by K E Osborn
“See you Friday,” Aiden calls out.
My stomach back-flips at the thought of seeing him again. “Friday,” I turn back with a nod.
He winks again.
My body reacts to Aiden in ways I never knew existed. My skin feels like it’s tingling, crawling, and alive, but in the best way possible. I don’t know what it is about Aiden O’Connell that has me all out of sorts right now, but I need to leave before I make a complete idiot of myself. I turn back to the front office, lose my footing, stumble on an uneven piece of concrete, and plow into another customer’s car.
Holy fuck!
“Be careful,” Bob yells out.
Jesus Christ, Jeni, get a damn hold of yourself!
Pulling myself together as though I’m not totally and undeniably embarrassed, I gaze at Aiden and notice he’s eyeing me with a cheeky boyish grin. I straighten myself out and walk back inside the office. This time, watching where I’m going. Bob and Aiden continue talking for another few minutes while I stalk them through the large window like a creeper from my desk wondering what they’re discussing.
Eventually, Aiden leaves getting into a chauffeured vehicle which, at some point, must have turned up throughout the embarrassment that was the last few minutes of my life. As Aiden slides into the back of the car, he turns toward the office and smiles, seemingly at me.
What an interesting day—no coffee, car accident, late for work, then sexy Aiden.
Wait until I tell Sarah!
To: Sarah Carlisle
From: Jenifer Taylor
Subject: OMG!!!
Hey Sez,
What the hell is with today? You’ll never believe who just came in here!!
Love, Perplexed
After a few seconds, I hear the ping of a new email arriving from Sarah. I read it right away.
To: Jenifer Taylor
From: Sarah Carlisle
Subject: No clue
Hey Perplexed,
You know I suck at guessing! I don’t know, who came in? Not… ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named?’ God, if it’s him, u better have punched him in the kisser and then kicked him in his junk. That’s a great image. Him crying on the floor. Lmao.
Is your day getting better?
I laugh at her email and start thinking about my ex for the second time today. She’s right—the image of him down on the floor in tears is quite appealing.
“Scumbag,” I mutter under my breath as I start to type back to Sarah.
To: Sarah Carlisle
From: Jenifer Taylor
Subject: LOL!!
Are you ready for this! You know that ass who hit my car this morning? Yeah, it was him. And I didn’t notice it this morning, but damn, he’s gorgeous. Lol
I had a great ogle today. I’ll tell you the details when I get home. Will Chris be there?
P.S. Thanks for the imagery of ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named.’ It was exactly what I needed.
I click Send and get to work. Every now and then Aiden will slip back into my mind, and I start to daydream again. However, the phone or a customer always seems to interrupt my dirty thoughts. I look at the clock, it’s already five-thirty.
Shit.
I hadn’t noticed it was time to leave an hour ago. I start to pack up my desk and look around the office—it’s eerily quiet—all the other employees have left for the day, and I never noticed. This daydreaming is bad, and it has to stop. I quickly check my emails again, and I see one last one from Sarah.
To: Jenifer Taylor
From: Sarah Carlisle
Subject: WTF?
First things first, you found this car crash guy attractive?
When u get home, I want all the juicy gossip!!!
I smile at the email, close the program, and shut the computer to sleep. Sending for an Uber is the next thing to do as my car’s in the repair shop. So I rummage around in my fake Guess handbag until I find my phone. Luckily, there’s a bench in front of the office I can sit on. I place the order for the Uber and go wait outside.
Just as I’m about to open Instagram on my phone, it rings. It’s Sarah. I’m sure she’s in a panic.
“Hey.”
“Where are you? Have you been in another car accident? Are you okay?”
I laugh, which doesn’t impress her. So, I let her rant, “Don’t laugh at me. I’m worried about your safety. You’re late… you’re never late. Where are you?”
“I’m fine, still at work. My car’s in the shop, and I’m waiting for an Uber. I’ll probably be another twenty minutes or so. There’s a backlog for some reason.”
