The Playboy Next Door

by Christina Tetreault

  Tony unbuttoned his shirt as he headed down the hallway. No, if Cat had picked up her things, she would’ve left him a note or sent him a text message. At some point tonight, she’d be back.

  Maybe not. She had plenty of clothes at her apartment. She could’ve gone back there after work. She could pick up her stuff here some other time.

  Peeling off the wet shirt, he tossed it and his pants over the side of the bathtub before pushing open his bedroom door.

  Before she left that morning, Cat had made the bed. It remained that way now, her oversized purple sweatshirt still near the foot of the bed.

  Even though he realized Cat wouldn’t just grab her stuff and go, he couldn’t stop his hand when he reached for one of the drawers she’d taken over. Before he opened it though, he let go.

  With a rough tug, he opened another drawer, pulling it out of the bureau all together. “Damn it.” He picked up the T-shirts that fell out and shoved the whole drawer back in.

  He needed to get his shit back together. He was acting like a friggin’ teenager with his first girlfriend.

  Tony pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of black sweats. Then he headed back out of the room just as the kitchen door opened.

  “Hi,” Cat said as she walked in, her hair a wet tangled mess around her shoulders. “I grabbed some pizzas on the way back.”

  The smell of fresh baked dough and melted mozzarella pulled him further into the kitchen.

  “Practice tonight must have been awful with this rain. I got soaked just going in to get the food.” She put the pizza boxes down. “Did Striker complain the whole time? He hates to be cold and wet. ” She hung her jacket over a chair along with her purse then walked over to him.

  She’d given him the perfect opportunity to pass along Striker’s message. “He stayed on the other side of the field, so I don’t know. But I don’t blame him. I can handle cold. And I can handle wet, but together they suck.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “Go ahead and start without me. I need to change.”

  He watched her walk toward the bedroom then got some plates from the cupboard. He should pass on Striker’s message, or at least remind her what day it was. She might be eager to go back to her apartment. While she appeared to like staying with him, that didn’t mean she didn’t miss her own place filled with her things. Judging by Cat’s apartment, she’d put a lot of thought and time into making it her own, unlike him. She probably missed it.

  Tony set the plates down and then opened the top pizza box. Inside, he found a large pizza smothered with meatball, sausage, ham, and chicken, his favorite kind, not that it surprised him. She always remembered to get his favorites. It was just one of the many things he adored about her.

  He added three slices to a plate without even opening the other box. Tony already knew it would resemble a vegetarian’s dream pizza with every vegetable imaginable on it. Not at all what he wanted when he ate pizza.

  “I hope what I got is okay.” Cat walked back into the kitchen wearing her favorite pajama bottoms, and one of his T-shirts.

  “Perfect.” He opened the other box and put two slices on a plate for her. “Do you want something to drink?”

  She went to the refrigerator rather than sat down. “I got it.” After getting them both drinks, she joined him at the table. “This afternoon, I got a call from Vivian, she works for one of the presidents, to set up another interview.”

  Tony ignored the fact that his heart had started to descend toward his stomach and cleared his throat. “That’s great.”

  Cat hadn’t said much about the possible promotion since her first interview a week earlier, and he’d chosen not to ask.

  “When is it?”

  “Everyone’s interviews are next week.” Cat sounded both excited and nervous at the prospect. “They narrowed it down to three candidates.”

  Tony remembered Cat saying the original pool contained eight. “Are they all people who already work for the company?”

  “No. One used to work for Hall Technology. I heard, anyway, he has a computer background and an MBA. I think they’ll hire him.” She shrugged her shoulder. “I didn’t expect to even make it this far, so if they choose him, I’m fine with that. Charles will be upset though. I ran into him today, and he feels he deserves the promotion. He’s worked for the company for twelve years.”

  “Seniority doesn’t necessarily mean a person deserves a promotion, Cat. I still think you have a great shot at getting the job.” His heart settled at the bottom of his stomach along with his food. “If they picked you out of the original eight, they must believe you’re qualified.”

