Recharged

by Lulu Pratt

“What’s so funny?” he asks, trailing his fingertips up and down my thigh. “I love a good joke.”

  His breath is warm against my neck and I struggle to stay focused.

  “I was just thinking how different our jobs are. You’re a businessman running his own company. You make great money doing what you do and you’re always busy. On the other hand, my job isn’t quite as demanding as yours and I certainly don’t make as much as you do. Even though our backgrounds are completely different we both hold very important jobs.”

  He kisses the crook of my neck gently and the dull throb between my thighs awakens. “Go on,” he says. “Keep talking.”

  “Well,” I say. “I’m a nanny and I’ve been a live-in nanny for the last three months to the most incredible little boy ever.”

  “You must really like kids. Do you have any of your own?” he asks.

  “Heavens, no,” I say. “Being Jacob’s nanny will be enough for quite a while. He’s still very young so I get plenty of hands-on experience. Every day is a new adventure with him.”

  Asher stops stroking my leg and slowly pulls away. “Um, what’s his name again?”

  I take note of his strange behavior and try to figure out what I said to make him react this way.

  “Jacob,” I say. “He’s nine months old and has some of the most striking green eyes I’ve ever seen. His parents spend a lot of time doing their own thing, so ninety-five percent of the time, Jacob is in my care which is why I’m rarely ever free.”

  Asher moves completely away from me and puts his hands in his lap. “What do his parents do?” he asks.

  “His mom is working on relaunching her modeling career and his dad does something with hedge funds,” I say.

  The color drains from Asher’s face and I watch his jaw tense up several times. I lean over and put my hand on top of his.

  “Are you okay?” I ask. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He shakes his head slowly just as the limo rolls to a stop in front of my building. Ed opens the door for us and I exit right behind Asher. He holds open the door to the lobby and escorts me to the elevators.

  “Nothing’s wrong, everything’s fine. So, you live here with Jacob and his parents?” he asks.

  “No,” I say. “Just Magdalene. Heath has his own place. But enough talk about my job. I want to thank you for such a lovely evening. I really enjoyed spending this time with you.”

  “Likewise,” he says.

  We wait silently for the elevator. I’m not sure what else to say. Asher’s whole demeanor has changed and I’m not exactly sure why. The elevator doors open and I step inside.

  “Well,” I say. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Asher nods and turns around to the lobby doors. He doesn’t give me a goodnight kiss or anything, he just walks away.

  What the hell just happened?

  Chapter 10

  ASHER

  Two weeks fly by. Two long fucking weeks since I had my date with Jade and I’ve been dodging her ever since. I scroll to her number at least ten times a day before talking myself out of calling her. The blacked-out names in her background check make sense now.

  I’ve known Heath for years and I know in certain areas of his life, he would gladly pay an arm and a half to protect it. Magdalene is a whole other bag of worms I’d rather not have reopened. Dealing with the delicate intricacies of life involving people I know has been something I’ve worked hard to avoid. I don’t need the conflict of interest or accompanying headache.

  I just haven’t had the words necessary to explain all that to Jade. How can I tell her that I don’t want to get involved with her because she’s the nanny to an asshole friend of mine? Besides, the whole “it’s not you it’s me” thing is a little too cliché for me to effectively use it as an excuse.

  I opted instead to throw myself headfirst into work, and most nights I don’t go home until the wee hours of the morning just to start the whole cycle over. I deliberately go out of my way to avoid Jade. I have Ed call up to let me know the coast is clear before I make a beeline to my car every morning. I hate having to do this, and I wouldn’t have to if she didn’t live right next door. The messed-up part is, I really want to see her again. I fight with myself daily and the only thing that takes my mind off things is exercising, specifically running.

