by ZN Willett
"I get that a lot," he grinned at me.
"Pilar, he is that Andrew."
It had taken her a moment before the light bulb turned on. "Oh, my. Well, how did you two meet? Are you going to be in her movie?"
I stood next to Andrew. "It's not my movie, and things aren't finalized. We met at Andrew's premier last night."
It was easier to say that, than when his bodyguard/brother-in-law spilled a drink on me. The questions would start flying.
"I now see where the basket came from," Dad mumbled under his breath.
Brandon stepped in front of me. "You two only met last night, and we find you—"
"Brandon!" I eyeballed him.
"So you're Brandon?" Andrew glared at him.
"What's it to you?" He pushed toward him as Andrew stood up.
I stood watching the two men puff themselves up like roosters, and I noticed that Jaimie didn't see anything humorous about it either. "What's it to you, Brandon?" she asked eyeballing her husband.
"Babe, he was all over her—"
"None of your business, Brandon," I interrupted.
"You're my—"
He stopped himself, as Jaimie and I both scowled at him. Andrew looked pissed, and Dad looked content. Carlos smirked, and Pilar looked horrified as she walked up to Andrew saying, "I apologize for my children. They don't seem to have any manners. Are you staying for Thanksgiving?"
They all looked at him, including me. "Thank you for the thoughtful offer, but I need to return back to Virginia. My parents are expecting me for dinner tomorrow."
"You drove out of your way to see Andria?" Dad asked.
"How romantic," Pilar added wrapping her arms around Dad's forearm.
"She's not that easy," Brandon stated under his breath.
"After meeting your daughter Mr. Moore, I couldn't help myself. I have the utmost respect for Andria. Even if she's a romance writer," he grinned.
I lightly punched his shoulder, sneering before smiling. "I'm so glad Mr. Hollywood overlooked that little flaw."
Andrew squinted his eyes at me and smirked. I so wanted to be back on that couch.
"I had better head out. It was nice meeting all of you," Andrew said as he collected his things.
"I'll walk you out."
Pilar stopped us as she hugged a surprised looking Andrew. "Hopefully, we can see you again," and with that, we walked to his car.
We stopped in front of the passenger door. "I'm sorry about…that." I nodded toward the house.
He moved a stray hair off of my face. "Don't be. They seemed nice, and I can't blame your father, but what's with Brandon?"
I was wondering the same thing. "He's like my older brother, Andrew. He's protective."
"Uh-huh."
"Ummm, about earlier, I hope you don't think I do that... that quick." I couldn't look at him.
"Tonight didn't change anything except that I want to see you again. I need a redo of this date."
I looked up. "Was that what it was?"
"I was hoping it could be. It wasn't exactly what I had planned. I thought I would take you out for dessert before the tire fiasco, but I did have dinner—which was wonderful, by the way. It’s just not what I had planned, although I did enjoy the evening very much." He smiled.
"So did I."
"You'll be back in D.C in a couple of days, right?"
"I promised my best friend Erin that we would go shopping for black Friday before I return to Dallas."
"I was planning on returning to LA Friday morning, but how about we try this again?"
It was hard to contain the burst of joy I felt. "Sounds…ummm…great."
"This time, it will be a proper date. I'll call you. Till then, Andria."
He stepped in closer; entwining his hands with mine as he bent down to kiss me. It was soft and sweet. I wanted to hold on to that moment forever, but he pulled back. "I thought I heard a shot-gun."
We both looked over to the front door, and there stood my father holding a hunting rifle. "Dad!"
"Dan, get in here!" Pilar yelled.
I was appalled, but Andrew laughed it off, and said, "Your father kind of scares me."
"Dad's harmless." I kissed him that time before walking to the driver's side. "Goodnight Andrew."
"Goodnight Andria."
I watched as he pulled out of the driveway and headed back to Virginia, and then turned toward the house. Dad had no right pulling that crap with the gun. I was twenty-four years old! "What the hell was that?" I asked, storming into the house after Andrew drove off.
