A Life Like This (Life #1) (14 page)

“Anything I can help with?” he asks from his seat at the bar.

“Nope, I’ve got it, thanks though.”

“Well then, I hope you don’t mind if I watch. I’ve never seen anyone make enchiladas before.” He sounds genuinely curious.

“I don’t mind at all.” I smile back at him.

I get straight to work boiling water to put the chicken in and roasting the chilies to make the sauce. All the while, I am in the zone. I forget Blake is even here. When I’m in the kitchen, it’s like when I’m running: I zone out. While I cook, I think how strange it was to hold Blake’s hand earlier. It felt good and strange all at the same time. Nice because I’ve always seen happy couples holding hands around Grand Central and I’ve envied them. Strange in the sense that it makes me almost feel claustrophobic. What the fuck is wrong with me? While staring at the blender as it chops up the chilies into a nice thick sauce, I notice Joey at my left staring at me. I scream and nearly knock over the blender.

“Asshole! What the fuck is wrong with you? You scared the shit out of me!” I smack him in the chest then embrace him. His smell calms me.

“I missed you too, bitch.”

“Shut up, you scared me!” I smack him again for good measure.

“Well, I was standing next to Blake for the last fifteen minutes wondering how long you were going to blend those chilies.”

“It wasn’t that long, drama queen. You know how I get when I cook.”

“Yes I do, but does that guy? Poor thing was just sitting there quietly staring at you. You’ve never been good at small talk.” I instantly blush. Fuck, I hadn’t said one word to Blake since I started dinner.

“I’m sorry, Blake,” I say to him. “I kind of zone out when I cook.” I shrug.

He smiles his charmingly perfect smile at me. “Don’t be sorry. It was fun to watch you get in the zone.” I blush some more.

“Okay, enough you two. Who wants a margarita?” Joey holds up two bags full of liquor. I laugh at his discomfort. Joey starts making us all margaritas, not waiting for our response. I go back to cooking, putting the sauce on the stove to simmer and start shredding the chicken. Joey places my margarita next to me.

“Wipe your hands and cheers with me.” I do as he asks. “To Angelica being back in the city where she belongs. Welcome home, baby girl.” I smile at him and we clink our glasses together.

Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting at the table eating my hard work and enjoying margarita number three. Joey makes it so easy to have a fun, light conversation and I appreciate him for it. He’s right: I do suck at small talk, but Blake is fun to talk to. We talk of nothing of importance, just enjoy one another’s company. Once we’re done stuffing our faces, Joey tells me to perch my ass on the couch while he and Blake clean the kitchen. No way in hell I am going to argue watching two fine-ass men working in the kitchen. So I sit in the living room and watch them clean. Lucky for them and unlucky for me, I clean as I cook, so it doesn’t take them long. But I enjoy every second of it.

“You know I should charge you for the show you’re watching so intently,” Joey says at me from his spot in the kitchen.

“You could. It would be worth every penny. Now if you were both shirtless…” I leave the sentence hanging.

“You wish, baby girl. I don’t think Blake could handle what I have going on under here.” Blake laughs loudly at that, and I can’t help but join in.

“I’ve seen your naked chest all over the city, Joey. I think it’s mine you couldn’t handle,” Blake returns.

“OHHHH!” I whoop from the kitchen. Joey breaks out in laughter, and soon we are all laughing. Joey, being the cocky and competitive fuck that he is, takes his shirt off and tosses it in my direction. He stands there staring at Blake, flexing his muscles. “Ha! Are you going to let him show you up like that, Blake?” Of course, I need to add fuel to the fire. Blake shakes his head then tosses down the towel he was using to dry the dishes and takes his shirt off. The end result is two shirtless men in my kitchen, two very fine, very muscular, shirtless men in my kitchen.
Good God, I have died and gone to Heaven!
If I was into threesomes, this would be my perfect scenario. Luckily or unluckily for me, I’m not. Nor am I willing to fuck Joey, because that’s just weird. I clap and whistle loudly and they both bow toward me. How perfect can my life get?

We all end up in the living room drinking and talking about my trip. Both men are still shirtless and I am not complaining one bit. Joey is over the moon there are pies in the freezer for him. I tell them about riding and helping around the farm. They laugh when I tell them my bed had lace ruffles. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such a good time at home just hanging out. At about one am, I can’t hang any longer. Jetlag and the tequila have caught up to me. I’m worried Blake will try and stay the night. I don’t know if I am ready for that. But ever the gentleman, he doesn’t try. He and Joey leave at the same time, both kissing me goodbye on their way out. After they leave, I lock up the house and Roger and I head up to my room, where we easily fall asleep.

