Lush & Lovely

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

With Aidan by my side, our nine hour shift passed quickly. Before I knew it the next shift was coming in and Aidan and I were heading toward the restricted staff areas.

“Can I pick you up for the party?” he asked as we stepped into the break room.

“Actually I was just going to walk. I live pretty close to there and it’s easier to leave my car at my apartment and walk over.“

“Even better. How about I walk with you?”

I didn’t know why he wanted to go so badly, but I certainly couldn’t understand why he wanted to go with me. Still, I found myself struggling to say no to him.

“Okay, sure. I’m in Tree Branch Apartments, number 307.”

“Sounds great. I’m just going to head home and change and I’ll be there soon.”

I nodded as I followed him back out the door. In one day everything between Aidan and I had changed and I felt like I couldn’t be myself around him anymore. He’d slipped me more of those predatory looks throughout the day and seemed to be touching me more than usual. I didn’t know what any of it meant, but I was starting to wonder if he really was serious about asking me out all those times. I couldn’t understand why he would be interested in me, but… Maybe he’d bumped his head and I didn’t know about it. Or been hypnotized. That worked, right?

None of that mattered though. Aidan was going to invade my personal life, meeting my friends, and seeing me outside of work. I couldn’t help but wonder what my friends were going to think when I showed up with a man, especially one they didn’t know.

I knew my friend, Sam Reed, was going to go nuts for him, but she went nuts for every remotely attractive man. I loved Sam but I just couldn’t relate to her sometimes. It was like she was speaking a completely different language when she talked about men, one I’d never been able to understand.

Then again, Mandy was on board with Sam’s assessments lately, too. Mandy and her boyfriend, Xander, were in love. They’d met randomly when he called the customer service line where Mandy worked and ended up hopelessly in love.

Of course I was waiting for it to blow up. Not that I wanted that for my best friend, but I knew it would happen. They’d already had one issue and I just knew something else was going to come up. And like usual, I’d be there for Mandy to help her pick up the pieces.

At home I changed from my uniform into tan capris and a black t-shirt. My honey colored hair wasn’t cooperating with me, but I ran a brush through it and decided it was going to have to be good enough. With a little mascara and some lipgloss, I was ready to go. At the front door I picked up the leash for Brownie, my three year old German Shepherd.

I opened the door and found Aidan about to knock. Brownie, usually a good guard dog, looked up at me before nuzzling his head into Aidan’s hand. He knelt down in front of us and rubbed behind Brownie’s ears. “I didn’t know you had a dog. He’s beautiful.”

“Thanks. He’s three. I got him from the pound. They didn’t think he was full blooded, but if he’s a mix it’s with something else big. You can see German shepherd all over him though.”

Aidan continued his rub-down of Brownie, who’d flopped onto the ground to show off his belly. Aidan looked up at me, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun. “Were you going to take him for a walk or is he coming with us?”

I laughed. “No, Brownie isn’t allowed into stores. He eats everything that isn’t nailed down. I was just going to walk him for a while since he’s been home alone all day.”

Aidan stood up and brushed the dirt from his knees, drawing my attention to his massive thighs fighting to break free of his cargo shorts. He was wearing sneakers and a Buffalo Bills t-shirt.

For some reason he looked delicious.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk with you. Lock your door.”

I smiled at his request then walked down the stairs to the dog area behind my building. Brownie jumped up and down excitedly when he saw the gate. Once we were closed inside I unclipped his leash and let him run around the grassy area the complex kept for residents. It was one of the reasons I’d chosen Tree Branch in the first place. Dogs like Brownie needed a chance to run.

“You look nice,” Aidan said, his eyes never leaving Brownie. “I’ve never seen you out of uniform.”

Suddenly shy, I whispered thanks.

I tried to remind myself that Aidan was my friend. We’d been friends for years and there was no reason for me to be uncomfortable around him. Even if he were truly interested in dating me, it wasn’t like I needed to be worried about it. It would never last.

