Sasha's Dilemma (14 page)

Me:

Yes, what time?

And where?

Unknown:

It’s a surprise. I’ll
pick

you up at 6


I text him back my address, and
then reply to my sister and Brandon. I head out the door to pick up
something to eat.

I decide to do a little shopping
while I am out to lunch. By the time I get home, it’s time to
get ready. I’m going to wear a pair of skinny jeans, a flowy
light pink top, and a pair of black high-heeled boots, since I’m
not sure where he is taking me. There is a knock at the door at
exactly six. When I open it, it’s obvious
last night the dark
bar didn’t do him justice. Now I see him in the light, he is
yummier than I thought and I really want to eat him up.

“Sasha, you look stunning,”
he says and hands me a bunch of pink roses.

“Thanks, Brax, they’re
gorgeous,” I say and lean in to kiss him on the cheek. I invite
him in while I go put the roses in water. When I come back out, I see
him staring at my photos. He looks up at me when he hears me come in.

“Is this your sister? You
have a lot of photos together.”

“Yes, that’s Lola.”

“Does she live in Sydney
too, or is it just
you?”

“No, I moved here near the
end of my studies and she stayed in Brisbane,” I tell him. I
grab my bag and we head out to his car. It’s a very gorgeous to
match the owner. My thoughts are consumed with wondering if he would
let me drive it. This car is my dream car a GTS holden. Hopefully, I
will eventually get one. He sees me staring and asks me if I like it.

I laugh at him. “Are you
joking? I love it. I think I might just date your car,” I say,
only half-teasing.

“Well, I’m not really
the sharing type,” he says, looking up at me. He holds my gaze
for what feels like minutes, but was probably only a few seconds.
Finally looking away, he opens the passenger’s door for me to
get in.

We pull up to a marina and I
follow him past some beautiful boats. We’re heading toward a
gorgeous one. It’s the kind you see in the movies with a spa,
waiters, and top deck. The waiter takes us to our seats and tells us
our first course will arrive shortly.

“I hope you don’t
mind, but I have already prepared the menu for tonight. I hope you
like it.”

“I’m sure it will be
great. This is beautiful. How did you manage this on such short
notice?”

“Well, I own this boat, and
I figured maybe you would like to see the opera house at night and up
close.”

“I haven’t really had
time to see it, but I hear it’s lovely.”

“Yes, very lovely,” he
says while staring at me.

The meal is delicious and the view
is breathtaking. It has been a perfect night.

“Would you like to come into the cocktail bar and
have a drink with me?”

I agree and follow him inside the
cabin. Once we have our drinks, he starts to tell me how he got into
the business of music and how the guys, who are in his band, are his
best mates. They love travelling the world together and enjoy what
they do. The only downfall is not seeing their loved ones and friends
as much as they would like.

He proceeds to ask me if I’m
seeing anyone and when my last serious relationship was. I tell him
about Josh, but not everything, just that we separated on bad terms
and I moved here for a fresh start. It’s not like I haven’t
seen anyone since Josh, but I always make sure it stays only friends
with benefits. I haven’t wanted anything serious for a while,
but Brax is making me rethink things. I’m not sure if that is a
bad idea or a good idea.

We finish up the night, and Brax
drives me back to my apartment and walks me to the door. I’m
not sure if I should invite him in or not because he hasn’t
made any moves towards me all night. He has been the perfect
gentleman.

“Do you have to work
tomorrow?” he asks me, sounding hopeful

“No, I have the day off.”

“Would you mind if I came
over to see you?” I’m a bit surprised by this; he has
been giving me mixed signals. At the bar, he seemed angry when he
thought I was with Brandon, but he hasn’t made any moves toward
me all night.

“Not at all,” I answer
with a smile.

He leans in, kisses me on the
cheek and tells me he will see me tomorrow. I can’t help but
feel disappointed that he didn’t at least kiss me goodnight.

I hear my phone beep just as I
climb into bed. Reluctantly, I jump out of bed to get it.

Brax:

Thank you for tonight.

You looked gorgeous

and can’t wait to see you

tomorrow. Sweet dreams.

