“Haven't we talked about it enough already?” I say with a chuckle.
“Not about you specifically,” she says.
“Well me, specifically, loves that you brought a condom. Did you plan on attacking me in my office?”
“Maybe I thought about it. But that’s not what I mean.”
“I know the night was a bit of a cluster, but it was fun. I haven't let loose like that in—well, a long time. I think the last time I was drunk was the night we got pregnant with Harlow. Because when you have children, you have to be responsible. Like what if I was drinking and one of the kids needed to go to the hospital?”
“You call an ambulance?” she says flatly. I can’t tell if she’s kidding or making fun of me.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. I'm just teasing you a little. I love that your children are so important to you. But back to Vegas.”
“Vanessa, why don't you just tell me what you want to know. It would be a lot easier than me trying to guess.”
She smiles but I see the pain in her eyes.
“Actually, I think I know. You want to know why I didn't sleep with anyone.”
“We don't have any kind of an agreement about that. You could have,” she says, but it’s what she isn’t saying that gets to me. I know her ex cheated on her, but I get the feeling it was more than that. I remember her saying she wore red lipstick to feel confident. Whatever he did to her, rocked her to the core, and that’s something I understand.
I pull her into my arms. “I'm smart enough not to fuck up a good thing.”
“Is that what we are? A good thing?” she replies bitchily.
“You seem upset by my word choice. What is your definition of a good thing?”
“For most men that would mean sex with no strings.”
“I guess I’m not most men then. I meant that I think we're good together, and not just in bed.” I cup her face tenderly. I want her to know she’s more—way more—than just sex to me. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s only been a week, I’d tell her right now that I’m in love with her. As we end our kiss, I try to convey with my eyes the depth of my feelings.
She holds my gaze and then softly says, “Dawson, I lo—I um, lost something. I just realized. Um, I’ll be right back.”
Then she rushes out of my office.
What the hell?
Captive Films — Santa Monica
VANESSA
“God, what am I going to do now?” I say to myself, marching down the hall.
Keatyn yells at me. “What happened? Did Jennifer break the Internet? Although, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.”
I let out a frustrated sigh and walk into her office. “No, everything is fine—well, as good as can be expected under the circumstances. It’s Dawson. He and I—we seem so—and then I almost—”
“Almost what?”
“Dawson and I are sort of seeing each other. And we’re having incredibly hot sex. It’s amazing. So amazingly good.” I roll my eyes. “I’m an attorney and a successful business woman, for goodness sakes, and just listen to me. I sound like a teenager. But he is amazing. And the sex—my god—the sex is beyond phenomenal. The best ever. But it's not just that. He’s so sweet and sincere and sweet.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“I asked him about Vegas. Why he didn’t sleep with anyone.”
“What’d he say?”
“That it was because of me. That he didn’t want to fuck up a good thing. He thinks we’re a good thing. And then he gave me this kiss—” I cross my arms in front of my chest and hug myself. “—that was so full of emotion that I almost said I love you. I wasn’t even thinking, it just naturally came out. I said I lo—realized what I was about to say then said I lost something and got the hell out of there. What the fuck is wrong with me?”
“It’s okay if you’re in love with him, Vanessa. I loved Aiden when I first met him. Your heart knows, so don’t let your head get in the way.”
“I feel stupid and lovesick. Hell, even my teen self would tell me that I’m clearly his rebound. His entry back into society as an eligible bachelor.”
“Vanessa, you went through a lot—just like Dawson did. And after two years of suffering in your own ways, you're both ready to love again. I'm happy for you. You should be happy for you.”
“If I would have let the I love you tumble out of my mouth, do you think he would’ve run the other way?”
Keatyn chuckles and gives me a smirk. “I don't know. Maybe I should ask his best friend to ask him if he likes you back.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up. No. We are adults. I'm leaving this conversation now and getting back to work. Obviously, I have a lot of work to do. It would be huge for me to add Jennifer to my list of clients.”
As I'm walking out, she says, “So, don't ask?”
I turn around and hold the door frame. “No, I'm being ridiculous. I'll ask him myself.”
“Hey, wait a second,” she says.