I’d been asked out plenty of times in my life, but only by guys more on my playing field. Physically, I was out of my element with Wes and his friends.Who are you kidding? He’s gorgeous, and given his job, intelligent. And, he loves cats. That’s enough to start with. Say yes. “Sure, Wes, we can get dinner sometime.” I lowered my eyes, a little embarrassed at how fast I agreed to a date with a man I’d just met.
“Great.” He sounded excited. “How about tomorrow night?”
Holy crow! That gave me no time to prepare. “Yeah, that’s fine. Could I see your phone?” He handed over his cell, and I programmed it with my number. “Text me in the morning, and we’ll decide where,” I said as I returned the phone.
I slipped into my apartment and turned on my monitor. Wes did the typical guy ‘yes’ motion, pumping his hand and pulling up one knee as he made his way across the hall, like a teenager whose crush told him she’d go to prom with him.
Once I locked the door and set the alarm, I made my way to my bedroom. Grabbing my phone, I texted Todd to see if the movie was over. I couldn’t wait to tell him about my date. Before I could type, a text came through from a number I didn’t know.
Unknown:This is Wes. I wanted you to have my number. Sleep well.
I stared at the words for several seconds before typing in a reply.
Ellie: Have fun with your brothers. Talk to you tomorrow.
I forgot my text to Todd. I threw myself on my bed and stared at the ceiling with a huge smile on my face. I crumbled when I realized my dad hadn’t crossed my mind more than once or twice all evening. For the first time in six months, he didn’t dominate my thoughts.
Guilt set in as I hugged a pillow with my dad’s shirt on it. It still smelled like his aftershave and cigars. I dreaded the day the scent faded. I finally found my way to sleep on a pillow damp with tears.
Chapter Three
My alarm made a horrible buzzing sound, making me want to throw it out of my fifth-floor window. I cracked one eye open and glared across the room at the alarm clock. I learned years ago to keep it out of arm’s reach, or I’d never get out of bed in the morning. I let out a little scream. “I’m up! God, shut up.” I only drank two glasses of wine the night before, but my head pounded like I downed the entire bottle.
I rolled out of bed and shuffled over to my dresser to shut the alarm up. Next stop, coffee pot. Thanks to an automatic timer, the smell of it brewing woke me up enough to prevent me from climbing back in bed. I continued my morning zombie shuffle through the living room and into my kitchen to the fresh pot on my counter.Sweet nectar. I poured a cup and added a generous helping of pumpkin coffee creamer.
I curled up in the plush chair beside my living room window and yawned as I watched the city wake up. As much as I hated mornings, I needed a few minutes to let my brain catch up to the day. I always allowed myself an extra thirty minutes to get moving.
Coffee crept into my veins and loaned me a semblance of humanity when my phone went off in my bedroom. The catchy Madonna song told me it was Todd calling.
I didn’t bother with a greeting. “Please tell me you have time to come up and talk to me while I get ready. I’ve got to go walk Satan.”
“I’m already in the elevator. Bye!” He hung up and I grinned. I should’ve known he’d be dying to get the scoop on Arch’s party.
Swigging the last of my coffee, I skipped to my bathroom, in a suddenly excellent mood. Todd had his own key and would let himself in. I turned on the taps for a shower and twirled around as I put toothpaste on my toothbrush. I stripped and hopped into the shower, brushing as I went.
The bathroom door burst open. It would’ve scared the pants off of me, except I was already naked. My best friend sighed dramatically. “You’re going to make me sit in here and talk to you while you take a six-hundred degree shower, aren’t you?” I couldn’t see him, but I knew he rolled his eyes to the ceiling like I’d asked him to give up his firstborn child.
“No, you can wait in my bedroom. I won’t be long, I shaved yesterday.” I peeked my head out from behind the shower curtain. “But I have so much to tell you.” I sighed and decided to tease him. “I have a date.” I shut the curtain again. “Go wait in my bedroom.”
“Dear sweet baby Buddha, I know you don’t expect me to wait out there now.” The sound of the toilet lid crashing down made me laugh. “I want the entire story. Now.”
As I showered, I walked him through the details of the party. By the time I got out, I’d only made it through our video game playing.
A half wall separated the shower area from the rest of my bathroom. It was my favorite part of the room. I was able to get out, dry off, and still maintain a modicum of modesty.
I didn’t know why I bothered, though. Todd had seen me naked many times before. We’d been attached at the hip for sixteen years. I was no longer embarrassed by nudity when it came to him.
I continued my story over the wall as I dried. Donning my favorite worn out robe, I made my way to the other half of the bathroom as I told him about Gray being a guest lecturer.
To his credit, he didn’t interrupt once, even though I knew he burned to know which guy asked me out. I continued my story as I walked into my closet to dress. I didn’t come to the juicy part until I took my hair out of its towel and brushed out the tangles.
“So then, I made my exit,” I said evasively. Todd’s face turned red, and I avoided laughing at him.
He took my hairbrush from me. “Woman! Great story, tell it again.” He continued after an exaggerated eye roll. “But nowhere, not one freaking time, did you mention a date!” He twirled me around and began artfully detangling my long hair without any pain. He was a hair and makeup genius. When he finished his business degree and opened his spa, he’d be in high demand.
I stretched my neck and leaned my head back to allow him to brush from the front to the back and finally told him the rest of the story. “...and he’s supposed to text me today to set up the restaurant for the date tonight.”
Todd stopped brushing. “So you’re going on a date tonight with a gorgeous and interesting man, you’ve got Satan this morning, and how many classes today?”