Me:

It was a great night.

Looking forward to

tomorrow.

I put my phone away and go to
sleep with a smile on my face.

I wake up to someone knocking on
my door. My mouth drops open when I find Brax standing at my door
looking gorgeous in his faded denim jeans and plain black tee that
has his band’s logo on it. His hair is cut short and he is
cleanly shaven, which brings out his square-cut jaw and his perfect
face. It makes his eyes pop even more.

“I brought you breakfast. I
hope you haven’t eaten,” he says while eyeing me up and
down. I remember
I only have a on a baggy shirt with boy shorts underneath.

“Sorry, come in and let me
get changed,” I say, my face heats with embarrassment.

“You don’t need to do
that. I’m liking the view.” I blush at his words and shut
the door once he is inside. I quickly make my way to the bedroom to
throw on a pair of shorts and a tank top. I find Brax in the kitchen
setting up our meal.

“I brought some muffins and
coffee from Starbucks. I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, that’s lovely,
but you didn’t have to do that.”

“So what are your plans for
today?” he asks me while handing me the coffee.

“Was just going to have a
lazy day and watch some movies.”

“Do you mind if I join you?
I don’t have anything on today. I usually just chill with the
guys, but I would like to spend the day with you again.”

“Yeah, sure,” I say
while taking the first sip of my coffee. It’s so good, I can’t
hold back a moan. When I look back up, Brax’s eyes almost look
completely grey. He is watching me intently with a look that says
either ‘I want to devour you’ or maybe ’Why did you
do that?’. I’m not sure.

While we eat, I ask him about his
family. He tells me they are a really close -knit family. His mum
constantly rings him to check up on him. He explains that his dad is
Australian and his mum is African American. He has two older brothers
who are both married and have kids, which is why his mother is always
ringing him to check up on him.

We’re halfway through the
movie when I can feel Brax staring at me. I turn my head towards his
and give him a questioning look. He scoots closer to me so we are
face to face. He softly runs a hand down my cheek, and I instantly
feel alive. He leans in and starts trailing soft kisses from my cheek
to my nose, and then to the corner of my mouth. He grabs my bottom
lip between his teeth and licks it.

I can’t stand the torture
anymore. I reach up, grab his face and kiss him hard. He tastes so
sweet, I don’t want to stop. Quickly, he reaches around and
lifts me up so I’m sitting on his lap and straddling him. We
lose ourselves in the kiss for what feels like hours.

“Sash, where you at?”
I hear and instantly pull away and scramble to sit back on the couch.

“Sasha, what’s for
lunch? I’m starving.” I look at Brax and give him my best
‘I’m sorry’ look. I get up to head towards the
kitchen, but Brax pulls me back down and kisses me again. I finally
break away and he follows me to find Brandon.

“I seriously want my key,
Brandon.”

“Oh, come on, cuz, you know
you love my visits.” He turns and sees Brax walking in behind
me. Brandon gives me a questioning look, and I just shrug my
shoulders. The guys give each other their manly hug and a tap on the
back. When finished, Brandon immediately starts questioning him why
he is here.

“Well, I came to spend the
day with Sasha.”

“Don’t think about
hurting her Brax. We have been friends for ages but she is family,”
he says sternly. He then faces me and gives me a kiss on the cheek,
and inside I’m fuming. “Okay. Well, I’ll let you to
get back to that, but Sasha, make sure you ring me tomorrow.”

“Yes, father, now goodbye,”
I say while walking him to the door.

“I see the way he looks at
you, Sasha. You sure you’re ready for a relationship?” he
asks in a concerned whisper.

“I don’t know, but
I’ll see where it goes,” I say with false confidence.

“Okay, I’m always here
for you. Call if you need me.” He leans in, kisses me on my
forehead and walks out the door.

“They’re very
protective of you,” Brax observes.

“Yeah, they’re a great
bunch of guys. I would be lost without them.”

