by LK Collins
“Tell them we said hi.”
“I will. I…I might also shut my phone off tonight.”
“Why?”
“My ex, he keeps calling and texting me, I need a break from it.”
“Don’t do that, Quinn. Put a stop to it. Call and have your phone number changed.”
“I’ll think about it, I promise. Bye, babe.”
I hang up my phone and then power it down. I think it’s come to that point, where I need to just turn it off. And in all honesty, Willow might be right; I might need to change the phone number too. Even if it is a pain in the ass, the comfort of knowing he can’t call me will be worth it in the end.
Unzipping my suitcase, I begin to sort through all my clothes so I can run a load of wash and I notice the sash that Merritt used as a blindfold on me is tucked to the side of my bag. Slowly, I pull it out and written across it in what looks like thick black marker is his phone number. The memories of our time together all come flooding back to me. God, we had fun, so much fun. He was amazing and sexy and fulfilled so many desires inside me…but sadly I push them away…I have to…to protect myself.
Tossing the sash on my bed, I let it go and keep my head on straight as I throw a load of laundry in the wash, then make the short trip to my parents’ house.
Pulling up to it, my mom is standing in the driveway with her hands on her hips, while my poor dad is on a ladder stringing more holiday lights along the gutters of the house.
“Wow, more lights?”
“Yeah, I just felt like it needed that little extra oomph,” my mom responds and gives me a hug.
“It looks great. Hi, Daddy, be careful.” He curses under his breath, clearly frustrated to be adding more lights to their already outrageous setup. You know those houses your parents would always take you to when you were a kid, the ones with lights that music would play to? Well, that’s my parents’ house. They go all out every year and have nonstop traffic driving by for the entire month of December.
As my dad comes down the ladder, he gives me a hug and says to my mom, “Is that all you want added to the roof? Because once I put this ladder up, I’m done until January.”
She laughs him off, not answering him, and it’s because she’ll want to add more or make a change like she always does and he’ll gripe and moan, but he’ll do it…for her. We follow my dad in through the garage and the second we enter the house, the smell of her amazing vegetable shepherd’s pie invades my senses.
“I made your favorite,” my mom says.
“I can smell it.”
“So how was your trip this year, dear?” She always loves to hear about all of the things we do and the games we play, like she’s vicariously living through me. My dad is already lounged back in his recliner watching TV in the living room.
“It was good. I had to share a room with a guy, so that was unexpected.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he’s one of Ari’s friends. They used to work together.” My dad turns the TV up, still hating to hear me talk about dating or men in any fashion.
“How’d that go?”
“Good, he was nice and…” I trail off, what am I even trying to say? Am I going to tell her that I like him? Why would I do that when what we had was only for a week? It was a one-time thing, and now we’re done.
“And what?”
“Oh nothing…he was a real gentleman, he even bought me this.” I show her my bracelet and her eyes beam touching the locket.
“Oh, Quinn, it’s just like your old one.”
“It is. We found it in a store in Steamboat.”
“That’s where your dad and I got yours.”
“Really?”
“Yes. How nice of him to buy it for you.”
“Well, I didn’t have my wallet, and I tried to pay him back, but he wouldn’t let me.”
“It’s lovely, dear…really lovely.”
And it is. Looking at how happy my mom is that I’ve got a new bracelet makes me realize that I’ve got Merritt to thank. And maybe, I need her unbiased opinion about everything. She is one of my best friends. I tell her everything, so she knows about my ex and would understand if I told her about my and Merritt’s one-week agreement. She might be able to shine some clarity on things.
Chapter 20
Merritt
It’s been a week since I left Colorado, and I still can’t shake Quinn from my thoughts. I swear I think about her constantly. When I go to bed, she’s the last thing I think about, and as soon as I wake up, she’s the first thing on my mind. I miss her. I miss holding her, fucking her, and just being with her.
I’ve never met a woman quite like her; she’s gorgeous and sweet, funny and sexy. She’s everything that I’ve been looking for, and unfortunately, she’s emotionally unavailable.
I’d hoped by now that she would’ve called or texted, as I left her my number…but still not a single word. “Mr. Smith,” my receptionist, Suzy, chimes in through my phone.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I have your father for you, on line three.”
“Thanks.”
Looking at the button, I contemplate not even answering it. My dad has been a real piece of work since I got back. “Hey, Dad,” I reluctantly answer.
“Dammit, Merritt, why didn’t you tell me that the Serranos weren’t renewing their lease with us?” The Serrano Family is a prominent farming family in the plains of Colorado who lease us over fifty acres of oil-producing land.
“I did. I emailed you about it before I went to Colorado.”
“No, you didn’t. And now I have to hear about it from that little prick of a friend of yours who betrayed us that he got their lease. You know how I feel about giving Ari any of our business.”
“I’ll find the email and forward it to you again, but I told you.”
“What’s it matter now? They’re gone.”
