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Chapter 8-Sara

              Sara entered the front door of her apartment building. Thank God, no one’s up yet, she thought as she removed her black heels and trudged up the stairs quietly. With her hair a curly mess, the dress wrinkled, and make-up smeared, it would be easy to tell why she was out all night. She dropped her shoes at the base of her closet.
Ding
! The muffled cry of her cell phone warned her of the incoming text message.

             
J:
Hey girl; how’d it go last night?

              Sara stared at the message on her phone. How could she put into words how she felt?
It was great. He was wonderful. It was damn near the best night of my life. And then I walked out on him because I didn’t want to be just some groupie begging for him to settle down with.

             
S:
We had a really nice time.

             
J:
Did you sleep with him?

              It was a highly personal question, one that Sara would never normally answer. But Julie was different. Julie had been her best friend for almost ten years. She had been by her side through all the good times and bad, and especially when either of them had a bad breakup.

             
S:
What exactly do you mean when you say sleep?

             
J
: I mean; did you fuck him?

             
S:
No, I didn’t fuck him.

             
J
: So then what happened?

             
S:
He picked me up, went to dinner, and went back to his hotel.

              Sara waited for Julie’s reply, but after two minutes, she was still staring at her own message. She placed the phone on the bed and began to peel the black and white striped dress from her body. A scent filled her as she pulled the dress over her head. She held it up to her face and breathed it in again. She could smell the sharp smell of cologne and the musky manly odor that could only be described as Evan.

              She remembered waking up with him that morning. He was thinner than most of the guys she dated. She usually found herself with the muscle-bound jock types, but something about Evan told her she didn’t need that. Waking up in his arms, feeling the stubble of his jaw pressing against her forehead, and the memories of the best night of her life made her feel secure. It felt like all she needed was him to be happy, and that scared her. Julie’s words clung to her subconscious, telling her he would only think of her as a groupie. Instead of waiting around to be brushed off and told “I’ll call you,” Sara decided to let the memory of what they shared remain intact.
Ding!

             
J
: What the hell do you mean; you went to his hotel?

              Before Sara could respond, the screen changed, and displayed an incoming call from Julie. “You went to his hotel,” she asked. “You went to his hotel and nothing happened?”

              “I didn’t say nothing happened. I just said we didn’t have sex.”

              “So what exactly did happen?”

              Sara didn’t want to go into specifics. As much as Julie had her best interest at heart, Sara knew anything Julie said would taint her memory. “I just, I don’t really want to get into it right now.”

              The depressing tone in Sara’s voice worried her friend. “Did he hurt you or something? You can tell me. If he did, I’ll break his legs, hands, face, or whatever you want me to break.”

              That was how their friendship worked. Julie was the hot-head and Sara was the level headed one. Although both would go to hell and back for the other.

              “No, he didn’t hurt me. He was actually a perfect gentleman.”

              “I don’t get it. You didn’t sleep with him, he didn’t hurt you, and he was a gentleman. Why do you sound depressed?”

              “Because, I left before he woke up this morning.”

              “What? Why?”

              “I didn’t want to do the whole awkward goodbye in the morning where he says he’s going to call but never does.”

              “Yeah, but you guys didn’t mess around; right?”

              “Well…”

              “I knew it!” Julie’s voice sounded triumphant in getting her friend to admit the truth. “You two hooked up.” Sara refused to respond. The unsettling silence took the wind out of Julie. “I don’t get it. You were on cloud nine yesterday when he asked you out. You guys hooked up and you got out without him blowing you off. Why are you upset?”

              Sara tried her best to put any thought of Evan Taylor from her mind, but all she could do was remember how great he was to her. “Because I don’t want it to be a one nighter.”

              “What are you saying; that you want to be his girlfriend?”

              “I don’t know; maybe.”

              “Maybe’s not gonna cut it. You need to know if you want him or not.” Julie paused, as if she were contemplating her advice. “Do you know where he’s supposed to be later today?”

              “No, he never told me. I just know he has another signing in Jersey today before he goes home.”

              “Well, you got his number. Call him.”

              Heat rose within Sara. “I can’t do that. You don’t call a guy the day after your first date, or right after a hook-up. I’ll look desperate.”

              “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when you miss out on the chance to be with him.”

