Knocked Up- The Complete Box Set

by Lilian Monroe

  He nods and smiles, then turns and walks out. When I hear the front door click shut I flop back down in bed and stare at the ceiling.

  Wow.

  My birthday definitely turned out better than expected. I turn towards my bedside table and pick up the scrap of paper with his number on it. I smile, bringing it up to my lips. He said he’d be back in New York, but he didn’t know exactly when. He said to call him, that he wanted to come see me.

  He said all these things and I feel like my heart is about to explode. I roll back over onto my back and sigh. My hand moves towards the scar on my ribs, a movement that has become a habit over the past six months. For the first time since it happened, the scars don’t seem angry and ugly. He kissed them, touched them, made them feel like they were a beautiful part of me.

  My fingers run up and down along the smooth line of skin and I remember the way his lips felt as they brushed against it. I’ve never felt so naked in front of anyone, or so comfortable. It’s like he made me feel exposed and safe at the same time. I haven’t felt at peace since the incident, and all at once he made me feel whole again.

  I wake up a few hours later and roll over to the empty bed. I sigh. I wish I was waking up next to Lucas right now. I’ve never felt so strongly about someone after meeting them for just one night. I’ve never even had a one night stand!

  This doesn’t feel like a one night stand. How could it! It feels like there were two magnets pulling us together from the moment he sat down in that taxi.

  I could text him right now, letting him know that I miss him already. I could tell him what a great time I had, and how glad I am that he barged in on my taxi.

  But then again—would that be coming on too strong? Maybe I should wait a couple hours. I could text him once he’s in Los Angeles. I don’t want to come across too eager. Maybe he was just saying those things in the moment, and once he lands he’ll be back to his regular life and he’ll forget all about me.

  Somehow I just can’t bring myself to believe that’s true. The way he looked at me, and the way he touched me and made me feel so alive—that has to be real.

  I take a deep breath and smile. I’ll text him in a few hours, that way he’ll get it when he lands. Maybe Jess and Harper can help me write the message to get the right balance of enthusiasm and casualness.

  My alarm starts buzzing on the night stand and I roll over to turn it off. I see a message from Jess.

  Jess: Still on for brunch? Same spot?

  I chuckle. She’s not going to believe what’s happened. I got a delayed birthday present that I was never expecting, and I scratched an itch that’s been getting worse for months. I got royally Fucked with a capital F.

  Rosie: Yeah, see you there. 10am?

  My phone buzzes a couple seconds later and I see a thumbs up from her. I look at the time—8:30. Perfect. Just enough time to have a shower and have a coffee at home. I can catch up on work emails that I missed yesterday and then head out to see the girls.

  I thumb the scrap of paper and tuck it into the side pocket of my purse. I’ll text him when I’m at brunch after I’ve filled Jess and Harper in on last night. I smile and stand up, stretching my arms above my head before doing a little dance from one foot to the other.

  Even though I drank more than usual last night I don’t feel hungover. It’s like my night with Lucas just cleared all the cobwebs from my mind and set my body buzzing. He’s breathed new life into me and I can’t help but smile and feel like it’s the start of something new, something good. I finally feel like I’ll be able to put the attack behind me and move on with my life.

  11

  Lucas

  Twelve hours ago, I couldn’t wait to get back to LA to see my daughter. I was sick of New York and sick of the people and sick of the hustle and bustle of the city.

  Now, I’m not so sure.

  The final boarding call is announced and I check my phone for the hundredth time this morning. Still nothing from Rosie.

  I sigh and tuck my phone away. She’s probably still sleeping, we were up all night. I wish I’d asked her for her number before leaving, I’d have sent her a message telling her how much I enjoyed my time with her and how I couldn’t wait to come back.

  Now the ball is in her court, and I’ll have to wait until she contacts me. It’s fine, I’m sure she will. I just want her to do it quickly so I can tell her how much last night meant to me. The thought of leaving her now, after so little time feels wrong.

  I’ve never felt this kind of attraction to anyone before. Physical, mental, almost spiritual. The instant I saw her I knew that she was different. I knew she had to be mine. Ever since my wife died, I’ve felt like all I have left are work and Allie, but last night showed me something different. Maybe there’s hope for me? Maybe there’s a chance for me to be happy again?

