And Then It Happened: An Unexpected Romance (6 page)

I shot him a glare, annoyed that he made me feel like I was wasting his time. He was the one who’d insisted he come help me find something nice to wear. It wasn’t like I’d dragged him here. I also didn’t understand his sudden change of mood. He was the one who wanted to take me shopping and now he was acting like he had better things to do.

Glancing at my phone, I realized it was growing late, so I quickly undressed and made my way to the cash register.

“You sure you want to wear that tonight?” Adrian asked as I laid the dress on the counter.

“Yes. Why do you care anyway?” I asked.

“Hey, just letting you know how it will be with…”

“Rob,” I interjected before he could make up another name for my date tonight.

“…Roger,” he said, barely containing a smile.

“Stop messing with her, Adrian,” Gabe said as he rung me up. “You’re such a prick.”

“Shut up,” Adrian said as I nodded adamantly.

“That will be two fifty,” Gabe said as he folded my dress and placed it in a bag. I clutched the counter, nearly having a heart attack when I heard the amount. I couldn’t afford that at all.

“This is really embarrassing,” I began, my cheeks
reddening. “But I can’t…”

Adrian moved next to me as he reached into his back pocket.

“Yeah, don’t finish that sentence,” he said with a knowing smirk.

“What are you doing?” I asked, as I watched him hand his brother a credit card.

“Doing you a favor,” he replied as if he did this for me everyday. To be honest I was flattered at his sudden kindness and completely confused by it at the same time.

You like him. You like him. Jane and Adrian kissing in a tree…

“You don’t need to buy this for me.”

“Yes I do.”

I glanced down at the floor as he handed me the bag. His fingers brushed against my hand as he leaned into me.

“It’s really more for me anyway,” he said lowly, avoiding his brother’s stare. “I’m hoping once you get laid by Ralph you won’t be such a harpy.”

“It’s Rob, you jackass,” I said loudly before swinging my bag and pummeling him over the head.

***

The date was terrible. I hated every minute of it. Not only was Rob a complete narcissist, but he was a misogynist pig as well. And, even though I hated to admit it, Adrian had been right. Rob hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off my boobs the entire night, making me incredibly uncomfortable.

When he’d suggested I go back to his place, I didn’t hesitate to decline.

Which only made him mad. Apparently I’d been leading him on the entire night, starting with my choice of outfit.

The only thing that made
the entire evening bearable were the inappropriate texts from Adrian. And while I didn’t reply to them, they still made me smile.

Thankfully the date ended early and I drove home, relived to know that peace and quiet was awaiting me.
I walked up to my front door, my shoulders slumped in exhaustion, and nearly dropped my keys when Adrian appeared at my side, wearing only plaid pajama bottoms.

“How’d it go?” he asked as he followed me into my house. “You didn’t answer my texts.”

“I know and I’m sorry I didn’t respond. I was too busy trying to figure out if the guy was for real or not,” I replied walking up the stairs. “Do you even own shirts?”

“Yep,” he replied before aski
ng, “So was Rich really a sixty-year old fat man?”

I shook my head. “No, he was hot, just a dick…” I paused and turned toward him. “…kind of like going on a date with you, actually.”

He smirked. “So you think I’m hot?”

I sighed heavily as I dropped my purse on my bed, too exhausted to banter at the moment. “Why are you in my room again?”

“I wanted to see how your date went and since you didn’t answer my texts, here I am…But really I want to see if I was right.”

“Ugh,” I grunted, wanting nothing more than to just slide beneath my covers and sleep. But first I needed to change.

“So how was it?” he asked as I walked into my closet and tugged off my dress and shoes before pulling on an oversized t-shirt and walking out. Adrian was lying on my bed holding the vibrator he’d bought me.

“God, are you seriously going through my drawers?” I asked, feeling my cheeks go all red.

He peeked up at me and shrugged. “Yeah and I’m happy to know that this little guy isn’t in the trash.”

“Well, he should be,” I replied, swatting at Adrian’s leg in an effort to get him to move off my bed. He didn’t, of course, so I just flopped down on my mattress next to him and buried my head in my pillow.

“I still think you’re using it wrong.”

“Don’t care,” I said, my words muffled.

“Maybe I should show you how it’s done.”

I glanced up at him. He was leaning on his side, looking down at me, the pink vibrator lying on the bed between us.

“And how would you do that?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I’d get you turned on and show you how to use it. I think you’ll lik
e it once you figure out the mechanics of it.”

“And how do you plan on getting me turned on?” I asked, confused as to what he was saying.

You’re not confused. You want to know how he’d do it. You really, really want to know.

Adrian glanced down at my chest before his eyes met mine. “I don’t know. What turns you on? I could go down on you…”

“Oh God,” I muttered, shoving my face in my pillow once more. For some reason his suggestion really turned me on and I hated that I wanted him to do it.

“Or I could suck your tits a little,” he went on and I groaned into my pillow.

“What?” he asked, clearly annoyed. “I’m not that repulsive am I?”

I looked up at him again before turning onto my back and addressing the ceiling. “Of course not and you know it. Although your personality is lacking, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, but I bet I could still get you nice and wet,” he added and I slapped my hand over my face.

“I’m sure you could, but no thanks,” I said, fighting the urge to let him do as he suggested.

Let him. Please. Please!

“Fine,” he said with a slight pout. “Since you won’t let me have any fun, why don’t you bore me stories of tonight?”

