High Maintenance (4 page)

“Fine.” She shuffled over to a chair near the dryers where she sat as Tate stood and turned to the machine. She picked up a magazine and pretended to read it. “Let me know when you need me.” It was only a matter of time before her hunch was confirmed, but she hadn’t decided how she’d react. He deserved a little crap-talking for all his comments about her repair skills.

In between glances at Lexy to see if she was watching, Tate hovered over the washer. After a moment, he stripped off his shirt and began shimmying the heavy metal box out of its space, creating piercing screeches which echoed off the ceiling. Lexy peeked from behind the magazine at his solid back and forearm muscles pulsing and straining. The already muggy atmosphere seemed to take on additional degrees. She ran the back of her hand across her forehead.

Once the appliance was out far enough, Tate leaned over for a closer look. His profile displayed that of a confused boy. A few grumbled words escaped him.

“You okay?” Lexy interrupted. She held back a smirk.

“Yeah…what? Is there something funny?” he said, gripping the corners and shooting her narrowed eyes.

“Yep. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

Tate straightened up and faced Lexy. “And, you do, Miss Short Circuit?”

“Hey, I’m pretty good at figuring stuff out…most of the time.”

“As long as it’s written on your hand.” He smiled.

Her face flushed with heat. “Maybe you ought to stick with flowers,” Lexy said, remembering the business card he’d handed her days ago. She’d been surprised then and the words came out too fast to stop them.

Tate approached her, stopping short of touching her legs. “You saying flowers aren’t manly?”

The giddiness she felt teasing him all but disappeared, replaced with uneasy tension sprinkled with a hint of guilt. “Uh, no…” she said, staring up at him.

He bent over, resting his hand on the back of the chair so their faces were inches apart. The aroma of fresh soap and man hit her hard. “Then, what
are
you saying?” he said softly.

Lexy’s breath hitched and her throat dried. She attempted to swallow, wondering why he was having this effect on her. “What I’m saying is…,” she said emphatically, “…that I’m sure you’re much better at running your business than you are at repairs. Basically…you don’t know shit about maintenance.”

She stood, abruptly, pushing herself up and past him, stepping right into the puddle. One foot slid up in front of her while the other slid behind causing her to lunge into splits. Unfortunately Lexy was never that flexible, so her legs locked in a V like a pair of scissors just before she toppled over to the side.

Strong hands slipped under her arms, suspending her body before it hit the wet floor. Tate swung her over the puddle, landing his own feet in the water and causing him to slip. A skid, a maneuver, two cries, and a collision ended in Tate flat on his back with Lexy splayed across his front.

He lifted his head to grab a look at Lexy, whose chin rested on his sturdy bare chest. “Holy crap, are you okay?” he asked.

An easy, sexy smile in the face of adversity.
Refreshing
.

He opened his mouth again. “I thought I could save your clumsy ass.”

“Hey, you’re the one flat-ass on your back.” Lexy pushed his head back down in an attempt to get up, splashing it into the water.

A low growl emitted from Tate as his brow furrowed. “God! You’re impossible.” Lexy’s eyes widened while her heart raced, worried she’d pushed a now pissed Tate too far. Then, his lips pulled wide into a devious grin and suddenly her body flipped, reversing their positions so fast she had no time to protest.

“Tate,” she said, surprised. Lying on her back, their faces inches from each other, her heartbeat accelerated further. Her breath became ragged when she saw the longing float from his penetrating gaze.

“Kitten.” It came out in a heavy whisper.

The weight of his solid body on hers was enough to send her into a heated frenzy. But, guilt immediately set in, and she needed to act fast. “God, Tate, I’m all wet,” she said, hitting his arm and purporting anger.

“I tend to have that effect on women.”

That gorgeous gleaming smile revealed itself again, and it was all Lexy could do to not be taken over by it. It was so different from Julian’s smile, which seemed to be a byproduct of being so completely engrossed in business dealings. Tate’s smile was genuine, warm, inviting,
sexy
.
Oh, God
. “Off! Get off me! Now!”

“You still mad at me?” Lexy sat on a washer, legs dangling over the edge.

