Delayed Call

by Toni Aleo

  Nor did she care for it, and she was truly freaked out.

  And turned on.

  Which was really, really humiliating.

  Coming off the door, she went to the oversize chair and sat down, pressing her hand to her forehead. She needed to lie down, think, breathe, or something. Gasping for air, she shook her head as she looked at the ceiling of her apartment. It was beautiful, simply gorgeous, and praise God that she got a discount to live here because she wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise.

  The condo was something out of a magazine with its floor-to-ceiling windows, classic white kitchen, and roomy bedrooms. Her bathroom had a spa tub, and she was pretty sure that her other apartment could fit inside of it. It was unbelievable, and she couldn’t wait to bring Rod over. He would love it. That is, if she didn’t kill Vaughn first and end up in jail.

  Jesus, the anger! Where was that coming from?

  Maybe she was sick? That was the only thing that could justify the fact that she had just ripped Vaughn’s balls off and tried to stuff them in his mouth. She was even mean to Jensen! Jensen was supernice, and she was a bitch. God, she was losing it. That had to be it. She had moved all through the night, she was worried sick about Rod and his heart issues, and she was plain tired. So fucking tired.

  And horny. Really horny.

  Jesus, she was the poster child for the hot-mess express.

  Covering her face, she knew she had to apologize. To Jensen. Not Vaughn. Vaughn could suck her ass, that prick. Well, not really, since she hated him and all. But, jeez, how dare he be so mean? Yeah, she was mean, but that’s because he was all narcissistic and acting like he owned the damn building. He didn’t own shit, and she sure as hell didn’t have to answer to him. He was no one to her. And he would never be anything to her.

  And why was her heart racing?

  He was a douche canoe. He stood all cocky and full of himself with his designer jeans and thick pea coat that he had tucked a scarf into because it was colder than Antarctica outside. He was one of those super cleaned-up rich kids, and she hated those kinds of guys. The ones who thought their shit didn’t stink and people like her should pick up said shit and throw it away for them. Hell, he probably expected her to wipe his ass. She shouldn’t find the fact that he looked like a model who had stepped off the cover of GQ, with his shaved up the side dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, erotic or intriguing either. No, his personality ruined his good looks. But if that was the case, then why did she find him the sexiest man she had ever seen?

  Ugh, she was pathetic, and her crush on Vaughn Johansson was borderline sadistic.

  On one hand, she wanted to climb him like a tree, hang off his neck, and hump his chest. On the other hand, she wanted to use her size to her advantage and punch him in the dick. She didn’t like him, but man, she wanted to rock his world. Make him beg her for more and want her, though she knew that wouldn’t happen. They were cut from different cloths and in no way compatible. He also made her feel like she wasn’t stable, and she was. She was successful, she was smart, and she did everything to make sure her brother was loved and taken care of, so why was she lying on her chair in her new apartment questioning her sanity?

  She needed to move.

  But where was she going to find a luxury apartment six minutes from Rod in her price range?

  The answer was nowhere.

  She was stuck.

  With Vaughn Johansson across the hall.

  “Fuck. My. Life.”

  Rubbing her hands down her face, she let out a moan before she yawned loudly. She could legit fall asleep, but she still had so much to bring in and, since she didn’t trust her fuckfaced neighbor, she should probably get up and do that. But the chair was so comfortable, and her love for sleep was a little passionate. It was just so wonderful, though, like being dead without the commitment of death.

  At least, that was how she saw it.

  Alas, she had to get up. Sucking in a breath, she let out a long exhale before slowly standing. She had to let this go. She had to be nice to Jensen and decent to Vaughn. They were her neighbors; she couldn’t go ripping heads off just because she wanted to screw the star hockey player who thought she was a joke. And really, what the hell was up with that? She was an amazing reporter, and it pissed her off that he questioned that. She’d show him.

  Fucking asshole.

