by Hope Stone
Something about Libby made me want to be completely open and honest. She was smart and funny and I really liked her.
“That was a pretty good answer,” she replied with a smile.
“Well, it’s the truth. That and I’m a serial killer,” I laughed.
“Damn… not another serial killer… I’m always getting caught up with guys who are about to go to jail,” she smirked.
When I asked her why she was single, she stiffened up and I guessed that it was about her ex. She simply said that she’d been in a relationship until recently and then stopped talking. I could see in her eyes that it was a difficult conversation that she didn’t want to have.
“So about that date… how about tomorrow night?” I changed the subject.
“Yeah… well, maybe not tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on. Why don’t you call me on the weekend and we can make a plan,” she said, a little jittery. I thought changing the subject would help her relax, but it didn’t. Suddenly, she was saying her goodbyes and leaving before I could even say anything.
I wondered what I’d done wrong. We’d just had an amazing night together. Even without the great sex, it had been a lot of fun. I could talk to her for hours. But I felt like maybe she was keeping something from me, like there was something she really didn’t want me to know.
Although maybe she just needed space, I thought to myself. Maybe I’d put too much pressure on her by planning a date the next night. I’d call her on the weekend like she’d said. Perhaps she was stressed about work since it was her first week and all that.
I locked up the empty office and headed home. It was late and I was tired, so I headed to bed. But instead of sleeping, all I could do was think about Libby. There was something truly special about her. I felt so free around her, like she really understood me. But just as I’d begun to feel like I’d figured her out, she’d gone cold on me so quickly.
Eventually, I got to sleep. When I woke up, I felt like hell. I hadn’t had that much to drink, so I knew that I’d just slept badly and it wasn’t a hangover. I couldn’t remember what I had dreamt about, but I had a feeling it had to do with Libby. I shook my head to try and wake myself up.
There was no point in thinking about her all day; she’d made it pretty clear that I was only supposed to call her over the weekend. I guess I’d have to wait until Saturday morning. I even put a reminder on my phone to call her… not that I would ever forget.
I got to work unexpectedly early and no one else was even there yet. When I opened the door to my office, I could smell sex mixed with her perfume. I opened a window, even though I kind of liked the smell. I just didn’t need my receptionist or Nurse Joyce knowing what had happened there the night before.
9
Libby
I felt bad for freaking out the night before. As I sat at my desk trying to focus on work, I found myself thinking of James. He was so nice, smart, funny and gorgeous that it made sense that I was falling for him. What didn’t make sense was why I’d gone cold on him the night before.
I mean, I knew why I’d done it. He’d talked about his exes so calmly and openly and I couldn’t even bring up Jake without freezing. I guess even just thinking about him made me remember what it felt like to live under his watchful eye. And then immediately James mentioned going on a date and I got uncomfortable.
Maybe I wasn’t ready for the start of a new relationship. I’d felt like I had a real chance of a future with James and that scared me. I had only just ended things with Jake and I was likely just scared of ending up in the same situation.
I tried to focus on work for the rest of the day. I decided that it was too soon for me to start dating anyone new. I didn’t know if I would ever be ready. The thing was that I really liked James. He was so easy to talk to and I had fun whenever I was with him, even when he was taking my blood for tests.
I had a lot of work to catch up on and new processes to learn… and new names to remember. That kept me pretty busy for the next two days. When I was at work, I was able to detach from my personal life. That’s probably why I’d loved working so much when I was with Jake. When I was at the office, I didn’t need to think about him and he knew where I was so he didn’t feel the need to call me or text incessantly… or even worse, follow me.
But the problem was that the work week ended and the weekend arrived. I’d told James to call me then and I was dreading what I’d say to him when he did. On Saturday morning, I considered turning off my phone. But he was so nice, I couldn’t do that to him. The least I could do was be honest with him… or at least, a little bit honest.
Eventually, my phone rang at 10 am. I liked that he didn’t call too early and not too late. If I was ready to date, then James would definitely be a great guy. But I just couldn’t get Jake out of my head.
“Hi, Libby Ranger speaking,” I answered in my professional voice, even though I had his number saved.
“Hey, Libby, it’s me, James. How are you doing?” He sounded cheerful, but a little nervous.
“Hey James. I’m good. It’s just been a hectic week. So much to learn with the new job,” I said truthfully.
“Well, how about I take you out to dinner tonight and take your mind off work?”
“Um… look. I need to be honest. Everything is just a little bit overwhelming right now with the new job and the move. I think you’re an amazing guy, but I just don’t feel like I can date anyone right now. I’m sorry.” I bit my lip, knowing I should just be honest, but not really wanting to bring all of that up.
“Oh, okay… yeah… I understand. Maybe in a few weeks when you’re more settled in,” he mumbled.