“Here it is, your exact words were, ‘Fuck, them. We don’t need their piddly fifty acres.’ So I let it go.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have. You know how I can overreact sometimes.”
Understatement of the fucking year.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I’m so aggravated. I get distracted as a new email comes through.
“Did you fucking hear me?”
“No, I’m sorry someone came into my office,” I lie.
“I want you to get the Serranos back. Understand?” he barks at me and hangs up. Of course he does. It’s all mind games when it comes to my dad. So I dial Ari’s number to even see if he signed the deal for real or not.
“What up, bitch?” he answers, obviously feeling better and back to his old self.
“Oh, you know, I’ve just got my father up my ass.”
“Tell me about it; he’s fuckin’ nuts.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think he needed to be committed.” He laughs at my comment, and so do I. My father is always the brunt of our jokes, though I’d never say any of these things to his face.
“So what’s up, man? You been talking to Quinn?”
“Nah, she hasn’t called me.”
“Really? Must be busy. I’ll shoot you her contact info.”
“Thanks, brother. So did you really sign the Serranos?”
“Hell yeah, I did.”
Dammit.
“What would it cost me to get them back?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, unfortunately, I’m not. He wants them back.”
“Fuck, man! Does he want them back, or does he just not want us to have them?”
“What’s the difference?”
“There’s a big difference. When are you gonna let him stop making decisions for you?”
“Don’t even start, I’ve had it up to my neck with him, but you know my hands are tied.”
“You better fucking pay me so well when you own the company.”
“You know I will, you’ve already got a running tab.”
“Let me see how far along th
e paperwork is, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks, man.” Ari and I hang up and right away his email comes through. Reading Quinn’s contact info, I have to reach out to her. I miss her, and I want to know if she is really done with me. Was it truly a one-week thing and nothing more?
Anxiously, I go into my personal email and begin to type her a message, but the words just won’t come out right.
As I read the email again, I try to not second-guess myself before hitting send.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
November 14, 2016, 6:05pm
Quinn,
I hope you’re doing good. I miss you. You should call me sometime.
361-555-1789.
Merritt
Chapter 21
Quinn
Touching my bracelet, I can’t shake Merritt from my mind. I got his email as I left work, and I don’t know what to do. It’s been a week, and I’ve tried my hardest to push him as far out of my head as possible, but my mind is still consumed with the time we shared together. My mom even agreed that right now, I need to focus on myself…but I just can’t seem to do that.
For some reason, he’s got this hold over me that makes me want to be with him so bad.
As much fun as we had together, though, it’ll never be more than that week in the mountains. As I play with my bracelet, the box pops open. I still haven’t put a wish inside. I need to—that is the point of these.
As I close it, I need to shake him from my mind. He’s all I’ve thought about for the better part of this last week. Even though I’m still pissed at him for emailing my ex.
The doorbell rings and I get up to answer the takeout delivery that I ordered.
“Thank you,” I tell the guy, passing him a twenty-dollar bill.
Sitting back down with my bag of food, Merritt’s email taunts me, still illuminated on the screen of my laptop. I know he loves Chinese, we ordered it one night for dinner, and he ate so much it was really disturbing. Grabbing my phone, I snap a picture of the bag of food and decide to text it to him. What’s the harm in that? There’s nothing wrong with me reaching out to a friend, right?
I ordered enough for even you, wanna join me?
I hesitate sending the text and decide against it. I’ve just gotta stop this, and as I go to delete the message, I accidently hit send.
Shit!
It’s not but half a minute later, and my phone is ringing. I glance at the screen, and sure enough, it’s him. I let it ring for what feels like a dozen times, my heart pounding, so many emotions reeling through me. And then…finally, I answer. “Hello?” My voice rattles and I clear my throat.
“Hi,” his voice so deep. Reminding me of when he’d whisper into my ear, making my pussy twitch, and I look to the ceiling wondering how he can have this power over me.
“You got my email?”
“I did.”
“What did you order me?” he asks.
Opening the bag, I take everything out. “Let’s see…I have egg drop soup.”
“My favorite.”
“Fried rice and a spring roll.”
“Should I book my flight now?”
I giggle at his words. Even though he’s joking, I can’t help but wish he were serious.
“I’m glad you reached out, Quinn.”
“I’m glad you did too. Did Willow give you my email?”
He’s quiet for a second and then says, “Uhhh, no. Ari gave it to me.”
“Oh…I see. You just couldn’t wait for me to call you, could you?”
“I didn’t have a choice—it’s been a week, and you didn’t call me.”
“I wanted to, but you know why I haven’t.”
“Why?” he asks me so calmly, making me say the reason out loud.
“Because things with us were only for that one week.”
“But they don’t need to be.” I find myself contemplating his words, with my feet huddled beneath me, not wanting to eat or do anything else but get lost with him.
“They do, and you know why.”
“I don’t have to agree with it, though.”
“I guess you don’t, but my ex got super crazy after your email, and I have to say I’m done with men right now.”
