“Don’t tell me to chill.”
We wrestled slash wiggled her loose of the top so it was up around her neck only. Then I widened the opening and took it off.
“Pants too?” I asked her.
She brought her voice down from angry she-bitch to team worker. “Yeah, they’re too tight.”
I knelt down and she braced herself on my shoulder with her good hand. I held her tiny shorts at the top and pulled them down her legs and something weird happened again. That strange edge of being turned on.
She took her leg out then the other and I grabbed her PJ bottoms. I held them open so she could step in then stood up. I got the shirt over her head and she turned her back to me.
I’ve done this for her pretty often…unsnap the bra. It just becomes a guy friend’s duty at one point or another, but it never meant anything and it never did anything to me. Tonight, unsnapping the black clasp is making my palms sweat.
I got it with one hand and when the sides retreated across her back my dick went semi hard. I hurried to help her arms through the shirt then left the bathroom. I talked myself down while she finished up but what was going on with my body?
When she came out she got in her bed and put her back to me. The weight of what I did is making the guilt kill the hard on.
So I went over to her and tugged her hair. “Baby Girl?” she didn’t answer. “I’m so sorry I failed you like this. I know that saying it won’t fix it but I have to tell you I know how devastating this is. You’re right, the phone should’ve been off. You needed me and I walked out on your big night. I missed your dance, I missed the fall-.”
She didn’t roll over but she talked into the pillow, “I fell because I saw you walk out.” I cringed at that, “I fell because I got distracted.”
Guilt this bad feels like fear. Fear of losing something precious. “She broke up with me Chloe, that’s why I left. I’m not defending what I did. I need to be thrown in hot ashes but you don’t have to worry about Jenzy anymore. Sounds like her and Chris are…”
She rolled to her back and her nose was pink. “You have to have a life outside of me and our friendship. I do too. I get that. I wasn’t asking for forever, I was asking for tonight.” She turned her back to me again and I walked backward to the bed then plopped down flat.
It was morning way too fast and after getting her ready with more ouches and fuck you’s we got loaded up in my car.
“Take the painkillers,” I told her as I pulled off.
She sneered, “I don’t need painkillers. It’s a sprain, not a stab wound.”
“I won’t think you any less tough.”
“Take backroads okay?” She changed the subject. “I don’t want to look at highways and trucks.”
I nodded and veered off the path. We drove a good hour with cold silence and even after her favorite song came on the radio I Don’t Mind by Usher, she ignored me. I even sang the lyrics smoothly like a pro. She likes my singing voice and I thought it would work. I even rapped Juicy J!!!
As the sunset blossomed to life on the road ahead I started to feel pissed instead of remorseful. I said I was sorry. I did the silent wallow in sadness and I begged forgiveness. Now she’s just being a brat.
Then I remembered what this dance event meant to her and I felt like an ass again.
“Want my hoodie?” I asked when I saw her holding herself.
She didn’t answer me. We’ve graduated to the silent treatment.
I tried again. “I bet Goliath is like ten more pounds. Brianna loves to spoil him.”
No response.
I tightened my grip on the wheel, “taking the back way, we could stop to see the world’s largest drinking glass. They say it’s over twelve feet.”
She just remained laid back in the seat holding her wrist. Her legs were up on the dashboard crossed at the ankles and I checked the road while traveling the length. Her khaki shorts were gathered at the meeting of her thighs and that was getting to me. Maybe it was the navy wedges…heels are cool…or the tight navy shirt, I knew dipped for eye-snagging cleavage, but it’s covered by the stupid gold scarf around her neck, and why am I thinking about my best friend’s body?
“Oh, there’s a haunted mansion on this road too.” I attempted. “Remember the one you wanted to stay the night at? We could do that. I don’t start work until nine in the morning so we could-.”
“You babble like a bitch when you’re nervous.” She muttered.
I frowned and divided my attention between her and the road, “did you really just say that?”
