Well, at least it wasn't Ari in Rosalie's shoes last night. That had been his whole intention for the last two weeks. He was hell-bent on proving to Trey and Adam—and, yes, to himself—that Ari wasn't anyone special.
Except that he couldn't get rid of this...this...heavy feeling that sat on his chest.
Why the hell didn't anyone warn him that Ari was going to be at his parents' last night? He was already feeling bad for not returning her call. Ari must have thought he was done with her when she saw how Rosalie stuck to him like glue.
But he wasn't done with her. He just didn't want Trey to annoy her.
Okay, in all honesty, he just wasn't ready for the emotions she stirred up in him. Damn it, they scared the shit out of him. The first and last time he'd let a girl in, he'd gotten so soft he'd almost lost his and his friends' money. Thank God no one else knew about his stupidity besides Trey and Adam. It was something he would never live down.
I sure as hell am not going to be that insane again.
The pounding in his head grew harder. In the fuzziness, an idea flashed brightly.
He should let Ari go through the ISAG. He was only fooling himself by pretending she didn't affect him. If she passed, he could re-assess the situation and decide what next step he wanted to take.
Good. That was a way forward. He hated getting stuck.
In the meantime, he had to talk to her. The feeling of wanting to explain about Rosalie was swamping him.
He reached for his phone and rang her. Disappointment welled as he got her voicemail.
"Hi, Ari, it's Dylan. Could you give me a call when you get this message, please? Thanks."
Would she call him back? He certainly hoped so.
*******
"What do you want, Adam?" Dylan growled at his phone.
"Someone's in a bad mood," Adam commented dryly.
"Sorry. I have a massive headache. So what do you want?" he repeated.
"I'm five minutes away from your place. Can I drop by?"
Dylan cursed to himself. He wanted to be alone today.
"Is it important? I'm not feeling too well."
"You and me both," Adam replied despondently.
He picked up something in Adam's voice. "You okay?"
"Hell, no."
He sighed. "Fine. Drop by."
*
"Coffee?" Dylan asked as Adam plopped himself on the couch like a defeated man.
"Yes, please."
Dylan busied himself with making coffee as he waited for Adam to open up.
"It looks like you were right about Sandy," Adam said after a period of silence.
Dylan sucked in some air and released it slowly. He joined Adam at the sofa and handed him his steaming mug.
"She'd been buying all these things with her credit card," Adam continued. "Then she made noises about having unexpected expenses and how she hated not being able to pay off her credit card in full because then she would have to pay interest. She was quite subtle—not asking me for anything; just complaining. Fool that I was, I offered to lend her money to pay off her card so she wouldn't accumulate interest.
"That was more than a month ago. She hadn't mentioned paying me back even once. Then this morning after we had breakfast, she dragged me to the shops so she could buy a present for her niece who's having a birthday today. She bought her niece a bracelet which I thought was too expensive for a five-year-old, but hey, that's none of my business. Then she spotted some diamond earrings she wanted. She dropped hints about how she didn't have enough credit on her card to afford them. I ignored her and she stomped off, muttering something about me not being sensitive to her needs," Adam finished with a heavy sigh.
"Did you have a fight?" Dylan asked.
"Kind of. We didn't talk in the car and she jumped out when we got to her place. I just drove away and came here."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I don't know. I have feelings for her, but her behaviour has me questioning her intentions. This isn't an isolated incident, but you already know that. You've been warning me all along."
"Well, you always seem to attract them more than Trey or I do," Dylan commented dryly.
"I know! Why is that?"
"They must sniff you out, man. They smell you're an easy target."
"I'm such a loser," Adam lamented.
Dylan repressed a sigh. "Hey, come on. At least you've found out what Sandy's really like before you trusted her enough to give her the password to your riches."
"Hey, I'm never going to be as blind as you."
Dylan smirked self-deprecatingly. "I prefer to think that that woman—whose name shall never again be mentioned—was just a really good con artist. Makes me feel better about myself."
Adam looked at him with sympathy. "Dylan, it wasn't your fault. That woman really was a good con artist. Even Trey and I thought she was crazy for you."
"Yeah. You're lucky Sandy's a crap con."
"Yeah. Or I'd be in deep shit," Adam replied.
"Hey, I'd like you and Trey to put Ari through the ISAG," he said quietly.
"Holy smokes. I knew it. You like her!"
"It's just a precautionary measure."
"She seems like a nice girl," Adam commented. "But then again, that's what we all thought about that woman, didn't we?"
"Exactly. And that's what you originally thought about Sandy."
Adam shook his head. "Why do we have messed up love lives?"
"Don't know. Maybe because we are messed up."
*******
Dylan stared hard at his phone, willing for it to ring.
Why hadn't Ari called? It had been two days since he left a message.
"You're one to complain, you idiot," he muttered to himself.
He put the phone back in his pocket as he shook his head in disgust. He was acting like a lovesick teenager. Couldn't eat, couldn't rest, couldn't think—except think of Ari.
