Slow No Wake (5 page)

“We’re going out Saturday night,” I said.

“Is that so?” he said as the heat between us continued to intensify. I was suddenly glad there was a desk separating us. “I’m jealous.”

I grinned. “You should be. This guy is the full package.”

I could see his face grow red with embarrassment. “The full package, huh?”

I nodded.

“I hope this guy doesn’t mind that we’re meeting for lunch tomorrow.”

“I think he’d be terribly jealous,” I said playing it up as much as I could. “He hates to see me with other men.”

I was surprised when Daniel touched my hand. I instinctively glanced up at the door to make sure it was still closed. He grazed his index finger along my thumb and then each of my fingers. The act was so sensual it took my breath away. “I’m really looking forward to Saturday night,” he said as he continued caressing my fingers.

“Me, too,” I managed to get out with the limited breath I now seemed to have.

I felt like crawling over the desk and into his lap. I tried to distract myself by looking around his office. I noticed for the first time that his walls were covered with framed posters of guys in the ocean on boards attached to kites. I assumed they were kite surfers.

He must have noticed me examining his art work. “I like to kite surf,” he said.

“Are the posters of you?” I asked. It was difficult to tell who was actually doing the kite surfing in the photos.

“Some of them,” he said. “Some of them are my friends.” He pointed to one across the room from me. “That one’s Ricky. The one next to it is my roommate.” He pointed to two close to me. “Those two are me.”

I nodded. I wondered if that explained the rough hands and calluses.

“You should watch us sometime,” he said. “We’re all pretty good.”

I nodded. “Okay, sure.”

I stood. “I’d better get back to work,” I said. “Please don’t freak out when you see me talking to Ricky. You know we have to work together.”

“I know,” he said. “It’s just…” I could see him thinking. “We have a history. I know how he is with women.”

“Please don’t worry,” I said, and we left it at that.

***

T
hat evening, I was a little surprised when Eddie didn’t barge in. My heart sank a little as I settled into bed and I realized I probably wasn’t going to see him. Then I chastised myself for feeling that way. I should have been glad not to see Eddie and be tempted by his advances. He was an asshole, plain and simple, and I knew getting involved with him would be a huge mistake. Still, there was something about him that was irresistible no matter how hard I tried to control it. 

I also felt guilty thinking about Eddie when I had a chance for a real relationship with Daniel. He was so hurt when he saw me just sitting with
Ricky, I couldn’t even image what he would think about my interactions with Eddie. Not that he would ever find out. I would make sure of that.

The best course of action was to steer clear of Eddie and give my full attention to Daniel. He deserved my full attention, something I’m not sure I could give him with Eddie in the picture.

My decision was reinforced when I heard Eddie’s door slam and the voice of a woman in his apartment. It didn’t take long for, shall I say amorous noises, to filter through the flimsy walls. Amorous was actually too nice of a term for what I heard. It sounded like he was filming a porno in his apartment. I put my pillow over my head and tried my best to go to sleep.

***

T
he next day, the twins caught me in the hallway on my way to the office.

“You look like crap,” Trinity said.

“Thanks,” I said. “I always like to start my day with a vote of confidence like that.”

“Sorry,” she said. “No offence, but did you get any sleep?”

I shook my head and starting walking. The twins followed. “I live in a duplex,” I explained. “My next door neighbor is a womanizing asshole and it sounded like he was having an orgy all night. Let’s just say the walls between our apartments are very thin.”

“That’s disgusting,” Serenity added.

“Extremely,” I agreed.

Trinity looked up and down the hall to make sure no one else was within earshot. “We wanted to talk to you about Brad,” she said.

“We need your help,” Serenity added.

I unlocked my office and the three of us entered. “What’s going on?”

The twins glanced at each other and then Trinity spoke. “We think if we can get him laid he’ll be nicer.”

I nearly choked. “And how do you propose to do that?”

“We want you to help us fix him up,” Serenity said.

“The obvious question is whether we need to fix him up with a man or a woman,” I said.

“That’s where you come in,” Serenity said. “We think we can find someone either way, but we just need to know which way to go.”

