by E. L. Todd
I was losing the battle.
It probably wasn’t the best idea, but I called Florence because I was desperate. She seemed to know Rose pretty well, and if I could get the right information out of her it would make my life easier.
She walked inside the restaurant, wearing a skintight dress that was so short it almost showed her goodies. She wore way too much make up, so much it actually looked blotchy, and her hair was bigger than every porn star’s in the industry.
She sauntered to my table with forced confidence. It was obvious she thought this was a date, the kind where I asked for another chance to be with her. She was sadly mistaken.
“Hey.” Her voice was clipped and aggressive. She thought the ball was in her quart. She assumed I was wrapped tightly around her finger.
I could tell what kind of woman she was. She wanted a man to obsess over her so she could control him, make him pine over her every second of the day. She demanded respect but refused to give it. When she grabbed me and dragged me around she acted like she was entitled to do it.
Not my kind of woman.
Women had a lot more power than they realized, and all that power was in their words. They could ask for anything and get it—as long as they were nice about it. But to push me around and take advantage of my sensitivity was unattractive.
“Hey.” My tone was polite but not too polite.
“I knew you would call me.” She flipped her hair over one shoulder and tried to look sexy, but she failed miserably.
She was nothing like Rose. “How are you?”
“I’ve been good. You know, seeing a lot of guys.” She grabbed the menu and refused to look at me.
Good for you. “I’m glad you’re well.” I expected her to ask me the same question in return but she never did.
“So, what do you want?”
“I thought you knew I would call you?” She could try to play the game all she wanted, but she would never win.
She smiled to herself and kept looking at her menu.
I sipped the wine I ordered and thought of Rose. I was doing this so I could have a real chance with her. Unless I had the information I needed I would never get anywhere. “I’ve been working with Rose on my new beach house. She’s talented.”
“Very. She’s such a geek.”
Geek? “I wouldn’t say that.”
“She is,” she said. “Instead of going out she prefers to stay home all the time. If it weren’t for me she would never go out.”
“Maybe she enjoys being alone.” I’d prefer it to her company.
“She’s too shy. I bring out the best in her.” She finally set down her menu and faced me head-on.
“I think she’s perfect the way she is.” I was starting to suspect Florence wasn’t a good friend at all, just a glorified bully.
“That’s your opinion.” She took a drink of the wine I ordered.
“Is there any particular reason why she’s shy?” I felt deceitful going behind Rose’s back to get my information but I didn’t know what else to do. She clearly didn’t trust me—or all men. If I knew why I might be able to get into her good graces.
“She’s just had bad experiences with men. It’s nothing personal.”
“What kind of bad experiences?” I hated myself for asking but it slipped out.
“It doesn’t matter.” She looked at the menu again.
At least Florence was loyal enough not to spill her friend’s secrets. “As a lawyer, I might be able to help her. I’ve been in a lot of different kinds of situations.”
“Then you should tell her that.”
She wasn’t giving me anything. “When was the last time she’d gone on a date?”
“Why do you keep asking so many questions about her?” she snapped.
“Curious. She’s designing my new home.”
“I don’t see what her personal life has to do with that.” She set the menu down again. “I want garlic bread as an appetizer.”
Her voice was starting to annoy me. She was bossy and rude, attributes I despised. I couldn’t get through this entire dinner with her. My head would explode. “The truth is, I’m very fond of her. I’ve wanted to ask her out but she’s brushed me off a lot. I’m a good guy and have nothing but respectable intentions toward her. If you could give me some advice I’d really appreciate it.”
Her eyes widened to the size of golf balls. “Excuse me?”
I knew I said the wrong thing.
“You ask me out so you can sleep with my friend?”
“I didn’t ask you out, for one. I just invited you to dinner. And secondly, I don’t want to sleep with your friend. I just want to get to know her better. She’s closed tighter than a clam.”
“You’re such a pig.”
“What?” I asked. “There was no chemistry between you and I. It’s not like I slept with you and never called you again. You’re treating me like a criminal when I didn’t do anything wrong. The second I saw Rose I felt something, okay? That doesn’t make me a bad person.”
“You’re an ass.” She jumped to her feet and threw her napkin down.
I stood. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn’t mean to.” Even though she insulted me left and right every chance she got. “But I really care about Rose—truly. I’m not a man looking for an easy lay. I want something with her—something more. I know she has feelings for me but she won’t give me a chance. If you care about your friend, you should help her.”
“Go fuck yourself.” She spit on my face then marched out of the restaurant.
I tried not to gag when I felt her saliva on my cheek. It was one of the most disgusting experiences of my life. I grabbed the napkin from the table and wiped it away, feeling everyone’s stare on my face.
Revelations
Rose
The second I answered the phone Florence was screaming. “You will not believe what that piece-of-shit, Kyle, did to me.”
