Let Me Love You (2 page)

“Yes please, Natalia
, or do you prefer Tally?” Mrs Silver asks. I look at her blush slightly for no reason.

“I like Tally.
I will just go and gift wrap the dress for you.” I let out a big breath as I take the dress out the back of the store to the gift wrapping station, which isn’t all it cracks up to be, it’s just a table with boxes, colored tissues, and ribbons. I hand Mrs Silver the pretty white box with a pink bow and she nods and heads out of the store. As soon as Mrs Silver is out of the door, I head for Scarlett who is talking to a customer, but I don’t care. I grab her arm and apologize to the customer, who looks a little confused.

“Really Scarlett? Really?
What were you thinking? That could have gone so badly, do you understand that? You know I don’t know much about fashion, that’s why I tend to cash up or sort the stock out.”

“God Tal
ly, keep your panties on. I thought I was doing you a favor. You have been so nervous about Saturday. I thought if you were to meet the owner you could sum her up, make yourself feel better.” Scarlett really does like taking care of me, but this time she really blew me away. The day pretty much goes quick, but makes me nervous, as I know that I’m closer to my interview at Exposure. While driving home, my phone beeps and my heart jumps into my throat.

Get a grip Tally’
it’s a job interview and Mrs Silver didn’t know who you were

I fish my phone out of my bag and check the text and I rela
x; it’s Cassidy, my best friend. We have known each other for a few years now and she gets me. Cassidy doesn’t try to change me, she loves me for me.

Cassidy: Drink’s
after work, meet 8.00 JAG <3

         Just what I need
. Tomorrow’s my day off, so I’m out with my friends to take my mind off my pending interview. I take a pit stop at home. I brush my hair, add some make-up, change my clothes, and have a quick glance in the mirror.
Oh you’ll do girl.
I’m now wearing my black jeans that simply hug my body and put a new white camisole. I throw my favorite blue blazer on and I’m out the door and into a waiting taxi cab.

       
I’m the last to arrive at JAG, which is nothing unusual. All my friends are sitting in a booth with red leather covers and a dark wood frame. The table has one single lamp in the middle, which shines up at their faces. As I look around the table, I see my best-friend Cassidy draped over her boyfriend Josh. Next to Josh is Lucas, the “man-whore”, as we like to call him. As long has the girl has boobs, he is there. Ellie is sitting next to Marie. They are cousins, but also best friends. I smile at Lucas, who is scanning the room for his next victim. I signal that I’m going to the bar to get my drink.

I order a Southern Comfort and lemonade with ice
, which is my usual drink.  Dade, the barman, hands me my glass. Dade is such a sweet boy. He is all six foot hard muscle with dark hair. I chat with Dade about him getting a girlfriend, but he doesn’t seem too bothered about settling down at the moment. He is just happy fooling around. Typical man. I finish my drink and order another. While I’m chatting with Dade, I feel a hand on the small of my back. I turn to look and stop breathing.

The
guy that was on the Exposure website is standing next to me with his amazing sexy smile and I just melt. “Hi, do you mind if I cut in?” I am lost for words. I can’t speak. I’m just staring at him, so Dade takes over.

“Never mind her
, what can I get you?” It should be illegal to look this hot. He takes his drink from Dade and slides a twenty dollar bill across the bar.

“For the lady’s
drink.” He looks at me with an All-American-Smile “Thanks for letting me cut in. Hi, I’m James”

“I’m...T...Tally”
Oh my fucking God, get a grip Tally!

“So
Tally, are you here with friends?”  I look at my friends and James follows my gaze. He smiles and bends to speak in my ear. I can feel his hot breath on my skin and my body starts to burn. “Catch you later, maybe.” He winks and casually walks off.

Fuck me!!

I melt in all the right places. My body tingles from head to foot. How the hell did he do that? I watch him walk away. He looks back at me with a sexy smirk on his lips and winks again.

I look back at Dade
, who is smiling at me. “What the hell is with you? It’s not like you to act like that.” I shake my head and get my thoughts together.

