by DeSalvo, Kim
“It’s about time! Where were you?” the voice asked accusingly.
She turned to see Jace slamming his car door and strolling toward her. In his hand he held a cheap grocery store bouquet of daisies and carnations. Oh crap, she thought. She didn’t want to have to deal with this right now—or ever, for that matter. She turned and set her bag and Dylan’s bouquet on the stoop next to her door and turned back to him, hands on her hips.
“Jace, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying not to sound too irritated.
His eyes widened and darted around as if he couldn’t believe her question, then he opened his mouth and snapped it back shut before speaking. His eyebrows were raised in question. “I came,” he said slowly as if to emphasize every word so that she would understand, “to pick you up for our date! You were so adamant that all our dinners together didn’t count for anything, and that I never officially asked you out for a real date…” The look of surprised disbelief seemed glued to his face. She looked back at him incredulously, not following a word he was saying.
He shrugged. “The picnic? At the club?” He was still shrugging, waving his hands, palms up, waiting for her to get it.
Tia looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Jace. We didn’t have a date today.” He still looked stricken. “I think I’d know.”
“I called last night and left you message? I said I’d pick you up at one, and now it’s” he moved the cheap flowers to the other hand to look at his watch. “Almost three o’clock. I’ve been sitting here waiting for nearly two hours!” He crossed his hands over his chest, nearly crushing the bouquet, as though waiting for her to give him an explanation.
Tia shook her head in disbelief, and had to put her short temper in check before she responded. She was tired, elated, nervous, and the last thing she wanted to do was to deal with this bullshit. Who did he think he was? Just because he was some high-powered attorney with money, he thought that everyone should jump at his whims? She couldn’t help but think that Dylan had at least a hundred times the money and influence Jace had, and he would never stoop to this level. She was pissed, and she didn’t really know the guy that stood in her driveway right now. He certainly wasn’t the Jace that she knew from the club; full of himself, for sure, but at least a halfway decent guy. She had no idea what he was capable of, but the anger in his eyes was very real, so she held herself in check. Sort of.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “Are you telling me that you asked me out on my answering machine, told me what time you’d be here, and just expected that I’d be sitting here waiting for you?” The ‘aha’ look on his face only served to further fuel her anger. He was looking at her like she was a child, finally comprehending something she’d been told a dozen times. She turned his own tactic back on him. “You have a lot to learn about women, Jace. Asking someone out is a question, hence the ‘asking’ part.” She made air quotes with her fingers around the word. “There can be two answers to that question—yes, and no. My answer would have been no even if I had gotten the message.” His mouth fell open, but the anger still flared in his eyes. She continued. “I have no intention of going to the picnic today, and I am not interested in dating you, now or in the future.” She spoke the words clearly, hoping he’d get the hint and walk away. Instead, his eyes turned to the bag and flowers on the stoop, and his nostrils flared.
“Wait a minute. You didn’t even get the message, isn’t that what you just said? Is it because you were too busy whoring it up with some guy you just met two days ago? Are those flowers from him? Is that the bag you carried your slutty lingerie in?” His face turned even more hostile as the realization sunk in. “Holy shit, you’re just getting home, aren’t you?” He spat the questions at her like venom, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
His words hit her like a slap, not because they hurt, but because there was so much menace behind them. She backed up toward her door and fumbled in her pocket for the keys.
She looked him square in the eye and tried to relay a confidence that she didn’t feel. “Listen, Jace. This conversation is over. It is absolutely none of your business who I see, what I do, or when I get home. Like I told you the other night on the phone, you have never been anything more than an acquaintance to me, and I still can’t believe that you would think there was anything between us, especially since you’ve had a girlfriend for the past year.” Her cell phone rang in her pocket, and she snatched it. Dylan’s name showed up on the display. “I’d like you to leave now, and I would like to forget that this ever happened. Do not call me, do not come to my house, and do not think for a minute that I am not completely serious.”
The phone chirped its second ring. Jace exhaled sharply, threw the flowers on her driveway, stepped on them, and turned to strut back to his car. She tapped her phone and tried to hide the agitation in her voice.
“Hey!” she answered, trying to sound cheerful.
“Hey yourself,” Dylan answered smoothly. “Did you get my flowers?”
“I did, and they’re so beautiful! Like a rainforest, thank you.”
“That’s what I thought too. Pretty and unique, just like you.”
“I just love them,” she said.
Just then, Jace stomped back across the street. “Is that him?” he yelled. “Is that the ass hole you’re sleeping with?”
Tia tried to push the key into the lock, but her hands were suddenly shaking. Jace reached her, put his hand on her arm, and spun her around. “Is it?”
Tia tried to cover the phone. “Get out of here Jace, I mean it!” she whispered fiercely through clenched teeth. Jace panted like a caged animal, but finally dropped his arms. “Whatever! He can have you, then!” Jace growled back. Then he sprinted to his expensive sports car, slammed the door, and floored the motor, squealing down her street in a frenzied escape.
She could hear Dylan yelling from the phone. “Tia, are you OK? Talk to me!”
