by Cee, DW
Even with four other people in the theater who lived on the cul-de-sac with Delaney, I couldn’t part from her after the movie finished. She seemed to agree as she stuck close by me in the parking lot. None of her family asked if she wanted a ride home, and she stayed just as silent.
“Shall we?” I opened the car door and gestured for her to get in.
“I had the most amazing time today, but I feel bad I’ve kept you from your work. Will you have to work tonight?”
“Yep!”
“I’m sorry. Will it be a late night?”
“Probably an all-nighter.” Little did she know, those had become commonplace with the number of “dates” we’d been on in the past month.
“You didn’t have to bring me home. I could’ve jumped in the car with Doug. I feel terrible now that I know how much work you have.”
“It seemed only right to bring you home after the day we spent together.”
“Thank you for today. I loved the water, and spending the afternoon learning a new water sport...with you...was...incredible.”
“I had a great time too. And if I may? Yesterday was a shit of a day for many reasons and Jane was also having a shit of a day with Max. We were two friends having drinks, consoling each other. It was nothing more, nothing less. Jane and I have become close friends, and I like her as a person.” I prayed Delaney understood that her cousin and I were only friends, good friends.
“All right…”
“Delaney. I don’t know where you fit in my life right now. I’m conflicted in many ways, but I know whenever I’m with you, I can’t help wondering when I’ll be with you again.”
“Ditto,” she whispered and left.
Even on so little sleep, I was flying high. Last weekend, the golf tournament debacle and all, was the best weekend yet. Before I confessed anything, I wanted to see Delaney a few more times and to make sure her feelings were no different from mine. As soon as I figured out if we were on the same page, I’d make a swift decision on our “relationship.”
“Whatcha’ doing, Donovan?”
“Hey Jane. I’m working. What are you doing?”
“I’m moping around.”
“You and Max haven’t made up, yet?”
“No. Can you believe that asshole has yet to call me and apologize? I hate relationships! I think we’re done.”
“I don’t believe for a minute that you’re done. You’re going through a rough patch. It will get resolved once Max comes around.”
“So...if Max and I are finished, are your arms still as open as you claimed just the other week?” I couldn’t tell whether she was joking. Did I want to go there? Right now, I was in a near perfect place with Delaney. A little more time was all I needed to answer the big question of does she like me? As curious as I was about Jane, my heart leaned another way. “I take it by the silence that you have found someone else to hold in your arms?”
“I have not. I cannot say I’m not curious about us, but I also don’t want to be your rebound. Let’s wait and see what comes of your situation with Max, and then let’s talk more seriously.” That answer satisfied the both of us.
“I hear you’re taking Jake and Emily to a basketball game?” With a flirty voice, this woman was fishing for a seat. I liked flirty Jane. “I’m hurt you didn’t invite me. You don’t want to be their third wheel, do you? Wouldn’t you rather make it a foursome?”
“Considering I invited them, I wouldn’t be the third wheel,” I countered.
“But we had such a good time when you last took me to a basketball game. Don’t you want to invite me?” Her pretend coyness made me laugh.
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” was all I said, but she understood that to be an invitation.
“You’re the best!” She clapped her hand and waited.
“What the hell are you waiting for?”
“For you to purchase that fourth ticket.” She stood next to me, eyes trained on the computer.
“You buying dinner?” I asked once I purchased her ticket.
“No way! My brother can buy dinner. Where are we eating, by the way?” Finally, there was a smile on her pretty face. Her face beamed as she walked out of my office and back to her cubicle.
Jane left me alone for about an hour, then she was back. She was needier than usual and seeing how fragile she was, I was happy to do her bidding. She wanted her usual egg salad sandwich so we went to the local deli and had lunch. Then, she brought in her laptop and chose to work in my office. I had my assistant bring in a small table and chair so she’d be comfortable. Regardless of where we stood as friends or more than friends, I didn’t like seeing Jane upset.
