by Harper Sloan
“Is there something I need to know about Drake?”
“No, he seems like a good guy. Are you sure you’re ready to think about dating again?”
I nodded my head. “I better be since I went to dinner with him last night, and he seems pretty persistent.”
“Damn. I’m sure he is. You need anything, you come to me. You know that, right?”
“No, Jackson. If she needs something, she is going to come to me from now on,” Drake said from behind me. He placed his hand on my back. “I get that you guys are friends, but she has me in her life now.”
Jackson leveled Drake with a serious look. “No offense, Drake, but boyfriends come and go. I will always be part of Alexa’s life and will be here for her if she ever needs me whether you like it or not. If you’re going to spend time with her, then you better get used to it.”
“As long as we both know where my place is and where yours is, we’ll be fine,” Drake responded.
I jumped into the conversation before it escalated into a fight. “Down, boys. I’m a big girl. I get to decide who is in my life and who I go to for help. Learn how to get along or it won’t be either of you. Now, I’m starving. I’m going to go eat, and each of you can choose to join me or not.”
Their staring contest ended as they both turned to look at me. I wasn’t sure what the pissing contest was about, but I wasn’t about to let it interfere in my friendship with Jackson or what was starting to develop between Drake and me. I walked to the cafe and they both followed me.
I dropped my bag onto an open table and dug through it for my Coach wristlet. Drake reached out to stop me. “Sit down. I’ll grab lunch. What do you want?”
“You don’t have to get my lunch,” I said at the same time that Jackson chimed in with, “Grab her a turkey sandwich on sourdough with cheddar cheese, a bag of pretzels, and a Diet Coke. It’s what she gets for lunch every day.”
Drake didn’t look very happy that Jackson had my lunch selections memorized.
“It’s a funny quirk of mine. Once I find something I really like at any restaurant, it’s usually the only thing I will get from there. That way, I’m not disappointed when a new dish isn’t as good as my favorite.”
“Manicotti at Ciao Bella, turkey sandwich here, and Moo Goo Gai Pan at Golden Wall. When you eat out with Lex, it’s pretty predictable,” Jackson explained, trying to push Drake’s button, but it had the opposite effect.
“Let me guess, caramel swirl ice cream is another favorite? I’ve already hit several of them. Can’t wait for the Golden Wall experience. We’ll have to do that this weekend, babe.”
Drake went to grab our sandwiches, and I glared at Jackson. “I thought you were starving. Shouldn’t you go get your lunch?”
He glanced to where Drake stood in line. “I will in a second. Want to make one thing clear. No matter where this thing with Drake goes, you need to know I’m not going anywhere. I meant it when I said I’m here for you, Lex.”
“Awww, Jackson. I know that. You are one of the reasons I didn’t lose all faith in guys after what happened with Brad. I wouldn’t give up our friendship for anything in this world. We’ll figure it all out. Don’t worry. Just give him a chance, okay?”
“Drake’s a pretty intense guy, Lex. I’m not sure you’re ready for a boyfriend like that. But if he’s who you want, I’ll give him a chance. And if he messes up, I’ll be here.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, Jackson. It’s not like you’re a laid-back guy either.”
“Which means I know what I’m talking about. Promise me you’ll take your time getting to know him. Make sure you fit together before diving into a relationship.”
“Jackson, I know you worry about me, and I love you for it. But I’m not going to take relationship advice from you. You don’t even have girlfriends. Just random hookups!”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t want one or I know how they should work. My parents set a great example, and I’m just waiting for the right girl to be ready for me.” My jaw dropped as he walked away.
Drake set our trays down on the table. “Better close that mouth, babe. You’re giving me ideas.”
“I can’t believe it. I think there’s someone that Jackson is really interested in. With all the one-night stands, I never even pictured him with someone.” I rubbed my hands together in glee. “Matchmaking time! I just need to figure out who it is.”
Drake pulled my hands towards his mouth and kissed my palms, his tongue darting out to taste my skin. “No, babe. Leave it alone. Jackson doesn’t need you to set him up.”
“But what if she’s perfect for him?”
“Then he would have gone after her himself. He isn’t shy around the ladies. If he really wanted her, he would have done something about it.”
Jackson returned to the table, so I dropped the subject and took a bite of my sandwich. “Mmmm. I don’t know what it is about the sandwiches here, but I love them. Has to be the meat.”
Drake and Jackson looked at each other and busted up laughing.
“Shut up! You know I didn’t mean it that way. Perverts.”
Their humor put a stop to the tension between the guys. They joked around while we finished our food. I watched them as I ate and hoped they would continue getting along this well if Drake became important to me. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize they had both finished eating until Drake snapped his fingers to get my attention.
“You going to make it through the rest of the day?” he asked me.
“Yeah, just zoned out for a minute.”
“I’ve got to head over to my afternoon class, and I have practice tonight. Wanna come watch me play?” He wagged his eyebrows, making it seem more suggestive than watching him at rugby.
“I can’t. I need to head over to the airport and make sure everything is set for the tours I have booked this week. Sorry.”
