Take a Chance

by Ash Johnson

  Shit. I asked for a boy bunny but somehow ended up with a girl. Oh well. Can’t take it back and switch now.

  He hands me back my girly ball of fur and tells me to go back to the lobby where Harlow will get everything settled. When I head down the hall toward the front office, she’s sitting in a black swivel chair, inputting information at the computer.

  I clear my throat so that I don’t spook her, and when she shifts to look at me, she almost takes my breath away. Then I’m picturing her coming home to my house and taking baths after a long day in my tub. I’m so screwed.

  “So, I was wondering if you finally had some free time to go out to dinner with me.”

  She bites her lower lip before ducking her head. When her eyes return to mine, I can see her answer before she says anything. The sadness and regret in her eyes tells me everything.

  “I’m so sorry but I just don’t have the time. I haven’t had a day off in almost three years, and I don’t see one coming up anytime soon.”

  My eyes feel as though they’re about to bug out of my head. Three fucking years? She hasn’t had any time off in three years? I want to know why and so many other things about her, so I come up with a plan on the fly.

  “Well, you need to eat, don’t you?” I raise a brow and try to keep myself under control when she shoots a sexy smirk in my direction.

  “Yeah, my break is actually in ten minutes.”

  “Would you mind if I took you out to get something to eat?”

  She scrunches her brows, studying me like she can’t quite figure out what to make of me, but the smirk stays firmly in place. After a few seconds of silence, she relents.

  “Sure, that would be great. Let me just tell Dr. Tim that I’ll be going out for food instead of staying here with him, and we can go.”

  Of course that douche bag wants her to stay here with him while she eats.

  She gets up from her chair and moves down the hall, disappearing behind a door for a few minutes. When she comes back, she doesn’t seem like she’s happy to be going anymore.

  “What’s the matter?” I ask when she gets close.

  She glances up at me and it takes a minute to realize that I just asked her a question. She shakes her head a few times and gives me a small smile. “It’s nothing. Tim just wasn’t very happy that I was leaving to get some food instead of staying here. He doesn’t normally snap at me like that.”

  Sounds like Dr. Tim may just have a crush on Harlow and is too big of a pussy to do anything about it, so instead of asking her out, he gets pissed when she decides to go with another man. Well, he lost his shot to get her, now. I’m working my way in, and I’m going to bust my ass to stay in.

  “Well, are you ready to go? You’re going to have to hold the fluff ball while I drive.” I hand her the bunny, mentally high fiving myself when she smiles and seems to forget all about Tim’s attitude.

  When we leave the building and I’ve helped her into the Hummer, I run to the driver’s side, trying to get as much time with her as I can. “So where to?”

  “Anywhere around here except for Guy’s Diner is great with me.”

  Guy’s Diner is one of the best places to get greasy breakfast and lunch on this side of town. I’ve gone to Guy’s for a hangover breakfast on more than one occasion. I don’t know why she wouldn’t want to go there. It’s just down the street from the vet’s office.

  “Why don’t you want to go to Guy’s? Bad hangover breakfast experience?” She lets out the cutest giggle at my assumption and shakes her head while she gives my rabbit love.

  “No, that’s where I work as a waitress. Though, Guy might fire me soon with how often I’m texting.” She smirks at me when I chuckle but then keeps talking. “Even though I’ve showered and changed clothes since I got off work today, I can still smell the bacon grease on my skin.” I knew she worked as a waitress somewhere, but up until now, I didn’t know where. I don’t know why I never thought to ask.

  “I knew I loved your perfume for some reason,” I tease, making her laugh. The sound settles somewhere in my gut, calming and centering me for some reason.

  We decide to go to some chain restaurant that is open late at night, and I am more excited than I have a right to be when I realize I get to learn more about her.

  Chapter 9

  Harlow

  We get to the restaurant when I realize that we have Blake’s rabbit, and he doesn’t have a cage for it. I put it down on the patch of grass in front of the building and wait for it to do its business before I scoop up the tiny ball of cuteness and put her into my purse to hide out while we eat.

