by A. M. Myers
“That’s a tough one, Karen. You say he’s been working late; have you asked him about what’s going on at work?”
“Well, no.”
“Have you tried to do something nice for him? Maybe set the mood a little so he’ll be in the mood for sex?”
“No,” she answers, and I nod even though she can’t see me.
“Have you tried to get him to open up at all about what’s going on?”
“Yes, once. But he wouldn’t talk to me at all,” she says, sounding distraught and I feel for her.
“Okay, we’ve got a couple of scenarios here. Either, one, he’s cheating on you, or he really is working a lot and he’s stressed out. Have you guys had infidelity issues in the past?”
“We’ve been together since college, and he did cheat on me once when we were still in school but we’ve been solid ever since then.”
“Here’s what I think you should do. While he’s at work, go get your hair done, your nails done, get a wax. Then come home, get all dressed up and cook him a nice meal. After that, just jump his bones. As I mentioned earlier, Karen, guys are kind of stupid sometimes, and you need to take the reins.”
“What if he’s still not interested?” she asks, her voice so timid that it breaks my heart. Her fear for her marriage is coming through her voice loud and clear.
“If he doesn’t want to have sex with you after all that, you turn into the FBI, Karen. You search his car, his email, his phone - everywhere. You figure out what the hell is going on with that man, and if you find out he is cheating, leave his ass. Life’s too short.”
“I take it you believe once a cheater, always a cheater, eh?” Sam asks, looking uncomfortable, and I’m willing to bet a million dollars that he cheated on a girl at some point in his life.
“No, not always. If it’s a one-time mistake and the guy goes to his girl and confesses then no, I don’t think he would do it again but when you’ve got someone that’s carrying on a relationship with a whole other person, you’ve got to think about cutting your losses.”
“That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think?” Sam asks, and I look over at him with a raised brow.
“Why? He made vows to this woman, and if he broke them, why the hell should she just bend over and take it? Why should she devalue herself to accommodate whatever is wrong with his tiny ego? If he’s cheating, and that’s still a big if, he knew the consequences. He knew when he started this that it could end his marriage. Or he thought she’d never leave which is honestly, worse.”
“Thank you, Ali,” Karen says, cutting through our argument, and I turn my attention back to her.
“Sorry we got a little carried away there, Karen.”
“No, thank you. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I’m going to try your advice and seduce my husband.”
I laugh. “Good. I’d love to hear how it all turns out, okay? You can find my email address on the blog.”
“Absolutely. Thank you so much.”
“Thanks for calling in, Karen. We’ll take a quick break and be back to answer more questions,” Sam says before tossing his headphones off. The awkwardness descends on us, and I slip mine off, looking over at him.
“Sorry about that. It’s kind of a hot button issue for me.”
He’s quiet for a second before shaking his head. “No, it’s okay. It’s obviously something that bothers me, too. Just for a completely different reason but I can’t say that you were wrong in anything you said.”
“Well, thank you for that.”
He nods, and my phone buzzes on the desk next to me. I grab it, a smile pulling at my lips as soon as I look at the screen.
Storm:
I want to see you tonight.
I set my phone down, ready to get this all over with so I can rush back home and see him. If we keep going the way we’re going, I’m going to fall for him. It’s inevitable.
Chapter Thirteen
Alison
Glancing in the mirror one last time, I run my fingers through my hair and wipe under my eye to brush off any excess powder before grabbing my bag and turning toward the door. I pull it open and stop short when I almost crash into Storm, standing on the other side. It’s been a few days since I’ve seen him, and I missed him. I’m sure that it sounds stupid since I literally just met him but I missed not seeing him. Texting him just wasn’t cutting it for me.
“Hi,” I say, taking my time looking over him. I like him, and I don’t care about hiding it anymore. I don’t care about what I should or shouldn’t say. Not like it matters. I’m probably shit at keeping the fact that he gets to me a secret.
“Hey, I brought you something.” He holds up a small brown paper bag, and I smile.
“I get the distinct feeling that it’s some kind of food.”
He frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. “You saying I’m predictable?”
“If it walks like a duck…” I reply, letting my voice trail off as I shrug, and he scowls down at me. “Or maybe, you just have some odd fetish where you like to watch me eat. So…which is it?”
A deep growl rumbles in his chest as he leans down and latches on to my waist, lifting me up in the air so I’m eye to eye with him. “Or maybe I just like taking care of you.”
I melt. It’s a damn good thing that he’s holding me otherwise I’d be a puddle on the floor. “Well, I like that answer but I don’t have time for breakfast.”
“Make time,” he demands, walking into the house and shutting the door behind him before carrying me into the kitchen and setting me down on the counter in the exact same spot that he bandaged my knee.
“Seriously, Storm. I’m going to be late if I stay and have breakfast with you.”
He grabs the pot of coffee I made a little bit earlier and pours a cup. “Cream or sugar?” he asks.
“Are you listening to me? I really have to go.”
“Cream or sugar?” he asks again, and I sigh, nodding my head as I point to the fridge.