Sarah exhales with relief. “I can pick you up. It’s not like it’s far, then you can give me all the gossip about this hot guy who came in today. Chris is going to cook us dinner. Cancel that Uber, and I’ll be there in ten. Okay?”
Before I have time to say anything in response, she ends the call. I roll my eyes even though she can’t see me and open the Uber app to cancel. Then I sit back on the bench, rest my head on the wall, and close my eyes against the burning sun.
Suddenly, I’m pinned against the wall. Aiden’s bright blue eyes stare deeply into mine, and my arms reach around his neck. He kisses my lips with such sensual force that my knees buckle. His hands slide in undoing my top button, then the second while kissing my neck. I start to moan again, “mmm…” as he undoes the third and fourth buttons. He caresses my breast while the softness of his lips connects with my neck.
“Jeni,” he murmurs.
I pull his face to me, and his tongue collides with mine. Ravenous, hungry, needy.
His hand pulls up my black skirt, and he skims his fingers along the inside of my thigh.
Edging closer, closer, closer…
“Jeni… Jeni… Jen… c’mon, get in!”
My reverie abruptly ends. Sweat beads on my forehead, and I’m quite out of breath.
Sarah honks the horn. “Hurry up!”
I jump from the bench and walk over to Sarah’s red Ford Fiesta, wiping my hand across my brow as I slide into her car. “It’s hot today,” I say breathlessly.
Sarah looks at me and turns on the air conditioning. “Spill. What are you all hot and bothered about?”
I take in a deep breath as the cool, fresh air fills the car, then laugh. “Jesus, Sarah, you should’ve seen him. He was pretty much the perfect male.”
“Is he better looking than Chris?”
“Oh, you have no idea. I was practically panting.”
Sarah smirks and puts on her blinker, pulling into the traffic. We continue to talk, then Sarah starts singing along to Billie Eilish as we pull into the driveway. When the song’s over, she turns off the ignition and looks at me. “Look, be nice to Chris. I really like this guy, so be good. And go out with Mr. Eye Candy when he calls you. Get yourself out there again. It’s time, Jeni. Don’t spend your life being scared guys are all the same and you’ll end up with another Jason… shit… sorry, ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named.’ There are some decent ones out there, and you don’t have to look hard to find them.” Sarah smiles her big, bright smile at me. She can see through me so easily.
Chris strides up to the car and opens Sarah’s car door, making Sarah grin. “See? There are some nice ones.” I hop out of the car and half-smile at Chris.
“Hey,” Sarah gushes before smacking Chris with a passionate kiss.
Opening my eyes widely, I look away as they embrace in their steamy lip-lock.
“Hey, baby,” Chris chimes.
I try to walk past without them seeing me to no avail.
“I bought you some milk, and I’m cooking dinner tonight as an apology. Forgive me for stealing the last of your milk?” Chris states, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“Depends on how good your cooking is,” I reply cheekily.
“Challenge accepted.”
Sarah smiles like I’ve made her proud. Leaving the happy new couple to cuddle outside, I open the front door and walk into the house. To the left is the master bedroom—Sara
h’s room, of course. I step down the hallway and put my keys and handbag on the buffet, continuing into the open-plan kitchen-dining-living room and walk to my bedroom, which is off to the left. I change into yoga pants and a soft, gray Ramones T-shirt, minus coffee stains, then lie on my bed, thinking about today’s events.
Maybe I could start dating again.
I mean, I’m only twenty-six.
I guess Sarah’s words are true—not every guy is like Jason. Surely, they’re not all controlling, scumbag cheaters and liars? I pick up my phone to call my mom when a message comes through from an unknown number.
Unknown: Jeni, this is Aiden O’Connell. Thought I’d send you my number so you have it for the insurance claim if you need it. See you Friday, Aiden.
My heart thuds against my chest wall as I sit straight up on the bed, elated at the sight of his name. I read and re-read it multiple times wondering if he’s talking about Friday for dinner or Friday to pick up the car. I sit on the edge of the bed, puzzled, trying to decipher the message.