“Fuck if I know.
God dude, did you see his eyes? I could get lost in them.” I slow my breathing down. I join my friends at the table where the conversation is about me and the hot guy that I spoke to at the bar. Cassidy looks at me with total shock on her face “What?” I look at Cassidy.

“Tally you have no idea
, do you?” I shake my head at her. I have absolutely no clue what she is talking about. “God Tally, you really should start watching some TV. That guy that spoke to you at the bar,” She stops looking at me like I have grown horns. “His name is James Wilde, he is the new big thing on TV. He is in the new QBC TV show ‘Control’, you really have no idea?” I look at her as if she has just given me a huge math problem. I was never good at math. I shrug it off and go sit next to Marie, who is texting on her phone yet again. She looks up at me through her long black hair which has fallen from behind her ears. She gives me a smile and goes straight back to her texting.

“So chica
, when is your interview? Are you nervous yet?” Lucas asks.

“It’s on Saturday at ten-thirty
and yes Lucas, I’m nervous. We can’t all be like you Mr. I’m cool at everything.” I snap back. I don’t know why I did that. It’s not Lucas’s fault I’m feeling like this. He looks taken back and I close my eyes. On opening them I reach for his hand. “I’m sorry Lucas, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Yes babe I’m nervous.” He smiles and moves over to me.

“No worries baby
.” He kisses my cheek and winks at me and it’s all forgotten. I look across the club and see James Wilde staring right at me with a frown on his perfect face. I look away as soon as I make eye contact. There are a few girls hanging around him, but he doesn’t seem to be paying them any attention.

Chapter 2

The girls drag me onto the dance floor with Rita Ora – How We Do (Party) playing while the boys carry on with their boy talk. The music is pumping and we are all jumping and dancing and really enjoying ourselves. Cassidy is now dancing for Josh who is watching her like a hawk, but in a good way. He adores her with all of his being and I love that about them. Josh would do anything for Cassidy. I just wish I had a guy like that all to myself.  We dance for most of the night and I have now removed my blazer, as it’s hot in here.

The song changes and I feel an
arm slip around my waist and a hard warm body pushes flush against my back. I lean into the body that’s grinding into me and I grind back. The guy runs his hands up and down my arm, causing my skin to heat up. I don’t know how long we dance for, as my head is swimming from the alcohol and I start to feel unsteady on my feet. The body is hot and solid. He feels so good and Goddamn, he smells good. Marie pulls me off from the dance floor and sits me back in the red leather booth. I’m a tad drunk. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, oh boy do I pay for it the next morning.

Ellie and Marie call me a cab
, as I’m in no fit state to walk, or get myself home for that matter. I share the cab with the girls, as they don’t want to leave me alone. We pull up outside my house and they help me over to Scarlett, who is waiting for me. She doesn’t look too pleased with me.

“What the hell Natalia
? Don’t you know when to stop?” Scarlett must be mad, she only uses my full first name when she is really mad. “Obviously not.” She states. Scarlett is the more responsible one now.

“She w
as really nervous Scar, she needed to unwind.” Ellie explains.

“Fine
. I’ll take her from here. You girls should go home, it’s late.” Scarlett lays down the law to my adult friends. I think she forgets that we’re twenty-four.  Scarlett has to help me into the house and up to my room, as everything is blurry and shifting. I bounce from side to side of the door frame of my bedroom like a human ping pong ball. I fall onto my bed. Scarlett starts undressing me and then everything goes black.

I
wake up to the sun beaming through my bedroom window, which is typical for a summer morning in California. The heat in my room is unbearable. Why didn’t Scarlett close my curtains and open my window last night? My head feels like a high school drum line. I climb out of my bed and go to the bathroom to grab some painkillers and a glass of water. I need this hangover to be gone, like now. I try to focus on the clock to see what time it is, but my body is still pumping the SoCo and lemonade around my body.  Its eleven forty-five. Have I really slept that long? For Scarlett just to leave me here isn’t like her at all. I must have really pissed her off last night.

