Single, Available, and Completely Attached (12 page)

“They’ll replay it again.
 
We’ll just catch it next time.”
 

“See, you just can’t get enough of me.”
 
And even though she laughed and feigned denial, the words he spoke were true.
 

“Hey, you’re the one who just randomly showed up at my house.”
 
She reminded him.

“I told you, I was in the neighborhood.”

“I still don’t believe it.”

“Maybe I just wanted to hang out with my new best friend.
 
Is that a crime?”
 
The smile on his face was genuine and Anna found herself sighing inwardly.

She looked forward to his company much more than she was willing to admit.
 

And not in a romantic sense—but just knowing that there was someone who was thinking about her, someone who enjoyed spending time with
her,
was enough for her.

She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been until she’d finally found someone to spend a little time with.

It was late Wednesday evening when Alice knocked on Anna’s bedroom door.
 
Anna removed her headphones and tossed her sketchpad aside, having decided to give her mind a break from thinking about work tonight—until Alice interrupted, anyway.
 
“Do you still have that black sweater thing?”
 

“Which black sweater thing?”
 
Anna asked.
 
Her sister always assumed Anna knew exactly what she was referring to.
 

“You know, the fluttery one, with the short sleeves.”
 

Right, because Anna should have figured that out based on “black sweater thing”.
 

She sighed and rose to her feet, thumbing through a few hangers before holding one up.
 
“That’s it.
 
Mind if I borrow it?
 
I’m doing a shoot for some hotel tomorrow, and I’m supposed to be dressed professionally.”
 

“Are you sure this is what you want to borrow?”
 
Anna glanced at the thin material, trying to imagine what Alice would wear underneath it.
 
Knowing her sister, it was going to be more bar-casual than anything remotely close to professional.

“Is that not okay?”
 
Anna sighed again, turning back to her closet.
 
When she emerged, she held a dark-blue button down shirt.
 
It was just form-fitting enough that Alice
might
go for it.
 

“Wear this.
 
And make sure you leave no more than
two
buttons undone.”
 
Alice barely glanced at it before laying herself down on Anna’s bed.
 

“So…what’s going on with you and that Drew guy?”

Anna had been preparing herself for this since Alice had walked in on them Saturday evening.
 
In fact, she was surprised it had taken Alice this long.
 
Her sister was one of the nosiest, most insistent people she’d ever met.
 
“He told you—we’re just friends.”

“And you think that’s a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”
 

“I don’t know—because he’s Jeff’s best friend, maybe.”
 
Of all the possible responses, this was the one Anna had expected the least.
 
“And you know, and I know, and even Drew knows, that the whole ‘just friends’ thing…it always turns into something else.”
 

That
she had expected.
 
In Alice’s world, the only point in having a relationship with someone of the male gender was a physical one.

But things weren’t like that between Drew and
herself
.
 
There was nothing more between them.
 
Nothing more than two lonely people looking for someone to connect with—in a purely intellectual sense.
 

“Just because you’re incapable of maintaining a completely platonic relationship with someone of the opposite sex doesn’t mean that everyone else has the same problem.”
 

 
“No, Anna Marie.
 
That’s exactly what that means.
 
I’m just honest about it.”
 
Alice shrugged her shoulders, and before Anna had the opportunity to reply, she had changed the subject.
 
“Hey, why don’t you come out with me again this weekend?”

“That didn’t exactly work out the last couple of times—”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to try again.
 
Just come out.
 
We can dance, and have a few drinks…”

“That’s exactly what you said last time.”

“But you were sad then.
 
It’s been forever since you and Jeff broke up.
 
Aren’t you…ready?”
 
Anna’s only response was to raise an eyebrow.
 
She didn’t exactly feel like discussing her lack of a sex life with her baby sister, whose was clearly thriving.
  
“Besides that, you have to admit—you did have a little fun.”

“I don’t know, Allie.”

“Please, sissy?
 
I feel like I’ve barely seen you lately.”
 
Alice pouted very convincingly, and Anna sighed loudly.
 

“Friday?”
 
Anna asked, giving in.

“Friday is perfect.
 
Were we still on for next week, too?”
 
It took Anna a long moment to remember what it was Alice was referring to.
 
“The anti-V-day date?”
 

“Oh!”
 
Was it already next week?
 
She couldn’t believe how quickly time was passing.
 
Immediately following Anna’s break-up with Jeff, and after Anna had spent New Year’s Eve on her own, Alice had promised to spend
Valentine’s day
in front of the TV watching nothing but horror movies.
 
“Yeah, I just didn’t even realize how much time had gone by.”

“Sounds like a plan!”
 
Alice jumped from the bed, grabbing the shirt as she did so.
 
“I’ll get out of your hair now.”

Anna watched as she went, wishing that she could have been a little more like her sister.
 
Of course, she was the older sister, and after their parents had died, she had felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She had never really known what it was like to be carefree.

An image of the ride home from the football game conjured in the back of her mind, and she saw herself as she must have looked to Drew:
 
Bobbing around like an idiot, belting out the lyrics to ridiculous songs in even more ridiculous tones.
 

It was the closest to carefree she’d been in recent memory.

~*~

Drew was on his way out the door when he realized he’d forgotten his phone.
 
He turned and headed back into the apartment, grabbing it from the countertop he’d left it on earlier.
 
As he made his way back toward the door, he, out of habit, checked for any new messages.

