by Stacy Eaton
She smacked the top of my head. “You’re pissed at me because she didn’t pick you.”
I sat up and swung my feet to the floor, finishing the beer in my hand and then getting up to get another. “I’m not pissed at anyone. I only did that whole thing as a favor to you. It meant nothing.”
“Oh, bullshit, Harvey. You liked her. I’m sorry that she chose Blake.”
“Blake? Figures his name is something like Blake.” I sat back down, tipping the bottle to my mouth again.
“Oh, stop being petty, it does not suit you. To be completely honest, most of us were shocked that she chose Blake. I know I was.”
I turned and looked at my sister. She looked like she was telling the truth. “You thought she would pick me?”
“Yes, I did. I hoped that she would pick you.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t her type.”
“You aren’t her normal type, but that’s why I wanted you on the show. I knew that she would like you. I was hoping she would take a chance and pick you.”
I squinted at her. “Was there ever a guy who broke his leg?” She winced ever so slightly. “Holy shit, Holly. This was a setup from the beginning.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, Harv.”
“Why the hell would you do that, Holly?”
“Because I wanted you to find someone good. She is fantastic, and I could see you with her. I was hoping that she would see it too.”
“How well do you know her?”
“I know Ali really well. We’ve been friends for a while.”
I paused—Ali—it was a pretty name for her. “I can’t believe this was a setup. That’s why you told me to burn my time at work. You even helped me pick out the dates.” I paused. “Wait! Did you talk to Jake about it? He was pushing me to take time off too.”
“Yeah, I kind of did.”
“Jesus, Holly. I can’t believe you did that.”
“Harvey, don’t be mad. I was trying to help you.”
“Holly, do you like it when I get in your personal business with the men you date? No, you don’t, so why would you think it would be alright for you to barge into mine? That was a pretty crappy thing to do.”
“I’m sorry, Harvey. I honestly did think that she was going to pick you. When I found out, I was shocked. I even asked her if she was serious, and she said—”
I stared at my sister. “What did she say?”
She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, wiping her hands over her head before she looked at me and answered. “She said that she needed safe, not sexy in her life right now.”
“Safe? He made her feel safe? That guy looked like a fruitcake.”
“I think she meant more along the lines of he was a safer choice, that she didn’t expect any surprises from him.”
“That’s bullshit.” I was pissed, that woman—Ali—didn’t have any idea what kind of man I was, or how protected and safe she would have been with me.
“I’m sorry, Harvey.”
I put my hand up. “I know you are, Holly, but can you just let it go? I don’t want to know anything else about her. Just stop talking about her. I wish her the best, now let’s move on.”
Holly sighed. “Fine, I’ll let it go, but for the record, she would have been perfect for you.”
I glared at her. She got up and went into the kitchen to get a beer for herself. When she returned, she asked, “What’s the score?”
Chapter Eighteen
Ali
The decision weighed heavily on my mind day and night on Saturday. Even amid Saturday night rush hour in the kitchen, my mind continually wrestled with the decision.
There was this massive piece of me that wanted to pick dancer one, just because I knew it would be stimulating and undoubtedly fun. However, the practical side of me said to choose dancer two. He didn’t make my heart flutter when he looked into my eyes, but he had a beautiful smile that I did not doubt reached right into his heart.
On Saturday afternoon, Charlie and I had gone to Holly’s office, and we’d gotten to see all four dances. This was the first time that I had seen myself in action, and after watching them, I was more torn than I had been before—at least for a little while.
Dancing with the second guy had been easy, and we looked striking as a couple. He was big; I was tiny. He was light, and I was dark. He moved with purpose, and I traveled with a grace that I would never have thought myself capable of.
The dances with the first man were incredible to watch. He brought something out in me, something that almost scared me. He wasn’t much bigger than me, and yet he had lifted and held me with more strength than the other man. When our bodies came together, our hair blended, and our torsos fit against one another’s so entirely. It was as if we were made for one another.
That thought scared me. Not because I thought we fit so perfectly together, but because I saw something different in myself as I watched the two of us dance. I saw a fierceness, a willingness to throw caution to the wind, and that was not who I was.
I was structure.
I was careful.
I was a woman who thought before she did anything and made sure she weighed every risk before doing it.
I would never admit this to anyone—but I wanted to be the other woman—she scared and excited me—almost as much as he did.
As I watched the romantic dance with my first partner, my heart clenched in my chest. Charlie was right; he did seem lost as I walked away. Would I be lost without him if I chose him, and then it did not work?
That specific thought is how I based my decision. I could not afford to be lost. I could not afford to take that kind of chance right now. My life was too busy, and while I was right where I wanted to be, I still had plans. One day I would own my own restaurant. Dancer one could pull me from my dreams, and I couldn’t afford for that to happen.
I didn’t tell Charlie what I had decided. I let her go on and on about the two men. Holly was quiet as we left her office. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but knew she shouldn’t.
On Sunday, Holly showed up at my door with two camera crews. I handed her my envelope. “For dancer one.”
