Unexpected Chance (4 page)

I glanced over at Julie, who was now in a lip lock with Brett. I
rolled my eyes.
That didn’t take long.
I didn’t want to interrupt them,
but still needed to get her attention. I looked back at Alex, and he just
laughed as we stood up. Alex cleared his throat rather loudly. Brett looked up
at us first while Julie blushed and dropped her head. She finally looked up
while wiping her bottom lip with her thumb.

“Julie, I’m going to head home.” She started to get up. I put my
hand out in a stop gesture. “You stay and have fun. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Brett
stood, shook my hand, and said it was nice to meet me. I took note that when
Brett shook my hand I didn’t feel anything, not like when Alex touched me. I
waved bye, and Alex told them that he would be back after he walked me out.

He interlaced our fingers again, and we made our way to the front
door. I watched people look at him as he walked me through the club. Alex walked
with confidence. He nodded at the patrons and received different looks from men
and women. He was so self-assured, and his movements were effortless. I wish I
had his confidence.

We continued through a door that led to a private hallway, which
was apparently for employees, so I didn’t have to witness any more women appreciating
Alex’s looks. Needless to say the way people looked at him and the way they
looked at me with him were extremely different; they looked at him with wonder,
but looked at me and just wondered. However, we did run into Tyler, who had Leah
pinned up against a wall. Her right leg was bent and practically around his
waist, which made her Band-Aid of a dress hike up, leaving little to the
imagination. Tyler didn’t notice us, but Leah did. She looked at Alex and
winked. What a slut! It was women like her who gave women like me a bad name or
no name at all. Alex didn’t pay any attention as we made it to the door. My
heart raced. This feeling was so foreign to me. Tonight definitely didn’t go as
planned, but you can’t plan for everything.

We stopped right at the door and turned to face each other. Lost
in my own thoughts, I wondered what it would be like to kiss him good-bye. I
felt myself stare at him, but couldn’t stop. His lips looked so soft, yet strong.
What did he taste like? Would his kiss be forceful or gentle? He licked his
lips. His tongue . . . What would that be like? I pictured our mouths connected
and was mesmerized at the thought of his lips devouring mine. “Aubrey? Are you okay?”

“What? I mean, yes, I’m fine.” Paging rock that I can crawl under
please! How long did my stare fest with his lips go on for? I needed to gain
back some control. “It was really nice meeting you tonight, Alex, and I look
forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Alex pulled me into a gentle embrace. His hands rested on the
middle of my back, and my arms slid under his, which made my hands rest on his
shoulder blades. My cheek rested on his chest. He smelled so good. I would
never forget his scent, and I knew I would never forget about him. He put his
hands on either side of my face and tilted it up to look at him. Oh my God, was
he going to kiss me?

“It was nice meeting you too.” He gently kissed my right cheek. My
eyes fluttered closed, and I willed my brain never to forget this moment—how he
felt and how he made me feel. It was just a kiss on the cheek, but I felt it in
my core. He definitely made an impression—a very good one.

He pulled out his cell phone and asked for my number. I gave it
to him, and he called it immediately, so I had his number and he had mine. We
walked out of the club hand in hand, and he led me to the car he had on call. He
opened the back door for me, leaned in, and gave me a wink. Good God! I could
have melted right there. He told the driver to take me anywhere I needed to go.
He closed the door and the car drove away. What an incredible night! I had to buy
Julie a thank-you gift for making me go to this ridiculous event tonight. I
needed to get home and write in my journal.

Ready for bed, I grabbed my journal, which I entitled
Romance
Research
out of my side table and began writing. I read my objective over
again to keep my thoughts in line with my mission.

Romance, what is it? It is flowers, dinners, hanging out? Is it
a look, a touch, or a memory? I need to find a man who will not only perform
romantic gestures but is a true romantic. He needs to have a good heart. I
don’t want to hurt him, nor do I want to be hurt, but I will not fall for this
man. I may tell him that I have strong feelings to see what comes next, but I
cannot let myself fall for him. I know from experience that I’ll get crushed in
the end.

