Once I was finished, I decided to go for a run. This was a little annoying considering I’d already had a shower and changed into my normal clothes. But I knew that if I didn’t run then, I probably wouldn’t run later. I always had more energy in the morning. I changed into my running gear and headed out.
There was nothing quite like the feeling of the wind against my face as I ran through the streets. I wondered if I’d ever get to the stage where I felt too famous to run. I wanted to move up in the acting world, but I never wanted to stop being myself. I hoped I’d continue to live my normal life and not feel annoyed by the media taking photos of me. So what if I ate bread and went running without the latest running gear? I hoped that would be the part of me that people liked, rather than what they mocked.
As always, I came home from my run with a clear head, and ready to start my day. I took yet another shower and got back into my clothes. I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee when I heard another knock on the door. I stood frozen in place. What was going on? I walked tentatively to the door and peered out slowly as I opened it just a crack. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Katie standing in front of me.
“Oh good, it’s you,” I said.
“Why do you seem so relieved? Were you hiding from someone?” she asked and looked around.
I opened the door to let her in and told her all about the knock on my door that morning.
“At seven in the morning? That’s a little early. Who do you think it was?”
I shook my head. “I was thinking it might be the kids across the street. It seems like the sort of thing they would do. They get bored so easily. I always see them running around without their parents. Also, their door was slightly open, so they could’ve knocked and gone running back by the time I came downstairs.”
Katie looked thoughtful. “Yeah, maybe. At least, I hope so.”
“You hope so? What do you mean? Who else would it be?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just hope you don’t have some weird stalker lurking around. You know, you should think about getting a bodyguard, just to be on the safe side. There are some weirdos out there in this world.”
“A stalker? I don’t think so. Why would anyone want to stalk me?”
Katie sighed. “When are you going to realize that you’re an actress? These things happen.”
“You are far too paranoid and way too dramatic. Nobody is stalking me. What are you doing here, by the way? Shouldn’t you be at work? Wait, it is Friday, isn’t it?”
She laughed. “It’s Friday. I had the day off so I decided to come and see you! Any chance you feel like another cup of coffee?”
“I always feel like another cup of coffee. But it’s not ‘another’ one for me. I was just about to make my first cup.”
“What? So late?” she said as she took a seat at the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, I decided to go for a run after breakfast. I was making a cup when you knocked. So, how’s life? How’s the baby making going?”
“You see, this is why I haven’t told anyone else. I’d be getting that same question thrown at me all day.”
I looked at her apologetically. “Oops, sorry. I just realized how annoying that must be.”
“No, I don’t mind you asking me. I just don’t want to explain myself to the rest of the world. And yeah, as it turns out, baby making is a whole lot of fun.”
I giggled. “How on earth have you and Chris not gotten bored of each other?”
“What? Are you calling me boring?”
“No! But usually people get sick of each other after a while. At least, that’s what I’ve found in my dating career. It’s always exciting in the beginning, and then I start to lose interest as the months go on. Months! You’ve been with Chris for years and you guys still act like you’ve just met.”
“That’s because you haven’t found the right one. I know you’re sick of hearing that, but it’s true. And, for the most part, Chris and I don’t act like we’ve just met. Mostly we hang around in our old clothes and talk to each other like friends. But we love each other, and we can find that spark when we need to. The key to a good marriage is two-fold: find someone that you’re attracted to and find someone that you consider your best friend. If you have those two things, you have the perfect marriage.”
“So, you’re basically saying I should marry you?” I said as I handed her a cup.
She chuckled. “Oh, you find me attractive?”
“Almost. You’re not hairy enough.”
She laughed. “Wait until I stop shaving my legs! So, how about this Ryan guy? Is he hairy enough?”
“He’s . . . he’s . . .”
“Wow, you’re speechless. You really like this guy, huh?”
I wasn’t sure what I thought about Ryan. I knew I’d had a good time with him, and I was obviously extremely happy when he called me again. But I was never very good at figuring out how I felt about guys, or how they felt about me. I often found it easier just not to think about things. When I over analyzed, I always ended up thinking the worst.
“Earth to Blaire,” Katie said and waved her hand in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry. I was just trying to figure out if I liked him.”
“Oh dear. You’re hopeless. What’s there to figure out? You either like the guy, or you don’t. Well, are you seeing him again?”
“Yeah, he invited me out for dinner tomorrow night. He’s picking me up.”
“Nice. I knew this guy was into you. Although you’re probably driving him crazy at the moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“You turned down the invitation to go to his house, and you kissed him on the cheek? The poor guy is probably desperate for more. Actually, you probably did the right thing. Kept him waiting a bit. Kept him wondering. That’s probably why he’s picking you up this time. He’s hoping that there will be a little bit of dessert waiting for him after the dinner.”