  Growling and groaning as she brought her boxes in, she felt her frustration with the Assassins’ star grow and grow. What kind of man didn’t help a woman when she obviously needed it? Though, she should have hired someone. She’d just wanted to save money. It had seemed like a good idea, but at that moment, she was wishing she would have just blown the cash. Shaking her head, she set the last box down in her living room before slamming the door shut and leaning against it.

  Now, she could sleep.

  She was so excited, her heart jumping up in speed, but just as the thought came, her phone started to sound.

  “Why?” she moaned out as she went on the mission of finding her phone. It took a good three rings before she found it in underneath a box and saw it was Rod. “Hey, you,” she said, out of breath, and he laughed.

  “Are you busy?”

  “Moving in, but never too busy to speak to you. What’s up? How’re you feeling?”

  “Good, I am a little out of breath today, but I’m okay.”

  That set her on edge as she scooted to the front of the chair, her fingers going to her mouth as she chewed her nails. “Do I need to call the doctor? Come up there?”

  “Brie, I’m fine,” he said it like she was an idiot, but she wasn’t. He scared her. She couldn’t lose him. She just couldn’t.

  “Fine, what’s up? What are you doing?”

  “Hanging out. Reading.”

  “Reading is good,” she gushed. He had only really gotten into reading a little over a year ago, and he was doing so well. She was so proud since she was an avid reader. “What are you reading?”

  “This pamphlet.”

  “What pamphlet?”

  “The one for NateWay.”

  Brie rolled her eyes; she thought she had taken that. Maybe he’d gotten two. Little bugger. Rod had not stopped talking about this little community for adults with Down syndrome since she left him that morning. She hadn’t had time to look into it, and in all reality, she didn’t want to get his hopes up. It just wouldn’t work. He needed constant care, and she worried that this community wouldn’t offer that. Also, they might promise a scholarship, but that would probably only last a year, and then what? They’d be screwed.

  Nope, she wasn’t going to get his hopes up.

  “Oh, cool. So what do you want for dinner on Christmas?”

  “Chicken,” he answered, and she wasn’t surprised. That was all he ate. “But really, Brie, it’s awesome. I want to do it. Nate said he would work with us and make it to where I can live there.”

  “I haven’t had time to look into it, and I really don’t like that you are talking to someone I don’t even know.”

  “I’m an adult, Brie. I can talk to whoever I want.”

  She didn’t want to get into an argument with him. She was tired, and he was stuck on this NateWay shit. She just needed to let it go. He would forget about it, surely. But she’d be damn sure to call the nurses station tomorrow to make sure they didn’t allow this Nate fellow to come see her brother again.

  “Fine, I’ll look into it.”

  “You’ll really look into it? Do you want his number? He gave me his cell number for you. He wants to talk to you. He has questions.”

  “Questions?”

  “Yeah, he wanted to know why I was at Riverdale and not in a regular home for people like me,” he said, and Brie covered her face. She was already embarrassed that she couldn’t give her brother a better home, and now she had this guy coming around questioning him. Soon Rod would realize that she sucked. It was bad enough that she already knew that. “And I told him it was all you could afford, whi
ch is why he said I can live in his community for free.”

  “I don’t know, Rod. It all seems a little suspect.”

  “It’s true,” he yelled. She’d known this was going to happen. He got set on things, and when she couldn’t provide them, he got upset, which, in return, made her feel like dog shit.

  “I’m not saying it’s not. It just seems a little out of left field.”

  “But it’s not, he’s great. Nate plays games with me and talks to me about life, and he’s nice. Really funny, and he likes me, thinks that other people like me would like me too. I’m dying here, Brie. No one is my age, and I’m the annoying kid that runs around the home being loud. Please, I gotta get out of here.”

  Her heart broke. “Oh, Rod, that’s not true. Joshua loves you.”

  “That’s ’cause he can’t hear.”

  She paused. It was true, but she hadn’t realized he knew that. “But he still hangs with you.”

  “’Cause he’s in a wheelchair and can’t get away.”

  “Okay, you’re right.”