  She raised her pizza toward her mouth, but didn’t bite into it. “Like I said, I’ll be okay if they pick someone else.”

  When most people made statements like that, they usually didn’t mean it, or at least it seemed that way. Cat’s tone led him to believe she meant it. Was that because she truly didn’t want the promotion and all the new responsibilities that went with it or because she didn’t want to move away from him?

  Like it matters. Whether she wanted to move or not didn’t matter to him.

  “Tomorrow, I was going to meet Ella at the mall before I came home from work, unless there was something you wanted to do. I want a new dress for the holiday party.”

  She said came home, not go home. In his mind, that meant she intended to come back here tomorrow night rather than her apartment. “Go ahead. Maybe I’ll call Sean and see what he’s up too.”

  Cat smiled at him. “I’ll try not to take too long. And if I don’t find anything I like, I’ll wear the dress I wore last year.”

  Neither spoke for the next several minutes as they enjoyed their dinner. When Cat’s cell phone rang, she grabbed it from her purse hanging on the chair. Tony tried not to pay too much attention as she talked, but he couldn’t block out her voice when she said the name Zack.

  The guy didn’t quit, did he? He thought he’d made it clear at dinner that Cat was with him and Zack should back off. Evidently, the guy hadn’t gotten the message. That didn’t bode well for Cat’s company party. Tony could already envision Zack stepping over the line between friend and lover on Sunday night.

  “I really need to go, Zack. I just got home and I’m starving.” Zack didn’t need to know where she really was or what she was doing. Cat glanced at Tony’s stormy expression and threw him an ‘I’m sorry’ look.

  “I’m not working tomorrow, but I’ll see you at the party,” Zack said.

  “Okay, bye.” She put the phone back into her purse and waited for Tony to say something. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “What did he want this time?”

  She heard the annoyance in his voice. “He heard I got the second interview and wanted to congratulate me.”

  Even though she spoke the truth, guilt nagged at her because she hadn’t told Tony the whole truth. Zack had also mentioned he’d run into Striker in the parking lot when he got home. If she’d shared that info too, she’d also be reminding Tony that today Striker closed on his new condo, which meant she could now move home.

  Neither of them had spoken about her leaving, even though she’d thought about it a lot, especially that week. At some point, she would have to go back home. She couldn’t stay with Tony indefinitely. Besides, he knew Striker was supposed to close on his new condo this month. Truthfully, she couldn’t remember if she’d told Tony the exact date or not, but even if she hadn’t, at some point he’d ask her. If and when he did, she could make something up, but then she’d worry he’d learn the truth. Maybe she should just tell him now and get it over with. That might mean she found herself sleeping alone in her bed tomorrow night, but at least she wouldn’t be carrying around any guilt.

  Cat took a long sip from her water glass. “I don’t remember if I told you, but Striker was supposed to close on his condo this afternoon.”

  “Good for him. I’m glad he’s the one who’ll be moving furniture soon and not me.”

  “
I don’t know when he plans on moving it. Probably whenever he can get Mack or someone else to help him. Maybe I should call him and see when he plans on leaving my place.”

  Tony grabbed the back of her chair and pulled it closer to him. “What’s the rush?” He kissed her before she answered. “Stay here another week. Give him time to get all his stuff out of your place before you go home.” He kissed her again, this time tugging on her bottom lip until she opened her mouth for him. As he kissed her, Tony slipped a hand under her T-shirt and up her back. “It’s a lot more fun here.” He whispered the words against her lips as his other hand closed over her breast. “Don’t you agree?”

  Raw desire shot straight from where his hands touched her and downward through her body. “Very much,” she said, capturing his lips.

  Cat threw everything she had into the kiss. From the sounds of it, Tony didn’t want her to leave, so for now, she’d stay and worry about moving out in another week.