She took a deep breath and tried to control the shaking of her voice. “I’m here. I’m OK.”
“What the hell was that?” he demanded.
“Nothing, it was nothing,” but he could tell by the sound of her voice that it was definitely not nothing. “Hang on a sec. Let me just get in the house.” She managed to get the key in the lock, scooped up her bag and the vase, and locked the door behind her. Instinctively, she went to the front of the house to look out the window and make sure Jace wasn’t coming back.
“Talk to me Tia,” Dylan demanded. “Are you sure you’re OK? What’s going on?”
She shook her head to rid herself of Jace’s angry face and plopped onto the couch, curling her feet beneath her. Hearing the concern in Dylan’s voice helped to calm her, and she took a deep breath and released it. “It’s just this guy,” she said, trying to sound stronger than she felt. “It’s nothing, really.”
“Like hell it’s nothing! He sounded pissed!” His voice dropped then and he said, softly, “Is he your boyfriend Tia?”
“No. No!” she replied instantly, insistently. “But I guess he thought he was.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s Lexi’s fiancé’s best friend,” she explained, feeling calmer. “I’ve known him for a long time, and during the past year, when I spent a lot of time with Lexi at the club he’d sometimes join us for dinner or drinks. We never had a date, never even talked to each other except when we were part of a group, and he never once put any kind of move on me. Not once. But all of a sudden, when he heard that I’d met someone, he got my phone number and started freaking out on me, asking me how I could do this to him when he’d been waiting for a year for me to get over what’s-his-name.”
“Sounds like a real prick,” Dylan said, the concern still heavy in his voice.
“He’s always been really conceited—he’s a partner at a big law firm, drives a BMW, thinks he’s all that—but for the most part, he was always a nice enough guy. Not my type; I never even considered that I’d ever go out w
ith him, but he and Ryan played golf and tennis together and he was just always there. I’ve never seen this side of him, before today.”
“What happened today? Why was he at your house?” He paused as the realization dawned on him. “Oh shit, was he there waiting for you when you got home?”
“Yeah, and he was waiting for hours, so he was pissed.” Tia explained the call she’d gotten the day before, and how she’d told Jace that she didn’t want to date him. She included the fact that he’d been dating someone else the whole time, and how it’d never crossed her mind that he was interested in her. Talking to Dylan calmed her, and she laughed when she told him about the cheap grocery store bouquet and the look on his face when he saw the exotic flowers she’d gotten from Dylan.
“Tell me the truth, Tia,” his voice full of genuine concern. “Should I be worried about you?”
Just hearing the caring tone of his voice relaxed her shoulders, and she felt her calm returning. “No, Dylan. You don’t need to worry, but it’s sweet that you would. I’m going to be way too busy the next couple of weeks to even go to the club, and other than that, we don’t run in the same social circles. I was more than firm with him—actually I was downright pissed—and I think it would hurt his pride too much to try and pursue me and have me shoot him down again. Then, I’ll be with you, my fearless protector, far far away. He’ll forget all about me by then.”
“Don’t underestimate the effect you have on men, Tia, I’m a victim myself,” he said with a smile, trying to lighten the tone. “Don’t underestimate men, either. Especially ones who are used to getting what they want. If he shows up again, I want you to call the cops.”
She smiled, and twirled her hair around her finger. “That’s really sweet. And I will call the cops if he shows up again, I promise. I really don’t think he will, though.”
“OK then. Keep me posted. I want to know about anything he does.” Dylan changed the subject. “Listen, I was calling for a couple reasons.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “First, because I miss you already and needed to hear your voice.”
Tia felt her stomach roll over at his words, the delicious tingle in her center starting to bloom. “I miss you too,” she whispered.
“I’m glad,” he said softly. “Second, Jessa was supposed to have emailed you a possible itinerary for the summer. I need you to check the times and dates, and make sure they work for you before she books anything. We’ll already be there by the time you get out of school, so I’ll have to arrange for a car to pick you up and all that. I’ll have her arrange a car to collect you from your house, too, to take you to the airport on your end.” She could hear the smile in his voice when he added, “I want to be sure to get you all locked in before you can change your mind.”
“No chance that’s going to happen,” she smiled. “I’m coming whether you like it or not. Even if I have to swim there.”
“Oh, believe me, I like it,” he said, and the growl in his voice got her stomach rolling again. “Listen, though, I have to cut out now—I’m on the tarmac, and the pilot is getting anxious. I’m going to try to sleep on the plane—you kept me up all night.”
“Yeah, I’m going to have a bath, and then I’m sleeping too.”
“Mmmmm, I like the image I have in my head of you in the bath. I’ll have to be sure to get some rooms with big tubs while we’re across the pond.”
“Do that—definitely—it sounds wonderful. See you soon, Dylan.”
“Not soon enough,” he answered sweetly, then clicked off the line.