The Texas time zone has stuck with me, as has my early morning ranch wake ups, so I’m up by four am. I have a slight hangover from all the margaritas, but decide a nice run will help rid my head of it. I quickly go pee and brush my teeth before changing into my running gear. I grab Roger’s collar, the sound alerting him to my intention, and he runs to the front door. I latch him up and we are out of the door.

“Which way, Roger?” He tugs me to the right, which must be his new favorite. We start with a slow jog then hit our stride into a full run. The fresh early air is colder than the last time I remember, but it feels good. At our three-mile mark, I start to feel the effects of my week off and I decide to head back. Roger, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be effected at all. If anything, he is more energized than ever. It must have been all that running around the ranch he did.

We make it back home after a little over an hour. I feed Roger then hop in a nice warm bubble bath. While I’m in there, I realize I ran without fear of seeing Edward. This is a huge deal. Perhaps I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I need to just keep him out of my mind and focus on me. That’s my new attitude. I don’t have time to focus on what he may or may not do. That’s just it. What if he’s over me and is just moving back to his home city? Maybe I was being overly paranoid. Well, not any more. He will not take up a spot in my mind any more.

After finishing in the bath, I quickly dress then call to make an appointment at my favorite spa. There’s nothing like a good pampering session before heading back to work. They have an opening in an hour, so I take it. I let Roger out back and then head out. It’s not a far walk and I want to hit up a Starbucks on the way. As I lock up the house, my phone rings, and the ring tone tells me who it is. It’s a song I heard when I was in Texas. Granddad only listens to classic country music and this Hank Williams Sr. song made me think of Blake. “Cold, Cold Heart.” He will never hear it, so I set it as my tone to remind me he is trying and I can’t let my past taint him. I let the call ring so I can hear the song;

I answer quickly after the word heart because I know it will go to voicemail if I don’t.

“Mornin’.”

“Good morning to you, beautiful.” I blush at his kind words and the deep morning voice he’s using. “I hope I didn’t wake you.” I look at my watch and see it is just before eight.

“No way, I’m an early riser, plus I’m stuck on ranch time. I was up at four.”

“Wow, that’s early. I thought you might be paying for all those margaritas this morning. I almost was.” We both laugh.

“I thought I was going to be as well, but the fresh air from the run this morning really helped clear my head of the fog.”

“Wow, up early and a run. I envy your energy.” His morning voice is so deep and sexy; I’m instantly horny. God, I need to get a grip on myself.

“I wish. I had to drag myself to do it.” By this point, I’m walking into Starbucks and, surprisingly, there is no line, so I walk right up. “One sec, Blake.” I order my normal grande skinny mocha with an add shot, pay the cashier, Sarah, and go wait for my drink. “Sorry, needed Starbucks in order to function today.”

“Ha, a woman after my own heart. People don’t usually talk to me until after I’ve had my coffee.”

“No way! Me too! My boss calls me an addict. It’s true, I am. I won’t even deny it.” I hear his laughter again and I’m now soaking wet. His deep voice is nothing compared to his sexy laugh. I walk up to the counter when they call my name and leave a tip. “Thanks, Daniel,” I say to him.

“You know all their names? You really are an addict.”

“I told you. I know their names at this one and the one by my office. Plus they wear name tags so that helps.” We both laugh as I head out of the coffee shop.

“Anyway, I just called to say thank you for yesterday. I had a wonderful day.”

“What are you thanking me for? I did nothing but cook for you.”

“You allowed me the honor of spending the day with you and you cooked me an amazing meal.” I blush and shrug even though he can’t see me. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you again for picking Roger and me up.”

“You’ve already thanked me for that enough.” I’m not good with compliments. By this point, I’m standing in front of the spa.

“Well, I hate to cut your call short, but I’m about to head into the spa for a very long day of pampering,” I say around a smile.

“Well then, I will hold you up no longer. Enjoy your day and maybe I will see you tomorrow morning for a run?” He leaves the question hanging.

“Maybe.” It’s all I can think of saying. I smile at the idea of him wanting to see me again and not just to fuck. “Bye, Blake.”

“Until next time, Angelica.” I hang up the phone and I sigh into my coffee as I head into the spa. I just might be able to get used to Blake.