  After we’re seated, Blake starts up with an extensive round of questioning.

  “So, you work at Guy’s all week during the day and at the veterinary hospital at night, and you’re a bartender at night on the weekends. Where is the other place you work? I’ve been to a lot of bars around here, and I’ve never seen you behind one.”

  I clear my throat, and then the tabletop becomes much more interesting than Blake’s handsome face. “Um, The Booby Trap?” I say, like it’s a question. I sneak a peek in time to catch his eyes widen and his jaw fall open before he composes himself.

  “The strip club?” he asks like there could be any other place with that name other than a strip club. I nod the affirmative and lock eyes with him to get a better idea of what he thinks of the place where I work.

  One side of his mouth tilts up like he’s seeing a whole new side of me. “Wow, didn’t see that coming from your mouth, but okay.”

  “Okay?” I ask, surprised that he isn’t judging me for working there. “You aren’t stripping there too, are you?” I widen my eyes with his question but shake my head quickly. “No I’m just a bartender there.” He nods smiles “then it’s okay with me.”

  After the server comes over and gets our drink and food orders, I return my attention to my good-looking midnight dinner date.

  “How has work at the gym been going?” I ask, wanting to shift the conversation off me and my place of employment. He’s been telling me over the past few weeks about owning his own MMA gym and how well it’s been doing with the three professional fighters that have been training there.

  “It’s been going well. We just got a new guy that started training with us, and he seems promising. I’ve met his previous physical therapist and the guy is a tool, so I took over for him and am working both on a PT level and as his trainer to get him ready for a fight in a few months.”

  “So, you’re actually a physical therapist, huh?” I ask, pride shooting through me at how well put together Blake’s life is. Maybe he could rub off on me.

  He nods and smiles at me over the rim of his glass before taking a drink of his water. After I realize he isn’t going to say anything, I speak again so we don’t have a lull in conversation.

  “Wow, you’ve accomplished so much and aren’t much older than me. It’s nice to see someone with their shit together.”

  He chuckles, the sound sending a shiver down my spine, and then shoots me with a panty-dropping smile. “Well, at thirty-two, I may appear to have my shit together, but that just tells me my clothes are doing a great job of fooling you.” We both chuckle and then a thought occurs to me.

  “So you own an MMA gym. Have you ever fought?”

  He nods and sighs before answering me. “Yeah, I used to fight in the semi-pros. I actually trained at my gym before I bought it from my trainer. I wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t the best either. I got cocky and went up against a guy that I knew could beat me, but I convinced myself that I had better training. Long story short, after two of the longest rounds of my life, I had some serious damage done to my cheekbone, and there was permanent damage to my eye socket that affected my peripheral vision. I can’t fight anymore because of it.”

  It’s then that I remember a small scar on his right cheek, more than likely due to stitches. The imperfection only heightens his appearance, though, giving a tough and rugged impression to his manly fe
atures.

  “I’m so sorry. That must have been hard,” I mutter, because I don’t know what else to say.

  He shrugs like it isn’t a big deal. “It was easier to get over than I thought it would be. I had money put aside to buy the gym and got my degree a long time ago in athletic therapy, so I decided to go back to school and get my doctorate. Now I help out all the fighters in my gym whenever they need me instead of working in an office all day.”

  “Impressive,” I tease as our food is set down in front of us. I ordered a cheeseburger with a side salad so I could feed the bunny in my purse while we eat. I hope that it doesn’t need to go to the bathroom again. We eat our meal with light chatter and laughter until it’s time to get back to work.

  As we’re driving away from the restaurant, I pet the fluffy ball of fur. “Do you have a name for her yet?”

  He chuckles as he focuses on the road. “No. Up until an hour ago I thought she was a he.”

  “Well, she needs a name.”