Brownie bounded over to us, happily chewing on a stick he found on the other side of the enclosure. Aidan reached down to pick it up and Brownie jumped away to wait for the throw. Aidan teased him a couple of times before launching the stick across the grass. Brownie bolted after it, grabbing it from the ground on his run past.

Brownie came back over to us and Aidan threw his stick again, then turned to me. “Am I making you uncomfortable? Being here? I feel like you don’t want me here.”

I wondered, not for the first time, how he always seemed to know what I was thinking or feeling. I knew I owed him the truth, but I didn’t know how to tell him the truth. Or even a version of it that would help him understand.

Then again I couldn’t come up with a version that helped me understand. Having him there, throwing a stick for my dog, felt too much like a couple thing. Too much like we were starting something. Something that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Even if it was with Aidan who I trusted more than I’d trusted a man in ten years.

He didn’t know my past, the lies and trauma I’d been through. He had no way of knowing. But he was willing to fight through whatever it was that was holding me back. He’d been asking me out for months and I’d finally agreed. Even though it wasn’t a date, it was more than I’d had in longer than I wanted to think about.

“I guess I don’t know how to act around you. At work we have this easy friendship but it’s all different when we’re not at work. I’m not really sure what to say to you or how to act around you.”

Brownie whimpered at our feet when Aidan ignored him and turned to me. “Claire, look, I like you. I’ve never hidden that from you. Well, maybe for the first few years when we were getting to know each other, but not lately. I’m still the same guy you have lunch with and harass every day. If nothing ever happens with us I still want us to be friends.”

I took a deep breath, knowing he was right and I was being foolish. Nothing had changed. And it didn’t have to. He said he liked me, not that he wanted to date me. He was still the same friend I’d spent the day talking to, just wearing clothes that let me appreciate more of his incredible body.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Alright, let’s get to Bite Me!”

“I’d love to,” Aidan mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear. My mouth fell open and he just shrugged then threw the stick one more time for Brownie.

With Brownie locked back in the apartment, Aidan and I walked over to Bite Me! I could tell before we even got close that the place was packed. People were sitting at bistro tables out front and there was a line out the door.

We pushed inside and I spotted Mandy, Xander, Sam, and Addi at a table in the back. They had one extra chair but judging by the size of the crowd it was taking everything they had to hold on to it. I pointed them out to Aidan and he followed me through the crowd, his hand resting on the small of my back as we went.

I won’t lie, his warm hand on me sent tingles up and down my spine.

Sam was the first to see us and her eyes lit up when she noticed Aidan following me. She nudged Addi who nearly choked on her cupcake. Mandy and Xander were too concerned with Addi coughing to realize we were approaching the table.

“Are you okay?” I asked Addi when we got to the table.

She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks from the lack of oxygen. Sam gave her one more good slap then turned her brown eyes and stunning smile on Aidan. “I’m Sam. Are you a friend of Claire's?”

“For now, yes. I’m Aidan,” he said as he reached for her hand. “Sam? You’re the photographer, right?”

Sam grinned up at him, batting her lashes as she flirted. “I am. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about you though Aidan. How do you know Claire?”

Before he could answer Xander yanked Mandy from her chair into his lap. He nudged Mandy’s chair toward Aidan. He glanced at me then took the seat between Sam and Xander. I dropped into the chair on the other side of Xander, next to Addi.

“Claire and I work together for TSA. You must be Addi,” he said, directing his gaze to her. “And I have no doubt you two are Xander and Mandy.”

Xander extended his hand around Mandy’s back and shook Aidan’s. Mandy and Addi smiled at him. Sam leaned closer and said, “So Aidan, tell us about yourself. What do you do in your spare time?”

“Not too much. I’m saving to buy a house so I actually work a lot. I usually pick up one or two extra shifts each week so I work about six days a week.”

“I didn’t know that,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

“Where are you looking to buy? I live in a great neighborhood. You should come by sometime and check it out,” Sam said, leaning into him.

I clenched my fists under the table and tried not to get upset. I had no claim over Aidan and Sam could flirt all she wanted. I’d been saying no to dates with Aidan for a long time and Sam fit the bill for his dream woman just as easily as I did. We were the same size but she had bigger breasts and that long, flowing hair that seemed to be made for wet dreams. Her deep brown eyes drew people in and made you want to divulge all your secrets.