"Watch your language young lady. I was only joking. I always wanted to do that."
"You thought now was a good time?"
"You're lucky I didn't load it. I enter my home, with a strange man pawing at my daughter, on my sofa."
"Yeah, and this guy seems like a prick!" Brandon jumped in.
"How would you know that?" I hissed.
"Come on, it's obvious. You just met, and he's trying to get into your pants."
"I think you need to focus on your own relationship and stay out of mine."
In hindsight, saying that in front of Jaimie wasn't the best idea, which didn't make our holiday any more festive. Brandon should have known not to cross me. I wasn't proud of it, but when provoked, I've been known to have a temper.
Usually, I respected Brandon's opinions when it came to guys. I have made my fair share of bad choices, but Andrew was different. For some reason, Brandon didn't want to hear that. I wasn't sure what was going on between him and Jaimie, but he needed to butt out.
The drive back to Virginia usually was soothing, but after the Thanksgiving fiasco, I was ready for a relaxing day with Erin. Nothing about black Friday was relaxing, unless you enjoy crowded stores full of pulling and shoving people. It was the Superbowl for Erin, for me, not so much. When she suggested going to the spa in the afternoon, I gladly accepted her offer. But, when we arrived at the spa, Erin had another agenda. I told her how far Andrew and I had gotten on the sofa, and she was determined that I needed a full work-over.
I wasn't lying to Andrew when I said that I usually don't fall into bed with every man that I meet. Yet, I did have a secret. One I wasn't ashamed of. It was private, and no one's business other than my own. Erin knew—of course. But, because of the nature of my work, I couldn't reveal it to anyone else. I was a virgin. You could see why I had kept that a secret. I wasn't sure how many books I would have sold if the public knew that A.P. Moore was a v-i-r-g-i-n.
I could hear them now, "What does she know about sex and romance?" Well…a few things since the book became a best seller. But sadly, I was afraid that wouldn't stop the ridicule. There were a couple of times I thought I was ready to get up on the horse and ride the saddle—no pun intended—but every time it felt…wrong.
When I had first arrived at Georgetown, I went to a party and met this guy who had seemed nice. We went out a couple of times and then I thought what the heck. I didn't want to leave college and not experience everything it had to offer.
One night, he wanted me to go down there on him. I couldn't. It was too intimate of an act for me, and I really didn't know the guy very well. When I told him that I felt uncomfortable, he laughed, and said I was the first girl who had refused. Then I thought about how many there were before me.
I left.
The last guy was a year ago. I dubbed him my first "adult relationship". He wined and dined me, and it was nice, but when it came to sex, it was a total flop.
He had planned the perfect evening at his place—flowers, music, low lighting. It was going to be our first time. I wasn't in love with him, but I figured that would come later—I was ready to get my v-card punched.
Everything was going along like a romance movie—nothing was unexpected. He kissed me and then led me to his bedroom. I went into the bathroom to make myself comfortable. When I came out in the prerequisite teddy, he told me how beautiful I was and placed a glass of champagne in my hand. He laid me down g
ently, and started to kiss my neck and proceeded down my stomach to my happy place. I held my breath in anticipation as he told me he was going to make me feel so good.
I waited.
And waited.
The big "O" never came.
I was starting to believe that the big "O" was a myth. I must say that he did put in a lot of effort, but I felt nothing. I thought about faking it so that we could get it over with, and that's when I suppressed a giggle.
So, I thought.
When I saw the irritation on his face as he was really putting in an effort, I slipped out another giggle. As much as I wanted to lose my virginity, I didn't want to "get it over with."
Before I could say stop, he asked me to leave, frustrated from my lack of enthusiasm. I didn't understand why it wasn't working, and I tried to explain to him that it wasn't him it was me. But he didn't want to hear that, and I couldn't blame him.
Yet, I was starting to think it was me.
