling. I did, blushing a little. I looked up at him. He didn't even look irritated. If the roles were reversed, I'd be irritated.
"Thank you," I managed. "Choosing that restaurant was really thoughtful. I loved it." He smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek.
"You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm going to go, you should get some rest." He pulled me into a quick hug, and then left.
I was so focused on getting upstairs and ready for bed without tumbling over that I didn't even realize until I was in bed that he hadn't mentioned another date. I wouldn't have either, if I were him.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
(Then) Lauren
I got a couple email questions yesterday that I think others might be wondering too! One reader asked how long Brody has been gone. As of the last post (Not a Date), Brody has been gone just shy of 6 weeks. Another reader asked me about my posting schedule. I will always have a post for you guys on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (though if I'm editing the night before, like I have been lately, I will put them up Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday evenings). Generally, Monday and Wednesday are main storyline and Friday is the alternative perspective/back story post for the week. Sometimes it makes more sense to switch the order, but I try to give you a heads up when I do that. And of course, since I have tons of posts written out in advance and I'm easily excited, I post a lot of bonuses. When I do them, they have generally come on Thursdays, though sometimes on Tuesdays too (and sometimes both!)
If you ever have questions, please feel free to email or comment and ask! I'd be more than happy to answer them, either with a response or like this. Thank you guys all for reading and commenting and asking questions!
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When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius, you'd be surprised how many people don't like you.
When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius and you're friends with the prettiest girl in the Junior class, you'd be surprised at how often you get invited to parties even though people don't like you.
When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius and you're friends with the prettiest girl in the Junior class, and the prettiest girl in the Junior class has no idea that she's the prettiest girl in the Junior class, you'd be surprised at how often boys talk to you, even though they don't like you.
It's okay though, because the guys that are interested in her are not the guys I'm interested in. Of course, the guys I'm interested in aren't interested in me either, so there's that. But because 16-year-olds are generally complete idiots, I get away with a lot of sarcasm that I can't get away with at home. Sarcasm is pretty much my favorite thing, and my go-to defense mechanism to boot. I never miss a chance to use it on teenage boys who come to me wondering if I thought Olivia would go to the football game with them. Or the Homecoming dance. Or the movies. Occasionally I get inquiries about our other friend Lynn too.
Today, I was fending off a particularly persistent and annoying senior that had been pestering me about Liv for awhile. He's not her type and I told him that, but he won't shut up. He wants to ask her to prom, and I was trying to tell him that her mom won't let her go to prom until she's a senior, but he isn't hearing it.
"Liv doesn't like deaf guys," I say, rolling my eyes and stalking away finally.
When I get home, my mom is making dinner. "Hi, honey," she says with a smile.
"Hi, mom," I respond, sitting at the table.
"I talked to your sister today," my mom says still smiling broadly at me. "She asked if you wanted to go out there for the summer, or for part of it."
"Really? Out to Denver to stay with her? I hope you told her yes!" I am so excited. I have been bugging my mom to let me go out and stay with Amanda in Denver since she had moved out there for college 5 years ago. My mom refused to let me go because she didn't think college students were a good influence on her teenage daughter, but apparently now that Amanda had graduated, there aren't any more worries about underage drinking or sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Right.
"I told her 6 weeks. She tried to talk me into a full two months, but I want to you be able to come back in time to get started on your college applications and study for the ACTs before you start school again."
I get up and throw my arms around her. "When do I leave?" I ask, practically bouncing. My mom laughs.
"We'll look at flights tonight after dinner. Get your homework done first." Of course, that is so like my mom. I yank my stuff out of my backpack and get to work on my pre-calc homework. Luckily, it's all I have to do tonight and I finish it before dinner.
After dinner, mom and I sit down at the computer and pull up the airline website. We search through the flight options and choose an 11am flight on June 17th, one week after I finish school for the summer. We book an August 1st return flight, and I am ecstatic. I throw my arms around her again and then run up to my room to call Liv.
"Wait, what you do mean you're going to be in Denver for the entire summer?" Liv wails when I tell her. "Do you know how far away Denver is?!"
"979 miles," I reply automatically. "Roughly a 14 hour drive and a 2.5 hour flight."
"Ugh, your brain, Laur. Turn it off sometimes."
"Sorry. Anyway, I'll totally miss you and Lynn, but we can still talk on the phone and email and hey! Maybe you can come out and visit?" I ask hopefully.
"I doubt it. You know my mom barely lets me sleepover at people's house, I'm sure she won't let me fly to Denver to sleep over at your sister's house," she replies forlornly.
"Your mom sucks," I say.
"I know," Liv replies sadly. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be excited for you, but it's hard when I'm sad for me."
"I understand," I assure her. "I'm definitely sad that we won't spend our summer together like we planned. And to be honest, I'm a little nervous to spend so much time with my sister. You know we don't exactly have a lot in common."
"So you've said," Liv responds. "Careful, she might have you wearing makeup and dresses by the end of the summer!"
"Yeah, right," I scoff back. "If you can't get me in dresses, what makes you think she can?"
If you ever have questions, please feel free to email or comment and ask! I'd be more than happy to answer them, either with a response or like this. Thank you guys all for reading and commenting and asking questions!
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The Smart Friend Part 1
When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius, you'd be surprised how many people don't like you.
When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius and you're friends with the prettiest girl in the Junior class, you'd be surprised at how often you get invited to parties even though people don't like you.
When you're pretty much a 16-year-old genius and you're friends with the prettiest girl in the Junior class, and the prettiest girl in the Junior class has no idea that she's the prettiest girl in the Junior class, you'd be surprised at how often boys talk to you, even though they don't like you.
It's okay though, because the guys that are interested in her are not the guys I'm interested in. Of course, the guys I'm interested in aren't interested in me either, so there's that. But because 16-year-olds are generally complete idiots, I get away with a lot of sarcasm that I can't get away with at home. Sarcasm is pretty much my favorite thing, and my go-to defense mechanism to boot. I never miss a chance to use it on teenage boys who come to me wondering if I thought Olivia would go to the football game with them. Or the Homecoming dance. Or the movies. Occasionally I get inquiries about our other friend Lynn too.
Today, I was fending off a particularly persistent and annoying senior that had been pestering me about Liv for awhile. He's not her type and I told him that, but he won't shut up. He wants to ask her to prom, and I was trying to tell him that her mom won't let her go to prom until she's a senior, but he isn't hearing it.
"Liv doesn't like deaf guys," I say, rolling my eyes and stalking away finally.
When I get home, my mom is making dinner. "Hi, honey," she says with a smile.
"Hi, mom," I respond, sitting at the table.
"I talked to your sister today," my mom says still smiling broadly at me. "She asked if you wanted to go out there for the summer, or for part of it."