Of course that was part of what made her such a fabulous photographer. People wanted to be around Sam. People wanted to smile for her and trusted her enough to let her catch those hidden moments that no one else saw.

I’d always been envious of how easily she talked to people, making small talk seem easy. Where I’d always hidden in the shadows, Sam wasn’t afraid to step into the light when necessary.

Aidan turned toward Sam and said, “That sounds great. I really haven’t decided where I want to buy. I love Winterville so I know I’ll stay in town, but I just don’t know where. I’d love to have a dog so I’m hoping for a place with a yard plus two or three bedrooms. I enjoy cooking so I want a great kitchen.”

“Have you considered a fixer-upper? I got my house for a steal and redid the whole thing myself,” Xander asked. I suddenly loved Mandy’s boyfriend for diverting the attention from Sam.

“I’ve considered it. I like to work with my hands, but I’m afraid I’ll end up getting in over my head and never finish.”

Xander laughed. “I know exactly what you mean. I felt that way, too. It took me about twice as long to finish my house as I thought it would. The key though is to find something you can live in while you fix it up.”

Aidan nodded, turning toward Xander to continue their conversation. “Yeah, I want to move as soon as I can. If I get something with more than one bathroom I know it won’t be too bad to fix up the house, as long as it’s structurally sound. You sound like you know a thing or two about houses.”

Xander grinned. “Yeah, I work at Colton Construction as a project manager. I’m an electrical engineer but I have some decent mechanical skills too.”

“Don’t let him fool you. He’s amazing. His house is stunning. You should come over and check it out. He has before pictures to really give you an idea of what was done. It’s amazing,” Mandy bragged about Xander.

I risked a glance at Sam and saw her taking the whole situation in. Thankfully she wasn’t mad, just observing. I also didn’t think she knew I had any interest in Aidan.

Wait. s**t, I didn’t want to like him.

Sam was my friend. If she wanted him, I needed to step back and let her have him. After all, for the last ten years I’d told myself love wasn’t going to be part of my future. Sam should have a shot.

“I just might do that. Thanks. It’s overwhelming to think about buying a house and all this stuff. I’m 31 but I still feel like I’m not old enough for responsibility. At the same time I’m sick of renting.”

“My neighborhood has some older homes, but most are in pretty good shape. I’ll give you my number and you can come by and see my place. We can wander the neighborhood too so you can see what it would be like to be my neighbor,” Sam jumped back into the conversation.

“Thanks Sam. That sounds great. I’m really glad Claire let me tag along today. She talks about you guys all the time, but I had no idea you would all be so welcoming.”

Xander laughed and rubbed Mandy’s back. “Just don’t piss one of these ladies off. You’ll pay for it big time if you hurt one of them. I learned my lesson in a hurry.”

“Yeah,” Sam jumped in. “I had to pick Mandy up from a party a few weeks ago when she thought Xander was being an a*s. He couldn’t find her for over 24 hours. We protect our own.”

“Loyalty is a very important quality in a person. I wouldn’t consider being friends with or dating someone who wasn’t loyal. It says a lot about all of you that you’re such good friends.”

“Claire and Mandy have been friends forever, but Addi and I met them in college. The four of us met our freshman year and have been best friends ever since. We’d do anything for each other.”

I cringed when Sam rested her hand on Aidan’s arm. He looked down at it then back up at her with a smile. I wanted to be happy for them. To let it all go and just accept that one of my best friends liked another friend of mine. They were perfect for each other, I supposed.

I wanted to let it happen, but I couldn’t fight the nausea rolling through me. The jealousy that came out of nowhere and would have knocked me on my a*s if I weren’t already sitting down.

I should have said yes. Even one of those times he asked me on a date I should have agreed. Just one time and I would be the woman he was flirting with. Instead he was flirting with one of my best friends. Someone I would never fight for a guy.

Which was why I had to walk away because I couldn’t just sit there and watch.