Kyle? Was she talking about a different Kyle? “What Kyle are you talking about?” Since my Kyle didn’t have a mean bone in his body, she must be referring to someone else.
Wait. Did I just call him my Kyle?
“The asshole that I went on a date with. The one you’re working with.”
What could he have possibly done? Florence was bad-tempered but she didn’t scream like this very often. “What’d he do?”
“He asked me out again.”
He asked her out? He told me he wasn’t dating anyone.
“So, we’re sitting at dinner and all he talks about is you. He asks every question you can possibly think of. I refuse to give up your secrets, so then he asks why you’re so withdrawn all the time.”
He asked about me?
“Then he said he’s really into you and thinks you’re into him. But you won’t budge.” She screamed into the phone again. “Can you believe that? He asked me out just to get to you.”
At first, I was touched he was working so hard to get a date out of me. He even went to Florence, someone he couldn’t stand, just to figure out how to make it work.
But then the rage set in.
He went behind my back and tried to get answers out of my friend, stuff that I kept private. When I refused to answer his questions he snooped around anyway. I didn’t like that one bit.
“Rose?”
“Sorry…that was a lot to process.”
“He’s such a pig. I can’t believe I actually liked him.”
“Yeah…” I was in a daze, still considering everything she said.
“You better not go out with him—ever.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“You should drop him as your client. He’s creepy and obsessive. I don’t trust him.”
Even now I didn’t dislike him. I was flattered he hadn’t given up when he could pick up someone else in a heartbeat. All he had to do was walk into a bar and he would find someone.
But he kept trying.
“I needed to give you a head’s up. Kick
him in the nuts when you see him.”
“I’ll try.”
***
I jogged in the park just before sunset. It was my favorite time of day. The sun set over the horizon, blocked by some of the skyscrapers of the city. The light filtered through the trees and gave some respite from the heat.
I listened to a lot of different music when I ran. Sometimes it was pop and sometimes it was R&B. Right now, it was Shakira. “Hips don’t lie…” I sang under my breath as I jogged, counting the miles I trekked. My finish line was always the ice cream stand. Perhaps it was counterproductive, but I always wanted a treat after exercising.
I turned the corner than slowed to a walk. I wore leggings with a bright yellow t-shirt so everyone could see me down the path. Other people passed me on the trail, usually walking in pairs.
When I turned to the ice cream cart I saw a familiar face.
“Hey.” Kyle rose from the park bench and walked toward me, wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. His shirt was damp with sweat, and there were still beads on his forehead. Somehow, he looked sexy as hell after exercising.
I looked disgusting. “What are you doing here?” Since I was flustered I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. For a second I forgot about the conversation I had with Florence. All I thought about was the way his powerful chest looked in his shirt. He had nice calves, and his arms were even better than I pictured.
“Decided to go for a jog. When I passed the ice cream cart I thought I might run into you.”
I was still breathing hard, Shakira playing in my ears.
Kyle heard the song through the ear buds. “Hips don’t lie, huh?” He grinned from ear-to-ear.
I yanked them out and paused my music. “Sorry…you just surprised me.”
“I hope in a good way.”
I still wasn’t sure.
“How about we get some ice cream? I’ll try the pineapple and you can give the coconut a taste.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and then tried to fix my hair. I knew I looked terrible, and that made me self-conscious.
Kyle picked up on it. “You look cute. I like the sporty look.”
“Yeah right.”
“I’m serious.” He put his hands in his pockets and didn’t come any closer to me.
I felt his unnerving stare and knew I was getting sucked in all over again. “I should get going—”
“Come on. Let’s get some ice cream.” He cut me off and got in line.
The simple solution to this was to walk away. I didn’t have to stay there. I wasn’t being forced against my will, and I had the privilege to do whatever I damn well please.
But I stayed.
Kyle paid for the ice cream bars then handed me the coconut flavor. “I’m telling you, it’s delicious.” He immediately walked down the path at a leisurely pace, licking the popsicle from bottom to top.
I drifted to his side, my feet doing all the thinking at this point.
“How many miles do you run everyday?”
“Six.” I put the cold ice cream in my mouth and savored the taste.
“Wow. That’s impressive.”
“You should see my feet. They’re covered in blisters and my toe nails are falling off.”
“Yikes. The sacrifices we make, huh?” His eyes were on the path in front of us, and he stared at the surroundings as we walked.
“I talked to Florence.” It was going to come up eventually. May as well get it over with.
“I figured.” He kept eating his ice cream like he didn’t have a care in the world. “I’m sure I came off pretty bad.”
“You did.”
“I know she’s your friend and everything, but you of all people understand what she can be like. Keep that in mind before you pass judgment.”
“I do know what she’s like.” She could be difficult and overdramatic, but I still loved her. “I’ve been dealing with it for a long time now.”
“Then you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“Fine.” I held my ice cream without eating it. “Did you ask her personal questions about me? Why I’m so closed off? What happened to me in the past?” If he lied I’d know about it. I didn’t think Florence would make that up.
