Let Me In

by Parker, Ali

  “Poor guy,” I said.

  She shrugged. “What about you? You have been working your tail off again.”

  I sighed. “Yes. The normal. I didn’t work Sunday though. Not all of Sunday anyway.”

  “Did you go to the park?” she asked.

  I smiled and nodded. I was excited to tell her about Xander. “I did. And I didn’t go alone.”

  “Your dad?” she asked as she filled a glass from one of the taps and handed it to a waitress. Nelle was the best multitasker I had ever met in my life. She did it effortlessly. She could carry on three different conversations without missing a beat.

  “Nope, a guy.”

  She stopped wiping the bar and gave me her full attention. “Woah, woah, woah. When was there a guy in the picture? I talked to you last week. There was no man.”

  “I met him at the event on Saturday,” I said, unable to hide my smile.

  “Who is this man?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t really know all that much about him. I didn’t even get his name until we were at the park.”

  She held up a hand. “How did you get to the park with him?” Her eyes bulged. “Oh my god, did you stay the night with him?”

  “No! I met him there. Sheesh, I’m not that easy.”

  She raised an eyebrow. When I scowled in return, she laughed. “I’m kidding. So, who is this guy?”

  “I really don’t know. I noticed him alone at the party and struck up a conversation with him.”

  She nodded. “Because that’s what you do. You see a wallflower and you decide they must be drawn into the fun.”

  “Exactly. That’s what I do. Literally. That’s what I do.”

  “Okay and then it went well from there?”

  I grimace. “I think well is a strong word. It didn’t go terrible. He is a really quiet guy. A real, genuine loner. He clearly preferred his own company.”

  “And yet you hounded him until you got him to go to the park with you,” she said with a laugh. “I will never doubt your power of persuasion.”

  “I didn’t hound him,” I protested. “We chatted a bit and then I suggested—maybe demanded—he meet me at the park. He left right after we talked. While I was making my rounds around the party, I heard some of the other people talking about him. One of them mentioned he won some big award.”

  “You went to the park with a man whose name you didn’t know and you didn’t know shit about him?” she questioned. She was giving me that stern look. It was the same look she gave me when I was a little tipsy and considering going home with a guy.

  “It was the park,” I insisted. “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “What’s this guy’s name?” she asked, pulling her phone from the back pocket of her skinny jeans.

  “Xander Holland,” I told her. I should have Googled him. I didn’t even think to do it. I really needed to get with the times and learn how to internet stalk better.

  I waited while she typed in the name. Her brows shot up. “Not bad,” she murmured. “Not bad at all.”

  “Let me see!” I grabbed her phone to check out a picture of him. It was one of those awful company pictures with a forced smile and him in a suit. He looked like he was getting a tooth pulled.

  “That’s him.” I smiled.

  “He’s hot,” she said and took the phone back. “Let’s see if we can find any real dirt on him.” I waited while she slid her finger over her screen, scowled, and pushed another button.

  “Well?”

  “He has no social media, unless he uses a different name. There is nothing on him. How boring.”

  “That sounds very much like the man I spoke with,” I said, oddly happy that he wasn’t one of those guys that bragged all over social media. “He’s very closed up. He doesn’t talk much.”

  “I bet you do plenty of talking for the both of you.”

  I laughed. “Odd. He said the same thing.”

  She put her phone back in her pocket. “Why him?”

  “I don’t know. There was just something about him. It’s like seeing a pretty box with intricate wrapping paper. I wanted to know what was in the box. I am dying of curiosity to know him.”

  “Because he’s hot,” she said.

  “He is handsome.”

  “Now what?” she questioned. “Was it a one-park date or is this going to be a thing?”

  “I’m going out on his boat with him on Thursday,” I told her.

  “Wow.”

  “Is that a bad wow or a good wow?” I questioned. Her opinion mattered. I valued her advice and her experience. She was a little more world-wise than I was.

  “I think you have to go with your gut,” she answered. “You like him. You were drawn to him. You have had one date with him and it went well. Go for it.”

  I grinned. “Thank God. I was really hoping you would say that. I’m excited.”

  “What kind of boat is this?”

  “Not a yacht but not a little boat. I think he has money. I don’t know how much but he said he lived on the beach. We know how much those houses are.”

  “This is what I need you to do,” she said, leaning on the bar like she had to give me the details of a top-secret mission.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “I need you to find out if he has a brother.”

  I burst into laughter. “I will certainly ask.”

  “I’m happy for you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you crush on a guy.”

  I shrugged. “It is slim pickings out there. A lot of the guys I meet are just so—I don’t know—irritating. They want sex and someone to take care of them. I like a man that can stand on his own two feet. I like sex, but I would like to think I am more valuable than a basic pin cushion.”

  She sighed, shaking her head. “I hear ya girl. Boy, do I hear you. All the good ones are taken or gay.”

  It was our usual complaint. “I’m not sure if this is a boyfriend thing, but I do want to find out. Like I said, he doesn’t exactly ooze information. He’s not even an onion that I need to peel back layers. He is more of a coconut. I need to hammer at that hard shell he has just to get to the part where I can see who he really is.”