“Is it time to leave?” She bounced from her chair, and forced me away from the never-ending pile of work.
“You know you’ve cost me and the firm a boatload of money today?”
“Like you or the firm needs any more money? What’s a day with a little less money? Don’t you want to see me happy?” Jane purposely pouted and placed her head on my shoulder. This hurt little kitten act was adorable.
I kissed the top of her head and answered, “I only want to see you happy, my vixen.”
“Why are you here?” Jake asked his sister upon entering the restaurant. “Where’s Davis?”
“Who the hell knows where Max is?” she answered with much anger. Emily and I did our best to ease the tension between the siblings.
“How are you feeling, Emily?” I asked to change subjects.
“I started off nauseous. Then I felt great. And now, entering third trimester, I’m feeling a bit tired.”
“My favorite twins are well? Who’s with them tonight? The grandparents?”
“No. Laney was kind enough to cancel a date and watch our kids.”
“Delaney?” Somehow, with Jane in my presence, I’d forgotten about the girl I spent last weekend with and enjoyed thoroughly. “A date?”
“Men ask her out all the time. It’s not often that she says yes, and I felt terrible when she canceled her date because of us.”
“Does she know where you are tonight?” Emily knew full well what I was asking. I felt like a kid caught cheating on his best friend.
“She does.” I knew full well what Emily was implying.
The rest of the game held no interest for me. A part of me was pissed that Delaney would go out on a date after the weekend we had, and the other part of me was shitting in my pants because I was caught taking Jane out.
“Hey. Can you see if Delaney wants to join us for dessert?” I begged Jake for this favor when the girls went to the restroom.
“What for? We can have dessert right here.” Jake was purposely being an asshole. “I don’t know what you and Jane are doing. She has a boyfriend and you were gushing like a woman to me about being ‘in heaven,’ with my cousin. You and Jane are selfish enough not to give a damn about how Max and Laney might feel if they knew you were out with one another.” Damn. I knew Jake wasn’t happy with us, but I didn’t realize he was this pissed.
“I don’t think it matters to Delaney who I’m out with tonight. She was going to be out on a date herself if you hadn’t asked her to babysit,” I answered back with a bit of annoyance at Jake’s high-handedness. So what if Jane and I were out tonight? It wasn’t as if she and I were on an official date. We were out with her family, for Pete’s sake! Did Jake know I hadn’t invited his sister, but that she invited herself?
“Laney had a date with someone Gram wanted her to meet. She didn’t want to go, but Gram was insistent, and she couldn’t refuse her grandmother. She came to Emily asking her many times how she could break off this date without hurting Gram’s feelings. When your invitation came along, Emily thought it was the perfect excuse for her, and Laney gladly turned this guy down with the excuse that we needed her help. Unless you’re an idiot, you must know by now where her heart is at, and it’s not with a blind date. The two of you are finally walking down
the same path. All you have to do is grab her hand and walk alongside her. Why the hell is that so hard for you?”
Jake’s word gave me reason to think. “What are you doing?” I saw him take out his phone.
“I’m texting my cousin to check on the status of my kids. Do you want to text her for me and tell her how much fun you’re having with my sister?” The sardonic tone hurt.
I saw texts going back and forth and too soon, Jake put his phone away. “Well? What did she say?”
Jake shook his head in exasperation. “Ask her yourself if you’re that curious.”
Jane went home with her brother and sister-in-law, and though my mind was telling me to go home, my heart urged me to stop by Delaney’s. I drove into the cul-de-sac and saw her sitting with her knees perched on the porch swing and her head in her arms, placed on those knees.
“Hey.” I called out full of guilt.
“Hi.” She glanced at me briefly, and then went back to swinging.
“Why are you out here by yourself?”
“Jake and Emily came home early, and no one is home right now, so I’m hanging out. Did you have a good time at the game? Did the Lakers win?” She still spoke to the ground and refused to look at me.
