Trusting Jay: (A Chicago Suits Romance) (Loving Jay Book 1) (2 page)

I
spent
the weekend sulking and cleaning.  Then washing my clothes.  While putting my clean clothes away, I ended up digging out those old jeans from the back of my closet. After debating what to do with them, I duct taped them to the wall in my kitchen.  Right beside the snack cupboard.  Shortly afterwards I reasoned I couldn’t waste the food already in my cupboard, and sat down to watch an old romance starring a man my mother probably lusted after while stuffing my face with Oreos.

I don’t understand why I was crying since romance is only found in movies and not real life.  I huffed, blew my nose and jogged to the bedroom, undoing my pants as I went.  By the time I hit the bed, they were down around my thighs and my trusty vibrator was on and buzzing to go.

I thought about the movie, the kiss, the man’s movie star body, everything.  But before long coffee shop guy was front and center in my mind.  He backed my naked body against the wall and lifted me, but before I even got to run my fingers through his glorious mane, I climaxed.

After my body calmed, I decided message received, loud and clear.  It was time to take a risk.  I would somehow get him home and wrap my legs around his waist.  He would be my first one-night stand.  I just had to find him.

Before I knew it, Monday morning was upon me and the countdown to Calvin was in full swing.  I dreaded the morning a little less than other Monday’s, now I’d given myself the mission of finding coffee shop man.

* * *

“
G
ood morning
,” Sam said with her usual chirpiness.

“Morning!”

“Well that’s an unusual smile for a Monday, what’s up?”  I’d only known her six months and already her ability to read me was uncanny.

“Come get a coffee with me and I’ll tell you.”

“Ooo, coffee?  That’s usually reserved for Fridays.”

“Is that a no?  Because I’m going.”

“As if I’m going to pass up the opportunity to find out what’s going on.”

We entered the coffee shop, my eyes flitted over the place but there was no sign of coffee shop man.

After she’d fixed her chocolate mocha and I’d skipped the sugar on my skinny Americano I said, “Let’s sit down.”  I led her to a table where I could keep an eye on the door.

“Sitting down?  We never stay, this must be good!”

“It is.  At least for me.  Over the weekend I had an epiphany.  I need a man.”

Her faced dropped for a second before she broke into a wide grin and started clapping, “Yippee!”

“Stop it, people are staring.”

“I don’t care, this is a momentous occasion.”

“No it’s not.  I’m not talking about a relationship, just a one-night stand.”  I paused, “Or maybe a fuck buddy, but nothing more.”

“Is it the blond?”

“Huh?”

“Jenny texted me about the blond.  Don’t worry, she got his phone number for you.”

“No it’s not the blond!”

“She told me how cute his ass was.”

“What?  How would she know?”

“She doubled back after you left and found him.”

“The traitor!  Anyway, like I said, it’s nothing to do with the blond.”

The door opened and a group of suited men walked in.  I couldn’t see all of them straight away, so I stared as they made their ways to the counter.

Sam looked to me then looked to them and back to me again.  Her mouth opened wider with each turn of her head.

“Close you mouth, you’re about to catch flies.”

“Don’t try to change the subject, I’m on to you.  It’s the guy who was here on Friday, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”  I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

“How are we going to find him again?”

“I’m going to blow a lot of money on coffee until I do.”  It wasn’t a good plan, granted.  And I didn’t have the money to spend on coffee.  When I’d come up with the plan, coffee shop guy was already waiting in the coffee shop for me Monday morning and treated me to the first coffee.

“Well hopefully he’ll be here in a minute.”

“Unlikely, but a girl can dream.”

The door opened again and my heart crashed against my ribcage.  My cheeks burned.

“What?  Is it him?” Sam asked, whipping her head around to see, “It’s him!”

“So what do I do now?”

“Go talk to him!”

“But what if it isn’t interested in me?”

“Sweetie, I was here Friday, trust me, he's definitely interested in you.”

I didn’t know whether to believe her, but I wanted to.  I had to.  Otherwise I knew damn well she’d go up to him on my behalf.  I should have thought of that before I’d told her.  I patted my cheeks willing the red to go down, cleared my throat and stood.  Sam’s smile gave me the last bit of confidence I'd get.  At least she’d be there to pick me up after he rejected me.

I walked toward the prep area.  Yes, I would wait there the way he’d waited for me on Friday, it was all coming together.  Except as I walked towards the little counter, I was looking at him and not where I was going.  I stumbled into a chair and sent both me and the chair toppling to the floor, accompanied with a deafening screech.

* * *

I
laid on the floor
, half under a table.  A used kleenex was far too close to my face, but I still contemplated pulling it apart and using it to shield my face as I fled the coffee shop.

“Abbie, are you okay?”  Oh no.  Please no.  This is the worst thing possible.  Coffee shop man crouched beside me.  I closed my eyes, willing to see Sam when I opened them again.  She stood halfway between me and our table, as if she had rushed over then hung back when the man got to me first.  

I can’t believe he used my name.  I can’t believe he remembered my name!  Too bad he’d wipe it from his memory now.

