“Forget that girl.” Sarah waved her hand in dismissal. “That was a one-night thing. You’re going to be a forever thing, so you can’t give up.” Her eyes turned sympathetic as she shook her head before she placed her hand on my forearm. “On a good note, he asked about you,” she sang, her eyeballs practically popping out of their sockets. “He wanted to know if you were dating anyone.”
I perked up, her words sinking into me. Had I finally caught his attention?
She blew her dark hair from her face. “I have never, ever failed in a hook-up situation. I set my sister up with our neighbor, my friend with a boy who works at Wal-Mart, and my old roommate with the personal trainer at my gym. All have ended in successful relationships and marriages,” she said proudly. “God has graced me with a talent; a talent for leading everyone in the right direction to their true loves. I guess the only person I can’t set up is myself.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but I heard the sadness in her tone as she slumped against her seat and focused on my Mickey mug. Maybe Sarah had been hurt before.
I leaned over. “Don’t worry,” I said, giving her arm a consoling pat. “Someone’s going to scoop you up, take the arrow from their back pocket, and shoot you themselves, right in your fine ass.”
She smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes. It made me wonder if she’d been burned before. She shook it off and perked up. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll just keep at what I know best.”
Sensing the sour mood in the atmosphere, I changed the subject. “So what do I do now, Miss Cupid?” I wondered how long this waiting game was going to drag on. When would the prediction become true? I was getting impatient.
“You just wait right there.” She pointed a finger at me. “I’ll be back to work on him tomorrow. It’s just a matter of time.” She got this glint of excitement in her eyes as though her mind was turning, solidifying her plans in her head. She raised one hand in the air, like she was going to take flight. “Super Cupid to the rescue.”
At that, we both laughed.
***
A knock at my door jolted me from the couch and had my heart skipping a beat, maybe two. Sarah had left an hour ago, and I was glad, because if she had met Brian, she’d ask questions I wouldn’t be able to answer.
Opening the door, I was greeted with a panty-dropping smile as he stepped in, holding a bottle of wine.
“Hiya!” I waved him in, greeting him in my usual Kendy bouncy ways. “You come bearing gifts,” I said, taking the bottle from his hands.
“Why, yes I do.” He smirked, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. He was wearing a Cubs T-shirt, a baseball cap drawn low, and his signature dark jeans, which made his rock hard thighs look amazing.
My eyes moved to the large clock dial in my kitchen. It was eight on the dot. He never failed. As always, Brian was punctual. It was one of the many qualities I admired, especially since I was always the one running five minutes late. I called it Kendy-Standard-Time.
I placed the wine in the fridge and spun back to his charming smile. A whole bunch of awkwardness filled the air as I shifted from one foot to the other. I locked eyes with him, baby blue to crystal blue, and the next second, I angled my head downward.
I knew why he was here. He knew why he was here. It was too early to get it on, yet here he was. I sighed heavily and chewed on my bottom lip as heat moved to the tips of my ears. It seemed we had forgotten how to hang out.
Finally, he stepped forward. “Come here.”
I wrung my hands together. Nervousness bubbled to the surface, though I didn’t know why.
When I didn’t move, he inched closer and cupped the back of my head. Then he bent down and kissed me, and I melted against his soft lips as smoldering heat rushed through my entire body. I pushed my body against him, my nipples pebbling with arousal. The effect this man had on me was undeniable, instant.
Damn. What this man could do with his lips. Hands down, the best kisser I’d ever encountered. He should teach a class he was so damn good.
When I tilted my head to feel the tip of his tongue, his lips slowed down.
He lightly brushed his mouth against mine then pulled away, leaving me with a burning desire, an aching need, for another kiss.
With one thumb, he grazed my cheek tenderly. “Did you have dinner?”
I blinked a couple times, in a daze and still high from his kiss. I took a slow, level breath to calm my stammering pulse and shook my head. “No, not yet. You?”
“No,” he replied, flashing me his sweet smile. “Let’s get dinner, pretty girl.”
Our eyes locked and I drowned in his. Warm. Sweet. The deep blue reminded me of a clear ocean, one you’d like to dive into, swim in, and never come out of.
My breath caught at the loving look in his gaze. “Okay,” I said softly.
His hand traveled from my cheek to my arm, interlocking our fingers and leaving a trail of goose bumps where he touched.
I peered up at him through my lashes, shying away as the warmth spread to my cheeks. “You know you don’t have to buy me dinner to get laid. You already bought me wine.”
He chuckled and then winked, wiggling our interlocked fingers. “Don’t worry. I’m feeding you so you can work it off tonight.”
I squeezed his hand back, offering him my seductive smile as my insides tingled with anticipation. Though, I had to admit I was looking forward to our dinner date, too.
Hanging out with Brian was easy, like breathing, effortless. It didn’t feel like work being in his presence; our conversations flowed easily. I craved his attention, and he always had a way of making me feel wanted, as though he also craved my attention.
Admittedly, a part of me would be sad when this arrangement came to an end.
***
BRIAN
After dinner, I paid and led her out of the restaurant, pulling her in close as we maneuvered through the crowd.
Luckily, we were still close by and could walk back to her place. It would have taken forever to hail a cab.
A few blocks from her apartment, she jerked us to a stop in front of a post office. “Can we stop in here?”
“Sure.” I followed her inside and into a booth, where she reached for a pen in her purse, took out her checkbook, and started filling out an envelope.
“What’re you doing?” I asked, leaning against the counter. I was strangely impressed by her neat handwriting.
She smiled her golden smile. “Sending my mama money.” Her eyes lit up as she said it, like it made her happy to send her mother money. “She works hard at the diner, but I’ve been sending her more money so she can cut back on her hours.”
I cocked my head, lifting an eyebrow. “I thought she was dating the boss.”
She slapped my shoulder before taking the paper and heading into line. “It’s Mama, and my mama is not going to take one thing from that man, even though Hank is sweet as pie. She’s not taking anything from him until he puts a ring on her finger.”
She stepped into the line and the guy in front of us eyed her up and down. Of course he did. Kendy was gorgeous. There wasn’t an ounce of makeup on her, yet she was captivating. Her summer skirt lay mid-thigh, accenting her shapely legs, and her fitted white tank top was short enough that when she moved in certain angles, you could see a small span of her stomach.
When she smiled her sweet smile up at him, he returned her gesture and then he eyed me up, most likely wondering if I was the boyfriend. My lips pressed together in a tight line, my eyes telling him to face forward and carry on, which he did.
This boiling feeling inside of me was foreign. It surprised me. I’d been protective of my sisters, and maybe of my girlfriends in the past, but never jealous. Something about Kendy brought out this new side of me.
I rubbed the base of my neck as tension rose to my shoulders. It was an emotion that made no sense, especially since we weren’t officially together.
She folded the check in half and then in quarters, like she was trying to hide it in her fingers.