I groaned. “Oh no, don’t say that. I don’t want to feel nervous tomorrow night. And I don’t want to feel pressured into doing something I’m not ready for. And since when do you talk like that? I swear you’ve turned into some sex addict overnight.”
“Look, Blaire, I’m just messing with you. I know you like this guy; it’s written all over your face. But if you don’t to sleep with him, you don’t have to. Heck, you don’t even have to kiss him if you don’t want to. You can do whatever you want to do, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. But just make sure that you’re doing it—or not doing it, in this case—for the right reasons.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You haven’t been with a guy in a long time, and the last relationship you had wasn’t exactly very healthy,” she said without going into it too much. She knew my past relationships were not something I liked talking about. We’d gone over and over them in the past together, and we’d both said enough. “I just don’t want you to close yourself off to something that could be great just because you don’t want to be hurt again.”
I sighed. Katie was right. I’d been hurt before by someone I had truly believed to be ‘the one.' Turns out I wasn’t the only woman in his life to think that. He had someone managed to convince both myself and three other women that he was in love with us. None of us had known about or even suspected the others. It still bothered me how easily he had lied and how much I had believed him. I always thought it would be obvious to spot a liar, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “I guess I am scared. I don’t want to go through all that again.”
“I don’t want you to go through that either. But at the same time, I don’t want you to be by yourself for the rest of your life just because you got hurt. Sometimes, you just have to have a little faith that everything is going to turn out fine. And, don’t forget, if you ever need someone to dig around into a guy’s life, you can just ask me. I’ll be your stalker.”
I smiled. I thought about Katie sneaking around and taking
photos of Ryan when he wasn’t watching, and I giggled. “You’re the best.”
“Yes. Yes, I am,” she said. “Now, what are you wearing tomorrow night?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Why don’t we go shopping? I need a few new things myself, so we might as well go out and get an outfit for you at the same time.”
“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea. I could do with a bit of retail therapy.”
“And, while we’re at it, we might as well look for some new sexy underwear for you.”
“Sexy underwear? Why would I. . .” I started but then trailed off when I realized what she meant. “KATIE!”
Chapter Eleven
Ryan
As I was getting dressed for dinner that night, I wondered if anything more would happen with Blaire. I’d told Nick that something would definitely happen, but I wasn’t really sure if it would. Blaire seemed very innocent, and if she hadn’t given into my advances the first time, I wasn’t sure if she would the second time. But I was looking forward to giving it a try.
The phone rang, and I hoped it wasn’t Blaire canceling the date. I rushed to look for my mobile and saw that it was Reed calling.
“Ah, Moneymaker!” I said into the phone.
Reed—or Moneymaker, as we used to call him from our motorcycle club days with our father—was probably the most unique of the Maxwell brothers. Other than the name ‘Maxwell’ and the slight resemblance he had to us, it always seemed like he was on the outs with us. He was a neurosurgeon who spent most of his life with his nose in a book. I always had soft spot for him, though. He was a good guy who was absolutely brilliant at what he did. Although, being good at his career didn’t mean he was all that good in life. Street smart, he certainly was not. When his wife left him shortly after his daughter was born, he became even more introverted than before. And now, no matter what we talked about, there was a deep undercurrent of sadness through his words.
“Hey, Knuckles. How are you?”
“I’m good. I’m currently getting ready for a date.”
“You are? So who’s the lucky girl? And by date, do you mean you’re going over to her house?”
I laughed. “No. This is actually our second date. She’s an actress, and she’s really cool.”
“What? Your second date. You don’t normally go on second dates.”
That wasn’t true. I did go on second dates. But I didn’t normally go on second dates with women that I hadn’t slept with.
“She seemed like second date material,” I said.
“I’m guessing she’s gorgeous.”
“Naturally. So, how about you? Any dates?”
“I have a date with my book tonight.”
I chuckled. I wasn’t at all surprised by that answer. He was still heartbroken by what had happened with his wife, and I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. But I wanted him to move on.
“Your book? That sounds terribly boring. Tell me it’s least a work of fiction.”
“It’s a book about the inner workings of the brain. And not in a creative way, but a scientific way. It’s fascinating. But I might read some fiction afterward.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like an exciting night.”
“It works for me. Oh, I just got back from seeing Pop by the way.”
“Oh? How is he?”
“He’s okay. The cancer was tough on him, but you know what he’s like. He’s always smiling. He’s lost a lot of weight, but otherwise, you wouldn’t even know that he was sick.”
“That sounds like him,” I said. The Maxwell brothers were known for not showing emotions.
“He says you haven’t been around in a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy. You know what it’s like.”
“You know he watches all your bouts. He knows who you’re fighting and when. You should come and see him, Ryan. “
Reed was always the more responsible one out of the brothers, but I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at the thought of my father watching all my fights.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll make a plan. Thanks, Reed.”
“Well, I better let you get ready for your big second date. I just wanted to catch up and say hi.”