The next four hours are spent in pampering bliss. I’ve been waxed to perfection. My hair has been freshly dyed, nails perfectly polished, and skin smooth after my oil massage. It’s heaven. This salon is big on minimal talking. It’s so different from your normal salon or spa where all you hear is women gossiping about everything and anything. I never did understand how women and some men could talk to their hair stylists as if they were therapists. Are people so desperate for someone to talk to? I just don’t get it. Here there is nothing but silence with a hint of calming music in the background. Joey and I stumbled upon this gem a few years ago and it’s the only place we go now. Joey hates to be noticed, and in here, they either don’t know who he is or they pretend they don’t. Either way, it works for us. Once I’m finished paying my hefty bill, it’s worth it for the quiet, I head out into the chilly NYC streets.

The streets are crazy busy. The cars are loud and the smell is unique. Being in Texas, I almost forgot how hectic it is here, but for some odd reason, I love it. On the walk home, I head into a local deli and grab a turkey club and some chips. I spend the rest of my afternoon eating and prepping for the week. I get my clothes in order, make a grocery list, and then get to work on a few upcoming projects at work. At around seven pm, Joey calls and tells me about the drama that unfolded at his last photo shoot. Model drama will put any common person’s drama to shame. They are some catty bitches. After complaining about a serious diva who wouldn’t shoot without the right light on her and a new male model on the scene who demanded retakes constantly, he informs me he just finished fucking them both. Fucking sicko. That man has more testosterone than I think humanly possible. All he does is fuck constantly. He fucks bitches too and I hate that shit. I wish he would find a nice girl or guy to be with already. He says I have commitment issues. He should look in the mirror. After that, I decide to call it a night and hop into bed. Unfortunately, my mind is on overdrive thinking about work, the trip, Edward, Blake, Joey, and so on. It’s nonstop. I head into my bathroom and decide a Xanax will help me sleep, so I take one and head back to bed. Ten minutes later, I feel myself relax and I’m able to happily drift off to sleep.

I wake up feeling refreshed and excited. This is new, but I’ll take it. I go pee, brush my teeth, and then get ready for my run. I check the clock and it says four forty-five am. I’m right on time for my five am run and Roger is already at the door waiting.

“Hey, big guy, you ready to go for a run this morning?” I squat down next to him and give him a big belly rub before hooking him up to the leash. He barks at me, clearly excited to head out.

I grab my keys and head out of the house. As I’m locking up, I feel someone come up behind me and I scream. Roger starts barking loudly at my side.

“Jesus, Angelica, it’s just me. It’s just me.” Blake’s soothing voice calms me. I turn around and meet his gorgeous light blue eyes. He looks panicked. Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me?

“Fuck, Blake, you scared the shit out of me.” I rest my hand on my heart as if that will somehow make the beating regulate itself again. Roger is still barking, so I squat down next to him. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m sorry, enough barking.” He licks my face and sits next to me.

“I’m sorry, Angelica. I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you saw me when you opened your door.” He sounds so concerned; I feel bad.

“I didn’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scream. I just wasn’t expecting you. What are you doing here anyway?” He looks down at his shoes, looking embarrassed.

“I was thinking I would go for a run with you this morning, but if you’d rather run alone, I understand.” He sounds so unsure of himself. I’m so used to him sounding so confident; this is different.

“I don’t mind at all. You ready?” I smile up at him, trying to reassure him all is well. He smiles back at me, and then we head off to the left, following Roger. Blake stays with us the whole time, never running ahead even though he easily could have. At about the four-mile mark, I stop to catch my breath. I didn’t even realize how far we had gone until I stopped. Blake makes me sit on a bench while he runs to the nearest store for some water. After a quick water break, we head back to my place. We run in silence and it’s oddly comforting. The only sound is the rattling of Roger’s leash and our shoes hitting the pavement. Even though we are not talking, his mere presence is reassuring. It’s safe, if that even makes sense.

As we near my house, I see Blake’s town car waiting at the curb with Adam standing next to it. I slow my pace to try to get a better view. Blake breaks my trance.

“That’s Adam. He travels with me from time to time. Today he traveled with Starbucks.” He winks at me and runs off to retrieve the drinks from Adam. He meets me on my steps smiling. “Grande skinny mocha with an add shot. Tell me I got it right.” His voice is so hopeful.

“How did you know what I get?”