“Sounds like it.”
“Chloe! I said I was sorry like a million times!”
She shrugged, “yeah, it’s annoying for me too.”
I felt a blood rage coming on, “what am I supposed to do Chloe? Tell me! I said I was sorry-.”
“Go back in time and don’t be a dick.”
I snapped, “I’m over here trying to show you I want to fix it! You always do this! You always hold grudges! I’ve tried showing you! I’m thinking up stupid shit you might want to see.”
She sat up and her face got softer. “You’re right.”
I kept looking her way in surprise of her change. “What?”
She nodded, “yeah, you’re right. You’re trying and I’m not even giving you a fair chance. I do have an attraction I’d like to see.”
I cooled and tried to sound over it, “okay, shoot.”
She smiled, “I’d like to see…, the world’s biggest asshole. Oh, wait! I’m in the car with it.”
This launched us into a degree of argument that probably caused thunder. We screamed at each other at the top of our lungs and called each other pretty shitty things. At one point while I screamed, I distantly heard her say in a small voice, “Moses…”
I blocked it out because I was going to finish my argument.
“Moses…”
I might have told her to shut up and listen.
“Um….Moses….”
I saw blue lights go off behind me and swore some fairly colorful things. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a freaking cop!”
She punched my arm, “I tried! You were only going like ninety in your stupid Cabana bitch mode.”
I pulled us over and hit the dashboard. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Try saying sorry. That’s supposed to work for everything right?”
I whipped my head around at her, “will you let it the hell go?!”
She checked her passenger side mirror. “Switch with me,” she said and undid her belt.
“We can’t! He’ll see us, and your wrist is-.”
“Moses! Your windows are tinted. Stop being a friggin pussy and switch!”
I’m not sure how we managed. Might be because I do yoga and she’s a pole dancer? We flexed our way into the others seat and only made her say owe once.
Once she got in my seat she took off her scarf in a hurry and pulled the already tight and low shirt down.
“Classy,” I said as I clicked my belt.
She cut her eyes. “Don’t play the pious one with me. The speed limit was forty-five and you were pushing ninety. Just shut up and don’t go Cabana Man.”
I ranted while she primped in the rearview mirror. “This isn’t going to work.”
She rolled up the bottoms of her already short shorts and fingered her hair. “Moses, I want you to be like the Siri in my phone. Silent unless I ask you a question.”
Before I could say anything we heard the cop slam his door shut after getting out. I sat back and winced but Chloe sat straight and rolled the window down before shutting off the engine.
When his uniformed torso came into view I bit my cheek. He’s Chloe’s exact type. She’s going to describe him for Brianna as a blonde Kellan Lutz, but he had a scruffy brown goatee and he was built like Chris from my gym.
Chloe turned on her sexy voice, “evening officer.”
“Ma’am,” he said in a deep voice, “do you know why I pulled you o
ver.”
“I do.” She said apologetically. “Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed. I was going way too fast.”
“Forty-five miles too fast.”
She closed her eyes, “I am so, sorry. I- I don’t even have a defense. I was…taking my friend home after a really bad situation, and-.”
He shifted to see her better, “a bad situation?”
She leaned on the window. “My friend here just…” she lowered her voice and I frowned and strained to hear. “He just came out to his parents. You know… ‘as gay.’ And-.”
I made a noise and she turned to glare at me. I bit back a retort so she could go on. “They were so angry they threatened us and kicked us out. Chased him out with a baseball bat. He’s the only son in the family so his father was pretty much murderous. I was driving fast out of fear and what I should’ve done was call the police.”
“So he’s gay…?” the cop asked.
She nodded sadly, “like super gay. We dated once but he cheated on me with my brother. I found them in my bedroom. It was heartbreaking. I should’ve known I guess, he used to ask to wear my dresses and stuff, but I thought he was just being silly.”
“That’s terrible,” the cop said, smirking and I rolled my eyes.
