Now Maybe

by Sharon Coady

  “Get it together. You can’t afford to fall for this one. No strings attached, remember? Pull your big boy shorts on, and get your head back in the game.”

  “Yeah, I know.” But did he? He thought he was sort of falling for this woman, even though he didn’t really know her. He honestly didn’t want another relationship right now so why did he feel so drawn to her? “If it looks like I am moving toward something more, I’ll let you know so you can stop me, okay?”

  “Deal. I just don’t want to see you go down the rabbit hole again, buddy.”

  “I won’t. I’m a dick, remember?” He fist bumped Daniel, knowing full well he might not be able to keep his word on this one. “After the show, we can talk about you and Julie.”

  Daniel frowned before nodding once.

  The show felt like it went on forever. Liam wanted to text Sophie, but it was probably a good thing he didn’t. He didn’t want to do anything that made her nervous about dinner tomorrow night. He felt like a fool when a couple of times he messed up the lyrics and caught Daniel eyeing him with his eyes narrowed. When they were done, he hurried off stage, grabbed his shit, and took off before the other guys made their way to the dressing room. He didn’t want any of them asking him any questions about his screw-ups.

  He walked along the sand, letting the sounds of the ocean and the chatter of the people soothe him. He needed to clear his mind and wrap his head around what he was feeling for Sophie. She’d be leaving in a couple of weeks, and he’d still be here doing what he did every night. Why’d she fascinate him so much? Wasn’t she just another tourist passing through? Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. He spun, fist raised to find Daniel breathing hard.

  “What the hell? You almost got yourself coldcocked.”

  “I was worried about you. You took off without speaking to any of us. That’s not like you. Plus, I thought we were hanging out tonight.” He cocked his head. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I just wanted to clear my head.” He’d completely forgotten he was supposed to lounge around with Daniel. “Glad you caught up and reminded me. You have to fill me in on your escapades.” He chuckled, wanting to take the target off himself.

  Daniel shook his head. “How about we go back to my place, and I can whip us up something to eat?”

  “You mean the pasta dinner?”

  “One and the same.” Daniel chuckled. “I’ll fix that pasta dinner, and you can let me vent about Julie.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I don’t have to cook, and I get to hear about whatever this is between the two of you. Might take my mind off my screw-up with Leah.”

  Once they got to Daniel’s place, Liam went into the kitchen and watched Daniel get the ingredients out for their pasta dinner. True to Daniel’s word, he took a jar of pasta sauce out of the cabinet, popped it open, and dumped it into the pan. He turned the heat to low while he filled up a larger pot for the noodles. Once he had the large pot on, he went into his cabinet, pulled out some jars of spices, and added them to the sauce. Soon, a nice smell filled the small kitchen.

  “Smells good.”

  “Yeah, I can mix up a good store bought pasta sauce. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Daniel nodded toward the cabinets. “Would you mind getting down two plates? There’s beer in the fridge, help yourself.”

  “So, you want to spill?” Liam asked as he grabbed a beer, popped the tab, and took a long drink.

  “About a month ago, I finally agreed to meet up with Julie for drinks. I thought Julie was wasted after a few drinks, and I figured I should be a gentleman and take her home.” He stirred the sauce, tasted it, and added just a pinch of sea salt. “Well, one thing led to another and I ended up staying the night. I didn’t know why I stayed because she does nothing for me.” He sighed as the timer buzzed. He turned it off, grabbed some potholders, and drained the noodles into the strainer he had placed in the sink. “Well, come to find out, she wasn’t drunk. The bitch had slipped something into my drink. I heard her on the phone the next morning bragging to that other woman that hangs out with her. It pissed me off. I left and told her to leave me alone. She’s been hounding me since. I was too damn embarrassed to tell you or anyone else about it.” Daniel snorted loudly in disgust. “Fuck, it still pisses me off.”

  “Man, you could have told me. What a bitch.” Liam felt really bad for him. “What kind of woman drugs a man to get him into her bed?”

