Dare Me Forever (5 page)

I walked to the cute
sandwich shop on Ocean, and ordered takeaway. As I waited for my
lunch to be made I stared out the window at the people on the street.
Directly across from my lunch spot, I saw a new shop and signage
announcing the grand opening of
Sealed with a Kiss
.

That rang a bell, and
the name danced through my mind as a tried to place it, until it hit
me suddenly. It was that woman Amy, from the Morgan’s party. I’d
heard from the neighborhood association she was opening a store.
She’d been feisty and gorgeous at the barbeque, before Hunter
dragged her away.

I went to the
refrigerator to grab a Diet Coke. Perhaps what I needed for that
dinner in two days was a date–not what I normally did, but a proper
date. I was so busy at work that I usually preferred a date who
offered good sex, no strings attached. Amy would expect more, but I
bet Congressman Richards would like her, and she was clearly
concerned about the development and keeping the coast safe. If she
was with me, the Congressman couldn’t help but trust me.

I would be easy to get
her to agree--women almost always said yes to me, so it wouldn’t be
too hard to have her come. It could even be fun--she was fiery and
sexy and nothing like the other women I usually dated, who went from
one rich guy to the next like it was their job.

In fact, I think I
needed a card for my secretary’s birthday, and I knew exactly where
I could get it.

Amy

Everything was going
well at the store. I had already picked up a few more commissions for
wedding invitations, and the brides to be had enjoyed picking out the
different papers, envelopes, and the direction I’d given about how
to style the invitation so it was an extension of their vision for
their special day. It was so fun to help the bride find just what she
was looking for and it felt so grown-up and professional to be doing
it in my own store.

My journal section was
seriously lacking. I needed to find some ones that were more
humorous—more
who needs him anyway?
Or
out with the old
in with the new
or my favorite,
the best way to get over
someone is to get under someone new
type inscriptions. That was
definitely Jamie and Cat’s way. My two best friends knew how to
have a good time. I was a little slower to move on.

Finally in the
afternoon, there seemed to be a break in the stream of customers. I
sat down behind the cash register, and began reading my favorite
design and stationary blogs. It counted as professional research now
that I was a small business owner. I needed to make sure I had all
the products that my clients wanted and it was a great excuse to read
about and see beautiful pictures of all the incredible designs out
there. It was totally inspirational and gave me great ideas of hip
new trends and products to carry in the store. Looking at a beautiful
photo collection of paper flowers, I leaned in closer to see how
exactly they were put together. The petals of the flowers had been
dyed neon and were then pressed into the paper—a modern take on a
very old form of paper. It was cool.

I hadn’t heard from
my brother over the past few days. I hoped it was because he was
taking his classes seriously. If the store kept doing so well, maybe
I could take him somewhere over the holidays. That is if he kept up
with his homework and applied himself. He hates when I got all
parental on him, but it’s impossible not to, considering our six
year age difference and having taken care of him since before he was
a teenager. I needed to concentrate on the task at hand, not obsess
about my brother. I went back to the design blogs.

“You look like you
are going to fall into the computer.”

Startled, I looked up.
Ryan walked towards me with an easy and strong stride. What a hottie,
a man on a mission. Just hearing his voice made my mouth go dry. It
was almost like the original James Bond was in front of me, all
serious, sexy, and dressed in a fantastic suit. I was glad that I’d
put on a fitted dress that accentuated my curves for the day (thanks
Jamie). But anyway it didn’t matter. It wasn’t good business to
think every guy who walks in here was doing it for me. Ryan was a
customer like any other, and I would help find what he was looking
for. Besides, we hardly knew each other but I had to admit, the
chemistry I had felt at the barbeque was still fresh on my mind.

“Amy, I need a
birthday card,” he paused, “for my secretary,” he added
smiling.

“Sweet,” I said,
pointing him to the right section. I kept my eyes firmly on the
computer screen. There was no way I was going to check out his ass.
Not today. I was a business owner, a full-fledged adult—I didn’t
ogle at men like a teenage girl—okay maybe I did. I couldn’t help
but peek now.

