DEREK'S MATCH

by Jami Gallardo

  She sighs. “I know, Sav. He was just in a bad mood today.”

  How is that my fault? I don’t say anything because I know she’s just trying to comfort me. I just want to shower and go to sleep.

  My stomach churns when I see a familiar black Tesla parked by the curb outside the restaurant. Oh no. I cannot handle Derek Collins right now. Please.

  He’s leaning against his car looking all fresh and relaxed. I’m too tired to wonder how he figured out where I work. I’m sure it was easy for him. All he probably needs to do to get something he wants is ask his agent or manager for it. The world aims to please Derek Collins while I’m getting yelled at.

  “Uh,” Kim says slowly as we come to a stop. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” She says quietly. She hugs me quickly then makes her way down the sidewalk.

  Derek is wearing jeans with a blue pullover sweater and a white cap. It’s dark, so people don’t really pay attention to him. I sigh when he meets my gaze then shake my head. “I can’t deal with you today, Derek, please go.”

  He frowns and I’m taken off guard when he actually looks concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

  I look past him, across the street, as I try to compose myself. I don’t want to cry in front of him. I don’t want to cry over my manager, again. I haven’t done that in weeks. “Just had a bad day at work. I’m exhausted.”

  “Where are you going?” He asks when I turn around.

  “I’m going home.”

  “Savannah,” He says and I stop and turn to look at him. It’s the first time he says my name and it sounds weird coming from him. He cocks his head to the side. “Come on, let me buy you a drink.”

  I bite my lip. “No.”

  “Will you stop being so stubborn?” He asks. “You don’t have to say yes, just come with me.”

  If I were in a better mood, I would probably laugh at how annoyed he seems to be with me. I can tell he’s tired of me saying no to him. Good. Right now though, I just look at him tiredly. “I don’t want to be around people,” I say because the last thing I need right now is people taking pictures of Derek with me in the background. I must look like crap. No, thanks.

  “We won't be.” He promises with a smile.

  I stare down the sidewalk to the way to my apartment. I know I’ll probably end up crying if I go home. I’m tired of feeling sad all the time. It’s exhausting.

  Whenever it feels like I’ve gotten a hang of my life here in New York, something always happens that makes me take ten steps back. I always go back to feeling sad and homesick. I hate that I let my manager make me feel like this. He has no idea the impact he has on people when he treats us like crap.

  I look at Derek. “Where would we go?” I ask carefully.

  “My brother recently opened up a bar. It’s close by. I have the key to his office,” He says excitedly. I can tell he’s proud to have that key.

  “Your brother owns a bar?” I ask.

  “Yes,” He says then he opens the passenger door of his Tesla. “Come on.”

  I could use a drink or even just the distraction. Crazy how fast a good day can turn into a bad one.

  Despite myself, I raise an eyebrow at him. “Do you really open the door for people or are you just doing it to pretend?”

  “Wow, you’re impossible to please,” He says as he shakes his head with a smile then he looks at me. “I have two older brothers and a father who taught me how to be a gentleman.”

  “Hmm,” I say thoughtfully, not buying it.

  “Just get in the car, Gin,” He says. “Please.” He adds before I object.

  I sigh but get in the car because I suddenly don’t want to go to my lonely apartment. A few days have passed since I turned his proposition down. I thought he had moved on. What is he doing here? I don’t know if I’m strong enough to turn him down right now. I hope he doesn’t ask me again. At least not tonight. He can ask me tomorrow so I can turn him down again. I’ll be stronger.

  “So what happened?” I ask after he gets on the driver’s seat.

  He turns on the car and the screen on the dashboard comes to life. I really love this car. “What do you mean what happened?” He asks turning to look at me.

  “When did the lessons on being a gentleman stop?”

  He chuckles. “You know, I’m not the horrible person you think I am.”

  “Yeah, you’re not going to change my mind about that.” I tell him.

  He turns to look at me. “Wanna bet?”

  I meet his gaze then I look away because I have a time limit on how long I can look at him if I want to keep my sanity. “Just drive before I change my mind.”

  “So, are you going to tell me about your bad day?” He asks as drives.

  I look out the window as the car moves past everything. It doesn’t even feel like the car is moving. It’s amazing. “I love your car,” I say, ignoring his question.

  “Did you actually just give me a compliment?” He asks sounding surprised.

  I look at him and roll my eyes. “I’m complimenting your car. Don’t get confused.”

  He laughs. “Well, on behalf on my car, thank you.” He grins as he taps the steering wheel. “She’s pretty great.”

  “Is that MGMT?” I ask as I reach out and turn the volume up. I’m surprised I’m able to figure out how to do it on the first try. There are so many options on the screen.