  As soon as thoughts of Jade enter my mind, I grab my running shoes and head outside. At this point, I find myself running several times a day. I start off at a slow jog and take my time at first so my body can warm up. It’s not long before I’m in a full-blown sprint. I ignore the ache in my legs and burning in my chest as I force myself to keep going. It’s late in the morning and the sun is slowly heating up the day. Salty droplets sting my eyes before running down my face.

  I circle the block and start to slow down as I begin to make my way back to my place. I like to start my runs at a faster pace and slow down the closer I get to home. I round the corner and jog steadily pass a pretzel vendor set up next to a park. The light changes just as I reach the intersection and I’m forced to inhale the delicious fumes coming from the stand. I jog in place as I wait for the light to change and I briefly look over at the cart hoping to catch a glimpse of the warm salted bread.

  Instead what I catch a glimpse of over the vendor’s head is a beautiful pair of blue eyes giving me a death stare.

  Jade.

  I watch her for a moment and the light changes for me to go, but I’m torn. Part of me doesn’t want to face her and the other part wants to explain myself and kiss her through my apology. It seems like a dick move to make eye contact with her and just keep running home like nothing happened.

  Before I’m able to close the distance between us, she’s coming at me full speed ahead pushing a stroller in front of her.

  “Good morning,” I say, mainly because it’s the only thing I can think of.

  “That’s all you can say to me after leaving me hanging for two weeks? We had what I thought was a wonderful evening and you blew me off after saying you would call me to plan the next date. I didn’t have high expectations to begin with but that was such an asshole thing to do. For a second I thought you were different,” says Jade.

  I put my hands on my hips and drop my head. I knew she would be upset but I didn’t imagine she would be this upset.

  “It’s hard for me to explain but it’s not like that at all,” I say. “You don’t understand.”

  “No, no, I don’t understand,” she says. “But I do understand what a liar is. Your mixed signals were unnecessary, and I didn’t deserve to have my time wasted. In fact, I didn’t even want to go on the date with you. All you did was prove my point about you just being some creepy guy,” she says.

  Her cheeks are red and her chest heaves up and down like she’s the one who’s been running. She’s hurt. Yes, she’s pissed off too, but the hurt is what’s reflecting in her eyes and it digs into my heart like a knife.

  “You’re right,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “What?” she asks.

  I take a step closer and reach for her hand, and she instantly recoils. “I said you’re right. You didn’t deserve that. I’ve been searching for the right words to explain my behavior for two weeks, and even now I’m coming up empty. I bailed on you and it’s completely my fault. I don’t want to make excuses, but that’s what happened.”

  The baby, Jacob, stirs a bit and whimpers. He’s asleep, but I guess our voices are disturbing him.

  He’s a cute kid.

  “Listen, no amount of apologizing will make up for what I did nor will it negate how you feel. You’re the first woman I feel like I need to explain myself to. I like you, Jade. I’ve felt a spark for you from the very first time we met. Your fiery attitude, your beauty and even that thing you do with your lips when you’re mad, draw me to you. I hate seeing you this upset over something I did.”

  I reach for her again and this time she doesn’t pull away. I really should let her go. That’s probab
ly the best move for all parties involved. I should walk away and just let her think I’m an asshole. I need to cut all ties with her and move on, but I can’t.

  “It’s selfish to play with someone’s emotions like that,” she says.

  “You’re right,” I say. “You’re absolutely right. But from this day forward, it’ll never happen again. My reservations about being with you have nothing to do with you and I shouldn’t project that negativity onto you.”

  She nods her head and stares at me. Her face is a lot more relaxed and she doesn’t seem quite so pissed off. She’s still holding back, but I don’t blame her.

  “I won’t ask you to forgive me, but I will ask that you give me a chance to show you that I’m being sincere. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to start over fresh with all the chips on the table. Deal?”

  She stares at me, those beautiful blue eyes drilling holes into me as if she’s searching for one single sliver of untruth so she can storm away.

  Finally, she rolls her eyes and exhales loudly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I’m probably going to regret it, but yes, we have a deal. But this is your last chance. You won’t get another opportunity to hurt me.”