“So you’ve never gotten any clues to his orientation or preferences?” I asked. I couldn’t believe the direction this conversation was taking.

The twins simultaneously shook their heads.

“I’m not sure how comfortable I am with the whole idea,” I admitted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to pry into people’s love lives.”

“We thought you might say that,” Serenity was obviously disappointed.

“Just think about it,” Trinity said. “You haven’t been the focus of Brad’s wrath yet but when you are, I think you’ll reconsider your position.”

And with that, the twins left my office. It was completely possible that the clinical staff I worked with were in just as much need of therapy as our clients.

A few minutes after I sat down and began checking my emails, Ricky poked his head in my door. “Mind if I come in?” he asked.

“Sure,” I replied.

He entered carrying a stack of files.
“Ready for some cases?” When I nodded, he placed the files on the edge of my desk.

I sensed some tension in the air. When our eyes met, Ricky’s gaze was serious. “I hope I didn’t come on too strongly yesterday,” he said. “Danny is a good friend. I guess I’m a little protective of him.”

“I can appreciate that,” I said.

“He’s gotten hurt. I mean really hurt, in a past relationship, so it’s not easy for him to put himself out there.”

“I have too,” I admitted. Then I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I caught my ex-fiancé having sex with my sister.”

Ricky went wide-eyed. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything. Just know that it’s not easy for me, either.”

He nodded. “Well, I’d better get back to work.”

“Thanks for the files.”

When Ricky left, I couldn’t help but wonder what I was getting myself into with Daniel. Could two people, who’ve had their hearts crushed, ever have a healthy relationship? I wondered if my attraction to Eddie was some kind of self-sabotage. Maybe deep down, I didn’t feel like I was worthy of, or even deserved to have someone love me. I obviously couldn’t keep my ex-fiancé interested. Maybe there was something truly wrong with me and I would never be able to hold on to a man.

FIVE

Eye of the Wind

D
aniel came to get me for lunch early; it was only 11:30. I sensed he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss me or that maybe I’d go without him. At least now I had a better understanding of where his lack of confidence came from. It was the same place where my insecurities lie, in the remnants of our broken hearts.

I was glad when he suggested we get boxed lunches and sit outside by the pond. It was quickly becoming one of my favorite places.

Today, we had ham and cheese on rye bread with potato chips and a pickle. I ate my pickle first; I always did.

Daniel grinned. “Do you want my pickle?”

I stifled a chuckle. “Are you propositioning me?”

“You seem to really like pickles.”

“I do.”

He handed me his pickle. “Thanks,” I said.

Daniel’s expression became more serious. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

“Let’s just forget it.” 

“I don’t want you to think I’m the jealous type, who’s going to freak out every time I see you talking with another guy.”

“How about we just take things slowly and see where they lead?” I suggested.

He nodded although I could see a flicker of disappointment flash in his eyes. “I really wanted to see you for lunch yesterday, but my roommate texted me with a small crisis that needed to be taken care of.”

I was a little surprised because I saw him talking with someone by the school. “Is your roommate a teacher?” I asked.

His glanced down and I could see he was hesitant to explain.

“I didn’t mean to pry.” I was suddenly uncomfortable

He sighed. “It’s okay. You’ll find out eventually. My roommate is a teacher here.”

“I hope it’s not Mr.
LaRoche,” I joked.

He didn’t laugh. Oh. No.

“So you’ve already heard about him?”

“I heard a lot about him and none of it good,” I admitted.

“Unfortunately, everything you heard is probably true.”

I went wide-eyed.

He continued, “I don’t tell many people that we’re roommates, especially women, and especially when we first meet, because I don’t want them to think I treat women the way he does.”

I took a deep breath. It was a lot to handle. “So why do you live with him, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“We’ve been roommates since our freshman year of college. We always played sports together and had a lot of fun. Now we kite surf together. I know he’s a dog. I guess I just put up with it because that’s just the way he is.”

It made me think about my sister. She was always a tease and flirt, and frankly, kind of a slut, and I always put up with it because she was my sister. That was, until she screwed my fiancé.