“Why would I be mad? Oh, you mean because you kneed me in the crotch? Or because you made me wear this stupid T-shirt and shorts?” Tate stood leaning against a wall, wearing green mesh shorts that landed a good six inches above his knees and a shirt that read, “Clowns scare me.” As unattractive as the outfit was, Lexy hadn’t been able to stop her eyes from continually turning his way. It was lucky, or maybe unlucky, that they were able to find some clothes in a dryer to replace their wet ones. He’d been standing there for the past ten minutes watching out the window for anyone who might walk by and free them.

“I’m sorry. I swear that was an accident. I was just trying to get up.” Lexy pulled at the Janet Jackson
Rhythm Nation
shirt which tented her body over a pair of flowery pajama bottoms. They’d agreed that fixing the machine was too much for either of them and a professional would need to be called.

“It’s okay. I just feel like an idiot in these clothes, and not one person has walked by.”

It had been an effort not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked, but she couldn’t add insult to injury. “You should probably call your dad,” Lexy said.

“I don’t want to bother him when he’s supposed to be resting. Let’s give it a few more minutes.” He left his post and joined her, sitting on the machine next to her.

“You look pretty cute in that shirt,” Tate said.

She blushed and stared straight ahead.

“It’s like we’re in college, and you slept over and that was what you pulled on the next day.”

“Slept over?” Lexy raised her brows, waiting.

“As friends, of course.”

“Of course…but there’s one problem with that scenario.”

“What’s that?” His quick response and eager expression made her stomach perform a tiny flip.

“What are you doing with a Janet Jackson shirt in your room?”

The look on his face showed it was not what he’d expected, but a smile pulled up on his lips a second later. “It uh…belonged to an ex-girlfriend?”

“Eh.”

“Okay…” His dark eyes lightened with a sparkle. “Before getting into the extremely physically demanding and masculine floral business, I was a personal bodyguard to the stars. Janet was my last client before retiring because she’d become romantically obsessed with me. I let her give me the shirt as a token of her affection.”

We both giggled and then turned our heads forward. “Nice…much better,” I said.

When the laughter subsided, he said, “Ready for that Snickers, now?”

“I’m not that desperate yet. And I’ve got wedding dress fittings soon.”

“Trust me, you can afford it.”

“No bride can afford it.”

“Go ahead and play it off, but you’re going to be a gorgeous bride. He’s damn lucky.”

A smile was her
thank you
. What else could she say?

Tate seemed to let her off the hook. “Hey, why don’t we call your friend Mimi or that Mrs. Granger lady?”

“Can’t. I don’t have my phone.”

Tate held up his cell. “Just tell me the number.”

Lexy lifted her hand, palm facing Tate. “Do I look like someone who has a good memory?”

Silence filled the air as Tate gently took hold of her wrist, pulling it toward him. “So what is this anyway?” he said, running his finger over the words she’d written. “
It’s a piece of cake
?”

This time she didn’t withdraw her arm. “Oh, that’s just one of the names I’m considering for my shop.”

“Shop?” he asked. His eyes, filled with interest, found hers. He grinned sweetly.

“Yeah, I want to open my own bakery.”

“Wow, that’s very cool…and exciting.”

“Yeah. Thanks. Julian’s helping me.”

She regretted that last statement as soon as it left her lips. Her mention of Julian seemed to deflate him, and he released her wrist. “That’s great. So what do you bake?”

“Cakes, cupcakes, cookies.”

“Oh. Why don’t you call it ‘The C-word’?” He laughed and flinched as if he anticipated the smack she would deliver.

Her raised arm descended and instead she said, “Yeah, well, why didn’t you call your business ‘the F-word?’”

“Touché. But I think ‘Bowers’ Flowers’ has a nice ring to it.”

“It does. How’d you get going with your business so quickly? Didn’t you say you’ve only been here a few months?”

“Well, almost four to be exact. But it was really a relocation. My partner needed me to buy him out, and since Dad was having a hard time I figured it was time for a change.”

“It was nice of you to make such a huge change for your dad.”

“He’d do the same for me.” Tate stared in front of him again, pausing as if he needed a moment to continue. “He has diabetes, and recently he’s had a lot of medical complications as a result of that. Mostly because he doesn’t care for himself the way he should.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Lexy placed a gentle hand on Tate’s, her glance calling him to turn his gaze her way. When she saw the expression in his eyes, she panicked and turned away.

