Derrick didn't know how to answer her question. He knew he didn't like it, but it would be wrong to say it out loud since this was the home of the family he was marrying into. Derrick stared down at the Rolex on his wrist. His career as a lawyer made it impossible to admit he liked things simple. He earned a lot of money, and he enjoyed spending it on himself and others. "It's okay."
"Safe answer." She walked past him, but Derrick grabbed her upper arm.
"FYI, the waiter is right; you have nice tits." He couldn't help himself. "It's only right to give credit where credit is due."
Erica looked at his hand wrapped around her bicep then glanced at his warm eyes. "Thank you. I appreciate you noticing." She didn't want to ignore the compliment, but she also didn't want to lead him on. That would be wrong...so wrong.
Derrick didn't let go. He turned her body to face him. "While we are discussing things to appreciate... everything about you is spectacular."
Erica gazed into Derrick's eyes before responding. Derrick could either be a player or unhappy with his decision to marry Jen. She kept it casual friendly and tried not to analyze him. "Well, I appreciate that, and I can understand why Jen is marrying you...you're not so bad yourself."
Jen who? His brain stopped working. A wedding? Who's wedding?
"Married?" He asked. Confusion washed over his face.
"Yes, maaarrriiieeed." Erica dragged out the word and added, "but don't worry it's not married in the past tense, yet." Erica said as she patted him on his shoulder.
Derrick looked at Erica as if she revealed something he never considered before today. He didn't have to marry Jen. Why postpone things? It was right to end things now. Why take it any further when the doomed relationship would end eventually?
Engaged for only four months, Jennifer hadn't decided where to hold the wedding. She wanted her wedding to be the event of the century and it required careful planning. Derrick had plenty of time to make a different choice.
Erica saw his face relax. "Hey, wait a second, don’t get any crazy ideas because a strange girl makes a stupid comment."
Derrick's posture straightened. "First, I don’t think you're strange, and second, I bet you say nothing stupid."
"Trust me. I say stupid things all the time." Erica said. She attempted to expand on how stupid her comment sounded but someone closed the door Derrick walked out of earlier and interrupted her.
Erica knew it was time to leave this party. She extended her hand. "Good seeing you, again. I'll see you at the wedding."
"Do you remember that night?" He held on to her hand making it difficult for her to run.
"Remind me."
"You said it wasn't meant to be. Because I didn't have a condom, you said it wasn't meant to be then you ran out on me. Do you remember?"
"Not so much." She lied. She remembered everything about that night.
"Do you think seeing each other tonight means anything?"
"Yes, it means you're marrying my friend." She ran off before Derrick could respond.
Chapter 3
The Next Day
Erica barely understood what Jen babbled about between her broken sobs. "Honey, you need to slow down and try to stop crying for a minute so I can understand you."
Jen's sobbing now turned into hyperventilating gasps of air.
Here it comes. Erica had no escape plan. She caused Jen's engagement to end. Derrick called off the wedding because of her loose lips. She planted the seed in his mind. She couldn't help herself, the guy looked miserable and so sad and misplaced. Also, Erica had that other problem- no filter. It got her in trouble so many times.
Derrick didn't postpone the wedding, he ended the engagement. It was ring returned, engagement presents returned, there would never be the wedding of Jennifer Pressman and Derrick Anderson were Derrick's exact words as he pried the ring from Jennifer's death grip.
Erica gathered her thoughts. Without implicating herself, she needed to know if Derrick offered a reason for ending things. "Jen, honey, did Derrick mention why he ended things?"
Jen sobbed into the phone. "Ended things!" She sobbed more. "Things are ended!" And more. "He doesn't love me. He thinks it's best to rip the Band-Aid off now rather than later." Her sobs became louder and more drawn out.
"And that's all he said," Erica questioned.
"Isn't that enough?" Now indignation laced her sobs.
"I mean I feel... I mean... I am in shock... total and absolute shock... horrified. I can't believe it... shocked... completely shocked!" Erica knew redundancy regarding the situation would please Jen.
