by Tyler Grey
“I’ve had the best time,” he said to me as soon as we were finished. He had insisted on paying, even though I didn’t want him to. I felt bad making him pay when I knew I wasn’t going to see him again, but he wouldn’t let me.
“I had a great time, too,” I said. “It was good meeting you, Jeremy. And, thanks for the breakfast. I’m stuffed. I can’t believe we finished all that food. Actually, scrap that — I can believe it. I love my food.”
“So do I. So, does that mean I can take you out again? Maybe lunch next time? And if that goes well, which I’m sure it will, I will take you out for dinner? We can slowly make our way through all the meals of the day.”
I smiled sadly at him. “It sounds wonderful…”
“Oh no, you’re going to say no, aren’t you?”
I bowed my head slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“I should’ve known it was too good to be true. Didn’t you have a good time?”
“Oh, I had the best time,” I said honestly.
“Was it me?”
“No, you were great. You were wonderful. It’s just… Well…there’s another guy. And I’m trying to forget about him. I thought going on a date would help me to do that, but it didn’t. Which is such a pity because you are an amazing guy. You’re good-looking, funny, and interesting. You’re exactly what I should be going for. If I had met you before I had met him, there is no doubt in my mind that we would be going on another date.”
“But the heart wants what the heart wants,” he said.
I nodded again. “I’m really sorry, Jeremy. I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
“Nah, you didn’t. It was a great date, and I’m pleased to see that there are girls like you out there. Can I ask you a favor?”
“Of course, anything.”
“If things don’t work out between you and this guy, could you give me a call? If I’m single, and you’re single, I’d love to give it another go.”
I smiled. “Absolutely.”
“Good luck, Paisley. I really hope this guy is worth it. You’re a great girl.”
I walked away feeling both happy and sad at the same time. My mother wanted to know how it went, and I told her that the guy was nice but that I didn’t feel the spark that I wanted. She told me not to worry, and that I would know when the guy is right for me. I had to hurry back to my room after that. I couldn’t look at her any longer without crying. She thought I was upset about the date, so she left me alone. But all I could think about were her words: “You will know when a guy is right for you. You’ll feel it.”
But what if I had already felt it? What if I had already met the guy? What if I couldn’t have him?
Chapter Eighteen
Henry
I was hoping to see Paisley that morning, just to see if she would act a little strange around me after the late night we’d had at the office together. I wanted to see if she was still going to blush whenever she saw me, but she was in her room when I left. Perhaps it was a good thing. We hadn’t kissed, even though we’d been alone in the office together, and even though we had spent all afternoon flirting with one another.
Why hadn’t it happened? I wondered. The whole thing was a blur to me, and I now couldn’t distinguish whether it was me that had stopped it from happening or her. If it was me, what the hell was I thinking? Were we really not destined to be together?
A day out with my father and Shawn was maybe just what I needed. Seeing my father give Myra a big kiss as we left the house made me uncomfortable. He really was so happy with her. Would my being with Paisley really change all that? I wished I had a magic ball that I could gaze into to tell me what the future held.
“Henry! What are you doing? Your ball went the wrong way.”
I snapped back to reality and looked towards the direction of my ball. I had been so lost in thought that I had played without even thinking. “What can I say? I just feel so sorry for you. You’ve lost your touch over the years. Must be your age. I’m only giving you a chance,” I teased.
“Oh, please. I’ll always be better at this than you, and you know it.”
My father looked at Shawn. “How can you be friends with this guy? I mean, he’s my son, so I don’t have a choice, but you willingly hang out with him.”
Shawn laughed. “It’s only because I feel sorry for the guy. He doesn’t have any other friends. Trust me, I’ve been trying to get out of this friendship for a long time now, but it’s not easy.”
I shook my head at the two of them. “Why do I hang out with the two of you?”
“Oh, you love us,” Shawn said.
“So, speaking of love, how’s the love life going, Shawn?”
“Not bad. I’ve been seeing this girl now for a while. We’ve gone on a few dates already, and I have a good feeling about this one. It’s feels… Well, it feels oddly natural. Like the two of us don’t have to try very hard. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t want to jinx it, but she’s great.”
“Wonderful!” my father boomed. “Natural is exactly how it should be. I see so many people trying so hard to be with their partners, and while it is good to always make the effort, it shouldn’t be hard to do so. So that’s a very good sign indeed. Can’t you set Henry up with someone? Doesn’t she have any nice friends?”
Shawn chuckled at the question. “Oh trust me, I’m trying. She has a great friend who I think would be wonderful for Henry, but he’s not interested.”
“Why not? Not your type?” my father asked me.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I haven’t met her.”
“Well, why on earth not? You might as well give it a try.”
“I don’t trust Shawn. I bet you she’s not my type, at all. Anyway, I’m trying to concentrate on work right now. I have a lot to do now that I’m the CEO. I’ll go on dates again when things settle down. For now, I want to put everything I have into work and grow the business even more.”
