by A. M. Myers
“Remind me why we came here?” I ask, and Izzy shakes her head.
“Uh, ‘cause we’re celebrating the fact that you two got an amazing job.”
“We could have just ordered pizza and watched movies at my house.”
Her eyes widen, and her jaw drops for a second before she sighs and rolls her eyes. “Oh my Jesus.” She drops her head to the table with a thud, and I laugh at her while Carly rolls her eyes with a smirk on her face. Izzy lifts her head again and points a finger at me.
“No. We need girl time so we can talk about what happened with your hot as shit neighbor.”
I shake my head, my gaze roaming around the club. “I already told you what happened.”
“I think you’re keeping things from me. I almost had an orgasm from just walking into that kitchen so there’s no way nothing happened,” she protests, taking a sip of her drink.
“Listen real carefully,” I tell her, and she leans in, “absolutely nothing happened. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Got it?”
She studies me for a moment before a smile slowly creeps across her face. “Oh, man, if that’s true, when you two finally bang, it’s going to be…” Her voice trails off as she makes an exploding motion with her hands, and I laugh, Carly joining in.
“Bang? Seriously? What are you, a dude? And who says we’re going to have sex?”
“Oh, Honey, I saw you two together. That man’s gonna be getting it in before the week’s over.”
I snort and shake my head. “Thanks for your vote of confidence.”
“You can deny all you want but the chemistry was literally off the charts. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
I hold my hands up in surrender, needing a distraction from the reminder of what it felt like to be around him. “All right, enough about me. What about you, Iz? Got a new flavor of the week?”
“Yeah,” she says, scowling into her drink, “but I think it’s time to end it.”
“How long did this one last?” Carly asks, a knowing smile on her face.
“Two days.”
I choke on my drink as laughter bubbles out of me, and when I’m finally done coughing, I grin at her. “That a new record?”
“Yes. I need to stop being so interesting and good in bed, and maybe they’ll last a little longer. Two freaking days of mind blowing sex and this guy is telling me that he’s falling in love with me.”
“Always so humble,” Carly mutters, and Izzy flashes her a grin. I smile and look over to the dance floor, my face falling when I make eye contact with Troy and he waves at me. He starts moving closer, and I turn back to the girls.
“Shit,” I hiss, and they both look at me with concern. “Troy is here, and he’s coming over.”
“Troy?” Izzy asks, and Carly fights back a smile.
“Troy from date number one?” she asks, and I nod, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me. Izzy starts smirking, and I glare at both of them.
“This is not funny,” I hiss, and they laugh.
“Hey, Ali!” Troy says, stepping up beside me, and I plaster on a smile as I turn to him.
“Troy! Hey, how are you?”
He grins and throws an arm over my shoulders that I immediately want to throw off. “Real good now that you’re here.”
Oh, Jesus Christ, shoot me now.
“Shit, what did you do to your knee?” he asks, pointing down to my injured leg.
“Got tackled by a dog.”
“No shit?” he asks, and I’m not really sure how to respond.
“Yep. Pretty crazy.” I look to Izzy or Carly for help. Izzy is sitting in her chair with her chin propped up in her hand as she watches us. She catches my eye and bats her eyelashes at me.
I swear to God, I’m going to kill her.
Troy maneuvers himself between me and the table so I have no choice but to look up at him as he grins down at me. “So, what do you say you and me get out of here? We can pick up where our last date left off.”
His gaze drops down my body, letting me know exactly what he means by that, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
“Sorry, she can’t,” Izzy cuts in, and I rethink killing her. “It’s girls’ night. No sausage allowed.”
Carly’s hand flies to her mouth, and she looks away quickly to hide her laughter. I shrug up at Troy, fighting off a smile of my own. “Sorry, you heard her.”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure we can make an exception to the rule.” He winks, and I want to gag.
“Dude, is there something you’re not getting about no sausage allowed? Unless you’ve got a secret in those jeans, you’re not welcome.”
He steps to the side so he can glance over at her and smirk. “Oh, I’ve got something for you.”
She rolls her eyes and nods. “Sure ya do, cowboy. Is it gonna be one of those things where I have to guess if it’s a tiny dick or a huge clit?”
I spray my drink across the table, and Carly throws her head back in laughter, unable to stop herself. All the while, Izzy just sits in her chair with a proud smirk on her face.
“Why don’t you come find out just how wrong you are,” he taunts, grabbing the front of his jeans, and once again, I want to gag.
“Aw, that’s cute but no. If I wanted to suck on a Jolly Rancher, I’d go to the convenience store across the street.”
“What the fuck?” he hisses, his shoulders tensing up as he takes a step back.
“It was great chatting with you Tony but we’re done here,” she says, waving at him, and his face turns the color of a tomato.
“It’s Troy,” he growls, and she nods, taking a sip of her drink and looking out at the crowd.
“Uh-huh. Buh-bye now.”
He stands there awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do for a moment before he growls and spins, stalking back into the crowd. He slips behind this tiny little thing who couldn’t be more than nineteen and makes eye contact with me, grinding his hips against her ass.