              Sara hung up the phone as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t know why she was getting so emotional. It wasn’t like she was in a relationship with Evan, or that she knew him for a long time either. He was just some guy she met at a bar, that happened to be one of her most recent favorite authors.

             
What the hell am I supposed to do?
She picked up the dress from the bed to place in the hamper. Evan’s scent lifted and met Sara’s nose. She held it to her face, inhaling it deeper. It reminded her of how amazing their date was, and how she didn’t want it to end. It was special. It was an incredible moment that fell short of a dream.

              Sara grabbed the phone and searched for Evan’s number. She started to type everything she wanted to say.
Evan, I’m so sorry about this morning. When I woke in your arms, I got scared. I didn’t want it to be just some hook-up or one-night stand. So I got up and ran. Trust me, I wanted to stay in bed with you all day, or to go with you to the signing and go out to dinner again before you leave.
She deleted the text message. It was too clingy and too emotional. She needed to keep the message short and sweet.

              Sara paced the room for several minutes while thinking of the perfect way to apologize and keep the option for a date available.

             
S
: Sorry about this morning. I was scared.

              Sara waited for a response, but found none. She continued to pace the room, pulling a pair of yellow short shorts from her dresser along with a black tank top. She changed into them and crawled into bed. The phone sat silently on the nightstand while Sara dove back into a sleep where Evan ruled her dreams.

              There was one in particular she remembered. The doors to a massive ballroom opened, allowing her to see the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Tables lined the room with white cloths. Crystal vases with diamond encrusted bases sat in the middle with stunning floral arrangements peeking out from the tops. When she entered the room, Evan stood at the foot of the steps. His hand was stretched out waiting to help her.

              “You look breathtaking,” he said as he took in the sight of her ice blue floor length gown. “Shall we dance?”

              Sara nodded her head and took Evan’s hand. He led her to the dance floor. His left hand gripped her waist, bringing her close. His scent surrounded her. She wanted to get lost in it. She wanted to get lost in him. She leaned her head forward, resting it on his shoulder as they effortlessly glided around the dance floor. She felt comfortable and safe. It was almost as if she belonged there.

              “You’re everything I could ever want,” Sara whispered. Evan pulled back and smiled. His wet lips inched forward, coming closer to hers. Before she could feel the passion from his kiss, a violent vibration buzzed in her ear. She looked around to see where it was coming from, but when she turned back towards Evan, he was gone.

              Sara’s eyes fluttered open. She knew it was her phone buzzing, and hated whoever was behind it.
I swear, if it’s Julie, I’m gonna kill her
. Sara grabbed the phone and opened up her messages. A dull stabbing pain erupted in her stomach as she saw Evan’s name pop up..

             
E
: I understand. We can talk about it later. I’ll call you.

              And there it was, the exact phrase Sara didn’t want to hear. I’ll call you, was man-code for thanks for the awesome night, now get lost and lose my number. It was a phrase many women were used to hearing, Sara just didn’t think she would hear it from Evan.

Chapter 9-Evan

              Evan sat in the back of the Town Car, silently staring out the window. Kat grabs his hand, causing him to stir. “What’s wrong Evan?”

              “Huh? Um nothing; I’m fine.”

              “You haven’t been fine all day. You’ve been distant since breakfast, you didn’t seem to enjoy the signing at all, and now you’re staring out the window like some heartbroken shmuck. Now are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or do I have to resort to drastic measures?”

              Evan looks down at the cell phone tucked between his leg and the door. He eyes up Kat with the same depressed expression. “What are you gonna do to me?”

              Kat pushed her back against the door to face Evan. Her fingers slowly popped the first button on her blouse before moving onto the next. Evan’s eyes grew wider with anticipation. By the third button, he was nearly salivating at the thought of seeing Kat without a shirt. She inched closer, bending at the waist to give Evan a preview. Her hand reached for his head, cupping the side of his face as he moved closer. Kat’s strong steady hand pulled away from Evan’s face and came back with stinging force that left a small handprint on his cheek.

              “Now are you going to tell me, or do I have to keep doing that for the rest of the drive home?”

              Evan rubbed the inflamed spot on his cheek. “You’re not allowed to hit me. I’m the client.”

              “You do not get to decide what I can and can’t do. You may be Mr. Waters’ client, but you’re not mine. I’m here only as a courtesy. Now tell me what’s bothering you.”

