by Natalie Ann
“What made you get this...lovely specimen?”
“Ever see them as a puppy? I was a sucker when I found out someone at work had one. They don’t stay so little and wrinkly. They turn into fifty-pound snoring, farting machines. But he’s good company and pretty low maintenance.”
He stood back up when she did, then followed her to the back of the house, his eyes going to her ass that was nicely on display for him. He was right about her jeans, they looked soft like butter, something to peel off her body. He’d love to think it’d be tonight but knew there was no way in hell that was happening.
He was good at reading people and Rachel Chapman wasn’t one to let him in her pants tonight. Not unless he had some magic tricks up his sleeve and he was sure those days were long gone.
They got to the back of the house where there was a massive kitchen in all white and gray, an island that opened up into a huge family room and a dining room off to the side. “Do you entertain much?”
“Nope. Not like you think. I like being around people. I’ve been told I hardly ever shut up, but the truth is I think that is more around family than anything. I do have some girl nights now and again, but for the most part, it’s just me and Frank.”
“Why so much space then?”
“Room to grow,” she said. She walked a few steps into an extremely organized mudroom, grabbed a jacket off the hook and her purse from the bench.
“No tour upstairs?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow. He was in the mood to push just a bit tonight.
“You seem like a pretty smart man to me. You know the answer.”
***
Rachel was sitting across from Jake at a steakhouse in Colonie. She hadn’t cared where they went to dinner tonight. For her it was more about the company and finding out what possessed him to call her for a date.
And though she was nervous about going out with her high school crush, she reminded herself she was thirty years old. She’d dated plenty and could handle herself in any situation.
She was good at dodging compliments, insults, and pick-up lines on a daily basis. How hard would it be to handle a sexy veteran?
The waitress brought over her wine and Jake’s beer. “Are you ready to order?”
The two of them hadn’t been talking, just looking at the menu. She wasn’t sure why he was being so quiet when he wasn’t at her house. Maybe he was just hungry and trying to figure out what he wanted.
“I’ll get the baked stuffed shrimp over rice,” she said.
“Salad bar?” the waitress asked.
“Yes.”
She set her menu down while Jake ordered a massive strip steak, fries, and the salad bar. When the waitress took the menus and walked away, he stood up so she did the same, figuring he was going to fill his plate.
Once they were back at the table, he grinned at her and said, “Ask away. It has to be killing you to wait this long.”
She grinned, not surprised he’d figured her out. He seemed to have her number pretty well. “This date? What prompted it?”
“Aside from the fact I’m a man and you’re a pretty hot chick.”
It was the way he said that that had her laughing rather than being insulted. “That could be the reason I said yes.”
“Because I’m a man?” He was buttering the slice of bread he’d brought back to his table, slow and steady, like he was buttering her up too.
“Because you’re a hot man.”
He laughed and it transformed his face. He’d been smiling a lot, but it hadn’t always seemed to hit his eyes like it did this time. “I guess we complement each other for the night.”
“I guess so.”
She picked her fork up and started to eat, following his lead and holding her tongue. She’d asked once and she wouldn’t again. Let’s see how long it took for him to give her the answer she was waiting for.
“I felt motivation after you left the other day. True motivation to get to work. It’s been a long time coming. I didn’t know if it was a fluke or not. But after our conversation this afternoon it happened again.”
Damn, he had a job. Why hadn’t he told her that before? “And what did I motivate you to do? I was under the impression you weren’t working. Or just visiting? I guess I was wrong.”
“I don’t think you are wrong too much. Or as much as you’d ever admit. No official job,” he said, picking up his beer and making her wait for the rest of his answer. “I’m taking some time off to figure things out, but in the interim I’m writing a book.”
“Really?” she asked. “What about?”
“No shock on your face? Why is that?”
“Why would I be shocked? I don’t know you well enough to know if you could or couldn’t write a book. My guess is you don’t do anything in life that you didn’t think you could succeed at.”
His eyes didn’t leave hers for what seemed like twenty seconds. That heat she’d felt earlier from their phone conversation was overtaking her with a need to splash cold water on her face.
“Not many get that about me.”
“I don’t know that you are that hard to read.”
He snorted. “We’ll see about that. Anyway, I’ve been traveling around, figuring things out, taking notes, jotting ideas down, trying to write.”
“Trying?” she asked. “How long has it been?”
“Months. I’ve written enough for a few books, but nothing that goes together. Not one book to call my own.”
“So your mind is playing tricks on you? Telling you to go in all sorts of directions and you can’t decide the road you want to navigate?” she asked.
“That describes it well. Maybe you should be the writer?”