Fuck. At the rate he was going he might have to ask for a deadline extension for their project. Trey and Adam wouldn't be happy. He had to resolve this distraction quickly.
He got up, picked up his keys, and walked out the door.
*******
"Sorry, Ari doesn't work here anymore," the young receptionist said as she batted her eyelashes at Dylan.
"Oh, since when?" he asked in surprise.
"She finished up last Friday. Their whole department finished up last Friday."
"You mean the company closed their department?"
"Yes," the girl said. "Didn't you hear? Eros got sold off to a US company and they've made some positions redundant."
"No, I wasn't aware of that," he said.
"She was here about an hour ago, though. She went out to lunch with Henry."
"Henry?"
"Yes. Let me check if he's back."
The friendly receptionist pushed a button and spoke through the microphone attached to her headset.
"Hi Selina. Is Henry back?...Okay, thanks." She returned her attention to Dylan. "No, Henry's not back. I'm not sure if Ari's going to drop by here afterwards, though. If she does, would you like to leave a message for her?"
"No, thank you, it's fine. Thanks for your help."
He walked outside and crossed the road to get some lunch. He might as well pop by her apartment later instead. Somehow, he suspected that Ari would simply ignore any message he left for her.
He sat at a coffee shop opposite her building. With any luck, he might spy her walking back toward her old office.
He glanced outside and his heart skipped a beat. There was Ari and she was...laughing with some guy. They exchanged a few more words before they hugged, presumably a see-you-later hug. But the man—he must be Henry—was clearly reluctant to leave. His hand lingered on Ari's arm before he walked into the building, looking back a couple of times to wave to her.
Something sharp stabbed at his chest. Was that her new boyfriend?
Before he knew what he was doing, he was out of his chair an
d waving to attract her attention.
"Ari!"
Ari turned and her mouth dropped open.
He waited for a break in traffic and crossed the road.
"Hi," he said a little breathlessly.
"Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit you in your office. I didn't know you'd left."
"I was made redundant," she said dazedly. "You came to visit me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "We didn't really get to talk last Saturday at my parents'. I didn't know you were going to be there."
Ari stared at him, seemingly unsure of what to say next.
"Who was that?" he asked with a nod toward Eros' office building.
Ari turned to the direction of his gaze. "Who?" she asked with a confused look.
"The guy you were with earlier."
"Oh. That was Henry."
He lifted an eyebrow, wanting more information. "A friend?" he pressed.
Ari frowned. "Yes."
"Just curious," he replied softly.
"Well, I need to go, Dylan," she said with a small smile. "Good to see you again."
"Where are you going now?"
"Home. I have to work on Jasmine's dress," she answered as she started walking.
"Do you want to have dinner with me sometime this week?" he blurted out.
Ari stopped in her tracks and gaped at him. "No, thank you," she said after a pause then continued walking.
Dylan blinked at her straight-to-the-point response. "No?" he asked, hurrying after her.
"No, Dylan. But thanks anyway," she said in a tight voice.
"So..." He raked his brains for the right words to say. Hell, he didn't even know exactly what he wanted to say.
"We're simply plain friends now, Dylan, if that's okay," she said, not looking at him.
Right. No longer friends with benefits. He felt himself go red.
"I didn't ask you to dinner for the benefits part, Ari. I really just want to have dinner with you."
She glanced at him warily then shook her head. "Not this week."
"This weekend?" he pushed.
Ari huffed. "Why are you so persistent all of a sudden when you didn't even return my call from last week?"
He held her arm to stop her from walking. "I'm sorry about that. I meant to call you. I was just...busy dealing with a few things."
Ari sighed and started walking again.
He ran his fingers through his hair. This wasn't going the way he wanted it to. "So what are you doing this weekend?" he prodded.
"Sam and Kris are coming again so I can properly measure them for their bridesmaid dresses. Anyway, why don't you ask Rosalie out, instead?" she asked rather crossly.
"Because I don't want to be with her," he answered candidly.
Ari gazed at him with a quizzical look on her beautiful face. He could tell she was deliberating something in her head.
"Sorry, I'm not available, Dylan," she finally said.
He let out a heavy sigh. He had totally mucked it up.
CHAPTER TEN
"Yes! Our star designer has entered the building!"
Ari chuckled as she went to hug Kris and Sam, then Jasmine's sister Jessa.
"Great. All the bridesmaids are here. I can't wait to get my hands on all of you, girls," Ari said, rubbing her hands with glee.
"You know, I've never had anyone take my measurements, ever," Sam said, "Aside from taking my own."
"Really?"
"Yes. There hadn't been any reason. So I'm really excited. No one's done a made-to-measure anything for me before."
"Oh, Sammy, I'm excited for you, too," Jasmine cried.
"Let me show you some sample materials," Ari said, opening up her bag. "You'll have to let me know which colour's right."
They were busy comparing fabrics when Kane entered the big room.
"Hey, girls, since you're having a bridal party meeting today, I have a great idea," Kane said.
"What's that, honey?" Jasmine asked.
"I'll invite my groomsmen over so you can tell us exactly what we need to do for the wedding."