Things to consider: Does a man act differently when he gets the
woman? Does he put romance aside once the chase is over or does it continue? Will
he try this method on just me, or will there be several others to determine if
this is an effective method of play. This may take a while, but it will be
worth it in the end, I hope.

Entry 1—Alex the Player

Today, Julie brought me to a Speed Dating event, which was
horrible. All the men were older and gave pre-rehearsed answers to try to score
a real date. I have to say, though, I gave bogus answers too, and I didn’t like
any of the men. None of them were swoon worthy until the event ended, when I
met a guy, and not just any guy, a wonderful guy, a guy worthy of being a
romance hero. Even though he had women falling over themselves to look at him,
he picked me. I don’t know why he picked me, but I was glad he did. His name is
Alex, and he is beyond beautiful and seems to have the whole package. He’s charming
and incredibly handsome, has drop-dead gorgeous eyes, and he smells amazing. He
asked me to go out with him tomorrow.

Julie says that he’s a known player. Maybe she’s wrong—maybe
not. Could I use someone like that for my book? Why not?

What I could do without is Leah. I know that a good-looking man
is hard to resist, but when he is with someone else? Bitch. And he wasn’t that
put off by it. Player. I think Britney Spears sang “Womanizer” in his honor.

I will be continuing my research. Let’s see what romantic
things he’ll do. I guess time will tell. One thing is for sure: I need to guard
my heart.

Until tomorrow . . .

I’d forgotten that my phone was in my purse, and I wanted to make
sure it was charged for the next day. I didn’t want to miss Alex’s call, so I
grabbed my phone and plugged it in, noticing that I had two text messages.

Julie: 11:20 p.m.—Hey, I’m still at the club. Brett is
awesome! I want the scoop on Alex. He came back to our table with a huge smile
on his face and turned down all the women who came up to him. Brett said that’s
not normal for Alex to do! Can’t wait to chat! Love you!!!

I re-read her text about three times.
All the women who came
up to him?
How many were there? I guess it says something that he turned
them down, but could this really happen all the time? And would I always be
wondering what he was doing? I wasn’t going to go to the club every night to
check up on him. I shook my head, realizing I was totally getting a head of
myself.
Oh my God, I just met this man! I’ll wait to talk to Julie about it
tomorrow
.

Alex: 11:50 p.m.—I enjoyed tonight and am looking forward
to tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at one o’clock. Will that work for you?

Me: 12:10 a.m.—Hi, Alex. Thank you for a nice evening, I
enjoyed it as well Tomorrow at one sounds perfect. I need to give you my
address.

Alex: 12:11 a.m.—I got your address from my driver.

Me: 12:12 a.m.—You’re very resourceful.

Alex: 12:12 a.m.—You have no idea.

I almost thought about asking how his night was going, but then
thought better of it. I didn’t think I really wanted to know.

Me: 12:13 a.m.—Lucky me.

Lucky me? Really? I sounded like a Lolita!
What is wrong with
me?

Alex: 12:13 a.m.—The luck was all mine tonight. I’m glad
you had a good time tonight. My night has not been as good since you left. See
you tomorrow.

Wow, his night hadn’t been as good since I’d left? That was a
good sign, right? Or was he just saying that? I lay down and stared at my
ceiling. I really needed to get some sleep. Every time my eyes closed, I could
see Alex, replaying tonight’s events over and over in my mind. I smiled and
finally fell asleep.

Chapter 4

I woke up feeling refreshed and happy, which was rare
for me, but that day I had something to look forward to. It was nine in the
morning, and I had a few hours to get ready for my date. I was dying to talk to
Julie, but having no idea what time she got home, I decided to wait for her to
call me.

