The Personal Shopper

by T. L. Quinn

Ava is just staring right back at me. The only sound in the apartment is our breathing. I want to look away, but I still can’t. My eyes fall down to her lips. God. I want to kiss her. How has it been six years since I’ve felt her lips on mine? I can still taste the champagne on her lips. Smell her flowery shampoo. Feel her hands in my hair.

  Suddenly, the doorbell to her apartment rings. We both look toward the door. Ava speaks first.

  “That’s probably Jeff. Can you let him in?” She turns away to go back to her room.

  I blow out a harsh breath that I must’ve been holding as I watch her walk away. I reach for my pants and readjust my dick before heading to the door. I open it and see Jeff standing there.

  He looks confused to see me here in Ava’s apartment. I just smile and pretend I don’t hate every single cell in his body. “Jeff, good to see you.” I reach my hand out to shake his.

  He relaxes a little. “Hi Parker. I heard you were back in town.” He reaches toward my outstretched hand. I grip his hand a little harder than necessary.

  I invite him in and head toward the kitchen. “Yeah. I’m actually staying in the guest apartment across the hall. I just brought over Ava’s favorite champagne before everyone got here.” I hold a glass up to Jeff to ask him if he wants one. He nods his head. “Sure.”

  “Ava is just finishing getting dressed.” I say it like she was out here naked with me, which isn’t a total lie even if it wasn’t for the reasons I made it sound like.

  Jeff doesn’t take the bait. “Sounds good. Don’t want to rush her. Can’t mess up one of Ava’s masterpieces.”

  I just smile back at him, trying not to stare daggers at him while I sip on my own champagne.

  I take a moment and take Jeff in. He’s not a bad looking guy. He at least finally grew into that height of his. He has a good job, and he seems to be sweet to Ava. I should be happy she is seeing someone like him, but I can’t be. I hate him. I hate him with everything in me.

  She doesn’t like him. She never has. She used to always joke with me about everything wrong with him, so I’d stop teasing her about her family trying to push them together, and he’s had his hands on her. Suddenly, I am just staring at his hands. I clench my teeth together, and my hands ball into fists. I need some air.

  Luckily, before anything crazy happens like me full on attacking Jeff, Rachel calls and says she’s at the front desk. I ring down to the doorman to let her up. A couple minutes later she is at the door.

  Rachel knows a little bit about my situation with Ava and always jokes that I am in love with her. I pull her into a hug. “Hey Rach.”

  She hugs me back, but she can feel the tension in my body. She glances over to Jeff. “Is everything okay?”

  I just blow out a breath. “I could use your help tonight.”

  As if on cue, Ava comes back out of her room. She looks breathtaking in her dress. She still looks like an angel. More of a real angel now than the sexual tease she was earlier. The dress is a light blue with thin straps. It falls perfectly on her body and flows like she is walking on a cloud with that slit up the thigh I was talking about.

  We all just stare at her as she comes out. She looks to Jeff first. “Hey Jeff.”

  He gives her a kiss on the cheek, and she smiles back at him. There’s something off about her smile though. It’s not exactly a fake smile, but it’s not the same way she’d always smile at me. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but I am taking every win I can.

  After she greets Jeff, she looks back over to me. Then her eyes fall on Rachel, and her smile momentarily drops from her face, but then she is back to her usually friendly self as she introduces herself. "Hi, I'm Ava."

  Chapter 7

  Ava

  I’m smiling on the outside, but I can feel my nails digging into my hands as I watch Parker’s date put her hand on his arm. I am just hoping I can keep up this facade for the whole night.

  I shouldn’t have agreed to sharing a car with them. You would think I would be used to other girls being with Parker by now since there always are other girls, and it’s never me. I guess I was kidding myself into thinking he wanted me a moment ago.

  That’s the worst part. When it is just me and Parker in the room, it feels like there is a connection between us, but then I see him laughing and touching his date’s arm, and I think maybe I just made it all up in my head.

  Rachel is beautiful of course. She’s one of those girls who looks pretty without even trying. I am not just saying that either. She just got done telling the story of how Parker asked her this afternoon to come tonight. She threw together all of that in 3 hours. It took me the past 2 months to get ready for this event.

  Before, I was trying to make Parker jealous of me and Jeff so that’d he want me. Now I am clinging to Jeff’s side because it hurts too much to see Parker with another girl again.

  You’d think after all this time of the same thing, I’d finally move on from the guy who wants nothing to do with me. Maybe I should reconsider dating Jeff again.

  I look over to Jeff. He looks really good tonight, and he is always so sweet to me. He said he just wanted to be casual, but I initiated that thought.

  I think if I straight up told him I wanted something more serious, he would at least try it with me. I can’t keep putting my dating life on hold because of Parker, especially now that he is going to be around for at least the next six months.