"Me too. I mean I'm a great catch." Jen sniffled.
"An amazing catch." Erica lied.
"He'll regret his decision." Jen continued.
"Absolutely." Erica felt like a big fibber but she knew white lies to make a friend feel better were not sins.
"And when he does, I'll be gone!" Jen declared.
"Moved On!" Erica cheered. This time it felt like the truth. She knew Jen didn't love Derrick. She knew Jen loved the ring and herself as a bride. Jennifer loved marrying a hot shot lawyer and all the money and prestige that came with it. Erica gave her friend, a word that felt fraudulent, two weeks and she'd be over Derrick and moved on to the next poor unsuspecting bastard.
"I feel so much better, Erica. You are the best friend a girl could have but could you call him for me?"
"What? Call who?" She played dumb. Playing dumb never worked for Erica.
"Stop it, Erica! Please call Derrick for me."
"Oh, him. Derrick. You want me to call Derrick." Erica's brain failed her. She couldn't think of a way out fast enough.
"Thank you, Erica, you're the best."
Before Erica could squirm her way out of calling, Jen rattled off his phone number and exactly what Erica should say to Derrick. "Did you get all that?"
"No, forward his contact info." Maybe Erica owed this to Jen since Erica instigated this mess.
"Okay. And call Derrick right way, please." Jen dragged out the please for a pathetic length of time.
Calling Derrick topped Erica's never want 'to do' list. Erica never liked getting involved in other people's affairs of the heart. Hell, she barely liked dealing with her own but Erica felt bad. Maybe Jen loved Derrick for more than his portfolio and now Erica needed to close the lid on the can of worms she opened.
Derrick looked down at his phone; hers was the last number he expected to see on his screen. After the night, Derrick officially met Erica; he knew he needed to end things with Jennifer. Derrick also knew before he broke it off, he had to get Erica's phone number somehow. Derrick took Jennifer's phone when she wasn't looking and sent Erica's contact information to his phone. He expected to use it some day but he never expected Erica to call him.
He picked up the phone and said hello.
"Derrick?"
"Yes."
"Derrick, it's Erica, Jen's friend the one with the tits." She fumbled. "I mean the one whose tits you saw. I mean... the gray tie girl." Erica gave up.
Derrick laughed to himself. "I know who you are, Erica, and I'm surprised to hear from you." Derrick had an image of Erica seared in his mind. He liked everything about Erica. Her tilted up jade greens eyes, her flawless creamy skin, her long legs and the elegance that exuded from her every pore. Being in the same room with her, even from across the room you could feel how comfortable she felt in her skin.
"Why?" She asked but then answered her own question. "Oh, because of the whole if Jen hates someone, everyone has to hate them."
"So you know about that?"
"It's all part of being Jennifer's friend but it's why I'm the black sheep among the flock of pure white ones. I never follow Jen's rules."
"I wouldn't call them pure white but putrid peach, pasty pink, sallow green and boring baby blue would be more appropriate. And they're not sheep, more like vultures." They both laughed at Derrick's distinct take on Jen's friends and family.
"Derrick, Jen asked me to cal
l you. I think she hopes I can change your mind."
"I think you already did that and I thank you for it." Derrick didn't care what prompted her to call; he only cared that she did.
"That wasn't my intention." Erica hated hearing out loud what she already knew to be true. With one tense correction, she destroyed her friend's happiness.
Derrick needed to use this to his advantage. "Meet me for dinner."
"Dinner?" The scenario of having to tell Jen that she met her ex-fiancé for dinner terrified Erica. The thought of having to listen to Jen lecturing her for months on end made having her nails pulled out with tweezers more appealing.
"To talk about Jen." He had no intentions talking about Jen but every intention of playing on Erica's guilt so he could see her again.
"I guess but I'm only here for another few days." She reluctantly agreed. A part of Erica felt she was following Jen's orders, the other part of Erica wanted to see Derrick again, another felt he was hers first, and another part of her wanted to go out to dinner with a good looking guy. Why not? She'd been eating alone since she arrived in Chicago. Jen made no time for her and her employees at the store were too young to hang out with her.