I felt truly terrible about letting him down. He didn’t deserve that. But I just couldn’t jump into a new relationship after everything that had happened with Jake. I put my phone down on my bedside table and went to take a shower. I needed to get out of my apartment and do something… alone.
I went down to the pier for a late breakfast. I took my book and chose a table that looked out over the water. It was a nice day and I liked the way it felt being right beside the calm bay. There was no wind and the sun was out, but it wasn’t too hot.
I had just finished my coffee and was looking at the menu deciding what to eat when I heard a voice behind me say my name. I looked up, not worried because the voice came from a woman.
“Hi, Alice.” I smiled as I recognized the graphic designer from my office. “How are you?”
“I’m great, thanks. Just came out here to have some coffee after dropping off my husband at work for his shift,” she replied with her permanently sunny disposition.
“What does your husband do?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Oh, he’s a firefighter,” she said simply.
“Wow, that’s quite an impressive job,” I responded.
“Yeah… you get kind of used to it though. It used to scare the hell out of me when he’d go fight fires, but now it’s just what he does for a living. I was actually telling him about you last night. I was saying that there’s this new woman at work who’s just moved here and we should have her over for dinner sometime. What do you say?”
“That’s really nice of you. Yes, I’d like that,” I said, genuinely happy to be making a friend.
“Well, he’s on night shift for the next few days, so how does Monday night sound?”
I agreed and we exchanged numbers. She sat down for a few minutes to chat while she drank her coffee and then she went on her way. I was glad that I was making a friend. Alice seemed like a really wonderful person and we shared similar interests in books and art.
10
James
After being rejected by Libby, I decided to go on a run. I hadn’t been running in a while. I went to the gym quite frequently before work, but I liked running as it was a great way to clear my head.
I’d just gotten back from a run when my phone rang. It was Alice.
“Hey, Alice… what’s up?”
�
�I just thought I’d call and invite you to dinner on Monday night. I’m making lasagna, your favorite,” she said simply. But I knew she had an ulterior motive.
“Really? Uh-uh, what’s her name?” I said bluntly.
“What’s whose name?” she said, trying to seem innocent.
“The woman you’re trying to set me up with. Last week was bad enough. I had to go out drinking afterwards to get my sanity back,” I replied.
“It’s just a friend from work. Kind of like a dinner party to welcome her to the company. I swear she’s amazing. And if you two don’t hit it off, you don’t have to stay for dessert. I promise you’ll like her. What about this? If you don’t like this one, I will never try to set you up again.”
I took her up on her offer only because if I didn’t like the woman, which was highly likely, then I knew she’d keep her word and never try to set me up again. I was tired of these terrible blind dates and I would have liked to see my best friend and his wife without having to make small talk with a woman who clearly wasn’t right for me.
The rest of the weekend went by quickly. I read, watched a movie, and went for another run on Sunday. Before I knew it, I was waking up on Monday morning and heading to the office.
The day passed quickly with lots of people who put off seeing a doctor over the weekend coming in with all sorts of illnesses and ailments. Just before I was about to leave, I got a text from Alice reminding me of dinner.
For once, I was glad she’d reminded me. I had completely forgotten about the dinner and had been planning to get takeout on my way home. Instead, I met up with Sean for a drink at the bar while his wife cooked dinner. She’d kicked him out the house while she was getting everything ready.
“She really thinks you’ll like this woman, James. She’s certain of it,” Sean said as he took a sip of his beer.
“She’s always certain.” I laughed.
“No, this time she’s convinced. So I need you to be on your best behavior. And if you don’t like this one, you’ll never have to go through a blind date again.”
“I’ll behave myself, promise. But drinks are on you tonight,” I joked.
11
Libby
I got to work early on Monday and was thoroughly engrossed with work when Alice came to remind me about dinner that night. I nodded with a smile and thanked her for having me over.
As she walked away, Tessa, another one of the creatives, laughed. “You know she’s setting you up, right? That’s what she does. She invites single people over and sets them up with her husband’s friends. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing; that’s how I met my boyfriend… but it’s just a heads-up.”
I sighed internally, suddenly dreading the dinner that I had been looking forward to all weekend. But I couldn’t say I didn’t want to go at the last minute because that would be rude. And maybe Tessa was wrong and this was just a normal dinner. No, I had to go. I just hoped there wasn’t a blind date waiting for me when I arrived.
I worked late and went straight to the address that Alice had given me. I could hear chatting from inside as I knocked on the door. I heard two male voices and my heart sank. This wasn’t going to be the relaxed friendly evening that I had been hoping for.
But things got even worse when Alice opened the door and introduced me to… James.
“Hi, yeah, we’ve met.” I smiled, trying not to make things awkward.
“Yeah… um, Libby was a patient of mine last week,” he muttered, obviously not wanting to kiss and tell.
