12. Zander
12
ZANDER
“Did you hear about the upcoming party?” My phone is tucked between my shoulder and ear as I open the door to my apartment.
“Yeah. I read the email,” Marr mumbles.
“Are you excited?” After grabbing a beer from the fridge, I open the balcony door and flop onto the recliner.
“Everybody is.” The disinterest is clear in her voice. This crazy girl.
“Marr, I’m not asking about your whole town. Are you excited?”
“I… I’m not really a party person. Also, crowds…make me nervous,” she mutters the expected response.
The upcoming party is Elixir’s first annual meet in Cherrywood. It’s the first time staff from St. Peppers will drive down to Cherrywood. Seeing Marr’s lack of interest in presenting even her best work and the way she has either bailed or managed to hide in all the conference calls I’ve arranged over the past month, I know parties aren’t her thing.
I take a swig of beer before asking, “I meant, are you excited to see me?” My voice comes out raspier than usual .
“Um…” She hesitates before whispering, “I’ll be…if you’ll be.”
The beer bottle stays on my mouth for a beat longer.
Holy fuck. Did I hear right, or are the soft and breathy words my imagination?
When did you become so courageous, couch girl?
“I’ll be thrilled to see you.” I can barely contain the excitement bubbling inside me. “It’s been so long hearing your voice, listening to your laughs.” Her rare audacity fuels my suppressed attraction, emboldening me to say the things I’m trying to bury inside. “I’m eager to see you in person again, walk with you through the streets of Cherrywood, meet your still-alive-and-kicking Logan, and admire your one-of-a-kind superhero collage.”
She stills, and I can only hear her heavy breathing.
Fuck. Did I take things too far, too quickly?
“Marr, say something.” I can’t fucking hide the trembling in my voice.
“I… I’d also like…all that,” she whispers before ending the call.
It’s a day before we drive down to Cherrywood. I’m in my office looking at the list of awardees for this year’s function. Marr’s name is written next to the innovation award.
This list is supposed to be a surprise, and for the past fifteen minutes, I’m trying to imagine her face when her name is announced in a room full of people and she’s asked to collect the prize on stage.
In none of the several imaginations I’ve crafted so far, is she happy and excited. Instead, her face is pale, scared, nervous. She’s tugging on her cuffs and focusing on something like her canvas shoes. In one of my wildest thoughts, I even imagine her bolting out of the party hall.I have to tell her.
She picks up the call, and her beautiful face fills my phone screen.“Hello.”
“Hello to you too. How are you?”
“I’m good. Same as I was four hours ago.” She giggles and my heart soars into overdrive hearing her laughter and seeing her this comfortable with me.
“I’m very pleased to hear that my concern amuses you, Ms. Marlin.”
She blushes deep red. “Your concern pleases me.”
Every day we talk, it feels like we’re taking a tiny step closer, but often, my deepest fear confronts me.She has that name.
How can I trust someone who is called that?
Why the hell am I putting myself in the way of hurt?
But then I see her. A girl who purchased a high-precision scale just to ensure she’s feeding her fish the recommended amount and not even a tiny bit more or less, and I chastise myself for thinking about hurt and her in the same sentence.
“Zander?” she calls my name, and as always, it sounds different coming from her mouth.
“Yes, sorry. I have to tell you something.”
I watch as she chews on her lips, her hands adjusting her glasses before she brings them down. I’m sure she’s tugging on her cuffs. She’s not so different from me, always thinking the worst. “What… is it?”
“You have won the innovation award this year.”
“Oh.”
My heart squeezes watching her shoulders slump in relief and not delight. She is much more apprehensive than me.
“That’s a…good thing, I guess.”
“It’s a very good thing. You were unanimously selected. Everyone in St. Peppers is in awe of your recent project. No one can believe you single-handedly executed it. ”
“It’s…no big deal.” She looks away, embarrassed by the attention.
“The awards will be given out during the party,” I say carefully.
Her blue eyes widen as they meet mine. They’re filled with nervousness and fear.
“I’ll be on the stage, Marr. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s a small group of people. People you know. You don’t even have to give a speech or anything.”
I watch closely as her face pales and her eyes close.
I’m so thankful to Oscar for filling me on Marr’s anxiety issues, otherwise I’d never understand her response. I watch her chest move up and down as she breathes heavily. I wait patiently and a few minutes later, her eyes open.
“I… I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. You told me social activities aren’t your thing. I understand.”
A light color stains her face, and she gives me a weak smile. I didn’t realize her panic was contagious. My spiking heartbeat slowly settles as more color appears on her face and her breathing calms.
The past two months have been surreal.
Marr—her hesitant smile; her breathy voice. Even her cuff tugging hovers on my mind throughout the day. A weird mix of calm and excitement fills my heart every time I speak to her. But I also regret not visiting Cherrywood sooner.
I’ve really taken a shine to this cute town, with all its streets lined with Cherry trees and the blue-roofed houses. So have my brothers. As we arrive in Cherrywood, Zach and Zane are instantly on board with the idea of biking on its captivating hilly trails. But that’s for another day. Today, my only focus is on Marr.