              Evan hesitated which caused Kat to raise her hand again. “Okay, okay, you don’t have to beat it out of me.” He plunged his hand between the door and the seat, retrieving his phone. He scrolled to Sara’s text from earlier that morning. “I got this during breakfast.”

              “She was scared. Scared about what?”

              “I don’t know.”

              “Did you call her?”

              “No, I haven’t really had the time. Plus, I don’t really know what to say to her after last night.”

              “Do you like her?”

              “Yeah, we had a great time last night.”

              “Do you want to see her again?”

              “Maybe, I don’t know.”

              “This isn’t a game, and it’s not a difficult question. Do you want to go out with her again or not?”

              Evan thought about Sara. He wanted to be Mr. Calm, Cool, and Charming. He wanted to be the guy he imagined he could be if he wasn’t afraid to make a move on a woman. But Sara, she was different. It was easy to be that guy around her. It was easy to be himself.

              “Of course I want to see her again. I just don’t know what to do.”

              “Well, it’s too late to go back to Jersey. Maybe you should text her, let her know you’re thinking of her.”

              Evan looked down at the phone and stared at the message again.
Why did she have to leave this morning? And what was she so scared of?
He typed a brief message to her, hoping she would respond.

             
E
:
Hey Sara, sorry I’ve been out of touch. It’s been a long day. We’re halfway home now
.

             
S
:
Out right now.

             
Out? Out where? With who?
Evan was working himself into a jealous frenzy over three little words. He knew what happened the last time she went out. She met him at the bar and made-out with him against the exterior wall. The only thing holding him back from taking her home that night was her friend. In his head, he envisioned Sara making out with another guy, one that was taller, more muscular, and better looking than him. The thought of her with another guy brought a taste of vomit to his mouth.

              “What’s wrong,” Kat asked. Evan showed her the text. “Oh…that’s nothing. She could be out with a friend, or out to a movie.”

              “Or out at the bar hooking up with some guy.”

              “Evan, you need to calm yourself. You’re jumping to conclusions. And besides, it’s not like you guys are exclusive or anything.”

              Evan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had never felt so strongly about someone in his life and didn’t want to lose her to some random drunken idiot. “What should I do?”

              “You’re asking me for advice on love?”

              “Well…yeah. You have guys vying for your attention all the time. What do they do to get you to notice them?”

              “First, that girl already noticed you. Second, those guys aren’t after my heart. They look at me and only want one thing, and that’s my body. You seem like you want more than that with her.”

              “I’ve only known her for two days and already know I’d love to date her. I just don’t know about the whole distance issue.”

              “We’ll work on that soon enough. For now, I think you need to figure out how she feels about you.”

              “How do I do that?”

              Kat took the phone from Evan’s grasp and typed up a message.

             
E
: I wanted to let you know I had a great time last night and wanted to know when I could see you again.

              “What the hell are you doing,” Evan shouted in a panic.

              “Exactly what you asked me to do.” Kat tossed the phone back to Evan and watched as he smiled at the message. The phone dinged in response moments later.

             
S
: I had a great night too. Sorry I left this morning.

             
E
: Me too. Wished we could’ve spent the day together.

             
S
: Maybe I can make it up to you the next time you’re in town.

             
E
: Sounds good. What’d you have in mind?

             
S
: I guess you’ll have to come out here to find out.

              Evan looked up from the phone with an ear to ear grin. “Well, someone’s in a better mood,” Kat said. “So tell me, what did she say?”

              Evan flung his arms around Kat, hugging her tightly. She struggled to break free from his grasp. “It worked. Thank you.”

              “Don’t thank me yet.” Kat took the cell and read the messages. “I helped you get your foot in the door. Now it’s up to you to.”

              “What do you mean?”

              “If you like her the way I think you do, then you need to do something to make her realize you want more than just her body.”

              “So what do you suggest?”

              Kat’s devious smile was all Evan needed to know she had a plan already worked up in her head. He listened to her advice on how to win Sara’s heart as they pulled up to Evan’s house.

              “Let me worry about all the details. You just make sure you sweep that girl off her feet.”

              Evan exited the Town Car, retrieved his suit and his bag and trudged up the front lawn. The idea of coming back to his parent’s house was like walking into court knowing you were about to be sentenced to a life in hell. The only beacon of hope was knowing he was going to see Sara sooner than he originally planned.

