The Perfect Couple (3 page)

***

“I can’t believe I have never been here before! This is awesome!”

Cara grinned as she clapped along with the rest of the rowdy crowd, knowing that nothing could wipe the goofy smile off her face. She had never been to a hockey arena before and was surprised to see how much fun it was watching men skate around on the ice, throwing each other into the wall as they fought over the puck. Next to her Daniel was doing the same, cheering as the hometown hockey team lined up for the next penalty shot. This hadn’t been the first thing she thought about when Daniel had said wine and dine, but it was the best time she had experienced in a while, the stress of her current life drifting away in the ruckus that was hockey. Daniel had outfitted her with a ball cap with the blazing emblem for the hometown team, plying her with beer and hotdogs, and gave her a ten-minute explanation on the premise of what hockey was. He had been very patient, keeping her laughing and kissing her every time she turned his way. Cara hadn’t felt this carefree in forever.

“I told you, you would love it,” he was saying, his own ball cap turned backwards on his head. “Sporting events will either relax you or make you more stressed. I’m glad to see you are the latter.”

“I’m just glad you are back in town,” she gushed over the craze of the crowd. Daniel grinned and kissed her quickly before turning his attention back to the rink. “Come on! What kind of call was that?!”

Cara turned her attention back to the game as well, though her thoughts were on the man beside her. He had walked her home, waiting patiently as she had showered and changed her clothes, but not letting her out of his sight otherwise. Though they had been having a long-distance relationship of sorts, Cara was so glad to see that the spark hadn’t dimmed during their split, but had grown tremendously instead. Daniel was picking up right where he had left off and Cara was hoping that her earlier thoughts about this relationship were still ringing true, that he hadn’t realized they shouldn’t be together while on the road, that he hadn’t been concerned about being in a relationship. Cara settled back and let herself enjoy the atmosphere and before she realized it, the game was over and they were exiting the arena.

“Did you enjoy the game?”

“That was awesome,” she said honestly as they walked hand in hand down the street with the rest of the game attendees. “I really had fun tonight.”

“I am glad to know that you are pulling for the right team,” he teased, pulling her close. “Otherwise I would have to reconsider this whole relationship with you.”

Cara tamped down the giddiness of him mentioning this as a real relationship, her pulse racing. “So this isn’t just a monthly booty call for you?”

Daniel stopped mid stride and turned to Cara, pulling her into the circle of his arms as he gazed at her solemnly. “This is not a booty call, Cara, or anything of the sort. This is real or at least for me and I have never felt like this before. I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone else before. I enjoy our calls, texts, but most of all, I enjoy being here, in this moment with you.”

“Oh Daniel,” Cara sighed happily, encircling her arms around his neck. “I feel the same way. This is beyond words.”

“Good, glad we have that settled,” Daniel chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers. Cara closed her eyes and the world drifted away as she stood within the circle of his arms. Her life was turning out to be pretty amazing and while the future was uncertain, she was going to live in the moment, with him. “Cara, will you come home with me tonight?”

Cara bit her lips and nodded, her cheeks warming at the thought of what was going to happen. Daniel smiled and let go long enough to grab her hand. “Come on, it’s this way.”

***

Daniel led Cara to an upscale apartment building not far from where they were, upscale in the fact that it looked nothing like the dump of an apartment that she was currently housed in compliments of the academy. The dorms had rapidly filled up with the new incoming freshmen this year so in the interest of keeping an eye on their students, the academy had moved the senior students to a nearby apartment building. Currently Cara was lucky enough to have a small space to herself, not forced to share like some of the other students. The space was super small but it allowed for privacy.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Cara followed Daniel into the lobby and up the stairs, only climbing two flights before coming out of the stairwell and onto a carpeted hallway. “This is nice,” she said as Daniel stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall.