“Two creams. They’re in the fridge, second shelf.”
He opens the fridge and grabs the little individual cream cups and pours them in the mug before bringing it over to me.
“Storm, I have to go now,” I say again, glancing up at the clock on the wall.
“Baby, shut up and eat breakfast with me. I’ll get you there on time.”
My brow quirks, and I shoot him a look. “And how are you going to do that? Traffic is terrible in the morning.”
“Not on a bike.” He holds a pastry in front of my face. “Now, eat.”
I bite into it, not taking my eyes off him. His eyes are warm like a crackling fire as he watches me eat, a smile lighting up his face. He pulls the pastry away and leans in, licking a drop of frosting off my lip, and I barely hold in a moan.
“I fucking missed you,” he mumbles like he can’t quite believe it himself, and I lean into him, kissing his cheek just below his ear.
“I missed you, too,” I whisper, surprised that I admitted it out loud. He pulls back and searches my eyes, seeking an answer to some unspoken question. After a moment, he leans in and presses his lips to mine with a hunger that makes my entire body ache with need. He pulls away and shakes his head, turning away for a second.
“Here, finish this, and I’ll get you to work.” He hands me the pastry, and I take a few more bites before setting it down on the counter and drinking some more coffee. He turns back to me, and I set the mug down before jumping off the counter and grabbing my bag.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Shit. I’m really sorry but I just got a text from the guys, and I gotta go. Tell your boss it was all my fault, all right?” He leaves without another word, and I just stand in my kitchen for a moment, trying to catch up to what the hell just happened. Just when I think there might be something here, he disappears and I can’t help but wonder if he’s making up all these excuses to avoid me.
Shaking my head, I walk out to my car, and just as I’m opening the door, he drives past
me on his bike. I watch him until he turns the corner and sigh as I slide behind the wheel. I don’t want to push but I need to know what the hell this is and soon.
I start the car and head toward work, doing my best to rush, but as predicted, the traffic is terrible. Luckily, I’m only five minutes late when I walk in, and Mercedes smiles at me.
“Sorry I’m late,” I say, and she laughs.
“Five minutes? Please, I’m five minutes late all the time. No biggie. Meet me in my office in ten though. There are some things that we need to go over.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and if you’re late ‘cause you were totally having sex with that hot as sin man that came in asking for you the other day, then I fully endorse you not coming in on time.”
I scowl. “Wait. What guy?”
“I don’t know. He showed up the day of your photo shoot, asking for you.”
Is that how Storm found out where I was? “Did you tell him where to find me?”
“No way in hell, girlfriend,” she says, shaking her head. “I’ve watched way too many Criminal Minds episodes to fall for that shit. Come see me in a few,” she calls as she walks off.
I nod and rush off to my office, ready to lose myself in work so I don’t have to think about what the hell happened this morning. Carly is ducking into her office as I walk by, and she waves at me. I force a smile to my face and wave but she spins around and starts following me.
“I know that look. Spill,” she says as I sink into my chair, and I sigh. I bury my face in my hands and shake my head.
“I honestly don’t even know.”
“Don’t know what?”
I peek up at her and she sits down in one of the chairs across from me. “Storm.”
“What about him?” she asks, looking concerned, and I lift my head, letting my arms fall to the desk.
“I have no idea what’s going on with him. One minute he’s all over me, and the next he’s backing away. I was already scared to even try again after everything with Adam, and now this is just making it worse.”
“Have you tried talking to him about it?”
“No, we never talk about stuff like that. I mean, I can tell you his favorite color or stories from when he was a kid but I have no idea what he wants from me. Like, this morning, he showed up with breakfast, and he was being so sweet then he just shut down and walked out.”
A worried expression crosses her face, and she leans back, folding her arms over her chest. “Maybe you should just back off.”
“I don’t know, Carly. I’ve never felt a connection like this to someone.”
“Is it worth all this though?”
I look up at the clock and sigh, standing to go over to Mercedes’s office. “I guess that’s what I have to figure out. Mercedes wants to see me so we’ll talk more later.”
She nods and stands, giving me a quick hug. “Sure. Come find me later.”
After I agree, she leaves, and I walk over to Mercedes’s office, pushing all the stuff with Storm down so I can focus on work. Sucking in a breath, I stand up straighter and knock on Mercedes’s door. She glances up and smiles.
“Come in. I’ve got so much to show you.”
As I step into her office and sit across from her, she spins in her chair and grabs a few things from the table behind her before laying them in front of me. They are the photos from the shoot, and even I have to admit they look incredible.
“Wow,” I mutter, spreading them out across the desk so I can look at all of them.
“Right? They’re incredible. I don’t know who you were channeling there but it’s perfect. You look sexy and alluring but approachable. Every girl in this city will want to be you and the guys will want to be with you.”
I laugh and push them away. “Well, I’m not sure if that was the point of the shoot.”