“I think I understand,” I said.

Daniel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

When I held up the pickle he had given me and took a bite, I noticed a big smile light up his face. 

***

T
hat evening, I was lying on the couch thinking about Daniel, when there was pounding on the door. Shit. I didn’t want to see Eddie. I was starting to have feelings for Daniel and I didn’t want them to be overshadowed by Eddie’s—well—everything. He exuded so much raw sexuality and overwhelming charm, it was hard to resist.

I thought about pretending I wasn’t home or at least pretending to be asleep, but the pounding continued. Ugh.

I went to the door and opened it a sliver. “What do you want?” I said as curtly as possible.

“What are we doing tonight?” Eddie asked.

“We’re not doing anything,” I said and made a move to close the door on him. He was a little too fast for me though, and he already had his foot inside.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s hang out.”

“Why don’t you hang out with the porn star you had over last night? I’m sure she’d be more than willing to provide a repeat performance.”

He actually had the audacity to grin. The man officially had no shame. “I don’t do two-night stands,” he said.

“You completely disgust me,” I snarled.

“So you do have feelings for me,” he countered.

I just scowled at him.

“Are you going to make me stand out here in your doorway all night?” He tapped on the door frame.

I sighed and opened the door to let him in. The quicker I let him in, the sooner he’d be gone, I rationalized.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than to annoy me?” I asked. “Where’s your roommate?”

“Danny-O’s a good boy. He’s always working hard, trying to better himself,” he said as he flopped on my couch, as was becoming his habit. “I just work to support my three loves.” He held up one finger. “First, is wine—or beer—really anything with alcohol.” He held up another finger. “Second, is women, which needs no further explanation.” He held up a third finger. “Last, but in no way least, is kite surfing.”

“Sounds deep,” I said.

He grabbed the book I was reading and looked at the cover.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde. “Going old school with a little light reading before you go to bed, huh?”

“And what would you know about Oscar Wilde?” I asked as I sat down on the couch next to him.

“I’ve read it,” he said seriously.

I rolled my eyes. “You’ve read
The Picture of Dorian Gray
?” I couldn’t image him reading anything, let alone Oscar Wilde. 

His eyes bore into me.

I shrugged. “I guess it makes sense. The book is about a handsome and narcissistic guy, who lives a life or debauchery, indulging in every worldly pleasure without any apparent consequences. I’m sure you could relate.”

“The artist is the creator of beautiful things. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.” 

He quoted from the Preface of the novel. WTF? I couldn’t help the look of shock on my face.

He leaned in close to me and said in a near whisper, “Why are you so surprised that someone, who loves to fuck around, also loves to read?”

His nearness and his breath on my neck sent a wave a heat down my body. I wanted to leap from the couch but my body wouldn’t move. It was like my own body was rebelling against my mind.

“I also love to fuck girls who love to read,” he continued. “I had a thing for English majors when I was in college. That’s why I memorized Oscar Wilde. It was a panty dropper every time. Those little book nerds were freaks in bed. Are you a freak in bed, Alexandria?”

Shit. I was in BIG TROUBLE.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

I looked into his gorgeous brown eyes and nearly melted. He leaned in close and his lips hovered over mine. I thought he was going to kiss me. I almost begged him to kiss me.

But he didn’t.

He whispered into my ear instead. “You told me you have a date Saturday night. When he kisses you, I want you to think of me. I want you to wish it was me kissing you instead of him.”

I fought to catch my breath as he got up and left my apartment.

A lone teardrop escaped down my cheek as I wondered how I was ever going to be able to kiss Daniel and not think about Eddie.

I cried myself to sleep that night thinking about how someone, who was supposed to be an expert in mental health, allowed herself to be manipulated and mind-fucked by someone like Eddie.

***

F
riday was a blur. Every hour of my schedule, with the exception of lunch, was filled with new clients. Part of me thought it was a blessing, because it kept my mind off of Eddie and Daniel and the increasingly more complex situation I found myself in with two men, who couldn’t be more different.

