After hours of shopping and stopping for lunch, we stand on the sidewalk and watch as the delivery guys work to set my new couch on the grass because I didn’t pay extra for them to deliver it inside the room. How was I supposed to know that meant only to the curb?
“Al, no offense, but how are we supposed to get this upstairs to your place?”
“Yeah,” Jaz points at Ash’s pink stilettos. “Especially with those.”
“We can do it. We are strong, capable women.” I hold my conviction as I watch the men struggle between the two of them before dropping it with a loud thud.
Jaz and Ashlyn share a look. “I’m all here for powerful women, but part of that is admitting when you need help.”
I crouch down in the grass, staring at my new couch, willing an idea into my head.How in the fu…
The slam of a door jars my thoughts. “Do you ladies need some help?” The timber of James’s voice vibrates all the way down to my lady bits.I definitely don’t need to be doing that anytime soon.
“Yes.” “No.” Jaz and I say at the same time. I glare at her, she smiles back.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s too stubborn for her own good,” Jaz states as she starts explaining the reason the couch is not already inside of my stupid apartment. I look behind James as Thomas steps from the front seat of the black SUV.
“Hey, Thomas. We can figure it out, honestly,” I say as he makes his way over to me.
He chuckles, giving me that look fathers give their stubborn daughters. “You know he won’t let that happen. He doesn’t have it in him to walk away from someone in need.” His eyes sparkle. “Especially you.”
What does he mean, ‘me’? What do I have to do with that equation?I don’t get a chance to ask because James turns to me and my brain all but shuts off.
“Let me make a call and we can have this in your living room in twenty minutes.” He steps off to make the call and I turn to my friends.
“What are you doing?” I whisper yell with my eyebrows raised damn near to my hairline. Thomas snickers behind me, but I pretend he’s not there. He has daughters, so he will be exposed to this soon enough.
Ash wiggles her eyebrows. “That’s the hot guy from Club X isn’t it?”
“That’s him? Damn, I approve.” Jaz is outright ogling his ass as he talks on the phone. I groan into my hands.
“Oh my god. Kill me now. Could you keep yourvoice down?” I whisper and glance over my shoulder seeing him strolling back. I shoot a look to Thomas and he gestures zipping his mouth shut with humor dancing in his eyes. Yeah, he’s enjoying this.
“They’ll be here in two minutes.” James tucks his thumbs into his pockets like he has all the time in the world to help random females move couches.
“Who’s ‘they’?” I grimace at how bitchy that sounded. Taylor left a mark and it’s still bleeding internally, I guess. “Sorry, thank you. I’m just having a week.”
He smiles, and the way the gold flakes in his eyes are glinting in the late afternoon sun is not helping my insides at the moment. It’s like whiplash knowing I just got cheated on, but my insides are smitten with the idea of someone new.
“Don’t worry about it. My cousins are close by and willing to help. The guys you met at the club the other night.” He shrugs like it isn’t a big deal, but it definitely feels like a big deal.
“Ah, yes. I remember them.” I just hope they aren’t grumpy about helping me today, since they didn’t seem very happy during that meeting.
Just as Ash is about to jump in and ask him a million questions about God knows what, another black SUV pulls up to the curb next to my new couch wrapped in plastic. I keep trying to sneak glances at James, but every time I look over, we make eye contact, and I quickly look away. He’s not making this easy on me.
“Your knights are here, my ladies. We take paymentin beer and lap dances,” Ryder says, his lips pulling into a smile as he runs his fingers through already disheveled blonde hair. The slightly taller dark-haired cousin, Alester, throws his elbow into Ryder’s stomach making him cough. “I’m just kidding of course. Don’t mind him…we don’t. Nice couch, where do you need it?”
I rub my temples, but before I can answer, Ashlyn is stepping closer to Ryder. “First, what are your names? You know, in case you all are actually insane and I need to file a report later? Second, lap dances can be negotiated after a job well done.” She’s down-right purring as she rakes her eyes over him.
“Ashlyn!”God I’m never getting out of this alive.“It’s the third floor. Thank you for your help, don’t listen to that one.” My face is burning and I’m sure the redness is really stark against my pale skin.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think listening to Ashlyn is my new favorite hobby.” His eyes practically sparkle. “I’m Ryder, and this tall drink of water is Alester.” Ryder smacks Alester on the back, but he doesn’t budge.
“We met at the club, but I’m Alex.” I gesture to Jaz by the couch. “This is Jaz, and you unfortunately ran full force into Ashlyn. I obviously made a grave error in not accepting the full delivery charges.”
James steps up to the end of the couch, nodding for his cousins to move into formation. “Not a problem, we’re happy to help.” His shirt is straining to hold the bulk of his arms in. That poor dress shirt. Idefinitely shouldn’t have let them help with each of them in suits.
“Yeah. I can add more to my workout regimen. This won’t be an issue.” Ryder slightly flexes through his button-up shirt that’s already hugging his arms. Alester grunts, swatting Ryder in the chest, before going to the other end and lifting the couch like it’s a feather. With James on the other end, also having no issues with my cheap new couch, Ryder ends up being the coordinator and comedian, yelling out directions through the stairwell and up through the door to my apartment.
