“You’re putting the cart before the horse, don’t you think? I may not like you. So, while I admire your ego, I think you are jumping to conclusions.”
“My ego? That’s hilarious coming from you, Coach!” I exclaimed.
He burst out laughing. “So, while I admire your confidence,” he modified, raising his eyebrows with a cheeky grin, “it’s just dinner. I’m not sure what’s so risqué about that.”
There was no way I would have even considered dinner with him the night before, but I found myself now wavering. As I looked at him, all alpha male in front of me, he chose that moment to reach up and run his fingers through his hair. My heart pounded at the sight of his biceps flexing and my body began to ache with want; I had to fight myself to tear my eyes away as my brain took back over.
“I just … I can’t.”
“You did say you didn’t have a boyfriend, right?”
“I don’t.” I rolled the ring my mother had given me as a little girl around my right ring finger nervously. “I just got my life situated again and I really need to focus on me right now.”
“Dinner—that’s it,” he reiterated, his eyes searching mine. “It is one meal. I don’t usually do one meal with a female, unless they are making me breakfast.”
This is the Cane from last night. This is exactly why I can’t have dinner with him.
Before I could change my mind, I pressed on the door with my back, letting the heat rush through. “No, I’m sorry, Cane. Maybe some other time.”
I grabbed my bag and walked out into the sun, my emotions a verifiable war zone.
JADA
“This one is really pretty.” Kari held a green sundress against her body in the middle of a little boutique off of Indian School Road.
“I think you should get it,” I nodded, trying to encourage her to make the purchase so we could leave. We had been shopping all day and I was exhausted. My feet hurt, my head hurt, and my interest had waned. Shopping had never really been my thing anyway, but that afternoon had tested my limits.
Max had made reservations at one of the fancy restaurants on Camelback Mountain and Kari was adamant that she needed a new dress. She had been talking about him more and, while she still tried to play everything off, I could see through her fa?ade. She was really starting to like him and it was nice to see my sister happy. I just hoped that she could see that, too.
“Yes, I think I like this one. It’s the same one I tried on in red, but the green really makes it seem totally different.” She threw the dress over her arm, satisfied with her choice. “My legs do look great in this and Max loves my legs.”
“Fabulous. Now can we be done?”
“You sort of let me down on the sister front when it comes to shopping. Just so you know. Hold this for me.” She handed me the dress while she dug through her Tori Burch handbag and retrieved her ringing phone.
“Hey, Max!” She flashed me a huge grin while she listened. “I’m shopping with Jada. I had to get a dress for dinner at Object.”
I walked over to a clothes rack, not interested in hearing her conversation. A cobalt blue dress hung on the end and I picked it up. It was strapless and beautiful … and reminded me of a certain someone’s eyes. I put it back quickly.
“Bowling? Yeah, that sounds like fun!” Kari’s voice right next to me caused me to jump. She nudged me with her elbow. “Really?”
I rolled my eyes, my good nature starting to wear thin. I just want to get home and into my fleece pajama pants. Maybe grab some wine and spend a little time with Tom Hardy.
“I don’t know, but I’ll ask her,” Kari said, the coyness in her voice irritating me. Something was definitely up and I knew I wasn’t going to like it.
“So,” she began, looking at me while obviously trying to figure out the best way to deliver her message. “Cane is with Max right now. And he said he surprisingly doesn’t have plans tonight and would be happy to take you bowling.”
“I’m sure he can make plans with someone else at the last minute.”
“Why don’t you want to go? I mean—you did see him, right? Tall, blond, gorgeous? Sexy as hell? Ring a bell?”
“Yeah, I most certainly did. And that is precisely why I won’t be bowling tonight.” I turned my back to her as I pretended to look through the dresses. Cane was the epitome of what I was trying to avoid. Kari knew this.
“She said no.” She paused. “He said to tell you that you still owe him dinner.”
“I absolutely do not!” I laughed.
“He said you very clearly said ‘some other time’ and he is taking that to mean tonight.” Kari smiled brightly, not even trying to hide her amusement.
“He can take it to mean whatever he wants, but I have plans tonight.”