  Jeff is standing next to me by the couch, and Parker and Rachel are sitting over on the loveseat while we all sip on the champagne Parker brought before Doug and Becca pick us up. I reach out and rub my hand gently on the back of Jeff’s leg. He looks over to me, so I pat the couch motioning for him to come sit.

  Once he is next to me, I cuddle up close to him. Rachel is talking about some concert she just saw, and I use the moment to test the waters with Jeff.

  “Oh Jeff! I saw that cover band is playing over at Mooney’s next Saturday. We should go! Remember the yellow duck?”

  Jeff laughs at the inside joke we have. “Really! Yes, for sure. The laugh that lady made?”

  I touch Jeff’s arm and laugh probably harder than the joke called for. “Yes! Oh my gosh!”

  I can’t help it. My eyes make their way over to Parker’s. He is just staring back at me. Then his eyes make their way down to where my hand is on Jeff’s arm.

  I swear he looks angry at the touch like he is jealous, but he is cuddled right up to Rachel. I can’t figure this man out, but he hasn’t once tried to make a move on me since he’s been back. I am the one who tried kissing him in the kitchen that day. If he's changed his mind since then, then he needs to be the one to say something.

  Parker gets a text message and glances down at his phone. “Doug’s out front.”

  I feel like I need a minute alone before we head out. “I’m just going to use the bathroom. Meet you down there.”

  Jeff and Rachel are talking and heading out, but Parker stops me before I walk to the hall bathroom. He grabbed my elbow and leaned in close. “I thought you weren’t dating Jeff.”

  His tone is serious. Almost accusing.

  “How is who I am or am not dating any of your business?”

  He clenches his teeth together, but then lets go of my arm. I look at him confused. He is giving me whiplash with all the mood changes. He just nods his head then and whispers. “We’ll talk about this later.” Then he turns and walks out with Jeff and Rachel.

  We’ll talk about this later? What? What was that supposed to mean?

  I head to the bathroom even more confused now than I was before. After I am finished, I take one last breath and then head down to meet the rest of the group.

  ◆◆◆

  Parker

  Doug booked a limo since there are six of us riding together. It’s not really my style, but there’s more booze in the ice chest, so I can’t complain. I need another drink after everything that just happened upstairs. Why did I say we would talk about her and Jeff later? She is right. It is none
of my business. We aren’t together. We are hardly even friends. Who she is dating should be of no concern to me, but it is. And with Jeff sitting right in front of me with his arm around Ava’s shoulder, it’s all I can think about.

  She doesn’t like Jeff. She never liked Jeff. Since when are they all about this touchy-feely nonsense, and her making plans with him and reminiscing about past dates, what is that? Did I read her wrong? Is she actually interested in Jeff?

  I thought she just used him for social events. Maybe I was wrong. With the way she is laughing at all his dumb jokes, it sure seems like she is interested in him.

  I mean, I was gone for six years. A lot can change in that amount of time, but I used to tease Ava relentlessly about Jeff because her family was always trying to push them together. She would always glare back at me and give me some snarky remark, usually mocking Nina. I’d ask her when her and Jeff are getting married and she’d respond. “I don’t know ‘Teddy,’ when are you and Nina getting married?”

  But now she isn’t joking with me. She’s joking with Jeff. She’s barely even looked at me.

  My phone buzzes, and I see Rachel texted me even though she is sitting right next to me.

  Rachel: Want to make her jealous or do you just need a supportive friend to trash talk her?

  I smile over at Rachel. I’m glad she’s here. I haven’t seen her in a while, and I’ve missed her.

  I lean over to her and whisper. “I’m not sure yet. I’ll keep you posted.”

  With the way Ava is laying it on so thick over there though, I think the answer might be both.

  Luckily, the drive over isn’t long and we arrive at the event ten minutes later. We pull up to the museum’s front steps where guests are being unloaded. Ava and Jeff get out first and the cameras are immediately on her.

  Not exactly sure why there are so many paparazzi and news reporters at a charity event, but I guess there are always a bunch of celebrities and rich socialites at these things.

  The cameras are obsessed with Ava and what her look is tonight. They ask what designer she is wearing and where she got her inspiration. I guess she had a point about using her look for generating publicity. The cameras love her.

  It doesn’t take long for the questions to turn to asking her about her date. One lady leans forward. “Ava! Are you and Jeff official now?” I cringe and Ava just smiles. The reporter continues. “This is the 3rd event you’ve attended together in the past 3 months”

  I don’t want Ava to answer that question, so I just head toward them and move them along before she does.

  Ava gives me a funny look, and I just lean down and whisper in her ear, “It’s better to keep them guessing, then they’ll have more to talk about.”