“Dinner’s ready,” Sarah announces while knocking on my door. She notices my confusion, so she walks in. “You okay?”
I sit still staring at my phone. “I got a text from him.”
Sarah shrieks with excitement, jumping on my bed next to me. “What’s it say?” I shrug. “Hmm… guess it’s not a good text then?” she asks.
I shrug again and hand the phone to her so she can read it. She looks at me questionably and reads the message. Her face lights up. “‘See you Friday.’ That means the date is on, right?” I shrug once more, feeling disheartened. “Oh, stop fucking shrugging and talk to me.”
I sigh. “It’s either to see me on Friday for the date or… to see me when he picks up his car.”
“Hmm… maybe we need a guy’s perspective on this one,” Sarah announces. And before I get a chance to say no, she’s yelling at the top of her lungs, “Hey, Chris, come tell us what this text means.”
“Sure, I’ll be right there,” he replies, yelling through what I can only guess is food in his mouth, making him sound nearly unintelligible.
I give Sarah the dirtiest look.
“What? He might be able to help.”
I flop back on the bed, lying with my legs dangling over the side. My mind wanders to the feeling of electricity when my hand touched Aiden’s, and a small smile crosses my lips.
Heavy footsteps pound the wooden floorboards as Chris approaches my room. “What’s up?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” I deflect, embarrassed that Sarah has brought a complete stranger into my social life.
“You want a guy’s perspective? Let me see.”
Before I can take my phone from Sarah’s grasp, she hands it to Chris. I roll my eyes at the thought of how lame I must seem to him. “Hmm…” he mumbles. “What’s the issue?”
Sarah speaks quickly, “This guy said he would take her out for dinner on Friday night, but he’s also picking his car up from her work on Friday. Do you think he means see you Friday for dinner or picking up the car?”
Chris laughs and looks at Sarah in a puzzled way to see if she’s joking, which he quickly realizes she’s not. He stops laughing and clears his throat. “It could mean a couple of different things. One being that he means both, I’ll see you Friday when he picks up his car and to go out, or…” he pauses.
“Or what?” Sarah shouts, following his every word like this is some telenovela hook.
He takes a deep breath before continuing, “Or, he’s only talking Friday when he picks up his car. But he could also be playing it cool and waiting for your reaction.”
I look at him, intrigued and feeling slightly hopeful. “Waiting for my reaction?”
“Yeah, he might be waiting to see how you react to the message. To see if you’re still interested in going out with him on Friday or not. He’s waiting to see how you reply.”
“Should I say something about Friday night in my return message, then?”
Chris chuckles. “Hell no. Play it cool. Write something like okay or yep or thanks, but wait a couple of hours before you reply. It’ll drive him nuts but in a good way. It’s a sure-fire way to make him bring up the dinner if that’s what he wants.”
My eyes dart to Sarah to see what she thinks of Chris’ masterplan. She simply shrugs, giving me no guidance. “I guess that makes sense,” I mumble.
“Trust me. It’ll work.” Full of swagger, Chris puffs out his chest. “Anyway, dinner’s ready. I made something to make up for this morning.” He looks at me with a genuine smile.
I let out a shocked laugh.
Sarah has chosen a guy different to her usual type.
“Thanks, Chris, appreciate that.”
We make our way out to the dining room, table set and ready to go. He’s gone all out. We slide into our seats. The meal looks delectable, making me dig right in. I didn’t realize just how famished I am.
“Did you know Chris is a chef at Vinchenzo’s on Main Street?” Sarah inquires.
I look at Sarah in amazement because Vinchenzo’s is our favorite restaurant. “Holy shit, really?”
Chris smiles as a general conversation takes place, mostly about Chris and how long he’s been working there. We find out he has three sisters, all younger than him, and they still live with his parents. Chris lives on his own in a smaller inner-city apartment on Main Street, close to Vinchenzo’s. He isn’t rich by any means, but he gets by on an apprentice chef’s wage. He’s into cars, so we have a common theme to talk about. Not that I know a lot about the mechanics of cars, but I know enough to hold my own when talking to car nuts.
