Gabby held up her hand. “I told you not to ask. You know I don’t care if you study when the workload falls.”
“I just feel weird.”
“You shouldn’t. Just because you get your job done quicker than any other admin I’ve seen, doesn’t mean you should get penalized and get more work dumped on you. Take advantage of it while you can. Now, I better get back to my office and see what fiery email my father sent about this week’s lackluster results in the cheese department.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. I knew Gabby was doing all of this because it was what was expected of her to make her father happy, but she never really did care about the corporate world. I hoped that she’d find what would make her happy because spending twenty or thirty years trapped in a life that wasn’t her own would wear anyone down. I knew I was lucky. My parents were supportive of anything any of us wanted to do. I just happened to be the oddball that enjoyed volunteering in my mom’s not-for-profit legal center. I hoped to follow in her footsteps and make both my parents proud. But I had no doubt that being an attorney was what I wanted to do. Gabby used to have that passion and certainty when she was taking the culinary classes, and I hoped she’d find that again.
I clicked on my email and Aaron’s message popped up. The thrill of hearing from him was now outweighing the doubt. I glanced at my flowers and then at the email.
To: Brandy Rhodes
From: Aaron Sullivan
Subject: Lunch
I hope it came to you who might have sent you the flowers. I only wish I beat whoever it was to the punch.
I’ll be in touch and I do hope to see you at my parents’ home tomorrow.
In Friendship,
Aaron Sullivan
My resolve was waning as the flurry of excitement took over. He was absolutely irresistible and he knew it. Now it was up to me to find out if there was anything more to him, to us, and I think I was finally up for the challenge.
At least as a friend…
Chapter Nine
To say I was confused was putting it mildly. I had finally wrapped my mind around going on a date with Aaron, and then the complexities of their family slammed into me like a semi-truck last night. I didn’t want to make things more difficult for Gabby with everything she was dealing with, and I was pretty sure I was about to do so. Prior to the family dinner, I had an entire speech built up to present to Gabby about seeing her brother, but now it just seemed selfish and unimportant. Now was definitely not the time to whine about my secret crush.
I had gone to the dinner party at Gabby’s parents last night, which was intense. Gabby found things out about her family that I knew she was still trying to absorb, and I felt absolutely helpless. But it also made me see Aaron in a different light. He was punished because of mistakes his mother had made, and rather than deal with everything, Gabby’s father pushed Aaron away, essentially banishing him from the family. Finding out Gabby’s dad wasn’t Aaron’s dad because their mother cheated on her husband was shocking and then to find out Aaron’s father turned out to be the family’s chauffeur was even more bizarre.
I could see why Aaron stayed away and made a life for himself elsewhere, and surprisingly Gabby understood that as well. I couldn’t imagine what he had gone through just as I couldn’t imagine what Gabby had gone through. It was times like these I was grateful for my overly nosey family.
Gabby was hurt by all of their actions, but I think what bothered her most were the secrets her entire family kept from her. After the family dinner, the anger and pain was evident when she spoke about her father. But that all changed this morning when she got a call that her dad was in the hospital.
It was early evening and I had just left the hospital a few hours ago. Gabby, Jason, and Aaron were all still with Gabby’s father. There was a brief moment when Aaron and I were alone, and that’s when it happened. I was completely caught off guard and agreed to meet him for dinner. Looking into his eyes, I knew I couldn’t say no. He needed someone to talk to and Jason was obviously preoccupied with Gabby. I also couldn’t tell Gabby. Now was definitely not the time. Besides, Aaron and I were clearly in the friend zone, and neither of us was in a state of mind for anything more.
And now here I was standing in front of my closet, throwing jeans, skirts, and dresses into a pile on the search for the perfect friend-zone outfit. The gnawing disappointment bubbled up again, and I hammered it back down as I reached for a cute floral sundress. One of the few non-clingy dresses I owned.
I changed out of my outfit and slipped the dress over my head, feeling the light fabric cascade over my skin. I stepped in front of the mirror to analyze my selection, holding my hair up and then letting it loose around my shoulders. The dress seemed harmless enough. It was cut above the knees, but it was loose and feminine.
Who was I kidding? I wanted to make him change his ways and follow me around like a puppy dog. Wishful thinking with his history, and I doubted his DNA was even built like that, but I could dream.
I noticed my boy shorts weren’t the best choice for the dress as the outline in the mirror glared back at me. Laughing to myself as I rummaged through my drawer for my favorite thong, I wondered why it would really matter if we were going to stay in the friend zone and give him a bit of the granny panty to dream about. I went through my drawer and came up empty-handed, which was odd. I had zero laundry to do and they should be in there. I started searching through the drawer more thoroughly and realized that wasn’t the only thing missing. I shut the drawer and opened the one underneath and there was nothing but my pajamas inside. Leaning over, I looked under my bed and in the closet. I sat on my bed, thinking, and was able to come up with at least three missing items. I walked over to my dresser and began looking through my pieces of jewelry and sure enough there was a sterling silver bracelet, a matching necklace and earrings all gone.