I checked my phone before I got in the shower, but there was
nothing from Julie. I enjoyed the steam and hot water falling over me. I took
extra time on my hair to make sure it looked as good as it did last night. After
applying a little bit of makeup, I walked in my room to pick out my clothes for
the day. Alex said we were going to a park and to lunch, so summer casual would
work. White shorts, a black top, and a cute pair of wedges should do the trick.
I felt good about myself and was ready for my afternoon with Alex.

I heard my phone vibrate on the nightstand; it was Julie, so I
answered, “Well, good morning, sunshine.” Julie just sighed. I was laughing
inside my head. I knew that sigh. Julie must have had a really good time with
Brett. “I take it you had a good night?”

“Oh, Aubrey, Brett’s amazing. We talked and danced and talked
some more, and then we kissed. Boy did we kiss! He’s great. We’re going out
again today. We actually might meet up with you and Alex later for drinks. Now
tell me all about Alex. What do you think?”

I smiled just hearing his name. “Julie, first, I’m glad that you
met Brett. You guys look really great together, and I could tell that you both
hit it off. As for Alex, I get what you were trying to tell me about him. We
couldn’t turn a corner without some woman looking at him as if she wanted to
rip his clothes off. Not that I could blame them, it was just weird. It wasn’t
like he was mine, but we were walking hand in hand, and these women didn’t
care. Even when Leah was wrapped around Tyler in the hallway, she had the nerve
to wink at Alex. She’ll really be a thorn in my side if anything develops with
Alex. However, it’ll be okay for my research. I just didn’t think I would find
someone last night. I owe you one. I just have to keep reminding myself that
this is mainly about my book and try not to totally fall for him.”

“No way can you tell me that he is just research. Granted, he
would be delicious research, but come on, Aubrey. I saw the way you looked at
him and the way he looked at you.”

“Whatever . . . We’ll see what happens today.” She was totally
right. He’d made me feel things that I’d never felt before, and I needed to see
what came next.

“Hey,
chica
, I gotta go. Brett’s calling my other line. Have
fun today, and maybe we’ll see you later. If not, call me when you get home.”

My buzzer rang, and I knew it had to be Alex, but I checked anyway.
I pushed the intercom button and tried to sound alluring. “Yes?” I giggled to
myself because I sounded about alluring as a brick wall.

“Hey, it’s me.” Ah, that voice—now he sounded alluring. I couldn’t
wait to see him, but reminded myself that he was research—
research, Aubrey,
just research.
” Yeah, as if that was going to work. I buzzed him up and
opened my door a crack. I ran in the bathroom to quickly check myself. I heard
a knock, peeked out, and saw him as he walked in. One look at him made my heart
race and heat pool in my core. He was wore beige cargo shorts and a blue golf-style
shirt that showed off his broad chest and muscular, tanned arms. He was a
gorgeous man. I went to greet him.

“You look great, Aubrey.” I smiled, and he kissed me on the
cheek. He handed me a bouquet of flowers. I hadn’t even noticed that he’d had them
in his hand.

“I bent, smelled the flowers, inhaled their scent—that lovely
familiar scent—and noticed a white orchid in the center. These are beautiful. Thank
you, Alex.” Score one for romance! I began making mental notes in my head. “Would
you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you. If you’re ready, we can go to lunch.” His hands
were in his pockets, and he was shifting and moving side to side.
Was he
nervous?

I grabbed my cell and purse, and then we headed out the door. He
brought me to a little bistro not far from Creek Side Park, where I imagined we
would be going afterwards. The bistro was quaint. It had about fifteen tables
of various sizes with red-and-black table linens and a candle in the middle of
each. The lighting was dim, almost making you forget that it was the afternoon.
It was lovely.

We were greeted by a man in a black suit followed by a beautiful
woman also in black, but she wore a black miniskirt and had legs that never
seemed to stop. She also had a white blouse that displayed her ample breasts. I
noticed Alex shift when she approached us. “Alex!” The man kissed him on both
cheeks. “It is so good to see you.” He had an accent, which I imagined was
Italian. “Who is this lovely lady?”

