The Philadelphia Series: The Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Taryn Plendl

  Nick nodded. “Okay, then let’s start over.” His grin was infectious.

  “Perfect.” I smiled.

  We spent the rest of the evening talking. The conversation flowed without a moment of uncomfortable silence, and I was pleasantly surprised to find Nick to be such a passionate guy, especially when it came to soccer. It was almost like a kid on Christmas morning when he talked about it.

  “I would love to watch you play sometime.” I sat back and smiled at his excitement.

  “Really?” He grinned like a little boy. It was truly endearing.

  “Yeah. I can tell it means a lot to you. I get it. That’s how I feel about running.”

  “You’re a runner?” he asked with interest.

  “I’m training for my first half-marathon this year, and next year I plan to do my first full marathon.” I nodded.

  “That’s amazing! When do you run?”

  “Usually before work, but if the weather is bad, I just run on the treadmill. To be honest, I hate it. There’s just something about being outside.” It felt so good to talk to someone who was passionate about athletics. I was more and more impressed with Nick as the night went on. He was someone with whom I could see myself being good friends.

  “Do you ever run with someone else?” he asked as he slipped his credit card into the check before I could offer to pay my half.

  I shrugged. “Not really.”

  He frowned. “Too bad.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to; I guess no one has ever asked to run with me.” I smiled gently at him and was relieved to see his smile again.

  “I would love to run with you if you’d like some company. I usually can’t go more than five miles at once, but if you’d be willing to be slowed down a bit ...” He grinned, and I laughed.

  “Sure. Do you want to meet me down at the Schuylkill River Trail around five on Monday morning?” I was about to see how serious he was by asking him to meet me so early.

  “Five. Okay.” He signed the credit card slip, tucked it back into the check folder and stood up.

  “Ready?” He held out his hand and helped me up.

  “Thanks for dinner.” I smiled, trying to hide my disappointment in ending the evening so soon.

  “I figure I’d better get home and get some rest tonight and tomorrow night if I’m going to be able to keep up with you on Monday.” He winked.

  “So you’re really going running with me?” I tried to hide my surprise.

  “Unless you changed your mind.” He stopped and looked at me.

  “No, I guess I didn’t think you were really serious. It is pretty early you know?” I challenged.

  “I’ll be there.” He squeezed my arm before opening the car door for me.

  The drive was short and quiet. Nick walked me to my door and pulled me into a hug so quickly that I gasped. “Thank you for going out with me tonight. I had a really great time, and I’m glad you gave me a chance to show you that I’m not always such an asshole.”

  I pulled back, laughing.

  “Why are you laughing?” He smiled.

  “I was just thinking about the astronomical amount of money you probably spend taking women out to apologize for being a jerk.”

  Nick raised his eyebrows and smiled a half smile that brought out the dimple on his right cheek. “Well, I think you would be surprised at how little I actually spend doing that.”

  “Why’s that?” I cocked my head to the side, watching his eyes dance.

  He put his hand under my chin, lifting my head up, and held my eyes to him. “Because this is the first time I’ve ever done that.” He turned and walked away. “See you on Monday!” he hollered over his shoulder.

  Chapter 6

  Nick

  I made it to the place where I was going to meet Chelsea about fifteen minutes early. Surprisingly, I was excited to see her again. I was extremely surprised at how much fun I had with her at dinner Saturday night. I fully expected it to be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t. I felt like complete shit for treating her the way I had at the wedding, and I seriously wanted to show her I wasn’t such an ass.

  I hadn’t lied when I told her that I’d never taken someone out to apologize before. The women I usually hooked up with were always well aware that I wasn’t looking for anything other than a physical relationship. I guess that was why what I’d done to Chelsea bothered me so much. She wasn’t that type of girl, and in my drunken stupor, she had gotten caught in my line of fire and, whether she wanted to admit it or not, consequently had gotten hurt.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” I turned to see Chelsea walking toward me in a tight pair of yoga pants and a short sleeved North Face running shirt that hugged her body like a glove. She had her long red hair pulled back in a pony tail and didn’t appear to have a drop of makeup on, but she looked lovely even without it. Her skin was pale and beautiful, and her smile was radiant. Most women didn’t wake up looking like this. She was naturally beautiful.

