What. A. Jerk.
11
Jude
I rap on Ally’s bedroom door with two knuckles. It’s five minutes before seven o’clock and Carly wanted us to come up at seven. Since getting in, Ally has been in her room.
She doesn’t answer the door. “Hey Ally-cat?” I call out, knocking again. “We should head upstairs.”
The door bursts open and pretty blue eyes blaze at me. She’s opened the door just enough to look up at me. “We don’t need to walk up together. Fuck. Go if you wanna go.” She slams the door in my face so hard my hair blows back.
Her face was red, her eyes were blazing, and she looked like she needed a solid, rough kiss, backed up against the wall, my hands sliding down to cup her by the ass.
Instead, I call out, “See you up there.”
“You suck!” she shouts.
I grab a bottle of wine I brought here earlier today, a baguette and the roasted garlic bundle I’ve done up in the past hour while I cleaned up after Ally’s latest kitchen mess, then head up three floors to Aiden’s place.
Aiden and I have been friends a while. We met when he hired me to investigate his mother and the relationship he had with Audra Carmichael makes me value my own relationship with my ma in a big way.
Yeah, Ana Novak will headbutt her way into my business if she feels like she needs to, but always with the best of intentions, unlike Aiden’s ma, who seemed to have been at war with her eldest son for the past few years. Things have simmered between them recently and I’m no longer working for Aiden, but in between the projects he hires me for, we often go for drinks or to work out together. His brother Austin’s solid, too.
***
When I get up there, there’s business to deal with first. Aiden and I chat on the balcony while Carly puts together kabobs. Aiden’s father wants background checks on all employees brought on board in the past two years because of problems with a staff member in his New York office that’s got him paranoid about having more rotten eggs on his team. Aiden fills me in and then we drop the shop talk when Carly comes out and starts in on me with a line of questioning that lets me know I’m really getting under Ally’s skin.
“What do you want with Ally? Sex? A relationship? What?” Carly asks, sitting down with a bowl of tortilla chips and queso.
“Why do you ask?”
“She’s my best friend and she says you’re harassing her. I have to decide if I’m going to help you do that or make sure you stop it.”
Aiden scoffs. “Best stay on her good side man.”
I snicker. “Believe me, you want me to keep harassing her, Carly.”
“Why is that?” She dunks a chip in queso and stuffs it in her mouth.
“I’m the kinda guy that wants to know what makes a woman I want tick. She’s holding back so I’m getting close enough to figure her out.”
Carly considers this while sipping her drink.
“What if she just really doesn’t want you?” she volleys.
“She wants me,” I return with confidence.
She scoffs. “What’s with you San Diego boys and those Siberia-sized egos?”
I continue. “This isn’t conceit, babe. Surely you’ve noticed she holds people at arms’ length, or she tries to, but if I’m gonna get serious about someone, I need in there. And with Ally, I’ve had to get creative. It’s not working out, so…”
“Forced proximity,” Aiden puts in.
“Bingo,” I say.
“She’s holding you at arms’ length, Jude,” Carly says, “because she doesn’t want to get serious with anybody and you being pushy could lead to a restraining order. I’ve never seen her mad like I see her get mad at you. She’s like… the most even-tempered person I know. Except when it comes to you.”
And that’s the kicker. That’s how I know there’s something more. Not only the way Ally looks at me, not only the connection we made when we fucked, but how hard she’s protesting, too. She’s putting on a lot of acts and most of them aren’t remotely convincing.
Aiden chimes in. “Maybe you should play it cool and have fun with her and then see where it goes. Maybe she won’t be so scared off.”
I shake my head. “Naw. I’ll play my way.”
“Your call.” He shrugs. “I mean, you could also be the biggest dick you can be. I hear that works.” He shrugs.
Carly rolls her eyes.
“For real, though, Carly,” I say, “she holds everyone at arms’ length, and –”
“Not everyone,” Carly retorts defensively.
“Oh yeah; everybody.”
Carly’s eyes narrow.
She’s offended that I’d say this about someone she’s convinced she knows.
“What do you know about her?” I try.
“Meaning?”
“Do you know where she grew up, what her family life was like, about anyone she knew before she moved here?”