9. Chapter 9
Three Years Ago
I beam up at Austin, pretending this is real. Pretending he truly thinks I’m the most beautiful woman in the room.
A small dimple appears at the corner of his mouth when he returns my smile.
It’s adorable and makes him feel a little more human.
I also can’t help but love that he complimented me and dissed Bianca.
Normally, I’m a girls’ girl through and through, but I think I can make an exception for my cousin who is dating my ex and talks down to me every time I see her.
There’s a reason my friends call her the Regina George of Louisville.
“Her company is so sought-after that she has an even more illustrious gathering to attend tonight.” Austin dips his chin in the barest of nods. “If you’ll excuse us.”
I offer them a small wave as he pulls me away. I have to press my lips together to keep from laughing at their bewildered expressions. Austin’s tone was so kind that I’m sure they’re going to be left wondering all night if he was complimenting or mocking them.
Austin leads me through the tables and holds the door for me to exit into the hallway. Once we’re alone, I exhale a laugh. “You were amazing back there.”
He chuckles. “It was a fun acting debut.”
I hold an imaginary award out to him. “I hereby give you an honorary Oscar for your role as stand-in date.”
Austin accepts the invisible award. His hand brushes mine in the process and goose bumps cover my arms again. He raises it, looking like John Cusack holding the boombox over his head. My romance-loving heart can’t take much more of this perfect man without bursting.
He glances down at my arms, and I try to hide them behind my back before he can see the evidence of what his touch caused.
“Are you cold?” He’s already shrugging off his suit jacket before he can answer.
“Here.” Austin drapes it over my shoulders, and I’m hit with warmth and the scent of his cologne.
It’s subtle and clean. Exactly what I’d expect from the little I know about him.
“Thanks.” I cross my arms, holding it on. “For everything.”
“Ah.” Austin waves his hand in the air. “It was nothing. I’m glad I could help.” He blows out a breath. “Those people were a trip. You said that was your ex?”
“Unfortunately.” I grimace. “Bradley Vanderbilt. And his new girlfriend is Bianca Cartwright.” I pause for dramatic effect. “My cousin.”
“Your cousin?” His eyes bug out. “Man, no wonder you grabbed the nearest stranger. I would’ve done the same thing.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to try to make me feel better.”
“I’m not.” He squeezes my shoulder. “I know it’s none of my business, but why do you let them belittle you like that?”
“I avoid conflict like it’s my job.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“The thought of confronting someone makes me feel like I’m going to break out in hives.
” Real smooth, Alyssa. Now the handsome stranger is probably envisioning me covered in red bumps.
“Plus, my cousin has been like that my whole life. There’s no use trying to talk to someone who will never see reason. ”
“That makes sense. She was a piece of work.” He nudges me. “I’m glad I was here to step in. No one should have to deal with people like that alone.”
“You’re too kind.” I scrunch my nose, trying to remember his name. “Austin, right?”
“Yeah, sorry.” He runs a hand over the back of his neck before extending it to me. “Austin Bradford.”
“There wasn’t much time for introductions when I was coercing you into helping me at the dessert table.” I laugh and shake his hand. “Alyssa Cartwright.”
“Eh, it was more of a gentle request.”
I raise a brow. “My eyes were probably bugging out when I asked you to help me.”
“Nah, they were only slightly buggy.”
I release my grip on his hand and hold mine to my chest in mock offense. “Glad to know I only looked slightly like an insect.”
He shakes his head, wearing a teasing smile. “Maybe one-sixteenth. That hardly even counts.”
I laugh. “That makes me feel so much better.”
Austin smiles, and his dimple makes another guest appearance. “Glad I could help.” He gestures to the doors. “Let me walk you out.”
“That’s really kind of you, but I still have to grab my stuff from the back.”
He shrugs casually. “I’m good at grabbing stuff.”
There’s no stopping the smile that pulls at my lips. “I’ll be the judge of that.” I lead him to the back room that my stuff is in and slide my cooled curling iron into a holder before putting it in my large bag.
Austin looks down at the bag with wide eyes. “Do you always show up to events with an entire arsenal of hair-care products?”
“You never know when there might be a hair emergency,” I joke. “I was helping one of the guests fix her hair, and she told me to grab some food before I left.” I zip the bag shut. “Obviously, I wouldn’t have gone out there if I’d known the B’s were going to be out there.”
I move to pick up the heavy bag, but Austin grabs it before I can, slinging the strap over his shoulder like it weighs nothing. We head back through the hall and out the front doors, but Austin stops me on the curb. “But then you’d never have met me.”
“What are the odds we’d run into you two again?” Bradley’s booming voice comes from behind us. From the sound of his slurred voice, he’s had a few too many of the complimentary drinks.
Austin slides his hand down my arm until our fingers are intertwined. “Since we’re at the same event, I’d say highly likely.”