  “Good morning.” I smiled.

  “Did you stretch yet?” she asked as she stepped up to me.

  “Not yet.” I followed her over to the rail.

  We both took some time to stretch before setting out on the trail. I paced myself with her as we ran along the river. “It’s nice out here.” I glanced over the river, taking in the early morning action.

  “It is. I love running out here.” She looked out over the water.

  It didn’t take long for both of us to get in the zone. We ran in silence, focusing only on the sound of our feet hitting the pavement in a rhythmic beat. I focused on my breathing and was extremely impressed at how steady Chelsea’s breathing was. She had perfect form when she ran, a long, smooth stride, fast, yet with an element of gracefulness—effortless, like she was meant to do this.

  “This is the two and a half mark; let’s turn around and head back.” We turned and continued to run back the way we had just come from. I could feel my lungs beginning to burn as we started our last mile. Shit, I was going to make a fool of myself. God, please don’t let me puke or pass out! I was doing my best to not gasp and cough, when I could finally see our ending point. I managed to make it before I collapsed in the grass, lying on my back, breathing as if I was having a full-blown asthma attack.

  “Are you okay, Nick?” Chelsea was leaning over me with a smirk on her face. The little shit was hardly even winded.

  “I think … I’m dying.” I gasped as she sat next to me, giggling. My chest burned as I tried to take deep breaths.

  “Come on. Sit up.” She held out her hands and pulled me into a sitting position. “We need to stretch.”

  She straddled her legs in front of me, and I did the same, so that our feet lined up. If I wasn’t in such respiratory distress, I might have been turned on. She grabbed my hands and pulled me forward. I could see a treasure that I desperately wanted as I leaned forward toward the center of her legs, but the burning and pull in my hamstrings brought me to an abrupt halt. Shit, I seriously needed to work on my flexibility. I did the same for her, watching as she laid her chest fully on the grass with little effort. Lucky grass. If people knew how to read minds, I’d be so screwed! After about five minutes of stretching our arms and legs, I was finally beginning to feel human again.

  “Shit, Chelsea, you must think I’m such a pussy.” I shook my head.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “No, actually, you did great! It gets easier, and just imagine how much it will help your stamina.” She stood up and swung her arms back and forth.

  I stood up with much less grace. “I’ve never had any complaints about my stamina.” I grinned at her.

  “Does everything always come back to sex for you? I was referring to soccer.” She shook her head at me, laughing.

  “Having the ability to turn any thought into a sexual innuendo isn't a bad thing, but true talent.” I grinned and laughed as she rolled her eyes.

  “Do you want to grab a drink?” She pointed at the coffee shop. />
  “Sure.” We walked through the doors, and the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans flooded my senses. I looked over at Chelsea in time to see her close her eyes and inhale deeply.

  “Is coffee your beverage of choice?” I asked.

  “Coffee is not just a beverage Nick, but a moment of pleasure,” she informed me.

  We stepped up and ordered two large coffees, and Chelsea grabbed two bottles of water.

  “Water first, then coffee.” She smiled, holding them up.

  I pulled out my wallet and paid for our drinks as Chelsea took the waters to a small table by the window. After grabbing our coffees, I followed her. “Cream or sugar?”

  “Nope. I’m a simple girl.” She grinned as I set her coffee down in front of her.

  “Me too. Well, I’m not a girl, but I like my coffee black, too,” I corrected.

  She giggled. “Thanks for clearing that up, Nick.”

  I sat down, took a sip of my coffee and groaned loudly. “Mmm, can I just say that I love the way you taste when your warm silkiness slips softly between my lips, warming every inch of my body?” Two men sitting next to us stared at Chelsea with wide eyes.