This was crazy. Maybe Gabby borrowed them and just didn’t mention it. But she wouldn’t borrow the lingerie. What would account for that? I got a sinking feeling as I thought about who all had access to our apartment. We did have cleaners come in bi-weekly, but there was no way that any of the crew would do that. It was a mother and daughter team, and the daughter was pushing fifty. I was positive that snatching lingerie wasn’t either of their ideas of a good time but if not them than who? I laughed at the absurdity. I glanced at the clock and only had another ten minutes before Aaron was going to pick me up for our non-date. I could deal with this later. I was sure there would have to be some logical explanation, even if it was one I didn’t want to face. Maybe Gabby was just messing with me since I’ve had the weird texts and messages.
My phone buzzed and I glanced down at the message.
Downstairs
Shoot! Aaron was already here, and I didn’t have time to freshen up my makeup. I grabbed my purse and pulled out my mascara, dabbing it on quickly before I gave up and just headed out the front door, dismissing the case of the missing underwear.
As the elevator glided closer to the lobby, my pulse quickened. Exactly what a non-date shouldn’t do to a person. I reached in my bag and grabbed a clear lip gloss, which I filled in my lips with. I could do this. It didn’t have to be sexual with him. It didn’t have to be romantic.
The elevator doors opened up revealing Aaron dressed in a pair of low-slung jeans and a silver button-down that hugged his visibly defined chest. The sleeves were rolled up, and I imagined my hands running along his muscular forearms. He had changed from what he was wearing at the hospital, and his hair looked slightly damp from a recent shower. He looked phenomenal, and worse, he was holding a beautiful arrangement of white roses.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I told him, taking the flowers as he quickly kissed each cheek.
“I thought I better start playing catch up to whoever sent you the others,” he teased.
He took a step back, and his gaze traveled slowly along my body sending a trail of shivers in its wake.
“A friend doesn’t have to
worry about things like that, but I love them. Let me run upstairs and put these in water.”
He smiled as his gaze met mine. “You look beautiful.”
His compliment melted me on the spot, but I didn’t want to let it go to my head.
“Thanks. We do look pretty good for two friends just chatting over a casual meal. Wanna come up for a second?”
His smile deepened as I turned toward the elevator. “Absolutely.”
The moment the doors closed, I felt the familiar electricity run between us and wondered if he felt it too.
“This is going to be harder than I thought,” his voice low as he rocked back on his feet.
“Isn’t it though?” I asked, afraid of the sensations pulsing through me.
“Yeah, it is.” He took a step toward me, and I instinctively moved the roses to block him and started laughing.
The elevator doors opened, spilling us into the hallway.
“You know what I think?” I asked, unlocking the door. He came up behind me and I felt the familiar charge run through me.
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice low as his hands slid along my hips.
“That you need to stay on this side of the door while I put these flowers in a vase.”
He released his hands from my hips as laughter replaced the tension in the air. I quickly pushed through the front door and left him standing in the hallway.
Chapter Ten
I was completely at his mercy and had to get a grip. This crush was getting out of hand, and that’s all it was. There was no future with him. He wasn’t that type. My only hope was that when we sat through a dinner we’d bore each other out of our minds. But something told me that wasn’t going to happen. I grabbed a vase out of the kitchen cabinet and filled it with water. I unwrapped the brown paper around the roses and snipped the ends off the stems and arranged them in the vase. Not wanting Gabby to run across them, I took the vase to my room and sat it on my nightstand. I took a step back and attempted to regain my composure, but knowing Aaron was waiting for me in the hallway was all it took to get my pulse going again. I needed to settle down. I needed just a few more minutes away from him.
“I got lonely out in the hall,” Aaron said, jolting me right out of my wishful thinking as he lightly tapped on my door. I spun around to see him taking in my bedroom. He was grinning as he looked around, his eyes canvassing every section of the large space. My bedroom was quite roomy with a sitting area overlooking the city. The walls were taupe, the furniture white, and the decorative pillows turquoise. It was homey and far more sophisticated than any other bedroom I’d had up to this point. I could thank Gabby for that.
I followed his gaze to my bed, and pure delight shot through me as he glanced back at me, his eyes scorching.
“You don’t take instruction very well,” I huffed, turning him around and pushing him out of my room.
“Very true. Let’s get going before they run out of tables.”
I followed him back down the hall and kept to myself in the elevator, wondering if I was someone who actually enjoyed torturing myself. We stepped onto the sidewalk and the warm air touched my skin as we began our walk. Every time I felt his body move closer to mine, I stepped away, rerouting our direction slightly.
“Here we are,” he said, ushering me toward a black door that was ornately carved. “They have patio seating on the side of the building. Thought it would be nice for a night like tonight. Being cooped up in the hospital all day was draining. I need some fresh air.”
“I completely understand that.”