After a moment, Tate continued as he stared down at his hands. “My dad’s a great man. Not sure how well you know him, but he used to be able to do so much more. Really he could do anything.” The words came out like a ten-year-old boy who had just seen his father hit a home run.

Lexy didn’t need to see his eyes to recognize the feeling. “He was your hero,” she stated, not asking.

His head turned to her again. “Still is.” A moment passed between them, then, an understanding, before he continued. “So, what did you do before becoming a future entrepreneur?”

“Still do…part-time now. I’m an underwriter.”

“Well that’s only like the complete opposite of baking.”

“I know, right.”

“Do you like that kind of work?”

That was the first time anyone had ever asked her that, so she paused before answering. “Compared to baking? No. But it’s all right. It’s how I met Julian.” She flinched inwardly.
Damn, why do I tell him these things?

“Was he your boss?” Tate arched his brows.

“It wasn’t like that.” But, how was it then?

“Whatever you say.”

“Stop that. You don’t even know him.”

“I have an idea. I’ve seen him here before, and that told me a lot.”

Surprised, Lexy drew in a breath. “You have?”

“Let’s see. Average height, slicked, Richard Gere type hair, gluttonously dressed, uptight…most likely controlling. How am I doing?”

Her mouth hung open before she realized it. Her mind raced to decide if she should defend her fiancé against Tate’s dead-on depiction. She might have laughed if she didn’t feel so awkward and obligated to remain loyal.

When she didn’t speak, he continued. “And, a little too white bread looking for a spicy Latino type girl such as yourself. Plus two control freaks together…I don’t know about that.”

Two sets of eyes challenged each other for what seemed like a full minute. Her pulse increased with a mix of uncertainty and irritation. Should she allow him to speak to her like that? To be fair, it wasn’t like she was offended. In fact, it was the complete opposite. A moment later she simply said, “Half.”

Confusion drew upon Tate’s face, and he tilted his head.

“I’m half Hispanic,” she said. “My mother’s from Mexico and my dad was white.”

He threw his head back to cough out some mock laughter. “That’s what you pull out of everything I said? Nothing about my evaluation of your fiancé?”

Lexy stared him down, contemplating her next response. Before she could say anything, A whoosh of air came across them. A female voice boomed from the entry of the doorway, drawing their heads that way. “Hey, why are you wearin’ my Janet Jackson shirt?” Mrs. Granger said from the open door.

Lexy gaped across the kitchen counter at Mimi licking the last of the frosting off of the cupcake she was holding. “If you were going to do that, why didn’t you just lick the bowl?”

“It’s more fun this way,” Mimi said, tongue sticking halfway out, covered in creamy white fluff.

“Well, are you going to eat the rest of it?”

“No way. Can’t afford the calories.” She smirked and set the treat on the counter.

The heat from the oven permeated the already roasting apartment even though temperatures had dropped some as of late. An oscillating fan stood propped on the counter, blowing across the girls and providing momentary relief. Two large bowls filled with batter sat near the sink.

“You’re skinnier than I am…and you’re supposed to be my tester,” Lexy said.

“You’re skinny. You just can’t tell with that huge rack of yours.”

Lexy’s response was to toss a potholder at Mimi’s head.

“Hey,” she said, blocking the flying object. “Okay, one bite to make up for the comment about your tits.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Mimi pulled at the cupcake wrapper and nibbled the cakey brown edge. “Mmm. That’s good. Oh yeah, baby. So sweet.”

Lexy laughed but put a fist on her hip. “C’mon, seriously? I need to know. Take a bigger bite.”

“God, it’s so damn good I don’t know if I can handle bigger.”

Lexy reached a hand toward Mimi. “How about if I shove the whole thing down your throat?”

“Okay, okay.” A bigger bite had Mimi chewing slowly with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Yep…yep. I think you should call it Chocolate Climax. It’s that freaking good.”

“You’re not just saying that?”

“Do I ever bullshit you?”

“No, but you also
love
everything I make.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re an amazing baker. Someday that’ll pay off. So how’s everything going with that, anyway? Mr. Moneybags give you the
dough
yet?”