This man had it
all—incredible looks, a sexy accent, and real charm. He was
fingering the different birthday cards, and with a decisive gesture
pulled one out of the rack. I barely had time to look down before he
could notice I’d been staring at him.

He came to the register
and handed me the card. Without missing a beat, he looked me straight
in the eye and grinned. “Amy I’d love to take you out. I was rude
the other night. I had a lot on my mind--please let me make it up to
you.” He was handsome, successful, and apologizing, but I was
afraid of how his physical presence made me feel and we’d hardly
even spoken.

I wasn’t sure if I
wanted to go out with him—I didn’t think I could handle this
roller coaster—not right now, at the start of my new life. I felt
almost
too
attracted to him, unsteady in his presence, like I
couldn’t trust my usual good sense to kick in. Looking into his
green eyes, I realized I’d been staring at him and hadn’t yet
answered.

“Please,” he said
softly. “It’s a benefit for the school system. I have to be there
and it would make the evening less unbearable if you would join me.”
He smiled again.

I didn’t want to give
in too easily. ‘
Less unbearable
’ was not exactly a
compliment to sweep a woman off her feet. One minute he is totally
suave, the next slightly condescending--sure it sounded like a nice
invitation, but the way he was asking me made me think he’d never
heard the word no. I wasn’t usually like this, but I suddenly had
the urge to see what would happen if he did.

“No,” I said
smiling sweetly.

His face flushed. I
could see the thoughts running through his head as he tried to wrap
his mind around what he just heard. Guess I’d been spot on.

“I don’t like
benefits,” I pressed on sarcastically, “and I hate school
children.”

He laughed. “You
almost had me there. And no one ever gets my goat--and bloody hell I
just said
no ever gets my goat
. I’m actually one hundred
years old.” The smile faded slightly from his lips. “But you
still haven’t said yes.”

What did I have to
lose? Sure I hardly knew him, but I’d decided to take risks, and
this seemed like a good place to start. Not that school fundraisers
are particularly risqué.

“Sure,” I answered,
angling my body towards him. “Why not?” I couldn’t help the
smile from spreading across my face.

“Well I guess I
deserve that,” he said, chuckling, gently touching my wrist. “Not
the most enthusiastic response I’ve gotten, but deserved.”

I liked that he could
at laugh at himself. My bangs had fallen into my eyes, but I hadn’t
even noticed, at least not until he leaned over and brushed them back
behind my eyes. It was so intimate. It made me self-conscious. I
wanted to feel his fingers on me again.

“I just wanted to see
your entire face.”

“Thanks,” I said
softly. I knew if I tried to say more, I’d sound breathless. He was
so distracting.

“Thursday night,
after closing? I’ll pick you up here or…?” Ryan looked down at
me. He was very tall--I love that feeling of being smaller than the
man I’m with.

“Here’s my
address.” I wrote it on a
SWAK
business card. Ryan took it
and squeezed my hand gently before walking out of the store with his
purchase. My skin tingled from the touch of his on mine. I stared at
it. It was just the briefest connection, but I could feel exactly
where his strong manly hand had touched mine. It felt like an imprint
on my skin.

Wow, Jamie wouldn’t
believe all this attention. Who knew opening a store could get a girl
so much attention?

Amy

Jamie ran into the
store a few minutes before closing. I had already texted her about
Ryan, but she wanted all the details and she wanted them now. She
came in looking as cool as ever, in her cut off jean shorts, and
tight white tank top. Since she usually worked nights, she could wear
whatever she wanted during the day. She had style and a great body
and wasn’t afraid to show it off. I needed all the help I could get
if I wanted to look my best at the charity event. Thank god for
Jamie’s fashion sense. Besides the date, it was important that I
looked good for prospective business at the new store.

Jamie insisted we go
dress shopping, even it was just in her closet. Her wardrobe was
extensive, as she’d always worked at upscale restaurants and needed
to look professional but sexy, so she had plenty of dresses for me to
try on. The only problem was Jamie is of the
less is more
variety, meaning less fabric, more skin.