The rest of the day goes very
smoothly. Although, he hasn’t attempted to kiss me again, we
have been cuddling on the couch all day, pigging out on junk food,
and talking a lot. I’ve already told him briefly about my
relationship with Josh, and he has mentioned that the longest
relationship he has had was in high school. It had lasted a year out
of school, but then they discovered
they wanted different things out of life and went their separate
ways.

At the end of the evening, we part
on good terms, but again there is no kissing. Once again I’m
left a bit disappointed, but he tells me he will call me soon.

The next day, I’m so ready
to finish my shift. It’s been a busy day and everyone has been
snappy. I just want to leave, go home and curl up on my couch with my
kindle. When it’s finally time to head out to catch the train
back home, I spot a familiar sports car at the entrance. The
scrumptious owner is leaning on it, smiling at me.

“Well, hello there,
stranger,” I greet him.

“Hello yourself, Sasha.
Would you like a ride?”

“Oh, I don’t want to
impose.”

“You’re not. Brandon
told me when you finish and I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Okay, sure.” I agree
to the ride as he has gone out of his way to see me today, and that
instantly puts a smile on my face. I’m not quite sure how to
take him in; he gives me mixed emotions. Plus I haven’t felt
such a strong attraction to anyone this strong since Josh.

He helps me in the car and I place
my hand in his. It’s a weird sensation when we’re holding
hands. I feel like he isn’t just touching my hand, rather he is
touching deeper. On the drive back to my apartment, I can tell he has
a lot on his mind. When I ask, he explains that his manager has been
riding him all week to do more promotions and get his head back in
the game. The problem is he just wants to take a break and cool off
for a while, but he has a contract to uphold and can’t break
it. I’m glad he’s sharing his worries with me, but I’m
just not sure what to say.

I invite him in for dinner, and we
talk some more while I cook pasta and chicken. He tells me how he has
been waiting to see me since yesterday, and couldn’t stay away
any longer. At that, I’m blushing like crazy and try to turn my
head away so he doesn’t notice,
but I feel a hand on my cheek turning me around. His eyes are
smouldering and he is looking at me like he might want me for dinner
instead of what I’m making. I don’t blame him for that
because I’m still a shit cook.

“I really want to kiss you
right now,” he says, his breath is hot on my neck.

“Do it then,” I
whisper in encouragement.

“We don’t want the
same things, Sash, but I can’t seem to stay away.”

I can’t even make out what
he is talking about. All I want is to kiss him, yet he is taking this
way too slowly. I lean in and give him some of my own torture. I
start kissing his neck and I’m rewarded when I hear him suck in
a sharp breath. Soon, he takes control and kisses me senseless until
we both are forced to come up for breath. With foreheads touching and
breathing heavily, we stand quietly for the longest time. I finally
pull away and finish up dinner. As we sit at the benches in the
kitchen to eat, I ask him what he had meant.

“I can see you have been
hurt, and you’re guarded. Plus, I think you still feel deeply
for that person.”

“I don’t. Why would
you say that?” Yet, it’s the truth. How could someone I
know for such a short time know that about me with just a look.

“I hope that’s true
because I’m not in the market to get my heart broken and I
don’t want to be with someone who has feelings for someone
else.”

“Okay… what are you
saying?” I ask nervously

“That if you’re one
hundred percent sure you don’t have feeling for anyone but me,
I would like to date you exclusive.”

As soon as those words leave his
mouth, my phone starts ringing. Relieved, I excuse myself. I see
Lola’s name on the screen and for a second I debate whether to
answer.

“Hey, Lola.”

“Sis— sisss—”
She is barely getting this much out without crying.

“Lola, what’s wrong?
Please tell me.” I’m beginning to panic.

“It’s Brit. She was in
an accident and they’re not sure if she is going to make it.
You need to come,” she tells me through her tears.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

“Just come, Sasha. You
should say goodbye.”

With that, she hangs up on me and
I’m left staring at the phone, wondering what is going on. I
just spoke to Brit last week about helping plan Kasey’s second
birthday.

“Sasha, are you okay? I
heard you screaming.”

I didn’t even realise I was
screaming. I look up at him and try to force myself not to cry.

“Yes, but I need to get to
Brisbane right now. So sorry to do this to you.”