Chapter 6 #2
“Love you, too,” I answer quickly before the line goes dead.
“That was Carrie, my best friend. She invited me for dinner, and since I’ve already eaten, she offered dessert,” I explain, because the only other option is to ask him why he kissed me.
Okay, it was his lips pressed to my temple, but that’s a kiss in my book, and I need to know what I have to do to be on the receiving end of more of them.
Even as I think the thought, I know it’s a terrible idea, but quietly, with each meal we share, each story of our past, and each smile, I’m leaning into him. Leaning, falling, whatever you want to call it. It’s bad. It’s so bad, but I don’t know how to stop it.
“Dessert is always good,” he says, turning to face me. His arms are braced behind him on the counter, but those dark eyes stare deep into my soul.
“Her husband and daughters made double-chocolate cupcakes.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him to come with me.
I know Carrie and Nick wouldn’t mind, but I keep my mouth shut.
He’s my pseudo-boss. We might have shared something, which I’m not sure about just now, but it was the moment.
All the sharing and talking about our pasts and his ex, that’s all this was.
I can’t let myself read too much into it.
“Sounds nice,” he says. His eyes are dark, and there’s a look on his face that I can’t read, and I hate that. Suddenly, I want to know everything about this man—all his tells—and I want to be able to read him, communicate silently.
“I should go,” I say, standing. “Let me help finish cleaning up.”
“No. I’ve got it. Go enjoy your family.”
I smile because there might be a lot that we still don’t know about one another, but we know that our friends are more than just friends. They’re all we have in this world, and the fact that he knows that, that he respects it, only makes me lean into him a little more.
I need to stop leaning.
If not, before I know it, lean turns into love, and I’ll allow my heart to be broken by a man who is not broken, but a little bent. It wouldn’t be his fault. It would be mine. I can’t let that happen.
“I’ll see you on Friday,” I tell him, rushing out of the kitchen and to the front door. I quickly change my shoes, and when I stand back to my full height, he’s there, arms crossed over his chest, watching me.
“Be safe, Eden.” He steps toward me and wraps me in a hug. I sag into his embrace, relishing the feel of his arms around me. I don’t know how long we stand together, but eventually, he steps back and shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats.
I swallow hard. “I will. I’m always safe,” I say as I wave awkwardly and rush out the door. I’m in my car and backing out of his driveway before I take the first deep breath I’ve taken in the last fifteen minutes.
I barely remember the drive to Carrie’s place, but when I pull into the driveway, the front door opens, and my best friend steps out onto the porch.
She waits for me, and as soon as I reach her, she opens her arms, and I fall into her embrace, hugging her tightly.
I might not have grown up with affection, but Carrie is always passing out hugs for free, and I need one of her hugs.
I need her to ground me, because I’m starting to fall for him, and I know it’s wrong.
I’m not good at this. Men and dating. And Foster, he’s… everything, and I don’t know how to handle what I’m feeling.
“Come on in. Nick and the kids are in the basement, playing a board game.” Carrie grabs me by the hand and pulls me into the living room. There’s already a glass of wine waiting for each of us as she tosses me a blanket, and we snuggle up on either end of her couch, facing each other.
“Tell me.”
And so, I do. I tell her about my new assignment, the way I thought I would get either reassigned or fired.
I tell her about his apology and how he insists that I eat breakfast with him every day.
I tell her about the children’s home, just not why he’s connected.
I’m sure she assumes it’s his celebrity status, but I won’t tell his secrets.
I did make her promise not to tell a soul because he’s not doing it to be in the spotlight.
I even told her about the kiss on my temple and the hug he gave me before I left tonight.
I let it all spill free—word vomit in its best form—and once I’ve expelled it all, I’m exhausted and desperate for her take on my situation.
“His life isn’t like ours,” Carrie says calmly. “I think before you let this go any further in your mind, or in your heart, you need to think about that. Is being in the public eye something that you’re okay with?”
I take a minute to think about her question and nod. “Yeah, if it meant being with him, then, yes, I could handle it.”
Carrie nods. “The two of you seem to have a lot in common, outside of your careers being total opposites.” She smiles.
“We do, and he’s so easy to talk to, and he tells me things. Things he says he never talks about, not even to his four best friends. It’s like we bonded, and it’s so hard for me to keep my heart out of this. I should request a move, right?”
Carrie shakes her head. “No, I don’t think you should. I think you should continue getting to know him, letting the cards fall where they may. I have a good feeling about this guy.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t. However, I do know you. I know that you’re beautiful and that in all the years I’ve known you, you never let a man get close to you.
I’ve seen you be asked out on dates hundreds of times, only to turn them down.
This Foster character, he’s somehow reached you on a level that no one before him could, and that tells me he’s special. ”
“Foster character?” I laugh.
She shrugs with a grin. “I mean, he’s a professional athlete. And you’re not supposed to know that.” I give her a pointed look, and she nods, mimicking zipping her lips. I know I can trust her, but I felt that I needed to say the words anyway.
“Who’s a professional athlete?” Nick asks, walking into the room.
“Oh, my new boss. Foster Vaughn,” I blurt without thinking. “But I’m not supposed to tell you that. Shit, I’m going to get fired.”
Nick’s eyes widen. “No shit? He’s the best halfback, which is not referred to as a running back, in the league. He’s your new boss?”
“He is.” Carrie smiles at her husband, then turns back to me. “You know Nick with his sports.” She turns back to her husband. “Eden’s not supposed to talk about who her clients are, so we need to keep this between us.”
“Of course, my lips are sealed, but it’s not just sports, babe. Football. Rampage football.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I forgot you were such a huge fan. He’s a nice guy.”
Nick nods. “He is a nice guy. You never see him in the tabloids.”
“I looked him up after my first day. I didn’t find much.” Not that it mattered. Foster has told me so much about himself, all things the tabloids would never know, and that information is locked up inside me like a vault, just like I promised him.
“Maybe the four of us can have dinner one night? We can get a sitter for the kids,” Carrie suggests.
Nick looks at his wife and then back at me. “No way. Are you dating Foster Vaughn?” he asks. He moves further into the room and sits on the center cushion of the couch between Carrie and me.
“No, we’re not dating. We’re… friends, I guess is the best way to describe it.”
Nick grins, winks at me, and turns to his wife. “Set it up, babe. We’ll be there.” He leans in and kisses her quickly, before standing with his bag of pretzels, which he must have come upstairs to get, and heading back to the basement.
“Dinner?” Carrie asks.
“I’m not sure. Let me talk to Foster. It might just be a quick hello kind of thing. I know he won’t mind meeting Nick or you, but I don’t know if dinner is the best way to go about it. It would feel like a… date.”
“And that’s a problem?” Carrie asks.
I sigh, leaning my head toward the back of the couch. “I don’t know, Carrie. I’m so confused. What if I’m making this something that it’s not?”
“Slow, Eden. Just take it slow. From what you’ve told me, the progression of something more is there. Just take each day as it comes and see how it all plays out. I’m proud of you. You’re letting a man steal your attention. I have a good feeling about this.” She giggles, and I join her.
“Thank you.”
She smiles and nods. “Anytime, bestie. I know this is all new for you, and I’m proud of you. You’re not running this time.”
“Running is the last thing I want to do,” I admit, and she gives me a knowing look.
I guess I’ll do what she says. Just take each day a little at a time.
Tonight is the first night he’s ever hugged or kissed me, even if it was on the temple.
It could have been a one-off from our conversation, and I’m obsessing over this for nothing. I guess only time will tell.