  “Trust me,” I say. “Hurting you again is the last thing on my mind. Scout’s honor.”

  Chapter 11

  JADE

  I close Jacob’s door and tiptoe down the hall to my bedroom. As I glance down at the baby monitor in my hand to ensure he’s still napping peacefully, he squirms around a bit but eventually settles back down. My shirt is wet and covered in sour milk, a little present Jacob gifted me before falling asleep. The shirt clings to my skin and it’s just too much to simply wipe off, so I opt for a shower instead.

  Walking into my room, I head straight for the bathroom, turning the water on before stripping out of the soiled clothes and dropping them in a heap on the floor. At my first quiet moment for the first time today, my mind finally has a chance to wander, and of course my thoughts race to Asher.

  He’s been a man of his word ever since our discussion in the park, but I still feel a bit uneasy about him. Sure, we agreed to start fresh, but I haven’t forgotten about his behavior and I still want to know what made him react that way in the first place. We’ve gone on a few short dates, nothing like our first date. They have been stolen moments and ended too quickly for anything to happen. Perhaps it’s for the best as I am a little hesitant to rush into anything. I think Asher is great, but I don’t want to get hurt by him.

  So many questions rush through my head, but I decide it’s best to wait. I need to uncover a few more of his layers before I dive in any deeper. I want to be able to trust that what he’s telling me is the truth, but I need more time to get to know him first.

  As soon as the water heats up, I hop in the shower, happy to wash the day away. Jacob’s naps are sometimes hit or miss and I don’t want to waste any time just in case he decides to wake up and start wailing. Unfortunately, Magdalene has been gone all day, which means I don’t have any back up if he wakes before I get out the shower.

  I finish showering, dry off, and wrap my hair in a towel before heading back into my room. Sprawling out across the bed, I take a deep breath while staring at the ceiling.

  I need to do the laundry, mop the floors and start dinner soon. Guess I’ll add those things to my never-ending list of things to do.

  Eventually, I force myself from the bed and start searching for something to put on. My phone rings from the end table near my bed and I hurry to grab it.

  Asher.

  “Hello,” I say, unable to resist the smile spreading across my face.

  “Hello there, gorgeous,” he says. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  I flop back on the bed cradling the phone. “No, you’re not interrupting anything. Jacob projectile vomited all over me so I just got out the shower.”

  I hear papers shuffling in the background. “The shower you say? Let’s talk more about that. Where are you now?” he asks.

  “I’m in my room, laying across the bed.”

  “Naked?” he asks.

  I laugh and roll my eyes. “Yes and no. I’m naked, but there’s a towel wrapped around me.”

  This time Asher laughs. “Are the blinds up or down this time?”

  I slide off the bed and grab my clothes to get dressed. “Ha, very funny. You won’t trick a free show out of me, Mr. Jordan. The blinds are definitely down.”

  “Damn,” he says playfully. “It wouldn’t have mattered, anyway. I’m stuck in the office waiting on my next meeting to start. I just wanted to hear your voice before spending the next three hours listening to a colleague go on and on about a firm I don’t care to buy.”

  “Aww,” I say as I slip into my clothes. “You’re at working thinking about little ol’ me?”

  “Of course I am,” he says. “Thinking of you helps get me through the day.”

  “I’ve been thinking about you too,” I admit.

  I grab the baby monitor and tiptoe down the hall to the kitchen. Opening the freezer, I stare at the contents, brainstorming recipes.

  “So, what are my chances of seeing you tomorrow night on your day off?” he asks.

  I grab a pack of chicken from the freezer to thaw. I’m sure there are veggies in the fridge that will go together with it perfectly.

  “I’d say your chances are favorable,” I sigh. “I’m tired of staring out my window hoping to catch a glimpse of you.”

  Asher laughs for a few moments and what I said quickly dawns on me.