Holly seemed shocked. “Are you sure, Ali?”
“I need safe, not sexy. I’m sure.”
A sadness came over her eyes, but she blinked it away quickly. “Okay then. Let’s go meet dancer number two.”
She handed the envelope off to one of the crew members, shaking her head slightly. I watched the van pull away from the curb as I got into my car to follow Holly to the location I would meet my date.
Holly and a smaller third crew were with me around the corner from the small outdoor café. I was nervous but excited. I tried not to think about what the other man would be going through.
I turned to Holly abruptly. “What was his name?” She raised a brow as if confused. “Dancer one. What was his name?”
She smiled sadly. “His name is Harvey; they call him Harv.”
“Harvey,” I nodded. I hadn’t pictured that name for him, but I liked it. It was a strong, masculine name. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She spoke with a few people, and then turned to me. “Okay, you ready? He’s waiting for you.”
I blew out a burst of air and rolled my shoulders. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Tarin came on camera with me and asked me a few questions about being nervous and how hard the decision was. When I thought back on the process, it wasn’t all that hard. The hardest part was reminding myself that I wanted safe, not the unknown.
We finished the interview questions, and then I walked around the corner and toward the small café seating area. There was a camera on him, but I knew by the angle that it was picking me up too. I was both excited and a little nervous as I stepped around him.
“Hi,” I said with more bubble in my voice than expected. His eyes snapped to mine, and a wide grin spread over his features as he quickly came to his feet.
“Wow, I hoped you’d pick me
, but I was worried you wouldn't.” He put his hand out. “I’m Blake Monahan.”
I shook his hand. “Ali Davidson,” I replied.
“Can I give you a hug?” he suddenly asked, and I grinned up at him and stepped forward. The hug was lovely, and for only a brief moment, I thought about the fact that it didn’t make me tingle. I didn’t need tingle; I needed reliable.
“Have a seat.” He held my chair out for me. “Wow, I can’t believe this. What a ride this has been, huh?”
“Yes, it has been crazy.”
“That last dance we did, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to learn it.”
“You?” I laughed as a drink was put down in front of me. “I was the one that had to learn all those in the air things.”
He chuckled, and I smiled. I liked the sound of his voice and his laugh. “So, what do you do, Ali? Are you a professional dancer?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Oh, god! No! Normally, I can’t even dance at all. Not sure what came over me during the last two weeks, but don’t depend on that.” I smiled at him, feeling very comfortable. “I’m a chef.”
“What? Like you like to cook?”
“Yes, I love to cook, but I’m a Head Chef at Randolph’s French Restaurant. Do you like to cook?”
He snickered. “I have issues boiling water.” At least he admitted it, and I wouldn’t have to deal with him cooking in the kitchen. “You are welcome to cook for me anytime, although you don’t have to cook.” He backpedaled as if he wasn’t sure he should have said that.
“It’s okay; I enjoy cooking. I’d love to cook for you sometime. What do you do?”
“I work in finance.”
“Finance?”
“Yeah, I manage a bank.”
Well, you couldn’t get more stable and reliable than that, now could you? The two of us finished our drinks and took a walk in the nearby park. The camera crew followed us for a little while, then quietly disappeared. I enjoyed my conversation with Blake and honestly felt that I had made the right decision.
At the end of our time, we traded phone numbers and made a date for lunch later in the week. Our schedules were going to be a little tough to work around, but if it was meant to be, it would work itself out. I felt good about my decision, and as I caught a ride to the restaurant, I returned the phone call to Charlie.
“So is he as sexy in person as he was on camera?”
“I didn’t pick Harvey.”
“Harvey? That was his name? Wait! You picked the blond guy? Why?” she cried over the phone.
“Because I needed safe, not sexy in my life, Charlie. You know I don’t have time for a crazy romance. I need to find someone who can slip into my world and not make waves. Harvey looked like he would have brought along hurricane-sized waves.”
“Oh, my god! Have I not taught you anything? Damn, Ali! You should have gone for the sex! Just once, you should have listened to me!”
“Blake is really nice. I think we are going to be able to build a nice relationship. You’re going to like him.”
“Blake? He sounds like a surfer dude. What does he do?”
“He manages a bank.”
“Bor-ing! Holy smokes, Ali. I can’t believe you picked Mr. Safe. You are going to regret it.”
“No, I’m not. Charlie, can’t you just be happy for me? He’s a really nice guy, and I know that we are going to get along really well.”
She sighed. “Fine, I’ll support you because you are my best friend, but I still think you chose wrong. How did you find out what his name was?”
“I asked Holly.”
“What’s his last name?”
“Why?”
“Because I want to look him up. You might not be interested, but I sure am. Besides, I’d love to see him move from behind the camera.”
“You stay away from him, Charlie!” I hissed at her.
“Why? You don’t want him. Why can’t I have him? It’s not like you two slept together, and it’s messy seconds. You danced with the guy a couple of times.”