“Oh, well, yesterday when you ordered your coffee I heard and wrote it down. Details, Angelica, they are everything.” He smiles his amazing smile that makes me want to strip naked and beg him to take me.

I shake my head at him. “Yes, yes they are. Thank you for the coffee and the company.” I give him a hug and a peck on the cheek then head to my door.

“Have a good first day back at work, Angelica. Call me if you need anything.” With a smile and a nod, he heads into the waiting car. I shake my head then walk inside. I peek out of the peephole and see the car slowly pull away from the curve. He always waits for me to get inside.

I feed Roger then strip down and head into the shower. Ugh, I’m so confused. I don’t know if I like this attention or if I feel smothered. I think I want to like it and I want to be with Blake. His mere presence is calming and comforting, but I also don’t want to get too attached. I like my independence. I like my fuck ‘em and chuck ‘em attitude. It’s worked for me so far. I have never been hurt and I was always happy. Maybe I was missing a little something, but I think I could have lived without it. Without being in a relationship. Maybe once I get back to work I will realize I just don’t have time for all this shit.
Yes!
That’s it. I hurry in the shower, dress quickly, and do my hair and makeup. I say goodbye to Roger, grab my coffee and head to work.

Riding a cab to work this morning, I feel more confident than I have in a long time. I’m going to get to work and rock the shit out of it. I’m going to make up for the week I took off and then some. My coffee is now a little lukewarm, but a smile graces my lips as I drink it, thinking about how thoughtful it was for Blake to not only get me a coffee but to have paid enough attention that he knew what I liked. So lost in my thoughts yet again, I jump when I hear Charlie say hello right next to me. He is holding the cab door open for me.

“Hey, Charlie! I didn’t see you there,” I say as I pat his chest. “Did ya miss me?”

“You know I did, sweetheart. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says with a soft smile.

“Don’t you worry. I was daydreaming and didn’t even feel the cab stop.” As I walk past his desk, I tell him, “Have a great day.” He waves at me as I make my way to the elevators. The whole way up, I feel anxious and excited. I almost forgot how much of a thrill I get doing my job. I love it and I’m damn good at it. I’m ready to get lost in it all again and forget all the shit that’s happening around me. Granddad said he was going to fix it and I have no doubt he will. Before the doors open, my phone dings and it’s Joey telling me to have a great first day back. I smile and walk out onto my floor.

“Welcome back, Angelica,” Rosie calls to me from behind her desk.

“Thank you, Rosie. I’m glad to be back.”

“Your vacation did you well; you look so refreshed.” I blush at her compliment.

“Thank you. I’m not sure if it was my vacation or my day at the spa yesterday.” I wink at her as I head back to my office.

As soon as I walk in, I feel an overwhelming sense of comfort take over, and also a scent of flowers, which shouldn’t be there. I look to my left and see a huge vase filled with the most beautiful plumerias I’ve ever seen. How in the hell did someone manage to get me this type of flower in New York in November? I know they are from Blake before I even get to the card. My smile might break my face; the man is too sweet.

Dearest Angelica,

I hope you have a great first day back at work. Thank you for allowing me the honor of running with you. It was the perfect start to my morning. Enjoy these lovely flowers. They are almost as beautiful as you.

Yours Truly,

Blake

“Wow, now that’s the way to do it.” Bill startles me. I didn’t even hear him enter my office. Jesus, why am I so damn jumpy?

“Right?” I respond to him. I put my stuff down and embrace him in a hug. “Thank you for allowing me the week off and I’m sorry it was so abrupt.”

He points me to my chair and sits across from me. “Don’t apologize. You’ve needed to take a vacation for a long time and I’m glad you did.” He smiles at me. I knew he wouldn’t care, but I just had to let him know I was sorry for the way I just left without so much as a day’s notice. “We handled everything while you were gone, but I’m glad as hell you are back.” I laugh at his remark. He nods at the flowers to his left. “So who’s the lucky fellow?” I blush.

“Hey! Why do you think they are from a man?”

“Plumerias in November? In New York? That’s one hell of a man!” We both laugh.

“Just a friend, that’s all.” I blush again. My face is probably as red as his tie by this point.

“Just a friend, huh?” He doesn’t sound convinced, for good reason. “Well, seems like your “friend” is very generous.” He uses air quotes when he says the word friend.

“Yes, so it would seem.”

