“Shut up,” I said, laughing and slapping him on the chest. “Besides, that would only work if we were naked. Nobody will buy a regular cat fight.”
“Just let a nip slip or something,” he said, laughing.
I dried my eyes and laughed hard, feeling the stress rise up off my shoulders. I felt better just being next to Nathan, but having him there to talk to was even more comforting. I was leaning on him, and I had never done that with any man in my life. He was there for me, and I was okay with that, feeling like I could give him my problems and let him help me sort them out. There was a connection there that went beyond sex or love, and it was pretty intense. I knew that seeing Sarah had made me emotional, but this was something different. I breathed deeply, not wanting to think too much about it.
“Why don’t we try this again and go get some food somewhere?”
“I like that idea,” he said. “I was starting to think about eating out of the park trashcan, I’m so hungry.”
“You are gross,” I said, standing up and shaking my head.
“Oh yeah?”
He stood up and started chasing after me, growling as I ran away. I giggled loudly, shrieking as he caught me in his arms and turned me toward him. I looked deep in his eyes and smiled, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. He was exactly what I needed.
Chapter 10
Nathan
It was only Tuesday, but I felt like I was going insane not having Amanda by my side. I had just seen her on Sunday, and now, I was sitting at work with her running through my mind. I had texted her several times that day, sending cute messages back and forth, but it just wasn’t enough for me. I had never been this wrapped up in a girl before, and I was starting to feel the repercussions from it. Even when I was with my ex, I didn’t crave to be with her, to see her, to touch her, but with Amanda, I did all the damn time. I wondered if this was how Jordan felt about Lindsey because if it was, I needed some pointers on how to function in day to day life.
Spending time with Amanda had become my favorite thing to do. I was always thinking about ways to see her sooner. It was an interesting feeling to be that close to someone, that attached to someone, even though I’d only known her a short while. It felt like we had forever to get to know one another, and instead of that being a daunting thought, I was excited about the prospect. I didn’t give a shit about giving up my dating life or spending my free time with her instead of out with the boys. I wanted to plan my days around our meetings. Lying in bed, talking all night long, and making love whenever we wanted to. You would think as the owner of a major corporation, I would be able to do those things, but instead, I was sitting in a meeting at work, not listening to anything they had to say.
Work had become a bother to me, and the meetings were hard to get through. The one I was currently in was something about internal marketing we were going to be doing. It was pointless for me to be there since I had already signed off on everything, but it was expected of me to be there and be present. Well, I was there, but I definitely wasn’t present. I looked down at my phone and smiled as a text popped up from Amanda. She had sent me a picture of herself making a funny face. I sent her a message back saying I was in a meeting, with about ten skulls after it. We conversed back and forth for a minute, and then I put my phone down.
There were people at the front of the room doing a presentation, but their voices had faded to the background as I stared out the window at nothing in particular. Thoughts of Amanda ran through my head, and I started planning out our next date. I wanted to take her somewhere out of the city, somewhere we could relax without worrying about running into people like Sarah. As I made a checklist in my head, I was pulled back into the room.
“Hey,” John whispered. “You still in there?”
“Yeah,” I whispered back. “Sorry.”
“At least try to pay attention,” he said. “These people worked really hard on this, and they are looking for your approval. You don’t even look like you’re inside of your body.”
I pulled myself up in the chair and tried to focus in on the rest of the meeting. John was right. Whether I liked it or not, I was leading these people, and they were looking to me for input and guidance. I might not have liked it at that moment, but that was the way I built the company. When the meeting was over, I talked with the group for a little while and gave them the sign off on the project. They all seemed excited that their hard work was being noticed. I knew I needed to at least try to be present for these people. I went back to my office and sat down behind the computer, opening up my email. Before I could answer anyone back, though, John walked in, sitting down in front of my desk.
“Where is my secretary?” I asked.
“She went to lunch,” John said. “Why do I know that, but you don’t?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, rubbing my face.
“What is going on with you?”
“Nothing is wrong with me,” I said. “Everything is right with me, and I can’t get it out of my head.”
“Would you like to try explaining that to me without speaking in riddles?”
“I can’t stop thinking about Amanda,” I blurted out. “I’ve fallen head over heels in love with her.”
Normally, after telling your best friend that you fell in love with a girl, you would be greeted with applause and happy comments. However, as I sat there waiting for John’s response, his face went from concerned to unhappy. It was the same face he gave me when he told me about my ex, and I didn’t like what was happening at all. Why was it that I couldn’t have my best friend be there and happy for me, and what was so bad about me being in love? I shifted in my chair and tapped on the desk, grabbing his attention.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking himself back into reality. “I’m happy for you. I am.”
“But…”
“But I want you to be careful,” he said. “I don’t have a good feeling about her. I have been thinking about that since I met her at the party, but I didn’t want to say anything because you looked so damn happy.”