  “You know MGMT?” Derek asks sounding surprised as he glances at me briefly.

  “Yes, who doesn’t?” I turn it up louder. “I love this song!” I yell over the music and he chuckles at me. The song is called Kids and it’s one of my all-time favorite songs. I haven't heard it in so long. I take out my phone and add it to my library before I forget.

  Derek presses something on the screen and the overhead glass of the car slides open, letting the fresh air in.

  There’s suddenly nothing better than blasting a good song in a Tesla with the fresh wind blowing around you.

  For the first time since I met him, I’m glad Derek Collins showed up because I haven’t felt this alive in months.

  I close my eyes and smile.

  I feel my body unwind as he speeds down the highway.

  7. just come with me

  Derek lied.

  The bar is not close to my job at all. It’s forty minutes before we get there but it honestly feels like ten. I don’t know if it’s the car or the good music Derek lets me play or the cold air as it hits my face. Maybe it’s all of it.

  I’m actually disappointed when the car begins to slow down and then it comes to a complete stop after Derek parks. He reaches out and lowers the music.

  “You have a nice voice, Gin,” He says as he turns the car off.

  I roll my eyes at him. “Shut up.”

  He laughs as we get out of the car. It’s probably past midnight and I’m suddenly freezing. The only thing I have to cover myself is my chef coat but I left it in my bag in the car. I don’t want to wear that in a bar.

  The bar is located in a corner of an intersection. It’s in the nice area of the city, of course, and there are a couple of stores and other bars and restaurants around it. There is a group of people outside laughing at something. I look up at the black building.

  “Euphoria?” I ask as I read the name of the bar. “That's a weird name for a bar.”

  Derek shrugs. "He named his club Barcode. My brother is weird.”

  I look up at him. “Your brother has a club and a bar?”

  He grins. “He has a lot more. You already know I have all the perks.”

  “Is he here?” I ask.

  I meant it when I said I didn’t want to be around people. Derek is already a handful. I don’t know why but the thought of meeting his brother makes me nervous. It’s just the thought of meeting anyone from his family, really. I guess it reminds me that deep down, very deep down, he has a family just like everyone else.

  “No,” He says shaking his head. “He’s at the club on Fridays. Come on, l
et’s go through the back.”

  I follow him around the building. There’s a door with two bodyguards outside. They nod at Derek and let us in. It’s dark inside, just a light in the hallway. I can hear music coming from the bar. Derek unlocks a door to the right and we walk into an office.

  “I'll be right back,” He says before walking back out.

  I just nod as I look around the room. There’s a long, black desk with a computer and papers on it. There’s a black couch to the side by a window, the blinds are closed. I sit down and look across the room at a bookcase. This is so cool. I didn’t know Derek’s brother owned bars and clubs. I wonder which one it is since he mentioned he had two. I wonder if they’re as stuck-up as he is because they’re obviously rich and probably famous too.

  The door opens a few minutes later and Derek walks with two drinks. He kicks the door shut then walks towards me.

  “Here’s a gin for a Gin,” He says with an amused look on his face as he hands the drink to me.

  I shake my head with a smile. “Thank you.” I take a sip of the gin and tonic as he sits down next to me. “Are you going to keep calling me Gin?”

  He raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you completely hate it?”

  I roll my eyes at him. “No.”

  “Then yes,” He says with a grin. “I’m going to keep calling you Gin, Gin.”

  I laugh. “You’re so…”

  “Handsome?” He suggests when I trail off. “Sexy? Charming?”

  “Self-absorbed.” I finish.

  “Self-absorbed.” He repeats then shrugs. “That’s a first. I’ll take it.”

  I shake my head with a smile as I take another sip of my drink. I feel more relaxed now. That drive really helped. I’m rarely in a car now that I live here. I walk everywhere or take the subway or bus. I have no desire to drive here in New York. Just seeing the traffic during rush hour gives me anxiety but I had forgotten how good it felt to drive with the windows rolled down while playing good music. The anger I felt towards Jim is still there but it’s faded now. I no longer feel like crying. Which is good because I really didn’t want to cry in front of Derek Collins.

  “You know those girls you sent after me the other day?” He asks me.

  I nod. “Yes?”

  “They followed me around for an hour.”

  I start laughing.

  “Not funny,” He says but he’s smiling. “It was exhausting.”

  I smile at him innocently. “Well, it’s what you like, right? People following you around like lost puppies. You know you love the attention.”

  He shrugs as he looks at his drink thoughtfully. “Most of the time I do. Who doesn’t like being loved?”

  “Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

  He looks at me and I see something in his eyes I haven’t seen before. Is it sadness? It’s there only for a split second and then it’s gone. “Yes, sometimes I do.” He admits then he grins. “But then I remember how awesome I am and the feeling goes away.” He winks at me.