“Well, I’ll let you get to work. Today is a mellow day, but tomorrow, we have a big meeting with an up-and-coming security company. I’ll have Greg and Allen fill you in.” I smile and nod, then he makes his way out of my office, closing the door behind him.

I sit and stare at the flowers for a while. How thoughtful can that man be? Do men like him even exist anymore? Clearly, these were delivered in the past hour – that’s fast. I mean wow, who does this shit? So fucking sweet. Shit, it must have cost him a fortune, not that he’s not good for it, but still. I’m not huge on guys buying me stuff. I mean, a five-dollar coffee sure, okay, but this? Hopefully, he doesn’t make a habit of this. I take a picture with my phone and send it to Joey. As soon as it sends, my phone is ringing.

“Are you kidding me?” he says, sounding winded.

“I know, right? What are you doing? It sounds like your mid-fuck.”

He laughs loudly. “I wish. I just got out of an early kickboxing class.”

“That makes sense. I need to get back with my classes now that you mention it.”

“Yeah, you do or your ass is going to get fat.” He laughs at me.

“Shut the fuck up.” I laugh back.

“That’s quite the flower delivery.”

“I know. It’s too much, don’t you think?”

“Seriously, AP, already with this shit? Relax. He sent you flowers, expensive ones yes. He probably paid for it with the change in his pocket. Stop over thinking it. Why can’t you just be thankful?” He sounds so serious. I sigh.

“Ugh, because I’m broken and I overanalyze the shit out of everything.”

“Yeah, you do. What did the note say? I know there was a note.” I read it to him. “He ran with you this morning?” He sounds a little surprised.

“Yeah, he was waiting outside when I walked out. Not only that, but when we finished, his lead security guy was waiting by his car with Starbucks in hand and he knew what I liked.” I don’t stop. Once I start spilling it to Joey, I can’t stop. “I guess he overheard me place my drink order yesterday when he called me and wrote it down for future reference. Tell me this is all creepy and I should run away from him screaming.” It’s sad how hopeful I sound.

“So let me get this straight.” He clears his throat. “Blake woke up early, met you for that horrid crazy run you do every morning, and then when you came back home, he had your favorite coffee delivered and waiting for you.” He pauses for effect. “Then he had the audacity to send you a very rare yet beautiful floral arrangement on your first day back to work... wow, sounds like a total pig.” He’s now laughing at me and I want to slap him through the phone.

“Damn it, Joey, you’re making me sound insensitive or something. I know it was nice of him, but is it stalkerish? Or is it just nice? Men don’t do shit like this for me. I’m just not used to it. It’s overwhelming.” I sigh into the phone and rub my temples.

“Look, Ang, it’s not stalkerish as you deem it. He is just being kind. Perhaps I’ll give you that he’s coming on strong, but he’s trying and he’s being a gentleman about it. You need to stop over thinking this, Ang. You’re going to wreck it before it even happens. Now stop stressing, get through your work day, and then let’s go grab some Italian after work, okay?”

“Okay, JoJo. I’m sorry, you know me.”

“Yes, I do, baby girl, and I love you no matter how crazy you act.” He laughs and I can’t help but laugh back.

“Goodbye, Joey. See you at six.”

“Hasta Luego, doll.” He blows me a kiss just before I hang up the phone. I shake off all thoughts Blake and get lost in my work.

At noon, Greg and Allen come into my office and fill me in on the new security account we are trying to acquire. Apparently, a big security firm reached out to our advertising team specifically and wanted us to prepare an idea for them. They mentioned seeing our work on a hotel line and really liked it. The guys have done an amazing job on prepping everything to go in the presentation for tomorrow, so I mainly review that with them. We add a few things, and then take away a few more. After that, we are all in agreement on the end piece. Three hours later, Allen runs our presentation over to Bill for another once over. Only then will we know we are good to go. Greg and I are cleaning off my desk when Rosie buzzes my phone.

“Angelica, I’m sorry to bother you, but I cannot get a hold of Allen or Greg,” she says hesitantly.

“Greg is with me. Allen is with Bill. What’s up?” I ask her.

“I have a Jon Harper on the line. He wanted to talk to someone about a few concerns he had on the draft presented to him.” I stare at Greg and he shakes his head and runs out of my office. Damn him. “Go ahead and patch him through, Rosie. Thank you.” I sit in my chair and pull up the I.P. Vodka file so I am ready for his questions.

“Hello, Mr. Harper, I understand you have some concerns. How may I help you?”