“No, thank you. I like to talk. But I can understand. I do a lot of research in my job. I can’t or don’t profess to know everything there is about every job I’m trying to recruit, but I want to relate to that person. So I’ve got to gather data and talk to other people in those positions. Find out what is desirable to candidates and so on. I won’t tell you the number of files I’ve got with information in it.”
“That seems to be what happened to me. I’ve got a million ideas and plans, but I couldn’t seem to pick one. After you left the other day, I did. And I made progress. Then today after we hung up, I did it again. When my mind wanted to get off track, I told myself I wasn’t stopping until I was ready and then I did what you just described.”
“So why do you think I had something to do with it?”
“Because I’ve felt dead inside for nine months and for some reason I didn’t talking with you.”
Her jaw dropped, no words coming out. What do you say to a confession like that?
Backup Plan
Jake was shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth. But the truth was, he wasn’t one for playing games either. She wanted to know why he’d asked her out and he was going to tell her.
Now he’d see what she was made of.
“That’s pretty heavy stuff,” she said, picking up her wine and taking a sip. She didn’t guzzle it, though he suspected she might have wanted to.
“It feels like it at times.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Then we won’t.”
“I’m surprised,” he said.
“What? That I’m not being nosy?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the way I figure it, you are looking at me as a good thing. So my guess is you’ll want another date after this. That gives us time to talk. What I’m going to say though is…I won’t be used as your catalyst to accomplish your goals.”
He was dead on with her. Damn. “I have no intention of using anyone. That’s why I was upfront with this. But I’m honest too. You’ve got one killer body I’d love to get my hands on when the time comes.”
She grinned at him. “I could say the same.”
He leaned closer to her across the table. “It’s going to be explosive too.”
She gulped. “I
believe you think it will be.”
“I know so,” he said, then sat back. “As for talking about things more. Maybe, maybe not. I’ve been home for two weeks and haven’t said much to my family so I’m not sure I’m going to say it to someone I just met.”
“Or you will because I’m not your family,” she said. “I’m almost a third party.”
“Maybe. Either way, you asked why we are on this date and I told you. What we do or where we go from here is up to you as much as it is to me.”
She nodded her head. “I like that you are upfront like that. I guess I’ll be the same way and say I’d still like you to consider the position at Albany Med for a pilot.” She held her hand up when he went to speak. “Hear me out. I need to fill it. I’m not the one doing the hiring. I don’t make that call. I just find candidates. I’ll respect that you aren’t interested in it today, but would it be okay if I pick your brain on things? Remember, like I said I have to research.”
He weighed her words, heard the logic behind them, and agreed. “That’s fine.”
“So let me ask you. How long are you going to try writing?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve said you have been traveling and researching. You set a goal to get so much done today too. I get the feeling you’re someone that won’t do this indefinitely. Keep trying without a backup plan. Aside from the fact you said you were figuring things out.”
He liked her methodical mind. Then reminded himself she was kind of out of his league. She came from money and success. Maybe she was weighing her choices to see if he was going to be an unemployed bum for years.
“I told myself I would give it until the end of this year to get the book written. Or at least a draft of it before I made any other decisions in my life.”
“Decisions like career choices and where you’re going to live?”
“Pretty much. I couldn’t handle living in the same house with my parents but the apartment was sitting empty. My family respects my space for the most part.”
At least they had been, but he knew the longer he stayed the less it would be respected. Things he’d have to think about another time. Not when he was on a date.
“So by the end of the year you’ll let me know if you are interested in the position or not?” she asked, grinning at him.
“I suppose it’s the least I could do.”
“Perfect. I won’t bug you too much then. I’ll just ask questions, but if you think I’m crossing the line, please tell me.”
“You’re probably going to fill the position by then anyway,” he pointed out.
“You seriously think that is going to happen in six weeks or so?”
“Probably not. Not unless you steal someone away from another job.”
“Exactly. And most likely that person is working full time or won’t have the flexibility to do what we are looking for.”
She made a good point. Another reason why this could work out for him if his writing career was slow to take off. But it was too early for that and if it didn’t take off. If it didn’t do what he wanted it to, part-time work, however well it paid, wasn’t something he was interested in either. Nor was he positive he wanted to get back in a chopper right now.
Like his brothers and sister, he was a hard worker and was ambitious, so he’d have to figure out his life if the writing didn’t support him the way he’d like.
“Have you thought about retired pilots?” he asked.
“No. That’s a good option. If you know of any, I’ll reach out to them.”
“I don’t know too many people in this area other than those from when I lived here years ago.”
“It was still a great suggestion. Thanks for that. Now back to us and this date. I think we’ve cleared the air. I think we’ve got the unpleasantries out of the way. Let’s talk about us.”