  ***

  After work Friday night, Cat spotted Ella waiting for her outside the café in the mall. It was their usual meeting place there. When she’d first decided a shopping trip was in order, she’d considered going alone. Jessie would be with Mack and Kelsey always waitressed on Friday nights, and Cat wasn’t sure she wanted to go with Ella. They hadn’t spoken much since Ella and Striker started seeing each other, and Cat didn’t want to say anything that might later make it back to her brother. While she’d been friends with Ella since second grade and considered her and Kelsey her closest friends, that didn’t mean Ella wouldn’t accidently tell Striker something that she shouldn’t. After going back and forth though, Cat called her because she valued Ella's opinion and simply found it more fun to shop with someone else.

  “Perfect timing,” Ella said when Cat approached. “I was just about to cave and buy a white chocolate chip brownie. I’ve been staring at them for the last five minutes.”

  Cat glanced toward the display case inside the café. “They have white chocolate chip brownies today?” She spotted the ridiculously large brownies in the case. “How about we split one before we start shopping.” The white chocolate chip brownies weren’t a regular bakery item, and if the cafe had them when she stopped at the mall, Cat usually picked one up.

  “You twisted my arm.” Ella walked into the café and made a beeline for the counter while Cat sat at their table.

  A few minutes later, she came out carrying a brownie and two cups of coffee. “You’re a bad influence.”

  “Me? You could’ve said no or told me to eat the whole thing myself.”

  “And sit here and watch you? You know I don’t have that kind of willpower when it comes to sweets.” Ella bit into the brownie and closed her eyes. “Next time, we should meet outside one of the shoe stores and not tempt ourselves.”

  “Ella, I’ve seen your closet. That wouldn’t be a safe place either.”

  Ella opened her eyes and smiled. “You’re right. So what are we shopping for tonight?”

  “Something for the holiday party. It’s at The Harbor House this year.”

  “Ooh, fancy. I went to a wedding there once. It’s really nice,” Ella said. “We should head to Élégance first. They always have a great selection of dresses.” Ella finished off her half of the brownie and started on her coffee. “Striker moved into his new condo last night. It’s much bigger than his old apartment.”

  “What’s he sleeping on, the floor?”

  “No, he borrowed my air mattress because he…” Ella’s paused. “Because Sean and Mack can’t help him move his stuff in until Sunday.”

  The last bite of brownie no longer appealed to her. “What’s the real reason?” Ella had never been a good liar.

  “He’s anxious to get into his own place again. Wouldn’t you be? So are you ready to go shopping?”

  Cat’s good side said she shouldn’t push Ella if Striker told her something that was between them. Her evil side, however, said something much different. “What’s his real reason, Ella?”

  Ella sighed so loud Cat assumed the people sitting inside the café heard it. “He doesn’t like you living with Tony. Striker figured the sooner he moved out, the sooner you’d move home.”

  She’d expected that kind of answer. “My brother needs to mind his own business and worry about himself.” Standing, Cat threw the rest of her brownie in the trash. “I think I’m ready to shop.”

  “Striker’s just worried you’re going to get hurt.” Ella took her coffee as they left the café. “The word commitment doesn’t usually describe Tony Bates.”

  “And it does my brother?”

  Ella opened her mouth and then snapped it shut.

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. This isn’t about you and Striker.” At the moment, she didn’t want to discuss her and Tony either.

  “It’s weird. I know Striker has gone out with a lot of women, and I used to think he was a lot like Tony too, but since we went to the wedding together, it’s like I’ve gotten to know a different side of him.” Ella looked over at her. “Sounds crazy, I know.”

  Although she didn’t necessarily agree 100 percent, she understood what her friend meant. “That doesn’t sound crazy at all.”

  Ella and Cat walked to the escalator and took it up to the second floor. If Striker had told Ella he didn’t like Cat living with Tony, what other things had her brother and friend discussed?

  “Did Striker tell you Tony came to Mom and Pop’s for dinner?”

