CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AVERY
I sit there in shock.
A few customers loitering around the counter waiting for their orders eye me with pity. I scrunch down in the seat, hating the attention and pissed over the fact that they’re probably smirking, thinking that my date walked out on me.
Not a new occurrence for me, and exactly what did happen.
What’s worse, is that I let him.
And why?
Why didn’t I tell him I don’t care that he’s shorter than me? Maybe I once did. Okay, yeah, Trevor’s comments about our boss’s height got to me and I don’t want to deal with his shit, but that’s not me being ashamed of Bryce, that’s me…
Oh shit.
Jumping out of my seat, I grab my purse and fly out the door, thankful that a helpful man sees me coming and holds it open. Sure, he was trying to come in, nevertheless, he stepped out of my way before I slammed into him and the door.
I spot Bryce’s SUV right as it pulls out of its parking space. Racing to him, I wave my arms over my head and scream out his name, uncaring of the people now openly gawking at me. The big black SUV comes to a screeching stop and Bryce stumbles out.
“What the hell?! Avery, don’t you ever do that again!” He yells even as his arms wrap around me, and he hauls me to his trembling body in a big bear hug.
A horn sounds behind us and Bryce lifts his head, glaring at the car blocked in by his SUV. “Don’t move,” he says, loosening his arms.
Before I can step back, he grabs my hand and marches me between two parked cars, waving at the other driver when the guy blares his horn again.
Bryce gets into his truck and pulls it to the side, letting the car around him. I stay right where I am as he then backs his SUV into an open parking spot. Only when his lights go off do I hurry over to him.
“I told you not to move,” he growls, getting out of his vehicle.
“You’re right,” I say.
His scowl intensifies. “I know I’m right-”
I grab at his shirt and press my fingers against his moving lips, stilling his words. “No. You’re right. The problem is me. And I do need to deal with it. And I’ll try. I will.”
Dropping my head, I sniff back my tears. “I’m not ashamed of you. I’m ashamed of me. I’m too tall, too plain, and I don’t stand up for myself or those I love.”
Bryce goes still, his dark eyes flashing in the dim light.
“I can’t stand crowds or even other people half the time.
You draw attention, even without meaning to.
Not because you were once in a band, but just because of who you are.
You’re good and kind and handsome and if we’re together, I’ll never be able to hide and blend into the background like I want to. ”
Sucking in a deep breath, my lips quiver as I wait for Bryce to say something.
His mouth firms into a thin, straight line, his eyes narrowing as he stands and silently watches me.
Blowing out sharply, I continue in a rush, my words coming faster and faster. “And if you’re still willing to try, and maybe not force me to stay too long, will you please go to happy hour tomorrow with me because I love you and the idea of never seeing you again terrifies me more than anything?”
“Does this place have dancing?”
My mind scrambles to make sense of what he’s asking. “Umm… I guess. It’s a tiny little dancefloor, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen many people on it.”
“Will you dance with me? Even if we’re the only people out there?”
Biting down hard on my lip, I nod my head and answer honestly. “Yes.”
Bryce reaches for my hands, drawing me closer. His nose rubs along my jawline and I swallow hard.
“Good,” he whispers, placing a kiss under my ear. “Because I want to dance with the woman I love.”
I start to melt when the sharp sting of his teeth pinching down on my earlobe has me tensing up, my breath catching in my chest.
“And angel, don’t you ever refer to yourself as plain again. I don’t know who filled your head with those lies. You are beautiful and anyone who doesn’t see it doesn’t deserve to.”
His mouth shifts to my lips and I cling to him as he kisses me, uncaring of who might be witnessing me kissing the man I love.
***
brYCE
Avery wasn’t kidding. This happy hour is a bore. And Trevor? I shake my head and grin behind my glass of stout. Meeting him, I can now agree, the term jerk face fits him perfectly.
Funny enough, when we were introduced at the beginning of the party, he recognized me. Apparently, he’s a fan.
“Bryce? You’re from Men on a Mission,” he said, a wide grin splitting his face. “I loved In the Zone! I didn’t realize you were so short though,” he said, taking his hand and lowering it to his shoulder and then skimming it near my forehead while laughing.
Avery tensed up next to me and I squeezed her hand, letting her know it was okay.
My girlfriend shocked me, though.
“Shame some men only have height going for them. Unlike Bryce, who’s the whole package.” She gave Trevor a wink. “And then some.”
We walked away while Trevor’s face went from pink to red. He avoided us for the rest of the evening.
After we finished making the rounds and Avery introduced me to all her coworkers, she begged to leave. I told her she needed to last a full ninety minutes and reminded her of her promise.
Currently we’re sitting at the table in the back, while Sarah alternates between grilling us and Avery looks at the big clock near the bar and gives me the occasional pouty frown.
“And you don’t have any brothers?” Sarah asks me with a pout of her own.
“Only a sister. Avery has a brother, Aiden. Why hasn’t she set you up with him?”
If looks could kill, I would be stiff on the ground, Sarah’s cheery brown eyes having turned wintery cold.
“Excuse me,” she says, grabbing her drink and standing. “I should go congratulate the man of the hour.”
“Ouch, what did I say?” I ask after she takes off.
“Crazy enough, Sarah used to date Aiden’s best friend and let’s just say the two of them didn’t end on good terms. My brother, being my brother, took his friend’s side.
This is all before I started working with Sarah, so I don’t know too many details.
” Avery takes a fast sip of her soda. “Somehow, she forgave me once she learned who my brother was. I didn’t think to warn you about it.
Whatever you do don’t mention this to my brother next weekend, okay? ”
I in no way want to tick off my girlfriend.
Nor get on the wrong side of her family that I’m going to meet for the first time.
But I plan to find out exactly what happened.
I have an idea it’s far different from what Sarah has admitted to.
There was a certain spark to her eyes when I mentioned Aiden’s name.
One that had very little to do with hate.
I’m saved from commenting when a slow song comes on and Avery’s blue eyes flash to mine. A grin slides across my face and I stand, holding out my hand to her.
Without any hesitation she takes it, her warm palm sliding against mine, and I lead her out to the dancefloor. It’s small, like she said, and more people are standing around chatting on it than dancing. None of that matters with the woman I love in my arms.
At my urging, she wore heels tonight. I’m seriously not that much of an asshole that my height bothers me. I was more upset that the woman of my dreams would get away because of something I had no control over.
Besides, what a lot of men don’t realize is that being shorter has its advantages with taller women.
We’re at the perfect height to nibble on their necks without causing our own stiff necks or cramped shoulders.
Something I’m all too happy to demonstrate to Avery as we sway to the music, our bodies falling into a rhythm as old as time.
For no matter what the notes, the language of love is the same, and once two hearts have found the beat, everything else falls into place.
And with Avery in my arms, there might be missteps in our journey through life, but I know I found my forever partner, my forever love.