"Really? Out to Denver to stay with her? I hope you told her yes!" I am so excited. I have been bugging my mom to let me go out and stay with Amanda in Denver since she had moved out there for college 5 years ago. My mom refused to let me go because she didn't think college students were a good influence on her teenage daughter, but apparently now that Amanda had graduated, there aren't any more worries about underage drinking or sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Right.
"I told her 6 weeks. She tried to talk me into a full two months, but I want to you be able to come back in time to get started on your college applications and study for the ACTs before you start school again."
I get up and throw my arms around her. "When do I leave?" I ask, practically bouncing. My mom laughs.
"We'll look at flights tonight after dinner. Get your homework done first." Of course, that is so like my mom. I yank my stuff out of my backpack and get to work on my pre-calc homework. Luckily, it's all I have to do tonight and I finish it before dinner.
After dinner, mom and I sit down at the computer and pull up the airline website. We search through the flight options and choose an 11am flight on June 17th, one week after I finish school for the summer. We book an August 1st return flight, and I am ecstatic. I throw my arms around her again and then run up to my room to call Liv.
"Wait, what you do mean you're going to be in Denver for the entire summer?" Liv wails when I tell her. "Do you know how far away Denver is?!"
"979 miles," I reply automatically. "Roughly a 14 hour drive and a 2.5 hour flight."
"Ugh, your brain, Laur. Turn it off sometimes."
"Sorry. Anyway, I'll totally miss you and Lynn, but we can still talk on the phone and email and hey! Maybe you can come out and visit?" I ask hopefully.
"I doubt it. You know my mom barely lets me sleepover at people's house, I'm sure she won't let me fly to Denver to sleep over at your sister's house," she replies forlornly.
"Your mom sucks," I say.
"I know," Liv replies sadly. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be excited for you, but it's hard when I'm sad for me."
"I understand," I assure her. "I'm definitely sad that we won't spend our summer together like we planned. And to be honest, I'm a little nervous to spend so much time with my sister. You know we don't exactly have a lot in common."
"So you've said," Liv responds. "Careful, she might have you wearing makeup and dresses by the end of the summer!"
"Yeah, right," I scoff back. "If you can't get me in dresses, what makes you think she can?"
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Not a Date
Because I have a posting problem, and I'm a sucker for a few good comments...
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I was busy at work on Thursday with my clients and preparing to start my group in two weeks. I stayed late, intending to get a little ahead on paperwork and then go straight to meet James from the office, not giving myself time to put in any extra effort. After all, it wasn't a date.
I left at 6:50, and made the short walk to the wine bar I had told him to meet me at. I arrived at 6:56, and he was already there, leaning casually against the wall near the door. He must have come right from work too, and was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, no tie. Damn it, why'd he have to be on time? I'm such a sucker for punctuality. And suits. He looked good.
He stood up straight when I walked in and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. He had to bend to do it. He was taller than Brody, probably at least a foot taller than me. I smiled at him, uneasy at the flutter in my stomach when his lips touched my face. We made our way to a table and sat.
I adjusted the hem of my pencil skirt so I could cross my legs. We ordered our drinks, and he smiled that disarming smile at me again. "So, busy day at work?" he asked. "I don't even know what you do, actually." He looked at me expectantly.
I told him about my job, and he listened intently. "And you?" I said when I finished. "I know where you work, but I don't really know what you do."
"Ah, that's right, I gave you a card, didn't I?" he remembered. He smirked at me. "Did you Google it?"
"Guilty as charged," I said with a grin. He laughed.
"I was a patrol officer for 7 years. I made detective 4 years ago, and made it into homicide a year after that. My brother started Dennison Security about that time, and asked me to join him, but I was too happy about making homicide to do it. After about a year, he was getting requests from big clients for investigative work, and he approached me again. I agreed to do a little consultant work on the side, but as the business grew I didn't have enough time. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and I left the PD to work with him full time. So now he handles the security consulting side, and I handle the investigation side. I do a little security work when he's short staffed or investigations are slow."
"What kind of investigations?" I asked, intrigued.
"Private investigation work, mostly. It's largely custody and divorce disputes, nothing too exciting. We do some corporate work too, consulting on internal stuff and doing in-depth background checks. It's not what I thought I'd do when I graduated, but it's flexible, I'm my own boss for the most part, and it's different every day, so it works for now."
He asked me about growing up in Wisconsin and conversation flowed easily from there. Before I knew it, the server was back, asking if we wanted another drink. James looked to me, a question in his eyes. I considered briefly before nodding. James smiled and asked for another too.
"Staying, then?" he asked, his eyes alight.
"I haven't decided," I replied. "I need a little more time."
The longer we were there, the more his cocky, overconfident facade melted, and his charming, funny personality shone through. This isn't so bad, I thought to myself. I realized I was actually having fun, and James made it all really easy. I ordered a third glass of wine.
As I was finishing up that glass, I snuck a peak at James's watch. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed. He looked surprised for a second and then laughed.
"What?" he asked, curiously.
"It's almost 11," I replied. "I should really get going, or I'm going to be really sorry tomorrow." He seemed surprised at the time as well, and looked at his watch.
"I guess it is," he confirmed. "It went fast." I had paid cash for my first drink, but had started a tab when I ordered my second, since I wasn't sure how long I'd be there. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, planning on stopping at the bar on the way back and paying my tab. While I was washing my hands, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I look happy, I realized, smiling at myself.
I went to the bar and asked to close my tab. The bartender looked and then told me that our server had just closed it out. He handed me a receipt for a cancelled sale. I looked at it in confusion for a second. "I believe the gentleman you're here with paid, so we just added your drinks onto his tab," he offered helpfully.
I walked back to the table and raised an eyebrow at James. "I just tried to close my tab," I said, "except there wasn't a tab to close. You agreed to let me pay for my drinks."
"No," he argued, smiling slightly at my irritation. "I agreed to let you pay for your DRINK. And I did. The deal didn't apply to subsequent drinks." Technically, he was right, and it was awfully rude to be angry at someone that had just paid for your drinks, so I relented.
"You win this time, I guess," I admitted. "Thank you."
We walked out to the curb to wait for cabs. "I had a lot of fun," James said, looking at me intently. "Thanks for humoring me."
"I had fun too, actually," I said, with a teasing smile. "And if you still wanted to take me out on a date, I wouldn't say no this time." I surprised myself with my boldness. James looked a little surprised too, but quickly recovered.
"I would love to. Are you free on Saturday?"
"Not this Saturday, but I could do Sunday," I replied. He shook his head. "My next week is a little crazy, but right now I do have next Friday open," I tried. A cab pulled up to the curb, and he pulled open the door, motioning me to get in.
"Next Friday would be perfect," he said. I quickly gave him my number and he promised to call next week. He hugged me quickly and kissed me on the cheek and then I got into the cab. It wasn't until I was almost all the way home that I realized that I hadn't thought about Brody since I had compared their heights at the very beginning of the not-date date.