  “No. Was that the same night he went and your mom gave him the apple crisp? He asked me to come, but I’d already told my sister I’d watch Kerry,” Ella answered, referring to her three-year-old niece. “Kerry’s in love with your brother by the way.” Together, they entered Élégance. “Wow, I can’t believe Tony went. He doesn’t seem like the ‘sit down and meet the family’ kind of guy.”

  At one time, she would’ve said the same thing about both Tony and Striker. Evidently, she would’ve been wrong on both accounts because Tony had joined them without any complaint, and thanks to Ella’s comment about her niece, she knew Striker must have gotten together at least once with Ella’s family.

  “I have a feeling Tony’s ready to hand over his reign as North Salem’s resident playboy,” Ella said.

  Cat spotted an amethyst-colored cocktail dress and headed for it. “Now you’re stretching things a little.”

  “No way. Think about it, Cat. First Tony risked his friendship with Striker and his working relationship with your dad. Then he asked you to move in with him while Striker stayed at your apartment. And he went to your parents’ house for dinner. A guy with a reputation like Tony’s wouldn’t have done those things if he wasn’t serious.”

  “What do you think of this one?” Cat picked up the dress that had caught her eye.

  Ella took it from her and then hung it back up. “Don’t ignore me. If you use your head for minute, you’ll know I am right.”

  Her friend made an excellent argument, but Cat refused to get her hopes up. “Why did you put that back? I really like it.”

  “You are as stubborn as a mule, you know that? Wait, you’ll see I’m right.” Ella pulled her over to another rack of dresses. “This one will look much better on you than the purple.” She pointed to a red dress that reminded Cat of the crimson-colored wall in Tony’s bedroom. If he’d used that color in his bedroom, it must be one of his favorites.

  “Do they have my size?” Cat asked.

  ***

  Tony walked past the unknown car in Sean’s driveway and wondered who else was there. When he’d called and asked Sean if he wanted to hang out tonight, Sean hadn’t mentioned having other company. He hoped whoever it was didn’t stay too long; he’d been looking forward to catching up with Sean tonight. Tony hadn’t talked to him since he helped him put the hardwood floor in the master suite, and that was his own fault not Sean’s. Sean had sent him a text message the weekend before inviting him to come over and watch the game with him and Steve, another bu
ddy from high school. Tony had declined. The last thing he’d been in the mood for was a lecture or any other kind of harassment from his buddies.

  However, he missed the guy, although he’d never tell Sean that to his face, so with Cat busy shopping, he figured tonight was a good time to stop by.

  After ringing the bell, Tony stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. There was no question that winter was on its way. While the daytime temperatures stayed mild, once the sun started to set, the temperature dropped.

  “A little chilly out there,” Jessie Quinn said when she opened the door.

  “It’s better than it will be in another few weeks.” Tony walked inside and looked around. Unlike on his last visit, the house didn’t smell like warm banana bread and curtains hung over most of the windows. “Please don’t tell me Sean’s got you plastering walls now too?”

  Jessie glanced over her shoulder and then back at him. “Don’t give him any ideas. I hate plastering,” she whispered. “He asked me do a little decorating before Mia comes home at Thanksgiving. Since Mack had to take Grace to a friend’s birthday party tonight, I came over here to work on hanging curtains.” Jessie walked into what would eventually be a dining room and picked up the curtain rod she left on a chair.

  “And where did Sean go while you work?”

  “He headed upstairs after his phone rang. That was about a half hour ago. I haven’t seen him since.”

  If Sean had been on the phone that long, it must be a call from Mia. The guy hated talking on the phone and Tony couldn’t think of anyone other than Mia who could possibly get him to do it for longer than necessary.

  “Want some help?” Tony didn’t know how much longer Sean would be upstairs, and he hated to see Jessie working while he just stood there.

  “No thanks. I got it.” She placed the stool near a bare window and climbed up. “All alone tonight?”

  Since curtains hung over the back of the only chair in the room, Tony leaned against the wall. “Cat and Ella went shopping after work.”