“Well, it’s good that you’re so dedicated, but make sure you don’t marry your work. It’s not worth it, my boy. Trust me. Love is more important. You should go on this double date with Shawn. You might find that you really like this girl. I personally think that Shawn has excellent taste.”
“I’m sure you do. I’ll think about it.”
“And anyway, now that you have Paisley at work, you should have a bit more time freed up. I know she’s a great assistant. You should make the most of her being there and use your spare time to find a girl.”
Shawn began to laugh, so I shot him a look, and his laughter immediately turned into a fake cough. My father patted him on the back.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t know what happened there, actually.”
“Well, how about we finish this up and go and get a beer? That’s obviously a sign that you’re very thirsty.”
Shawn laughed. “You’ve read me well. A beer is exactly what I need. Come on, let’s finish up here. We’re obviously going to beat Henry. He’s too busy thinking about work to concentrate,” he said with a wink.
I pretended not to notice. “Ha! There’s still time for me to beat you. Come on, let’s finish this up.”
I didn’t beat them. It was one of the few times that I lost to them, actually, and I knew they were never going to let me hear the end of it. I made a big show of it, as if I had done it on purpose, but I clearly hadn’t. I couldn’t stop thinking about Paisley.
We’d had two close encounters at work, and both times they’d been stopped. I was going out of my mind with want and desire for her, and it was starting to take over all my thought processes. Even as we were walking to the clubhouse, I kept having to shake my head and concentrate on what my father and Shawn were saying.
When we got to the bar, we ordered a round of drinks and took a seat. My father and Shawn were still going on about how they had beaten me, and I was joining in on their laughter. Golf was something I had always been good at, so a day like this was unusual for me — and wonderful for them. The waitr
ess came by to drop off the drinks while they were all teasing me. She was a pretty woman that I had never seen before, long dark hair and big brown eyes. She was the sort of girl that I would usually like, and she was grinning at me like I was the sort of guy she usually went for.
“You just lost to make them feel better, didn’t you?” she said and grinned at me.
I laughed. “Absolutely. You see, even she knows that I would normally have beaten the two of you.”
“I can spot a good golf player a mile away. I’m sorry, boys,” she said to my father and Shawn, “but this guy let you win. I’m Becky, by the way,” she said to me and offered me a big smile.
I smiled back. “I’m Henry. This is Shawn and my father, Duncan.”
“Well, I sure hope to see you here again. Call me if you need another drink.” She walked away and I took a sip of my drink.
“Ah, that’s nice,” I said as the cool liquid hit my throat. “I always love beer after a game of golf.” When I put the glass down, I saw that Shawn and my father were both staring at me. “What?” I asked them.
“Uh, that woman was blatantly flirting with you, and you barely gave her a glance.”
I frowned. “No, she wasn’t.”
“Are you kidding me? She blew us both off and focused on you. She was so into you. Why don’t you go and get her number?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I just want to sit and enjoy my beer.”
My father looked at me in confusion. “What is wrong with you, my boy? You always flirt with the waitresses, and this one is even prettier than all the others. This is not like you, at all.”
I laughed. “I don’t flirt with all of them. Anyway, just because someone shows an interest in me doesn’t mean I have to show an interest in them. Can’t a guy sit and enjoy his beer in peace?”
“Are you sick?” he asked.
“Dad! I’m just not looking for anyone right now. Like I said, I’m concentrating on my work.”As I said that, Shawn choked on his beer again. I hit him hard on the back.
“Shawn, are you okay? You keep choking. You two boys are acting very strange today.”
Shawn took a sip of water, and then another sip of beer. “Sorry about that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. Anyway, I agree with your father; you should totally go for her. She’s hot.”
I shrugged. “Maybe some other time.”
My father looked at Shawn. “I think he’s sick.”
I managed to sway the conversation to something else, but it didn’t help that Becky kept looking our way. She looked disappointed when I didn’t show any interest, and my father told me that I had blown it with her. I didn’t care. I wasn’t interested in the waitress one bit. I didn’t feel that spark when I looked at her. Now that I had experienced that feeling, I knew I wouldn’t settle for anything else.
“Hey, I need to go to the mall quickly. Anyone want to come in there with me? I hate that place,” Shawn said.
“No, I’m going to head home,” Duncan said. “I hate that place, too.”
“I’ll go.” I also hated the mall, but I didn’t feel like being in the car with my father. He was going to keep asking me why I hadn’t flirted with the waitress, and I didn’t feel like having the conversation. I said my goodbyes to my father and then hopped into the car with Shawn.
“Trying to avoid your father, huh?” he asked as we made our way to the mall.
I laughed. “Something like that. Although, you really didn’t help matters today, you know that? You are probably the reason he thinks something weird is going on with me. You kept choking! What’s wrong with you?”
He laughed. “Sorry about that, but you really were acting very strange today. It’s honestly not like you not to flirt with a waitress. And, she was super-hot. Just the sort of girl you normally like.”
“Well, I’m not interested. I don’t need to hop into bed with every woman that shows an interest in me, you know.”
He chuckled. “My apologies. I know, I know, you’re busy.”