"You don't live here." Derrick never considered where Erica lived.
"I live in New York but one of my stores is here in Chicago so I fly in every other month to check on things. I timed this trip around your engagement party."
Erica cringed as the words left her lips. It shocked her how things changed. Two days ago, she celebrated her friend's engagement party; now she's supplicating on her friend's behalf.
Stores? Derrick knew nothing about Erica but wanted to know everything.
"How's tonight?" And he wanted to know it now!
"Tonight? Okay."
Her quick consent surprised him. "Where are you staying?" Derrick asked.
"The Langham."
"Good, I'll meet you there. The Travelle has great food. I'll make reservations."
"Okay. How's eight o'clock?" Thinking things through when it came to men was not her forte and Derrick intrigued her, so she agreed. Besides being handsome, and if her memory served her right, he was an excellent kisser, he seemed smart and bold. Anyone who stood up against Jen must be. Erica couldn't say the same thing about herself in this scenario. Jen propositioned her to call Derrick, not to meet him for dinner. This dinner must go unmentioned.
"Perfect." Derrick, unlike Erica, thought everything through and he had no thoughts slotted for Jen. He wanted to get to know Erica, and he took the first step.
At five to eight, Derrick stood in the lobby of the Langham. Derrick always liked this hotel. Whenever he had clients coming to Chicago, he'd set them up at The Langham. The clean-lined furnishings with warm muted colors created a peaceful ambiance; its serene setting could alter even the most high-strung client's mood.
He sat down in one of the ivory upholstered chairs while waiting for Erica to come down. She texted him to say she'd be late. He sat facing the elevators expecting her to walk out at any moment. Twenty minutes had passed and still no Erica in sight.
Derrick became anxious, stood, and paced the floor. The gentleman at the front desk eyed him until Derrick explained his reason for stalking the lobby. As he finished the explanation, Erica walked in from off the street.
Her cheeks flushed and her hair perched high in a bun on the top of her head, she rushed through the doors. Tendrils fell around her face and her neck. She wore horizontal striped yoga pants in gray, black and green and a tight fitting black shirt with the words Whiskey and Yoga on the front. Her pretty toes exposed as she flipped flopped through the lobby.
An exasperated huff escaped her as she walked towards Derrick. She only had to reach up slightly to give Derrick a kiss on the cheek. The kiss innocent and natural but the gesture halted his world for that moment.
"I'm so sorry I'm late. I got stuck at the store. As I walked out, a shipment came in." She stopped only for a second to catch her breath. "I'll shower and then we'll go eat." She started towards the elevator but stopped when she realized Derrick hadn't followed behind her. She turned to him and waved him on. "Well, you can't stay here. They'll think you're a Craigslist murderer waiting for your next victim."
Derrick sauntered towards her, "I thought you'd want privacy while you got ready."
"No, come with me. I think I'm safe with you in my room." Erica winked.
Derrick's first thought quite the opposite. Being around Erica for one second drove him crazy. He wanted his hands all over her body, to explore every inch of her skin with his tongue. If Erica knew his intentions, she'd tell him to wait for her in the lobby and she'd come down wearing a nun's habit.
Together they stepped into the elevator. The doors closed and while Derrick stood facing forward, Erica stood in front of him facing him. Her initial happy greeting long gone, now she looked angry, cute but angry, as she got right up in his face, Derrick couldn't take his eyes off her pouty pink lips. "How could you do that?" She pointed her finger at his chest as the bun on top her head moved like a metronome in rhythm with each jab to his chest.
"Do what?" Derrick asked while Erica continued to poke him. "Ouch, that hurts! Do what?"
Exasperated she tried to shove him back by pushing both her hands into his chest. Derrick didn't budge. Instead, he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, so her back pushed against the wall of the elevator.
"Erica, calm down." Their faces were too close. Erica took in a hitched breath while staring at his lips. He pinned his body to hers and she felt the length of his cock growing.