  “Her. She actually tried to deny it. Called me a liar when I confronted her on it. She said I heard her wrong. That I made the moves on her.” He plated the noodles, spooned some sauce over each plate, added some grated cheese, and handed Liam one of the plates. “Can you grab me a cold one too while I get the bread out of the oven?”

  “Sure.” Liam grabbed another can, popping the top, and placing it on the table for Daniel. “So how long has she been hounding you and trying to convince you to date her?”

  “Since that night. Man that was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  “I think you’re smart to go to the police and get a restraining order against her. Let Brice know too. He can keep her away from the club if she’s stupid enough to come back there.” Liam twirled the pasta on his fork and took a bite. “Damn, this is good.”

  “I told you.” Daniel smiled and took a bite of his. “It works for some reason. I don’t know why, but the combination of spices just makes it taste good.”

  “Well, you are going to have to share your secret with me.” Liam winked. “At least I’m not the only one with a screwed-up woman story to tell.” He glanced at Daniel. “So tell me, why are we so fucking interested in Chelsea?”

  “The hell if I know.” He chuckled. “Okay, less talking and more eating.” Daniel twirled some pasta around his fork, shoved it into his mouth, and smiled at Liam.

  “Works for me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Sophie

  Sophie changed her clothes four times before she finally decided to wear her blue sundress and strappy sandals that Chelsea helped pick out. She hoped Liam liked the way she looked in it.

  “Chelsea, can you come help me for a moment?” Her heart thumped in her chest, and she sat down hard on the bed. Get a grip.

  Chelsea hurried into the room. “What’s wrong?” she asked, slightly out of breath as if she’d been running.

  “I need help.” Holding her hands out in front of her, Chelsea could see how bad they were shaking. “I want to put my hair up, but I can’t seem to get my hands to stop shaking.”

  Chelsea sat down beside her on the bed and shook her head. “Good grief. I thought something was really wrong.” She patted Sophie’s arm. “Of course I’ll help you do your hair.” She stood and hurried to get her travel bag. “Where’s your brush?” She sat the bag on the nightstand. “I’ll get a chair from the dining room.”

  Sophie sat down on the chair as soon as Chelsea set it down then handed her the hairbrush, closed her eyes, and let Chelsea work her magic. She really wanted to look beautiful tonight. She wanted him to only have eyes for her during the short time she was in Florida.

  “My heart flutters when I see him. The very thought of being with him has me all jumpy. It was never like this with Nathan. I’m not sure what to think.”

  Chelsea’s hands stopped for a heartbeat. “I sort of feel the same way about his friend Daniel. I’m going out with him for dinner tonight.” She pulled Sophie’s hair up high into a loose ponytail. “I’m not ready to sleep with him yet.”

  “That’s smart. You can’t move too fast.” Sophie realized how stupid that sounded since that’s what they wanted. “That was a stupid thing to say.” She laughed. “We’re supposed to be sleeping with the guy we pick because no one will ever know about it.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean we have to sleep with said guy the first time we go out with him.” Chelsea leaned down and looked at her. “We don’t have to sleep with them at all if we choose. This is all under our control. Our rules. Remember that. N
ow get up and look in the mirror. Tell me what you think.” She stood back, clasped her hands in front of her, and smiled.

  Sophie took two steps and looked in the mirror. A slow smile spread over her face. “I look beautiful.” She spun and grabbed Chelsea’s hand. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re very welcome. Now, I have to go get ready to meet up with Daniel. Are you good now? Do I need to help you strap on your sandals?” She laughed and ducked when Sophie swatted at her.

  “I think I can manage putting my own sandals on thank you very much. See?” Sophie held out her hands, which were no longer shaking. “Thanks for talking with me and fixing my hair. I’m nervous about tonight. I might even be a bit scared. But thanks to you, I know I am in control.”

  “Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Chelsea waved as she walked out of the bedroom to take her shower.