Jackson snorted when I said tours since he knew it was how I referred to the Mile High Club flights in front of anyone who didn’t know about them. Other than Dad, Aubrey, and her family, I didn’t discuss them with anyone else except customers. Trying to explain the flights was awkward, so I avoided it as much as possible.
“Damn, that’s too bad. Do you have an early class again tomorrow?” Drake asked as he gathered up our trash.
“I have an eight a.m. class every morning. I like to get them done early so I have plenty of time to study since I work most evenings during the week.”
“It figures you’d be a morning person. Meet you at the dorm again tomorrow?” Drake enquired.
“Sure. If you want to get up early again, I’m not going to stop you.”
He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “See you then. I’ll call you tonight when I get back to the house.”
We fell into a pattern over the next couple weeks, with Drake walking me to class and eating lunch with me. We didn’t have much time at night to see each other between my charter flights and his rugby team practices, but we texted and talked on the phone. I looked forward to his call each night before bed. Cuddled in safety of my bed, I felt like we could talk about anything. Weekends were jam-packed for both of us, as I had made plans with my dad and had flights booked. Drake’s team was getting ready for the first rugby game at the end of the month. Even though we only saw each other during the day, we still learned so much about each other when we talked on the phone.
Friday morning rolled around, and I was thrilled to finally have some free time after classes this afternoon. I was pretty excited because Drake had mentioned that he didn’t have any plans for the weekend yet. I was hoping we’d get a chance to go on another date. I must have been louder than usual getting ready because I woke Aubrey up.
“Hey, where’s the fire?” she asked. “You’re running around like a chicken with its head chopped off.”
“No fire. Just ready for the weekend.” I smiled at her as I held up two shirts for her to pick from.
“The green,” she sa
id as she pointed at the top in my left hand. “Your eyes really pop when you wear that one.”
“Thanks! What would I do without your fashion advice?”
“You didn’t really care what you wore until you met Drake. Glad all my knowledge is finally being put to good use for you. Big plans today?”
“Nope, just the usual. Are you going to be able to meet us for lunch today? I’ve barely seen you lately!”
“It’s been crazy. Besides, you’ve been walking around with your head in the clouds with a thinking-of-Drake look on your face all the time. I’m not sure you even realized who was around you.”
“Have I really been that bad?” I asked as I sat down on the bed. I never wanted Aubrey to think that she wasn’t important to me.
“Nah, it’s been good to see. I’m glad you’re getting back on the horse. Maybe we can double date sometime.”
“Drake, you, me, and what guy? Did I miss something important? New boyfriend? Spill, chica.”
Aubrey laughed at my attempt with the third degree. “Nobody in particular, but a double date would be fun. We haven’t been able to do one in forever. I’m sure I can rustle up a guy.”
“Yeah, like that would be a problem. Just be careful ‘cause you know how they fall in love with you at the slightest hint that you’re interested.”
Aubrey shoved me off her bed. “Like you’re one to talk. Drake certainly seems smitten. Isn’t he waiting downstairs for you two hours before his first class just so he can walk you across campus?”
I glanced at the clock and threw on the green shirt. “Crap! He’s probably already here. I better run. See you at lunch?”
“Sure. I’ll meet you at the café around noon. Now go! You don’t want to keep your hottie waiting too long. I’m sure the rest of the girls are drooling over him now that they’ve realized he comes to get you each morning.”
Aubrey was right. Word must have spread like wildfire in my dorm because a group of girls had been hanging out in the entertainment area on our floor that first Tuesday morning when I left my room. I hadn’t really gotten to know most of them yet, but they all said hello to me and knew who I was.
As I headed downstairs, I could hear giggles coming from outside. It looked like Drake’s fan club had become braver and weren’t waiting to follow me out anymore. A couple girls were standing next to him, trying to get his attention as he glanced at the door, looking for me. He looked relieved as I stepped out. He prowled towards me with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
“Morning, babe,” he said before pulling me towards him for a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tight as his mouth devoured mine. He bit my lower lip and growled, “Open.”
My lips parted and his tongue took possession of my mouth. My body melted into his as he squeezed me tighter. He sucked on my tongue, and chills went up my spine. He gentled the kiss before pulling away and looking deep into my eyes.
“That’s a hell of a way to greet me in the morning. What did I do to deserve that?” I asked.
“You deserve that and more just by being you, but I figured I should make my intentions blatantly clear. I’m here each morning because you’re here. It’s time everyone realized it.”
I glanced over at the girls who had been trying to flirt with Drake. They both looked at me enviously before walking away. “I think that made it pretty obvious. Maybe they’ll tell all their friends and word will spread through your whole fan club.”
“And maybe I need to do that again when some of the guys who want you are around.”
“What guys?” I asked.
“Nope. Carry on being clueless to other men. You don’t need to worry about any guy except me.”
He walked me to my morning class like usual but stopped me outside the building instead of coming inside. Before I realized what he meant to do, he gave me another deep kiss. When he was done, he flashed me a smug grin. “See you at lunch.”
As he walked away, I saw him stop to talk to a group of his frat brothers. One of them glanced my way and smiled. Drake shoved him to the side and stood between us without looking back at me. Crazy boy. I shook my head at his antics and went to class.
