Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“I used to have a shoe issue. Not anymore, but I have amassed quite a collection. What size are you?”
“Well, excuse me, Carrie Bradshaw. Apparently, I am the same size as you,” I said as I slipped my foot into the shoes to discover they were a perfect fit. Several inches taller, I looked at myself in the mirror that hung on my closet door.
Not bad.
Actually, I couldn’t have been more pleased with how I looked. “Wow. I can’t thank you enough, T.”
“Anytime, babe. You were like a clean slate. It was fun.” She smiled.
Tarah packed up her hair and makeup accessories and left momentarily to return them to her room, leaving me standing in front of the mirror. The purple was a little bright for my liking, but it was kind of refreshing to wear something other than my usual black.
My body jerked suddenly when a male form appeared behind me in the mirror. Not just any male form. It was like that moment in a horror movie. Except, in my mind, this was worse.
“Nina, Barney the dinosaur called. He wants his skin back.”
“Jake! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on your way to Boston.”
“Nice to see you too.”
“Well, it’s just that you usually leave from work and—”
“I missed the 5:15 Amtrak, so I might either catch the last train at 9:30 or just go in the morning.”
“Oh.” I licked my lips nervously, having forgotten about the lipstick on them.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I turned around and faced him. His eyes immediately traveled slowly down the length of my body, coating me with his gaze. My heart was beating rapidly, and I got the chills. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. In fact, I probably wouldn’t even have accepted the date if I knew Jake was going to be home to see me off.
He was never home on Fridays. Why today?
“Nina…you look—”
I interrupted him. “Interesting?”
He kept staring at my dress. “That’s one way of putting it,” he said as his eyes returned upward to meet mine.
Tarah walked in at that moment and seemed just as shocked as I was to see him. “Jake!”
“Tarah!” He mocked her tone, without taking his eyes off me. I would say he was undressing me with them, but truthfully, the dress left little to the imagination.
He finally moved from the doorway and sat on my bed, lightly bouncing up and down. “I didn’t know we were going out tonight, Nina.”
Tarah looked at me seeking permission with her eyes. “We…are not going anywhere. She is going on a date.”
He turned to me and smiled, but it didn’t look genuine. It was more taunting. “I see.” He paused and then said, “I suppose he’s taking you to the Vegas Strip in that outfit?”
“I think she looks awesome, actually,” Tarah said.
I was beyond speechless and just shook my head.
Jake continued to stare at me with a look so intense, you’d think his beautiful green eyes could have burned a hole through my dress. “Have fun,” he said like he didn’t mean it. “And don’t forget a jacket. You’re bound to catch pneumonia dressed like that.” Then, he turned around, walked down the hall to his room and slammed the door closed.
I’d rather be going out with you…you ass.
The time was now 6:55.
“It’s almost seven. Your date will be here any minute,” Tarah said.
“Do me a favor and let him in when he comes and then get me? I just wanna sit here for a bit and grab my bearings.”
“No problem, sweetie. I understand.” She left the room, closing my door behind her.
His cologne still lingered in my room, and I breathed it in. His surprise appearance had completely jarred me. I sat back on my bed, careful not to mess my hair too much and tried to inhale in and exhale out to relax. It wasn’t working. I was still reeling from Jake’s stare, from his words and from the fact that my body was craving him, minutes before I was supposed to be going out with another guy. If I were lucky, he would stay in his room until I left.
About ten minutes later, still lying on my bed in the same spot, I heard a knock on the front door in the distance. I sat up suddenly and heard Tarah open it and greet Alistair. “She’s just in her room finishing up. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and I’ll let her know you’re here.”
Tarah’s footsteps got closer and closer until she entered my room shutting the door behind her.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Honestly? No.”
“Is it Jake?”
I took a deep breath and nodded silently.
“Well, come on, you don’t want to keep your adorable date waiting. He’s a cutie, and you look hot, babe. We’ll chat about asshole later.”
I got up and followed Tarah into the living room. Alistair was standing with his hands in his pockets, wearing khaki pants and a white linen shirt rolled up at the sleeves. His light brown hair was perfectly parted to the side and gelled. His smile was magnetic.