I look aro
und my bedroom for my phone. I see my jeans and blazer on the chair in the corner of my room. I find my phone in the back pocket of my jeans. I see that I have had three texts from Cassidy and two missed calls. Great, she is in panic mode now because I haven’t contacted her back. Typical Cassidy.

Me:
Hey Cass, I’m fine, really hung-over. text u l8ter ok

       
I must have slept the day away, as Scarlett wakes me up when she gets in from work. I have to do some grovelling with my big sis to try and get back in her good books.

“Hey Scar, how was work? Are you hungry
? I can make us something.” It’s like I’m begging for her forgiveness, but I only got drunk. It’s not like I did something awful, right? Scarlett sits at the dining table while I dish out the take-out she brought home with her. I’m very glad for it, as I’m still in no state to cook for us. We make small talk and Scarlett goes through her plans for her big three-0 party.

“Are you b
ringing anyone to my party, Tally? I need to know so I can add a plus one.” Scarlett looks at me, searching for any clues to see if I have a man in my life, which of course I don’t.

“Nope. S
orry Scar, just me.” I shrug. I clear our plates away into the sink. My phone rings, but Scarlett gets to it before me. She sees the caller and gives me a full Scarlett Slone smile while handing me the phone.

Without looking at the screen
, I answer the call. “Hello?” 

“Am I speaking to Natalia Slone?” A
man’s smooth voice comes through the phone. I look at Scarlett and have a quick glance at my phone screen. Only then do I see the caller Id. The man is calling from Exposure.

“Yes, this is she
.”

“Oh good.
Miss Slone, my name is Tanner and I work at Exposure. We were hoping that we could move your interview to tomorrow at two-fifteen if that is okay with you. Saturday has become unavailable.”  I look at my sister, who is leaning her elbows on the table, staring at me.

“Yes
, of course that will be fine. I can rearrange my work hours.” I look at Scarlett who is nodding eagerly, having no clue as to what she is agreeing to. The man lets out a big sigh and I know that he is relieved that I can make the new appointment.

“Oh Miss Slone
, you just saved me a whole lot of hassle, thank you. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at two-fifteen. Have a good evening.” I hang up and look at Scarlett. I know I’m blushing big time. My nerves kick in and I begin to shake.

“I need a few hours off tomorr
ow Scar. They have moved my interview up to tomorrow at two-fifteen.” Scarlett jumps around the table and hugs me in a big sis way.

“Ring mom and dad. T
hey are going to want to know.” I grip my phone and ring my parents to inform them of the change to my big interview.

After a big talk with my parents
, I go upstairs and run a hot bubble bath to help me relax. I lay in the tub, smoothing the bubbles over my silky soft skin and started to get turned on by my thoughts of the hot guy from the bar. What was his name again, something Wilde? It’s funny how I only remember his last name. I chuckle to myself. It’s been so long since I last had sex. I let my hands slowly move over my nipples and they harden from my touch. I stop in my tracks and I remember Dean. My whole body shivers as his face flashes through my head. I shake it off and climb out of the bath. I dry quickly, get into my PJs, and jump into my bed. I lie in bed, staring at the plain white ceiling while ‘The Script’ plays softly from my iPod. It isn’t long until I drift off to sleep. 

I wake with a jolt as my alarm stars beeping from my bedsi
de table. I hit the off button and lay there thinking about how I can make this day be over with already. I join Scarlett in the kitchen. “Wow! You’re showered and dressed already, you feeling okay?” She winks at me and I give her a-you-really-have-to-ask look. She turns away, continuing to make our breakfast. I sit in silence to eat my bagel and scrambled egg while Scarlett talks on the phone to someone I’m assuming has something to do with her party.

We drive to work with Iron and Wine’s
‘Flightless Bird’ playing in the car soothing my nerves. When we arrive at work I decide to sort the new stock out which will take my mind off my afternoon appointment. I sort through the new dresses and shoes that have just arrived. It takes most of the day to account all the stock and sort orders, for which I am very grateful.