“Then be done with men, all of them. But don’t be done with me.”
“Merritt, please.”
“I’m sorry, Quinn. I’m trying to respect you and be reasonable here.”
“Then don’t push me.”
“You texted me, remember that.” And he’s right…I did text him. And I answered when he called. If I’m going to be so anti-men why am I even talking to him? “Can I help at all?” he offers, cutting my mind fuck short.
“No! No, thank you, you’ve done enough. It’s over with now. I’ve moved past it, got a new phone number, and that I think really got through to him this time.”
“I’m sorry about emailing him and not telling you about it; I shouldn’t have done that to you.”
“It’s all right; I get that you were only trying to help…but you don’t know my ex. He’s so crazy.”
“Well, thankfully I don’t, and I don’t want to, ‘cause I’d probably send him to the hospital. Could we stop talking about him? It’s really good to hear your voice.”
“Sure,” I laugh a little, and he asks me, “So, how’s your dinner?”
“I haven’t started eating yet.”
“You should. I don’t mind, and you know I love the sound of your mouth.”
“Stop it, Merritt.”
“Sorry, I forgot, we’re only friends.” His tone is down, and I change the subject.
“How have you been? How’s work and being back in Texas?”
“I’ve been okay. Work’s…work. It’s nice to be home right now. The weather is great, really warm.”
“Yeah? I wish it were here. It’s cold, and we keep getting tons of snow.”
“You like the snow, though,” he tells me which I told him on vacation that I did. He always listens to everything I say.
“I do, but it would be nice to have a warm day every so often. You can even go to the beach, can’t you?”
“I can. You should come and visit me; you’d love it here.”
“You know I can’t, Merritt.”
“I’m sorry, I just miss you, Quinn, and I have a hard time thinking you aren’t feeling what I am.”
His words bring my world to a halt. I’ve never had a man be so open and talk to me the way he is. I’ve had guys wanna see me, or wanna go out, or hook up. But no one has ever put their feelings out there the way Merritt is, and I don’t know what to say or how to respond…
“You’re quiet,” Eve, one of my co-workers, says as I blankly gaze out the window and look at all the people bustling by on 16th Street.
“Sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Is it work? Can I help with any of your accounts?”
“No, I’m finally caught up from my vacation.”
“Speaking of, how was it? You’ve barely mentioned a word about it.”
“Is your salad okay, ma’am?” the waiter asks me.
“Yeah, it’s good. Could I have a box and we’ll take the check?”
“Is one check good?” he asks, looking me up and down. He’s cute, but his appraisal does nothing to me, not the way Merritt’s could bring me to my knees with a simple smirk.
“That’s fine.”
“Ooh, he likes you,” Eve says, “You should get his number.”
I roll my eyes, “He’s not my type—he’s scrawny. I need muscles, something to hold on to.”
“I get that, girl. So tell me about the trip.” I fill her in on all the details as we pay our check and box up our to-go food. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him sooner,” she scolds me as we make it back into our building.
The warmth is so inviting. “There’s not much to tell, it was just a week, and now it’s over with.”
We wait at the bottom of the elevator banks for a car to arrive and I look her directly in the eye. “Of course I do.”
As we shuffle inside, everyone calls out their floors, and this is one of the things that drives me crazy. Why can’t people just push their number when they walk in? Eve snickers at me as I push yet another number. Then right as the doors close, someone calls out, “Hold that, would ya?”
I ignore them, but the person on the other side pushes the door open button.
Seriously? The stairs would’ve been faster.
And as I look up, my heart skips a beat. Dressed in a sexy ass suit with the most gorgeous expression ever is Merritt, and his gaze is eating me alive. He squeezes in, placing his body right along the front of mine as he presses the button for his floor, glancing behind him.
“Hey,” he says, leaning down and kissing me on the cheek. I can sense Eve’s eyes all over us, and I swallow searching for my voice. “Hi.” Suddenly I’m shy, but he’s not. Everything about him is consuming me and when he takes my hand in his, holding it tightly, the comfort I felt for the week when we were together comes rushing back to me. I’ve missed him more than I realized.
The elevator doors open at its first stop and a few people shuffle out giving us a little more room, but Merritt doesn’t give me any more space. “What are you doing here?” I ask him, knowing we only have a little while longer together.
“I have a meeting with a client that Ari is trying to steal from me.”
Of course, he is.
“Didn’t you get my texts?” he asks.
“I haven’t checked my phone all day.”
“Check it.” He cups my cheek and touches my lips with this thumb. I lean into his hand, getting so easily lost in him that everything else fades away. It’s as if we are standing alone…just he and I. The elevator dings and Eve calls me to follow her as she waits on our floor. “Room 503,” Merritt says, passing me what looks like a hotel keycard, and I step backwards, not responding, but our eyes stay locked together. He licks his bottom lip as the doors close, and I’m in such a daze. “What the hell was that?” Eve shrieks.