  Glancing at the clock, Sophie figured she would leave and walk over to the hat shop. She didn’t mind being a few minutes early. Plus, she could window shop a little while she strolled. She picked up her purse, her keys, and headed out the door. “See you later,” she hollered in case anyone was listening.

  Surprisingly, Tarin hollered back, “Have fun.”

  Sophie locked the door behind her and made her way toward downtown, trying to keep herself calm. She didn’t want to be flustered when he walked up, but with the way she was feeling, she didn’t know if that was possible.

  She glanced toward each shop as she passed the windows along the way. She stopped in front of the window of an amazing shoe shop. She loved shoes, not as much as Bailee loved hats, but she loved them. She pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the time. Her heart thumped. Shit! She was supposed to be in front of the hat shop in two minutes. She walked quickly, hoping to get there before Liam. As she scooted around a group of girls standing in front of a jewelry shop, she spotted him. Crap, he beat me.

  Sophie put a smile on her face as she stepped in front of him. “Hi. Sorry I’m late.”

  “You’re not late, you’re right on time. I’m always early.” He smiled and took her hand in his. “So I made us a reservation at a restaurant about three blocks away, if you don’t mind walking. If you do, I can get us a cab.”

  “No, walking is fine. The weather is perfect tonight.” She smiled. Please say something. She didn’t know what to say, and he was just staring at her.

  “I’m glad you don’t mind walking. It’s one of the things I love to do, especially this time of the year.” He offered her his arm. “You look beautiful tonight.”

  She felt the heat of a blush spread over her face. “Thank you. You look very nice yourself.”

  “Thank you.” He started to stroll, setting a nice slow pace.

  Sophie glanced at him and smiled. It felt nice to be walking beside him. He was so handsome. She wanted to ask him about his tattoo but thought it might not be appropriate since they didn’t know each other yet... The hell with it. She decided this was her time to be whoever she wanted to be. Be someone else if she chose to. “So, tell me about your tattoo.”

  He laughed. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why did you get it? What does it mean?” She tilted her head.

  “Well, I got it because I’ve wanted one for a very long time. I can show you all of it later. Each picture on my arm stands for a part of my life, something that means a lot to me. Of course, my music is a big part of it.” He smiled down at her. “Have you ever wanted one?”

  Sophie giggled. “I’ve never thought about it.” She really hadn’t but she loved checking out other people’s artwork. She wondered if she’d be brave enough to ever get one. “Does it hurt?” She scrunched her forehead.

  Liam chuckled. “It feels different on each part of your body. Even on your arm, each area has its own sensation. I think it’s subjective to each person how it feels. So you like tattoos?”

  “Sure. When they’re beautiful pieces of art. I’ve seen some tacky ones. But when I see one that’s done artistically that has depth and meaning, those I do love.”

  He nodded his head. “So you like mine.”

  It was a statement, not a question. Sophie saw a big smile spread over his face as she nodded her head.

  “Good. I like that you like it.” He patted her hand and steered her around a group of boisterous men blocking the sidewalk. “We’re almost there.”

  “You didn’t say where we’re going.” She walked close to him, enjoying the feel of his bicep muscle moving under her hand. His muscles were so defined and hard. She wanted to run her hand over his rock hard abs...Whoa girl! She took a deep breath to try to center herself and stop her thoughts from zooming into dangerous territory.

  “Patience, little lady. You’ll see when we get there.” He chuckled.

  The deep sound reverberated through her, sending a chill through her body even though the night air was balmy.

  They turned the corner and there in front of them, she saw what appeared to be a cute old house. The Cellar Restaurant was painted on a beautiful wooden sign that hung between two posts beside a walkway. It steered them to a door on the side. They went in and Sophie was surprised to see brick pillars dividing the dining area from the entryway. She peered into the dining room and saw round tables covered with white linen tablecloths and wine glasses. A beautiful bar sat off to the right side of the room. The lighting was soft and romantic. She chanced a glance up at Liam to find him taking in the restaurant as well.

