“Wooed?” I mock. “Did you seriously just say that?”
“Is ‘courted’ better?”
“No! You sound like Granny and Gab.”
“Those two are so my style. Well? Are you gonna answer my question?”
“About the ‘wooing?’ I guess I’m a romantic at heart, so I love the whole red roses thing and the heart-shaped box of chocolates, little thoughtful gifts. All that stuff.”
“You are a romantic.”
“How about you?”
“Definitely the roses, if you ever decide to give them to me, make sure you send them to the changing rooms so all the guys on the team can see.”
“You’d like that?”
“Oh, yeah. That would be super special.”
“I’ll make sure I add a teddy bear, too, to amp up the cute factor.”
“Oh, definitely the bear. Us guys love to get cute stuff from our girls in front of other guys. It’s one of our favorite things.”
“I bet.” I look from his grinning face to outside. “Oh, hey, turn right here,” I instruct. “This is my street. My building’s the one down there on the right.”
My mind turns to the last guy who took me home: Ivan of the competitive mooing fame. How very different things feel with Nick. It’s almost like we’re friends now. Which is…nice. Unexpected.
He finds a parking space and backs into it skillfully, using only one hand on the steering wheel, the other slung over the back of my headrest—which of course my own head barely reaches.
“Well, thank you so much,” I say, my hand on the door handle, ready to leave.
“Hey, it’s the least I could do after you got Bruno-ed out there.”
“That was a special moment for him and me.” I push the door open, turn back to him, and add, “I’m glad we called a truce.”
“Yeah. Me too.” He leans forward and peers up at my building. “What floor are you on?”
“The fifth floor. I share a place with one of my BFFs.”
“Sophie? The one I met at High Tea?”
“No, she’s my other BFF. My roommate is Darcy.” He chuckles, and I look at him. “What?” I ask.
“It’s cute that you refer to them as your BFFs.”
“It stands for Best Friend Forever, and that’s what we are.”
“My point exactly.”
“What?” I repeat.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-six next month.”
“Oh, and here I was thinking you were turning eleven next month.”
I reach across and bat him on the arm. “Shut up, you! There’s nothing wrong with referring to your closest friends—who you’ve been friends with for more than half your life, I might add—as BFFs.”
“If I agree with you, will you promise not to hit me again?”
I roll my eyes as I laugh. “As long as you promise not to mock me about my word choice.”
He extends his hand, and we shake. “Deal.”
There’s a sudden rap on Nick’s window, which almost makes me jump out of my seat. With my heart racing, I turn to see Darcy’s smiling face beaming in at us.
“Ah, one of my BFFs,” I say as I give her a quick wave. I turn back to Nick. “I’ll see you for the next Miranda-approved rendezvous, Nick, and thanks again.” I climb out of the car.
“Hey, babe,” Darcy says with a look of Oh my gosh that’s Nick Zachary in the truck isn’t it? on her bright face.
“Hi there, one of my BFFs,” I say loud enough for Nick to hear through the glass. I needn’t have bothered as he’s now out of the truck and standing on the sidewalk.
“Hi there,” Darcy says breathlessly, gazing up at him. “You must be Nick.”
“And you must be one of Ernie’s BFFs I’ve heard so much about,” he replies with a smirk.
“Ernie?” she questions me as her eyebrows ping up.
“Don’t get me started. He met Granny and Gab at Cozy Cottage High Tea, remember?”
“Right.” She looks back at Nick, “Aren’t they great?”
“They are, other than insisting I presented some home décor show,” he says.
Darcy chuckles. “Seriously? As Erin always says, they mean well. They just get a little—”
“Over the top? In your face? Completely boundaryless?” I finish for her, and she gives a knowing nod. All my friends have been Granny-ed and Gab-ed many times over. “Anyway, Nick was just dropping me off after a walk on the beach with his dog.”
“You’ve got a dog?” Darcy asks excitedly. “How did I not notice that? I love dogs!”
“He’s the stinky wet one in the back,” I say, and she heads straight to the truck.
As Darcy pets Bruno, I say to Nick, “It’s nice of you to come say hi to Darcy, but you don’t need to hang around.”