I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples. “Fine, whatever. I’ll give you Holly’s phone number, and you can call her yourself.”
“You don’t want to do it for me?”
“I don’t want to know any more about him than I already do.”
“Yeah, why not? Afraid you are going to regret your decision?”
“No!” I snapped. “I am not going to regret my decision. I like Blake. He is exactly the type of man that I was looking for. I know that things between us will be great. You just wait and see.”
“Yeah, okay. You tell me how great things are in eight weeks when your episode goes on air. Let’s see if you two are still together or not.”
“I do not doubt that we will be together, Charlie. It feels right. I know I made the right choice.”
Chapter Nineteen
Harvey
Seven Weeks Later
“How was the flight back?” Jake asked as I took a seat in his office.
“Better than the flight out. I wasn’t sure we’d make it there in one piece. There were a few times I wanted to beg the pilot to turn around.”
“Yeah, I’m surprised they wanted to fly with that storm off the coast, but I’m glad you all got over there safely.”
“I think all of us were a little airsick by the time we got to the other side of the turbulence.” I chuckled. “Although Maggie seemed to be the best out of all of us.”
“How did she do with the rest of it?”
“That woman is a freaking trooper. She just kept on going; in fact, she was showing Wyatt up left and right. Every time he whined, she’d jump down his throat and tell him to suck it up and stop whining.”
Jake laughed as someone stepped into the room behind us. “Hey, welcome back,” Alex said as he clapped my back.
“Thanks,” I told him as he took a seat.
“I was just telling Jake how awesome Maggie was. I’m serious; I will travel with that woman anywhere. She’s got bigger balls than most men.”
Alex chuckled. “Probably not a wise thing to say to Greg.”
“Dude, who do you think put that thought into my head. He told me he’s scared of her half the time, and the other half amazed at how she just blazes through. The woman is a tough nut, not just a pretty face.”
“Too bad we don’t have more of those around. We could use a few more tough women,” Jake said.
“You know Alice could give you a run for your money,” I replied, and Jake turned away as if the thought bored him. “I’m serious. You should consider letting her off the desk. I’m sure she would be awesome out in the field. She deserves better than being an administrative assistant.”
“There is no way I would let Alice go overseas. She’d get hurt.”
Alex and I laughed. “You aren’t worried that Maggie will get hurt?”
“She’s got Greg to watch out for her,” he snapped back. “And obviously, you too.”
“You could watch out for Alice.”
Alex shook his head. “Alice doesn’t need either of you to watch out for her.”
“Can we stop talking about Alice?” Jake growled. “She has nothing to do with this. What else happened on the delivery?”
For another few minutes, I shared more of our trip, and then Alice showed up in the office and said she needed to speak with Jake privately. I shot her a wink as I left the office.
A few minutes later, I was being called back to the office again. “What’s up?”
“I need you to handle a situation,” Jake said.
“What situation?” I glanced between Jake and Alice for a moment. She gave me a sly smile that I did not understand in the least bit.
“A friend needs some help with some security.”
“Okay—” I said slowly, waiting for more.
“Get with Mike and go check the place out. They need some specialized cameras.”
“Why do you need me? Can’t Mike do it on his own? He is the tech guy.”
“Because I want you to go too,” he hissed and then glared at Alice for a moment. She smiled sweetly at him, and he rolled his eyes.
“Just go check it out, see what they might need, and get it set up.”
“What is this about? I mean, what’s going on?”
“You’ll find out when you get there. I don’t know the details, and I don’t fucking want to know either.”
“Then why are we doing this?”
“Because I’m doing Alice a favor.” He stared at her, and she widened her smile.
“You can thank me later.” She patted me on the chest as she walked out of the room.
“Thank her later? For what?”
“I don’t know. Just go take care of it, or she’s going to drive me nuts.”
“Alice drives you nuts anyway. The two of you need to sleep together already.”
“I have no desire to sleep with Alice.”
I barked out a laugh. “Yeah, okay, boss. Keep telling yourself that,” I muttered as I left his office.
I grabbed Mike, told him what I knew, which wasn’t much, and then stopped at Alice’s desk. “So, what is going on?”
“I have a friend who needs help. She thinks someone might be sabotaging her business, and she wants cameras installed to watch the employees.”
“Why doesn’t she just hire a security company to do that?”
Alice gave me her signature, aren’t you just so cute and dumb look. “We are a security company. She needs this done quietly, without anyone else knowing.”
“Alright, where are we going?” Mike asked. Alice gave us an address, and we headed out.
“Randolph’s,” Mike said, “huh, fancy place. You ever eaten there?”
“Nah, too rich for my blood. Not the kind of place I go to when I want to kick back. That’s the kind of restaurant you’d go to impress someone.”
“Yeah, no wonder I have never been there. No one to impress.”
I chuckled from behind the wheel. “Yeah, me either.”
Maybe if Ali had chosen me, I would have splurged for such a meal, or perhaps not. She didn’t strike me as the elegant dining type of woman. Not that I really knew what kind of a woman she was.