Derrick's eyes gazed at her face trying to read her expression. Being this close to her did things to his body that were unavoidable. He moved back away from her as if her skin was aflame.
He stepped to the farthest corner of the elevator away from her as he explained. "Erica, I couldn't marry her."
Erica looked at the bulge in his pants before she spoke. "But did you have to tell her right after your engagement party? Couldn't you wait a few weeks, maybe months?" Erica didn't look down again, but she knew his erection lingered there, and she liked the way it felt when he pressed up against her.
She remembered that night in his old beaten up BMW when she straddled him. The size of his hard on impressed her, now she had trouble concentrating on anything else.
"No, I couldn't." Derrick's erection refused to subside. "There was no point in prolonging the inevitable."
"Did you have to take the ring back?" Erica knew she sounded like an idiot but she also knew Jen loved the ring. "I'm sure with your fancy lawyer job that ring was a drop in your financial bucket."
"Erica! That ring cost over thirty thousand dollars. I couldn't let her keep it."
Erica lost her shit. "What? What the hell were you thinking?" Outraged by what she heard, Erica brought her hands over her mouth.
"Wait, you couldn't tell that it was expensive." Derrick laughed. "Jen did say you were clueless for all things wedding."
Erica stood bent over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "Well, that's not fair. Just because a girl's never had the itch doesn't mean she's clueless. I know little about engagement rings. I mean it was big but thirty thousand dollars!"
"Yes, and that's why I took it back." Derrick moved next to Erica to rub her back.
The elevator door opened and Erica stood up. She reached for Derrick to steady herself. "Let's go. I need a shower and food after all this shock."
They walked down the hall with Erica shaking her head and mumbling something about the ring under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Men are crazy. You must've loved her to spend that much on a ring."
"She picked it out. I went to the jeweler and paid for it."
Erica suspected this to be true. Living with Jen for four years taught her two things. Jen was aggressive and it always got her what she wanted. "It's all so sad."
"She'll get over it." Derrick took the key card from
Erica's hand.
"I know she will. It's sad how people enter marriage without much thought."
"Agreed and I've learned my lesson from this experience." They stood in front of her hotel room door facing each other. Derrick tapped the tip of Erica's nose, "and I have you to thank," He slid the key in and turned the handle.
Erica felt the need to defend her words but the view from her room upended the conversation.
"This room is incredible." Derrick walked in, looked around and dropped the key card on the coffee table.
The spectacular view as they entered, showcased the city of Chicago in all its glory. The floor to ceiling windows framed the view. The warm neutral colors and the rich textiles complimented the comfortable decor of the room. The dark wood furniture accented its understated elegance.
"I feel so comfortable here because it reminds me of my apartment. It's the only hotel I stay at when I'm in Chicago." Erica flung off her flip-flops. "Sit and relax. I'll be quick."
Derrick got comfortable on the couch. He picked up the television remote from the coffee table then decided against it. Television could not compare to the view. He tossed the remote on the opposite end of where he sat, stretched out his legs in front of him, and his arms along the back of the sofa and enjoyed the view while listening as the shower water turned on and turned off ten minutes later. The thought of Erica naked only a few feet away from him made him hard, again. He felt like a horny teenager. He felt the same way that night in his car with her on his lap.
Erica opened the bathroom door and yelled out. "Derrick, I need to let out steam from the bathroom so stay on the couch and don't turn around because I'm naked."
Derrick did as Erica said but there was one minor flaw. The mirror over the bed gave him a perfect view of the inside of the bathroom and her backside. And the mirror in the bathroom reflecting in the mirror over the bed gave him the full view of her front side. Before he could tell her, the hair dryer turned on. He couldn't go in there and tell her because he didn't want to catch her by surprise in the nude and he knew she was naked because he could see her entire reflection in both mirrors. He tried to look away but he couldn't help himself. He was a man; she was a hot naked girl so he watched.
The In-Between Girl Page 3