“It’s okay,” Daniel shrugged as he inserted a key in the lock and pushed open the door. He stepped back and Cara walked into the cool interior, taking in a living room and kitchen combo as big as her own apartment. It was neat, with some comfortable-looking furniture and a large flat-screen TV in the living room. Daniel walked in and shut the door, throwing on the locks before walking to the kitchen. “Can I get you something?”

“I’m good,” she said softly, shedding her cross-body bag and hat, fluffing her hair in the process. “So you live by yourself?”

“I do now,” he stated, taking a long draw of his beer that he had gotten from the fridge. “My roommate moved out about two months ago. He got a job on a touring company in Europe so now it’s just me.” He then grabbed her hand in his free one and pulled her to the couch, urging her to sit. “Make yourself comfortable, Cara. I thought we would just watch a movie and relax.”

Cara swallowed hard, some of her earlier nervousness melting away. Good. She wouldn’t be stripping her clothes just yet. Even though she had been talking with the man beside her for over a month about all kinds of topics, the thought of jumping in the sack with him still made her extremely nervous. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to.

“Cara, quit thinking and relax.” Looking up, she saw that Daniel was crouched before her, his eyes soft. “Listen, I didn’t invite you back to jump in bed with me. Sure, I would love to have that with you but I want you to be comfortable around me, okay? If we don’t do anything but watch a movie tonight, that’s fine with me. I just want to spend time with you.”

“Okay.” She smiled nervously. He nodded and gave her a wink before standing and turning back to the impressive DVD collection beside the TV, giving her a moment to admire his form. He was truly a gorgeous man, his dancer body honed to perfection. She loved the way his shirt stretched tight across his shoulders, his jeans hugging a nicely rounded butt. Cara could only imagine what he would look like without any clothes on. Shuddering with the heat that just raced through her veins, Cara gave Daniel a smile as he approached the couch and sat next to her, his arm curving around her shoulders and pulling her close. Cara laid her head on his chest and sighed as the opening credits appeared on the TV. Her hand lay against his stomach, the muscles bunching and relaxing with each breath. Daniel’s hand slipped up her shoulder and played with her hair, his feet kicking up on the coffee table in front of him. “Are you relaxed now?” Daniel’s voice rumbled under her cheek.

“Absolutely,” she smiled. Cara couldn’t think of anything more perfect.

Cara blinked as the room came into focus, wondering why her neck was hurting so bad. It didn’t take long for her to remember where she was. What time was it? The sunlight bouncing off of the TV screen didn’t give her good thoughts that she was at home, in her bed.

Cara pushed herself to an upright position, hearing a grunt from the man who had been her pillow, her eyes colliding with his sleepy ones. “Good morning, sunshine.”

“What time is it?” she asked frantically, looking for her purse. She had a big lecture this morning and if she missed it, she would be in some serious trouble.

“I don’t know, wait, I found my phone. It’s only 9 a.m., Cara.”

“Oh my god,” Cara breathed, jumping off of the couch. “I’ve got to go.” She had exactly twenty minutes to make it to school before she would be marked absent for the final lecture before the exam and then she would be sunk!

“Wait, Cara,” Daniel started as Cara threw her bag over her shoulder and ran for the door. Her breath was no doubt horrible and her hair matted to her head, but she didn’t care. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ve really got to go. Thanks for, well everything.”

Without waiting for his response, she threw the locks and raced down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time before bursting outside and toward the subway. Thank God Daniel’s apartment was just a hop and skip from the nearest station and only one or two streets over from the academy. She could still make it.

***

“
Did you make it?”

Cara smiled as she rapidly fired a text message back to Daniel, glad that she had indeed made it to the class on time. Professor Grant, her history professor, wasn’t too keen on bending the rules for late students and with the exam looming on the horizon, she couldn’t afford to get on his bad side.

“Yes. Just barely. Sorry to rush out on you.”

“I’ll forgive you if you have dinner with me tonight.”

“I’d love to.”