  “He’s your new project.”

  I smiled. “Maybe.”

  “You are a natural-born nurturer. You nurture your dad and now you are looking for a man to nurture. You are going to make a good mommy one day.”

  I groaned. “Shh, you are going to remind my biological clock that time is ticking away.”

  “You’ve got time. You better. We are the same age and I’m not about to leave this world without having a child.”

  “I should probably go home and try to get some work done,” I said on a long sigh.

  “You work too much.”

  “I know. I do. But if I’m at home, I can work with a glass of wine in my hand. It doesn’t feel like work so much then.”

  “Go home, relax a little, and daydream about your hot new man.”

  “I don’t think I can call him mine—yet.”

  “Not yet, but you can certainly dream about him. I just might.”

  I frowned at her. “Hands off, woman. He is mine.”

  She winked. “Thought so.”

  I grabbed my laptop and headed out. I was in the mood for sweats, wine, and Netflix. And maybe a little daydreaming about Xander. It was hard to dream too much when I knew so little. I didn’t know what it was like to be touched by him. I knew he was a hard man in a very literal sense. My touch to his arm gave me a little clue about what he was hiding underneath the invisible armor he wore to keep people at arm’s length.

  I was not the kind of person who really respected those rules. I could admit I tended to be more of an in your face person. I liked people. Most of the time. There were very few occasions when I truly disliked someone.

  I was going to find out what made the man tick. And then maybe, just maybe, I would like what I found. If I was lucky, he would reciprocate the feeling.

  “Or
it could all be one giant waste of time,” I muttered to myself.

  I drove home and parked in the designated spot in my apartment building before going up. I opened the door to my one-bedroom apartment just on the outskirts of the La Jolla neighborhood. I wanted to be close to my dad but couldn’t really afford the rent in his area. My apartment wasn’t luxurious, but it was in a newish complex and it worked perfectly for me. I loved the pool and the outdoor amenities which was why I chose the building over some of the cheaper ones.

  I put down the laptop and went into my room to change before settling in for a dull but comfortable evening on the couch.

  Chapter 11

  Xander

  I was on my back, messing with the wiring for the stereo on the boat when I heard footsteps. It was a busy marina. I didn’t think anything of it until I heard her voice.

  “Knock, knock,” she called out.

  I had to smile. I slid out from where I was mostly hidden from view. “I’m here,” I said, getting to my feet.

  She looked at the screwdriver in my hand and then back at me. “Um, I think I might take a raincheck.”

  “Why?”

  “You are working on your boat. That isn’t a good sign, is it?”

  I grinned, shaking the screwdriver. “I was fixing the stereo. The boat is fine. She isn’t going to sink.”

  She looked skeptical. “I don’t know. I’m not a great swimmer.”

  “It’s going to be fine. It isn’t going to sink.”

  She gestured at the boat with one hand. “What about the engine? Is it sound?”

  She was nervous. It was very different from the confident, bubbly woman I had met at the party. It was too good to pass up. “I have rations on the boat. They will last at least four days. We can live three weeks without food.”

  Her mouth fell open. “What?” she gasped, looking absolutely horrified.

  “I’m kidding,” I teased.

  She studied me as if she was trying to decide whether I was truly joking. I put down the screwdriver and climbed off the boat. I grabbed her shoulders and bent my knees to look directly into her eyes. “It’s going to be okay. It’s a fairly new boat.”

  “You were teasing?” she whispered.

  I nodded. “I was.”

  A slow smile spread across her face. “You’re an ass.”

  I grinned and stood up to my full height. “I’ve been called that before. I’ll take it. Now, come on.”

  I took her hand and helped her onto the boat. It gently rocked with our weight before quickly leveling out.

  “I can’t believe you joked about something so serious.”

  “It was a joke,” I said. “You look terrified.”

  “So you kept going?” she asked, putting a hand on one hip.

  I shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

  She laughed. “No, you are not.”

  I took a second to look her over. She was wearing a pretty blue tank that was tucked into the low-rise jean shorts. Again, the shorts were a little longer than the usual style. Her legs were tanned and shapely. The flat boat shoes she wore were appropriate for the occasion. Her hair was left loose, hanging over one exposed shoulder.

  “Are you ready?” I asked.

  She took a deep breath. “I have a confession.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ve never actually been out on the water. I’ve been on boats for parties and stuff, but I’ve never actually gone out to sea or anything.”

  “Are you truly nervous?”

  “A little,” she admitted.

  I was happy she could admit her fear. The first two encounters with her made me feel a little less than. She seemed to have it all together. She had a very confident air about her. She wasn’t perfect. “It’s going to be okay. I’m good at what I do. I’ve been out on the boat a hundred times.”

  “Okay, I trust you,” she said.

  “Great. Would you like the grand tour now or when we are out on the water?”

  I shrugged. “Now is good.”

