“Oh, right. I didn’t realize he was such a jerk.”
More tears threatened to fall. “He won’t have sex with me. He’s a complete jerk…except he’snot. That’s what’s so awful. I made all these rules he’s actually following. We’re not supposed to date, and we aren’t. We were just supposed to get the sex out of the way. And I guess we did, but I still want him all the time. So we don’t have sex, and we hang out. And I…”
“Yeah?”
“Ilikehim.” She burst into tears.
Gage chose that moment to step into the room. He took one look at them on the couch, turned around and left.
“God. N-now I’m man-repellent,” Sydney stuttered through her tears. “I’m an idiot. I don’t even know why I’m crying. But I feel so emotional lately. I think I connect with Derrick, and I’m so afraid one day he’ll just stop coming around. But I’m also afraid he might stay. Does that make sense, or am I totally crazy?”
Hailey nodded. “Oh honey. I sometimes feel the same way. It’s hard to put yourself out there. You just have to live it day in and day out. Trust yourself, then trust him.”
“Him?” She didn’t want to say his name, to admit she was in danger of falling in love with one of the Warren twins.Oh my God!She was falling hard for Derrick Warren with no way to stop.
“Don’t be an idiot. We’re talking about the man you’ve fallen in love with.”
Sydney felt the truth like a slap in the face when Hailey said the words. Notfallingfor.Fallenfor. For three months she’d talked to him, falling slowly under his spell. He was sexy, had a great sense of humor, and came from a family that showed each other how much they cared. Then the sex had been perfect. Not just great, not just wow, but incredibly right. They fit each other, and he was the most unselfish lover she’d ever been with.
A man that made sure she came before he did? Unheard of. But the last two weeks had worn her down. She counted the minutes until they saw one another. The hint of a dark SUV like his made her heart jump. Receiving text messages from him thrilled her. Beck’sLoserhad become her favorite friggin’ song.
“I hate the way I feel, all needy and lovesick,” she admitted in a quiet voice.
Hailey stroked her hair. “I know. It sucks. But look at it this way. I bet he feels the same way.”
The thought amused her, and then she felt a measure of inspiration. “You think?”
“Yep.” She glanced around again. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but I know he’s having a hard time knowing what to do with you. He even consulted his mom about you, because he was frantic to get you to talk to him. Hell, he used me too.”
“He did, didn’t he?” The knowledge that he’d gone crazy when she wouldn’t talk to him softened her up even more.
“Sydney, you’re the most confident woman I know. If you want a stable relationship with anyone, Derrick or any other guy, take back control. When I finally realized how I felt about Gage, you told me to believe in myself. Well, back at you, girlfriend. Do you think you can have a meaningful relationship with a man? Or are you just like your mother?”
“I don’t want to be like her. Most of the time, I don’t even like her. I’m a terrible person, aren’t I?”
“Not at all. I don’t like her much either. But you didn’t answer the question. Are you just like your mother? Would you ignore a friend or daughter for a man?”
“Hell no.”
“Not even for Derrick?”
If there was a man she might cling to, it was him. And yet, she’d never leave Hailey hurting or needing her just to make Derrick happy. “Not even for him.”
“Have you ever followed a man around because he’s your sugar daddy? Or do you make a comfortable living on your own? Do you have friends? Are you selfish? Are you on your sixth marriage?”
“No, no, no and no. Wait, how many questions did you ask?” She shared a teary grin with Hailey. “You always make me feel better. Well, you do when it’s not before noon.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So okay. If I want to try being a real person dating a real man, what do I do?”
Hailey shrugged. “Wake him up. Shake him up. That’s what I’d do if Gage hadn’t made love to me in a few weeks. The one time I wore this really sexy outfit, he went out of his mind.”
Sydney nodded. “I actually have a few ideas. Can I borrow that French maid costume you wore to last year’s Halloween party?”
“Oh boy.” Hailey gave her a high-five. “Derrick is not going to know what hit him tonight, is he?”
“Nope.” The time had come to prove Sydney was nothing like her mother. She liked Derrick a lot. More than a lot.
He helped people. Mentored kids at the junior college on his own time. He loved his family. A guy who knew what loyalty meant and respected women was a rarity in her world of users and losers. Hell, she’d met Barbara Warren once before. No way would that woman let her son grow up to be a chauvinist.
It was time to turn up the heat and see what Derrick was like underrealpressure. If she had to stir his interest by showing a little skin in public and turning the tables, so be it. This time she’d play hard to get, and she’d snag him before he knew what had hit him. Sydney was a hell of a lot more than just any woman. She was a prize to be won, and it was past time she remembered that.
