“I do,” I said.
He’d texted it to me a few weeks ago, basically giving me a free pass to come use his home gym or indoor pool whenever I wanted. I knew what a nice offer that was, but at the same time, it made me wonder how many of his clients got a golden ticket to his legendary estate just outside of the city. He took a helicopter to and from work every day, though he’d offered me a ride as well if I ever wanted to take him up on his offer to utilize his hotel/home facilities. I’d never brought up what I was supposed to do when it was time for me to leave and the helicopter only flew back to Manhattan in the morning.
“Oh, and Hayden, this is a black-tie affair. You’re welcome to borrow any of the samples lying around the office, but please let your roommate know sneakers and a ball cap won’t cut it tomorrow night.”
The line was dead before I had a chance to say anything. Sneakers and a ball cap? Ellis and Soren had never met, but he had him pegged in the fashion department. Looking through that same window again, I realized most college guys could be put into that fashion category.
Black tie? How was I going to convince Soren to put on a tux? The fanciest thing I’d seen him in was a polo shirt that he’d worn untucked over his dark 501’s, sneakers and ball cap included. There was no way he had a tux lying around in his rotting pile of laundry. Heck, there was probably no way I could to convince him to put one on in the first place.
Provided I could convince him to attend the party with me anyway.
Soren. Soren?
Of all the names I could have said, his had been the first? The only one on the tip of my tongue? I hadn’t made a load of friends yet, but I still had a decent handful I could call on in the event a wingman or wingwoman was needed. It wouldn’t take much convincing to get any of them to an Ellis Lawson party.
When I stepped back inside, I noticed Soren trying to get my attention. I pretended like I didn’t though. I needed to get out of here. I needed some space to reflect and realign my brain so it accepted Soren as my roommate and friend and that was all. I needed to pull the drain on wherever that pool of desire I had for him was buried inside.
“Jane!” I hollered, tapping her shoulder and squeezing in between the legion of frat boys piled around her and Ariel. “I’m out. Are you guys ready to leave or are you staying?”
Jane waved her finger at the man circle around her. “I’m not leaving until I’ve had a bite of every last one of them.”
“You staying too, Ariel?” I asked, interrupting the modern recreation of a scene from Dirty Dancing.
She didn’t look away from the guy she was moving against. “I’m definitely staying.”
My head shook. For a couple of girls who thought college boys were in the “to be avoided at all costs” pile, they both were getting awfully friendly. “Okay, well, text me when you make it back to your place later.”
“Wait. You’re not leaving by yourself, are you?” Jane stepped away from the football-player-looking type grinding up against her, coming toward me.
“I’m fine. I came here alone. I’m good leaving alone too.”
“Yeah, but it’s late.”
When I started for the door, Jane’s hand wound around my wrist, earning her a sigh. “It was late when I got here too.”
“Hayden, you’re not leaving this party by yourself.”
Someone came up behind me then, replacing Jane’s hand around my wrist with his. “No. She’s not.”
Soren’s fingers were warm and solid. Five fingers, that was all he had on me, but I felt him everywhere.
That was maybe what had me shaking my wrist free.
“Would you stop with the overbearing protector thing already?” I snapped, moving toward the door. “I can take care of myself.”
“Soren?” Jane called from behind me.
“Yeah, I got her.”
Hearing his answer, like I was a duty or something, had my pace picking up. If I hadn’t had heels on, I could have tried to outrun him, but how foolish would that be? Running away down some dark sidewalk from my roommate who wanted to make sure I got home safely?
My life made negative one sense.
“Hayden!” Soren hollered when I made it out of the cyclone fence. “Stop.”
“Stop telling me what to do,” I fired back, super mature-like.
His footsteps pounded down the walkway, only making mine move faster. “God damn it, Hayden. What is your deal?” Soren’s footsteps slowed once he was a few steps behind me. “One minute you’re laughing and letting me close, and the next I’m afraid you’re going to go praying mantis on my ass. What am I not understanding here? Please. Enlighten me so I can fix it.”
The words little sister were rising from within me when I clamped my mouth together so hard, my molars felt about to creak. “I don’t need a personal security guard. You can go back to the party and enjoy yourself. The subway station isn’t far.”
“I’m not trying to be your personal security guard.”
“Then what it is? You’re trying to be something. What?” The sound of my heels clacking against the sidewalk echoed into the quiet night.
His sneakers hardly made any noise behind me. “I’m trying to be someone who cares. That’s all. But you’re making that damn near impossible.”
My eyes were starting to sting. Must have had to do with the windspeed from the pace I was pounding out. It definitely wasn’t because he was saying the right thing.
“You can’t protect me from everything.” My arms drew around my body. To keep myself warm and to keep myself together.
Moving up beside me, he sighed. “You make it a habit of underestimating me way too much.” Nudging me, he slipped something over my shoulders.
“What?” I glanced at the jacket he’d covered me with.
“It’s Derrick’s. I didn’t bring mine and figured you’d get cold since you know, it’s early spring in New York, which is pretty much nothing more than winter going into overtime.”
My fingers went around the collar of the jacket, pulling it closer. “Thanks.”
“See? There it is again. That tone of surprise. Underestimating me.” His hands went into his pockets as he matched his pace to mine. Now that I wasn’t trying to run away on four-inch heels from a college athlete, I’d slowed down.
“I don’t underestimate you,” I replied.
“Then what is it you do? Because you definitely don’t overestimate me.”
I’m trying to note every flaw you have so I don’t fall for you any more than I already have. I’m trying to inflate every flaw you have. I’m trying . . . but I’m not sure I’m succeeding.
I went ahead and kept that explanation to myself.
“Who were you talking to back there?”
“My agent, Ellis,” I said.
“Didn’t you just see him a few hours ago? And what’s he doing calling you after midnight?” Soren’s attention focused ahead of us, where a couple of guys had just stumbled out of a bar.