Unexpected Chance

by Joanne Schwehm

  She released me and said hello to Alex. Brett came to greet us. He shook Alex’s hand and gave him the “bro” hug and then kissed me on the cheek. I liked Brett. He seemed normal, not a player type, and Julie seemed happy. That was really all that mattered to me.

  Brett’s apartment was bigger than most others I had seen. It was decorated in earth tones. It was comfortable. The floors were a rich-colored hardwood and were covered by a plush area rug in the living area under the sofa and coffee table. The kitchen cabinets were dark and rich in color and were lightly lit by the recessed lights in the soffit above them.

  We all sat on the balcony outside of the living area, drinking margaritas. That and the wine I consumed at lunch were starting to do a number on me. I stopped after two, knowing I was getting way past my limit. We talked about normal, everyday things; it was relaxing. I enjoyed watching the interaction between the guys. They seemed close, but different. Brett seemed like the boy next door, lighthearted and free, whereas Alex seemed more serious and hardened in a way. I thought maybe it was due to all he had been through at a young age.

  Julie stood and gestured for me to follow her. I excused myself. We ended up in the kitchen out of earshot of the guys. “How are things with Alex? Did you have a good lunch?”

  “Everything is great. We talked about the women who seem to always be around, since he was approached during our lunch date.”

  Julie almost yelled, “No way!” then covered her mouth with her right hand.

  My eyes darted around and quickly scanned the area. “Shhh, really, Julie, lower your voice. He explained about Leah and Valerie, the woman I met today in the restaurant. Although, if she hadn’t come on to him, I could have seen us hanging out with her; she seemed as if she could be nice.” What was I saying? Ugh! “I don’t understand, Julie. These women were movie-star quality; it makes me wonder, ya know? I keep trying to remind myself this is for research, right?”

  Julie grabbed my hands in hers. “Aubrey, someday you will look in the mirror and see what others do. You are beautiful and kind. Leah and the others I see him with are fake and nasty. I can tell you like him and he seems to like you. Maybe you should tell him about the book and bag your research. He’d probably give you chapters of romantic notions.” She winked and giggled.

  I didn’t giggle. I didn’t find that remotely funny. “No way! How will I know what romantic gestures he does for me are real? Not to mention I don’t want to know what romantic things he has done for, with, and to other women. The thought is nauseating, so I say again . . . no way!”

  Julie nodded. “Just be careful. I can’t imagine him being happy about it if he thinks you’re using him once you tell him about the book. It looks like I could have been wrong and he could be the real deal, Aubrey. He already knows how you feel about other women. Your journal is like the other man!”

  Well, I’d never thought of it that way. “I’ll tell him . . . soon. Let me see what all of this is before I mention it.”

  Julie took a sip from the glass of water she just poured for herself. “Suit yourself; just remember everything we talked about.”

  I nodded, and we walked back to the balcony to rejoin the guys. The rest of the afternoon was great, but I felt this tremendous weight on my chest. We were all comfortable together. It was as if the four of us had been hanging out forever rather than for hours. Alex stood up and extended his hand to me. “Ready to go?”

  I easily put my hand in his and still felt the connection that we shared. “Yes.” I stood and gave Julie and Brett a hug and thanked Brett for having us over.

  We took the elevator down. This time we weren’t alone, so there was no hugging. The others looked at us as though they knew there was something going on. It felt as if I had a sign on my forehead that read, “I want this man!”

  We walked to his car when it dawned on me that he was already home. “Alex, I can call a cab. It’s silly for you to drive me home when you’re already at yours.”

  “I’ll drive you. It isn’t a problem really.” Another note . . . chivalry is still alive and well.

  “Okay, well then you need to come in for coffee; it’s the least I can do.”

  He looked over at me and smiled. “You got it.” Then he drove to my place.

  We walked in, and I started toward the kitchen to make the coffee. I looked back, and he was surveying my place. He had a smile on his face, so I guess it wasn’t too bad. I mean in comparison to his it wasn’t grand or palatial, but I wasn’t a millionaire and my parents had paid for the apartment.

