Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DEIDRE
“I want all of the juicy details,” Mandy practically shouts two seconds after I open the front door.
“What?” I laugh.
“Don’t what me, bitch,” she scolds. “I want details. What did you do? Is he a good kisser? Did…you…sleep…with…him?”
I share with Mandy all the details of my time with Luke, excluding the kiss.
“And he never kissed you? Like, he didn’t even try?”
“Nope.”
She studies me for a moment. “Holy shit! You kissed him.”
“No,” I lie.
“You hesitated…you so fucking kissed him.” She jumps up and down several times. “Did he kiss you back?”
I head for my room. “I’m not talking about this.”
“So you did fucking kiss him, holy shit!”
“Yes, but not because of why you think I kissed him.”
“What?” she replies.
“When I was little, Luke was my first kiss, but he wasn’t my first kiss .”
“So…you wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him. I get it,” Mandy says.
“I had made a comment when he said something back during the wedding. I told him there’s a difference between a first kiss and a first kiss . I thought he would have forgotten about it, but he brought it up.”
“You avoided telling him the first time,” she assumes.
“Yes.”
“So you showed him rather than tell him,” she surmises.
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit!” she gasps.
“What?”
“You like him.”
“No. I like him, but I don’t like him.”
She pokes me. “Yeah, you do.”
I shake my head in opposition.
“It’s okay, Dei. I won’t tell anyone,” she teases.
“That’s not funny.”
Mandy sits on my bed. “So, when’s he coming back?”
“I don’t know."
“I bet he’s masturbating right now thinking of you and that kiss,” she goads.
“Eww,” I say, despite being flattered by the idea of him doing it.
“You’re so going to masturbate thinking of him tonight,” she muses.
“No.”
“Yeah, you are,” she laughs. “It’s okay, Dei. You’re allowed to like a boy.”
“I liked your brother at one point,” I remind. “Actually, I still do…just not like that .”
“He’s cool, but you two are better off friends,” she states. “Besides, we both know it would never have worked out with Ryan.”
“I know. He was good in the sack, but I just wasn’t feeling it, you know?”
“TMI, Dei,” she scoffs.
“Serves you right.”
“Why don’t you call him?” Mandy asks as I unpack.
I toss the last of my dirty clothes in the hamper. “Who?”
“Luke, duh.”
“That’s not happening.”
“Come on,” she whines.
“I’ve got a meeting tonight,” I say, changing the subject.
“I get it,” she says, moving toward my door. “You’ve got a meeting with your lady bits tonight…I hear ya.”
“You’re nasty.”
“So are you,” she teases.
“I’ve got that party Victoria wants me to attend,” I remind, changing the subject.
“Which one? Didn’t you have two or three this weekend?”
“Yeah.”
“But you brushed them off for a boy,” she states.
“I brushed them off for me. I just….” My voice trails as I try to get my head ready for my meeting.
“Needed some non-work fun?”
“Something like that.”
“I get it,” she replies. “Victoria has you working so much. I barely get to see you. How many a week now are you tied up with events?”
“Almost seven,” I state. “And that’s even with travel for some. You’d think I would be able to do less with the success the app is having.”
“Talk to her,” Mandy suggests.
“There’s no point. I’m contractually obligated.”
“You’re obligated to yourself too, you know,” she counters.
“Wanna be my wing-girl tonight?”
“Uh…like that's a question?” she scoffs playfully. “I’ve barely gotten a chance to see you.”
“I know. Sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it, hun,” she says. “I get it.”
“Thanks.”
I don’t know how she can get it when there are some days I don’t get it myself.
“What time do you want to leave?” Mandy asks.
I grimace, not wanting to admit out loud that I honestly don’t want to go to the party tonight. “Whenever we’re ready.”
Mandy nods, as if catching my hidden meaning. “It won’t take me long. Plus, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave and come back to watch a movie.”
I smile, appreciative of my friend. “That would be great.”
“Let’s get ready to get out and back in no time.”
“On it,” I state with determination.
It’s not until Mandy and I are halfway to the party tonight that I realize I never texted Luke.
Made it home a while ago. Sorry.
His reply comes back instantly.
No worries. Glad you made it safe. I had trust in Tony being able to do his job.
Have a safe flight tomorrow.
I’ll be back down in a few weeks to finalize paperwork for the deal. Do you think us friends can hang out again?
I grimace, knowing how my schedule is slated for the next few months. Not wanting to ruin the mood, and hoping to see Luke again sooner rather than later, I write back.
