Chapter Twelve
Mia
W hen I walk into my apartment, I smell pizza. The delicious aroma is strong and too good to resist. But who ordered Italian?
Wait, that’s a dumb question. I know exactly who.
“Welcome home, baby girl.” Jake gives me a devilish grin when I clear the threshold.
I could protest his nickname for me again, but I’m too exhausted and too hungry to care. Besides, it’s more important I figure out what he’s up to.
“What’s this?” I scan the kitchen, gaping at the garlic knots, pizza, and cinnamon sticks spread across the island.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of grabbing dinner for us.”
“I don’t mind at all. But…why?”
“Can’t a friend get another friend some dinner?”
He asks the question like he wants to be my pal. He doesn’t sound remotely jealous that I have a “boyfriend.”
Dammit.
“So you did this out of the kindness of your heart?”
“I figured we earned it. I don’t know about you, but the first day back in the office after the holiday felt endless. I thought we’d both enjoy this.”
He’s not wrong. So why am I disappointed? God, I’m confused. I either want him or I don’t. I need to make up my mind. Why can’t I already?
Whatever. I’m too hungry to turn down pizza. If I hadn’t skipped breakfast and eaten so little lunch, I’d have a stronger will to say no.
“Just one slice.” Where’s the harm in sharing food, right?
“Perfect.” He plucks a bulging bag of popcorn from the microwave and shakes it. “Do you like popcorn?”
“With the pizza?”
“Yeah,” he says as if it’s obvious.
“Do you?”
“Absolutely.” He smiles, pouring the contents of the hot bag into a large, metal bowl.
In all the years I’ve known Jake Hall, I never knew he liked popcorn with his pizza.
Of course I didn’t. Until recently, I hadn’t talked to him in years.
“Since when?”
“I worked with this client from L.A. once. We started talking and got on the subject of pizza,” he says as he grabs two plates and napkins. “Long story short, he tells me that the next time I have pizza, I should try it with popcorn. So one night I did, thinking he was crazy. But when I took a bite of both, it was the perfect combination.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time you thought that, huh?”
I shake my head in amusement. “What type of pizza did you get?”
“Deep dish pepperoni and mushroom.”
At his answer, I salivate. My favorite.
“Based on that hungry expression, I’m going to assume you’re good with my choice.”
“More than good. Thanks.”
He nods, and we spend the next few minutes piling food on our plates. The two large slices Jake insists I eat take up my entire plate. Then he piles popcorn on top before we sit at the kitchen table.
“Bon appétit.” Jake grins as he sets the large bowl between us.
I can’t help but moan as I grab one of my slices and take the first delectable bite. The more I chew, the more I feel like I’ve just consumed a slice of heaven. “Oh, my god. So good. Yes…”
“You sound like you’re having a moment with your pizza. Should I leave you two alone?” he teases.
I swat his arm playfully as I swallow the bite. “We are, so don’t ruin it for us.”
“Oh, I would never,” he says dramatically.
I roll my eyes, trying not to laugh. This is fun. This is nice. When was the last time I enjoyed pizza and good conversation with a friend?
He’s not my friend.
Right. He’s…complicated. But at least for tonight, things between us can be simple.
I hope so.
Jake cuts into the brief silence. “How was your day?”
“Tough but manageable. How about yours?”
“Same. Today felt like four Mondays. I can’t wait until Friday.”
“I wish it was tomorrow,” I groan. “What are your plans this weekend?”
He shrugs. “Not sure. I’ll figure something out.”
I never took Jake for a homebody. “No ‘Saturdays are for the boys’?”
“Nah. I don’t party like I used to in college. Those days are long over.”
“Amen to that. ”
He raises a brow. “Clubs aren’t your bag?”
“Occasionally, I go with Kami or Kiera, but we haven’t in some time. Josie’s birthday was a rare exception.”
“Hmm. So…I guess you go out with Vance more these days?”
Since Jake thinks I’m dating the guy, I suppose that’s a valid assumption. What surprises me, however, is the fact he’s actually asking. Sure, it’s possible he’s probing so he can give Jonathan information…but the way Jake is asking makes me wonder if both Vance and Kami are right. Is he digging for his own personal reasons? If that’s true, could this pizza and this conversation be his attempt to get closer to me? Maybe I’m wrong. Hell, maybe I’m crazy, but I want to figure this out.
“Some.” I do my best to lie. “But not much, really. He’s more of an introvert.”
“I get that. But you two have plans this weekend,” he says like he’s sure of it.
I could lie. I could tell him we do. But why does he want to know so badly?
“Actually, we don’t.”
He looks surprised. Almost excited. But as quickly as his smile springs up, he flattens it back to a neutral expression. “Any particular reason?”
“He’s been so busy with work, it’s hard for him to get away.”
“I understand that.” He pauses. “Well, we could do something after work on Friday.”
Jake wants to spend time with me? “You want to?”
“Why not? I think it’d be fun doing stuff together. As friends, of course.”
Of course. He thinks I’m dating someone else. “I’d like that.”
Should I have lied and told him I was busy with Vance? Maybe, but a part of me wants to see what Jake plans. Something about being near him feels good. It feels right. Hiding from him won’t get me the answers I want.
“Good.” He smiles.
I pause. “What do you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you let me cook for you? I make a mean stir fry.”
“Sounds yummy,” I reply. “You’re on.”
We spend the next few hours in the living room talking about anything and everything. We laugh. We get philosophical. It feels cozy. Intimate. Easy. I don’t realize it’s almost midnight until I see the clock on the wall.
“Crap, is that the time?”
He turns to the clock. “Oh, damn. We should probably hit the hay, huh?”
“Yeah.” I stand. “Thank you for tonight. This was fun.”
“Of course.” He stands with me. “Did you get enough to eat?”
“Yes, and then some.” I laugh as I start down the hall to my bedroom, Jake trailing behind me. “I can’t wait for lunch.”
“When lunch is leftover pizza, hell, yeah.”
When I reach my bedroom door, I turn to face him. “Do you need help with the dishes? I’m sorry; I just remembered we piled them all in the sink.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll take care of it. Get some sleep.”
“Right. Okay, thanks.” I should say good night, yet I hesitate. I’m so nervous, I can’t help but look down at my feet.
He hooks a finger under my chin. I swear I feel my heart skip a beat. How does this man keep confusing me? “Good night, baby girl.”
Jake has called me that nickname so often, one hundred percent of the time to tease me. Now he’s using it as a term of endearment? And I like it? Yes. This is serious.
“G-good night.” I turn from his touch, something I regret the minute I walk through my bedroom door and close it behind me.
A part of me wishes he followed me and crawled into my bed—preferably naked—and patted the sheet beside him, his eyes full of hot expectation. The more I imagine the scene, the more I burn for his touch. What the hell is going on between us?
Is what I’m feeling actually real? And does he have feelings for me? If so, how soon will the other shoe drop? Dread mixes with excitement. The last time I let myself want Jake Hall, it didn’t end well. How do I make sure it ends differently now?