  She steps away from me and gives me a look. “Oh, so are you finally embracing your role on the PR team?”

  I just nod. “Yeah, the better our team does over the next six months, the more I’ll be able to put on my resume when I leave.”

  Ava’s smile drops from her face. “Are you really leaving again when the six months are up?”

  I just stare at her for a second. I wasn’t expecting this reaction out of her. She actually looks genuinely sad that I would be leaving.

  I don’t know what to say, so I just stick with the truth. “That’s all my contract is for.”

  Ava’s smile finally comes back. “You know my dad and Doug want you to join the financial team at corporate. Don’t pretend you’d be leaving for any other reason than you want to.”

  Doug has mentioned it a few times, but I didn’t know Ava knew that. I just shrug. “They haven't made any offers yet.”

  Ava smiles even bigger. “Want me to put in a good word for you?” She laughs. “Let’s see, I can tell them you’re a hardass who definitely sticks to the budget, is not concerned about what others think of him. You will continue being an ass as long as it relates to the budget.”

  She taps her chin like she is thinking of more, then her face lights up. “Oh! And in case it’s relevant, I can put down he looks super sexy making sandwiches shirtless late at night for his super great neighbor across the hall.”

  We both laugh and I add, “I think I might have to leave my reference page blank for that interview.”

  She laughs again, and her hand lands on my arm. It feels like her fingers are burning into my skin. I love having her touch me. It’s only for a brief moment, and then Jeff is leading her inside.

  After our moment together outside, things go back to the way they were before. Ava is pretty much ignoring me and focusing on Jeff even though we are all at the same table. I use the time to try to catch up with Rachel, but my eyes keep wandering back over to Ava.

  Rachel starts talking again, pulling my attention back to her again. “Hey, if you’re going to be ogling another girl all night, the least you can do is help me find someone to get laid with tonight."

  I laugh. “Okay, I’m game. What’s your type again? Tall, blonde hair, rich.” I look over at Jeff sitting next to Rachel who looks exactly like Rachel’s type. I lean my head toward him. She looks where I am pointing and then turns back to me. “Oh, you are so bad.”

  I laugh again and shrug. “Hey, she told me they weren’t dating. Kind of.”

  Rachel glares at me but then smiles. “You so owe me.” Then she turns to Jeff and starts up a conversation heavy with the flirting while Ava is chatting with Becca. Ava doesn’t seem to care. She isn’t even paying any attention to Jeff.

  I can’t just sit here now and watch Ava, so I turn to Doug and we talk business and sports.

  ◆◆◆

  Ava

  I kept feeling Parker’s eyes on me during dinner. I tried not to look in his direction, but whenever he was talking with Rachel or Doug, I’d sneak a peek. Strangely, Jeff and Rachel seem to be hitting it off. The problem is it doesn’t bother me. As soon as I realized I didn’t care if Jeff is flirting with another girl, I came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t ever work with us. I know I was just using him to make Parker jealous.

  Luckily, after dinner, I have to go make my rounds and chit chat with other guests, so I don’t have to deal with either Jeff or Parker.

  After about an hour of mingling, my dad finds me and Jeff and checks in on how everything is going. We are chatting for a minute when his business associate comes up to us. Mr. Spencer. I cringe when I see him and try to get Jeff to lead us away while he talks to my dad.

  Mr. Spencer has always given me the creeps. He never actually did anything inappropriate with me, but the way he’d look at me when I was younger and the little comments he would make would make me uncomfortable. The guy is just a straight up creep. My dad doesn’t do business with him often, but since he never actually tried anything inappropriate with me, I never told my dad how I felt about him.

  When he starts looking over at me, I already know I am not going to like what he has to say. I try to smile at him, but I can’t seem to make my face be friendly with him. He looks over to Jeff. “Mind if I take your girl for a whirl on the dancefloor?”

  I squeeze Jeff’s hand hard, trying to tell him I don’t want to. Jeff doesn’t seem to notice. He just smiles. “Sure, go ahead.”

  I let out a breath and let him lead me to the dance floor. I can survive one dance, but I swear if he gets handsy, I will break the man’s nose. A new song just started unfortunately, so I will have to stay here for the next 4 to 5 minutes.

  After a minute of awkwardly swaying, Mr. Spencer tries to pull me closer. I am about to make up an excuse to leave, when suddenly out of nowhere, Parker is standing next to us.

  “May I cut in?”

  Mr. Spencer looks angrily at Parker, but he doesn’t make a scene. “Sure.” He huffs and then walks away, and Parker extends his hand for me to take. I take his hand, and he pulls me close. I lean in even a little closer, completely the opposite of how I danced as far apart as I could with Mr. Spencer. I am still a little stunned he is here. I look up into his eyes and breath out. “
You came.”