“Dude is delusional,” Izzy says, and when I look at her, she’s got her head cocked to the side as she watches the show he’s putting on. “Is that supposed to entice you? He looks like he’s having a seizure.”
I laugh, and she takes a sip of her drink, turning to look at me with a sympathetic expression on her face. “This guy’s got a tiny Johnson, and he has no idea what to do with it. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a man that doesn’t know how to use his own cock.”
“Oh my god,” I gasp through my laughter but she doesn’t stop there.
“Oh, what do you want to bet he’s one of those guys that just flops around on top of you, moaning to some old classic rock song while you pray for a sinkhole to open up under the bed.”
Tears streak down my cheeks as I struggle to breathe.
“You’re a menace,” Carly tells her, and she gasps, slapping her hand over her heart in mock horror.
“I’m not the one who marched over here and tried to piss all over poor Ali like I owned her.”
“Yeah, Car, he kind of deserved what he got,” I add.
She finishes off her drink, fighting back a smile. “I mean, I’m not saying you’re wrong but that was savage, Iz.”
Izzy shrugs. “Don’t fuck with my girls and I’ll be the sweetest bitch around.”
“Okay, so now that I’ve had a drink and put up with Troy, can we go back to my place and watch movies?” I ask, and Izzy nods, grabbing her bag off the table.
“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here before I have to put someone else in their place,” she teases, and I laugh as we gather up our things and head out to relax at my house.
* * * *
My knee aches as Carly and I walk up to the front doors of our new office building but I’m happy to be starting this job without the crutches. I’ll probably be laid up on the couch tonight but it’s worth it.
“Nervous?” I ask, looking over at Carly, who is beaming.
“Hell, no. I’m so excited that I never have to go to that paper again that there’
s no room for anything else.”
I nod in agreement. Since quitting my job only three days ago, I’ve had this weight lifted off of me, and I’m thrilled to get started on something new. We open the door and walk into a clean, modern lobby that feels comfortable and stylish. The receptionist looks up and smiles but before she can say anything, Mercedes is rounding the corner and coming toward us.
“Ali,” she exclaims, taking me by surprise when she pulls me in for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
When she releases me, she turns to Carly and beams. “And you must be Carly, it’s so great to meet you. I spent the weekend reading some of your past articles, and I’m so happy to have you on the team.”
Carly blushes and holds out her hand. “Well, thank you. I’m excited to be here.”
“I have to tell you, the article about the crooked cops was amazing. I was riveted.”
She lets out a nervous laugh, and I smile. Carly is an amazing writer but she hasn’t gotten the recognition she deserves over at the paper. I’m so glad that I had the idea to bring her along.
“Gosh, you’re making me blush,” she jokes.
“I did have a question, though,” Mercedes adds, and Carly nods. “Whatever happened with all that? I looked for hours for a follow-up article but I didn’t see one.”
“Oh, I’m not really sure. Our boss, Mr. Klein, didn’t even want me to publish the first one but I’ve got a few friends over there, and they helped me sneak it past him. He was furious when it came out and wouldn’t even hear me out on a follow-up article.”
Mercedes rolls her eyes and sighs. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Hence, why we’re here,” Carly adds, looking over to me, and I smile at her.
“Right, of course. Well, follow me and I’ll give you a quick tour of the office.” She waves her arm for us to follow behind her, and we make our way down a hallway that branches out into a large open room with private offices lining both sides of it.
“This is our conference room of sorts. We meet in here once a week to talk about articles coming up and the schedule. We usually rotate pieces so there is something new on the blog for fans each day, but Ali, your column would be twice a week. We’ve already got so much interest in an advice column, and I can’t wait to get the first article out.”
Both Carly and I nod as she explains everything, and the longer she goes on, the more excited I get. I already feel inspired to write, and I’m anxious to get settled in my office and get to work.
Mercedes points to one of two doors at the front of the room and says, “That office is mine, and Ali, yours is the one right next to me.”
My eyes widen, and I wonder how I got the office right next to the boss, and I catch Mercedes smiling at me out of the corner of my eye. “The advice column is kind of like a new branch of the blog so essentially, we would be partners.”
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.”
She smiles at my response. “Go ahead and check it out while I show Carly to her office and then we can talk some more.”
I agree and head toward my new office while Mercedes takes Carly into one of the offices on my left. A smile spreads across my face as soon as I walk in the door. It feels right, like I’m supposed to be here. The walls are purple but the rest of the furniture throws off a somewhat masculine vibe that balances the space. There is a large glass desk in front of a wall of windows that looks out into the city I love. In front of the desk are two pristine white lounge chairs that look like you just sink into them and never come out again.
“Like it?” Mercedes asks, stepping into the office behind me, and I turn to face her, grinning.
“Yeah, I love it.”
“There was this study that said purple promotes creativity but you’re welcome to change it if you would prefer something else.”
I shake my head. “No, I really do love it.”