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I was busy at work on Thursday with my clients and preparing to start my group in two weeks. I stayed late, intending to get a little ahead on paperwork and then go straight to meet James from the office, not giving myself time to put in any extra effort. After all, it wasn't a date.
I left at 6:50, and made the short walk to the wine bar I had told him to meet me at. I arrived at 6:56, and he was already there, leaning casually against the wall near the door. He must have come right from work too, and was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, no tie. Damn it, why'd he have to be on time? I'm such a sucker for punctuality. And suits. He looked good.
He stood up straight when I walked in and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. He had to bend to do it. He was taller than Brody, probably at least a foot taller than me. I smiled at him, uneasy at the flutter in my stomach when his lips touched my face. We made our way to a table and sat.
I adjusted the hem of my pencil skirt so I could cross my legs. We ordered our drinks, and he smiled that disarming smile at me again. "So, busy day at work?" he asked. "I don't even know what you do, actually." He looked at me expectantly.
I told him about my job, and he listened intently. "And you?" I said when I finished. "I know where you work, but I don't really know what you do."
"Ah, that's right, I gave you a card, didn't I?" he remembered. He smirked at me. "Did you Google it?"
"Guilty as charged," I said with a grin. He laughed.
"I was a patrol officer for 7 years. I made detective 4 years ago, and made it into homicide a year after that. My brother started Dennison Security about that time, and asked me to join him, but I was too happy about making homicide to do it. After about a year, he was getting requests from big clients for investigative work, and he approached me again. I agreed to do a little consultant work on the side, but as the business grew I didn't have enough time. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and I left the PD to work with him full time. So now he handles the security consulting side, and I handle the investigation side. I do a little security work when he's short staffed or investigations are slow."
"What kind of investigations?" I asked, intrigued.
"Private investigation work, mostly. It's largely custody and divorce disputes, nothing too exciting. We do some corporate work too, consulting on internal stuff and doing in-depth background checks. It's not what I thought I'd do when I graduated, but it's flexible, I'm my own boss for the most part, and it's different every day, so it works for now."
He asked me about growing up in Wisconsin and conversation flowed easily from there. Before I knew it, the server was back, asking if we wanted another drink. James looked to me, a question in his eyes. I considered briefly before nodding. James smiled and asked for another too.
"Staying, then?" he asked, his eyes alight.
"I haven't decided," I replied. "I need a little more time."
The longer we were there, the more his cocky, overconfident facade melted, and his charming, funny personality shone through. This isn't so bad, I thought to myself. I realized I was actually having fun, and James made it all really easy. I ordered a third glass of wine.
As I was finishing up that glass, I snuck a peak at James's watch. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed. He looked surprised for a second and then laughed.
"What?" he asked, curiously.
"It's almost 11," I replied. "I should really get going, or I'm going to be really sorry tomorrow." He seemed surprised at the time as well, and looked at his watch.
"I guess it is," he confirmed. "It went fast." I had paid cash for my first drink, but had started a tab when I ordered my second, since I wasn't sure how long I'd be there. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, planning on stopping at the bar on the way back and paying my tab. While I was washing my hands, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I look happy, I realized, smiling at myself.
I went to the bar and asked to close my tab. The bartender looked and then told me that our server had just closed it out. He handed me a receipt for a cancelled sale. I looked at it in confusion for a second. "I believe the gentleman you're here with paid, so we just added your drinks onto his tab," he offered helpfully.
I walked back to the table and raised an eyebrow at James. "I just tried to close my tab," I said, "except there wasn't a tab to close. You agreed to let me pay for my drinks."
"No," he argued, smiling slightly at my irritation. "I agreed to let you pay for your DRINK. And I did. The deal didn't apply to subsequent drinks." Technically, he was right, and it was awfully rude to be angry at someone that had just paid for your drinks, so I relented.
"You win this time, I guess," I admitted. "Thank you."
We walked out to the curb to wait for cabs. "I had a lot of fun," James said, looking at me intently. "Thanks for humoring me."
"I had fun too, actually," I said, with a teasing smile. "And if you still wanted to take me out on a date, I wouldn't say no this time." I surprised myself with my boldness. James looked a little surprised too, but quickly recovered.
"I would love to. Are you free on Saturday?"
"Not this Saturday, but I could do Sunday," I replied. He shook his head. "My next week is a little crazy, but right now I do have next Friday open," I tried. A cab pulled up to the curb, and he pulled open the door, motioning me to get in.
"Next Friday would be perfect," he said. I quickly gave him my number and he promised to call next week. He hugged me quickly and kissed me on the cheek and then I got into the cab. It wasn't until I was almost all the way home that I realized that I hadn't thought about Brody since I had compared their heights at the very beginning of the not-date date.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Surprise Dinner Guests
On Tuesday, Kinsley and I decided to skip the gym and go out to dinner instead. Logical, right? We went to a new restaurant that had recently opened up near us. It was busy, but we were seated relatively quickly. We took a ridiculously long time looking over the menu and debating what to order, and finally settled on a couple things to share. After we had ordered, I got up and went to the bathroom. When I returned, I saw there were two guys sitting at our table with Kinsley.
As I got closer, I realized that one of them was James and glared at Kinsley. Are you kidding me? Why won't this guy just go away? The other was one of the people he'd been with on the night we'd met. Kinsley looked back with innocent smile. Ugh.
When I got to the table, James stood casually and pulled my chair out for me. "Hey there," he said with a lazy grin. "Looks like we just keep running into each other." I couldn't help it, a little of my hostility melted at the casual confidence and easy smile.
"Looks like it," I replied, raising my eyebrows and sitting as he pushed in the chair. I kicked Kinsley under the table and she kicked me back and mouthed "be nice" when they weren't paying attention.
James was speaking again, and I looked over at him. Why did he have to be so hot? "Olivia, this is Damien. Damien was my partner when I was a police officer." I vaguely remembered something about James being a police officer and then a detective from when Cassie and I stalked his company bio.
"Nice to meet you, Damien," I said, smiling politely.
"James and Damien just happened to walk in shortly after you left for the bathroom," Kinsley explained. "Damien recognized me from the other night and said hi, and I invited them to join us so they didn't have to wait for a table." She smiled sweetly at me, and I smiled back, formulating my plan to kill her later.
But as dinner went on, I actually started to enjoy their company. Damien was quiet, especially compared to James and Kinsley, but he seemed like a nice guy. Kinsley was flirting hardcore with him, and I couldn't help thinking that maybe he'd slow her down a little. James caught my eye and smiled, his eyes twinkling in the dim restaurant light. He cocked an eyebrow towards them, heads bent in conversation on the other side of the table. I shrugged and laughed.