“Anthony, this is Aubrey, a friend of mine.”

He kissed the top of my hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you. You
have a good man here in your friend, Alex. He’s a good-a boy. Come, your table
is ready. I show you.”

He was too cute the way he called Alex a good boy in his Italian
accent. I giggled a little when he said it, and Alex covered his eyes with his
right hand. He looked a tad embarrassed, which made me giggle a little more.

Anthony seemed to know Alex well. Was this a regular place Alex
brought dates? My heart started to race. “Thank you, Anthony.”

We sat down, and the woman sauntered up to us with menus in hand.
She batted her eyelashes, handed us menus hardly looking at me, and put her
hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Hey, handsome, it’s good to see you. Can I get you
something to drink?”

Alex looked at me. I tried to keep my face neutral; although, I
was getting a tad annoyed. Was this going to happen everywhere? I could
understand the club since he was the owner, but did he really bring me
somewhere where one of his conquests worked? I made a mental note for later; I
didn’t want to forget anything. “Aubrey, would you like a drink?” I felt like
ordering a bottle of Jack, but decided on a glass of white wine.

“A glass of chardonnay, please.”

Alex smiled that beautiful smile of his, turned to the woman,
ordered a bottle rather than a glass, and told her to bring two glasses. She
smiled at him and said, “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

Gag! My head was down, and I bit my lip and prayed I didn’t draw
blood. I started to think this wasn’t a good idea.
Who needs this? Not me,
that’s for sure.
I just wanted to meet someone and get some ideas for a
romance novel. I didn’t want to meet someone and get information for a book entitled
How to Juggle Multiple Women at Once
or
How to See Your Exes While Out
with Someone Else.

“Aubrey, are you okay?” I looked at him. I had a quick decision
to make: shrug it off as if it didn’t bother me or ask him about her and this
place.

“Yes, I’m fine. I take it you come here often? You seem to know
the staff here.” I really tried to keep my voice even, but I knew that I was going
to start sounding irritated and on the side of bitchy.

He looked apprehensive. “I’ve been coming here since I was young.
My mom and I used to come to lunch here after we spent the morning at the park.
The man who greeted us knew my mom, and he knows how much I miss her. As for
our waitress, Valerie, she is his daughter. We’ve known each other a long time;
we sort of grew up together.”

My head seemed to nod on its own. “I can understand why you’d
want to come here. I know I probably don’t have a right to ask, but Valerie
seems—how should I put it—attracted to you. I assume there’s a story there.”

His shoulders slumped forward. Then he sat up straight and looked
at me. “Yes, I guess you can say there’s history, but not much of a story. We dated
in high school and hooked up a couple of times in college. I don’t think of her
as more than a friend though. And you do have the right to ask. Since I brought
you here and after what you witnessed at the club last night, my reputation
isn’t stellar. I’m really not that guy. I suppose I once was, but I’m
twenty-eight now, and I want more than just a hook-up.”

“Well, trust me, Valerie thinks you’re more than just a friend;
call it women’s intuition, but that is how I see it.” Just then Valerie sauntered
back over with our wine.

She opened the bottle and poured a small amount in Alex’s glass. He
tasted it and nodded his head. She poured our wine and finally looked at me. She
had a weird grin on her face as if she knew something that I didn’t. She asked
us if we were ready to order. I hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. Alex asked
if it was okay if he ordered for us. I nodded. “We’ll have the chicken scaloppini
with a side of ziti, and if you could bring us both a house salad to start,
that would be great.” He looked at me. “Does that sound good to you?”

“It sounds great. Thank you.” Valerie took our menus, positioned
them under her arm, and looked at me. “Would you like some bread?’ Then looking
at me, she smirked and said, “You seem the type who enjoys eating carbs.”

What the hell did that mean? That I was fat? I keep hearing how
bad carbs are, but what the hell?
Screw her.
“Actually, bread would be great.”
I looked over at Alex and then back to her. “I think I’ll be able to burn it
off later today.” I winked and she walked away.