“I told you, he’s not
giving
me money.” With a swift hand, Lexy wiped crumbs into a pile and then dragged them over the edge into a waiting trash can. “He’s helping me with the loan.”

“Why not wait until you’re married, and then you can just write out a check as
Mrs. Julian Dunham
?”

“Because, I want to do this on my own.”

Mimi bent her head down for emphasis as she stared at Lexy, expressionless.

“Okay, so it’s not totally on my own. So I’ve got shitty credit. What? Why are you still staring at me like that?”

“I’m just…worried. You’ve got a lot of hopes and dreams wrapped up in this thing with Julian.”

“This
thing
is called getting married.”

“I know. I just want you to be sure that you’re doing it because you know he’s
the one
.” She paused, licking a fingertip. “And that’s the only reason.”

“So you think I’m marrying him for his money?”

“No…but I worry that maybe it has something to do with…your mom.”

Lexy shook her head, grabbed a paper towel to wipe her hands. “Julian’s trying to get my mother back here because he loves me. Don’t you think that’s an amazing thing to do?”

“Yeah…it’s amazing.” That sounded more like a question than a statement.

“There’s no motive here, Mimi.”

“I’m just thinking about…”

“That’s ancient history,” Lexy shot out, hoping to quell the bitter memory of their last breakup. “Julian can be controlling, yes. But he doesn’t control me. He understands that now.” As the next words came out of her mouth, her voice cracked. “He’s not going to do anything like that again.”

“I hope you’re right.” Her reply was bathed in doubt.

A knock at the door sounded right before she replied, “I am.” She gave Mimi an encouraging smile before heading to answer it.

“
Tate
!” she said, opening the door. Her voice sounded too much like Sandy in
Grease
. Her smile faded at the realization.

After the laundry room incident, Tate had shown up at her apartment three times in two weeks. The first time was to tell her the washer had been fixed. They’d shared a laugh about the clothes they ended up in that day, but Lexy couldn’t help her mind from going back to the moment when her body had lain upon his solid frame. Another time she’d passed him in the hall and asked him to help her hang a set of sconces. He’d stayed to talk for almost an hour, but seemed to be sticking to his deal to remain friends. He’d even taken to calling her Lexy instead of Kitten, causing her chest to unexpectedly tighten in disappointment. The final time was last week when he’d stopped by to thank her for bringing Ray some specially prepared diabetes-friendly cupcakes.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she’d said when he gave her a potted lavender flower plant.

“It’s not a big deal.” A shy smile had shown for a second before disappearing just as quickly. “Besides, there’s a chip on the rim of the pot. I’d just end up marking it down.”

Lexy hadn’t fought a persistent grin. She also hadn’t kept her eyes from noticing him in workout gear, obviously on the way to the gym. “All right. Thank you.”

She hadn’t told Julian about her new friendship, either, knowing without a doubt what his response would be. Now she noted that the visits were coming closer together and Tate always found a plausible excuse to drop by. This time, a book held firmly in his grasp caught Lexy’s eye.

“What’s that?” she said, attempting to keep her tone casual.

“Oh.” He stepped into the apartment uninvited. “It’s just a cookbook I came across.”

“Hey, Tate.” Mimi rose from her chair and stepped toward the entryway. She didn’t wait for his reply. “I’ll call you later, Lex. Craig’s taking me to dinner tonight.”

“Hi, Mimi,” Tate said. “Craig, huh?”

Mimi stopped short of the door, turning in surprise. “What?”

“Nothing, just…two dates in a row, same guy,” Tate said.

Mimi shot a pair of scolding eyes Lexy’s way, causing her to wince. “Well, he’s a fireman. What can I say, I couldn’t resist.”

After the door closed behind Mimi, Lexy said, “Thanks a lot.”

“What? She’s cool, I like her. I was just playing around.”

“Lucky for you she really doesn’t give a crap that we talk behind her back.”

They both let out a burst of quick laughter and then stood in stroppy silence, their eyes lingering on each other. “Um…the book?” Lexy said.

“Right. Here.” He thrust it at her in a quick, awkward motion.