"So," he said to me. "I need you to know that I'm not stalking you, I promise," his tone was serious, but the expression on his face was light.
"Could have fooled me," I said. "You run into me--literally--not even two weeks ago, I see you at the gym less than a week after that, and then one week after that, we both skip our workouts and end up at the same restaurant? Seems awfully suspicious to me!"
"Well, for one thing," he responded, a slight grin playing at the corners of his mouth, "that gym that I saw you at was my gym, so perhaps it's more logical to think that you're following me. For another, Tuesday is not typically a workout day for me, but I had a rough day and needed to get rid of some negative energy. And tonight? Well, it's a new restaurant in a great neighborhood." He shrugged. "A series of excellent coincidences," he concluded.
"Depends on your definition of excellent," I said with a smirk.
He laughed and flashed those perfect teeth at me again. "Running into a seriously beautiful woman 3 times in less than two weeks is definitely excellent in my world," he said. I tried to fight the heat rising in my cheeks but couldn't. I hoped it was dark enough in the restaurant that he couldn't see me blush.
Our server brought two bills, and James reached for both of them but I snatched mine and Kinsley's before he could. "No way," I said, shaking my head. He held his hands up in surrender and pulled a card out for his and Damien's.
After the bills were settled we sat finishing our drinks. Damien and Kinsley had returned to whatever they were discussing, and James turned in his seat, angling his body towards me and resting an arm casually on the table. I tilted my head to the side a little to study his face. He had a seriously chiseled jawline and better cheekbones than me. Not fair. I was thinking about the things I could to do to those cheekbones with a little bronzer and highlighter when he spoke again.
"So, I can't help but think that we will just keep running into each other," he said.
"Well, lucky for you then," I responded before I could stop myself, grinning devilishly. Ugh, stop flirting, Liv.
"It would be," he replied, "but it would be even better if you'd just go out with me."
I snuck a glance at Kinsley, but she was still absorbed in conversation. "Look, James. You are gorgeous, and charming, and funny, and you seem like a really great guy. So please don't take this at anything but face value, but I'm not doing the dating thing right now. It's nothing against you, it's completely my own crap. I'm too absorbed in other things." And other people, I thought bitterly.
He nodded, considering. I had hoped my mostly honest, slightly vulnerable answer would get him to back off, so I was surprised when he said, "Let's make a deal." I looked at him, confused. "Meet me for a drink. One drink. Anywhere you want to go. I won't even call it a date. If, after the one drink, you still don't want to go out with me, I will back off completely, and if we cross paths again I won't ever ask you out again."
Well, he's nothing if not persistent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that by this point, both Kinsley and Damien were watching. I seized my opportunity to get this guy off my back. "Fine. One drink." I named a low-key wine bar near my office. "Does Thursday at 7 work for you? I hope so, because it's your only option." When he nodded, I continued. "I'll meet you there. And I'm paying for my own drink."
"Fair enough," he replied with a smile. "Because it's not a date." Part of me wanted to slap the smile off his cocky face, but a small part of me enjoyed it a little too much.
"Good for you," said Damien, nodding at me with a small smile. "Someone has to keep him humble."
We walked out and parted ways, but not before Damien and Kinsley exchanged numbers. I looked questioningly at James. He stepped closer to me and said quietly, "He's a good guy. Loyal and reliable. I don't know if he can keep up with your friend, but he'll be good to her as long as she lets him." I nodded.
"Good," I said. "I'd kill him otherwise." James laughed.
"I believe it," he said.
When we about a half a block away, Kinsley spoke up. "Before you yell at me, I need to tell you that I didn't invite them to join us to push you at James. I did it completely selfishly. It wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been there with Damien."
"It's okay," I said, and I meant it. "I'm excited about you and Damien. And now I have the opportunity to not have to turn him down anymore now. I'll go for my one drink, and then I'll be done with this mess."
"What if you go and have fun? And you like him?" Kinsley asked, giving voice to the question that had been gnawing at my own brain.
"Well, if that happens, then I guess I'll stay for longer than one drink and let him take me out, if he still wants to," I said nonchalantly, thinking about my conversation with Lynn, but I definitely felt serious anxiety at the prospect. I couldn't tell if it was good anxiety or bad anxiety, though. Both?
Kinsley looked at me curiously. I gave her what I hoped was a confident smile, then quickly changed the subject to Damien. Kinsley turned pink but talked excitedly about their conversation and the prospect of going on a date with him. I smiled, happy that she was going out on a date with someone so different than the guys she usually dated, which were usually flops. I realized that if they actually became a thing, I'd probably see a lot more of James whether I wanted to or not.
As I got closer, I realized that one of them was James and glared at Kinsley. Are you kidding me? Why won't this guy just go away? The other was one of the people he'd been with on the night we'd met. Kinsley looked back with innocent smile. Ugh.
When I got to the table, James stood casually and pulled my chair out for me. "Hey there," he said with a lazy grin. "Looks like we just keep running into each other." I couldn't help it, a little of my hostility melted at the casual confidence and easy smile.
"Looks like it," I replied, raising my eyebrows and sitting as he pushed in the chair. I kicked Kinsley under the table and she kicked me back and mouthed "be nice" when they weren't paying attention.
James was speaking again, and I looked over at him. Why did he have to be so hot? "Olivia, this is Damien. Damien was my partner when I was a police officer." I vaguely remembered something about James being a police officer and then a detective from when Cassie and I stalked his company bio.
"Nice to meet you, Damien," I said, smiling politely.
"James and Damien just happened to walk in shortly after you left for the bathroom," Kinsley explained. "Damien recognized me from the other night and said hi, and I invited them to join us so they didn't have to wait for a table." She smiled sweetly at me, and I smiled back, formulating my plan to kill her later.
But as dinner went on, I actually started to enjoy their company. Damien was quiet, especially compared to James and Kinsley, but he seemed like a nice guy. Kinsley was flirting hardcore with him, and I couldn't help thinking that maybe he'd slow her down a little. James caught my eye and smiled, his eyes twinkling in the dim restaurant light. He cocked an eyebrow towards them, heads bent in conversation on the other side of the table. I shrugged and laughed.
"So," he said to me. "I need you to know that I'm not stalking you, I promise," his tone was serious, but the expression on his face was light.
"Could have fooled me," I said. "You run into me--literally--not even two weeks ago, I see you at the gym less than a week after that, and then one week after that, we both skip our workouts and end up at the same restaurant? Seems awfully suspicious to me!"
"Well, for one thing," he responded, a slight grin playing at the corners of his mouth, "that gym that I saw you at was my gym, so perhaps it's more logical to think that you're following me. For another, Tuesday is not typically a workout day for me, but I had a rough day and needed to get rid of some negative energy. And tonight? Well, it's a new restaurant in a great neighborhood." He shrugged. "A series of excellent coincidences," he concluded.
