15. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Blake
I wanted to be pissed off at AJ for stepping in and chasing Stan away. After all, I was a modern, independent woman and didn’t need some man coming to my rescue. But the only emotion I could find was gratitude. Stan had been getting progressively more insistent, and more handsy, each time he asked me out, refusing to accept I wasn’t interested.
His ego was bigger than AJ’s biceps.
Which were huge and bulging against his sleeves.
I let him open the bar door for me and looked at the ground as I walked by, hating how far I had to tilt my head back if I wanted to look him in the eyes.
I rarely cared about my height. Or having plenty of paddin g. But AJ’s physique made me acutely aware of my short and curvy body.
Most days, I didn’t care about not being skinny and felt comfortable in my skin, but anytime I was near AJ, I felt like a fat little shrub standing next to a giant redwood. Priscilla’s voice rang out in my head. “You’re too young to let yourself go. You should cut back on your carbs.”
Bitch . I was a smart, kind, and confident woman. I didn’t-
The gentle pressure of AJ’s hand on my lower back sent an electric shock up my spine, short-circuiting my brain.
I should have called him out for touching me, but I couldn’t speak.
If I was being completely honest with myself, I kind of liked the comfort of his touch.
Not because I liked AJ, I didn’t.
A few steps past the door, AJ asked, “Where to?”
I shrugged, missing the warmth when he lowered his hand.
I turned my head and got an eyeful of solid chest muscles. How often does he work out? I glanced down at his abs. Of course, his stomach was flat. I bet he had a six-pack under his shirt. Is a twelve-pack a thing for abs? If it was, he probably had one.
When I finally lifted my eyes to his face, he grinned. Great . He noticed me staring. He was just arrogant enough to assume it meant I was into him. Which I wasn’t.
“Want to get out here, away from all this,” he swept his hand out, “for a few hours?”
Before I could stop myself, I said, “Yeah, that actually sounds good.”
AJ suggested going to Weatherford. “There’s a great local coffee shop, Grannie’s, where you can relax and get some homework done.”
Wow, that was remarkably nice of him. Maybe there was more to AJ than just muscles. I had to admit, he’d done his best to give me space at lunch, until Stan acted up. Now he was offering to drive me ninety minutes away so I could have some peace and quiet to do my homework. And he didn’t do anything too violent to Stan . Even though he could have taken him down as easily as he had Danny. I forced myself not to laugh.
I wasn’t the type of person who laughed at other people’s pain.
Once we were in the car, I contemplated asking him to take me home, but decided I really wanted to get away.
“Can you let your dad know you’ll be out for the afternoon so he doesn’t worry?”
I hadn’t even thought about telling my dad. I guess it makes sense he would, since my dad was paying him. “When will I be back?” I asked.
“I’ll bring you back whenever you want. Just say the word.”
I texted my dad to let him know I was going to a coffee shop to do my homework, adding I was with AJ so he wouldn’t worry.
“Sent.”
“Thanks,” AJ said with a smile.
I couldn’t help but notice the cute little pockets just above the line of his neatly trimmed beard. I’d always thought dimples on a guy were cute; but something about AJ’s were sexy. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks and hoped he didn’t notice.
I texted Paige and Danny, apologizing for leaving early. I suggested going out for dinner later in the week, away from campus. Paige accepted my apology and said she had plans Friday but could go on Saturday. Danny said he only go if I left the “big dumb bully” at home, claiming he couldn’t have fun when he was worried about getting beat up or watching someone else get beat up.
After typing and erasing my response three times, I gave up. I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. Besides, I might not need a bodyguard by the weekend, and if I did, it might be someone else.
I finally replied and suggested we plan for Saturday.
Maybe I’ll be lucky and this will all be over by then.
Paige: I hope so, I want my roomie back {smiley face}
Needing a break from Danny, I put my phone down before he replied.
I don’t know how long I stared out the window before AJ’s deep voice brought my attention back to the car.
“I’m sorry. What was that?” I asked, turning my attention to him.
“What kind of law do you study?”
“Business.” I had an internship lined up after graduation with a not-for-profit in Ft. Worth, but I didn’t think he’d care. “You know you don’t have to make small talk. I know it’s not in the job description.”
He didn’t deserve my attitude, but I was still upset after the conversation with Danny and venting my frustrations.
“True, but it’s better to talk than sit and stew.” His smile was softer this time. Is he trying to help me feel better? I hadn’t expected that from him. But he was right—talking was better than stewing.
“Sorry, that was rude.” I might be upset with Danny and freaked out by my circumstances, but that didn’t give me the right to be rude. That wasn’t who I wanted to be. Besides, my mother taught me better than that.
“It’s okay, you’ve had a rough few days.”
Understanding and compassionate. I yawned and thought about asking him to stop at a coffee shop when I remembered he was taking me to one in Weatherford.
“I can’t wait to get a big ass cup of coffee,” I said to lighten the tension in the car.
“You’re in for a treat. Grannie’s has the best coffee around, and the shop has a fun, old style saloon feel to it.”
“That’s weird.” I was trying to imagine the coffee shop, but all I could picture was old saloons from black and white movies.
“The building was a saloon before Mary’s grandmother turned it into a coffee shop. She liked the idea of keeping the saloon decor. You wouldn’t think so, but it works,” he said. There was a hint of pride in his voice.
“Now I’m curious to see it.” Much to my surprise, I was looking forward to my field trip with AJ.
I covered another yawn with my hand.
“Late night studying?”
Before I could stop myself, I admitted, “I had nightmares all night.”
“I’m sorry. Want to tell me about it?”
WHAT? ? I expected him to blow me off like my friends, but he sounded genuinely interested. I was still thinking about whether to share when he said, “Sometimes it helps lessen the impact if you give voice to it.”
I didn’t know if he was right, but I wanted to talk to someone about it.
“I was being chased, but I couldn’t see his face. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t get away.”
AJ was right; it felt less scary when I summed it up. I wouldn’t admit it to AJ, but it felt good to tell someone about it. My dad would’ve listened, but he had enough on his plate and I didn’t want to add more.
I expected AJ to make fun of me or downplay it.
“I’m not surprised, given the circumstances.” His voice had an unexpected note of empathy.
Was this an act, or was I wrong about AJ being a big, dumb ogre?