  “Nick!” she gasped.

  “Perverts! I'm talking about my coffee!” I shook my head.

  “Water first, you weirdo.” She giggled, pointing to the bottle. “So Nick, why did you become an accountant? You don’t really fit the stuffy businessman persona.”

  “Thanks … I think.” I laughed. “I was always good at math; it was just easy for me. For the most part, I like my job, even though it can get overwhelming working for such a large company.”

  “I get that. Some days I feel like I’m caught up in so many projects. Big companies can be exhausting sometimes.” She finished off her water.

  “Yeah, and I’m sorry you have to work so closely with Trevor. That must be exhausting in itself.” I grinned, knowing that Trevor was actually an easygoing guy.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, he’s a tough one; thank God Ava keeps him in line.”

  “Speaking of work, I probably should get going so I’m not late.” She stood up and I followed, taking a second to check out her tight ass. Nice.

  I walked her to her car and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”

  “Thank you for the drinks.” She held up her coffee and smiled. “Have a good day, Nick.”

  I watched her drive away before walking to my car to head home for a quick shower.

  ***

  I couldn’t believe how great I felt. By the time I’d made it to work, I felt so refreshed and awake. I jumped right into my ever-growing pile of work and had made quite a dent before I grabbed a sandwich and sat back for a quick lunch. Maybe this running thing was a good move; even though I was pretty sure it almost killed me today. I better make sure Chelsea knows CPR.

  I had just finished my sandwich when my phone rang. “Hey, Trevor, what’s up?”

  “Hey. You up for dinner with the four of us tonight?”

  “Oh sure, I’d love nothing more than to be the fifth wheel,” I chuckled. I was actually quite okay with it. The four of them never made me feel unwelcome, and in truth, I was so happy that Trevor and Tom had found such great women.

  “Whatever, Nick,” he laughed back. “Hey, we could invite Chelsea, too?” Trevor suggested.

  “That would be cool.” I smiled.

  “Really? So I guess the date went well?” he asked, sounding quite surprised.

  I laughed. “It wasn’t a date in the sense you are thinking, but we had a good time. She is actually a lot of fun to be around,” I explained as I threw away my lunch mess.

  “So, are you interested in her?” Trevor asked warily.

  “Let me put it this way—I like being around her, and I don’t want to screw that up by doing what I do, so it doesn’t matter if I am interested or not, I’m not going to take it there again,” I confirmed.

  “That’s good to hear, Nick. Ava and I don’t want to see her hurt. She’s such a sweetheart.” Even though I knew Trevor wasn’t trying to put me down, it still kind of pissed me off that they had such little faith in me. Deep down I understood where he was coming from. My track record spoke for itself.

  “So, I’ll see you all tonight.” I hung up and dove back into my work, still thinking about Chelsea and how much I was enjoying our new friendship.

  ***

  I was the last to show up at the restaurant. My boss had come in right before five and sat down to chat about deadlines. My mind had been so fixated on getting out of there that he had finally taken pity on me and told me that we could finish up in the morning.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” I couldn’t help my grin when I noticed that Chelsea had come.

  “What do you want to drink?” Tom asked as the waiter approached.

  “I’m just going to drink water and behave tonight.” I laughed at all of their shocked faces. “I'm sorry; I just wanted to see what it felt like to say that.” I ordered my beer and took a quick look at the menu, so they didn’t have to wait any longer on me.

  Chelsea leaned toward me. “How do you feel? Are you sore from this morning?” She looked so cute as she bit her bottom lip. Part of me wanted to grab her and bite that lip myself.

  I heard Ava gasp. When I looked up she was openly glaring at me. “What?” I asked innocently.

  “What the hell did you do, Nick? Why would you be sore from this morning?” She folded her arms across her chest and looked at Trevor with her eyebrows raised. I looked at Chelsea and winked before turning back to Ava.

  “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but our girl Chelsea here gave me one hell of a cardio workout this morning.” I waggled my eyebrows at them.