  “I am, and I want out. I want to be with people like me since I can’t be with you.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Rod. I wish you could stay with me.”

  “Hey, someone’s gotta make the money.”

  She smiled. “Yup.”

  “And the cool thing about this community is there are jobs. I can learn a trade, Brie. That’s what Nate said.”

  “Wow, that would be great for you.”

  “And he says there are nurses on site. That I will be taken care of.”

  She swallowed hard, looking at the ceiling. He already knew too much; he wasn’t going to forget about it at all. She had to research this. “I will look into it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I promise I’ll look into it, and we’ll talk about it on Christmas, okay?”

  He didn’t answer at first, and she knew that she had no choice but to investigate it. He wanted this, and she wanted it for him. But she was realistic, and it all seemed way too good to be true. “Awesome! Here is the number,” he said before reading the number off to her slowly. She wrote it down on a box and then sat down. “You’ll call?”

  “After I do some research.”

  “And then you’ll call?”

  “Then I’ll call.”

  “And we can go see it? The community?”

  “Yes, after I do my research and call.”

  “When?”

  “Soon. After Christmas.”

  “Awesome. I think we’ll love it,” he gushed, and she did love how excited he sounded. He hadn’t been excited about anything in a while, and his voice was so full of joy. She could almost see him, bouncing in place as he held his phone to his ear, a big grin on his sweet face. She wanted this to work. She did. Because he was right. He was dying along with all those old people, and it was killing her inside in turn. She wanted him to be happy. She had promised her mom he would be happy, and she felt like she was failing at every turn.

  So she would investigate it.

  For him.

  For the promise she’d made to her mom.

  With a long sigh, she smiled at his excitement. Though, she hoped it wasn’t short-lived. “I hope so.”

  And she really did.

  But even with all the things on her mind, Rod’s surgery and his desperate need to be himself, the stress of her job, and everything else, she still couldn’t shake how she felt when she’d looked into Vaughn’s eyes.

  Or how she would ever face him again.

  As Vaughn held the door for Jensen, he was still fuming.

  How dare she?

  That was his building!

  And he wasn’t a playboy or a fucking showboat. Wasn’t his fault he was amazing and people wanted to have sex with him. He was a sexy dude. She was jealous. She wanted to be him. But there was no other Vaughn Johansson.

  Lord, she got under his skin.

  “Dude, it’s over.”

  “I don’t care.” Vaughn looked to Jensen and glared. “She’s an asshole.”

  “Or maybe you are.”

  Vaughn balked. “Whoa, what the fuck, dude? You’re my best friend.”

  “Yes, I am, but you’re weird around her. It’s like you want to hate her, but you want to bang her—maybe even more than just bang—and you don’t like that.”

  “You have no clue what you’re talking about.”

  Jensen laughed, hard, which only made Vaughn more annoyed. “I, along with Wells, know you better than anyone in this world, and you know it’s true.”

  “Well, you’re wrong about this,” he decided, crossing his arms as they got in line behind the many people waiting at Hattie B’s. It was Vaughn’s favorite place to eat, and because of that, now Jensen craved it all the time. But after his interaction with Brie, all he wanted to do was go home and sulk. He didn’t like that Jensen was right, and he sure as hell didn’t like that he wanted to take that fiery little blonde against the wall and kiss the sass out of her. He just didn’t get it. She should annoy him, but all she did was make him hot all over, and he didn’t understand that.

  He hadn’t wanted anyone in a long time, but ever since the first moment he saw her, he’d needed to kiss her. He was not a believer in love at first sight—that was bullshit. But fuck at first sight, yes, he believed in that, and boy, did he want to do that with Brie Soledad. He’d never forget the way she’d come into the media room the first time he saw her. He was off to the side, minding his business, when Franklin had pointed to her. She was something, the only woman in the sea of men, walking past them with her little chin in the air, acting as if she had the biggest dick in the room. It was almost too much to take, but then her eyes met his. She glared, and at first, it took him off guard. But he knew her type. The one who thought she was all that and a bag of chips. The kind of woman who expected men to kiss her fucking feet.

