by E. L. Todd
I was grateful Rhett was so understanding. I knew how ugly I was being right then.
“He doesn’t treat you right and you don’t deserve that,” he said seriously. “I hope he realizes that someday.”
“He never will.” There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.
“Sometimes only catastrophic events are strong enough to change someone’s way of thinking.”
“If I was lying in the hospital from a terrible accident, he wouldn’t blink an eye over it. He wouldn’t even visit me.” I pretended to be indifferent to the words I was saying, but as I said them, I felt terrible. And I knew it was because everything I said was true. “If I didn’t care about this company so damn much, I would never speak to him again. He wouldn’t call me either.”
“I wish there was something I could do.” His voice came out quiet and hollow, like he was in as much pain as I was.
“You’re already doing it, Rhett. You’re already in his good graces. He even told me this afternoon that he ‘doesn’t understand how I landed you.’” I got a chunk of fudge on my spoon and shoved it into my mouth like I was starving.
“Who the hell says that to his daughter?” he demanded. “You’re so amazing. What man wouldn’t be proud to call you his daughter?” An incredulous look came into his eyes and he dropped his gaze.
“Beats me…”
“Sometimes it’s hard to believe that people have such a weird way of thinking. Why your father treats you that way is beyond my understanding. It makes me wonder why he is the way he is.”
I’d never thought about it. To me, he was just born an ass.
“Do you have any theories?” he asked.
“About what?” I asked.
“Why he behaves that way.”
I swirled the nuts around in my cup. “I’ve never given it much thought. I know he grew up poor and made his own way in life. But I would assume that would make him humble, not a monster. I never knew my grandparents, so maybe they were abusive to him or something.”
“Maybe you should ask him…”
“My father and I never discuss anything besides work. It’s just not possible for us to talk about anything else.”
“What was your mom like?”
I didn’t like thinking about her, but not because I disliked her. She was an amazing woman, and I still missed her every day. She was warm and always made me feel loved. But that was why I didn’t like to think about her. Because I missed her so much. “She was the best mom in the whole world.”
He regarded me seriously. “I’m glad you had her to balance out your father.”
“Yeah…she was great.” I stared at my ice cream and suddenly lost my appetite.
“Was he like that when she was around?”
“I wasn’t working with him when she was alive so I didn’t know him as well. He was never around, always working. We never had a relationship and he never tried to have one. When I got older, that’s when he took it upon himself to insult me at every given opportunity.”
He considered my words for a long time. “Everyone’s behavior is based on experience and emotions. There has to be a reason why he is the way he is. Hopefully, you find the answer someday.”
Talking about my parents was making me depressed. “Tell me something happy.”
“You want to hear a joke?”
“Yes, please.”
“You’re a brunette so I can tell you this one.”
“Oh, this should be good…”
“An old, blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake. He finds his way to the bar and orders a shot of whiskey. After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender, “’Hey, do you wanna hear a blonde joke?’” The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, “’Before you tell that joke, I think it’s only fair you should know five things since you’re blind. One, the bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat. Two, the bouncer is a blonde girl with a Billy Club. Three, I’m a six-foot, one hundred seventy pound blonde woman with a black belt in karate. Four, the woman to your right is a blonde professional wrestler. And five, the person to my right is a blonde weight lifter. Now think seriously, cowboy…do you still want to tell that blonde joke?’” The cowboy thinks for a second then shakes his head and says, “’No, not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times…’”
It took me a second to absorb the punch line, and then I busted up laughing. Tears came out of my eyes and I wiped away the moisture with a napkin. “Wow, that was good. Did you make that up?”
“No,” he said with an amused laugh. “If I did, I’d be a comedian. I read it somewhere online. It stuck with me for some reason.”
“Well, it was good. Thank you for cheering me up.”
“No problem. You needed a pick-me-up.”
Having saved my cherry for last, I picked it up and ate it off the stem.
He pushed his cup forward. “You can have mine.”
“You gave me yours last time.”
“I’m not a big fan anyway.”
“Alright then…I’m going to scarf it down.”
His eyes brightened in affection, like he was amused by my addiction to cherries. “Any day now…”
I snapped it off the stem then devoured it. “Yum.”
He stacked our cups on top of each other just as I did last time. “Now what?”
“Well, golfing is out of the way so you’re a free man.”
“What happened to getting the most bang for your buck?” he asked.
“This date wasn’t scheduled so I’m not going to take up all of your free time.”
“I don’t have plans,” he said. “How about Battleship? I think I might beat you this time.”
I laughed like a villain, high, cold, and loud. “No one can beat me.”
The corner of his lip upturned in a smile. “I’ve been practicing.”
“You can’t practice Battleship,” I said. “It’s just guesswork.”
“You sound scared…” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a cocky look.
“Listen up, escort,” I said. “I’m not scared of anyone or anything.”
“You should be scared of me,” he said seriously. “Because I’m about to steal your victory.”
I shook my head while I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re going down.”