Chapter 20
Waking up on Tuesday morning to go to work was a cruel reality check for Tia. She sat on her patio with her morning coffee and watched the birds as they chattered at her feeders and filled the morning with their own music. She sipped slowly, enjoying the feeling of summer’s return, while she reflected on her incredible weekend. Her goal had been to ease into living again, and in just three short days she’d found a whole new life. She was flooded with emotions and joy, and wanted desperately to tell everyone she met the reason behind the smile on her face. Dylan. He was such a surprise, such an unexpected, wonderful new part of her, and she wanted to share her happiness with the whole world. She could just picture the looks of disbelief she’d get from her friends, family, and colleagues, and even her students if she were to tell them that she was dating Dylan Miller. Lilly would be the most vocal, she knew, jokingly accusing Tia of stealing her real husband. But she knew in her heart that she’d made the right decision to keep his identity to herself. After the initial shock wore off, people would look at her differently, and treat her differently, too. The individual identity she was working so hard to achieve would be even further out of her grasp because she wouldn’t just be Tia Hastings; she’d be the girl who was dating rock and roll’s sexiest bachelor.
Some of them would undoubtedly want things from her. Autographs, pictures, concert tickets, meetings; she wondered if even Sean, one of Nick’s best friends in the world, would recall how Dylan had liked his singing and use her to try and get a demo to him. None of her real friends would purposely impose, but she knew that it could create some uncomfortable situations. She remembered Dylan telling her how people came crawling out of the woodwork when you had celebrity, and that it was sometimes hard to know who your real friends were. She knew a lot of people in her community, and word would spread quickly, she was sure of that.
Honesty was important to her too, though, and she hated being deceptive, especially with people she cared about. She decided that she’d stick as close to the truth as possible, and try and be vague with the details. There was no doubt that she’d tell people she’d met someone special over the weekend, and she’d use his real first name; even mention that he was in a band. He did more than sing, however, so using the line Dylan had given to Sean—that he was in the business end of the entertainment industry—should be vague enough, but close enough to the truth. She’d even include him as part of her trip to Europe—she wasn’t anywhere near having clear details yet, so she could beg off those questions and just say that he would be playing a few shows between business; with all the interviews and appearances Dylan had scheduled, that would be factual as well. Once she got all that straight in her own head, she left the birds to their breakfasts and went in to get ready for work. Thank goodness that she had Europe to look forward to—she couldn’t imagine how differently she’d be feeling this morning if they’d said goodbye forever and she was facing a long empty summer.
Lilly noticed the change in Tia as soon as she walked in. “Well now don’t you look like the cat that ate the canary?” she smiled as Tia stepped into the office. “The look on your face gives away the answer, but I’ll ask anyway. Did you have a good weekend?”
Tia couldn’t contain her grin. “The best,” she said. “I can’t even believe how good it was!”
Lilly leaned forward. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear that! So what happened to put such a huge and genuine smile on your face?” she asked, honestly interested. She’d known about Tia’s plan to get back out in the world over the weekend, and had been one of her confidants at work over the past year. “Don’t tell me you actually ‘found yourself’ in one weekend.”
Tia stifled a giggle. “Not completely,” she smiled, “but I’m a lot closer. Actually, somebody found me. I met someone.”
Lilly stood up. “No way! Really? A guy someone, perhaps?”
Tia blushed. “Yes, a guy someone,” she said shyly.
“Oh, I gotta hear this!” she exclaimed, pointing at the bench that sat in front of her desk.
Tia sat and leaned toward Lilly. “His name is Dylan,” she continued. “I met him on Friday night—the night I was going to be a fly on the wall.” Her smile lit up her face, and she could feel the heat rising in her face just from saying his name. “He’s just…incredible! I can’t even begin to tell you.”
Lilly stood and pulled Tia into a hug. “Way to go, girl,” she said sincerely with a huge open grin. He
r wide white smile against her cocoa skin and the way her eyes crinkled when she grinned reminded her for a minute of Bo. “I know it’s been a long hard year, but it’s about time that you start living again.” She gave Tia another squeeze and let her go. “Speaking of Dylans, didn’t you go to the InHap show on Saturday? How was that?”
Now Tia really had a hard time containing her smile. “Oh, it was so great. They always are. But Saturday’s show was especially amazing!”
“I was at Sunday’s show, and it was amazing too, as always. They actually played that song that they never play live—talk about blowing an audience away! My real husband was in fine form that night, I tell you!” She exhaled a breath in a ‘whew!’ and fanned at her face with her hand. “Now wait a minute—don’t you be tellin’ me that that’s the Dylan you met? I’d be crushed if you were runnin’ off with my real husband,” she said with a wink.
Tia laughed it off. “Now that really would make for an awesome weekend, wouldn’t it?” She didn’t confirm or deny, but her tone made the suggestion sound preposterous.
“I’d have to put that out over the announcements, right before I died of jealousy!” Lilly laughed. “Oh honey, I’m just so happy you found someone to help you through the weekend,” she said, concerned. “I was worried about you. What about the memorial, did you go?”
“I did, and I’m so glad I went. In every way this weekend was more than I could have even hoped for. It was closure, acceptance, and a new lease on life, all in three days.”