  I turned back to start the coffee. As I was counting the scoops and putting them in the filter, Alex came up behind me, put his arms around my waist, and rested his chin on my shoulder. “Do you think it’s weird that I feel this comfortable with you already?” I didn’t know if it was the smell of the coffee, the drinks I had earlier or just Alex, but I was beyond the feeling of comfortable.

  I turned around so I was facing him and brought my hands up around his neck, rubbing my fingers and nails through his hair. “No, it’s not weird. I feel the same way.” Book or no book, it was true. “What’s weird is that you feel this way about me.”

  He leaned back still holding me and dipped down so we could be eye to eye. “Why?”

  His look seared me. It was as if he could see into my soul. I felt flush and prayed my eyes didn’t fill with moisture. “Well, I’ve seen your type, and since I’m not like them at all, it’s surprising. I’m not a blonde, I don’t have the body of a model, and I don’t throw myself at you.”

  He stared into my eyes, making me feel as if I could take on the latest cover girl. “Did you ever think you are the type I like—what I want?”

  Actually, no, I didn’t. Was this guy for real? It was as if he was in my head and was writing my book for me. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought Julie told him everything. It was as if he knew what I wanted to hear. Julie would never betray me like that, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that he somehow knew. He was saying all the right things.

  He was everything I wanted in a man, minus all the women, of course. After his response, I hugged him. His head was in the crook of my neck, and my head was on his chest. My hands were rubbing his sides and his back. I could feel every rippling muscle through his shirt. He looked at me. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  I smiled and shyly nodded. I felt my breathing pick up its pace, and I prayed that my anxiety would stay at bay.

  His lips softly but urgently met mine. There it was—our first real kiss. I felt an explosion of emotions: happy, excited, mesmerized, and a little scared. Our tongues entwined with each other, and it was amazing; we were savoring each other. His hands went from my lower back into my hair. Meanwhile, my hands were tracing his abs, and what abs they were! I felt every ridge flex under my fingertips. I could have melted right there on the spot. He broke the kiss. I actually think a whimper came from my throat. “Aubrey.” His breathing was ragged, and I just looked at his beautiful eyes. “I don’t want to rush this; I don’t think you do either. How about that coffee?”

  I looked at him, smiled, and nodded. I couldn’t give a crap about coffee, but okay, I’d never felt this way. I guess it was good that he stopped, because I didn’t know that I would have. Then I’d be lumped in with every other woman who ever looked at him. No wonder there were so many. I made a promise to myself to try not to think about how many he had kissed that way.

  We sat on the couch and watched Field of Dreams while we had our coffee. We both loved that movie and apparently both loved baseball. “So Alex, tell me, which major league baseball team is your favorite?”

  He looked at me and said, “The Yankees.”

  I exhaled. “Thank God. If you’d said the Red Sox, I would’ve had to ask you to leave!” We both started laughing.

  That was how our evening went. We laughed, talked, and snuck in a few gentle kisses here and there.

  Alex stood and I immediately felt alone. “I better get g
oing. I have to be at the club early tomorrow morning to confirm a delivery, and Brett has tomorrow off.”

  “Oh, Brett works for you?” He didn’t mention that earlier.

  “Yes, technically, he’s my silent partner, but he just went through a divorce, so he wants to become more involved. It’s great because then I don’t have to work six nights a week.” He grabbed his cell and keys and headed for the door.

  I silently wondered if Julie knew Brett was divorced.

  I stepped around him and opened the door. I leaned against the doorframe and looked up at him. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Alex.”

  “Thank you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I smiled. He gave me a swift kiss and left.

  Chapter 6

  I cleaned up the kitchen and got ready for bed. I pulled out my journal and prepared to write my notes.

  Entry 2—Alex—benching the player?