As I pull out the charcoal gray suit and the cherry red tie hanging in the hotel suite closet and place it carefully on the bed, a smile tugs on my lips. They’re the same clothes I wore on my first day to the Cherrywood office two months back. The day I met Marr. This tie has recently become my favorite, and so far, has been a lucky charm. All the meetings I attended wearing it were overly successful.
After getting dressed up, I come downstairs and find the event manager, Nikita. Damn, she’s done an awesome job. The hall is bathed in soft purple lighting. In the sitting area, the round tables are covered with silky soft white linen and hold elegant light centerpieces that give an illusion of flickering candle flame.
The bar on the side is up and running, bartenders checking everything for the last time.
My inspection is cut short by Vanessa’s interruption.
“Hello, handsome. Where are you hiding these days?”
Her voice makes me want to cry for help, but I can’t let her ruin my mood today. Vanessa Hilbert is the daughter of Mathew Hilbert, one of our major shareholders and a respected man in the business community. As Mathew is also a close pal of Ashcroft, our association with the Hilbert family extends beyond business.
There was a time when we three brothers were quite close to Vanessa. But in recent years, after she opened one of the top fashion houses in the state, something changed, and her behavior grew erratic. Every now and then, she would pass by the office, flirt with me, and behave indiscreetly. In the beginning, I worried for her. I even tried to talk to her, but she simply flirted in response, and I finally gave up.
“Zander Teager, I’m talking to you,” she screeches.
“Hi, Vanessa. How are you doing?”
“Now, good. It’s very good to see you.” Her hands grab my forearms before sliding up my chest. Her touch feels like several snakes crawling up my body .
“Great.” I take a step back, attempting to put some distance between us.
“Hi, beautiful.” Zach saunters toward us.
“Hello, handsome.” Vanessa’s hands shift from my arms to Zach’s. She doesn’t even bother using a different opening line.
“Nikita is looking for you.” Zach raises his chin in my direction, giving me an out from Vanessa. On a normal day, I would hate Zach’s playboy attitude, but today, I have more important things on my mind.
“Thanks.” I wink at him and leave. Zach can handle Vanessa for a day.
I’m pacing in the hall, waiting impatiently for my couch girl. So far, I’ve made several unsuccessful visits to the entrance hoping to find her, only to return empty-handed.
The hall is slowly filling with people dressed in fancy party clothes. Some have even mustered the courage to get on the purple-lit dance floor. The party theme is “dance till you drop.” I wonder if I can get Marr on the dance floor with me. Deep in my thoughts, I notice Oscar walking in, followed by Kristy and her .
Our eyes meet, and she gives me her exquisite shy smile. My mouth dries at the sight of her, and my heart does that weird thumping it always does whenever she’s around. I give her a once-over, and damn, she looks breathtaking.
Her usual ponytail-tied hair is loose, and the soft curls rest just above her shoulders. The billowy flannel shirt and jeans ensemble is replaced by an elegant dress.
Does she know my tie matches the cherry color of her dress?
The high waistline flaunts her perfect figure. When she turns to hang her brown leather jacket, I get a good look of her curvy legs covered in black stockings. But it’s her charcoal gray ankle boots that suck all the fucking air out of my lungs.
As she moves a strand of hair behind her ear, I see small pearl drop earrings. Pearls suit my couch girl. She has a tinge of makeup, which only adds to her natural beauty. One look at her pink lips, and I’m dying to get a taste.
She looks at me again and instinctively licks her bottom lip in nervousness, I guess. But fuck, what it does to me. The flick of her tongue seems to have a direct connection with my already raging cock. I adjust my jacket, ensuring I’m not sporting a hard-on to a room full of people.
I give her a smile, and she smiles back. So much has changed between us since my last visit. We’ve outgrown our friendship to something more, without mentioning it explicitly. As I take a step toward her, someone grabs my hand from behind.
What. The. Hell?
“What do you want, Vanessa?” I turn around as she climbs my body like a fucking viper.
“I saw you searching for me,” she slurs as her glassy eyes roll.
“I wasn’t searching for you.” I pull her tipsy body away. My girl is waiting for me, and I have no interest in wasting my time on drunken women.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Zander Teager.” Vanessa giggles, batting her eyelashes at me seductively, and it distracts me for a second.
“What’s going on, Vanessa? Is everything all right?” Why is she coming on to me, and so brazenly? I’ve never given her any indication that I’m interested in anything beyond friendship. And I always thought she and Zach had something going on.
For a fleeting moment, her gaze turns downward and her shoulders curl over her chest, but she soon recovers and pats my tie.
“Everything is peachy. If you’re so worried about me, why don’t you get me a drink? We can talk more about us.”
“I think you’ve had enough for tonight. And there is no us; there was never an us. If I ever gave you any indication otherwise, I’m sorry. But I’m not interested.” I yank away from Vanessa and march to get my girl.