  “Okay, well, give her a name then,” he offers. I smile and try to come up with something that would fit both the rabbit and Blake. He doesn’t seem like the type to name his animals something frilly or girly, so I have to be careful with what I choose.

  “What were the names of your pets before this one,” I ask, holding the bunny up.

  “I’ve only had one pet before her. He was a German shepherd mix named Lugar, and my parents hated him. My older sisters and I loved him, though, so they tolerated him for a few years until he dug up my mom’s beloved roses. Then Lugar had to go live with another family.” His voice sounds bitter as he tells me about his childhood dog.

  “Then she’s going to need one kick ass name to measure up to Lugar.” I tap my chin with my finger in thought for a second before I come up with something. “How about Rosie, so we can stick it to your mom for giving away your dog?”

  He chuckles a bit and then shifts that radiant smile to me for the briefest of seconds. “I love it. Rosie it is,” he says as he parks his Hummer H3 in a spot by the front door of the veterinary hospital.

  Blake gives me a seductive smile and leans his body across the center console. I’m doing the same, even though my head is screaming at me to stop. I know I don’t have time to start a relationship with Blake, or anyone for that matter, and I don’t want to hurt him when he realizes that I’m not around very often. But I can’t stop myself.

  When our mouths connect, all thoughts escape my mind. His lips against mine bring the butterflies in my stomach to life and every inch of me lights up. A kiss that started off soft and sweet switches to reckless and wild, and before I know it, I’m putting Rosie in the back seat and aiming to climb over the pieces of metal that are keeping my body from Blake’s.

  I have no idea what makes me want to jump all over this guy after our first date, but I chalk it up to the fact that I haven’t had any physical contact with a man in almost four years. That has to be the reason why I’m acting like a bit of a hoochie at the moment, right?

  Blake’s fingers reach out and connect with my hips as he pulls me closer. His hands start to make their way under my scrubs top, and I melt under his large hands on my bare skin. A moan escapes my mouth, causing me to break the kiss, but it doesn’t stop Blake.

  “So damn hot,” he murmurs against my jaw. He trails kisses down my neck, adding a nip when he reaches the spot where my neck meets my shoulder. Just before his roaming hands make contact with my breasts, we both hear a loud banging on the hood of the vehicle.

  We break apart to find Dr. Tim standing at the front of the car, seething. Whether it’s because I’m making out with someone in the parking lot or just making out with someone at all, I’m not sure. I give Dr. Tim a small wave, which causes him to narrow his eyes at me and returned to the hospital without glancing back.

  I bite my lower lip and shift back to Blake to find a wide grin plastered across his face like he just won some sort of prize. I giggle at him and climb off his lap. As I move back to my seat, I realize that if he wants to try this thing between us, then I will be willing to as well. I won’t be around much, but I’ll try to make as much time as I can for him in my hectic life.

  I deserve a little fun for myself, after all.

  If that kiss was any indicator as to what I should expect in a relationship with him, then sex between us would be off-the-freaking-charts incredible.

  Just before I can thank Blake for dinner and get out, he asks about a topic I was hoping to avoid.

  “Where’s your car?”

  Shit. May as well come clean now that he called me on it.

  “Uh, I didn’t get one because my insurance wouldn’t cover it for how little my car was worth.” I look down to my lap but I can feel the heat of his stare on the side of my head.

  “You don’t have a car? How are you getting to all of your jobs?”

  “I take the bus. It’s a bit more expensive, and I have to plan for the pick-up times when I get off work at night, but it will do.” I shrug my shoulders for good measure so he’ll get that it shouldn’t be such a big deal.

  “Are you kidding me?” he growls. I snap my head up to find that he’s all but fuming.

  “What?”

  “I’ve been texting you since the accident and you told me that you got the damn rental car situated.”