He opened the door and I walked under his arm to a large seating area. All of the wood was dark teak and the long stretch of seating was covered in red velvet. The lighting was dim and the crowd of people in the bar was overflowing. I noticed quite a line of people waiting for a table in the restaurant as well.
“Mr. Sullivan,” the hostess cooed. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
She glanced at me, her eyes sizing up his latest conquest, before turning her attention back to Aaron.
“Do you have a table for two on the patio, Tammy?” he asked.
“Of course,” she replied, grabbing two menus. “Always for you.”
I felt the distinct shift in the room as the large group of people who had been waiting for a table saw us get seated immediately. Feeling a little uncomfortable about it myself, I turned and grimaced an apology before quickly following Aaron and the hostess, weaving through the crowd of people.
Tammy showed us to our table, handing us our menus, and I caught a glimpse of folded money in Aaron’s palm swiftly release into her palm.
“Thank you, Mr. Sullivan.” She smiled and gave him a quick nod before turning around and leaving us alone.
“I see how it works now. I wonder if that would work at Applebees?” I smiled. “I’ll have to try it.”
Aaron started laughing and shook his head, but the moment his eyes connected with mine, I felt the tinge of excitement race through me. I needed to get my emotions back on track, keep the subjects neutral. Wait…That was neutral. God, I was in trouble around him.
“How’s your dad doing?” I asked. “It’s okay to still call him your dad, right?”
He laughed. “I do. He’s the one who raised me. They think he’ll get out tomorrow, and then he’s got to take it easy for a few weeks.”
“I’m so glad to hear it. Gabby felt so guilty.”
“About what?”
“She thought she was too hard on your dad, and she’s always paranoid about karma so…”
Aaron laughed. “Gabby was like that as a little girl too. If something went wrong in her life she would analyze everything that led up to it. I would’ve thought she’d grow out of it.”
“It probably just got worse, especially after—” I stopped myself.
“The transplant,” he finished, his voice catching slightly.
I nodded and glanced at the menu.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself,” he said, more to himself than me.
“We’ve all got our regrets,” I said. “And I know she’s just so happy to have you back in her life.”
Our eyes met and I saw the relief flooding through his expression.
“Is she happy?” he asked.
“I think she’s getting there. Jason has certainly turned her on to a different set of possibilities. She’ll kill me for telling you this, but she’s really not all that into selling cheese.”
His laughter was melodic as his eyes met mine. “Would you be?”
“Not really,” I confessed. “But I’m thrilled to have the job. It will definitely cut down on my financial aid bill at the end.”
“Have you thought about transferring to the legal department for—”
“There’s no transferring within divisions for twelve months from the hire date,” I stated robotically.
“There are always exceptions to the rules.”
“Is that so?”
He nodded. “Think about it. You wouldn’t be the first HR made an exception for.”
“We’ll see,” I said, opening up the menu.
“The linguine with the mussels and oysters is phenomenal,” Aaron suggested.
I shook my head. “No way. Not a seafood girl.”
“And you live in Seattle?”
“I’m okay with some fish, just not things that look like they blend in with the rockeries.”
“Have you ever even tried an oyster or a mussel?” he asked.
“No. I haven’t had anything like that and plan on keeping it that way. It just looks like a rubbery mess of goo.”
“You’re how old and never had shellfish?” his brow arched.
“Food selection has nothing to do with maturity level.”
“It very well may.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one in the world who isn’t into seafood.”
“How do you know if you haven’t even tried it?” The smirk that appeared on his
face was far too adorable for his own good, but it did nothing to convince me to try the slippery suckers.
I rolled my eyes.
“The smothered chicken sounds perfect.”
“That’s mature.”
“What?”
“The eye-roll over shellfish.”
“It wasn’t over the shellfish. It was over how very persistent you are. You’re quite controlling.”
“And you’re not? You’re wrapped so tight, I’m worried one false move and you’ll come undone.”
“I just might.” I stuck my tongue out quickly and rolled my eyes again.
And my heart nearly stopped when he did the same, revealing a tongue piercing. His smile grew as he waited for my response, and I saw a glint of silver reflect from his tongue once more. How had I not noticed before? A tongue piercing… a suit with a tongue piercing.
“Brandy, why are you blushing?” he teased.
I opened my mouth and then smacked my lips together, laughing.
He smiled, his eyes fastening on mine. “What’s this I hear about you not liking motorcycles? Have you ever tried riding one?” he asked, changing the topic.
I shook my head quickly, trying to regain clarity. “I’d like to see my thirtieth birthday so I tend to avoid things that might make that impossible.”
He whistled softly.
“What?” I asked.
“That must be a long list you’ve got going.”
“It’s not.”
“I bet it is.”
“It really isn’t.”
“So parachuting is out?” his eyes twinkled.
“Seriously? Come on. Who even acts like that’s part of normal activity?”
He shrugged.
“Are you telling me you’ve jumped out of a plane?”
“Many times. And look, I’ve even lived to tell you about it.”
“What did it feel like?”
Spring Fling Trio- Beyond Love Starter Set Page 32