“What if I want to?”
“You want to hang out some more?” I ask, surprised.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he replies with a grin. “Just as long as you’re okay with me giving Bruno a quick wash down in your shower. I can smell him from here.”
“Sure. Don’t expect me to help wash him, though.”
“Why not? It’ll be fun, and old Bruno does like the ladies, as I said.”
“Actually, you said he likes the bitches, if I recall correctly.”
“Oh, yeah, so I did,” he replies, still grinning at me.
A few moments later, all four of us have travelled up the elevator and gotten into our apartment, where I show Nick the shower for Bruno.
“I’ll go get some towels,” I offer over the sound of the shower and Bruno’s tail banging against the glass door as he happily wags it.
I walk to the hallway closet and collect some old towels.
“You’ve had a change of heart,” Darcy says behind me.
I close the closet door and turn to face her. “You know what? He’s a good guy. We called a truce.”
She raises his eyebrows at me. “You’re telling me he’s not an arrogant, self-satisfied sports pro like the rest of them?”
“I might have been a little hasty in my judgment there. But you can’t talk, babe. Remember how much you hated Alex before you gave him a chance?”
“Touché.”
The door buzzes, and Darcy says, “Speak of the devil. That’ll be Alex with Jas and Soph.”
“All of them?”
“Don’t you remember? We’re watching that new sci-fi series and getting Thai food tonight.”
“I forgot about that.” I lower my voice. “How am I going to explain Nick? Only you and Soph know the truth.”
“You’ll just have to pretend he’s your boyfriend,” she stage-whispers with a sly grin. She presses the button to open the door down on the street.
“I guess.”
“It’ll be a good test. And anyway, Jason will be so dazzled by Nick he won’t notice a thing.”
“Let’s hope. I’ll drop these off to Nick and go get changed. Bruno shook himself all over me at the beach.”
Darcy shoots me a wry smile. “Yeah, you look so terrible.”
“What does that mean?”
She shrugs. “Just that you look happy.”
“I do?” I ask in surprise.
“Quick. Go get changed.”
I open the bathroom door and announce I’m dropping the towels off before I close it over again and go to my room to change. I peer into the mirror and notice my long hair has come out of its braid, and it’s falling in soft, wild curls over my shoulders, and my cheeks are rosy from the afternoon sun. I tilt my head and examine my reflection. Maybe Darcy’s right? I do look happy, and for a girl who likes to look all put together, I kind of like the unkempt, wild version of Erin smiling back at me.
By the time I’ve changed into a clean Erin Andrews Designs original—a cute, pale pink V-neck tunic with a little bird print—I can hear cheerful chatter coming from the living room. Usually, I’m the third wheel at these things, the sad and lonely singleton in a sea of happy coupl
es. But as I greet them all, somehow, weirdly, having Nick here in the apartment as my guest makes it feel different. Better. Or fake better. Oh, whatever. It feels different, I’ll leave it at that.
“Erin!” Alex greets me with a big smile as I walk into the living room. Tall and muscular with scruffy hair and warm eyes, he’s an extremely good-looking man and a talented photographer, too.
“Gorgeous dress, girl,” Sophie adds as she pulls me in for a hug.
“I hear we’ve got a rugby superstar in the bathroom,” Jason says. Tall, athletic, and forever cracking witty jokes, he holds me by the shoulders and looks at me earnestly. “Thank you for bringing him to us, Erin. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
“You’re welcome?” I reply.
“For Jason, meeting Nick Zachary is like you meeting Coco Chanel,” Sophie explains. “I cannot tell you how jealous he was when I told him I met Nick on Monday at High Tea.”
“That’s because I’m the rugby connoisseur of the relationship,” Jason replies.
Sophie scrunches up her nose. “Is that even a thing?”
“Oh, yes. It’s definitely a thing,” Jason says sternly.
Just as I’m about to sit down with everyone, a now clean but damp Bruno bursts into the living room and promptly tries to lick everyone in sight.
“Hello again, Bruno,” Darcy coos. She pets him, and his tail wags furiously.
