Turning my head, I look at her in confusion.“Yeah, don’t you?We can get room service if you’d rather.”
“No,” she says.“I want to go, wasn’t sure if you did.”
I rise from the sofa.“Do you need the bathroom still, or can I take a shower?”
“Go ahead, I can finish what I need to do in the bedroom.”
There are things I want to finish in the bedroom too, but that’s not happening.Not tonight.I showered after practice, so technically I don’t need this, but standing under the spray is giving me the time and space to be alone with my thoughts.Maybe I’ve been wrong about our friendship and it’s not as deep on her side as it is on mine.We’ve never spent time alone in person for extended periods of time.Family has always been around, or we’ve texted and spoken on FaceTime.Maybe I’ve imagined our connection and what we have isn’t special.
I don’t really believe that.We’re supposed to be together.I’m built to love Phoebe Albright.Now to get her to love me back.Starting with dinner.
22
PHOEBE
This feels real,but if that’s true, why does he seem to be pulling away from me now that the ring is on my finger?What if we keep pretending and get married?We could do that, right?What if what I feel is real enough for both of us?It could work.Marriages have been based on less.
I go into the powder room while Ollie showers.Don’t cry, Phoebe.You’re strong.The mirror isn’t giving me much confidence, but at least I don’t cry, so my eyes aren’t red and puffy.
This isn’t how I was planning for any of this to go.We’ve always had a connection… At least, I thought we did.Maybe I was delusional and seeing what I hoped to and not reality.We haven’t spent time alone together before.Maybe now that Ollie is getting to know the real me, he doesn’t like what he sees.
We said we wanted to kiss each other, and I thought we’d finally do that once we were back in the room, but nothing happened.Is he waiting for me to make the first move?Has he changed his mind?I wish I knew what he was thinking.I know I could ask him and he’d probably tell me, but I’m scared.At least if I don’t know, there’s still the hope he cares for me the way I do him and he’s too bashful to act on it.If he tells me it was a momentary desire because of the situation and not because of me, my heart is going to be broken, and I don’t know if I can continue faking an engagement.Because I’m not faking.I’m in love with Oliver King, he asked me to marry him, I said yes, and he put a ring on my finger.Weareengaged, and I want to marry that man.
I take extra care with my hair and makeup.I’m glad I chose the plum-colored knit wrap dress.My boobs look fabulous in it, and I love the flirty way the skirt swishes around my knees.The black heels do wonderful things to my legs.Is it too much?I don’t want to push Ollie further away.Will he be proud to be seen with me?I am so proud of him, and I’m scared people are going to look at us together and wonder why a man as gorgeous as him is with a woman as…curvy as I am.My heart will break if Ollie’s ashamed to be with me.
I hear the shower turn off and am tempted to go into the bedroom for something so I can peep at Ollie, but I don’t want to be a creeper.
A few minutes later, Ollie exits the bedroom, wearing a charcoal-gray suit without a tie and the top button of his white dress shirt unbuttoned.A little bit of brown chest hair is visible in the small V the shirt makes, and the sight of it is so sexy.I’ve seen him in his Bigfoot form when he’s had hair everywhere.But that little glimpse is turning me on and making my panties damp.Who knew I had a chest hair fetish?
He's fastening his watch as he enters the sitting area, and he stops midstride when he looks up and sees me.The blush creeping up his neck amplifies the heat igniting in his eyes.Yeah.He likes what he sees.That’s half the battle.I can get guys to want me—that’s never been a struggle.So I’ll use the boobs and the legs and the curves and hope that’s enough to finally get him to kiss me and want me in all the ways I want him.If I’m going to end up with a broken heart at the end of this, at least I’ll have some memories.But damn it, I want his heart, not only his cock.I deserve to be loved.He deserves it too.And I’m the woman meant to love him.
“Wow, you look beautiful.”His gaze slowly tracks from head to toe.He swallows, or maybe gulps, and returns his gaze to my face.
“Thanks,” I say with a soft smile.“You look very handsome.I love it when you wear your glasses.”
I really do.He gets a sexy nerd vibe, which is so unlike the type of guy I usually go for.
“Do I need a coat?”I ask.
“And cover up that gorgeous dress?Absolutely not.I thought we were eating at the steakhouse here.Is that still okay?”
I smile.“That’s perfect.I’ve heard it’s wonderful.”
Grabbing my bag, I exit the suite ahead of Ollie.He doesn’t touch me as we walk to the elevator.No hand at the small of my back, no holding my hand.Nothing.No one seeing us would think we were a newly engaged couple, they’d think we were coworkers.Or strangers.I look at our reflection in the elevator door as we descend to the main floor of the hotel.We’re an attractive couple.We both have dark hair and eyes, and I’m above average height for a woman, so we’re both tall.Ollie is so muscular and broad, I don’t feel like I’m too big next to him.
Other people join us on the elevator, and I move closer to Ollie, hoping he’ll put his arm around me and tuck me against his side protectively.He doesn’t do that.Instead, he moves so I have room.I don’t want room, damn it!I want to be cuddled and cosseted.Treated like I’m a delicate flower for once, not like I’m strong and sturdy and can take care of myself.I am those things, but it would be nice to not have to be.
We enter the steakhouse, and Ollie gives his name to the hostess, who starts to lead us to a table in the center of the dining room.
“Any chance we can have a booth?”Ollie asks quietly.
She changes course and places our menus on the table of a cozy booth.I’m so glad Ollie requested this.I hate feeling like I’m on display when I’m eating.Usually, I think people are judging my food choices, but tonight I know they’ll recognize Ollie and be whispering aboutBigfoot Finds a Bride, our surprise engagement, and who knows what else.I’ve barely opened the menu when our server comes by and asks if we’d like anything to drink.Glancing quickly at the menu, I see a red berry lemonade and choose that.Ollie requests a Guinness.
“Do you want to share an appetizer?”Ollie asks.
I hum as I read the menu.Seafood doesn’t do it for me, and the menu is heavy on oysters and crab cakes and stuff.
“Ooh, how about the meatball?A blend of ground pork, beef, veal, Muenster cheese, marinara sauce, that sounds tasty.What do you think?”