“I’m fine, thanks,” I said sitting up, conscious every single person in the shop was watching me.

“Here, let me help you,” he said grabbing my hands.  My face burned red, but at least he would think it was from my fall and not from talking to him.  The next moments were a blur but somehow I ended up sitting at a table with him and a glass of water.  Over his shoulder I saw Sam hightail it out the door.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“Only my pride.”  I tried to smile, though my insides were a clash of emotions, fighting between embarrassment over the fall and excitement over finding him so easily.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done things a hundred times worse.”

“You have?  Like what?”

“Um,” he hesitated.

I jumped in, “Liar!”  His eyes widened at my accusation and we both laughed. 

“I have,” he protested. “When I was a kid I got to ride my horse in a town parade. And I fell off.”

I burst out laughing. Not knowing whether to believe him. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel better,” I said with a smile beaming across my face.

“Sir, your coffee,” the barista called.

He stood and took a step towards the counter before turning back to me, “Don’t go anywhere.”

My heart swelled, Sam was right, he was interested in me.  I watched as he fixed his coffee, then retrieved my coffee from my original table.  “Here,” he said as he set it in front of me.

“
S
o
…you remembered my name.”  That sounded awkward, why did I say that?

“I never forget a pretty girl’s name.”  He certainly didn’t lack for confidence but his comment had my heart dancing.

“Do I get to know your name?” I asked, fiddling with my stir stick.

“Of course.  It’s Ja…”  

Was he done?  He didn’t sound done.  Did he forget his name?

“Jay?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he said, sounding surprised.

“Nice to meet you, Jay.  I’m Abbie White.”

“Yes, I’m Jay, Jay McCal…”

“Jay Mickle?”

“Yes, Jay Mickle.”  This was a strange conversation.

“I feel like Judy Garland in The Clock,” I said.

“Except you tripped over a chair, not me. And you didn’t break your heel.”

“I,” I was speechless. How did he know that movie? No one knows that movie.

He smiled at me, holding my eyes in his.

“You’re a fan of old movies?” I finally said.

“My mother watched them endlessly when I was growing up.”

I sucked on the rim of my coffee cup, looking at him. Pondering.

“Normally people look at me with blank faces when I make a reference to one.”

* * *

I
glanced at my watch
.  Holy cow, we’d been talking for an hour.  Calvin would freak, fingers crossed Sam came up with a convincing story to cover for me. 

“Is everything okay?” Jay asked.

“Yes, it’s just I have a real hard ass for a boss, and he's going to freak on me for being late.”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about him.”  How could he say that?  I had a mortgage to try to keep up with.  I’m sure Calvin will put this on my record.  I’m convinced he’s building a case against me to get me fired.

“You sure must have a nice boss with a comment like that.”

He laughed. “I don’t have a boss.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a boss?”  My comment seemed to surprise him, and he sat up straighter.

“No, I don’t have a job.”

“You don’t have a job?”  What kind of person doesn’t have a job?  It’s not like he’s old enough to be retired.  But it does explain his lax attitude towards my job.  He probably got fired from his last job for laziness.  But it doesn’t matter what he does for a one-night stand, as long as he does me.

“No, I’m, um, between jobs right now.”

“Oh, then why are you hanging out downtown?”

“You know, job interviews.”

“What time is your interview?  I don’t want you to be late because of me.”

“Don’t worry, I have time.  I like to come good and early.”

“What’s it an interview for?”

“IT stuff.  Nothing exciting.”

“Good luck today.  I’m sorry, I really have to get to work.”  I really, really don’t want to go to work.

“I hate to lose your company while I wait.  Are you doing anything Friday?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“How about dinner?  My treat?”  He just asked me out.  I had to pinch myself under the table to make sure I wasn’t lying in my bed masturbating.

“I’d love to, what time and where?”

“Meet me at Dish at eight on Friday.”  Wow, he must not have been out of work long if he’s going to spring for Dish.

“Sounds perfect.”  I stood, my face beaming with excitement. He stood beside me, so close it caused butterflies to flutter around in my chest. He smelt incredible, of crisp white sheets that made me want to bury my face in him and drink in his scent all day long.

“We should exchange phone numbers, in case anything comes up.”

“Good idea.”  My thumbs flew over my phone to open my create new contact screen, and I’d typed in Jay Mickle, waiting for him to tell me his number.

“Just a second, I never remember my number and it always takes me a minute to figure out how to see my number.”

Is this guy serious?  Who doesn’t know how to see their number?  And what kind of IT guy doesn’t know how to look under ‘me’ in the contacts?  Oh well, he’s hot and fun to talk to and that’s all that matters.

“Why don’t I tell you mine and you can text me, then I’ll have yours.”

“Good idea.”

My phone beeped with his text, and I added him to my contacts.  “Great, it’s been lovely meeting you Jay, I’ll see you Friday.”

“I look forward to it,” he said, his smile so broad and genuine my insides melted.

He held the door open for me.  We went to go our separate ways and after a few steps I turned to him and called, “Good luck in your job interview.”

His brow furrowed for a second before he said, “Thanks.”