He was surprised to find one.

Annabelle: What are you doing at this very moment?

She had sent it about a half hour ago.
 
He quickly typed out a reply.

I’m debating between Madden and M.L.B—why?

It was only a little bit of a lie.
 
For some reason, he didn’t like the idea of telling her that he was going out to the club so that he could find a nice little distraction for the evening.

Even though they were friends, and that was the kind of thing he should be able to tell a friend.
 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was
her
he was trying to distract himself from.

After several minutes passed, he almost gave up, figuring he’d missed out on whatever she had been about to offer to him.

Annabelle: Would you mind coming to Tryst?
 
Allie…set me up.

What do you mean, set you up?

Annabelle: Like, on a date.

Aw, and you need my help?

Annabelle: I don’t need it.
 
I would appreciate it, though.

I don’t know…I had a pretty big night ahead of me.

Annabelle: Playing some video game?
 
When you could be here, making fun of people, with me?

Well…when you put it that way…

I’m on the way.

Okay, so this was a change of plans.
 

But the idea of Anna sitting there while some guy…

Nope, that wasn’t going to sit well with him.

He was already in the car, and the ride seemed to take forever, though he was sure he’d made record timing.
 

The club was loud and busy, as would be expected on a Friday night.
 
It didn’t take long for him to spot Anna sitting at a table, dressed in a short skirt and a dark top.
 
Across from her was a younger guy—wearing skinny jeans, a piercing in his lip, his hair bleached white.

He almost laughed as he watched Anna try to be polite, when
really,
she was squirming in her seat.

Finally, he decided she’d had enough.
 
He stopped at the bar and ordered a beer, taking a drink before heading in her direction.

Even if he hadn’t been looking for her, Drew knew that he would have zeroed in on her eventually.
 

She was, as usual, intoxicatingly beautiful.
 

He passed by the table at first, counting the seconds down in his head before he turned around.
 
“Anna
Maloy
?
 
Is that you?”
 

“Oh—hey, Drew—”

“Wow, I haven’t seen you in
forever
!”
 
Drew exclaimed, walking back toward her now.
 
She met his eyes, questioning him.
 
His only response was a quick raised eyebrow.
 
“You look amazing.”

“Oh, thanks—”

“Do you live around here?”
 
He completely ignored Hipster, the guy at Anna’s table.
 

“I’m around,
”
 
she
told him.
 
“What about you?
 
I think the last time I saw you was—”

“That frat party.
 
You had red hair, then.”

“And you punched my boyfriend in the face, if I recall.”
 

“He wasn’t much of a boyfriend.”
 
Drew tilted his head at her, almost forgetting that he was putting on a show.
 
“Hey, why don’t I buy you a drink?
 
We can reminisce about the good old days.”

Finally, Hipster cleared his throat.
 
“Oh—right—this is Alec.”
 
Anna introduced her date.

“Hello, Alex.”

“It’s Al-
ec
.”
 
He corrected.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”
 
Of course, he wasn’t.
 
Drew had heard Anna just fine, but he had to let this guy know, in no uncertain terms, that he was the superior male.
 
“I didn’t even realize you were on a date.”

“Oh—it’s not—”

“Perfect, then Alex here won’t mind if I steal you away.”

“Actually—
”
 
Hipster
started to speak, but Anna interrupted.

“Really, Alec, if you wouldn’t mind—
”
 
Drew
didn’t miss the way she rested her hand on Hipster’s chest.
 
Hipster wasn’t an idiot—he noticed it too, and Drew watched as he realized he’d lost this one.
 
“I would really like to spend some time with Drew tonight.”

“Of course, Anna.
 
It was a pleasure meeting you.”
 
Hipster smiled warmly at Anna, and Drew found himself actually coming to respect this guy.
 
He wasn’t a bad one—he was just so clearly not the right guy for Anna.

“Have a good night, man,
”
 
Drew
held out his hand and shook with Hipster before slipping his arm around Anna’s waist and guiding her toward the bar.
 
“I think you broke his heart, Annabelle.”

“Oh, he’ll get over it.”
 
Drew signaled for the bartender’s attention and Anna pointed to Drew’s bottle, asking for the same.
 
“I can’t believe Alice did that to me.”

“Where is that darling little sister of yours?”
 
All Anna had to do was glance and Drew follower her gaze.
 
Off in a dark corner, Alice was all but lost in the arms of a guy very similar to Hipster.
 
“Let me guess—cousins?”

“Right on the nose.”
 
Anna laughed, barely noticing as Drew reached out and removed the cap from her bottle.
 
 

“So—what exactly do I get for coming to your rescue?”
 
He asked while Anna took a quick drink.

“Is that what you did?”
 
She looked up at him, and for some reason, he flashed back to the first night he’d seen her—just after he’d introduced himself with a kiss.
 

For a second, he considered trying it again.

Only for a second though.

“Well, you
were
practically begging me to come save you…”
 
Drew leaned against a wall with his shoulder.
 

“I wouldn’t say it that way.”

“How would you say it, then?”
 
he
asked.

“I asked for the pleasure of your company.
 
I would much rather spend my evening having a good time with a friend then trying to force something I don’t even want with a total stranger.”
 

“Especially when you wouldn’t even have to force something to happen with said friend.”
 
He grinned as Anna tilted her head and rolled her eyes at him.
 
“I’m much better looking, if nothing else.”