Alex just looked at me as if he wanted to ask me what that was
about, but he just raised his glass. I raised mine. “To getting to know each
other . . .” We clinked glasses and took a sip. This was exactly what I needed.
I made sure not to gulp, but sipped. Valerie glared at us from the host station.
She started to irritate me, but I tried not to show it.

Our salads came, and we had nice conversation. “Do your parents
live in town?”

I shook my head. “They live in Paris. They just moved there last
month.” He looked at me with sad eyes. “Don’t feel bad about it; it’s fine. I’ve
been on my own since I went to college. I mean they paid for the portion of my
education that wasn’t part of my scholarship, but for the most part, I haven’t
lived with them in over four years. My mom is . . . Let’s just say different. She
and I have contrasting views. She has her own ideas on what I need and should
want in life, and they are the complete opposite of what I envision. She’s a
little snobby and has bought into the idea that money talks and bullshit walks.
I’d rather be living paycheck to paycheck and have a happy life. I’d rather be
happy and poor than rich and miserable.”

Alex looked at me as though he understood what I was talking
about. I doubted he lived paycheck to paycheck, but maybe he wasn’t as happy as
he appeared to be. There was something about him—I didn’t know what—but I hoped
to find out. “What about siblings?”

I shook my head. “Nope, it’s just me.” “Does your dad live in the
city?”

“Yes. He has a place close to his office.” He didn’t seem fond of
his dad.

“Do you get to see him often?”

“No, not really, after my mom died, my dad really dove into his
business. I think being around me too much reminded him of what he lost. My mom
and I were close. I was definitely a mama’s boy.”

How sad. “I’m sorry, Alex. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“I had a sister. Ellie was five years older than I was. She was
with my mom in the car when a drunk driver hit them. They died at the scene, so
. . .” He shrugged his shoulders.

Holy crap! The conversation got worse by the minute. I felt like
bursting into tears for him. He looked up at me and could tell I was getting
upset. He reached for my hand and held it across the table. “Aubrey, I’m glad
you’re with me today. It’s nice to remember my mom and sister.” I smiled and
picked up his hand and kissed it. I don’t know why I did that; it just felt
right. I looked at him and he just smiled.

Valerie came and cleared away our salads. It was as if she was watching
and wanted to interrupt our moment. Alex took that moment to introduce us, and
we both smiled insincerely. As soon as she walked away, he came to my side of
the table and put his hand out for me to stand up. I stood and faced him. He
pulled me into him and hugged me. He held my head to his chest and kissed the
top of it. There was that scent again. It was everywhere he was. It seemed as
though we were standing there forever. We heard plates and noticed Valerie was
placing our lunch orders down. Still holding me and not looking at her, he said,
“Thank you for being here with me.”

We let go of each other and sat to eat the rest of our lunch. The
rest of the conversation was light. He asked where I was working. I told him
that I was in the process of job hunting and that I wanted to be an editor. I
couldn’t tell him about my book, but part of me really wanted to. He wished me
luck and told me he really hoped I got what I wanted. I was starting to think
he was what I wanted. This was supposed to be research, but instead, I knew I
was falling for him.

He paid for our lunch and shook hands with Anthony. I waved to
Valerie and this time gave her my best smile. We left hand in hand and made our
way to the park. This man was not at all the way Julie described. I hoped this
was the real Alex and that I wasn’t being played. I really didn’t think I was,
but I couldn’t be sure.

He stooped and looked at me. “I’m really having a good time. Remind
me to thank Julie for bringing you to the club last night and all the men who
attended the event for being losers.” We both laughed at that thought.

“I already thanked her for that. Hey, can we talk about last
night? I have a couple of questions.” I hated bringing up other women, but
since this was technically research and I wanted to know what he really
thought, I decided to move on with my line of questioning.

He looked at me with a nervous look and said, “What do you want
to know?”