  I fight against a smile at the same time my phone vibrates in my pocket. I reach for it and see that it’s a text from my sister.

  “Is that another one of your matches?” Derek asks teasingly.

  I put my phone down and look up at him. “What? No. I haven’t used the app. I deleted it.”

  “Why did you get it if you weren’t gonna use it?”

  I shrug. “I wish I could tell you that I was just bored but the truth is that my ex-boyfriend upgraded and it was late at night and I don’t know—my friend had mentioned it and I just ended up downloading it.”

  I don’t know why I tell him the truth. I know I could’ve just told him I was bored, period. He doesn’t need to know about my lonely nights. I’ve been avoiding going on Instagram because I don’t want to see the happy pictures of Kevin with his new girlfriend. I have to remind myself how unhappy I was with him. The last couple of weeks before our relationship ended were the worst. I would try so hard to make it work and he was always so indifferent, like he wouldn’t give a crap if I broke up with him. In fact, that’s exactly what I told him the night that we broke up.

  “Would you even give a crap if I broke up with you right now?” I asked him with tears in my eyes after yet another fight.

  “You’re not going to break up with me,” He said as he stared at the TV. I hate it when people don’t give me their full attention when they’re talking to me. It’s something Kevin did all the time. He would nod as I told him how my day went but he would be glancing down at his phone or watching TV.

  His words made me angry, obviously, and I was finally angry enough to break up with him. I grabbed my things and I didn’t look back. He didn’t come after me that day but he did go looking for me the weeks that followed. He would text me or show up at my house with flowers and chocolates. I would take the chocolates then shut the door on his face.

  I was tired of feeling like I wasn’t enough.

  He stopped when he finally realized that no amount of chocolates or flowers or texts would make me want to get back together with him. That’s when I began to miss him.

  It’s painful to love someone that you know is no good for you.

  “You know,” Derek says as his blue eyes meet mine. “You could upgrade too.”

  “You really think you’d be an upgrade?” I ask teasingly.

  Of course I know that he would be. It doesn’t matter that he’s the most stuck-up man I’ve ever met. People don’t care about that. All they care about is his looks and his celebrity status. People recognize him. He’s been on the big screen and on TV. If I walked into a drugstore right now, I would probably find a magazine with his face plastered on it.

  For a moment, I allow myself to fantasize how Kevin would feel if he found out I was dating none other than Derek Collins. I wonder if he would care. Why does it matter anyway? It’s not like I want him back.

  “I’d be anyone's upgrade, Gin,” Derek says confidently. I hate how good he looks saying that. He looks good in that cap. His jawline is really something else. It’s so sharp. He has a perfect straight nose and then there’s his eyes. He really was blessed with his good looks.

  I meet his gaze. “How did you know where I work?”

  He shrugs. “It’s so easy to find information on people.”

  “Are you going to keep stalking me or what?”

  “If that’s what it takes, yes,” He says and his lip quirks up in a half smile.

  “Don’t you have better things to do? Like filming a movie or doing photo shoots?”

  He grins. “I’m actually going to start filming a new TV series next week. I do have photoshoots all the time but I’m so good at them they don’t take all day.” He leans in closer to me and his blue eyes scan my face. “You’re my priority right now, Gin.”

  “Hmm,” I say pulling away. “What would be the point of this anyway? If we would 'break-up' eventually?" I ask making quotations in the air with my fingers around break-up since we wouldn't really be breaking up. We would never really be together. Ugh. Why am I even thinking about this?

  Derek shrugs. “People just want a show. I know that if they see how good we are together knowing that it was the app that matched us, they’ll believe in it again. The app promises to match you with someone you’re compatible with. It doesn’t promise a life-long relationship. That’s up to us, you know, the users.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “That may be the smartest thing you’ve said since I met you.”

  He chuckles. “See? I’m not as stupid as you think I am.”

  “Wow, I’m actually thinking about this,” I say then stand up. “That means it’s time to go.”

  He stands up and places his glass on the table next to the couch. “Okay but let me drive you home.”

  I frown because I don’t want him to know where I live. At the same time, it’s late and far away and I don’t really feel like walking even if I do ask him to drop me off where he picked me up.

  I sigh.
“Fine, but you’re not allowed to show up at my apartment whenever you want.”

  He grins. “I’m your boyfriend, Gin, it’s my job to show up and surprise you. Girls dig that.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “You are not my boyfriend.” I pause. “Though, you’re right. We do dig that.” I turn to look at him. I hate that I like that he’s taller than me. He has the perfect height. It’s just not fair. “But I’m not your girl.”