She added to the fish tale, “well, but I moved past it because I just love him so much. I think deep down,” she whispered the rest. “I still hope he’ll go straight again and remember what it was like. I would be willing to do just about anything to keep him.”
The cop set a hand on his belted hip, “that’s real commitment.”
“Well, I’m a really committed lover.”
He grinned and pulled his hat lower, “no ma’am, I mean that’s real commitment to a lie. I saw the two of you switch seats, I even gave you an extra second to get situated.”
I groaned and sat forward but Chloe laughed much to my surprise and it was a sweet laugh followed by the cop’s. What the fuck is happening?
She covered her mouth while she convulsed and said, “it was a good one though wasn’t it?”
He laughed, “best I’ve heard in a while.”
“I winged it with the part about us being lovers. You know, for extra pity.”
“My heart was bleeding,” he teased.
“No,” she toyed with our friend charm at her neck, “I’m actually on my way back from the Annual Pole Dancing event near the Floyd Hotel. I hurt my wrist on my first dance and now we’re headed home.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s just a sprain, but it ruined my chances. My friend and I were arguing and he didn’t realize his speed. I am really sorry.”
He nodded, “can I see a license and registration?”
She turned to me and I got it out of my wallet along with the registration in the glove compartment, they jabbered on while I did this.
“So you pole dance?” he asked her.
She smiled, “yeah, I was found by a talent scout and invited to this big opportunity only to screw up. I love to dance and pole dancing just comes natural to me. I’m really flexible so…”
“I saw that when you scrambled over your buddy to get in the driver seat.”
More flirtatious laughter filled my car and I thrust the papers at her. She took them and handed them to the guy.
“We are really sorry officer…?” she waited.
He tapped his name pin, “Rex.”
“Officer Rex…” she said, “it’s my fault for real, I was plucking his nerve.”
“What’s your name?”
“Chloe Gianopoulos.”
“Chloe,” he tested the name. “I’ll be right back with your friend’s information.”
She nodded and when he left.
I glared at her. “What are you doing?”
She sat back, “getting you out of a ticket.”
“He’s still giving me a ticket. You know I don’t like it when you-.”
“Oh my God, I wouldn’t go through with anything I didn’t want to. He’s cute. Maybe your redemption in this is me coming out with a date.”
She got out of the car before I could say anything. I shifted back over to the driver seat then heard them talking. I looked in the mirror and a strange type of burning went up my stomach when I saw them flirting. They were standing close and it bugged me. After a good twenty minutes of waiting, I looked up to see them kissing.
I’ve seen Chloe kiss men before, but right now it’s stabbing at my chest in a weird way. I want him off her face and cop or not I want to be the one to take him off her face. I stopped looking because when she set her hand on his cheek and let him in deeper I felt sick. A very eerie flash of me kissing her like that went through my mind and made me sicker. I don’t want to kiss Chloe.
Still, my imagination went there. Even furious at her I had a detailed vision of myself setting her back against the car and kissing her. I shook my head like that would clear it.
When she came back around to her own side she went back to giving me a silent treatment but told me first that we were off the hook and could go then handed me my info.
Fuck, it worked.
Chapter Fourteen
CHLOE
Moses gave me the silent treatment after that. At some point after we parted, we went on a two week stretch of not talking. I went on three then four dates with my new cop boyfriend. Brianna was at my place on the fifth and was all guns about seeing Goliath’s reaction.
When he buzzed to come up I let him in and checked my mirror again. I went the classy route for a guy like this. A knee length black and white striped flare skirt and a black quarter sleeve shirt that tucked in. Thin strappy black heels and…
“Should I wear pearls with it?” I asked Brianna.
“Nope.” She sat at my little kitchen table petting a content Goliath. “Too much. The bobs are perfect.”
I sneakily held the pearls up.
She widened her unseeing eyes. “Hey! I said no!”