"Depends on your definition of excellent," I said with a smirk.
He laughed and flashed those perfect teeth at me again. "Running into a seriously beautiful woman 3 times in less than two weeks is definitely excellent in my world," he said. I tried to fight the heat rising in my cheeks but couldn't. I hoped it was dark enough in the restaurant that he couldn't see me blush.
Our server brought two bills, and James reached for both of them but I snatched mine and Kinsley's before he could. "No way," I said, shaking my head. He held his hands up in surrender and pulled a card out for his and Damien's.
After the bills were settled we sat finishing our drinks. Damien and Kinsley had returned to whatever they were discussing, and James turned in his seat, angling his body towards me and resting an arm casually on the table. I tilted my head to the side a little to study his face. He had a seriously chiseled jawline and better cheekbones than me. Not fair. I was thinking about the things I could to do to those cheekbones with a little bronzer and highlighter when he spoke again.
"So, I can't help but think that we will just keep running into each other," he said.
"Well, lucky for you then," I responded before I could stop myself, grinning devilishly. Ugh, stop flirting, Liv.
"It would be," he replied, "but it would be even better if you'd just go out with me."
I snuck a glance at Kinsley, but she was still absorbed in conversation. "Look, James. You are gorgeous, and charming, and funny, and you seem like a really great guy. So please don't take this at anything but face value, but I'm not doing the dating thing right now. It's nothing against you, it's completely my own crap. I'm too absorbed in other things." And other people, I thought bitterly.
He nodded, considering. I had hoped my mostly honest, slightly vulnerable answer would get him to back off, so I was surprised when he said, "Let's make a deal." I looked at him, confused. "Meet me for a drink. One drink. Anywhere you want to go. I won't even call it a date. If, after the one drink, you still don't want to go out with me, I will back off completely, and if we cross paths again I won't ever ask you out again."
Well, he's nothing if not persistent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that by this point, both Kinsley and Damien were watching. I seized my opportunity to get this guy off my back. "Fine. One drink." I named a low-key wine bar near my office. "Does Thursday at 7 work for you? I hope so, because it's your only option." When he nodded, I continued. "I'll meet you there. And I'm paying for my own drink."
"Fair enough," he replied with a smile. "Because it's not a date." Part of me wanted to slap the smile off his cocky face, but a small part of me enjoyed it a little too much.
"Good for you," said Damien, nodding at me with a small smile. "Someone has to keep him humble."
We walked out and parted ways, but not before Damien and Kinsley exchanged numbers. I looked questioningly at James. He stepped closer to me and said quietly, "He's a good guy. Loyal and reliable. I don't know if he can keep up with your friend, but he'll be good to her as long as she lets him." I nodded.
"Good," I said. "I'd kill him otherwise." James laughed.
"I believe it," he said.
When we about a half a block away, Kinsley spoke up. "Before you yell at me, I need to tell you that I didn't invite them to join us to push you at James. I did it completely selfishly. It wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been there with Damien."
"It's okay," I said, and I meant it. "I'm excited about you and Damien. And now I have the opportunity to not have to turn him down anymore now. I'll go for my one drink, and then I'll be done with this mess."
"What if you go and have fun? And you like him?" Kinsley asked, giving voice to the question that had been gnawing at my own brain.
"Well, if that happens, then I guess I'll stay for longer than one drink and let him take me out, if he still wants to," I said nonchalantly, thinking about my conversation with Lynn, but I definitely felt serious anxiety at the prospect. I couldn't tell if it was good anxiety or bad anxiety, though. Both?
Kinsley looked at me curiously. I gave her what I hoped was a confident smile, then quickly changed the subject to Damien. Kinsley turned pink but talked excitedly about their conversation and the prospect of going on a date with him. I smiled, happy that she was going out on a date with someone so different than the guys she usually dated, which were usually flops. I realized that if they actually became a thing, I'd probably see a lot more of James whether I wanted to or not.
Monday, September 8, 2014
A Well-Timed Visit From Home
If you missed yesterday's bonus post, you can find it here . Enjoy!
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The two new people that we had hired were ready to get started finally, and I was excited to start my group up again. I had a meeting with Jeremy on Thursday morning to discuss specifics and plans. At lunch, I invited the new staff out for lunch with Charlotte and me. We got to know them a little better, and so far I really like them both.
At happy hour, I told Kinsley about seeing James at the gym. "You should totally go out with him," she said.
"You should," Lauren agreed.
"Yeah, you guys also advised me to have rebound sex with Dave. I'm not taking your advice anymore. And anyway, he's at least 33, but probably older. That's a little older than anyone I was ever planning on dating."
"So picky," Kinsley said, shaking her head. "Do you not think he's gorgeous?"
I was about to answer when Lauren broke in. "She does. He's completely her type. She's making excuses."
"Yeah, well, my 'type' has not always worked out well for me, has it?" I retorted.
"That's true," Lauren admitted.
Kinsley shrugged. "It's okay if you don't want to date because of your feelings for Brody. Just say that." I glared at her. I did not want to talk about Brody right now. "Or, that look works too," she said quickly, changing the subject.
Savannah had been absent from the past couple happy hours, and I can't say it broke my heart. I was a little curious what she was up to and why she wasn't there, though. Probably had no reason to hang out with a bunch of people that hate her now that Brody was gone. Fine with me!
I went home early because in the morning, Lynn, my best friend from home, was flying in from Wisconsin. I was so excited to spend the weekend with her, and the timing couldn't be better. I had taken Friday and Monday off, and was excited for the long weekend.
In the morning, I drove to the airport. On the way, I had a flashback of driving here to pick Brody up the night he told me he was moving to Miami. I pushed it out of my mind, because I was going to get Lynn. I parked in short term parking and walked in to the baggage claim area. I saw her right away and ran to her, launching myself at her. She grabbed me and squealed like a teenager and we hugged for a long time.
"What do you want to do?" I asked her as we walked back to my car.
"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I'm so excited. I want to go hiking and I want to go out and I want to sit on the couch and drink wine and eat pizza and do nothing!"
I laughed. "I think all those things can be arranged."
And we did all those things. Lauren was excited to see her again (we had all been friends in high school, though Lauren and Lynn didn't stay in touch for long after Lauren moved to Colorado) and Kinsley loved her, and delighted in feeding her alcohol when we went out. That's how she shows her love. I took her to all my favorite places to eat, and we went for a 7 mile hike on Sunday. I couldn't help but think that she should be meeting Brody. Why could I not stop thinking about him, no matter what I was doing?
I filled her in on the Brody situation, and she was appropriately sympathetic. I also told her about James.
"Well, put me on Lauren and Kinsley's bench, because I think you should go out with him too," Lynn said, matter-of-factly.
"Not you too," I groaned. "Lynnie, I thought you'd be on my side." I pouted at her.