“I don’t really want to.”

“That’s because Rob w
as staring at your tits like I predicted, right?”

I sighed heavily and glared at him. “Yeah, okay? You were right. Is that what you want me to say?”

He smiled widely. “Yes.”

“You’re seriously the worst.”

“Don’t be mad just because I’m right and you were wrong. I know how guys think, okay?” He grabbed the vibrator and began to play with the settings. It purred in his hands as he rubbed it against his palm.

“Turn that thing off.”

“Guys minds are always in the gutter,” he continued on, as if my request didn’t register with him. “Don’t you want to know what I’m thinking right now?”

“No, absolutely not,” I replied quickly because I did want to know, but I didn’t want to admit it.

“Are you sure? You’re not just a tiny bit curious?”

I peeked over at him and said weakly, “No.”

“That sounded more like a question, so I think you’re curious.”

“I’m not.”

He tapped the vibrator on the bed. “So I’ll enlighten you.”

“Please don’t,” I muttered as he continued on.

“I’m thinking about how you’re not wearing a bra right now. I’m thinking about this vibrator and you using it.”

“Stop,” I said, feeling hot all over. “Now you’re just being mean.”

He was staring at me intently, all humor suddenly gone from his face. “Am I?”

“You’re such a pig. Seriously.” I gulped nervously, unsure
of what to do with his sudden change of character.

He watched me for a moment before his lips turned up at the corners. For some reason the action didn’t seem quite as effortless as it usually was.

“You’re right,” he said, although the humor didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m a dick, but I was right about Rob.”

“You were right,” I repeated. “Now are you going to stop rubbing it in and go home?’

He stared at me. “I was planning on sleeping over. You invited me, remember?”

“I did not.”

He placed his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. “My brothers and I used to make tents out of sheets when we were little. Did you used to do that?”

His random comment and sudden openness had me staring at him. “What?”

“Did you used to make tents out of sheets and spend the night in them?”

“No.”

“You didn’t?” He looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “Why not?”

“I didn’t have any brothers or sisters to do that with.”

“Well, that sucks. What a loser childhood,” he said with a smile as he rolled out of bed. “Come on. Get up.”

“What? No,” I replied, clutching at my pillow for dear life.

“Get your ass out of bed.”

“Why?” I grumbled.

“Just get your ass out of bed,” he said, walking toward me. I scrambled to my feet, knowing he’d most likely pick me up and throw me on the floor if I didn’t.

I reluctantly stood and watched as he tugged the sheet
s off my bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked as he walked into the hallway and pulled open my linen closet. A moment later
, he was trudging down the stairs to the family room with an armful of sheets and blankets.

“Seriously Adrian, what are you doing?” I asked, exasperated with him
for ignoring my questions.

“We’re building you a fort, okay?”

“What? Why?”

“Because you need to experience the sheet-fort at least once in your life.”

“I’m twenty-six not seven.”

“Doesn’t matter. Now stop complaining and help me out,” he said, tossing me a blanket and pointing to the couch.

I didn’t know what I was doing, but after twenty minutes of Adrian bossing me around we had successfully constructed a fort out of sheets.

“Good job, Janice. Now get inside,” he said, pushing me forward. “I’m right behind you.”

He let his hand slip down a little lower, his fingers grazing my butt, and I shot him a glare.

“My bad,” he said as I settled onto the floor. It was dark except for the soft glow of his cellphone light.

“Now what are we supposed to do?” I asked, blinking in the dark.

“We’re supposed to makeout,” he replied with a grin.

“Never happening,” I replied, slapping at his arm playfully as he took a seat next to me. “How about we tell each other stories…”

“Snore,” he replied dryly. “Are you trying to bore me to death?”

“That’s what kids do…”

“We’re not kids. We’re adults.”

I rolled my eyes. “So kids in sheet-forts tell stories, but adults make out?”

“Exactly! Now you’re catching on.”

I lowered myself onto the ground and pulled a quilt over me. This whole thing was growing ridiculous. I didn’t know why I was even going along with it.

“You can’t go to bed yet,” he said, sounding indignant.

“I’m not. I’m just settling in because I’m sure you’ll eventually leave.”

“Not happening,” he said, lowering himself next to me and under my
blanket.

“Don’t you have some girl you need to be screwing right now?” I asked, kicking him in the shin lightly.

He shook his head. “No and stop hogging the blanket.”

“I’m not sharing this blanket with you. Get your own.”

Adrian sighed loudly as he grabbed a blanket by his feet and threw it over him.

“So why are you really here?” I asked as we settled into a comfortable silence. “Why are you making sheet-forts with me?”

“Because you seem like you had a neglected childhood…”

“Adrian, be serious for once. Why are you here?”

He glanced over at me and shook his head. “Are you really going to make me tell you?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Fine,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “It’s because for some godforsaken reason I like you and I want to spend time with you.”

“You like me?” My question came out breathless and squeaky. I bit down on my bottom lip as I stared at him and a giggle escaped my mouth at the absurdity of this whole thing.

“You don’t even know my name,” I added on a laugh. “You’re always such a dick to me.”

“Yeah, well it’s blowing my mind too, okay?” He frowned. “Don’t laugh.”

“I can’t help it. It’s too crazy…” My laughter trailed off as I stared at him. “Wait…you don’t like-like me, right?”

“What do you mean, ‘like-like’?”