  The entitled type.

  Ha. She could kiss his ass.

  Yet there had been something about that short little ball of fire that had him on edge. It was almost too much to take. The way her skirts lay against her thighs, or how her shirts hugged her breasts in all the right places. The way she pursed her lips after she asked a stupid question. Maybe that’s why he got so mad, not because of the stupid questions but because he wanted to bang her. He had to be honest; Brie did not like him, nor would she ever have sex with him.

  For some reason, that bothered him.

  He had spent all his life never getting what he wanted easily. He had to work extremely hard for every little thing, and while he appreciated it—it molded him into the man he was—he enjoyed that now he really didn’t have to work for much. His career, yes, he worked his balls off for that. But everything else was just kind of handed to him now. And that was good, especially since he didn’t have the will to exhaust himself with work anymore. Or better yet, he had no one to work for, only himself. All that mattered was his career, Jensen, and Wells.

  Oh, and Wren on occasion, but not always.

  Oh shit, and Tricksie. He’d work for that sweet baby.

  But other than that, everything was just given to him. Pussy, he could have that in two seconds. An endorsement for anything, yup, everyone wanted him. Entertainment, all he had to do was make a phone call, and he got into any concert or party. He had the life. Yet, as he stood in the middle of Hattie’s with the aroma of hot chicken clogging his senses, he wondered if he was missing something.

  Was he really just a showboating playboy?

  But that worry only lasted a moment before the sight of a perfectly round ass stole his attention, and all that crazy talk was gone as he grinned. Leaning toward Jensen, he nodded his chin in the direction of that nice ass. “Man, Jenny, look at that.”

  Jensen looked over to where Vaughn had indicated, and his face scrunched up. “Wait. I know that ass.”

  “You do?” he asked, looking past the line and then laughed. “Hey, I do too! Wren! Hey, Wren.”

 
Wren turned, her eyes wide as she took in her brother’s best friends. “Fuck.”

  “Hey. Hey. We love you! Say hi.” Vaughn waved at her while Jensen rolled his eyes, and everyone looked back at him. Not that he cared. He loved driving Wren insane.

  With a groan, she shook her head. “What?”

  “Hey, you love us. Come back here.”

  “No. I’m next.”

  “So?”

  “No way,” she yelled back before turning, but Vaughn wasn’t done.

  “Come on,” he called to Jensen before moving past people. “It’s okay, that’s my wife. We have sex a lot,” he murmured to people as he moved up the line to Wren. As he wrapped his arms around his “wife,” Wren glared at him with an exasperated look before he said, “Babe, get us two hot chicken plates. Use my card, get whatever you want. You know I love you a little on the thicker side.”

  Flabbergasted, she sputtered as he tucked his card into the crease of her boobs before smacking her butt playfully.

  “Vaughn!” Jensen complained, but he waved him off as Wren continued to sputter, looking like she did that time he had busted her car window with a puck. She had that same scary look now, and he knew well enough to get out of there. Quick. Turning on his heel, he headed to find a table, which was not an easy feat in the amazing chicken heaven. Jensen was right behind him. “You’re such a douche.”

  “You’re just mad I touched her butt and you didn’t.”

  “Damn right, I am. She is a woman, not a piece of meat.”

  “She’s like a sister.”

  “Ew, no, she’s not.”

  Vaughn laughed. “Yeah, ’cause banging your sister would be really bad.”

  Jensen’s eyes went wide as he shushed Vaughn quickly. “She can hear you!”

  “So? We all know you love her.”

  “No, you and Wells know, not her.”

  Rolling his eyes, Vaughn found a seat and sat down casually as Jensen looked behind them, probably worried she had heard them. His love for their best friend’s sister was a little borderline pathetic, but he was right. Wren didn’t know. She might suspect, or maybe she was too high on her horse to care. Who knew?