I groaned and set them down. “How do you know?”
“Mind powers.” While I finished my mascara she went silent and I could feel her next comment. “Moses and Jenzy broke up.”
“I know. It’s the reason he walked out on my biggest moment ever.”
She smacked her lips. “Are you going to stay mad forever?”
I put my stuff away, “no.”
“Good because he sounds like he could use a friend.”
“Lucky he has you then.” I snapped.
She flicked back her hair. “Chloe, I mean you. He’s really hurting over this girl. She admitted to kissing her ex-husband and I think it took him back to Katie.”
I thought of Moses feeling, not just the pain of Jenzy but the echo of Katie, a girl he really loved. “I get it, Brianna.”
“You also promised you’d tell him the truth next time he’s single.”
“I might not have to now. I have a date remember.”
Brianna drank from her wine. “Probably another asshole like Brandon.”
I never told her about the fight with Brandon. She’d go as crazy as Moses had. She thought we just broke up. “He’s nothing like Brandon.”
She smiled as the door knock came. “What’s his name again?”
“Vaughn Rex. He hates his name though so he goes by Rex.”
“And this is the Kellan Lutz look-a-like?”
I laughed and whispered yes, before heading for the door. I opened it and oh the glare! My eyes! The man is fine. Maybe not in a Moses way but hot none the less, in his dark blue dress shirt filled out ever so well and the sharp black trousers.
“Hi,” he smirked. He has a sexy smirk.
“Hey. Come in. This is my friend Brianna.” I told him.
He sided in and I took note that Goliath wasn’t barking yet. “Hello,” he said to Brianna.
Brianna gave a wave but it was a good ten feet from where he was. “Hi.” She smiled. “You sound nice.”
He went to where she was looking and took her hand to
kiss the back. Wow. That’s like 90 points. “Nice to meet you, Brianna.”
She blushed, the color of a fire engine. “Okay…” she said, “your hand makes me think you’re a hot person. Chloe, I like him.”
I rolled my eyes and he laughed. “Who’s this?” he asked as he crouched down next to Brianna’s chair. He smiled at Goliath and Goliath didn’t growl or act aggressively. “Is he friendly?”
I came up behind him, “yes- well, he’s protective of me but he’ll let you pet him.”
Rex held the back of his hand up so Goliath could sniff and get close then he eased in at petting him. “Hey, there buddy.” He scratched up by his ears, “you’re a cool guy.”
Brianna raised her brows, “you’re good with dogs.”
He was all into petting Goliath now, “I had a German Shepherd on the K-9 unit. She was beautiful. Her name was January. She died last year. I have a real soft spot for dogs.”
Brianna pouted her lip in my direction and I smiled even though she couldn’t see me.
Rex stood and kissed my cheek. “You look amazing. Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” I touched his chest then went to get my purse.
Brianna snickered like a demon, “I’ll make sure I’m out by time you two get back.”
I shot her a look but that’s kinda useless considering her blindness. “Goodnight,” I warned her in my tone.
“Don’t re-injure that wrist sis.” She called.
Rex laughed but I tugged him out the door. “Brianna! Behave!” I hissed between clenched teeth.
She winked over and over, “Rex might have to tell you that.” She cracked herself up and Rex so I had to push him out.
“Brianna!” I yelled as I closed the door.
She was too busy laughing.
Dinner with Rex was great. He’s got a great sense of humor, unlike Brandon and a relaxed way about him. He has cop habits, though. He didn’t want his back to the door at the restaurant and he’s vigilant all the time. He almost looks distracted but he proves me wrong by responding on time and correctly.
He has very clear green eyes and they speak kindness. “So you and Moses aren’t talking then?” he asked as he walked me home. I like that he found a nearby place to eat and opted for walking. He took me through a park to go and now we’re just hitting sidewalks but it’s romantic. That and he’s holding my hand.
The Friend Zone (The Relationship Quo Series Book 2) Page 12