“Oh, but it was. We’ve gotten so many letters since these went live yesterday morning. Everyone wants to hear your advice, and I’d bet good money that after the radio show yesterday, we’ll get even more today. I might have to get another intern just to handle it all.”
I laugh again and shake my head. “I’m glad you’re happy with it.”
She stops and scowls as she studies me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just personal stuff.”
“Is it a guy?”
I laugh. “What makes you think it’s a guy?”
“Oh, Honey, it’s always a guy,” she says, waving her hand through the air as she turns back to look at her computer. I laugh again, feeling better already.
“Whatever. I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon.”
“Are you sure? You can talk to me if you want.”
I shake my head and stand. “No, really. It’s okay. I need to go read through a bunch of letters apparently.”
“Oh, yeah you do.”
I wave good-bye and head back to my office where two large boxes of letters are already waiting for me. Jesus. I don’t know what Mercedes did but, apparently, she’s a marketing genius. I grab the first letter off the top and open it as I walk over to my desk and sink into my chair.
Dear Alison,
I’m sure you don’t remember me but we spoke on the radio show yesterday. I wasn’t comfortable giving my name on there but I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much it meant to me. You were so incredibly sweet, and I think everything about you is amazing. You’re so talented and kind. The new ads of you look incredible also. You are gorgeous, and any guy would be lucky as hell to have you. I really mean that. You’re a treasure. I won’t take up any more of your time since I’m really looking forward to reading anything and everything that you write. Actually, now that I think about it, I do have a question for you. What would a guy have to do to win the heart of a woman who probably wouldn’t even give him a second glance on the street?
Your biggest fan,
Chris
“Hey, Ali,” Carly says, laying her hand on my shoulder, and I jump, my heart pounding in my chest. I look up at her with wide eyes as I try to catch my breath, and a worried expression crosses her face. “What’s wrong?”
“God, Carly, you scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you saw me walk in.”
I shake my head and hold up the letter. “No, I was reading this and freaking out a little.”
She grabs the letter from me and begins reading through it before glancing up at me again. “Why did this freak you out?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I talked to the guy yesterday at the radio show and felt a little weird there, too.”
She looks down and reads it again. When she’s done, she tosses it down on the desk. “It seems innocent enough to me. Your column went viral, Ali. You’re bound to have a couple of letters like these come in.”
I nod and shake off the lingering fear before smiling at my own ridiculousness. “You’re right. I’m making way too big of a deal about this.”
“You’ve got fans now, girl. Remember us little people when you become a big superstar,” she teases, and I wrinkle my nose up at her.
“Yeah, right. Did you come in here just to harass me?”
“Oh, no, actually. I wanted to talk about your sexy neighbor some more.”
I point to the chair across from me, and she slips around my desk and plops down in the seat. I begin telling her everything – hoping that she can help me figure out what to do about Storm and whatever this is between us.
Chapter Fourteen
Chris
4:35 p.m.
She’s usually out here by now.
Where is she?
I check my watch again and make sure I got the time right because she’s always out of the office by four-thirty at the latest.
4:36 p.m.
I scan the street around the entrance to the building where she works, making sure that I didn’t miss her before laughing at my own stupidity. I would never miss her. Never. My knee bounces, and I check my watch again, sighing loudl
y when I realize that the minute hand hasn’t moved at all. I feel like I’m suffocating, a burning sensation burrowing into my chest, and I know it won’t ease up until I see her again. Glancing over in the passenger seat, I run my fingers over the picture of her that I always keep with me but it’s not enough.
Where the hell is she?
This situation kills me. I know why she wanted to keep our relationship private for a little while with her new job, but right now, I despise the fact that I can’t march over there and find her. My fingers tap against the steering wheel, and I look back to her building. I wish I wasn’t so far away but my usual spot right in front of the doors was taken today so I had to park all the way across the street. It pains me to be this far away from her. I need just one little peek to get me through the rest of my day until I can be with her again.
I shouldn’t have let her talk me into this. When she suggested that we not tell anyone about us, I should have put my foot down and told her no way in hell, but God, I love her, and I just couldn’t say no. I would cut off my right arm if that’s what she asked me to do or she gave any indication that it would make her happy. I live to see her smile.
4:40 p.m.
Jesus Christ, where is she?
What if she’s hurt?
What if she’s in danger?
Panic claws at me as that possibility twists in my mind, and anger bubbles down deep inside me. The thought of someone putting their hands on her makes me fucking homicidal. She’s my goddamn world, and I would die before I’d ever allow someone to take her from me or tarnish her beauty. I’ll tear this entire goddamn city apart to find her. There isn’t anywhere that they can hide her, nowhere that they’ll be able to keep her from me.
She’s mine.
MINE.
The moment we met, her soul was marked, and she’ll never be free of me again. I dare someone to try and steal her away from me. I’ll destroy them.
Just as I’m reaching for the door handle, ready to say screw it to her request to keep our relationship private, a flash of blonde hair catches my eye across the street. There she is. My angel. Air rushes into my lungs, unhindered by my need no longer, and I smile as she stops in front of her building and digs through her purse.