The One I Love

by Mia Ford

  “Well, hello there,” I said, bending down and picking him up. “I see you Macgyvered your way out of the cage again, silly little dude.”

  “There he is,” Leena said, laughing and walking over to take the puppy. “I have been chasing him around since I got here.”

  “You’re early,” I said, looking over at her.

  “Yeah, I didn’t sleep much, so I decided to just get up and come into work,” she explained.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” she chirped. “I was with this guy, Sonny, who has rocked the hell out of my world for a week straight now.”

  “A week?” I asked, impressed. “That has to be some kind of record for you.”

  “I know, right?” she said with blushing cheeks. “We just have so much fun together. I feel like I can be myself and he doesn’t judge me. I really hope I can keep this one around.”

  “I do too, because the last time I saw you blush like that, you were tripping down the main staircase of the high school our freshman year,” I said, laughing.

  “Oh God,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That was terrible. But yeah, I really like this guy. How about you? How are you and Blaine?”

  “Um, beyond good,” I gushed. “Like he calls or texts every single day, we see each other all the time, and I can actually be myself around him. I mean, we talked for three hours last night about comic books. He is just as awkward and weird as me. He just does a really good job hiding it because he has lived in the corporate world for so long.”

  “Do you think that awkwardness would be just as charming if you had never slept with him?”

  “What?” I asked, laughing. “I mean, of course it would be. That’s a weird question.”

  “No, it’s not, not really,” she said. “He is your first, and every girl gets attached to their first. It’s like some weird biological thing that happens. The man you lose your virginity to becomes like almost an obsession. I still think about my first to this day.”

  “I mean, I can understand why,” I said. “You give up something very private to you. But I know that isn’t the reason I am so smitten with Blaine. He is just like me, only way richer and way better looking. His brain works a different way than most people’s, and even though I can’t say I fully understand it myself, I have never been able to relate to someone like this before.”

  “Okay,” Leena said. “I just wanted to make sure that wasn’t the only reason. I don’t want you to be disappointed because we tend to build these men up in our minds, and when they don’t meet our expectations, it almost destroys us.”

  “I understand,” I said with a sigh. “Just know that I don’t have any real expectations for him. Not yet, at least. Right now, we are just happy to be together and to find time in our busy schedules to do things we like.”

  “Like Superhero movie marathons,” Leena said, giggling. “Well, I’m glad it’s him doing it and not me getting dragged into it all. Though I did like the Iron Man movies. They were pretty cool.”

  “You disappoint me with your mainstream Superhero knowledge,” I said, laughing and shaking my head. “Everyone liked Iron Man.”

  “All right, nerd.” Leena laughed. “I’m going to let all the dogs into the yard so I can clean their pens.

  “Sounds good,” I said, looking down at the mounds of paperwork still sitting on the desk.

  I didn’t know how to fully explain the dynamic that Blaine and I were starting to develop. Sure, my feelings grew stronger for him when we had sex, but shouldn’t they? Wasn’t it natural for two people to feel closer and more connected when they added physical intimacy to their relationship? I knew my feelings weren’t based around him being my first. They were based around the fact that he was extremely good to me. He had gone out of his way to find me, treated me like a princess on all of our dates, waited patiently for me until I was ready for sex, and then had made sure to be gentle and caring when I lost my virginity.

  Sure, at first my growing feelings were based on the chemistry between us, but that was how almost every relationship started out. Most people didn’t start dating someone that they couldn’t hold a conversation with or that they weren’t attracted to in some way or another. It was initial chemistry, that spark that drew you to one another, that started any kind of connection. What you did with that chemistry right off the bat was what determined whether you were going to fuel that chemistry for one night and then let it burn out, or slowly add to the flames of passion until the spark between you was a roaring fire that just kind of took care of itself. With Blaine, it was a fire, and a very familiar one at that.

  I pushed the thoughts to the side, knowing I needed to focus on this paperwork if I was going to be able to have my weekend free to hang out with Blaine. I sat down and took a deep breath, my mind wandering back and forth between him and the task at hand. My phone buzzed, and I looked down, finding a text from Blaine. He had sent a picture of Superman through to my phone, and I laughed, shaking my head. We had a whole conversation about who was better, Superman or Batman. He took Superman’s side while I took Batman’s. I found a picture of Batman and sent it back to him, reminding him of Superman’s fate later in the series. He sent me a sad face, and it made me laugh out loud.

  After that, I got to work, having even more motivation at that point to get through all the work of the day. It was really close to busy season, and I knew that if I didn’t stay on top of things, I was going to end up working seven days a week like last year. Last year, that didn’t bother me so much, but this year, I had other things, or should I say other people, to spend my time on. I didn’t want to be held up in the office all holiday season, missing out on some really cool things Blaine and I could do together. Things I hadn’t had anyone to do with me, pretty much ever in my life.