I confided in Erin, who assured me that it wasn't me. But, I soon realized, I couldn't just sleep with a guy for the sole purpose of being deflowered. Don't get me wrong, I was all for the empowered women—I wrote about them. I respected those who wanted to wait until marriage, and I couldn’t judge those who hadn’t.
I lived through Erin's escapades. She happened to lose her v-card a long time ago, but I wanted…more. I wanted the intimacy, and I definitely needed to be in love with the guy. So, I made a pact to myself—no sex until I was in love.
Did that include Andrew Hughes?
The jury was still out on that one. I had to admit the thought that Andrew would be my first both thrilled and frightened me at the same time. This had now brought me to the spa with Erin. In her words, "You always need to be prepared, and you need to clean the cobwebs out down there, Andria." I would be insulted if anyone else had said that to me. Sadly, she was right, and I did need an overhaul. I got waxed, plucked, scrubbed and kneaded. I was in so much pain; I wished that I had thought about it sooner and not the same day as my date with Andrew.
"Do you know where he's taking you?" Erin asked while rubbing ice over her neck.
"No, but he told me to dress comfortably."
She took a sip of water. "Huh, so that crosses out dinner at D.C’s finest."
"I don't care where he takes me." It was getting too hot in here.
"So naïve," she said as she lay back down.
I stared at her as I stood under the cold-water shower. "Why would you say that?"
"I swear Andria, A.P. Moore had to be another person. She would have wanted something romantic and grand," she said, sitting up.
"Whatever." I grabbed a towel and headed out of the steam room.
"You're late."
Andrew smiled coyly. "My apologies. It's a bad habit that I picked up in LA. You must be Erin."
Erin didn't seem fazed by Andrew's fame. "Nice to meet you, Andrew."
“Is Andria ready?”
I watched from the hallway as they both acted like this was an ordinary thing. Taking one last look in the mirror, I walked out. "Hi, Andrew." He stood smiling in a pair of dark denim jeans that fit him perfectly, and a long sleeve green polo shirt with a leather jacket. "You look nice."
Chills coursed through me as I watched his eyes glide over my body. "I was about to say the same thing, except, you look incredible."
I had on a pair of dark gray jeans, with a gray printed tank top that had a sheer silver blouse overlay. Erin said it was casual enough, but insisted that I wear a pair of studded designer heels for accent.
We said goodbye to Erin and walked out of her brownstone to an expensive looking sports car. It was dark the other night, but I was sure that this car was different from the one Andrew had driven to Baltimore. I wasn't good with cars—never was really interested—but I had to ask. As Andrew opened my door, he said it was a prototype that his sister, Taylor helped to design.
I sat in and crossed my legs—he paused for a moment, and looked down at my shoes. Andrew stood in thought as he eyed my shoes before closing the door. I wasn't sure why it took so long for him to come around to the driver's side, but when he finally got in, he started the car and sped off. "So, where are you taking me?"
He looked at my shoes again as he shifted in his seat. "A little place that I thought you might like."
We drove for about twenty minutes before pulling up to our destination. I didn't realize at first that we had stopped. Andrew was explaining that he was able to test drive every car that Taylor and his Father worked on. They had several European contracts, and when a new feature was designed, he offered his services to try them out.
Before exiting, Andrew put on a baseball hat and glasses with darkened green lenses, and walked around to open my door. When I stepped out, I stopped in my tracks. "You're taking me to The Anchor?" my voice cracked with surprise.
"I thought we needed a do over."
At that moment, I was rethinking that vow of celibacy.
Andrew reserved a quiet spot in the back, partitioned off away from the main dining area and prying eyes. We were in a high booth and no one else was seated in the section. He took off his hat and glasses, and it looked as if I would have Andrew all to myself.
We drank beer and talked. Actually, I drank Shandy's. He found it humorous that I wasn't a fan of beer. I explained that I picked it up on a London trip. It's the only way I drank the stuff, and I wasn't going to a pub and order white wine.
Andrew ordered every appetizer on the menu and surprisingly ate most of it. I couldn't help laughing as buffalo sauce dripped down his full lips. "What?"