"You thought wrong!" she retorted. "Brody sounds really great and all, but you guys weren't dating for that long. You'll feel better getting back out there. Even if you only go on one date with this guy and never see him again, at least you gave it a shot."
"I don't want to give it a shot," I grumbled, flopping against the arm of the chair I was sitting in. "I want Brody to come back."
Lynn threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well, pouting like a child won't make him come back, and it's not a good look on you." I looked at her in surprise. Normally Lauren was my tough-love friend. Lynn was generally on my side, though she was always honest and feisty. This was not the type of response I was expecting from her at all.
"That was way harsh, Tai," I said, hoping that quoting Clueless would get us off this subject, which was now making me uncomfortable and a little sad. Luckily, Lynn took the hint and moved on.
When I brought Lynn back to the airport on Monday morning, I got teary as I hugged her. "When are you coming home to visit?" she asked me, sniffling.
"I'll come for Christmas," I said. "I'm going to take a week off, I think."
"That's so far away," she replied, pouting.
"I know!" I wailed, hugging her again. I finally let her go, and waved as she walked through the security gate. I drove home, glad that we had such a great weekend, but sad that I wouldn't see her again for four months.
As I drove, my phone rang. I answered without looking, and was surprised to hear Brody's voice on the other end.
"Liv, I...wasn't expecting you to answer," he said. "But I'm glad you did," he added hurriedly, when I didn't respond.
"Hi, Brody. I'm actually driving right now, can I call you back when I get home?" I asked, ignoring his awkward greeting.
"I'm between meetings. I only have about 10 minutes. Can I call you tonight?" he asked, hopefully.
I paused. Did I really want that? I did, though. "Yes, call me tonight."
I did laundry and cleaned, then headed to the gym. By the time I was home and showered, it was almost 9 pm, and Brody hadn't called back. It would be nearly 11 in Miami. Well whatever, I wasn't going to call him. I got ready for bed and was reading when my phone finally rang. I looked at my clock. 10:16. After midnight in Miami. I answered.
"Hey. I'm sorry it's so late. I got stuck at work and then I needed to blow off some steam at the gym."
"It's okay," I said awkwardly.
"Savannah called me," he said, rather suddenly.
"Oh," I responded. What the heck was I supposed to say to that?
"I just wanted to tell you so you didn't find out from her. I didn't have her number in my phone, so I answered. I wouldn't have if I'd have known, I didn't want to talk to her. Anyway, we talked for all of 2 minutes, but I wanted to tell you before she said something about it."
"Thanks," I said in response.
When he spoke again, he sounded sad. "Liv, This sucks. I miss you. I hate not talking. I hate that you've said 4 or 5 words to me since you answered the phone."
"It does suck," I agreed softly. "I miss you too. I just...I don't know how to talk to you right now."
"It doesn't have to be weird," he protested. "We can just talk, like we normally would."
"It's not that easy for me, Brody. I don't know if I can just talk to you. I'm sorry. I want to talk to you, so much, but it's hard when I don't know what's going to happen."
"I know," he said, quietly.
"I--I have to go," I stammered.
"Okay," he said sadly. "Goodnight Olivia." I said goodnight and hung up. I hated talking to him. It felt weird, and it made me miss him so much more. The awkwardness made me wonder if we could ever get back what we had if he came back.
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The two new people that we had hired were ready to get started finally, and I was excited to start my group up again. I had a meeting with Jeremy on Thursday morning to discuss specifics and plans. At lunch, I invited the new staff out for lunch with Charlotte and me. We got to know them a little better, and so far I really like them both.
At happy hour, I told Kinsley about seeing James at the gym. "You should totally go out with him," she said.
"You should," Lauren agreed.
"Yeah, you guys also advised me to have rebound sex with Dave. I'm not taking your advice anymore. And anyway, he's at least 33, but probably older. That's a little older than anyone I was ever planning on dating."
"So picky," Kinsley said, shaking her head. "Do you not think he's gorgeous?"
I was about to answer when Lauren broke in. "She does. He's completely her type. She's making excuses."
"Yeah, well, my 'type' has not always worked out well for me, has it?" I retorted.
"That's true," Lauren admitted.
Kinsley shrugged. "It's okay if you don't want to date because of your feelings for Brody. Just say that." I glared at her. I did not want to talk about Brody right now. "Or, that look works too," she said quickly, changing the subject.
Savannah had been absent from the past couple happy hours, and I can't say it broke my heart. I was a little curious what she was up to and why she wasn't there, though. Probably had no reason to hang out with a bunch of people that hate her now that Brody was gone. Fine with me!
I went home early because in the morning, Lynn, my best friend from home, was flying in from Wisconsin. I was so excited to spend the weekend with her, and the timing couldn't be better. I had taken Friday and Monday off, and was excited for the long weekend.
In the morning, I drove to the airport. On the way, I had a flashback of driving here to pick Brody up the night he told me he was moving to Miami. I pushed it out of my mind, because I was going to get Lynn. I parked in short term parking and walked in to the baggage claim area. I saw her right away and ran to her, launching myself at her. She grabbed me and squealed like a teenager and we hugged for a long time.
"What do you want to do?" I asked her as we walked back to my car.
"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I'm so excited. I want to go hiking and I want to go out and I want to sit on the couch and drink wine and eat pizza and do nothing!"
I laughed. "I think all those things can be arranged."
And we did all those things. Lauren was excited to see her again (we had all been friends in high school, though Lauren and Lynn didn't stay in touch for long after Lauren moved to Colorado) and Kinsley loved her, and delighted in feeding her alcohol when we went out. That's how she shows her love. I took her to all my favorite places to eat, and we went for a 7 mile hike on Sunday. I couldn't help but think that she should be meeting Brody. Why could I not stop thinking about him, no matter what I was doing?
I filled her in on the Brody situation, and she was appropriately sympathetic. I also told her about James.
"Well, put me on Lauren and Kinsley's bench, because I think you should go out with him too," Lynn said, matter-of-factly.
"Not you too," I groaned. "Lynnie, I thought you'd be on my side." I pouted at her.
"You thought wrong!" she retorted. "Brody sounds really great and all, but you guys weren't dating for that long. You'll feel better getting back out there. Even if you only go on one date with this guy and never see him again, at least you gave it a shot."
"I don't want to give it a shot," I grumbled, flopping against the arm of the chair I was sitting in. "I want Brody to come back."
Lynn threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well, pouting like a child won't make him come back, and it's not a good look on you." I looked at her in surprise. Normally Lauren was my tough-love friend. Lynn was generally on my side, though she was always honest and feisty. This was not the type of response I was expecting from her at all.
"That was way harsh, Tai," I said, hoping that quoting Clueless would get us off this subject, which was now making me uncomfortable and a little sad. Luckily, Lynn took the hint and moved on.