  The smells coming from the kitchen made her stomach growl, and she felt the heat of a blush spread over her cheeks, praying he hadn’t heard.

  “I hope you like Italian.” He put his hand on her lower back, caressing it softly. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  “It is one of my favorites as well. Is this a historical house?”

  “Yes. It was the home of President Harding. I think it was built in 1907. I was told they have an amazing menu.” The host stepped up, greeted them, and led them to a table by a window in the back.

  “Welcome to The Cellar. Your waiter will be with you shortly.” He smiled and left them to seat themselves. Liam held the chair for her and walked around the table to sit across from her.

  As soon as they sat, a cute waitress bounced up to the table. “Hello. I’m Shirley and I’ll be your waitress tonight.” She set the menus in front of them. “Would you like some wine and an appetizer?” She pulled a book out of her apron, her pen ready to write down their order.

  Liam looked at Sophie with one brow raised. She shook her head.

  “No, thank you. We’ll look over the menu and order everything at once.”

  “Okay. I’ll check back with you.” She walked away and left them to look over the menu.

  Sophie glanced at the menu. Everything was rather pricy. She quickly scanned down, trying to find something that wasn’t so high.

  “I’ve heard so much about it from other people. I hope it’s as good as everyone says. Please order whatever sounds good to you.” He reached over the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  “The Rigatoni con Gaberi e Asparagi sounds yummy.” Sophie hoped it wouldn’t be a ton of food like the first night at the club. “I love shrimp.”

  “Good. I think I am going to go with the Filetto al Barole e Porcini. I’m a steak lover myself.” He nodded at the waitress, who was watching them from the bar area, and she hurried over to the table.

  “Are you ready to order?” She jutted her hip out, and Sophie noticed she was focused on Liam. She actually batted her lashes at him.

  “Yes we are, Shirley. She’ll have the Rigatoni con Gaberi e Asparagi and I will have the Filetto al Barole e Porcini. I would like my steak medium rare, please. We will also have a half bottle of the The Crossing’s, Sauvignon Blanc.”

  “I’ll have that out to you shortly.” She gathered the menus and set off to the kitchen.

  “You didn’t have to order wine.” Sophie was worried about drinking again tonight. She’d let
herself get way out of hand the other night.

  “It’s fine and I only ordered a half a bottle. Don’t want to spoil the evening with either of us getting tipsy.”

  Sophie looked up at him to see if he was poking fun at her for the other night, but he seemed to just be stating a fact. “I’m sorry about the other night. I don’t usually drink, and I just wanted to have fun. You know, let loose.”

  “Hey, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I didn’t say that because of the other night.” He took her hand in his. “I’m glad you told me though.”

  They chatted for a short time, Sophie mostly nodding and listening to him. She found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss his full lips. She was abruptly brought back to reality when she realized he was calling her name. “I’m sorry. What did you ask me?”

  “I asked you what made you decide to become a nurse?”

  She was just about to reply when Shirley appeared at their table with their meals. Sophie sat back and smiled up at the waitress as she set the plate down. “Oh, this looks amazing.” She was so happy that expensive places served smaller portions. It didn’t make sense, but she was glad of it.

  Shirley set Liam’s plate down and he nodded. “Looks great. Thank you.”

  “I’ll be just over there if you need anything else.” She walked away and left them to their dinner.

  Chapter Nine

  Liam

  She looked beautiful with her hair pulled up. Possibly even more beautiful than the first time he saw her. And the dress, wow, he couldn’t stop looking at her. He wanted to take her in his arms, pull her close, and kiss the hell out of her. He wanted to so badly that it was taking him every ounce of strength to keep from doing so.

  She was so cute, apologizing for being late. He couldn’t help but offer his arm just to feel her touching him again. The memory of her body pressed against his was so fresh in his mind, but she didn’t remember anything from that night. He thought about how little time they were going to have together, and it made him sad. That in itself was stupid since they didn’t even know each other yet, but he couldn’t help the feelings he had.