Taking control again. Not in a bad way, but in a confident way. He had a thing for confident women. “How come I didn’t know about you in school?”
She laughed. “Why would you? I was a year behind you and totally not your type.”
“How do you know my type?”
He pushed back when the waitress came over and took their salad plates that they’d both emptied while they’d been chatting. His steak was placed down in front of him now, her seafood dish.
“Jake,” she said, drawing his name out and making it sound like a plea for more in his mind rather than an exasperation. It’d been too long since he’d held a naked woman next to his body to be thinking that. “You were the top jock at Shaker High. Every girl watched you and knew your type. And that type wasn’t me.”
He’d dated all sorts back then, but mostly those that ran in the same circle as him. Those that played sports or partied on the weekend.
“I don’t remember you.”
“And you’d have no reason to. I didn’t play any of the popular sports. I didn’t go to any of your parties.”
“What sports did you play?” he asked, picking up his knife and cutting into his steak. She started eating, so he was going to. This was probably the most relaxing date he’d ever been on. “Or were you more the drama club type?”
She picked her wine up and held it for him in a toast. “Touché, but no. I swam. Dove. Not any of the major sports, as I said, and I wasn’t the best. I had fun and was competitive, but only at the high school level.”
“Not everyone needs to be the best,” he said but knew those words didn’t ring true to him. He’d spent most of his life trying to be the best at everything he did. Part of him wanted to keep up with his brothers, the other part knew he couldn’t so he went his own direction.
Whatever direction he went in though, he was going to put everything he had into it and be as competitive as possible. If not, then why bother, had always been his motto.
“So says the star of everything he touched.”
“Not everything,” he said and put his head down to eat some more. So much for relaxing.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I hit a nerve and didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t. You don’t even know what nerve you hit.”
“Jake,” she said, then waited until he looked up at her. “I’m good at my job. I don’t approach people unless I know what I can about them. You don’t think I’d not do my research on you too?”
Which meant she knew about Rob. It made all the local news back then. Any time a local serviceman was killed in action, it was big news. And this was national news at that.
He hadn’t bothered to read what was written of the story. Or about him. Why, when he lived it?
“Then you know why I need space.”
“You never said you needed space,” she argued. “You said you need to figure things out. If you needed space, you wouldn’t be here with me on this date.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, not sure he liked how she pointed that out to him.
“You got your space for months traveling and it didn’t give you what you needed.”
“No, it didn’t.”
“Why come home now? Because of your book? Your self-imposed deadline?”
“I came home for the holidays,” he admitted.
She looked confused. “Someone who needs space doesn’t come home during what is normally the busiest family time of the year.”
“No. But they do when they are trying to find a normal again.”
“Ah,” she said. “So you are looking for what you had as a child and hoping to build from there.”
Yeah, she knew him damn well for someone that had only spent a few hours talking to him. What the hell was he getting himself into?
Extend Their Night
Rachel was shocked at how well the date was actually going. Especially after some of the conversation she and Jake had had.
Not just clearing the air and getting a clean slate about why they were on the date, but the reason he came home. His career goals and so on.
&
nbsp; Most men wouldn’t have said what he had tonight, even if they’d been dating someone for weeks. But on one date, Jake admitted things that he was probably keeping from those closest to him.
Was there a lot of power and fear in those words he’d confessed? On her part, yeah.
She knew she had to tread lightly with him but at the same time she wanted to rush forward too.
So she did what she was good at doing and pushed it all aside for another day. Made mental notes to talk about things or bring them up as needed.
What was needed for the rest of the night was focus on them because she’d been honest—and bold—and told him she wouldn’t be used so he could reach his plans and she was sticking to that.
As much as she was attracted to Jake—and turned on by him—she thought better of herself than to let herself be second.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said when he dropped her off at her house. “Do you want to come in for coffee?”
And she hoped for a goodnight kiss. She wasn’t one for making out in the car, but if he wanted to, she’d be game. After all, this was a date, even if they did have some serious in depth conversations.
“Coffee sounds good.”
She got out of his vehicle and made her way to the front door, unlocked it, turned the alarm off. “This seems like a pretty safe neighborhood,” Jake said.
“It is and having Frank helps. Not that he is much of a guard dog, but he does bark if someone comes in that shouldn’t.”
“Like those two low barks you got when the key was in the door?” he asked.
“Yeah. Something like that. Once he knew it was me, he was fine.”
“Even though I’m with you?”
“You met him. You pet him. You’re his friend now.”
She saw the laughter in his eyes even if he didn’t make a sound. “If only life were that simple.”
“It should be, don’t you think?”
He didn’t answer her, but rather said, “Do you have to let him out?”