Chapter 16 #2
“And, assuming we’re talking about the same thing… it’s you?”
For a long moment his eyes stayed locked on mine, my chest rising and falling, a delicious tightening happening deep within my center.
“Hey, Miss?” I heard Cole say loudly, interrupting the moment. “Respect people’s privacy, yeah?”
“Sorry,” a woman said, scampering away, her phone in her hand.
“And that’s my cue,” I said, reaching for my purse.
“I’ve got it,” Graham said, taking out his wallet and handing Cole his card.
“I think I got her before she took a picture,” Cole said. “Sorry she got past me though. Slipped by while I was serving someone else.”
“Not your fault, Cole,” Graham said. “I was supposed to be on watch.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “But I need to get out of here now. Can I use the back door?”
“You know you don’t even need to ask,” Cole said.
“Share a cab?” Graham asked.
“Deal,” I said, and led the way to the back door.
“Well, here we are again,” I said as the cab he’d hailed sped toward Brooklyn.
“We seem to be forming a habit.”
But I didn’t respond, my mind somewhere else.
“You okay?” Graham asked.
I felt my eyes well and looked out the window, embarrassed.
“Lior?”
“I’m fine. I’m just so tired of it,” I said, my voice soft. “Imagine if she’d gotten the shot. The media would’ve had a field day.”
“Why?”
I turned to look at him in the dark, the little screen on the back of the seat in front of him flashing strange shapes across his chin and throat.
“Two guys in one night. That’s what they’d print. First Caleb. Then you.” I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. “I’m sorry in advance, in case anyone else figured out who we were and got a picture from afar.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me because other people suck. Besides, I’m the one that failed you. So, I’m the one that’s sorry.”
“It’s not your job to protect me. I know better. I just…”
“You just what?”
“I was having a nice time.”
“Me too.” His expression turned serious then and he seemed to shrink away from me just the slightest bit, but enough for me to notice.
“So,” I said brightly, changing the subject. “Vogue. Are you really going to do it?”
“Despite myself, I have agreed to do it. When did you find out?”
“I didn’t really. Risa, the creative director, mentioned this morning that there were a few contenders, but you were the top get. I assumed you’d been asked and when you blushed well…”
“Damn my modesty,” he said and we both laughed. “Is it going to be awful?”
“The shoot?”
“Yeah.”
“They’ll treat you like royalty.”
“I won’t have to be naked at any point, will I?”
The cab pulled up to my house and I opened the door and started to get out, a sly grin on my face.
“Lior.” He caught my wrist, his tone pleading.
“Probably only a little naked,” I said, slipping my arm from his grip and shutting the door behind me.
“Hey!”
I turned to see he’d rolled down the window.
“Yes?”
“Any chance you’ll be in Seattle again soon?”
I gave him a quizzical look. “I’ll be there next weekend, why?”
“Me too.”
I walked back to the car. “Oh yeah?”
“My younger sister got into the University of Washington. I promised to help her move in.”
“U Dub.”
“What?”
“We call it U Dub.”
“U Dub,” he repeated with a nod. “Noted. Do you think… Would you maybe want to meet us for lunch Saturday or Sunday?”
I stared at him, chewing my lower lip as I considered the idea.
“I think I would,” I said, nodding slowly.
“Yeah?”
“Sure,” I said. “Addie’s working Saturday so I’ll have that day free.”
“Perfect. I’m helping Marley move in that morning. We could meet after?”
“Sounds good.”
There was only the streetlight several feet away for light so I couldn’t be sure, but I was pretty sure he blushed when he asked if he could have my phone number.
I bounded up the stairs to my room a few minutes later, dialing Addie as I went.
“I just had drinks with GRAHAM FREAKING FORRESTER!” I shouted into the receiver as soon as she answered.
“Wait,” she said. “Didn’t you call me four hours ago telling me you had a date with Caleb freaking Malone?”
“I did.”
“And… what happened to that?”
“He’s a tool and I bailed. Hang on.”
I put her on speaker, unzipped my dress, and grabbed hold of the hem, pulling upwards. But instead of slipping off over my head, it got stuck at my shoulders and I was trapped.
“Oh my god,” I said, my voice muffled in the fabric as I twisted back and forth, trying to get the frock to move.
“Li?” I heard Addie say.
“I’m stuck in my dress!” Panic filled my voice. “Addie! I can’t get it off! It’s—”
“It is not trying to strangle you.” Her own voice had taken on the soothing tone she used on her animal patients. “You are not going to be stuck in the dress forever. You will not die there.”
“Stop talking to me like I’m a feral cat!”
I was thrashing around now, twisting and pulling, my nude-thonged ass exposed, my arms pinned to the side of my head, hands getting tired from pulling.
“Lior…” I could barely hear Addie now thanks to my arms pressing against my ears. “What is happening?”
“I can’t get out of my dress and I can’t remember if my curtains are open!”
“Okay. We’ve been here before. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve flashed your neighbors. Stop panicking and take a breath.”
I did as she said, arms raised above my head, shoulders wedged sufficiently against fabric that had little to no give.
“What if I die like this?” I asked, my lips brushing the white fabric covering my face. “What if I’m found dead with my ass hanging out.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. You happen to have a nice ass. I’ve always been jealous.”
“Addie!”
“Right. Ready to try again?” she asked.
I took in a deep breath and let it out.
“Yes,” I said my voice small.
“Nice and easy,” Addie said. “Relax your shoulders and—”
I grabbed two fistfuls of fabric and tugged, bending at the waist as I did. There was a ferocious sounding rip and suddenly I was free.
“I’m out!” I shouted gleefully, dropping the dress unceremoniously onto the bed.
“What was that sound, Lior.”
“Um…” I glanced at the pile of fabric and wrinkled my nose. “I might’ve ripped the dress.”
“Please tell me it wasn’t a nice dress.”
“I mean… it wasn’t a not nice dress.”
“And the label on that dress?”
I winced and stared down at the pretty label staring back at me.
“It may or may not start with a C.”
“Jesus. Did you just tear a Chanel?”
“It was from Costco.”
She snorted and I grinned and collapsed on my bed.
“You’re an abomination to the fashion world, Lior Flynn. Now, are the curtains open and tell me about your date with Graham Forrester.”
I spun around, having forgot about the curtains, and was relieved to see they were closed.
“Curtains are closed and it wasn’t a date,” I reported. “We found ourselves at the same bar and sat together.”
“And?”
“And… it was fun.”
“And?”
“He’s nice.”
Addie was quiet.
“Ads?” I said, checking to make sure the connection was still good.
“Did you just call me to simply tell me that Graham Forrester is fun and nice?”
“I did.”
“Not that you made out or touched his red rocket or fell in love?”
“Addie!”
“What?”
I could hear her trying to muffle her laughter.
“I really hope you don’t call it that to the men you date,” I said.
“I absolutely do.”
“Oh yeah?” Now I was laughing. “Tell me. Tell me how you say it.”
But she was laughing too hard now to get out any words.
“Veterinarians are twisted little souls,” I said. “I always knew it.”
“We have to have some comic relief,” she said. ‘You have no idea the things we have to deal with.”
“I do know. Because unfortunately you tell me.”
“I like to share my life with you.”
“Share less.”
“Okay but seriously,” she said. “Did anything happen?”
“No. It was just a nice time, until someone tried to get a drive-by photo.”
“Jerks.”
I yawned then and hauled myself up to a sitting position.
“I should get to bed,” I said. “I drank more than I do in a month today and I’m gonna be hurting tomorrow. Also, Graham invited me to lunch when I’m in Seattle next weekend because he’s going to be there too.”
I hung up while she was still shouting “WHAT?”