********************************************************

              Evan’s life had returned to normal in an instant. His mother resumed her tirade of Evan getting another job or working for his brother’s cell phone store. His father barely acknowledged him, which was the same treatment he was used to getting. Evan also resumed his role at work, putting in ten hours a day, in hopes of getting the weekend off. It was a life capable of slipping into a deep depression, one that would be hard to find a way out of.

              Evan slumped into what his parents considered, his typical demeanor. His hair was a mess, his clothes were scattered across the floor, and his stomach rumbled in demand of food. But by Thursday, all of that had changed.

              Evan sprung from the bed in the late morning. He was eager to get ready, but thanks to the long hours he spent at the store, he was free for the entire weekend. His right hand swiftly typed a message on his phone.

             
E
: Hey, are we all set for today?

             
K
: Everything’s ready.

              Evan hurried out his bedroom door and jumped into the shower before his mother heard him moving around the house. He had the quickness of a cat as he washed up, groomed, and slipped back into his room unnoticed. He pulled out the nicest pair of jeans he owned, pairing it with a black polo marked with white stripes on the collar. He slipped his dress shoes on and headed for the door.

              The thin pale woman that he called mother, blocked his way to the stairs. “And where do you think you’re going?”

              “Out,” he replied while trying to step around her.

              “Out where?”

              Knowing she wasn’t going to let up on the question until she got every answer out of him, Evan decided it was best to tell her what she wanted to know while grabbing his bag and escaping the house.

              “If you really need to know, I’m going to Jersey for the weekend.”

              “Jersey? What about work?”

              “I worked my ass off the last three days. I put in over thirty hours so I can have the weekend off.”

              “You took off of work last weekend too. Does this have anything to do with that screwball idea of being some big famous writer?”

              Evan turned around and pointed a stern finger in his mother’s face. The seriousness in his eyes warned her he was on the verge of snapping. “It’s not a screwball idea. I did incredibly well last weekend at the signings; not like you care.” He turned around and walked down the steps to the first floor, toting a large duffle bag behind him. “And for the record, no, this has nothing to do with my writing.”

              “Then why are you going to Jersey?”

              Evan stopped at the base of the stairs. “If you really need to know, I met a girl last weekend.”

              “A girl? You met a girl in Jersey?” His mother started laughing at the thought of her son finding a woman while away at a book signing. “Poor girl must’ve mistaken you for an actual author, and thought you were her ticket out of the Garbage State.”

              Evan threw his bag on the ground near the front door. His anger was bubbling, bringing him to a breaking point. “Sara knows exactly who I am, and likes me for me. It doesn’t matter how successful               “Anyone from New York probably looks successful compared to someone from Jersey.” Her words crossed a line that was hard to come back from.

              The fire burning in Evan’s eyes screamed “Big Mistake!” He marched up to his mother, going nose to nose with her. “Don’t you ever insult her or her state again. Just because you amounted to nothing and live a meaningless shitty life, doesn’t mean you have to take it out on the rest of the world.”

              His mother took a step back and fell over the bottom step. She kept quiet for a moment, as her son unleashed his anger at her. “And how do you plan on going there?”

              A horn honked from the street, bringing a smile to Evan’s face. “I gotta go, my ride’s here.” He picked up his duffle bag by the front door, and exited the house. There a bounce in his step as he walked down the front lawn to the hot red convertible.

              The blond in the driver’s seat glanced at him with delight. “Are you sure you ready for this?” Kat asked.

              “I’m a little nervous.”

              “You’re taking a big risk. I’d be worried if you weren’t a little nervous, or at the very least anxious.” Kat sped off with Evan in the passenger seat. The wind whipped through her blond hair, as Evan felt it fly over his short spiky hair.

              “Thanks again for doing all this.”

              “It’s no problem. I just hope the weekend goes well.”

              Evan hoped everything went according to plan. To do that, he needed to rely on others to come through for him, something he wasn’t used to doing. Kat was just the first part of his plan. She picked him up from his parent’s house and was driving him to the train station. He would take the train into Penn Station and connect with the New Jersey line. Kat asked a friend to pick Evan up from the train station and bring him to the nearest car rental place.

              After nearly two hours of traveling by train, driving twenty minutes with Kat’s friend who looked like he just finished with a weight lifting competition, and waited another half hour to get his rental car, Evan was finally ready to surprise Sara.