“You’re going downer.”
I tilted my head and gave him a quizzical expression. “Good one.”
He covered his face then laughed. “Too much pressure…I couldn’t think of something better.” Every time he laughed, his lips upturned in a smile. He had the most amazing grin I’d ever seen. It made me feel warm. And it was infectious. When he was happy, I was happy.
“Hopefully you can stand the pressure of Battleship better than shit-talking.”
“Let’s find out.”
***
“Seriously, are you cheating?” he asked from across the couch.
“How would I cheat?” I demanded.
He looked over his shoulder. “Is there a mirror behind me?”
“I’m just good,” I argued. “Give it a try sometime.”
“Burn…”
We played five times so I was worn out. “Do you play cards?”
“Like poker?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Do you?” he asked in surprise.
“Why are you always shocked about my capabilities?”
He put the game aside. “I’ve never met a girl who plays poker. And I’ve certainly never met a grown woman who still loves Battleship.”
“Hey, it’s a great game.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “I never said it wasn’t.”
“Well, I’m very good at poker.”
“Who taught you?”
“Harper, of course.”
“I really need to meet this girl,” he said seriously.
A sudden surge of jealousy rushed through me. Harper was a beautifu
l girl and Rhett would obviously realize it the moment he saw her. What if he wanted to date her? What if they hooked up? It shouldn’t bother me since he was just my escort, but truthfully, I didn’t want to share him with anyone, at least knowingly. “So, you want to play?”
“I’m not playing for money,” he said firmly.
“Why? You don’t want to lose your cash to a girl?”
“No…I just don’t want to take yours.”
“I’m a big girl.” I opened up a deck and grabbed some poker chips.
“Let’s play for fun,” he said. “No money.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I asked. “Let’s at least play for change.”
He considered it for a moment. “Change, I can do.”
We pulled out all our quarters, nickels and dimes. Then we started the game. Rhett was good like I expected him to be, but so was I. We were evenly matched. Every time he won a hand, I won the next one. Change moved back and forth and no one seemed to have the edge.
“Not as good as you thought, huh?” he teased.
“Maybe you’re cheating,” I noted.
“I’m good at math but I can’t count cards.”
“Like you would tell me if you could.”
“Actually, I would,” he said seriously. “You could take me to a casino and show me off to your father. The money would be rolling in.”
I rolled my eyes because that actually sounded like something that would impress my dad.
“What else are you good at?” he asked.
“Um…” I pondered the question for a moment. “I’m a pretty good pitcher.”
“Yeah?”
“I played softball in college.”
“Cool,” he said. “Anything else?”
“Nothing comes to mind. What about you?”
“I can hold my breath for four minutes. The average is two minutes.”
“Wow,” I said. “What did the president say when you met him?”
He chuckled then kicked me playfully. “Hey, you try it. It’s hard.”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t. Where do you box?”
“I have a trainer,” he said. “Crunch Fitness.”
“Why do you box?” I asked. “For protection or fun?”
“Both,” he answered. “And I get bored jogging and lifting weights. At least this sport is applicable to real life. I can actually use it if I need to.”
“Maybe I should take self-defense. It could be fun.”
“You should,” he said. “Then you can really mess up your brother.”
“Man, I would love that…” I put my cards down. “Full house, punk.”
“Punk?” he asked with a laugh.
I took all the change in the center and pulled it toward me. “I’m going to visit a gumball machine and go crazy.”
“Make sure you go to the dentist afterwards,” he teased.
I shuffled the cards and put them back in the box. “Well, that was fun.”
“You’re always fun.” His eyes bored into mine, like he was searching for something. The look was intense and vulnerable.
Before he swept me off my feet, I looked down. Spending time with Rhett was enjoyable and I looked forward to it, despite the fact my father having to be around, but I had to be smart about it. If I wasn’t careful, I could fall in love with Rhett. I didn’t think that was possible after John but I was starting to have doubts.
He looked at his watch. “It’s midnight already? I spent eight hours with you and it feels like ten minutes.”
“Time flies when you’re playing Battleship and poker.”
“I haven’t done any of this since I was a kid. It’s nice to revisit it.”
“Harper and I act like children, I swear.” I put everything back into the Battleship box and placed the lid on top.
“That’s not a bad thing,” he said. “Everyone is so serious in New York. It’s nice to meet someone who’s cool and fun.”
“Cool and fun?” I asked. “Me?”
“Definitely.” Sincerity was in his voice.
“Harper would be the first to tell you I need a chill pill.”
“The people who love us most tease us,” he said. “Troy makes jabs at me whenever possible.”
“Maybe they just don’t like us.”
He shook his head. “There’s a thin line between love and hate.”
“That’s true.” I tossed the deck of cards on top of Battleship.