I stared as the sauce dripped further and my mouth suddenly watered. "Nothing. You seem to be enjoying the food."
I leaned over and scooped up the sauce with my thumb. One edge of his lip curled up. "The only time that I get to eat like this is usually when I'm with Wade—or at a game. My cook doesn't believe in junk food, and my mother would be disappointed that I was here."
"I see." I wasn't sure why all of a sudden I felt like he didn't care enough that it was okay for me.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked and stopped eating.
"No. I'm...umm, glad that you feel comfortable to bring me here."
He tilted his head in thought. "The only reason I brought you here was because this was…it's where I first saw you. It wasn't under the best circumstances," he chuckled. "You told me this was your place in college, and I didn't want it to be tarnished because of me. When I said that I wanted a redo, I was serious. I wanted at least one happy memory with you here."
"You didn't have to—"
"I did, and yes, my mother would be very upset that my attempt of a second date with you is here. But under the circumstances I think that she would understand."
I smiled at him and asked, "Are you close with your mother?"
He sat up straight. "I love my mother and respect her. She was the one who taught me how important it is to respect all women." He laughed to himself as he continued saying, "She would take me on 'mommy and me date nights' telling me it was good practice on how to treat a lady."
"That is really cute."
He picked up his glass. "It wasn't as a child, but I grew to like them. I'll let you in on a little secret. We still have them," he smiled before downing his beer.
I went into a trance watching his adam's apple bounce as the liquid flowed down his throat. "Could you be any more perfect?" I thought, but apparently said that out loud when his eyes squinted. "Umm, sorry, I didn't mean—"
Then that incredible laugh of his erupted from his chest, the one that always forced a smile on my face every time that I heard it. "I am going to hold you to that. When I mess up in the future, I will remind you of this day."
"You say that with such confidence."
His fingers started to sweep back and forth over the top of my hand and electricity sparked to every nerve ending in my body. Andrew sat quietly in thought watching his movements as I studied his face.
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His eyes made contact with mine, holding them hostage as he asked, "Would you like to take this somewhere private, where I can show you how confident I am?"
What could I say to that?
When Andrew told me that we were going to his place, I assumed it was a hotel since he lived in LA. "This is a hotel?" I asked as we pulled up to a very expensive high-rise.
"No. This was mine and Taylor's place to use during college. It was a gift from our parents. Taylor and Wade used it while they went to school, and I was supposed to after I graduated from high school. Now, I use it when I'm in town, or they use it when they're in the city for a medical conference or an event."
He stepped out and opened my door. "I thought you were staying at the hotel during the premier?" I asked as we walked to the elevator.
"I did stay at the hotel. I let Mom and Dad use the condo, and since Wade was working, Taylor stayed at the hotel with him."
Andrew punched in a code, and the elevator opened to a private floor with only two doors. Andrew opened the first door, and we walked into an incredibly furnished apartment for two college kids. It looked as if Andrew's parents were doing quite well. "Did it always look like this?"
"It's changed a little, but yes."
Even though the place was spacious, it was very homey. The bottom level was one large space and the kitchen was adjacent to the living room. The furniture was plush with fluffy cream pillows, and the kitchen was very modern. I loved the dark hardwood floors, blending throughout the unit with the clean crisp colors of blue, cream and dark brown. The upstairs held a loft that could be seen from the living room. "There's a playroom upstairs." I coughed staring at him with wide eyes. "Not that kind of playroom. It's our recreational room," he said amusedly.
I turned from Andrew and walked around the large open space. "This is a beautiful place, Andrew."
"Wine?" he said softly behind me.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. "Yes, please."
He stepped to my side, walking to the kitchen asking, "White?"
"Please."
Per his instructions, I made myself comfortable on the large puffy sofa that I immediately sunk into. Andrew sat the glasses down and then sat next to me. I took a sip of the incredible tasting, obviously expensive wine. "This is really good."