  I thought so as well. I wanted her to be comfortable. “All right, we’ll start up here.”

  I showed her around the boat before taking her below. There was a small kitchen, living area, and a single bedroom. By the time we made our way back upstairs, she seemed a little more relaxed. I was curious as to why she wanted to go on the boat if she was afraid of the open water.

  “Go ahead and have a seat,” I told her. “Get comfy.”

  I started the engine and sat down. I navigated out of the marina and headed for the open water. Thankfully, the water wasn’t too clogged with other boats. Once we were out at a comfortable distance from the shore, I set the anchor and moved to sit down with her.

  “This is nice,” she said.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I asked her.

  She smiled. “I am. I was a little apprehensive, but this isn’t bad at all. And you showed me the lifejackets, so I’m good. I can float.”

  “Good to know. I’m going to grab a drink. Would you like a glass of wine? Water? Something else?”

  “A glass of wine would be very nice.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I went downstairs and quickly opened one of the bottles of wine I had brought along for the trip. I poured two glasses, grabbed the cheese tray I’d picked up from the deli, and walked back upstairs. I handed her one of the glasses and put the tray on the small table.

  “This is so relaxing,” she commented.

  “It is, especially when there aren’t a lot of other boats out here. Sometimes, it can get really packed. Other boaters think it’s a great place to party out here. They blast their music, scream, and just kind of ruin the tranquility for the rest of us.”

  She sipped her wine. “It sucks when a few bad apples ruin it for everyone.”

  “I agree. And it is just stupid. Unsafe. Reckless.”

  “Gee, tell me how you really feel,” she said with a laugh.

  I crossed one leg over the other and relaxed into the comfortable couch. I did enjoy a nice evening out on the boat. I realized in that moment, it was even better with a little company. “Are you busy planning another party?”

  I smiled. “Always. There is always another one.”

  “Any more shipping parties?”

  “No. If I do another with a ship theme, it is going to be all in and it will not be for a shipping company.”

  “I hope you didn’t take what I said seriously. I’m the last person you want to take party advice from.”

  She pushed up her sunglasses. I did the same. “It was true. You were being honest. Brutally honest.”

  I cringed. “I tend to be a little tactless.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured me. “It was deserved.”

  “How come you have never been out on a boat?” I asked. “You said you lived in the area all your life. It’s kind of hard to avoid the water.”

  She shrugged. “We didn’t have a boat when I was growing up and it really never appealed to me. I like the sand beneath my feet. I like solid footing.”

  I slowly nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry if I pressured you into coming out.”

  “No!” she said, sitting forward. “Absolutely not. I wanted to come out. I think I kind of pushed my way onto the boat.”

  “I’m glad to have you aboard.”

  “I’m happy to be aboard,” she said with a smile.

  A cool ocean breeze lifted her hair. I wanted to know if it felt as silky as it looked. I turned my gaze away before she could see what I was thinking about. The tank she wore was tight, hugging her ample breasts. It was hard not to be that guy. The guy that stared at a woman’s breasts instead of her eyes.

  “Do you work in an office or do you work from home?” she asked.

  “I do have an office,” I answered. “I have a staff that runs things.”

  “Do you work out of it?”

  “Sometimes,” I answered truthfully. “I don’t get involved with much of the actua
l business side of things. I have a finance guy, an assistant, and a handful of other employees that take care of all that. Mostly, I take meetings, I design, and I decide how much a design is worth. I can do that from my office at home. I get a lot more work done at home than in the office.”

  “I get that,” she said. “I like to do a lot of work from home or a restaurant or my friend’s bar.”

  “A bar?” I questioned. “I didn’t take you for a barfly.”

  She softly giggled. “I’m not a barfly. It’s about the only time I can talk to my friend, Nelle. She works nights. I work days.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Why don’t you show me how to drive this thing?” she asked.

  “You don’t just drive a man’s boat,” I told her.

  She burst into laughter. “I won’t drive it. How about I steer?”

  “It’s like driving a car without pedals.”

  She got to her feet. “Show me.”

  I got up and walked to the driver’s seat. I sat down and patted my leg. She raised one eyebrow before smiling and taking a seat on my leg. Her perfect, round ass settled against my thigh. It was hard to focus on what I was actually supposed to be doing.

  I grabbed her hand and put it on the wheel before taking her other hand and putting it on the throttle. “Ready?”

  I pushed the button to pull up the anchor. Once ready, I showed her how to apply the throttle and we slowly started to move forward. She squealed with delight once we started moving. We headed farther out to sea before she decided she had enough.

  “Why don’t we settle here for a bit?” I told her.

  She stood up from my lap. “That was amazing. I feel so alive.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Would you like another glass of wine?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Absolutely.”

  I moved to grab our empty glasses and headed downstairs. She followed me down into the kitchen. I opened the wine and began to pour. The entire time, she stared at me. Her heated gaze was going to be my undoing. I truly never meant to take Charlie’s advice, but if she kept looking at me like she wanted to eat me, I was going to push her up against that wall and pound myself into her.