by Nia Anderson
Bewildered by her reaction, Griffin stood up and walked over to her. "Erica, calm down. It was an accident. Let’s just forget it, okay?"
Looking closely at his face, Erica saw that Griffin was being sincere in that it was no big deal and immediately felt the fight go out of her. "I didn’t drool on you too bad, did I?” she asked instead.
"Maybe a little," Griffin replied with a grin. For added effect, he looked down at his shirt as if to inspect it for stains and laughed when Erica gave him a light jab in the ribcage.
As if knowing that her presence would lighten the mood even further, Avery came bounding down the stairs and stopped abruptly when she spotted Erica. "You’re still here!” the child exclaimed as she rushed toward her. “Yay!"
Acting quickly, Erica caught Avery before she could collide with the floor. Placing the child on her hip, she proceeded to ask how she slept.
"Good. Yesterday was fun. Daddy I’m hungry," Avery said all at once as her eyes turned to Griffin.
Erica giggled at Avery’s veer in topic. She was learning pretty quickly that, for a four-year-old, Avery had plenty of vigor and was very chatty. Following Griffin into the kitchen, Erica watched as he poured Avery a bowl of cereal and prepared a small portion of fresh fruit for her.
"Want some?" Griffin asked Erica as he held up the box.
Erica shook her head. "No thanks,” she said as she watched Avery dig in. “I should probably head home.”
"You’re going?" Avery asked. “Already?”
An enamored smile pulled at Erica’s lips as she watched the child give her a milky pout. "I’m afraid so, sweetheart, but I’ll see you again real soon."
"I’ll walk you out," Griffin volunteered. Together, he and Erica left Avery behind to enjoy her breakfast and made their way toward the front of the house. Watching as she slipped her feet into her shoes, he asked, "So, what else do you have planned this weekend? Anything exciting?”
"Oh you know,” Erica said with a nonchalant shrug. “The usual. I have a ton of laundry and grocery shopping to do, so I’ll probably just start with that..."
"Oh, because I was thinking of taking Avery back to Golden Gate Park tomorrow for that movie in the park event. They’re showing the Lion King. You’re free to join if you aren’t busy.”
Giddy at the prospect of seeing him again so soon, Erica replied, "Sure. Why not?" Then, in a moment of reconsideration, she asked, "Are you sure you want me tagging along? I mean…I wouldn’t want to impede on your alone time with Avery."
"Please, all we have is alone time. Besides, Avery loves you. She’d want you to come.”
"Okay, I’d love to then," Erica responded as her heart warmed over.
Erica and Griffin both looked down the hall when they heard a loud crash and an even louder ‘ow’ sound from the kitchen.
"You’d better go see what that was about,” Erica said as she opened the door. At that, Griffin nodded and quickly took off to see just what level of mischief his daughter had gotten into this time.
The trip to Golden Gate Park the next day was wonderful. Erica packed a picnic basket overflowing with the very best organic delicacies, and she, Griffin, and Avery ate an early lunch under a tree near the harbor as they watched the movie from a distance.
From this point onward, Griffin and Erica saw each other on a regular basis. That entire summer, she accompanied Griffin and Avery on walks, to the park, to festivals, and even to a few pop-up carnivals. Eventually she was so used to being around them that when she wasn't she felt bereft.
Come Labor Day, Erica realized that her life was so consumed by Griffin and Avery that she’d allowed her relationship with Lori and Sabrina to follow to the wayside. Feeling guilty, Erica invited the women over for dinner one Saturday night in September with the intention of making it up to them.
Lori was the first to arrive, and she came bearing a bouquet of beautiful flowers for the hostess.
"Aw, thanks. Come in,” Erica said as she ushered Lori inside her townhouse.
After hanging her jacket up in the closet, Lori entered Erica’s kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast bar. "Smells good. What’re we having?" she asked as she sniffed the air.
"Baked manicotti, salad, and for dessert – tiramisu."
"Oh god. I’m gonna die and go to carb heaven,” Lori told Erica as she licked her lips.
Laughing, Erica checked the pasta in the oven and then placed the flowers in a vase. "So, tell me what’s going on with you? How’s work?"
"It's great!" Lori replied as she pulled a piece of garlic bread from a loaf and popped it inside her mouth. An audible ‘mm’ quickly followed. "It’s tough with all the deadlines, but I love it. I actually have to go to L.A. next week for a shoot."
"Wow, sounds exciting. Good for you." Erica paused as she searched the kitchen drawers for tongs to toss the salad with. "So, any new guys I should know about?"
"Ha, I should be asking you that."
Erica swiftly looked over at Lori. "Griffin and I are just friends if that's what you're getting at. Plus, Avery’s adorable. I can’t get enough of her."
"Yeah, well, it seems like you can’t get enough of her dear old daddy either..." At Erica’s shocked expression, Lori carried on. "Come on, Ri. When are you two going to stop acting like there's nothing there and get together already? It couldn't be more obvious that you’re destined for each other."