At lunch, Daniel could sense something was off. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“I’m just tired,” I lied. “I had some trouble sleeping last night.”

He nodded. “You should try warm milk. It really works. You can also take a few calcium supplements before you go to bed.”

“I’ll give it a try.” 

“Are we still on for tomorrow night?” I could hear some apprehension in his voice.

“Of course,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. I really did want to go out with Daniel. I liked him and enjoyed his company. But my physical attraction to him was more of a slow burn, as opposed to the intense flames I felt with Eddie. Of course, you know the old adage, if you play with fire, you’re sure to get burned. I felt the chances of getting burned by Daniel were slim, but with Eddie they were almost assured.  

“I’m really looking forward to taking you out,” Daniel said. I could see a glimmer in his eye. Here was an utterly attractive and sweet guy, who obviously liked me and yet my thoughts were still pulled to the asshole Eddie. Why?

“I’m looking forward to it, too,” I said. And it was true. A big part of me really did like Daniel. I just wished it was all of me that liked him.

***

I
was up early Saturday morning after a restless night dreaming about both Daniel and Eddie. In my dream, Daniel kissed me softly and made my heart flutter but then his kisses turned more hard and intense and I realized the person I was kissing had become Eddie. It was quite disturbing.

I thought some mint tea might take my mind off of the Daniel/Eddie conundrum, at least few a little while. When I headed into the kitchen to put on the kettle, I heard strange sounds coming from Eddie’s apartment. It sounded like “
yeow, yeow” followed by the patter of tiny footsteps. Eddie didn’t have a dog like Hans had suspected. He had a cat.

I ran into my bedroom, slipped on some sweatpants and a tee shirt,
ran a comb through my hair then high-tailed it next door. I don’t know what overcame me but I had suddenly become obsessed with the idea of proving Eddie had a pet in his apartment. I felt like a woman on a mission.

I pounded on his front door for a few seconds before a half-asleep Eddie answered. He was wearing boxer briefs and nothing else. His hair was tousled like he had just gotten out of bed, but my eyes were immediately drawn to his lower assets, which were rather prominently on display. His package was a full one.

“See something you like?” he teased.

When my eyes finally made it back up to his eyes, they were dancing with delight. He loved seeing me squirm. 

“Alexandria, if I’d have known you wanted morning sex, I would have stayed the night at your place.”

I pushed Eddie out of the way and barged into his apartment. “I know you have a cat.”

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. He put his finger to his lips and shushed me. “My roommate is asleep. He worked late last night.”

I had completely forgotten his roommate worked double shifts. I felt like an ass.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “But I heard a yeow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s a
yeow?”

“The sound a cat makes.”

He grinned. “Don’t you mean meow?”

I shook my head. “No, it sounded like
yeow.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you ever had a cat?”

“No, we were dog people. I thought I heard a scratching sound, too. Which bedroom is yours?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Eddie flashed his sexy dimple at me. Shit.

I returned his suggestion with a scowl.

“I’m in the master.
Last door.”

“I know which room is the master bedroom,” I said as I headed down the short hallway toward his room. I threw open his door and a furry little grey kitten stood there staring at me.

Eddie came in close behind me and shut his door. He was so close to me, I could feel him pressed against my back. He was hard. And I was alone with him in his bedroom. Shit. Double-shit.

It took every ounce of self-control I had to step away from his tempting body.
As far away as I could in the small bedroom, anyway.

“I was right,” I said pointing at the kitten.

He scooped up the small creature and nuzzled her. I had to smile seeing him being so affectionate with the little furball. It was a side of him I had no idea existed.

“What’s her name?” I asked.

He eyed me for a few seconds. “I’ve only had her for a few weeks. I’d been calling her cat because I hadn’t come up with a fitting name.” He stroked the kitten as he continued. “Look at her. She’s adorable and a little spitfire.”

He was right. She was cute.

“That’s why I decided to name her Alexandria.”

I nearly choked. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is this some kind of line to get me into your bed?”

He placed the kitten carefully on the floor then closed the space between us until we were only inches apart. “I don’t need to name my cat after you to get you into bed.” His eyes were blazing.