He sighed before he answered. “I did.”
Now my anger flared up. “If there’s something I wanted you to know I would have told you myself. How dare you go behind my back and stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. How would you feel if I did that to you?”
He stopped walking, a grim look on his face. “If someone did that to me, I wouldn’t like it one bit. In fact, I’d be pissed. But it’s different with you. If you were the one asking the questions I wouldn’t have minded in the least.”
“What? I’m practically a stranger to you.”
“How?” he asked. “I feel more comfortable around you than anyone else. I don’t need to know you for years to know what I feel. And call me crazy, but I think you feel the same way.”
I stepped back, surprised.
“Tell me I’m wrong.” The ice cream was beginning to melt down his hand so he tossed it in the garbage.
I held my own because I was too shocked to do anything else.
“Tell me, Rose.” He stepped toward me, getting closer than he ever had before.
I felt my heart race in my chest, about to give out any moment. When he was this close to me I couldn’t think straight. My head was in the clouds. “You’re wrong…” The words sounded half-assed even to my own ears. It didn’t matter if I was comfortable around him or not. This could never go any further.
Kyle stared at me like he didn’t believe a word I said. “I don’t believe you—even for a second.”
I took a step back, unable to stand in his shadow. “Kyle, you need to back off. I mean it.”
“I didn’t mean any harm.” He dropped his threatening tone, turning docile. “I want you, Rose. I thought if I understood your reservations better I could convince you to give me a chance. That’s all.”
“Well, I don’t appreciate it.”
“She didn’t tell me anything so your secrets are still safe. And I apologize for what I did.”
I wanted to be angry with him, to hold a grudge and march off. But I couldn’t. It was impossible to stay angry. “Don’t do it again.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t ask me about it either.”
“You have my word.”
“And leave me alone.”
The hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. “That I can’t do.”
“You don’t get much of a choice in the matter.”
“Actually, I do. If you didn’t feel anything for me then I would walk away. If I knew you really didn’t want me I’d leave you in peace. But I know that isn’t the case. You feel exactly what I feel. There’s not a doubt in my mind.”
It didn’t matter what I felt. It wouldn’t change anything.
“All I’m asking for is a date. Please.”
“Kyle—”
“Come on. I’m a nice guy that will treat you right. If you gave me a chance you would see that.”
“You’re probably right. But that doesn’t change anything.” I lost my appetite for my treat, so I tossed it in the garbage. Now I just wanted to leave—to forget about this conversation entirely.
Kyle rubbed his temple, showing his frustration for the first time. “Then can I take you out as a friend?”
“What’s the difference?”
“There is no difference,” he snapped. “But if it makes you more comfortable then we can pretend.”
I’d never had a man pursue me this much before, let alone one that had his looks. The more I said no, the harder he pushed. If I said no, he may not give up. He might just push harder. “Why is this so important to you?”
“What?” he asked. “A date?”
“Yes.”
He looked away, his eyes scanning the grass beside the path. He considered the question in silence before h
e turned back to me. “I don’t have an answer—at least one that will make sense.”
“Try anyway.”
His eyes found mine and didn’t move again. “When you walked into that restaurant, I knew. What exactly? I don’t know. All I know is, there’s something here. My heart wouldn’t slow down and my body was about to give out. Never in my life have I had that kind of reaction to someone—not even for Francesca. We don’t know each other that well, but I’d really love to change that. I think it’s what we both need.”
I felt the same thing in that same moment. The fact I knew exactly what he was talking about scared me a little bit. When I saw him for the first time I felt that flutter deep in my stomach. And when I realized Will was my date, I couldn’t help but be disappointed.
Kyle studied my face as he waited for a response. “See? You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“It’s lust, Kyle.”
“Lust?” He spoke like poison was in his mouth and he wanted to spit it out. “I know exactly what lust feels like, and that’s definitely not what I felt. It’s insulting that you would characterize it that way.”
I stepped back, knowing I wasn’t going to get out of this.
“Rose, just tell me why.”
“Why what?”
“You won’t give me a chance. Because I know it has nothing to do with me.”
It didn’t. In fact, if this were a few years ago I’d be falling madly in love right then and there. “I don’t want to talk about it. Please stop asking.” It was one of those things you were ashamed of. I wouldn’t tell a soul what happened unless I absolutely had to. It was the worst kind of shame anyone could bare.
Kyle didn’t press the topic. “That’s fine. But go out with me anyway.”
He wouldn’t give up. Not now. Not ever.
He stepped closer to me, taking back the distance I put between us. “Rose.” He said everything he meant with a single word. That’s how well I could read him.
“If I say yes, will you drop it?”
“Drop what, exactly?”
“We go out once and that’s it. You’ll leave me alone?”
“So, I only have one date to convince you to give me a second one?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded.
“Talk about pressure…”