"Lori!" Erica cried out. "Where are you getting this from? I definitely no longer pine after Griffin like I used to, nor does he with me. We're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Loving Erica’s heated reaction, Lori pressed on. "You're delusional,” she pointed out with finality. "Griffin wants you, Ri. He wants you more than I want that manicotti. How can you not see that?"
Erica could only shake her head in frustration.
"And you want him," Lori continued. "Don't deny it. I saw the way you two were looking at each other when we got together to plan our trip to Palm Springs."
"That's not true…" Erica protested, but she was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. Grateful for some reprieve from Lori’s pestering, she practically ran to the door to buzz Sabrina up.
Erica didn’t move from her post near the front door until Sabrina was safely inside the house. She needed time away from Lori and the third degree she was dishing out. Though she disguised her attraction to Griffin with a mask of indifference that fooled almost everyone, it didn't fool Lori. Not even a little bit. The fact of the matter was, she'd always been able to read her best friend like a book, or in her case – the September issue of Vogue.
After letting Sabrina in, Erica walked back into the kitchen.
"So, what are we talking about?" Sabrina wanted to know as she hopped onto the empty stool beside Lori.
"Griffin," Erica and Lori stated at the same time.
"What about him?" Sabrina questioned as she looked from Erica to Lori with a huge smile on her face.
"Nothing," Erica said firmly as she pulled the casserole out of the oven.
"Yeah right," Lori chided in. She looked toward Sabrina for encouragement. "Help me out here. Whenever you see Erica and Griffin together, it looks like he wants to rip her clothes off, doesn't it?"
"That it does," Sabrina agreed. She’d allow sought great delight in risqué conversation. "Remember when I ran into you guys at the mall last week?" she asked Erica.
Cornered, Erica nodded.
"Well, I could have sworn Griffin was going to throw you on the floor and have his way with you right then and there. The man has a thing for you. There's no ands, ifs, or buts about it."
"See?" Lori stated triumphantly.
"Look, ladies, I hate to be a party pooper, but there's nothing going on between Griffin and I. We made a pact to remain friends, and so far, it’s going great. You guys need to get your minds out the gutter.”
"Suuure,” Lori teased.
Rolling her eyes, Erica grabbed the manicotti and headed toward the dining room. "Anyway
, that’s enough of that. It’s time to eat."
The rest of the evening was easygoing, and Erica was grateful that neither one of her friends brought up her relationship, or lack of one, with Griffin again. Still, her mind kept wandering to what they’d said.
Is it true? Erica wondered. Does Griffin feel the same way about me as I do him? And if he does...how do I found out?
Chapter eight
Throwing another blouse inside her overnight bag, Erica looked at her list to make sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything crucial. Satisfied that she had everything she needed, she zipped up her bag and carried it to the front door.
This was the weekend that Erica, Griffin, Evan, Julie, Sabrina, and Lori had booked to spend at Desert Isle Resort down in Palm Springs. Feeling her mind wander, Erica marveled over just how quickly the summer had flown by. Now the days felt shorter, Avery was in school, and Griffin was back in the studio full time. It definitely took a little getting used to, which was why Erica felt like this weekend was well deserved.
Folding a dress in half and placing it inside her luggage atop the rest of her clothing, Erica smiled as she remembered the sleepover she’d had with Avery the weekend before school started.
Avery was ecstatic at the prospect of sleeping over at Erica’s house, and the two girls had a great time doing things that Griffin would never permit Avery to do on a regular basis. They had so much fun that when Griffin came to retrieve his daughter the next day, the little girl cried because she didn’t want to leave. She even declared her love for Erica. Erica loved Avery too, and she knew that she would be devastated if there ever came a day when the child wasn't in her life.
Avery’s father had become a huge part of Erica’s life as well. As trust was renewed and old wounds healed over, their friendship blossomed and the two grew naturally closer. Griffin called Erica whenever he needed advice on basically anything in his life, and the two spent endless amounts of time on the phone each night. To any casual observer, they looked like a happy couple.
On top of this, Erica’s attraction to Griffin had grown by inordinate heights. Everything he did seemed to turn her on, but she refused to let Griffin know about her yearning. Despite what all her friends kept saying, she’d yet to see any solid evidence that he was attracted to her as more than a friend.
As soon as her doorbell sounded, Erica gathered her things and headed outside. She met Griffin in her driveway and found him leaning against his car with the trunk popped open.
"Hi, all ready?” Griffin was trying his best to sound casual, but his heart skipped a beat when he looked at her. She looked so fresh faced and radiant, but he knew he couldn’t let on his attraction to her. On what felt like a daily basis, he was forced to remind himself how important it was that he didn't scare Erica off by revealing the true nature of feelings to her.
After stowing Erica's bag inside his trunk, Griffin steered his car toward the freeway and the pair settled in for the two hour drive that awaited them.
"Was Avery okay when you dropped her off at your mom's?" Erica asked Griffin once they decided on a radio station that suited both their tastes.
"Oh yeah, she’s fine. She balled her eyes out when I first told her that I was leaving, but she got over it as soon as my mom offered her cookies."