  What a day! Alex is the most romantic man ever. He brought me flowers, we went to lunch (he ordered for us), met yet another ex, not romantic, but he handled it well. Plus I hate to say it, but I felt as if I could like her and we could all be friends.

  We took a walk in the park, met Julie and Brett for drinks, and then came back here where we shared our love of baseball and the most amazing kiss I’ve ever received.

  He is definitely the perfect muse for my book. I couldn’t have found anyone more suited to be my leading man, but not only for my book . . . for me. He has everything: looks, brains, a gorgeous body, and a beautiful face. His kiss made me forget my own name. I’ll have to see what tomorrow brings. I am trying not to fall for him, but I can’t pretend that I don’t have feelings.

  We’ll have to see if this leads anywhere or if he is still just research. I wish I could shake the feeling that Alex knows about my writing.

  Julie called just as I finished my journal entry to tell me all about Brett. Apparently, she was still at his place, and she was spending the night. I was a little jealous knowing Alex was probably upstairs in his apartment.

  “Hey, I need to tell you something.” I wasn’t sure if this was the right time, but I wanted her to know. “Do you know about Brett’s past relationship?”

  “Do you mean about his divorce? Yes, I do. He told me last night. It’s no big deal. He was young, and she tried to trap him. He wised up and got out.”

  She sounded so sure about everything. “Okay, as long as you know and are fine with it. Sorry, Julie, I just needed to make sure that you knew.”

  “I know, and I love you for telling me.”

  “Have fun, Jules, and stay safe.”

  Julie sighed and sounded a tad sarcastic, no very sarcastic, “Yes, Mom. I’ll call you tomorrow morning; maybe we can hang out tomorrow. I want to hear about the rest of your night. I love you.”

  “Love you too. Talk to you tomorrow.” I set my phone on my side table and tried to fall asleep, but my phone chimed indicating that I had a text message.

  Alex: 10:15 p.m.—I just wanted to tell you that I had a great time tonight. Sweet dreams.

  Me: 10:25 p.m.—I did too. Thank you for a wonderful time and a great day. Sweet dreams.

  And what sweet dreams I had. I dreamed of Alex, and the things he was doing to me were amazing. I actually woke up feeling sated and refreshed, when I should have been exhausted after all the action I had in my dream. I smiled and thought of the past couple of days and couldn’t believe how much had changed in such a short amount of time.

  My job hunt began that day. I made coffee and grabbed my laptop to search the career websites and local online job boards. I had money saved, but I needed to make sure I had some sort of income. My parents set up an account for me, but I really wanted to do this on my own.

  I decided to call my parents. It was afternoon in Paris, so I gave them a ring. My mom answered, “Bonjour, Aubrey.” I just laughed.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you and Dad doing?”

  “We’re fine. How is everything there? Is the apartment okay? Did you find a job yet?”

  “The apartment is great, Mom, and everything is fine. I am actually starting my job hunt today. I’ll let you know how it goes. How is Paris?” I needed to change topics and make it about her, since I really didn’t have anything to report—that I wanted her to know about anyway.

  My mom sighed, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “Paris is beautiful, honey. The stores and restaurants are to die for. I decided the reason there are so many boutiques is because people keep gaining weight from eating so much!” She laughed. “We miss you, sweetheart. What would you think if we bought you a ticket to visit us?”

  Wow, going to the most romantic city in the world would be great for my research, but that would mean that I’d be away from Alex and unable to look for a job. “Let’s see how my job search goes today. But, yes, I would love to visit you. I just don’t know when.”

  “Okay, baby, I have to go. Your father and I have dinner plans. We love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom, and be sure to kiss Dad for me.”

  I started my search with the local papers; there were some intern positions that didn’t pay anything, so they were out. The positions were limited. I probably should have done this a lot sooner. Most of the college graduates had started this process, months ago. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have too. I was getting beyond frustrated. I signed up for a few email alerts and hoped something would come up. I was just about to close my laptop when I decided to “Google” Alex. I opened the search engine and typed in “Alex Logan.” I started to feel creepy about the entire thing, not to mention nervous, so I never hit search.