  “I did get it situated. They told me that my piece of shit car and the liability coverage I had wasn’t enough to require a rental car, so I’ve got a bus pass until I can save enough money for a different car.” My tone has a bit of bite to it, but I’m uncomfortable explaining to Blake, a man who showed up in a newer version Hummer, why I don’t have another car. I huff and shift my gaze out of the passenger window in order to calm down.

  After a few moments of tense silence, I cut my eyes back to his. He seems a bit saddened by the conversation, and it makes me feel bad about snapping at him. He licks his lips and then winces, like he knows that what he says next will become a fight, but he can’t help himself.

  “Listen, I have an extra car at home that you can use until you can get another car. I’m not using it, and it’s just taking up space in my garage.”

  Oh my God! He’s trying so hard to make it sound like I’d be doing him a favor instead of turning me into a charity case. I’m far closer to pissed off than grateful right now.

  Chapter 10

  Blake

  I was hoping that she wouldn’t put up too much of a fight and recognize that I am just trying to help her out, but she might be pissed that I suggested it.

  “Listen, Blake. I know that you are trying to help me, but while I appreciate the gesture, I couldn’t just take one of your vehicles and feel good about it. I’m not a charity case.”

  Shit. I didn’t think about the way she would consider it on her end. “You aren’t a charity case to me, Harlow. I’m not using the gesture to play on your misfortune. I just want to help.”

  She brings that luscious lower lip into her mouth and nibbles on it a few times, like she’s deep in thought about my offer, while I work not to get harder at the sight of her lips. I’m still worked up from our little make out session. It pleases me to no fucking end that he knows she’s kissing me instead of him.

  A few seconds later, she shakes her head no. It takes me a second to remember what we were talking about before I zoned off. Oh right, her borrowing my car.

  “While it’s sweet, I’m going to have to turn you down. It’s too much for someone to loan their car out to a complete stranger for an unknown amount of time.”

  Okay, I’m not as hard as I was a few minutes ago. Complete strangers? I feel closer to her than I have any woman in a very long time. I bought a fucking bunny just to see her again. This chick makes me want to bow down at her feet and worship her, and she acts as if she has no clue who I am.

  “Harlow, I’m not a total stranger, and you know it. We’ve been talking to each other for the past few weeks, and it’s like, even though there is a lot more to k
now about you, we’re starting something here. I want to help you without you feeling that you need to do anything in return. Please just think about it.”

  She gives me a small smile, those sexy-as-hell dimples making a tiny appearance, then grabs Rosie from the backseat and places her in my lap before opening the passenger door. “See ya, Blake,” she mumbles before shutting the door and heading back into the animal hospital. Little does she know, she’ll be seeing me a lot sooner than later.

  ***

  Harlow told me last night that she gets off work from the veterinary hospital at seven in the morning and then goes home to sleep for three hours before working the lunch shift at the diner. So, I make sure to get to there before seven in my BMW.

  I checked that the interior was clean and then took it to a car wash to make sure the 2013 white BMW X5 gleamed. It needed to look perfect for Harlow.

  As soon as seven rolls around, I watch a little too closely as she leaves with Dr. Tim behind her, his hand resting against the small of her back. My entire body thrums with anger at the fact that this douche bag has his hands all over her and I’m fighting back the urge to put my fist in his fucking face.

  Then I remember that, even though this is the closest I’ve had to a girlfriend since high school, she and I aren’t a couple. Sure, I would love to take her on another date and perhaps see where things lead, but she’s told me on a few different occasions that she doesn’t have time to date anyone. The idea that this fuck face isn’t getting any action from her either calms me down a bit.

  I throw the driver’s side door open and pop out with more enthusiasm than is necessary, but I’m now fighting my body’s inclination to kick this guy’s ass or at least break his hands so he can’t put them all over my girl anytime soon.

  “Blake?” Her sweet voice snaps me out of the anger I feel at Dr. Tim’s daring appendage, and I move my view from the hand on her back to her face. “What are you doing here?” she asks, sounding confused with a hint of what may be relief.