“Yes and no. You upset with me, again?” I hated disappointing her.
“Why would I be upset with you, and what do you mean, again?” Did she really have no idea what I was talking about?
“You’re never happy when I spend time with Jane.”
“It’s not jealousy. I just feel for Max the way Jane tows the line with you, and I think it sucks you keep dangling a golden apple at her. Either you both should give up the people you’re with and date, or walk away from one another.” It was all about Max, again? She wasn’t upset that Jane and I were together, but she was upset that Jane wasn’t with Max?
I tamped down my annoyance and tried to explain why Jane and I were together. “Tonight was just friends going out to a game. Jane and I...”
“Mr. Taylor, I’ve told you this before. Your life is too complicated. Pick a woman and love her.”
“What if I don’t know which woman is the right one to love?” If that wasn’t the question of the month for me...
“Then stay away from all of them, and you’ll figure out the right one for you. It’s not that hard.”
“What if I can’t stay away from her?” From you?
“Maybe if there’s one woman you have to be with, then she’s the woman for you. I just hope there aren’t too many collateral damage that come with your decision.” She wasn’t happy with me, but I didn’t know if it was because of Max or because of me. “Good night,” she called out and headed for her home.
In a split second decision, I grabbed her hand like Jake told me to do, and pulled her into my body. It was the most perfect fit. I’d kissed her twice, but she’d never been so wholly in my arms and flush with my body. Our bodies had found each other’s halves. “I’m sorry I’m always disappointing you and hurting you. Those are never my intentions, but in the end, you become my only collateral damage.” Her arms lay flat against her body and she didn’t hold me back, but when her head eventually lay in the crook of my neck, I knew her disappointment had dissipated. She relaxed against me, and we stayed joined long enough for me to feel our heart beat as one.
The next several days were all about work. All those days hanging out with Delaney and the Reids had caught up with me and I worked nonstop to compensate. I missed a softball game due to a meeting, but went over to Delaney’s so I could see her before getting mired in work again. Bee had suddenly called on the one Friday night I was going to spend with Delaney. It was a tough decision, but since I hadn’t seen my aunt in a while, I thought I should stop by before heading over to Delaney’s.
“Good of you to come over, Nephew.”
“Why the sudden invite?”
“I’m curious.”
“About...?”
“About this Delaney Reid.”
“What about her?”
“Don’t try and bullshit your aunt. I can see right through your pretty-boy lies.”
“How dare you call me a pretty boy?” Bee’s wanna-be hardened demeanor made us both laugh. “What do you want to know about Delaney?”
“Give me everything, starting with why you’re buying her clothes.”
“I told you why I had to buy her a dress. It got ruined while she was helping us out with a client.”
“That was a dress, Donovan. You needed to buy her maybe one dress, which she refused, but you still forced upon her. Then you proceeded to buy her five more dresses.”
“I wanted to support you.” I grinned.
“I’ve been doing this a while now, Nephew. Why are you deciding to support me now?” My aunt was giving me the third degree. I didn’t know, or I suppose in all honesty, I knew what she was getting at, but I didn’t want to answer her.
“You really not going to answer me? You have a thing for her?”
“Hell no! I do not have a thing for her. It was just one friend being kind to another. That’s all. Don’t read into anything.” Last thing I needed was Bee becoming a female Jake.
“All right then, Laney and I are going to a dinner and a movie in about five minutes. I guess you don’t want to join us?”
What? When had this happened? “You don’t even know her. Why are you going out to dinner and a movie with her?”
“Did I not tell you Laney has been helping me model? I got her number from her cousin, and she and I’ve struck up a nice friendship. I have to say, Nephew, you chose well. I like her a lot.”
“She’s like a little sister, Bee. Don’t read into anything.” This newfound friendship between Bee and Delaney was a surprising one. I didn’t see this one coming because these two women were very different from one another. “When is she coming?”