Relieved that the child wasn't going to blame her for stealing Griffin away for the weekend, Erica nodded and allowed herself to finally relax. "That’s good. I’d hate for her to be upset."
Griffin looked quickly over at Erica before returning his eyes to the road. "She’ll be fine,” he said again. “We can’t spend every moment with her." With this, he changed the subject. "So, how's that big project coming along?" he asked in reference to an account Erica was in the process of closing in at work.
"Fine actually. The CEO’s of the picky variety, but we’re making due with it. My team is phenomenal. Seriously, they work so hard. I wish I could give every last one of them a promotion."
"Well don’t give too much credit to them. They might help negate the chaos, but they wouldn't be half as productive if they didn't have you at the helm of the ship."
Reaching across the middle divide as if to solidify his point, Griffin patted Erica’s hand in a soothing manner. It felt like the exact sign she’d been waiting for, but the moment passed before she could over analyze it.
“I don't know,” Erica mumbled. She lifted her left shoulder in a slight shrug and averted her gaze out the window. "I try, but trust me…it's not anywhere near as easy as it looks. Sometimes it can get really hard balancing everything.”
Something about the way she said it concerned Griffin. Perking up in his seat, he asked, "You’d tell me if I was demanding too much of your time, wouldn't you? I mean, I know your job is stressful, but..." Griffin trailed off in search of the right words, but he never got a chance to find them.
"No way,” Erica cut in. “Seriously, Griff. I don't want you to ever think that you’re an inconvenience to me. I’ve loved spending these past few months with you and Avery. You're a great friend."
Feeling his heart ache at the mention of the word ‘friend’, Griffin tightened his grip on the steering wheel and mumbled a barely audible,
"You too.” He wanted much more than just friendship from Erica, but she obviously didn’t. If anything, this conversation had proven that.
After an uneventful two hours, Erica and Griffin arrived at Desert Isle Resort safely. Once they met up with their friends and booked the activities they wanted to do, everyone went off to their separate rooms to get settled in. The regrouped later that day for dinner, and by the time the sun went down everyone was so exhausted from touring the city that they decided a soak in the hot tub was in order.
"Oh, this feels so good." Sabrina sighed as she slid into the lukewarm water.
"Right? This is bliss,” Julie said with her eyes closed.
"Where’s Erica?" Evan asked Griffin as he noticed her absence.
"She’ll be out soon. She was in the bathroom when I left the room."
Just then, a poolside waiter came out to ask if anyone wanted drinks and Erica surfaced from behind him wearing a skimpy yellow swimsuit that clung tightly to her curves.
As everyone's order was being taken, Griffin sat mesmerized by her form. It was until she slid into the water beside him that he was finally given some reprieve from his inner torture.
"Earth to Griffin!" Lori yelled as she waved her hand in his face. “Is anyone alive in there?”
Reluctantly tearing his eyes from Erica, Griffin looked toward Lori and frowned. "Huh?"
"Your order, doofus,” Evan pointed out with a laugh. “Get on with it.”
Raising his eyes to the waiter, Griffin shook his head as if to clear it. "Sorry, uh…I’ll have water, no – make that a vodka tonic." He needed something stronger if he was going to weather this storm.
Seeing Erica’s body outlined in that bikini had done things to Griffin – primal things.
Concerned by his awkward body language and failure to make eye contact with her, Erica touched his arm and gently asked, "Griff, you okay?"
"Yeah, I’m fine,” Griffin responded in the most laid back tone he could muster. “I think all the excitement must just be catching up with me.”
"Yeah, sure, that’s it,” Evan mumbled. Though he’d said it under his breath, it promptly caused both Lori and Sabrina to start laughing.
"Well that drink should help you loosen up,” Erica said to Griffin in a soothing manner. Turning toward her friends, she frowned and asked, “And what’s so funny?”
"Oh nothing, not a thing,” Evan said. At that, he and everyone else in the hot tub besides Griffin fought to contain their laughter. It was like they were all in on the same secret. That secret being that Griffin was obviously in heat.
Annoyed, Erica asked, "Well then what's going on here?"
"Nothing, nothing at all,” Sabrina said with a huge smile.
Looking over at Griffin again, Erica noticed tha
t he was staring off into the distance with a frustrated look on his face. Desperate to help, she ran a calming hand down his arm and whispered, "Seriously, Griff. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine,” Griffin snapped as he shook off her touch.
Shocked and more than a little put-off by his harsh change in tone, Erica pulled away from him and straightened her back. “Sorry," she muttered. “Won't happen again.”
Griffin sighed inwardly. He didn’t know how much longer he could stomach this. Lucky for him, the drinks arrived and everyone promptly mellowed out. Even Erica appeared relaxed as she joked and laughed with everyone, but beneath the surface she was confused and hurt by Griffin’s actions.
Still, it wasn't until the pair were safely back inside their hotel room that Erica finally broached the subject with him. After showering and settling into her bed, she confronted Griffin head-on. "Griff, what was all that about in the hot tub?"