“Ha!” Bradley laughs way too loud. “You’re funny, man.” He turns to Bianca, who winces at the volume of his voice. “He’s funny.”
“We should go get some water.” She pulls at his arm, but he shakes her off.
“I don’t want water.” He points accusingly at us. “I don’t think they’re a real couple.”
I internally panic, but Austin’s face doesn’t reveal anything. “Why’s that?”
“It just doesn’t seem believable. I mean, you with her?” He chortles. “It’s comical, really.”
“Well, I guess I should thank you for fumbling her.” Austin squeezes my hand.
“Otherwise I would never have had the chance to do this.” He drops my bag to the sidewalk and cups my face in both hands, looking into my eyes for any sign of hesitation.
I give Austin a barely perceptible nod before he kisses me.
And I mean kisses me. Full throttle, no brakes. He kisses me like there’s no tomorrow. Like the world is ending and his final wish is to savor my lips one last time.
His hands move to my hips, tugging me closer as I slide my hands around his neck.
Austin’s mouth moves against mine with enough fervor and passion to steal my breath away.
I thought he was gentle before, but there’s nothing gentle about the way he kisses.
He’s all-consuming, breathing me in until I don’t know where I end and he begins.
I’ve kissed a few guys in my life, but none of them compare to this.
And it isn’t even real.
He pulls back slightly, breathing hard. “Do you think that convinced them?” he whispers into my ear. The light scruff on his face tickles my cheek, making me want more of him.
I turn and glance over, but Bianca and Bradley are nowhere to be found. “They’re gone.”
“What?” Austin turns and looks around, then takes a step back and rubs his chin. “I guess that showed them.”
“Bianca probably needed to go find some pearls to clutch.”
Austin tsks. “Hopefully we didn’t destroy her delicate sensibilities.”
“I hope we did,” I say.
Austin meets my gaze and laughs. I love the way his eyes light up. Bradley never laughed at my jokes. It made me feel small, but the way Austin is reacting to every little thing I say and do makes me feel larger than the sun.
“Has anyone told you you’re hilarious?” He bends down and picks my bag back up.
“Not today.”
“Well, you are,” he says. I gesture to my car and we begin walking over. “And I meant what I said back there.”
“Hmm?” I’m going to need some more clarification, but I really hope it’s something to do with him kissing me again.
“About him fumbling you. You deserve so much better than that jack-wagon.”
Not quite wanting to kiss me again territory, but I’ll take it. “Jack-wagon, huh?” I stop in front of my car and unlock it. Austin places my bag in the back seat without asking, like this is something we do every day.
He leans on the doorframe and smiles at me. “I would never curse in front of a lady.”
“Delicate sensibilities and all.” I grin.
“Exactly.” He opens the driver’s door for me. “Sorry if that kiss was too much. Just trying to be thorough about my stand-in date duties.”
“You can consider my expectations exceeded.”
“This was the most fun I’ve had at one of these events in a long time.”
I smile at him for a beat too long, waiting to see if he’ll ask for my number. When he doesn’t, I turn to get into my car, feeling deflated. But Austin gently grabs my arm.
“Wait.”
I turn to face him, surprised to find he looks genuinely shy for the first time.
“Are you from around here?”
I nod. “I’ve lived in Louisville my whole life.”
He smiles nervously. “Great. Uh, I can’t afford to get distracted right now, but—”
My heart stops, hanging on his next words. This is it. The moment he’s going to ask me on a date. Because I couldn’t be the only one that felt that connection between us.
“I’m always down to make new friends. I just moved here, and it would be nice to have someone to tell me about all things Louisville and hang out with aside from my teammates.” He laughs as if his words weren’t a fatal blow to my heart.
I plaster on a fake smile to hide the fact that I just got friend-zoned by the most handsome, genuinely kind man I’ve ever met. But who knows, maybe friendship will be the foundation for something more. My parents were friends before they dated, too. “Yeah, friends.”
He sighs, looking relieved, and pulls out his phone. “Here, you can put your number in, and I’ll text you.”
I type in my contact information and hand it back to him.
Austin pulls up the camera app and flips it to selfie mode. “A picture for the memory of the night I won my first Oscar?”
I laugh at his joke, but it rings hollow as he casually slings his arm over my shoulder. I sidle up beside him and put on my best attempt at a smile. He takes a few pictures and doesn’t even look at them before putting his phone back in his pocket. “It was nice meeting you, Alyssa Cartwright.”
I slide into my driver’s seat and wave. “The pleasure was all mine, Austin Bradford.”
He heads back inside, and I turn on my car and lean toward my air vent as the cold air blasts. I probably look crazy to any passersby. Don’t mind me, just a woman sitting in the parking lot because she still feels the ghost of a kiss from the hottest man ever to exist.
Once I’ve taken a moment to gather myself, I head home.
But my heart is right there where he left me, bruised by all that it lost before even having it.