“Well, I’ll leave you two alone to catch up while I get dinner ready.” Alice smiled brightly before grabbing her husband and heading to the kitchen.
I just looked at him and smiled awkwardly. “Well, this is strange,” I mumbled.
“I thought you didn’t want to date anyone? But I guess it was me you didn’t want to date. Sorry to disappoint you,” he shot back, clearly hurt.
“I didn’t know this was going to be a blind date, I really didn’t. Alice didn’t say anything to me. Someone at work mentioned that I was probably being set up, but I didn’t want it to be true,” I replied, trying to make him understand that I didn’t want to be dating anybody and that it wasn’t him.
“Sure,” he said sarcastically as Alice and Sean came back inside.
We sat down for dinner and he refused to make eye contact with me. An awkward silence fell around the table. Alice and Sean tried to make small talk, but James was having none of it.
We were finished with the appetizers when he finally snapped, “If you didn’t like me, you just could have said that. I’m not a child. I get that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. You didn’t have to lead me on for no reason.”
Alice and Sean looked shocked for a moment and then James stood up.
“Actually, I’m not going to sit here… it’s too torturous. Alice and Sean, I love you guys, but I can’t do this. Not tonight and not with her,” he said before leaving.
I got up, made a quick apology to the hosts and followed him.
12
James
She came running out after me. I was heading home, trying to ignore her. I only lived a few houses down from Sean and Alice, so I hadn’t driven. She was catching up to me, so I walked a little faster. Eventually, she was running and caught up to me.
“Stop. Please. I didn’t know it was meant to be a date. It’s not you, I swear… I know that people always say ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ but please understand me when I say that. I really like you. I do. I just freaked out. Please stop!”
I stopped and looked at her. “So if you really do like me, what the hell is stopping you?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a little messed up, okay?” she replied, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Messed up I can handle. Lies and bullshit I can’t. So if you really do like me… I’ll deal with you being messed up. I’m okay with that…” Before I could finish, she kissed me.
I kissed her back. Everything I’d felt that night in my office came rushing back and I wasn’t angry anymore. I was barely even thinking anymore. I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms. We were a few steps from my front door and I picked her up and carried her inside.
I threw her down on my bed and took my shirt off as she removed her own top and skirt. We didn’t say another word as we got naked and kissed. I trailed kisses all over her body as she moaned. She took my hard cock in her hand and I groaned. I closed my eyes as she went down on me. Her mouth was warm and she definitely knew what she was doing. I let my head tilt back as the pleasure hit me in waves.
But before I could come, I pushed her head away and lifted her up. “I want to be inside you,” I whispered into her ear. She smiled and wrapped her legs around my waist. She gasped and then started to moan louder and louder as I built up rhythm. She orgasmed shortly before I did and we collapsed on the bed, both of us struggling to catch our breath.
After a few minutes, I pulled her close and kissed her neck before murmuring, “We still need to talk.”
“In the morning,” she said and kissed my forehead before curling up in my arms.
We both fell asleep soon after that.
13
Libby
I woke up before his alarm had even gone off. It was still really early and the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. I got up and made my way to his kitchen. I put the coffee machine on and found some mugs.
I heard his alarm go off and him turn it off. He came into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.
“Oh good, you’re here. I thought you’d run away again,” he mumbled.
“No, I’m still here. No more running. I just thought we could both use some coffee and conversation,” I said.
He accepted the mug I handed him.
“Look, I’m sorry for being weird when you asked me out. I really, really like you. I just had a terrible experience with my ex,” I went on. “And I know that you’re different. I can tell that already. I feel like I know you better after one week than I eve
r really knew him.”
“What did this guy do to you?” he asked, his voice gentle and sweet.
“He was controlling. Like, to the extreme. He followed me… watched me… and he even had other people follow me when he couldn’t. He was jealous and always keeping an eye on me. I could never do anything unless he knew exactly where I’d be and what I was doing there. And every time I tried to leave him, he’d convince me to stay. He manipulated me into believing that he was good for me and I was the crazy one.”
“So, that’s why you’re scared to start a new relationship? I mean, I completely understand. You’ve been through a lot.”
“That’s the thing. When I think about him, I’m scared… I’m terrified. But when I think about you and when I’m with you… I’m fearless. I tried to stay away because I let him get into my head, but I don’t want to be away from you. I’m falling in love with you and there’s nothing I can do to change that.”
“I’m falling in love with you too. And I promise you, no matter what, I won’t scare you. If we’re moving too fast or you want to take things slower, just tell me,” he said.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. “I don’t want to take things slowly.”
Epilogue
James
Exactly one year after we officially started dating, Libby and I moved in together. I carried her over the threshold of our new house in Gabe’s Point and put her down in the living room. She smiled curiously as she looked around the room filled with roses and candles.