“Good, sit down and let’s chat then.” I move behind the desk and sit in the office chair while Mercedes sits in one of the lounge chairs across from me.
“So, like I said, we’ve had a ton of interest in the column already, and I’ll have one of the interns bring you the letters. You can go through and pick a couple that you want to answer first. I’d really love to do one a day during launch week just to kick things off right.”
I nod, looking down at the desk calendar laid out in front of me. “And when were you thinking launch week would be?”
“Uh, well, kind of this week. Do you think you can write a response a day?”
“Okay,” I laugh, looking down at the calendar again. “Yeah, I think I can manage that.”
She claps her hands together and smiles. “Perfect. I’ll have those letters here soon.”
“Thanks, Mercedes,” I say, and she smiles as she stands and leaves my office. I take a deep breath and lean back in my chair, looking around my office and soaking up this feeling of happiness that I’m unaccustomed to feeling at work. My phone buzzes on the desk, and I scoop it up.
Storm:
How you feelin’?
I bite down on my lip as I try to fight back a smile. It’s just a simple text but it makes me practically giddy.
Me:
I’m good.
I set my phone on the desk, staring at it intently and willing it to buzz again. When it does, I jump and snatch it up.
Storm:
You sure? You need anything?
Me:
No, I’m all right. Thank you, though.
I’m grinning like a thirteen-year-old girl with her first crush, and I can’t even tell you what it is about Storm that makes me act like this.
Storm:
What about some company?
Bear and I could come over.
I stare at his text, pursing my lips as I read it again and again. I can’t deny that he makes me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time. And yet it’s different with him in a way I can’t explain. It scares the hell out of me though, and I know I should stay away for my own well-being. My whole no-dating rule flew right out the window the first time he looked at me, and I’m desperately trying to hold on to it. My phone buzzes again, and I glance down.
Storm:
I would promise that we don’t bite but
you already know how well trained Bear is.
I giggle and think about just how much I would enjoy Storm sinking his teeth into my skin. No, Ali! Thinking things like that will definitely not help my situation. Blushing, I turn back to my phone and blow out a breath, a little disappointed that I’m not home.
Me:
I wish I was home but I started my new job today.
Sorry.
“Miss James,” someone calls, and I look up. A college-aged guy with curly brown hair is standing in the doorway to my office with a big box in his hands.
“Are those the letters?” I ask, my eyes wide, and he nods, stepping into the office and bringing them over to my desk. Holy crap. Mercedes wasn’t kidding when she said there was interest in the advice column.
“Thank you.”
He nods in response and turns to leave. As he walks out of the office, I grab the box and move it to the floor with a thud. I run my hands over the letters on the top, wondering how the hell I’m going to pick from all these. My phone buzzes again, and I look away from the box, sighing.
Storm:
No worries. Some other time, then.
That goofy grin is back on my face, and I bury my head in my hands, trying to think through this crazy giddiness fogging my mind. Am I really doing this? No, I can’t.
Me:
Yeah, maybe.
As soon as I press send, my stomach knots but I set my phone down on the desk and reach for the first letter in the box to distract me. Enough thinking about my stupid hot neighbor. Hopefully, work will distract me enough to get back on track.
Chapter Nine
Alison
Stepping into the foyer, I close the door behind me and lean back against it as I rea
ch down and slip my heels off, letting out a sigh of relief. As I drop each heel to the hardwood floor, I wiggle my toes and close my eyes. My feet ache, and my knee is killing me but I’m riding a high from my first day at the blog. It’s been so long since I felt this excited or inspired by my work, and I already can’t wait to go back tomorrow and do it all over again. Most of my morning was spent going through letters, trying to find the perfect one to respond to before I went to Mercedes and asked if I could publish the article I wrote for Mr. Klein as my introduction for the blog.
I wanted to let the readers know who I was and despite the terrible situation, I really did like the article I wrote. She was thrilled with the idea and said it was the perfect thing for my first piece. I had to tweak it some, adding in the backstory as to why the article got written in the first place and then how I ended up at the blog, but I think it only made it better. I handed it off to Mercedes as everyone headed out for lunch, and by the time we got back it was up on the blog.
I’m terrified to hear the response to it tomorrow but I’m happy. Like deep down in my soul happy for the first time in a long time, and it wasn’t until I was standing in my new office moments after my first column went live that I realized just how unhappy I had been. Mr. Carlyle retired, handing the reins over to Mr. Klein right around the time that Adam cheated on me, and it all took a toll on me. While I focused on work to avoid my pain, all the color drained out of my world. I didn’t notice that my life had been diminished to lifeless shades of gray, and I was just going through the motions. Until Storm lit up my sky.
He spent all day texting me, and by the time I left work, I was actually considering giving this a shot. With each new message, I would smile and my heart would warm a little more, giving me hope that this could really be something. I’ve never felt anything like what I feel when I’m in Storm’s presence. Sure, I had chemistry with Adam but not like this. It’s different. It feels deeper, more meaningful, and it sounds ridiculous since I literally just met him but I feel like he could be the one.