“Oh, before you go,” I said suddenly. “What exactly is a chronic headache?”
“Have you been getting headaches again?”
“Well, a little. But it’s nothing serious. I just heard someone mention the word chronic headache and I wondered what it was.”
“For the most part, a headache is just your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. It could be something as simple as being tired, or watching too much TV or not having enough iron in your body. There are a million things that it could be. Or, it could be something more serious. The severity and the frequency of the headache usually indicates when it’s something that needs to be checked out. Listen, if your headaches are getting worse, you should get them checked out. You know you can come and see me and I’ll do it for you for free.”
“Thanks, Reed. It’s probably nothing. It’s not that bad. But I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
“Don’t leave it if it’s getting worse. And anyway, it would be nice to see you again.”
“Sounds like a plan then,” I said without meaning it. “I better go. Bye, Reed.”
“Bye, Knuckles.”
I cut the call and quickly finished getting ready, then I made my way over to Blaire’s house. She heard my car pulling up because she opened the door before I even had a chance to knock. I smiled as she walked my way. She was wearing a short black dress with bright red shoes. The whole all black with a bit of color seemed to be her thing, and it suited her. In Wyoming, she spent most of her time wearing loose t-shirts and jeans, and both times I’d seen her since she’d worn something nice but casual. Today’s dress showed me exactly what her figure looked like. The only thing it hid was the flesh underneath, but it clearly showed me how perfect she was. She was usually very ‘girl next door, ’ but this showed another side to her.
“You look beautiful,” I said as she walked up to me. I kissed her on the cheek and opened the car door for her.
I got inside and looked at her again. “I love your dress.”
She beamed. “Thank you. Katie picked it out for me. It’s not usually the sort of thing I wear, and I’m not usually in heels so high. So please excuse me if I walk a bit like a duck.”
I chuckled. “I sort of hope you do,” I said, and she laughed.
“So, where are we going?” she asked.
“Well, seeing as though you’re a famous celebrity, I figured I’d take you to somewhere that has a lot of class. Somewhere where you wouldn’t mind if photos were taken of you.”
“Okay, this sounds interesting . . .”
“I’ll keep you guessing; we’re almost there.”
Five minutes later I pulled into a little alleyway, and Blaire looked at me in surprise.
“This is creepy,” she said.
I laughed. “Okay, so I lied before. I’m taking you to one of the underground restaurants that not many people know about. It’s run by an MMA fighter. No cameras are allowed inside. It’s pretty much the opposite of a place the media would assume you to go.”
“Are you messing with me?” she asked.
I wasn’t. But I suddenly wondered if I had done the right thing. I’d never taken a girl to this restaurant before, and now I worried that I’d messed up.
“I’m not. But if you want to go somewhere else I’d totally understand.”
“Are you kidding me? An underground restaurant run by an MMA fighter? You do realize that you’ve just scored some serious brownie points with me?”
I grinned. “I knew you’d like it!”
The restaurant looked dark and dingy as we walked in. She turned to look at me in the near darkness.
“You know, most people would say I’m stupid for walking into a place like this with you
.”
“I know, I was just thinking the same thing,” I said. I hadn’t realized just how foreboding the place looked until then.
But, as we turned a corner, she gasped, and I knew that I had won her trust. It was impossible to tell that this little restaurant would appear out of the dark corridor. It was all brick wall and candlelight, and nothing like what you’d expect an MMA fighter to own. She turned to face me. Her smile was even bigger than usual.
“This is absolutely beautiful,” she said.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I took her to meet the owner. We’d had a few fights together when I’d first started in the business, but he had since retired. Blaire knew of him and looked flustered when meeting him. We took a seat while the waiter poured us each a glass of wine.
“I can’t believe I just met Mark Scholld!”
I chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re excited.”
“What do you mean? He’s amazing. Why wouldn’t I get excited?”
“He is amazing. But I’m assuming people are usually this way around you. Getting excited to meet a famous actress. I just wouldn’t expect you to be the one getting excited to meet a fighter. That’s all.”
“Oh, I’m not a famous actress. I just act. That’s all. But he’s a legend.”
“And you are by far the most interesting woman I have ever met,” I said.
“I like how easy you are to please,” she said. “So, have you ever dated a woman that’s into fighting before? Not that we’re dating,” she quickly said, and if it wasn’t for the darkened room, I could’ve sworn she was blushing. “I’m just curious.”
“I’ll be honest; I don’t date much.”
“Now that I find hard to believe.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been with plenty women,” I said and then cringed. “Well, that didn’t make me sound like a nice guy. But all I’m trying to say is that I just haven’t dated many women. I don’t see the point in dating if I don’t see any potential in it. And, to answer your question, no they haven’t been into fighters. They always seem to be, but after a while, I realize that they know nothing about it at all.”
Dirty Daddy (A Single Dad Romance) (The Maxwell Family) Page 75