“I don’t know how to explain it. He sounded distant and suggested I find a guy to buy me a drink.”
Ava hadn’t shared with anyone but Tess the details of her date the night before.
“He said those exact words?”
“Sort of.” She shrugged. “The point is it didn’t sound like him.”
“What’s going on with you two? Like what’s the status of your relationship?”
“Casual, nothing serious. I mean, his stay isn’t permanent. Several months down the road he’ll be gone.”
Meghan pushed the now empty plate aside and pursed her lips like she was in deep thought. “I think he’s behaving like a guy who doesn’t want to become too attached.”
“Possibly.”
“It was wrong for him to stand you up, but at least he called. Don’t read too much into what he said. Justin seems like a sweet guy, and I’m sure he’ll make it up to you.”
Chapter Eleven
Ava placed a dab of her favorite perfume on each side of her neck. The sweet jasmine scent was enough to tickle your senses without being overpowering. Justin had called earlier to ask if he could make up for yesterday. Instead of questioning him about his actions, she agreed to go out. She texted him her address and said he had one stop to make before he arrived.
She wrapped the last strand of black hair around the barrel of the curling iron. Ten seconds later, she released the grip to allow the loose curl to join the others cascading down her back. She added the finishing touches to her makeup and headed downstairs. By the time she made it to the bottom floor, there was a knock on her door. On the other side stood Justin with a bouquet of red roses.
“These are for you,” he smiled, handing her the twelve long-stemmed flowers.
“Thank you.” She brought a rose near her nose and inhaled.
“So, this is your abode. May I come in?”
“Sorry. Of course, you can.” She stepped aside allowing him to enter her townhouse.
His eyes wandered from the foyer, down the hall, and to the dining room. “Nice place.”
“It’s cozy, nothing fancy like your suite. Give me a sec to put the flowers in water, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
She entered the kitchen, filled a crystal vase halfway with water, and arranged the assortment of flowers, baby breaths, and greenery in the vase. She gave Justin a tour that began in the living room and ended upstairs where the two bedrooms and bathrooms were. “That’s it. Nothing fancy.” She shrugged and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Do you own it?”
“Yes, the home was in foreclosure and I negotiated a good deal. Surprisingly, the master bathroom and kitchen were in decent condition. So, I took the money I saved and hired someone to renovate the areas that needed the most love.”
“I appreciate the tour considering many have not had the privilege of an invitation.”
“Now you’re making fun of me.” She grinned.
“All kidding aside, I’ve enjoyed our time together.” He sat beside her. “It was purely unexpected and a pleasant surprise.”
“Are you sure? Because you threw me for a loop yesterday.”
He lowered his eyes. “I’m afraid you caught me on a bad day. I apologize.”
“What about your suggestion I meet other people? Is that what you want?” She searched his face for an answer, but he kept his gaze towards the floor. “Don’t answer that.” She abruptly rose to her feet, causing him to grab her hand. He pulled her back onto the bed beside him. “You shouldn’t read too much into what I’d said.”
“Let’s drop it. You’re here now to make up for yesterday.” She didn’t want to ruin their date by discussing something that was now in the past. He apologized, that’s all that mattered.
“For now on, if I need to break our plans, I’ll do my best to give you advance notice.”
“And if you can’t, I’ll understand. I want to keep things between us light and easy. No expectations. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” he said. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “By the way, you look gorgeous.” Justin stroked her hair before kissing her again.
She pulled away. “You never said where we’re going.”
“We are dining at a Michelin star Italian restaurant owned by a renowned chef.”
“Sounds delightful.”
“We better get going our reservation is in an hour.”
Ava stood to smooth out her body-hugging crimson dress and led Justin out. He leaped in front of her to open the passenger side door of his insanely expensive sports car. Her mind replayed their conversation as she waited for him to reach the driver’s side. The last thing she wanted to do was question him like an angry girlfriend. That’s not who she is, and it’s not what their relationship is about. She’s just happy to have met a wonderful guy that is capable of making her feel joy again. No matter how short-lived it may be. For months, she saddled herself with guilt about how she handled her breakup with Brandon. Part of her felt like she led him on the last year of their relationship because she wasn’t honest about her feelings. She vowed to never make the mistake of staying in a relationship when the love had died.
Halfway to the restaurant, a traffic jam developed on the freeway. A three-car pile up to be exact. “We still have time to make it. Let’s see what happens before we turn around,” said Justin.
“I can use the time to pick your brain without disruptions,” said Ava.
“Pick my brain about what, exactly?”
“Your BFF, Nina.”
“BFF?” He laughed. “We’re good friends, and she’s the only person here I know. Besides you, of course.”
“That’s not how she describes the relationship.”
“What did she say?”
“She brought up the discord between you and your step-father.”
“She did?”
“I believe it was her way of letting me know how close you two are. The whole purpose of the conversation was to warn me away from you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Was there ever anything between you and her?”
“With Nina?” He shook his head. “She’s a friend nothing more. Did she say anything else?”