  I smile as I remember the way she pulled her foot away from me and almost sprinted down the street. I would have sat there, massaging her feet until the sun came up. I’d give anything to have her body in my arms right now.

  My feet take me towards the gate and then down to the plane. My mind wanders as I put one step in front of the other, waiting in the long line of people taking the same flight as me. I smile and nod as the flight attendants greet me as I get on, but my mind is all the way back at Rosie’s apartment. I find my seat and sit down and can’t resist the temptation any longer. I pull out my phone and my heart drops as I see the blank screen. I have a photo of Allie and I as my background, and I click the side of my phone to make it go back to sleep.

  She hasn’t texted me, but it isn’t even 8am yet. We were up all night on top of each other. She’s probably still asleep, and I need to relax. What I feel right now is real, it has to be. I know she felt it too. I’ll just go back to LA, start talking to her and see how it goes. At the end of the day my life is on the West coast and I have a daughter to take care of. I can’t let one night get in the way of my whole life.

  I need to remind myself of the important things right now. I’m going back to my daughter and I have a massive workload for the next few weeks until this launch is out of the way. Maybe it’s good that I’m leaving New York, because I know that Rosie would be a distraction.

  I purse my lips as the thought crosses my mind. I can’t call her a distraction, it’s wrong. She is anything but a distraction. She’s beautiful and funny and smart and witty and she’s got that sarcastic bite that I love. She’s not a distraction, it would be a privilege to have her in my life.

  I wake up my phone one last time and sigh. The air hostess comes down the aisle and sees it in my hand.

  “Hi sir, please turn your phone off for takeoff. Thank you.” She turns to the row behind me and asks them to move their seats up.

  I purse my lips but flick my phone on airplane mode. Surely by the time I land she’ll have messaged me.

  12

  Rosie

  “You did what!” Jess’s jaw is on the floor and Harper is staring at me like I have three heads. Her fork is hanging in the air halfway between her plate and her mouth.

  “I can’t explain it, it’s like we were just drawn to each other.”

  “You little hussy,” Jess says with a grin. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  “I had it in me last night, that’s for sure,” I respond with a laugh. Jess bursts out laughing and smacks the table with her hand.

  “Rosie Michelle Jackson, I have never been more proud of you than I am right now.”

  I grin. “I’ve never been this proud of myself either, if I’m honest. I need your help though.”

  “What do you need?” Harper asks right away. She’s always been the most loyal and loving friend. Helping is an instinct to her. I laugh.

  “Nothing difficult. I need help writing my message to him. I want him to know how great last night was but I don’t want to come on too strong.”

  “Definitely,” Jess replies. Harper nods once with a knowing look on her face.

  “Y
eah, these next few days will be crucial.”

  “So what do I say? Like… Thanks for screwing my brains out last night? It was fun?”

  “Yes. Tell him how beautiful his cock was,” Jess replies with a laugh. She turns towards me and holds up her hands as if she just thought of something. “He did have a beautiful cock, right? I mean, if we’re putting effort into making this guy come back across the country it better be worth it.”

  I shake my head. “He has the most beautiful cock I’ve ever seen. And the things he did with his hands, with his tongue…” my voice trails off and I stare into the black coffee in my mug, feeling the memories of my orgasms last night.

  “What did he do?” Harper asks almost breathlessly. I glance up at her, remembering the both of them are here.

  “I can’t describe it. He was just…. He was good. He was really good.”

  Jess laughs and claps her hands. “Okay, get your phone out. Let’s write this message.”

  I smile and pull out my phone, grateful to have such supportive friends. Jess has started composing already.

  “So you want to sound enthusiastic but not overly eager. Start with ‘Hey,’,” she pauses, taking a bite of pancake and chewing thoughtfully. “‘Hey, hope you had a good flight.’ Then put some emoji, maybe a smiley face.”

  I nod, tapping a blank message on my phone. Jess continues.

  “‘Hey, hope you had a good flight, smiley face, I had a great time last night. Winky face.’”

  Harper pipes up. “No, delete the first smiley, one emoji is enough. You don’t want to come across as juvenile.”

  I laugh and tap some more on my phone. The three of us go back and forth until I’ve written the perfect message.

  Rosie: Hey, I had an amazing time last night