Cara bit her lip as she walked to her next class, wondering how her life had just gotten so damned perfect. She was about to graduate from the academy and now she had a thoughtful not to mention hot guy who she hoped was going to stick around for a while. She couldn’t ask for anything better at the moment. Entering her classroom, Cara found a seat and fiddled with her phone, reliving last night in her mind. Daniel had surprised her by not trying to lure her into his bed as most guys would. Instead they had fallen asleep on the couch, like an old married couple, and she hadn’t regretted a single, solitary moment. It was nice to have someone like Daniel to look forward to seeing at the end of a day. Cara put her phone in her backpack and pulled out her books as the professor walked in. She was so ready to see Daniel again and it seemed like lately her life revolved around school and studying. Her exams weren’t going to take themselves but she was ready for a break and couldn’t think of anyone else she wanted to spend her time with than him.

***

“Are you sure you don’t need to study tonight? We can postpone this date and just hang out at the apartment. I will even help you study.”

“Are you crazy? I have done nothing but study lately,” Cara laughed as he helped her out of the cab and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “This is way better.”

Daniel grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward a pricey restaurant on the Upper East Side of the city. “Well, madam, if you must suffer with me, you might as well suffer in style.”

Cara giggled and followed him in, glad that she had dressed up tonight. Her short black dress and nude heels were perfect for the ritzy interior of the restaurant. Daniel was also looking pretty hot in his dark suit and tie. The hostess seated them and handed them their menus with a short nod before disappearing around the corner, leaving the couple to themselves.

“So is this place okay? We can go somewhere else if you would like.”

“Okay? Are you serious?” Cara exclaimed as she looked at the prices in mock horror. “Some of these entrées cost more than my entire wardrobe!”

“Well, this is a celebration after all,” Daniel replied, winking at her. “To the success of my touring and your almost finished schooling.” He then grew serious, his blue eyes shining in the flickering candlelight. “And to us, Cara. I honestly never thought to have this type of instant connection with anyone.”

“I, wow,” Cara said softly, her heart melting at his simple words. Their waiter appeared then and for the next few moments their attention turned toward the menu. Once he left, Daniel reached across for Cara’s hand, linking their fingers. “So I got a new touring offer today.”

“Oh,” Cara said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. He was leaving again. “I’m happy for you. When do you leave?”

“Well, see, there’s a small problem,” he said gravely, his eyes meeting hers. “It’s for six months. I wouldn’t leave until you are done with school, but it would be a six-month tour.”

“Six months?” Cara exclaimed, tightening her hold on his hand like it was her last lifeline to him. A month had been hard enough but six? She would just be finishing her senior year around that time. It would be so long before she saw him again and the thought did not settle well on her stomach. Still, this was their life in this profession and unless they were lucky enough to get on the same tour, it would always be like this.

“I know it’s a long time but there’s a catch to this one.” Daniel gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand, his eyes now twinkling in mischief. “I want you to come with me, Cara. I pulled some strings and the producer wants you to come see him the minute you graduate. I think you will have like two weeks to spare before we would be on the road.”

“Really?” Cara couldn’t believe it. “How did you…?”

“With my good looks,” Daniel laughed. “Nah, it helps when you have been in the business for a while. The producer is a friend of mine and the thought of having a top honor Jewel Academy graduate on his dance team nearly sent him through the roof. So what do you say, Cara? This could be the kick start of your professional career.”

“It’s not even a question,” she exclaimed happily, wanting to jump across the table to kiss him senseless. “I, thank you! This is wow, no wonder we are celebrating tonight.” She couldn’t fathom having this opportunity so soon after she graduated! “I don’t know what to say, Daniel.”

“Say that you will share my hotel room and we will be even,” Daniel grinned then laughed at Cara’s shocked expression. “I’m kidding. I’m just excited that you are excited, Cara.” Cara couldn’t contain her excitement. This was, this was great and for Daniel to stick his neck out like that with his producer friend for her, she couldn’t even explain the wealth of emotions that were churning through her. She wouldn’t disappoint him. She would ace her exams and start preparing for her career after the academy.