“Not really, except I shouldn’t expect this thing between us to go anywhere because you’ll never commit to anyone.”
“She actually said that to you?”
“In so many words.”
“She and I definitely need to have a conversation.”
“Don’t bother. I believe she’s envious of our relationship.”
Justin became quiet and stared at the traffic ahead. “To a certain degree she’s right,” he eventually said. “I never had a serious relationship.”
She eyed him strangely. “That’s hard to believe. You’re thirty-five and never been in a committed relationship.”
“I’ve dated plenty, but always stopped short of a commitment.”
“Why? Still healing from a broken heart?”
“It’s difficult for a man in my position to find someone who challenges me. Most women I meet are superficial with no substance.”
She remained silent and not confess to seeing the pictures of those superficial women by scouring his social media. “I definitely do not place myself into that category.”
“Are you kidding? Never. You are independent, smart, savvy, and a naturally beautiful woman. You don’t need tons of surgeries and injections that are common where I’m from.” He placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed. “I can’t say where we will end up, but I’m here to see where it takes us.”
“One place we won’t be anytime soon is the restaurant.” She peered ahead out the window. “We haven’t moved in the past fifteen minutes.”
“I think you’re right. I’ll call to cancel the reservation and turn around at the next exit.”
∞∞∞
Two hours later Ava and Justin arrived back at her home. The car accident had brought traffic to a standstill causing a backup at the exit to turn
off the highway. “Not what I imagine for tonight,” said Justin, falling back onto her white leather couch.
“Hey, all is not ruined. I have two rib-eye steaks in the fridge and a chilled bottle of wine. I can cook if you like.”
“Or we can cook together.”
“Even better. Give me a minute to change clothes, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
Ava ran upstairs to change into a pair of gray knit shorts and a white t-shirt. She brushed her hair into a ponytail before heading into the kitchen. When she arrived, Justin had already seasoned the steaks and had butter melting in a cast iron pan. “I see you started without me.”
“I hope you don’t mind. I know some women consider the kitchen their domain.”
“Not at all. I can slice red potatoes, drizzled them with olive oil to place in the oven.”
“Sounds good. Do you cook often?”
“Only out of necessity. I’m not the greatest cook.”
Justin placed a steak in the pan and turned to her. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” She sliced the last potato before placing the pan in the oven.
“Put yourself down.”
She furrowed her brow. “I do?”
“Yes. I’ll compliment you and you’ll counter with a negative dig about yourself.”
“I didn’t realize I did.” She shrugged. “I guess it’s my subconscious at work.”
“I’m no shrink but it could be you haven’t surrounded yourself with uplifting people. Negative people cause negative experiences.”
“What? I think you’ve taken one too many psychology courses in school.”
“Nope. Not even close. I watch Dr. Phil.”
“You do not.” She laughed.
“I catch an episode here and there.
She retrieved two wine glasses from the cabinet. “There may be some truth in that statement. I grew up with a verbally abusive father. He believed the man was king and women were nothing more than their servants.”
“Jeez! I don’t have to guess what your relationship with him is like.” He placed the finished steak on a plate and the raw one in the pan.
“He died ten years ago of pancreatic cancer. I struggled after his death because I didn’t see him before he passed.”
“I’m sorry.” He gave her a sympathetic rub on her shoulder.
“Our relationship wasn’t the best which caused us to become estranged for years. I rarely spoke to him while I was away at college. When my mother called to tell me he was sick, she left out the part about him receiving a late diagnosis with only weeks to live. I thought I had more time and didn’t go home until after finals. It was too late, and so was my opportunity for closure.”
“Some people carry the anguish of not having closure for years.”
“I’ve come to terms with it all. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have said to him. He was a mean man who belittled women, but he was my father. A father who shaped my idea of what to expect from men.”
“How so?”
“When you grow up in chaos a part of you think it’s normal. You tend to gravitate towards that behavior in your relationships.”
“Really? One would think you would run far away from that.”
“I know. After several bad relationships, I’m finally in a place where I understand that dysfunction is not normal. Two people should be able to love each other without being consumed in negativity.”
Justin moved closer and cupped her face with the palm of his hands. He placed a kiss on her forehead. “You are a fascinating woman, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know every layer of your beautiful soul.” He pulled away and looked into her eyes. “Don’t say a word. Let what I said sink in. It’s time you realize how amazing you are.”
After dinner, the couple snuggled together on the couch to watch a movie. Afterward, they spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms making love throughout the night.
Chapter Twelve
Two months have passed and Ava’s relationship with Justin has propelled faster than she imagined. They’ve spent every day together. Neither has defined their relationship. At the moment, they are proceeding one day at a time. If he’s not at her house, she’s at his five-bedroom, six-bathroom rental. She questioned the size,because it’s only himself in the home. He’d said he liked the open floor plan it offered. In an unexpected coincidence, it’s a ten-minute drive from Tess and Scott’s home.