He didn’t move from the couch or act like he was about to leave. I assumed since it was midnight, he would be on his way, not that I wanted him to go anywhere. Sometimes I forgot I was paying him to spend time with me. He seemed like a friend, someone who’d been in my life for so long that the past was blurry. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
He’d never asked me something like that before. I hoped he didn’t ask about John. But he didn’t know about him so he shouldn’t. I was just being paranoid. “Sure.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” He rested his knee on the opposite ankle and sat perfectly straight. His shoulders were broad and powerful.
Against my will, I imagined him naked in the same position. I gripped his shoulders while I lowered myself onto his shaft. Then in the heat of passion, we moved together, gripping each other tightly as sweat covered our bodies. I shook the thought away, realizing I was being a huge pervert. “No.” Why did he want to know? Hope surged through me then extinguished just as quickly. While I was attracted to Rhett, it was unlikely he was attracted to me. He did this for a living and he was always professional. I doubt he’d make it complicated over one girl, unless she was extremely special. “Why?”
“I was just curious,” he said quietly. “If you had a boyfriend, I doubt he’d appreciate me spending all this time with you.”
“I’m not dating right now.” Or ever, probably.
“I remember you mentioning that.”
“Then why did you ask if I was seeing someone?” I countered.
“Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it can’t change. Maybe you met someone on the subway and you really hit off. He asked you out and you couldn’t say no. Life happens.”
“No, I haven’t had any romantic subway encounters.”
He stared at me with an unreadable gaze.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Did I really just ask him that? I blurted it out without even thinking.
“No, I’m not,” he said. “I went on a date with this girl a few weeks ago but it didn’t go anywhere.”
I felt bad for the girl. When he didn’t call, she was probably devastated. I knew I would be. I’d only known Rhett for a few weeks and I was hooked. If he asked me out on a date, I’d be ecstatic. “It takes a while to find the right person.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Actually, she walked out on me. We just finished dinner when she left without saying a word.”
Did I miss something? “Why?”
“I told her what I did for a living, and she gave me a disgusted look then walked out.”
Was she a psychopath? “The girl was obviously off her rocker so you probably saved yourself some headaches.”
He smiled but the look didn’t reach his eyes. “Stuff like that actually happens a lot. Girls don’t like my profession, even though it’s just friendly. They can’t look past it. The girls who do want me are more interested in my money, looks, and sex. They don’t see me as boyfriend material.”
My mind was blank, but I was thinking a million things. A gorgeous guy like him probably got laid every night without trying. I was stupid to ever assume otherwise. If he wanted a girlfriend, he would quit his profession. But he obviously liked the lifestyle of a bachelor. I couldn’t blame him. Any handsome man would do the same thing. Why settle down when he can have endless one-night stands with beautiful women? Sadness tugged at my heart and I hated myself for caring. There was no possibility he and I could even share a kiss so it was stupid to be disappointed. He was my friend as long as I continued to
pay him.
“Can I ask you something else?” he asked.
I didn’t want to discuss the topic anymore but I didn’t want to be rude. “I guess.”
“Why aren’t you dating right now?”
I didn’t want to talk about my relationship baggage. Telling a guy I was attracted to that my old boyfriend left me because I was terrible in bed didn’t sound tempting at all. “I’m just not in the right place…” I couldn’t think of a more vague response.
“Bad break up?” he asked.
“Something like that.” I didn’t make eye contact with him, hoping the conversation was over.
“When did this happen?” His voice was casual and gentle.
Heat was rising to my cheeks and I felt uncomfortable. My skin started to burn and I searched for an escape. “You know, I’m really tired. I should probably get to bed since I have to work in the morning…” I stood up and faked a yawn.
“Yeah, of course.” He stood up then put his hands in his pockets. “It is almost one. Sometimes I forget that people work during the day.”
“It must be nice not to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock.”
“No complaints.” He walked to the door then opened it. “Let me know when you need me next.”
“I will.”
“Don’t be afraid to call me. You don’t have to go through Danielle all the time.”
“Okay.”
Before he walked out, he did something he’d never done before. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. There was no one to impress, and this wasn’t a performance. It was real.
He rested his chin on my head while he held me for a long time.
The touch felt wonderful. It was soothing and warm, comfortable and safe. His hard chest felt like concrete but it was inviting at the same time. His smell came into my nose, and I was reminded of pine needles and a river. His shirt was soft on my cheek and I wish I were wearing it to bed. My hands moved around his waist, and not caring I was being ridiculous, I returned the embrace with more enthusiasm than normal. It was nice to feel someone hold me, especially Rhett. He was the most beautiful person I’d ever met, and to feel this connection with him was surreal. He was the friend I never had. Harper was always there for me but with Rhett…it was different. Did he feel it too? Or was it just me? It probably was just me. All his dates probably hugged him like a teddy bear and never wanted to let him go. I was just as obsessed, falling for a man I could never have. The fact he slept with random women and had meaningless sex didn’t bother me. It was irrelevant. All I cared about was the man I knew, the man who showed more compassion and empathy than anyone else I’d ever encountered. Rhett was a beautiful person, on the inside as well as the outside.