Sure.
I really do want to see him again. Other than Dad, Irene, and Mandy, he’s the only other person who allows me to just be myself. Luke makes me feel like I don’t have to fake anything with him and that I’m not being judged for my past.
I’m buying dinner next time.
You made me breakfast.
Not the same.
I laugh, reassured that he’s not offended by my previous actions.
I enjoyed the kiss more than I should have which is why I had to go.
My body is in desperate need of release from something other than a toy, but I’m worried what it would do to our friendship if we cross that line.
I don’t care that he’s Mike’s best friend.
I just wouldn’t want things to get weird between us if we did have some added benefits to get this attraction out of the way.
Next time I see you, I want a view of how the real Dei lives.
Sure
Goodnight, Tyson.
Goodnight Busta.
The next few weeks are super busy. Victoria has me spending three whole days with Rox for the photo shoot before and during her wedding for our marketing campaign.
Each time I’ve been around Rox, no matter the situation, the woman is really nice and amenable, even when the photographer got a little pushy sometimes about angles and looks.
I apologized profusely when no one was around.
She told me not to worry about it. Apparently, that kind of stuff comes with the territory of being famous.
She gives me some great pointers when it comes to my brand: always stay true to myself, don’t share everything, keep some things for yourself, and when it’s time to change, don’t hesitate.
I do my best to keep my attention focused on business, but Luke either texts or sends flirts through the app. It isn't weird—just a reminder of him and our kiss . The fact that Luke and I have a history makes this challenging and confusing for me.
Each week moves by painstakingly slow, even with all the distractions Victoria has for me. A whole six weeks go by and I’m seen with a different man each week—if not each day. It’s like playing dating roulette.
Even though Luke has returned to LA on several occasions, my schedule has prevented us from seeing each other.
I’m sure it’s meant to be and for the best. I can’t be thinking about a guy, let alone considering a relationship.
My schedule doesn’t allow it. Despite all this, the night we kissed on the beach replays over in my head.
This is the worst time for me personally, let alone a relationship with anyone —even Luke.
There is a last-second change of plans for tonight’s event Victoria lined up, so I decide to be creative.
I jump out of the car with Vix in hand. “Hey, Busta.”
He wraps his large arms around me. “Hey, Tyson.”
“Did you get the papers signed?”
“Yep. We’ve already begun the one project, and I’m already working on another one,” he says with a smile.
I high-five him. “Awesome.”
“What’s the plan for tonight?” he asks as we get to his floor.
“You need to change. You’re coming with me for the night.”
“I’m buying dinner,” Luke reminds.
“I know…I know, but we’re going somewhere after that.”
“Cool. Where?”
I put Vix down. “I’m not telling.”
“Come on,” he coaxes.
“You need to change a little, though,” I say.
“Why?”
I glance over his outfit. “You need to look more LA and less business.”
I get Luke to change into a pair of dark jeans after I rummage through his bag and toss him a different pair of dress-casual shoes to go with it.
He tries to tuck in his button-down shirt, but I pull it out before he finishes.
Luke tries to object, but he quickly stops fighting me on it when I threaten to leave him behind.
After I roll up his sleeves and rough up his hair to make it more relaxed, I give him the once-over and tell him that his outfit will do.
I pop into his bathroom and change into my outfit, already having my hair and makeup done.
“Damn,” he gasps when I step out of the bathroom.
My throat tightens, not expecting him to be sitting on the bed, waiting for me. “What?” I check to make sure nothing’s out of place.
“You look?—”
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” I say. “I told Victoria that it?—”
“No,” Luke interrupts.
My head tilts to the side at his reaction. “No?”
“No.”
“I have a work thing I have to stop by after we have dinner,” I state. “I hope you don’t mind. It’s just a quick thing. No press or anything, but I’m expected to make an appearance to aid Victoria with something for marketing.”
“I don’t mind,” he says.
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” Luke replies.
“Cool. I’m ready if you are.”
Our conversations are cool and casual with a hint of flirting on occasion while we eat. Once we’re done, we go back to Luke’s. I fib to Tony, claiming that Luke and I don’t plan on going back out. Luke goes along with it, and I’m grateful.
I know Tony has a job to do, but I need some time away from being watched. I know I can trust Tony since Victoria hasn’t heard about my public kiss with Luke. I should have waited until we were back in his apartment, but if I had waited that long, I’m certain it would have gone further.