  I called Julie, figuring she had to be at work by now. She answered on the third ring, sounding exhausted. “Hey, Aubrey . . . yaawwwn”.

  “Gee, did someone stay up a little too late last night?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Yeah, I did . . . yaawwwn . . . but it was so worth it. Brett’s amazing and really nice. I’m going to go see him at the club tonight. Want to come with me?”

  Did I want to go with her? I thought I should stay away from Alex for a little bit to see if he had any romantic gestures coming my way, but I did want to see him. “I don’t know, Julie. Won’t it make me look too, I don’t know, eager?”

  “No, it won’t, but it’s your decision. Text me later and let me know if you’re going to stay home alone or come hang with your best friend.”

  “You know that I would rather hang out with you. I’m just really stressed about finding a job. I talked to my mom, and you know how she can get. I need to stand on my own. I’m thinking of calling an employment agency if all else fails.”

  “You just started looking. Give it some time. You already have yourself failing. Think positively and positive things will happen.” Julie was always so optimistic. A glass-half-full kind of girl, me on the other hand, not so much.

  “Yeah, from your lips to God’s ears . . . I’ll let you know about tonight. If I don’t go, have fun, and, Julie, you better go drink some coffee and wake up!” I laughed and hung up the phone.

  I decided to curl up on the couch with one of my books. I would read some of them over and over again trying to figure out what it was that the author wrote that grabbed me so much. I didn’t know if I’d be able to do this or not. UGH! I went to my journal to start making some notes. I sat cross-legged on my bed, propped myself up against my headboard, and started writing things I didn’t want to forget.

  Questions . . .

  What is romance?

  Flowers? Affection? Texts? Calls?

  When is it enough? Do we always want more?

  If a guy seems too good to be true, is he?

  Is Alex that guy, too good to be true?

  Does he really like me or is he playing me?

  He chose me. Why?

  I don’t think I’m being played, but how can I be sure?

  I am sure of one thing. I’m falling for him.

  I closed my journal and put it in
my side table drawer. I flopped back on my bed, definitely not feeling like going to the club tonight. Still I couldn’t stop wondering if Alex’s women were there. Should I go and not let him know? That would be very telling, but that wasn’t me and that wouldn’t be honest. I stared at my ceiling and rummaged through my brain, looking for guidance or a sign; it didn’t happen.

  I dragged myself off my bed and into the bathroom. I needed to get into the shower and let the hot water pour over me. I tilted my head back and let the water beat on my scalp; it had to be one of my favorite things. I washed my hair, shaved, and rubbed my body wash all over; even though I wasn’t going anywhere, it just made me feel better. The bathroom was all steamy after I turned the water off. I threw on my soft, white, terry-cloth robe and wrapped my hair in a towel. I started applying my face cream when I heard my phone ring. Alex? I hoped so. I ran for my phone and hoped I wouldn’t go flying on the wet tile. It was Julie.

  “Hey, didn’t I just talk to you?” I smiled.

  “Yes, and guess what?”

  “You woke up?”

  “Ha-ha, very funny. No, God’s ears must have been open because Brian just told me that Jack, our copywriter and sometimes editor, is leaving the company and we need to replace him. He wanted me to look at the posting before he submitted it to Human Resources, and I told him that we didn’t need to post it in the paper or online because you would be perfect for the job. If you’re interested, he’d like you to come into the office tomorrow afternoon at four o’clock for an interview.”

  “No way, that is awesome! Thank you so much, Julie! I’m definitely interested, and I will be there tomorrow. I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I guess that means I won’t be joining you tonight at the club. The last thing I need is to go into the interview hung over and dragging.”

  Julie sounded sad. “Yeah, I don’t know if I’m going to go either. I’m exhausted. How about if we go tomorrow night to celebrate? It’s ladies’ night, and the drinks will be cheaper, not that Brett or Alex would let us buy our own drinks.”