When I brought Lynn back to the airport on Monday morning, I got teary as I hugged her. "When are you coming home to visit?" she asked me, sniffling.
"I'll come for Christmas," I said. "I'm going to take a week off, I think."
"That's so far away," she replied, pouting.
"I know!" I wailed, hugging her again. I finally let her go, and waved as she walked through the security gate. I drove home, glad that we had such a great weekend, but sad that I wouldn't see her again for four months.
As I drove, my phone rang. I answered without looking, and was surprised to hear Brody's voice on the other end.
"Liv, I...wasn't expecting you to answer," he said. "But I'm glad you did," he added hurriedly, when I didn't respond.
"Hi, Brody. I'm actually driving right now, can I call you back when I get home?" I asked, ignoring his awkward greeting.
"I'm between meetings. I only have about 10 minutes. Can I call you tonight?" he asked, hopefully.
I paused. Did I really want that? I did, though. "Yes, call me tonight."
I did laundry and cleaned, then headed to the gym. By the time I was home and showered, it was almost 9 pm, and Brody hadn't called back. It would be nearly 11 in Miami. Well whatever, I wasn't going to call him. I got ready for bed and was reading when my phone finally rang. I looked at my clock. 10:16. After midnight in Miami. I answered.
"Hey. I'm sorry it's so late. I got stuck at work and then I needed to blow off some steam at the gym."
"It's okay," I said awkwardly.
"Savannah called me," he said, rather suddenly.
"Oh," I responded. What the heck was I supposed to say to that?
"I just wanted to tell you so you didn't find out from her. I didn't have her number in my phone, so I answered. I wouldn't have if I'd have known, I didn't want to talk to her. Anyway, we talked for all of 2 minutes, but I wanted to tell you before she said something about it."
"Thanks," I said in response.
When he spoke again, he sounded sad. "Liv, This sucks. I miss you. I hate not talking. I hate that you've said 4 or 5 words to me since you answered the phone."
"It does suck," I agreed softly. "I miss you too. I just...I don't know how to talk to you right now."
"It doesn't have to be weird," he protested. "We can just talk, like we normally would."
"It's not that easy for me, Brody. I don't know if I can just talk to you. I'm sorry. I want to talk to you, so much, but it's hard when I don't know what's going to happen."
"I know," he said, quietly.
"I--I have to go," I stammered.
"Okay," he said sadly. "Goodnight Olivia." I said goodnight and hung up. I hated talking to him. It felt weird, and it made me miss him so much more. The awkwardness made me wonder if we could ever get back what we had if he came back.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Nice Bumping Into You
Guess what? We've hit 75,000 views, and I'm celebrating with a bonus post this week :) I'm posting this one now, and I'll post tomorrow morning too. These two posts, plus Wednesday's post at the normal time, will be on the main storyline, and on Friday you'll have the first part of Lauren's story. Thank you guys so so much for reading and commenting and giving thoughts and feedback. I love to hear your theories and feelings on the events. When I started this blog, I thought I'd just be doing a little writing for fun, for me, but you guys have really helped me bring the story to life and I'm totally writing for you all too now!
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Two more weeks passed. I thought about Brody almost every day, but I didn't try to call him again. He called me once, but I didn't answer or call him back. He didn't try again.
Lauren, Kendra, Kinsley, Cassie, and I had an uneventful girls' night a week after the fateful rebound sex attempt. I regaled them with a dramatic retelling of it, and most people just left the obnoxious drunk girls alone.
The place we went for the next Thursday's happy hour was packed. We were standing around a small high top table near the bar when someone smacked into me from behind. My drink flew out of my hand and crashed against the base of the table. The glass cracked into several pieces, and ice and liquid went flying. I whirled around, ready to be bitchy to whatever drunk girl had just slammed into me, and found myself staring at a man's chest. I looked up, and quickly forgot what I was going to say. His dark hair was cut short, and his hazel eyes were surprised.
"I am so sorry," he said, touching my arm. "Are you okay? I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. Here, let me buy you a new drink." We moved out of the way of the waitress that had witnessed the crash and had come with a mop and broom to clean up the mess.
"I'm fine," I responded. "Thanks, but it was almost gone anyway, don't worry about it."
He gave me an easy, confident smile. "No way. Come on." Without giving me a chance to speak, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the bar. When we got there, I was clearly not getting out of the situation without letting him buy me a drink. I ordered another 7&7, glad I was taking a cab home.
"My name is James," he said, turning to me and offering me his hand.
I shook it. "Olivia. Nice to meet you, James."
"I can't say I've ever ended up buying a pretty girl a drink after body slamming her before," he joked, flashing that smile again. God, he was hot.
"It's a first for me too, actually," I agreed, smiling back. The bartender came over with my drink, and James paid. "Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome. Thank you for not freaking out about it. I really am sorry."
We walked back to the table, and I found that the people he was there with had joined the group I was there with. "Well, I guess I'm sticking around for awhile," he said, surveying the large group.
Our two groups merged almost seamlessly, and we spent the next two hours talking and laughing. I finally realized it was after 9. "I have to go," I said to Lauren. She shifted her eyes to James behind me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head. "Bye," I said to the group.
"Wait, I'll walk you out," James said. I groaned inwardly. He was attractive and he seemed nice, but I wasn't going to play this game again. He walked me out and stood with me at the curb while I waited for a cab.
"I'm glad I bumped into you," he said, chuckling. His laugh died down and he turned serious eyes on me. "Can I see you again?" At least he didn't ask me to go home with him.
"I appreciate the drink, and I had fun talking to you, but I'm just...not in a good place to date right now, I'm sorry," I said, not able to meet his eyes until the end.
"Ah, I see," he responded, looking disappointed. "Well, if you change your mind, give me a call." He took a card out of his wallet and handed it to me. I took it and smiled.
"I will. Thank you again."
A cab had pulled up to the curb, and he stepped forward and opened the door for me. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Olivia." He kissed me quickly on the cheek, then shut the cab door.
On Friday night, Cassie was over, and I was filling her in on the events of the night before. "Did you Google him?" Cassie asked.
"What? No! Why would I? I'm not going out with him."
"So what? Google him anyway. Here, give me the card." She held out her hand. She grabbed my laptop and pulled up Google. "Dennison Security and Investigation, huh? I wonder what that is." She typed it into Google and clicked on the first result. "Private security consultants blah blah blah," she read, "Personal and employment investigations and background checks blah blah blah...oh hey! Our Staff." She clicked on the tab. "Is this him?"
I turned the screen. "Yup, James Dennison," I confirmed.
"He is hot, holy shit!" she exclaimed.
"Look," I said, ignoring her outburst and pointing at the screen, "he graduated from college in 2003. Assuming he actually graduated in 4 years and went right after high school, he is 33 or 34 at the youngest."