  Around noon, Leena walked through the office and to the front door, taking food from whatever takeout delivery guy she called. She whistled at me and waved the bag in the air, smiling. I was starving, so I put down my paperwork, actually pretty impressed at how much I had gotten done, and joined her in the lobby of the place to eat. It was apparently Chinese Friday, one of the many days we labeled since we were obsessed with food. I sat back in the chair with my plate of rice and Moo Goo Gai Pan and filled my belly, my thoughts drifting back to Blaine.

  “I want to say something,” I said. “I want to tell you that I do have really strong feelings for this guy, and they did increase when we slept together. But when I think about why I have these feelings, a million things run through my mind.”

  “Good,” Leena said, leaning forward. “I wasn’t trying to downplay your feelings for him. I just wanted to make sure that they weren’t misplaced. I had misplaced feelings once, and it was awful, but after standing back and looking at everything, I realized that I never really cared for the guy in the first place. I just got caught up in the glitz and glamour of it all.”

  “I understand,” I said, shaking my head. “But I can assure you, there isn’t a starry-eyed, love-sick girl here. Just someone who is excited to have found a person that can be a friend, lover, and partner. Not just someone I have fun with but know they are going to break my heart.”

  “Good,” she said, smiling. “Then it’s settled, and I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you,” I said, laughing.

  As I sat there eating my lunch, I turned my attention to the trees blowing wildly out the window. Blaine was an amazing man who had opened himself up to me in a way that no one else had ever done. He showed me his vulnerability, and I showed him mine. Sure, it was really early in the relationship, and we were focused on fun and excitement together, but at the same time, he was really careful with me. How could I not care for a guy like him? With so much in common and the way we were together, I found it almost impossible to think that I couldn’t actually care for him.

  I had seen those girls before, though, the ones that latched themselves onto a man because he made them feel special, or he did things for them that t
hey couldn’t do for themselves. I wasn’t that girl, nor did I want to become that girl at all. I truly cared about Blaine, and I was excited to be starting this relationship with him. It was a life I had wanted for a long time, but I’d refused to settle until I found the right guy. I was definitely starting to think that Blaine was the right guy.

  Either way, I was invested in whatever this was, and I wasn’t going to let my head get in the way this time. Blaine and I were a good match, and I couldn’t wait to see him on Saturday night.

  Chapter 15

  Blaine

  After our week-long talks about comic books, superheroes, and everything nerdy that I thought I would never find a girl that was interested in like me, I decided to make dinner that Saturday extra special. Reese and I had been planning and talking about this date all week, and I was pretty sure I was just as excited about it as she was. I changed our reservations to this cool little place on the East side of Philly that was decked out in comic book memorabilia. Sure, it was kind of a touristy spot, but it was awesome and fit in with the theme of our date night.

  I got ready, making sure to let Reese know she didn’t need to dress up for dinner, and headed out in a car to pick her up. When my driver pulled up to her place, she was walking out of the door of her apartment, excitement on her face. The driver opened my door and she slid in, our lips immediately pressing together. She was absolutely adorable in her jeans, Vans, and sweater with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. I hadn’t seen her like that before, and I was pretty sure I liked her more like that than I did when she was all dolled up.

  “So, are you as stoked as I am for this date?” she asked.

  “I pretty much stayed up all night reading my comic books and brushing up on my facts,” I said, nodding my head. “I am super excited.”

  When we pulled up outside of the restaurant, Reese’s face lit up, excitement running through her eyes. She grabbed my arm and squealed, making me cringe and laugh at the same time. I immediately knew I had made the right choice.

  “I’ve always wanted to come here,” she said in awe as we walked through the door.

  The first hour of dinner was spent pointing out all the awesome memorabilia strewn across the walls. It was like a Hard Rock Café, but for the nerds, with autographed pictures of Stan Lee, movie set pieces from Star Wars, and collector’s editions of several big series comic books, all encased around the room. On the big projection screen in the background they had the Justice League movies playing, and our salt and pepper shakers were appropriately created to look like Superman and Batman.

  “See, even in the spice world, Batman is spicy and dark,” I said, laughing.

  “Yeah, but Superman will give you high blood pressure and heart problems,” she said, shaking him upside down over her fries. “So, we have plenty of time to debate comic books tonight. Tell me something about yourself that I don’t know.”

  “Uh oh,” I said. “Is it secret time?”

  “That it is,” she said, eating a fry.

  “All right,” I said, taking a deep breath. “When I was a kid, about seven years old, I was outside playing with some friends. We decided to go walk to my buddy’s house to eat lunch. When we were walking, there was a stray dog that was running up and down the street. I had never actually been around a dog since my mom was allergic. I started whistling at it, thinking I could pet it or something. I don’t really know what I was thinking. Well, it started running toward me, and by the time I realized that it wasn’t excited to see me, it had pounced on me and knocked me to the ground. I wrestled with it for several minutes, and then my buddy’s mom came out and managed to get it off of me and ran it off down the street.”

  “Oh, my God,” she said, covering her mouth. “Were you okay?”