Drake was waiting for me at a table in the café when I got there for lunch. He’d already gotten me my usual, and he was chatting with Aubrey. It was nice to see them getting along so well. Aubrey’s opinion mattered a lot to me.
“Hey,” I greeted them as I sat down. “Thanks for grabbing my lunch again. One of these days, I’ll beat you here so I can buy for a change.”
Drake shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“What? I can’t pay for lunch?”
“Nope. That’s not how this works. You need something and I’m with you, then I buy it for you.”
“Drake, that’s ridiculous,” I argued.
“Not to me, babe. Don’t make that big of a deal out of it. Feeding you isn’t going to break the bank.”
I looked at Aubrey, expecting her to back me up. She just shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. “What? You agree with him?”
“No, but you should pick your battles. Does it really bother you that you have a drop-dead gorgeous guy who wants to be a gentleman when he takes you out?”
I glared at her. “Geesh, when you put it that way, I sound like a whiny bitch. Thanks a lot for the help here.”
“Wouldn’t matter if she agreed with you, Alexa. There’s nothing for her to back you up on. You know me by now. Can you picture me letting you pay on a date?”
I shook my head no since I really couldn’t. “You’re such a Neanderthal sometimes.”
“Yeah, but I’m yours.” He winked at me. “Speaking of dates, I made plans for us tonight. I haven’t had you to myself all week.”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Oooh, a guy who plans your dates and pays for them. I like the sound of that! Where are you guys going?”
“I want it to be a surprise,” Drake answered.
“I’m not really good with surprises.”
“She isn’t. The anticipation always gets to her as she imagines the worst,” Aubrey agreed.
“Don’t worry. I promise you’re going to like this one. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Are you sure you don’t just want to tell me what we’re doing? I can’t promise that I won’t worry about it all day.”
Drake’s gaze turned serious. “Alexa, trust me when I tell you that you’ve got nothing to be concerned about. If you don’t like my plans, I’ll change them. Okay?”
I pouted up at him and batted my eyelashes.
“Enough with the puppy-dog look. I’m not telling you what I have planned. Gotta run or I’ll be late for class. See you at eight.”
He strode away from the table, and Aubrey chuckled next to me. “What’s so funny?”
“I think he’ll be good for you in more ways than I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you back down so quickly from trying to spoil a surprise. Maybe he’ll break you of that habit so I can actually hide your Christmas present from you this year.”
“I’m not that bad, Aubrey.”
“Um, yeah, you are. Why do you think I always cave and give you presents early? If I shop in advance for you, it’s a wasted trip because I can never hold out. Where do you think half the clothes I give you come from?”
“Your closet? Or an impulse buy while you’re out shopping for yourself?”
Aubrey made a buzzing sound. “Wrong answer. But I don’t really mind. So, date night. Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I am. Will you meet me at the dorm to help me get ready? Maybe you have a gift waiting in your closet for me right now that will be perfect for tonight?” I joked.
“No such luck. We’ll have to make do with what you’ve already got on hand. See you later.”
As I dressed for our big date, Aubrey popped into the room to check on me. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Still no idea where Drake’s taking you?”
“Nope. I tried again
to talk him into spilling the beans, but it’s still a surprise. He just said that I needed to wear jeans. What do you think?” I asked her as I gestured down at my outfit. I had chosen to wear a pair of dark blue jeans with a deep green sweater and brown leather boots. The jeans were snug but not super tight. The sweater hit mid-thigh but clung to my boobs. The boots were a favorite of mine, with only a slight heel on them. I felt comfortable but hoped I still looked good for Drake.
“Turn around,” Aubrey instructed as she made a circle motion. “I can’t make a judgment call on the outfit until I can see it all.”
I twirled around and did a little bow as I faced her again. “Well? Will I do?”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Yes! You look great. You’re gonna knock his socks off. Not that it’s his socks that you really want to knock off, right?”
“Ha-ha, funny. You know how much I hate feet, so that would be a big fat no.”
“And you know that wasn’t the point I was trying to make. I swear at lunch today, I felt like I could get pregnant just from being an innocent bystander to the sexual vibes you guys were throwing off,” Aubrey said as she fanned herself. “You need to do something about that before one of you spontaneously combusts.”
“Oh my God, I cannot believe that you just said that. That’s a big step. Do you really think I’m ready to have sex with Drake? Isn’t it too early? I haven’t really known him that long,” I asked.
Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. You’re the only one who can answer that question for yourself. But I can tell you that it’s going to happen sooner or later. There is no way that you won’t end up in bed with Drake at some point in time. He wants you badly, and you eat him up with your eyes every time he walks into a room. Hell, your eyes get all dreamy whenever you mention his name. Admit it—you’re already falling for him.”
“I really am, Aubrey, and it scares the shit out of me.” I crossed my arms across my stomach for comfort.
“It’s okay to be scared. You just can’t let fear make your decisions for you. You don’t let fear rule you when you’re piloting a plane. Don’t do it with this relationship either.” Aubrey came over and wrapped me into a hug. “What’s the worst thing that could happen when you’re in the air?”