19. Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Blake
H ow lame was I that I had to ask AJ to sit with me so I wouldn’t look pathetic, or feel so lonely, after my friends deserted me. Danny had texted me last night, saying he spoke for himself and Paige when he gave me an ultimatum—them or AJ.
It didn’t matter that it wasn’t my choice to have a bodyguard because my life was in danger. Danny complained about the stress being around AJ caused him and said he wouldn’t subject himself to that kind of trauma. He was being over-dramatic, which was normal for him, but it still hurt.
It wasn’t bad enough he felt the need to abandon me, but he included Paige. When had she let him start speaking for her? How had I never noticed how selfish he was?
Maybe it’s time to reevaluate my friendships.
Oddly enough, AJ was being nicer to me than my so-called friends. He’d shown a level of compassion and ‘friendliness’ that I knew wasn’t part of the job. I’d known plenty of people with personal security, and I didn’t think any of them had ever been brought to their bodyguard’s hometown because they’d had a bad day.
AJ did that for me. Not only did he bring me to Weatherford, he set up a meet and greet with his friends to help me relax. And now he’s having lunch with me. Not that I’d call him a friend, but he was being nice, even though he didn’t have to be.
Our conversation flowed. To my surprise, he didn’t ask about my friends or pry for information about the note and who might have sent it.
“Did you always know you wanted to be a lawyer?”
“No, I wanted to be a few different things when I was a kid.” Mostly I wanted to be a ballerina, but the generic answer felt safer.
“Like what?” he asked before dipping a fry in ketchup and popping it into his mouth.
“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a ballerina.” Why did I tell him? I expected him to make fun of me like most people usually did. It was why I'd stopped telling people.
“What made you change your mind?”
I’m too short and too round to be a dancer.
“I sucked.” I chuckled. “My parents spent a fortune on private lessons hoping I’d get better, but my pudgy body and two left feet refused to improve.” It crushed twelve-year-old Blake to give up her dream.
I’d never told anyone before. So why did I tell AJ?
Maybe it was because he gave me his full attention, except for the occasional glance around the room. Maybe it was because I never felt like he judged me.
Having that much focused attention was flattering and unnerving. People were rarely as interested in what I had to say as AJ was.
None of my boyfriends had ever paid such close attention.
What would it be like to have AJ as a boyfriend? Would he be generous and kind, or demanding and selfish? Was he the type of guy who gave multiple orgasms, like the ones I read about in rom-coms?
I bet he is . I watched the muscles in his neck work as he scanned the room again. Who has muscles in their neck? Heat crept up my neck and across my cheeks.
“Blake, are you okay?”
Shit.
As I slowly lifted my eyes to make eye contact, I noticed his full lips. I couldn’t help staring at his dimples as he grinned.
More heat flooded my face.
If my face gets any hotter, I’ll spontaneously combust . I suddenly felt like one of those southern belles who needed to fan her face to keep from fainting, only it was March and I wasn’t wearing a corset.
“Blake?”
“I’m okay,” I answered. The humor in his voice hinted he hadn’t missed my reaction.
Kill me now .
I spent the rest of lunch staring at my plate. When the check came, I tried to pick it up, but AJ beat me to it.
That was new, too. My friends rarely paid for their own lunches, and never insisted on paying for mine. Not that they couldn’t afford it, they just never offered.
I need new friends . Friends who acted more like AJ than Danny. Paige fell somewhere in the middle, but was too easily influenced by Danny. She wasn’t always like that, but over time, she’d given up being herself when he was around.
Someone like AJ, but not him. AJ and I couldn’t date. Maybe if things were different, but we lived in two very different worlds. And he was too macho-man for my tastes. Too controlling. Too alpha male.
I wanted a calm, polite, professional man. Someone like Daddy. He had a great job, served his community, was polite and kind to everyone. He even hosted dinner parties for friends and colleagues.
I don’t think he’s ever raised a fist to anyone.
AJ was the complete opposite of what I wanted. So why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? Why do I blush every time I see his dimples pop when he grins?
And why was I thinking of him in terms of dating rather than friendship?
Concentrating during my second class of the day was nearly impossible. It wasn’t bad enough that someone had threatened me and disrupted my life, but they had to do it a week before mid-terms.
I prided myself on being a good student and the idea of my GPA suffering because of some asshole pissed me off.
After class, I told AJ I wanted to go to the library. Hopefully, the normalcy would help me relax so I could study. I expected an argument, but all he said was, “Lead the way.”
I could feel his powerful presence just behind me, off to the right. When we changed directions after crossing the quad, his shadow engulfed me.
As we approached the library, a guy came up and asked me to sign his petition.
Before I could ask what it was for, AJ waved him off. Undeterred, the guy asked again, shoving the clipboard at my chest.
I instinctively reached for it, but AJ slapped it back as he stepped between us.
Damn it! I didn’t need AJ causing another scene.
AJ squared his shoulders as he stood at his full height and told the guy to back off.
The poor guy looked like he wanted to piss his pants as he backed away.
I yanked on AJ’s arm to turn him around.
“That was not necessary,” I said, exasperated by his need to use violence when a polite word would do.
“What wasn’t necessary?” He scanned the crowd over my head.
I fought back the urge to scream. “Using violence and scaring him,” I answered as evenly as I could.
“How was that violent? I never touched the guy.” He kept his voice low as he argued.
Technically, that was true, but he had physically intimidated the poor guy.
Deciding it wasn’t worth arguing over, I rolled my eyes before turning and walking away. I didn’t like this AJ; he was a brute. The AJ I had lunch with was a lot nicer.
“I’ve changed my mind. I want to go home.” I wouldn’t be able to concentrate if I had to worry about him scaring anyone who talked to me.