I put away my latest
calligraphy project for a local Women’s Group, which I had designed
using a violet gauche paint on a deep purple background, very
feminine yet sophisticated. Probably inspired by Pamela’s outfit
the other day. But something was missing--I’d figure it out
tomorrow.

“Come on Ames, it
will be fun! I have so many ideas, and I’ll do your make-up.”
Jamie laughed. “When was the last time we did something like this?”

Prom,
I thought,
six years ago. We had spent months finding the right dresses,
perfecting our outfits, making sure our hair was just so. We even had
tried an ultra-moisturizing treatment with avocado—talk about
disgusting! I’d found my sequined Jovani dress in a gorgeous blue.
And all for nothing. Hunter had broken up with me the week before and
never told me why. The next day he was with someone else.

I hated to admit it,
even to myself, but I still sometimes wondered why. The months before
we broke up, things had been tense with his family, but he hadn’t
seemed to really notice that we were hanging much more at my house,
instead of his. Our physical relationship was so intense by then, it
had seemed natural we’d want to be at my house with no parents
around. But now seeing him again, reminded me the incredible hurt
he’d caused me. He was a total jerk to me, and maybe he’d grown
up, maybe he’d changed, but so what? Running into him only made me
start asking those pesky questions, all beginning with Why? Why had
he left me? Why did it have to be
right
before prom? Why
couldn’t he have stuck it out to save my day? He’d never told me
what happened and it seemed like it came out of nowhere. I shouldn’t
have said yes to dinner.

I hadn’t had a
serious relationship since. I made excuses for myself, like I’d
been busy playing adult to my adorable kid brother, but the truth was
I was afraid to feel like that again. I didn’t want to risk getting
hurt. I dated and saw people for months at a time, but never brought
them into my heart. Never spent time with their family, never got too
close.

Shaking my head to
clear my thoughts, and determined not to muddle in the past, I
followed Jamie out to her car. I’d leave mine in the parking lot
and come back tomorrow. Jamie could drop me off at home, and anyway
Luke was spending the night, so he could take me back in the morning.

He needed a little rest
and relaxation with his sister after his first few weeks of college.
After Jamie’s, I was going to make him a great home cooked meal,
all his favorites. Chicken cutlets like our dad used to make, super
thin and breaded, a side of broccoli with garlic, and le crème de la
crème apple pie (store bought) but who would be the wiser?

“So remember that
bartender I was telling you about?” Jamie said as she sped to her
house, just a few blocks from my place. “The hot blond one? We had
a great time at closing last night. We got pretty happy on tequila
shots and made out behind the bar after everyone left. You have no
idea--the guy is totally ripped.”

“Is it the same one
who I saw when I came last week after work? The one with that awesome
tribal tattoo?” That guy was so hot it was hard to order from him.

“Yep. Cole.” Jamie
flashed me a smile. “We’ll see what happens. But even if it’s
just booty calls, it’s totally worth it. That guy knows what he’s
doing.”

We pulled up to the
house she shared with two other girls, Shaya and Jessica. Shaya and
Jamie had met working at a family restaurant a few years ago, and
Jessica worked down the street from my store at a flower shop. I
always got along with them and was glad Jamie found such nice
roommates.

We went directly to
Jamie’s room, where she opened her closet, and ordered me to
undress and start trying on whatever she threw me.
No questions
asked. No whining allowed.
I looked at her, rolling my eyes.
Jamie had always been bossy, but also undeniably sweet. We’d been
friends since junior high, ever since I caught Lorraine Harrison—the
class bully—spitting in Jamie’s food when she had her backed
turned. I saved her from the contamination, glared at Lorraine, and
our friendship was sealed.

Even at fourteen, Jamie
had great fashion sense, bordering on the eccentric, but never going
too far. She’d wear a floral patterned shirt, with striped skirt,
or some other unlikely combination: somehow it always worked. I
always looked nice, but in a sort of not terribly exciting way.
Coordinated yes, owning my own style…not so much.