Misunderstandings (Woodfalls Girls 2)

“You’re a little early,” I griped as I pulled open the door. It wasn’t Melissa. Justin’s broad frame was standing in front of me. Yelping with dismay, I clutched what little towel there was before glancing down to make sure it was covering all the appropriate areas. “What are you doing here?” I stuttered out.

“Melissa got called in to work for some paperwork fiasco, so I volunteered to pick you up so we can meet her and Rob for lunch,” he answered, entering my room without waiting for an invitation. “Is that okay?” he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

“Uh, sure,” I answered, trying not to sound flustered, even though he was sitting on my bed. For some reason, it felt oddly intimate. Old memories, I’m sure. “I just have to get dressed,” I answered, pawing through my suitcase in a mad attempt to find something that would cover me better than my towel.

“I figured. Towels are so out in the fashion industry,” he teased.

I didn’t know how to respond. Sure, during dinner last night I’d seen him open up more, showing me that some of the guy I once knew was still there, but I chalked it up to the fact that Rob and Melissa had been there as a buffer. He wasn’t flirty like the old Justin, but he was at least friendly.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, clutching my clothes in front of me and backing up to the bathroom.

“No hurry. We still have a while until we have to meet Melissa and Rob,” he answered.

I sagged against the door once it was closed. Having Justin in my room was enough to send my blood pressure through the roof.

I pulled on my panties and jeans with jittery fingers, telling myself it was fine that he was here. Once my pants were in place, I felt a little more comfortable now that I wasn’t completely naked. That is, until I reached for my bra, only to realize I’d left it in my suitcase. Biting back a groan of frustration, I weighed my alternatives. I could walk out there in my jeans with the towel wrapped around my chest or I could put on my shirt and walk out to get my bra. Neither option seemed ideal. Knowing Justin as well as I used to, he would definitely think this was a “check me out” ploy. I was screwed either way.

After a full two minutes of weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go with option B. Of course, it was only after I was pulling on my shirt that I realized I had grabbed a fitted T-shirt that hugged my curves. Sighing at the look I was sporting, I left the bathroom with my arms crossed over my chest as I tried to keep the front of my body angled away from Justin.

“Sorry, I’m just about ready,” I said, not wanting to make a further spectacle of myself by sprinting the last few feet to my open suitcase, where my bra was dangling halfway out. I maneuvered my body so the suitcase was no longer in Justin’s line of vision. Reaching a hand out, I snatched the offending undergarment into my hand, which turned out to be a bad idea since it was snagged on something in my suitcase. My hard tug made it come free with a loud snapping sound as it whacked me in the face.

I silently mumbled a string of curses, trying to control my watering eyes.

“You okay there?” Justin asked, sounding like he was trying to suppress laughter. It was at that moment I looked up from my suitcase and met Justin’s reflective stare in the mirror. His eyes were filled with merriment as I clutched the bra in my closed fist.

“I’m fine,” I answered, ignoring the fact that I was now sporting a welt on my forehead. I tried to remain aloof as I kept my chin up and stalked to the bathroom with my lips twitching. Closing the door behind me, I could hear Justin’s chuckles and I couldn’t help laughing at myself. I finished getting ready and before I knew it, we were leaving the room together. My heart skipped when he led me past the elevators toward the flight of stairs. Usually, I requested a ground-floor room, but the hotel had been almost completely booked at the time I checked in. Last night I had gladly hoofed it up the four floors to my room. Seeing Justin bypass the elevators played with my emotions.

We took our time walking down the stairs, exchanging the typical pleasantries. It felt awkward considering our history, but it was better than fighting. We exhausted the topic of weather after the first flight of stairs and Rob and Melissa’s engagement party the rest of the way down.

Everything stood still for me as Justin stopped in front of an achingly familiar vehicle.

“Your jeep,” my voice cracked.

“I figured since there was a break in the rain, I’d celebrate by taking off the roof and doors. I hope you don’t mind?” he asked. Based on the small smile on his face, he knew I would approve.

“Sure,” I said, climbing into the vehicle. I kept my face neutral, although emotionally I was soaring.

Justin cranked the jeep, and it was as loud as I remembered. Within minutes, we were able to leave the city behind. The wind whipped around, stinging my face with familiarity. I was enjoying the ride so much it took ten minutes before I thought to question our destination.

“I figured we’d take the scenic route,” Justin yelled over the wind.

It felt like taking a trip to the past. My mind became flooded with memories and images of the good times we had shared. We were half an hour out of the city when Justin pulled onto an embankment and whipped a U-turn. The tires spun out on the gravel before gripping the road, taking us back in the direction we’d just come from. I didn’t comment, figuring he was a bit turned around. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant less than a block from my hotel.

“Scenic route, huh?” I smiled.

“Well, it was scenic for me,” he answered softly.

Pulling down the visor, I inspected my reflection, startled by how happy I looked. It had been a long time. Two years, to be exact. I remembered my conversation with Tressa and wondered if I was setting myself up for heartache.

“You’re late.” Melissa greeted us outside the restaurant.

“We took the long way,” I said, nodding toward Justin.

Melissa returned a questioning look before speaking up. “Oh, well, come on. Rob’s already inside.”

We found Rob sitting at a booth and before I could react, Melissa slid in next to him. I stood for a moment, eyeing the empty side of the booth across from them.

“You want me to slide in first?” Justin asked.