  “They rushed me to the hospital,” I replied. “I got a bunch stitches on my forearm and my right calf, but luckily, the dog had kept its mouth away from my face. If she hadn’t come out though, I’d probably have died. I had to get that crazy rabies shot in my stomach, was on antibiotics forever, and it really messed me up in the head.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she replied. “That’s terrible.”

  “Ever since then, I can’t even imagine spending time with a dog, much less ever owning one,” I said, looking down at the check and pulling out cash for the bill. “And that is my tragic little story. You ready to go?”

  “Blaine, that’s terrible,” she said with a strange look on her face. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, you live and you learn, I guess,” I said, shrugging my shoulders and standing. “Now, let’s get back and get our movie on. I have snack food galore and a ton of wine waiting for us.”

  She stared down at her plate for a minute, hesitating, but she shook her head and smiled, reaching up and taking my hand. I felt like she was holding something back, but I let it go, figuring she would tell me when she was ready. People always reacted weird to that story, which was why I only ever told it if I had to. Now that I was feeling pretty strongly about this woman, I felt she needed to know, just in case the subject of pets ever came up.

  When we got back to the house, I immediately pulled out all the food I had bought and popped open a bottle of wine. Reese grabbed the bookbag she had brought and unzipped it, pulling a large Hulk stuffed animal out of it and smiling at me. I laughed and poured a third glass of wine, just to keep the Hulk from getting angry.

  We sat down in front of the television and started the movies. Normally if we watched a movie, it was a quiet affair where we snuggled up together, covered in a blanket, and enjoyed being that close. This, however, was an all-out party. We laughed, we yelled at the different characters, and we playfully argued back and forth about their roles in upcoming movies. By the end of the first movie, we had gone through a bottle and a half of wine.

  I brought out some beers for the beginning of the second movie, and by mid-movie, the two of us were on our feet, drunk as hell, acting out the scenes as they went. I hadn’t had that much fun with someone in a really long time. In fact, it probably hadn’t been since I was a kid playing with my friends. Reese was definitely one of the most interesting women I had ever met, and I felt free and open to be whoever I wanted to be when I was around her. I didn’t have to put on a show like I did in corporate America, and I realized as I laughed loudly at Reese leaping through the air, that I had pretended to be this stuffed shirt, rich guy to everyone around me for so long, I had lost track of who I really was on the inside. It was the exact reason I’d thought about starting my own tech company in the first place.

  Still, I knew that to continue to be successful, I couldn’t be who I wanted to be around everyone else, but there in my penthouse living room, I was free to be me around Reese. I had been looking for a girl like her for so long, and I couldn’t believe that she actually existed, much less the fact that I had found her. Everything in my life was starting to shift, but instead of fearing it, I was embracing it wholeheartedly. I couldn’t imagine there was anything about this girl that I wouldn’t find loveable or endearing, and as far as I knew, she was pretty much like me, minus the billion-dollar corporation on her back.

  We both fell back on the couch, our stomachs aching from the laughter. She leaned her head back against the couch and smiled, turning it toward me and looking me in the eyes. I leaned my head next to hers and gingerly kissed her on the cheek.

  “I’m having a really good time,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for letting me be who I really am.”

  “Thank you for not kicking me out when I started to dance along to the music during the Avengers movie,” she joked.

  “I considered it,” I replied.

  “You did?” She feigned shock. “But then who would you have to take back to your room and ravage?”

  “I was going to keep the Hulk doll,” I replied, wincing as she slapped my arm and laughed loudly.

  “Speaking of taking me back to your room, I think I’m done watching movies now,” she said, her eyes
darkening.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Mmm,” she said, swallowing a gulp of beer and standing up. “I need a superhero to fly me back there, though. I’m kind of wobbly.”

  “I don’t know,” I said, watching her climb the steps out of the recessed living room. “ I’ve never been very good at being anyone’s superhero.”

  “Really?” she asked. “I always pictured you as a young Clark Kent.” She turned toward me and put her hands on her hips. “If you’re not a superhero, then what are you?”

  I clicked off the television and put the remote down on the table. Laughing to myself, I turned toward her and smiled. She tilted her head to the side and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

  “Hulk smash!” I yelled, running up the stairs and scooping her into my arms.

  She screamed and laughed as my legs kept going, running us down the hall and into the bedroom where I kicked the door closed behind me and tossed her on the bed. She giggled loudly as she bounced up and down on the mattress, her laughter slowing as she bit her bottom lip and pulled herself up onto her knees. I could tell the alcohol had slowed her inhibitions, but it had done so for me as well.

  I pulled off my shoes and socks and turned to her, smiling and watching intently as she reached down and pulled her t-shirt over her head. She moved her fingers seductively over her breasts and down her stomach, unbuttoning her jeans and leaning back to slip them off her body. My eyes moved down her breasts, across her soft skin, and down to her panties where I cracked a smile and tried not to laugh. She put her hands on her hips and turned her body back and forth, proudly displaying the Batman panties that she had worn for the occasion.