As if Delaney heard me, the doorbell rang as I finished my question.
“Hello my number one model.” Bee greeted her with a smile.
Delaney looked beautiful again today. She was wearing one of the dresses I had purchased for her and it looked damn good on her.
“Bee I’m your only model. Don’t try to flatter me with these backhanded compliments.” She smiled and it felt like the whole room lit up. She didn’t notice me but I noticed there was something sweet, simple and yet alluring about this girl.
“Hello Delaney Reid.”
“Hi Mr. Taylor!” I loved the way she greeted me. There was a look of surprise, and yet she always greeted me with abundant enthusiasm letting me know she was happy to see me. “What brings you here?”
“I’m here to have dinner with you,” and I added a little late, “and Bee.”
“Oh.” She looked surprised again “OK.” She then turned her attention to my aunt. “Bee, I can’t watch a movie with you tonight. I forgot I promised a friend I’d go to the school production of Romeo and Juliet with him. He wanted to have dinner before the play, but I got out of that one. I prefer hanging out with you.”
“I’m honored you gave up a free meal to hang with me.” Bee laughed at her own comment.
Delaney smiled with her. “Mr. Taylor is here. I’m sure he’ll buy us dinner.”
I complained, “Is that all I’m good for?”
“I wouldn’t know Mr. Taylor. Dinner is about as far as we’ve ever gotten.” She actually flirted with me. Or at least I thought she was flirting with me. She giggled and said, “Let’s go. I’m hungry. Plus if we don’t leave now, Chris is going to be waiting outside for me longer than necessary.”
“Who’s Chris?” I asked while we got into Bee’s car.
“A friend,” was all she was going to give me.
“Does he know he’s just a friend?” I did not like that she was out with another man.
“Do you know you’re annoying?” She glared in a cute way. Perhaps it was our pizza night or our embrace the night before, but Delaney’s words
were bolder, and her actions, more come-hither.
If she thought this was annoying...ha! She hadn’t seen me at my worst. “Bee. What do you say we go see a play at my alma mater?”
“What?” Delaney had a darling expression. “No!”
“That sounds like a splendid idea. We can keep an eye on our little Laney, here, and make sure her date doesn’t try to take advantage of her.” Bee kept a straight face.
“It’s not a date, and I don’t need a chaperone. I can’t believe you’re treating me like a child.” She actually looked over at me for help.
“Let’s eat.” I changed the conversation.
After dinner, the three of us went over to school and met Delaney’s supposed date. He was hardly overjoyed to see us. As we walked into the theater, I noticed he kept trying to put his hand on some part of her body. I thwarted his attempt every time by walking right next to her on the other side.
“Stop crowding me,” she whispered.
“You like this Chris clawing you?”
She turned and stared at me, and couldn’t keep from busting-up. “Is this necessary?” She could barely get the words out from laughing so much. “Are you and Doug in collusion to ruin my social life?”
I put my arm around her, and completely pulled her away from Chris. I whispered in her ear, “I’m just protecting you from the scumbags in this world. Men are like wolves waiting to pounce.”
She whispered back, “Not all men are like you. Some have manners, some are sweet, and some are even chivalrous.” Shit, I didn’t know why, but that was felt all the way to the lower half of my body. Something about her whispering in my ear made me want to turn slightly and capture her mouth. “What?” she asked, looking so innocent. “You look hungry like the wolf, yourself, Mr. Taylor.” She laughed even harder. “You get it? Hungry Like The Wolf? John Taylor? Duran Duran?”
I rolled my eyes at her.
Chris sat Delaney right next to him when we got in the theater, but I made sure to sit next to Delaney on the other side.
“You’re either taking the jealous lover part well, or you’re taking the overprotective brother role too far. Which one are you?” Bee whispered when she saw me drape my arm on the back of Delaney’s chair and edge closer toward this girl. I ignored my aunt and protected what I considered was...mine?