“What a cute dog!” Sophie says as Jason says, “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?” giving him a hearty pat.
Bruno is followed seconds later by a shirtless Nick.
I think I need to repeat that. Shirtless Nick. As in bare-chested, only wearing pants, nothing on his incredible body from the waist up. You get the picture.
Everyone stops what they’re doing, and collectively, we hold our breath.
I run my eyes over him, taking in his broad, muscular shoulders, his rounded pecs, his bulging arms, and a truly incredible set of washboard abs. Wow. Just wow. He’s freaking perfect. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen guys with their shirts off before. Heck, I’ve seen Nick with his shirt off on that billboard. But this? This is a whole other stratosphere.
“Hey there, Nick,” I say, embarrassed my voice has gone all girly and breathless.
Pull it together, Erin!
I clear my throat and try again. “Nick. Did you need something?” I ask.
“Like a shirt, maybe?” Alex offers and receives a bat on the arm from his girlfriend in return.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize you had company,” he replies, clearly nonplussed.
“It’s fine. They’re all my friends. This is Darcy,” I say, pointing at her and then adding, “but you met her outside already. Silly me.” I shoot him a brief smile before continuing my introduction duty. “This is Alex, Darcy’s boyfriend.”
Alex stands up, and he and Nick shake hands.
“You met Sophie at Cozy Cottage High Tea,” I continue.
“Hey,” he says as Sophie smiles and says, “Hi again.”
“And, last but not least, this is Jason, Sophie’s boyfriend.”
As Jason also gets up to shake Nick’s hand, I try not to notice how firm Nick’s body is when he moves, how there’s not an ounce of anything but skin, bone, and muscle. Although presumably there are veins and organs and stuff somewhere in the mix, too, of course, they are so not my concern right now.
“I can’t tell you what an honor it is to meet you. I’m a big fan. Huge,” Jason says as he pumps Nick’s hand.
“Thanks, man,” Nick replies. “That means a lot.”
Jason hasn’t let go of his hand. He’s still pumping away. “I can’t believe you’re dating Erin. How awesome is that? I bet we’ll see a lot of you now.” He glances down at Nick’s bare torso. “I mean we’ll see you around.”
Nick smiles at him. “Got it.”
“Hey, do you think you’ll make it back into the All Blacks? I hope you do. You’re an awesome fullback, and they really need you, in my opinion.”
“It’s tough competition this year,” Nick replies.
Jason appears to realize he’s still pumping Nick’s hand and stops abruptly. “Is it weird that we’re holding hands in the middle of my girlfriend’s living room and you’ve got no shirt on?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Nick replies. “How about I take my hand back.”
Jason looks down and drops his hand like a hot piece of coal. “Yes. Absolutely. Ah, sorry, man.”
Nick smiles at him. “No worries.” He looks over at the rest of us. “Sorry about the lack of clothing, guys,” he says to a chorus of “it’s fine” and “do what makes you feel comfortable” from the girls. “You see, my shirt got wet while I was washing Bruno. Can I throw it in your dryer, Erin?” He extends his hand—the one Jason wasn’t pumping like a mad man—holding the offending shirt in his grasp.
“Sure.” Heat wooshes up my neck and into my cheeks. I hurry over and take it from him before he has the chance to notice. “I’ll go do it now.”
“I’ll help you,” Darcy says, jumping up so fast it’s as though she’s been poked with a cattle prod. She follows me through our kitchen and out to our tiny laundry at the back.
I open the dryer and set the timer as Darcy closes the sliding door behind us.
“Oh, my. Erin, that man is a god!” she stage-whispers, her eyes shining.
“Shhh!” I say hurriedly. “He might hear you.”
She leans against the wall and mock-fans herself. “Good luck keeping that relationship fake.”
“There’s nothing to worry about on that front. He’s a womanizing party boy, remember?”
“He was a womanizing party boy,” she corrects, “before you came along. Now he’s turning up at our apartment and being nice to your friends. That guy likes you.”
“It’s not like that,” I say with a shake of my head. “We’ve called a truce, that’s all. And he’s easy to get on with.”