"So? That's only 7 or 8 years older than you. That's not a big deal," she retorted.
"Doesn't matter, I'm not dating him."
"You are seriously impossible," she huffed. But she dropped it.
On Tuesday, I was supposed to meet Kinsley at the gym, but she texted me at lunch that she wasn't feeling well. I decided to go to the location that was closer to work instead of the one by my house. I was happy to see the free weights section was almost empty and I walked over. Lifting weights was typically my workout of choice. I went through my workout quickly, focusing on lower body. I was pulling the clips off the end of the bar on the squat rack to re-rack my plates when I heard a vaguely familiar voice behind me.
"I would not ever have guessed that a girl your size could squat that much."
I turned, and saw James leaning against the wall. "Oh, hi," I said, surprised. "Lifting heavy things is my favorite stress reliever."
"I can tell," he said, nodding to the plates I was hauling off the bar. I was glad he had enough sense not to help me. "I didn't know you work out here. I feel like I would have remembered someone as pretty as you being here."
I ignored his compliment and explained that I usually went to another location of the gym.
"That explains it," he said with a nod. After a pause he grinned and asked, "So, have you reconsidered that date?"
"Um..." I said, not sure what to say. "I really just can't right now."
"Well, we don't have to go now. We could go tomorrow, or even this weekend." I raised my eyebrows. What a cocky bastard. Unfortunately, cocky bastard has always been my type.
"Nice try," I replied. "I have to get going. It was good to see you again." I smiled and turned, walking towards the locker room. Note to self: do not go to this gym again, unless you want to end up on a date with this guy.
_________________________________
Two more weeks passed. I thought about Brody almost every day, but I didn't try to call him again. He called me once, but I didn't answer or call him back. He didn't try again.
Lauren, Kendra, Kinsley, Cassie, and I had an uneventful girls' night a week after the fateful rebound sex attempt. I regaled them with a dramatic retelling of it, and most people just left the obnoxious drunk girls alone.
The place we went for the next Thursday's happy hour was packed. We were standing around a small high top table near the bar when someone smacked into me from behind. My drink flew out of my hand and crashed against the base of the table. The glass cracked into several pieces, and ice and liquid went flying. I whirled around, ready to be bitchy to whatever drunk girl had just slammed into me, and found myself staring at a man's chest. I looked up, and quickly forgot what I was going to say. His dark hair was cut short, and his hazel eyes were surprised.
"I am so sorry," he said, touching my arm. "Are you okay? I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. Here, let me buy you a new drink." We moved out of the way of the waitress that had witnessed the crash and had come with a mop and broom to clean up the mess.
"I'm fine," I responded. "Thanks, but it was almost gone anyway, don't worry about it."
He gave me an easy, confident smile. "No way. Come on." Without giving me a chance to speak, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the bar. When we got there, I was clearly not getting out of the situation without letting him buy me a drink. I ordered another 7&7, glad I was taking a cab home.
"My name is James," he said, turning to me and offering me his hand.
I shook it. "Olivia. Nice to meet you, James."
"I can't say I've ever ended up buying a pretty girl a drink after body slamming her before," he joked, flashing that smile again. God, he was hot.
"It's a first for me too, actually," I agreed, smiling back. The bartender came over with my drink, and James paid. "Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome. Thank you for not freaking out about it. I really am sorry."
We walked back to the table, and I found that the people he was there with had joined the group I was there with. "Well, I guess I'm sticking around for awhile," he said, surveying the large group.
Our two groups merged almost seamlessly, and we spent the next two hours talking and laughing. I finally realized it was after 9. "I have to go," I said to Lauren. She shifted her eyes to James behind me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head. "Bye," I said to the group.
"Wait, I'll walk you out," James said. I groaned inwardly. He was attractive and he seemed nice, but I wasn't going to play this game again. He walked me out and stood with me at the curb while I waited for a cab.
"I'm glad I bumped into you," he said, chuckling. His laugh died down and he turned serious eyes on me. "Can I see you again?" At least he didn't ask me to go home with him.
"I appreciate the drink, and I had fun talking to you, but I'm just...not in a good place to date right now, I'm sorry," I said, not able to meet his eyes until the end.
"Ah, I see," he responded, looking disappointed. "Well, if you change your mind, give me a call." He took a card out of his wallet and handed it to me. I took it and smiled.
"I will. Thank you again."
A cab had pulled up to the curb, and he stepped forward and opened the door for me. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Olivia." He kissed me quickly on the cheek, then shut the cab door.
On Friday night, Cassie was over, and I was filling her in on the events of the night before. "Did you Google him?" Cassie asked.
"What? No! Why would I? I'm not going out with him."
"So what? Google him anyway. Here, give me the card." She held out her hand. She grabbed my laptop and pulled up Google. "Dennison Security and Investigation, huh? I wonder what that is." She typed it into Google and clicked on the first result. "Private security consultants blah blah blah," she read, "Personal and employment investigations and background checks blah blah blah...oh hey! Our Staff." She clicked on the tab. "Is this him?"
I turned the screen. "Yup, James Dennison," I confirmed.
"He is hot, holy shit!" she exclaimed.
"Look," I said, ignoring her outburst and pointing at the screen, "he graduated from college in 2003. Assuming he actually graduated in 4 years and went right after high school, he is 33 or 34 at the youngest."
"So? That's only 7 or 8 years older than you. That's not a big deal," she retorted.
"Doesn't matter, I'm not dating him."
"You are seriously impossible," she huffed. But she dropped it.
On Tuesday, I was supposed to meet Kinsley at the gym, but she texted me at lunch that she wasn't feeling well. I decided to go to the location that was closer to work instead of the one by my house. I was happy to see the free weights section was almost empty and I walked over. Lifting weights was typically my workout of choice. I went through my workout quickly, focusing on lower body. I was pulling the clips off the end of the bar on the squat rack to re-rack my plates when I heard a vaguely familiar voice behind me.
"I would not ever have guessed that a girl your size could squat that much."
I turned, and saw James leaning against the wall. "Oh, hi," I said, surprised. "Lifting heavy things is my favorite stress reliever."
"I can tell," he said, nodding to the plates I was hauling off the bar. I was glad he had enough sense not to help me. "I didn't know you work out here. I feel like I would have remembered someone as pretty as you being here."
I ignored his compliment and explained that I usually went to another location of the gym.
"That explains it," he said with a nod. After a pause he grinned and asked, "So, have you reconsidered that date?"
"Um..." I said, not sure what to say. "I really just can't right now."
"Well, we don't have to go now. We could go tomorrow, or even this weekend." I raised my eyebrows. What a cocky bastard. Unfortunately, cocky bastard has always been my type.
"Nice try," I replied. "I have to get going. It was good to see you again." I smiled and turned, walking towards the locker room. Note to self: do not go to this gym again, unless you want to end up on a date with this guy.
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