  “So, who’s the Peeping Tom now?” he asks.

  “My, how the tables have turned,” I say, still laughing.

  “All right, gorgeous, I hate to cut our conversation short, but my meeting is about to get started. Be ready tomorrow night at seven o’clock.”

  “Talk to you later,” I say.

  “Bye.”

  I end the call, put the phone on the counter and stare at it. Asher is sweet and charming, but there’s still that mysterious piece of him I can’t quite put my finger on. One minute I’m wrestling with the idea of him still being a creep, and the next I’m swooning like a teenager over a short phone call. I pull out the mop and cleaning supplies, needing something to take my mind away from my thoughts. No matter how charming he is, I still find myself constantly running through the ‘what ifs’ of the situation.

  What if he hurts me? What if he lies to me? What if he’s just using me for a good time? On the other hand, I think about the more positive ‘what ifs’ as well. What if he really is being sincere? What if he really likes me?

  The internal struggle is both exciting and confusing. My lack of a social life is making each small interaction into a larger deal than they deserve, this I’m sure of. Asher has a lot going on, and most likely many women to go along with it. I can’t be more than a challenge to him, and I try to remember that for tomorrow night as I go on with my day.

  I fill up my mop bucket and pour in the cleaning solution. While my mind races a mile a minute, I busy myself with my chores around the house. Nothing helps settle my nerves better than giving the floor a good scrub.

  Chapter 12

  ASHER

  Tonight I’m meeting Jade again. Despite having gone out with her several times, I feel unsure about how she’ll react. Ever since she confronted me in the park, our relationship has changed. No woman has ever had the audacity to confront me with such veracity as her. There’s something about her boldness and lack of fear regarding me that intrigues me.

  I wait impatiently in the lobby for Jade, and when the elevator finally reaches the bottom, I’m a bit taken aback by her appearance. She’s wearing a form-fitting crimson dress, revealing curves I hadn’t noticed before, with a pair of sparkly high heels. Her hair falls over her shoulders in a waterfall of curls, her eyes rimmed with black liner, making her deep blues pop.

  “Sorry, I’m a little late. Jacob is running a slight temperature and I wanted to make sure h
e was settled in before I left for the evening.”

  “No need to apologize,” I say with a frown, thinking of the small boy being sick as I steal away his caregiver.

  She smiles and pushes a rogue curl behind her ear. Her love for the little boy is evident all over her face, making her even more beautiful.

  “Jacob is a lucky little boy to have such an amazing woman like you looking after him. And you look absolutely breathtaking,” I say. “You always do.”

  She smiles, and I lighten watching her blush. I don’t know what it is about this woman. She makes me feel things I haven’t felt before, and I barely know her. Before I can stop myself, my lips are on hers as I wrap my arms around her small frame. Her lips are soft and smooth and if I could spend the whole night tasting her sweetness, I would.

  She leans back and smiles again, reaching up to gently swipe at my lips with the pad of her thumb.

  “Cut it out before you’re wearing more lipstick than me,” she teases.

  I lean in and kiss her again, not caring about the smudge. “I’d gladly pay that cost.”

  Taking her hand in mine, I escort her to the waiting car.

  The partition is already up and I briefly consider making good use of the temporary privacy, but decide against it, careful not to take things too fast. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, especially while I’m trying to get back on her good side. I don’t know what this is yet, and I need to make sure not to ruin what could eventually grow into something.

  As soon as I settle into the seat, she leans over, her head resting on my shoulder.

  “I hope you like surprises,” I say.

  “It depends on the surprise, but I’d like to think I’m a pretty good sport, so I’m sure I’ll love whatever you have up your sleeve.”

  A grin spreads across my face at her candidness as we enjoy the quiet ride to the restaurant with an occasional glance longer than necessary. I’m almost disappointed when we arrive, not wanting the moment to end. I enjoy having Jade close to me, feeling the warmth of her against my skin.