Lexy accepted the book and walked it over to the couch. Tate followed and sat next to her so his thigh touched hers. He watched as she silently flipped through the pages. She turned her head to give him a smile. “Thank you. This was really sweet of you.”

“What are friends for?” The words contradicted his longing expression. His gaze fell down to her mouth. His breathing shallowed, seeming to come in time with her own thin breaths.

Lexy struggled for an answer, her tongue touching her lips at the thought of his eyes watching them.
Friends
, yeah. That’s what they were, right? She swallowed. “Yeah.” She said it so quietly she wasn’t sure it had come out.

His eyes snapped from her mouth back up to meet her gaze. Then, he blinked out of his trance and said, “So…Kit, I mean Lex…Lexy…” A bright set of teeth flashed at her when he gave up on using words.

She put her hand on his arm. “It’s okay. Call me whatever you want.”

Tate encircled her wrist with his other hand and pulled it off his arm. He offered her a confident expression before turning her hand toward him. “Who’s Andrea?” he said, reading what she’d scribbled on her palm.

“It’s pronounced
On-dray-ah
. She’s my aunt. It’s to remind me about her birthday.” Saying her name made her heart ache; sadness took over her expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s like a second mom to me. My aunt…and my mom…are both in Mexico. I probably won’t be celebrating with them this year.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, looking at the fact that he was still holding her wrist. Gently, he slipped her hand into his. Rough and strong, so completely opposite of Julian’s hands, Tate’s skin was surprisingly comforting to the touch. “Is there something else? You seem more upset than just about a missed birthday.”

She paused, wondering if it was smart to start sharing their lives. But she wanted Tate to know some things about her. “About ten years ago, when I was fifteen, my mother and aunt got deported back to Mexico. They had overstayed their visas. It hit me hard, but instead of being sad I just started rebelling and acting like a little shit. It brought my father and me closer once I came around, but now since my dad’s gone I’ve sort of felt lost and missing them more than ever.”

Lexy hadn’t noticed Tate rubbing her hand until she stopped talking, but she didn’t pull away. What she really wanted was to have him wrap his capable arms around her and to sink into his embrace. Julian had never been the comforting type. His solution was always to throw money at any problem. Could she really fault him for that, though, since that’s exactly what he was doing for her now? Maybe not, but was it so wrong to want someone to help make her feel better? Friends should be allowed to comfort each other.

“Wow, I had no idea. I’m sorry, Kitten.” His words rang soft in her ear as Tate, reading her mind, slipped a hand behind her, landing smoothly on her back.

For about five seconds, Lexy melted into his consoling touch before guilt yanked her ass back to reality.
Don’t be so weak
. She sat up straight, dislodged her hand from his before turning her attention toward the kitchen and smelling smoke. “Shit! My cupcakes.” She bolted from the couch, ran to the oven, and yanked the door open. “I’ve
never
done this! Jeez, Tate!”

“What the hell?” he said, getting up to follow her. “What did I do?”

Black crusty mounds smoked in the pan she now held. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault.” She dumped the burnt cakes in the trash, then dropped the pan in the sink. “Can you open that window? It’s starting to stink in here.”

“This thing is jammed,” he said, yanking on the metal edge.

Lexy collapsed in a chair. “That sucks,” she said, staring at the still open oven, which hadn’t cleared of smoke yet. “You’ve got to bang that window to loosen it. Then, it’ll open.”

Once he pulled the window open, he said, “What the hell is with your place?”

“It’s an old building, Tate.”

“Yeah, well according to my Dad’s maintenance records, your place gets most of the repair requests.”

His look lit her defensive fires. “Hey, I’m the one fixing the stuff, not breaking it. But I don’t remember it being this bad when my dad lived here, so I guess it’s gotten worse over time.”

“This was his apartment?”

“Yeah, I took over his lease when he died.”

Tate closed the distance between them. “I guess it makes you feel close to him.”

“It does. Julian hates that I keep living here, but I’m doing my best to make it work until the lease is up.”

“Your dad would be proud of you. But, I think he’d understand if you left.” Tate leaned over, took hold of the oven door, and pulled it closed. A metal creak rang out as the handle came loose then fell to the floor with a clank. “Shit!”