“Let me get this straight, your best friend is dating your ex-boyfriend’s best friend,” said Justin, as he backed his car out of the driveway. They were on their way to Tess’ dinner party. Instead of driving straight over, Ava met Justin at his home so they could ride together.
“In simpler terms, Scott and Brandon are not only childhood best friends, but they also serve together on the police force. Then there’s Tess and me who are also best friends. When Brandon and I broke up, Tess became smack dead in the middle because she’s friends with the us both.”
“That sounds very complicated.”
“It can be. She understands why I don’t go over there much anymore.”
“Because of your breakup with Brandon?”
“Yes.”
“So, why did you agree to dinner?”
“Because I wanted you guys to meet, and Tess promised Brandon wouldn’t be there.”
“And somehow that’s change.”
“My guess is Scott told him about the dinner and Brandon invited himself. Tess would never intentionally put me in this situation.” Ava pointed ahead out the window. “Their house is up ahead on the right. The brown two-story.”
Justin parked his car against the curb in front of the home. “If you become uncomfortable at all say the word and we’ll leave,” he said.
“I will.”
She and Justin walked up the driveway hand-in-hand. When they reached the front door, Ava pressed the doorbell. A mixture of excitement and nerves traveled throughout her body. She couldn’t wait for Tess to meet the man who had captured her heart. She had no doubt she would give her stamp of approval.
“Hey, you two,” said Tess, as she sprung open the door. Ava stepped in to hug her friend. “Oh my, he’s even more handsome in person,” she whispered in Ava’s ear.
Ava pulled back and smiled. “Justin this is Tess. Tess… Justin.” She watched as they exchanged pleasantries. “It’s very nice to meet you,” he said.
“Same here. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Where’s Scott?” asked Ava.
“In the kitchen. He’s finishing up the pasta. Would you guys like something to drink or an appetizer?”
“I’m fine,” said Ava.
“Justin, I made bruschetta. Ava said it’s one of your favorites. I like to incorporate fresh basil with grated Parmesan cheese in mine. Is that okay?”
“Sure, sounds delicious.” He shrugged as he glanced over at Ava, who tried hard to stifle a laugh. She knew Tess was trying to impress him with her hosting skills. They followed her into the kitchen where Scott stood stirring a pot of marinara sauce.
Ava stood off to the side and recalled in her mind how her two friends met. She had invited Tess over to Brandon’s backyard barbecue. He’d introduced Tess to Scott and sparks flew. A year later, they moved in together. On the surface, they appeared to be on opposite ends of a spectrum. Tess is energetic and outgoing, whereas Scott is laid back and somewhat of a homebody. Their appearance is where they complemented each other. She’s a red-head, and he’s blonde, both their bodies are fit because of their morning runs together, and her height of five-foot-three is the perfect balance for his short stature of five-foot-eight.
Tess introduced the guys with her tray of bruschetta in Justin’s face. Insisting he tried one. While the men became acquainted, Tess pulled her aside. “I’m glad you guys could make it. Another week of postponement I would’ve suggested we shelved dinner.”
“He’s been busy with work.”
“Not too busy for you. We’ve hardly
seen each other.”
Ava glimpsed at Justin who was scrolling through his phone with Scott looking on. He probably was showing off his hotel properties. “We’ve been seeing a lot of each other either at my house or his.”
“So, what exactly are you guys? Friends with major benefits or you two still trying to figure it out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. We enjoy spending time together with no expectations.”
Tess narrowed her eyes. “And that’s enough for you?”
“What do you want me to say?” She rolled her eyes. “We’re not serious. I’m making the most of my time with him for however long it lasts.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s only here to oversee the preliminary stages of the hotel’s construction. Once it’s underway, he’s on to the next project in another city.”
“That’s a bummer.” She twisted her lip into a frown. “Look, don’t dwell over what might happen. The future is not set in stone.”
“True. Oh, before we sit for dinner, when is Brandon arriving?”
“I forgot to tell you he called Scott to cancel. I’m glad because I wanted it to be the four of us.”
Ava closed her eyes and placed her hand on her stomach. She expelled a deep breath. “Now I can relax and enjoy the evening.”
The two couples sat to relish in a dinner of penne pasta with marinara sauce, garlic bread, and arugula salad. As they ate, the couples engaged in a lively conversation. Justin and Scott had hit it off discussing everything from sports to classic cars. After they cleared the table, everyone settled into the living room when an incessant ringing of the doorbell disrupted their festivities. They each looked at one another with confused expressions. “Who could that be?” asked Tess.
“I’ll get it,” said Scott, before he rounded the corner towards the front door.
Ava stared at Tess hoping she could read the worried expression on her face. In her gut, she knew it was Brandon. Moments later he confirmed her feeling. He stumbled into the room with Scott looking on from behind. “Sorry guys, I tried to stop him,” he said.
“Brandon, what are you doing here?” asked Tess. She glanced at Ava with apologetic eyes.
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