We finish our meals, and when Chris starts clearing the table, Sarah and I both hop up to help. But Chris waves us off. “I’m on dish duty tonight. You girls sit back, relax, and chat,” Chris demands.
“You sure?” Sarah asks.
Chris grabs her shoulders, turning her and ushers her toward the living room. We smile at each other and sit down as he gets to work on the dishes. Honestly, I can’t be sure if this is all an act with Chris, or if he’s truly a genuinely nice guy. With Sarah’s history of douches, this is a refreshing change.
Sarah leans in toward me and asks, “So, what do you think?”
My lips turn up, happy for my best friend. “Honestly, Sez, he’s amazing. He cooks, he cleans, and he’s polite. He seems to have the trifecta.”
Sarah sighs, like she’s in a state of bliss. “Don’t forget, utterly gorgeous.”
My eyes shift to him standing over the sink, his white tank top has ridden up and is slightly wet becoming see-through. My eyes brighten as his toned muscles begin to show through.
“Yeah, totally gorgeous.”
We both laugh loudly, gaining his attention. “I hope you’re not talking about me, ladies.” Chris glances at us.
“Nah, you’re not worth talking about,” Sarah goads cheekily.
Chris balks at her answer, skims some bubbles from the sink, then throws them at her. Of course, he’s too far away for them to reach her, but the message is clear, causing us to start laughing again.
After a couple of glasses of Pink Moscato, Sarah and I sit on the brown suede loveseat and switch the television to MTV. My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” plays.
“I love this song,” Chris yells out.
Sarah turns up the volume so he can hear it in the kitchen. By now, both of us are more than a little intoxicated from the wine with dinner. This evening is turning out to be fun, and after the day I have had, it’s so fucking nice to unwind. Sarah’s always the entertainer, and now is one of those times, as she stands from the sofa and with the loud music playing, she begins to move her body to the melodic tunes of My Chemical Romance. I roll my eyes as she looks like a fool. She gestures for me to dance with her.
“No thanks, I’m never drunk enough for that,” I yell over the music.
Chris walks in with his slightly wet tank top showing off his perfect abs and pecs
, and my jaw drops at the sight. What’s with today and smoking-hot men?
He’s grinning from ear to ear as he leans down to talk to me over the music. “Is she always like this?”
“Yup. Whenever there’s alcohol, there’s very bad dancing.” He laughs, then walks over and taps her on the shoulder. Sarah looks up, her eyes wide with embarrassment as she stops dancing. Chris grabs her around her waist, looking deep into her eyes. “Dance with me?” he asks as the song changes to something a little slower, “My Immortal” by Evanescence.
“Sure thing, baby.” She wraps her arms around his neck, and they slow dance together in the middle of the living room. “You’re all wet.” Sarah points to his stomach, and I shake my head at her innuendo.
Chris lets go, steps back, pulls his tank top off throwing it to the floor. “Better?”
“Much.”
Stepping in, he pulls her close again, and they continue to dance. It’s so great seeing Sarah happy, but I can’t help but feel like a third wheel, so I make my way slowly through the kitchen to my bedroom and collapse onto my comfy bed. Even though it’s my personal choice to stay single, it doesn’t mean I don’t miss the close connection you feel when you love someone. So, I pick up my phone from my pillow and dial my mom.
“Hello?” After a few seconds, I hear the muffles of her trying to pick up the phone, then a bang. “Oh, crap,” Mom grumbles.
“Mom, Mom… are you okay?”
I hear more muffled sounds. “Goddammit. Stupid phone.”
I relax and start to laugh as I realize she’s dropped the phone. The thing about my mom, let’s just say, I get my clumsiness from her. Finally, she picks up the phone. “Are you there, honey?”
I laugh. “Yes, Mom, I’m here.”
“What’s that racket? Are you at a party? I hope you’re being safe. You know what I mean by safe, don’t you, Jenifer?”