“I am busy. I have a business to run, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“A business to run — and a hot sister to chase.”
This time, I didn’t feel nearly as confident or as cocky as I usually did. The whole situation was starting to get to me. “Stepsister,” I reminded him, but my words came out softly this time around. Shawn must’ve noticed because he changed the subject and we never brought it up again.
Chapter Nineteen
Paisley
It was our Sunday family dinner, and I was not looking forward to it. I thought about telling my mother that I was feeling sick, but she’d seen me throughout the day, and she’d know that something was up. Also, I needed to eat, and my mother’s food smelled too good to ignore. I would simply have to get through it.
My plan was to ask my mother and Duncan as many questions as possible so that the focus stayed on them. For the most part, it was working. Duncan was telling me all about his first date with my mother and how he knew from the moment he saw her that she was the one for him. It was a sweet story and even sweeter to see my mother blushing.
“Have you danced with her?” I asked Duncan. “You know, she loves to sing and dance.”
He grinned. “I’m a terrible dancer, but yes, I have. Although, I stepped on her toes about four times the first time we went dancing.”
“It’s true,” she said. “And I was so sore, but I was trying so hard not to be a baby about it. The next day my toe was black and blue.”
I laughed. “Well, it makes for a good story.”
“How about you, Paisley? Got any love interests at the moment?” Duncan asked.
It was such an innocent question, but it took me completely by surprise, and for a while, I didn’t know what to say.
“Well, she went on a date yesterday,” my mother said, and I noticed Henry staring at me.
“You did? How did it go?” Duncan asked.
“Oh, not great. Uh…he took me for breakfast.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing really. I mean, he was a nice guy. Good-looking, a gentleman, in a way he ticked all the right boxes. But there was something lacking. That spark, I guess.” My face was going red now, and I was sure I saw Henry smile knowing that the date had been a disaster.
“Well, at least you tried. And, you’re right about waiting for the spark. That’s how you know it’s the right one.”
“How about you, Henry?” my mother asked. “Any girlfriends stashed away in that room?”
“Oh, uh…nobody at the moment,” he stumbled. This time it was my turn to look at him, and I was pleased to see that he looked embarrassed.
“The waitress was hitting on him like crazy yesterday,” Duncan said. “Just the sort of girl he goes for, too. I don’t know what was up with Henry, but he showed no interest in her. The poor girl obviously thought she was going to get his number or something, but he walked away without even glancing at her.”
Mom laughed. “Poor girl. You’re quite the heartbreaker, Henry.”
It was a long dinner, and there was far too much talk about my romance, or lack thereof. My plan of asking my mother and Duncan questions had backfired, since all they wanted to talk about was love. I barely looked at Henry the whole dinner, and he avoided me, too. We snuck glances at each other through the night, but the moment our eyes locked, we looked away. My mother and Duncan seemed to be none the wiser, and as soon as the dinner was over, I said my thanks and headed straight to my room. I collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. It was very tiring trying not to think about Henry in that way.
The following day, I woke up with a decision made. I was going to have to speak to Henry about what was going on. It was clear that the two of us liked each other, but it was also clear that we couldn’t be together. There was simply no point skirting around the truth any longer. We had to be open and honest with one another. He needed to flirt with the waitresses again, and I needed to go on more dates with men like Jeremy. What w
e were doing was silly, and we were only making our lives harder. Today, I would find a spare moment, and I would talk to him. It was not a conversation I was looking forward to — but it was necessary.
The morning was busy, and I kept putting off the conversation. I didn’t want to do it when we were both so busy, and I also didn’t want to do it when there was a chance of being interrupted by someone at work. I would have to do it in the late afternoon, when things started to settle down. It wasn’t easy, but I tried to concentrate instead on my work and tried to ignore the looks that he kept giving me. I wasn’t sure if I was mistaking it, but Henry seemed to have upped the flirtation levels even higher. His emails were suggestive, and every time he looked at me, he held the gaze. Once, he’d even winked at me.
I made my way out to get some coffee. It was mid-morning, and I needed a break from the computer. Usually, I would’ve made one for Henry, too, but I didn’t want to go into his office if I didn’t have to. Anyway, I was sure that Jessica would make him coffee. She was always bringing him coffee and some of her homemade cookies to eat. She had never once offered any to me, but that was okay. I didn’t want them. She’d made it perfectly clear that she didn’t like me, and I had no intention of trying to change her mind. There were far more important things to worry about than her.
Maybe I should try and get her and Henry together, I thought. Maybe that would take the pressure off of me. I didn’t see why not. She was clearly infatuated with the guy.
I was halfway through making the coffee when Henry walked into the room. I tried not to groan and willed the beans to brew faster.
“Hey, you,” he said to me with a grin.
“Hi,” I said and continued making the coffee. “Uh, would you like one?”
“That’s okay. I’ll make my own. So, you went on a date, huh?”
I gulped. “I sure did. You know, I’m thinking of calling him and seeing if he wants to go on another one. He was pretty interested in taking me out for lunch.”
“I thought you said there was no spark between the two of you.”