  “What the hell Nick? I thought you told Trevor you weren’t going to pull that shit with her.” I looked over at Chelsea and noticed her trying to cover her smile, obviously aware that I was just giving them a hard time.

  “Shit, Ava, chill out. I didn’t do anything to hurt Chelsea. We went running together this morning, and she just about killed me, just so you know. That’s why she was asking if I was sore.” I chuckled when Ava’s mouth dropped.

  “I’m sorry, Nick. I shouldn’t have assumed the worst,” Ava apologized.

  “It’s okay.” I winked at her.

  “Talia, you’re awfully quiet tonight. It’s actually quite refreshing.” I raised my drink to her.

  Talia leaned forward and smiled at me. “I keep telling myself that there has to be a reason why our lives have crossed paths, Nick. You know what? I think I’ve finally figured it out. I’m pretty sure you were brought into my life to help me learn about tolerance.” She smirked at me before nestling back into Tom’s arm.

  “Oh, come on, Talia, I'm pretty much destined for greatness. To be honest, I'm actually pacing myself so I don't freak you out.”

  “That’s right, Nick, believe in yourself,” Tom mused.

  “Yeah, because the rest of us think you’re an idiot,” Trevor chimed in.

  “I’m not an idiot … just socially unique.” I grinned as I took a big draw from my beer.

  “What is that?” I asked as the waiter set Chelsea’s food in front of her.

  “A double cheeseburger and onion rings, why?” She looked at me like I was crazy. Who was this girl? She was athletic, she drank beer, and she ate like a linebacker. I was pretty sure I might be in love with her.

  “Hmm.” I looked begrudgingly down at my bowl of pasta. What the hell was I thinking when I ordered this? I looked back up as Chelsea set half of her cheeseburger on my plate and smiled. I grinned and picked it up, taking an enormous bite. “Oh. My. God. This is amazing!” I groaned.

  “You better have your ass down at the river at five tomorrow,” she mumbled as she stuck her fork into one of the pieces of shrimp in my pasta, shoving it in her mouth and winking at me.

  I picked up my beer to take a drink and caught Trevor’s eye. He was staring at me with h
is eyebrows pulled together. I raised mine in question, and he just shook his head and went back to eating. Shrugging, I went back to basking in the sweet heaven that was stuffed between two buns on my plate.

  Chapter 7

  Chelsea

  I glanced at my watch again. 5:15. He was late. I finished stretching and stood up, swinging my arms back and forth. The more I’d gotten to know him, the more I saw a different side of him. I was honestly enjoying the time we spent together, and it was nice to see that my impression on him from the wedding was wrong. Well, to an extent anyway. He was someone I could see myself spending time with, but I wasn’t planning on throwing myself at him again.

  I took a large cleansing breath and set off, running at a steady pace, enjoying the crisp morning air against my face.

  “Chelsea, wait!” I turned around to see a frazzled Nick running my way. “I’m sorry. My alarm didn’t go off,” he panted.

  I couldn’t help but feel elated that he had, indeed, shown up. “Did you stretch, Nick?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.” I smiled at his relief and looked off toward the river while I waited

  “Okay, I’m ready. Don’t kill me,” he joked as we set off along the trail.

  “I figure we will go four miles today and then six tomorrow.”

  “Six? Shit, Chelsea, I almost died after five,” he scoffed.

  “Good grief, you didn’t almost die, Nick. Stop being a drama queen. Just focus on your breathing. Breathe in for a three count and out for a three count.” I smiled as I continued to watch him concentrate. He didn’t give himself enough credit. He was in much better shape than most people. You had to be to run up and down the soccer field for an entire game.

  Our run flew by, and Nick almost couldn’t believe we had gone four miles.

  “That wasn’t too bad,” he said as he swung his arms back and forth.

  We helped each other stretch and walked to the coffee shop again. I insisted on paying this time, while Nick grabbed us a table by the window.