“So, why did he ask to come up?”
“He asked to come up because…” I trail off. Why did Nick ask to come up to my apartment? Now that I think about it, I’ve got no clue.
Darcy shoots me a knowing look. “Mmm-hmm. Just as I thought.”
“Look. We seem to be getting along better, and this whole fake thing is working for the media. Believe me, he’s not interested in me.”
“Okay. If you say so,” she says with a shrug. “Only, he’s single, you’re single, and he looks like that. That’s all I’m saying, babe.”
To my utter embarrassment, the door slides open, and we both turn to see Nick’s bare-chested, muscular, thoroughly distracting bulk filling the doorway. Quickly, I pull an assortment of underwear and socks from an overhead line, and stuff them into a basket on top of the washing machine.
“Did you make those, too?” he asks.
“Ah, no,” I mumble as my cheeks turn nuclear. “I don’t make underwear, or socks for that matter. Just clothes.”
“Erin’s such a talented designer, Nick. Have you seen the clothes she makes?” Darcy asks.
“Some of them,” he replies.
“Oh, you really should see all of them. She’s got them in her closet. Why don’t you two run along to see them? I’m sure Erin would be happy to show you.” Darcy begins to bundle me out of the laundry, and Nick has no choice but to move. “Who knows? She might even model them for you. Right, Erin?”
I shoot her a look that tells her just how extremely transparent she’s being and then look up at Nick and say, “Darcy’s drunk.”
“I’m drinking OJ,” she protests.
“Clearly laced with vodka.”
“Nope. Definitely just OJ.”
I try another tack. “Darcy, you should know Nick’s a guy and not interested in seeing my designs.”
Nick’s lips have curved into a smile during Darcy’s and my exchange. “I’d love to see your designs.”
“Really?” I squeak.
Darcy shoots me another knowing look. But I�
��m too busy being astonished to care. Nick Zachary, New Zealand rugby royalty, the Wild Boy of Rugby, wants to see my designs?
“Yeah, really. You are my girlfriend.”
The penny drops. Or rather the big, fat fake relationship game we’re playing kicks back into life. He’s playacting, pretending he’s interested in my designs for show. Well, I can play along, too.
“I’d love for you to see my designs,” I say with a big smile on my face before I add, “honey.”
“Well, that’s settled then,” Darcy says with a clap of her hands, and we walk through the kitchen and back into the living room. “Nick and Erin are going to look at her fashion designs in her bedroom, guys,” she announces to the room.
“Fun!” Sophie says. “Erin makes gorgeous clothes.”
“Do you think you want to throw on a shirt in the meantime, man?” Alex suggests.
Nick looks down at his torso as though only now noticing what we’ve all had staring us in our faces since he walked into the room. “Yeah, sure. I’d be happy to. Anyone got a spare?”
“This is the girl’s apartment, so I can’t help you,” Alex says.
“I’ve got a T-shirt that might fit you,” Darcy says.
Nick eyes her uncertainly. “I’m not exactly sure we’re the same size.”
She flicks his concerns away with her hand. “It’ll be fine. It’s totally roomie.”
He arcs an eyebrow. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. Now, you two go look at Erin’s designs, and I’ll bring the shirt in to you.”
As Nick and I head down the hall to my room, trailed by Bruno bouncing along in his perpetually happy state, nerves hit me in the chest. Maybe it’s because of his current state of undress or maybe it’s because Darcy was so obviously suggesting there’s more to Nick and me than our fake relationship, but taking Nick to my room feels oddly exciting. And without even intentionally meaning to, I find myself smiling.
Chapter 10
Nick closes my bedroom door and sits down on my white cane chair in the corner. His bulk swamps the chair, and I’m reminded once more that next to me, he’s a giant.
Bruno wanders around sniffing all the new and interesting smells as I stand, feeling awkward and super pleased I tidied my room up before I went to work this morning. Not that I expected to have a half-naked rugby player in here whom I’ve just spent a fun afternoon with, of course, but I’m glad it’s tidy all the same.
No More Horrible Dates Page 10