Jasmine grinned. "Great thinking."
"See? I help out with this wedding, too. I'll call them now," Kane said, looking very pleased with himself.
They all hid their smiles as Kane left the room.
"At least he thought of something," Kris quipped, and they laughed out loud.
"I never asked you before, Jaz. Who are Kane's groomsmen," Ari asked.
"His three brothers," Jasmine answered with a watchful expression. "Dylan's his best man."
*******
"So that's all you guys need to do," Jasmine said to the men after they've all gone through the wedding to-do list. "Hire the limos and get fitted for your suits. You need to do it as soon as possible in case they get booked out."
"I already know who to call for the car hire," Bradley, one of Kane's twin brothers said. "Leave that with me. You can look after our suits, Dyl."
"There's one more thing Dyl has to organise," Riley, the other twin said.
"What?" Dylan asked.
"I can't believe this has escaped your attention," Riley said. "The buck's night, bro. You have to organise Kane's buck's night."
"That's easy," Dylan responded.
"Dylan," Jasmine crooned. "I know you'll be good to your brother. But you won't be too good, right?"
Dylan grinned. "Right, Jazzie. Just something a little bit tame for Kane. Maybe a couple of private lap dances or something."
Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Dylan.
"Okay, I'm not discussing this anymore," Dylan laughed, raising his arms in front of him and cringing as if scared of Jasmine.
"Don't worry, Jaz, we'll make sure you have a great time," Jessa said.
Kane chuckled. "I am so glad you are Jaz's matron-of-honour, Jess."
"Why?"
"Well, I can't see Rob letting you go to something too wild, much less organise it, even if it's for your sister."
Jessa raised an eyebrow at Kane. "Is that a challenge, Kane Summers?" she asked.
"No-o."
Kris piped in. "Kane, I think you're forgetting that your fiancée has three very single girlfriends right here in this room. And you have no idea what we can get up to," she said mysteriously.
Kane raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Dylan, just some drinks and a few games of pool for us, please. I would expect the girls to have something equally...wholesome."
"Sure, bro. Anything you want," Dylan said with an exaggerated wink.
"Great! So us boys are all set with the wedding stuff," Kane declared.
"Wait," Dylan cried. "What about the suits? What do I do?"
Ari took a deep breath. This was for Kane and Jasmine.
"I know a place that's really good," she volunteered. "I was talking to them just the other day. They're very professional and have excellent customer service. They tailor-made and also hire out suits, so if they say there's not enough time to have new ones made, you could take the option of hiring them instead. They have a great range of styles to choose from."
"Styles?" Dylan asked, concerned. "What do I know about picking suit styles for weddings?"
"Well, I'm going there later today. I can check out some styles that would go with the bridal party dresses I'm making for the girls and then let you guys know."
"You're going there?" Dylan asked.
"Um, I'm helping out a friend of mine who's also a best man at a wedding. Suit hiring was his task. He has no clue what to choose."
"That's me, too!" Dylan exclaimed. "Can I go with you?"
"How about I check out what's available first?" she suggested. Heck, she didn't want Dylan to be there with her and Henry this afternoon. Just being around him was spacing her out.
"Wouldn't it save time if I go with you today?" Dylan asked. "That way I could schedule fitting times with the boys straight away if you see something suitable."
She swallowed. That did make sense. It didn't look like she had much of a choice.
"Okay, then."
*******
Henry looked up from the catalogue he was reading, his face lighting up as she approached. "Hi Ari!"
"Hi Henry. You're early. I thought I'd be the first one here." She was hoping to browse in the shop before the men arrived so she wouldn't have to spend too much time hanging around with Dylan.
"I just got here," Henry replied. "I was considering having a coffee, but I didn't want you to wait in case you did get here early."
Ari smiled. Henry was such a sweet guy. She should pay him more attention.
"So, what do you say about coffee first?" Henry asked.
"Maybe later? I hope you don't mind but another friend is joining us this afternoon. I told you about Jasmine's wedding, right? Well, the groom's best man is in the same boat as you, so I'm helping him check out some styles, too."
"Oh, right. Sure. What time is he arriving?"
Ari checked her watch. "In about fifteen minutes. Maybe we can have a head start with yours before he gets here?"
"Great idea."
They went in to chat to a shop assistant, then Ari started checking out what was on offer. She spotted an outfit close to what she had in mind for Kane and his brothers. She cast a critical eye over it, a picture of Dylan modelling it filling her mind's eye. Hmm. Close, but not quite perfect. She pulled out an ivory vest and held it up against the jacket. She inhaled sharply. Dylan would look absolutely hot in it.
"So, do you want me to just sit here while you look around, Ari?" Henry asked uncertainly.
Her face pinked. How could she have forgotten about Henry already?
"You can have a look as well, if you like. You might find something that catches your fancy," she said with a big smile to hide her guilt.
"I believe I already have," Henry murmured, looking intently at her.
Her colour deepened. How could she respond to the flirting of a super-nice guy when someone else had just been on her mind? A shy smile was all that came out of her.
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