Bound Together (9 page)

Sent: 17.13

To: The Asshole

I hugged myself in triumph. I’d
played the game. And I felt confident that I was winning. Almost a
second later he replied.

Oh Layla. I’m flattered and
thrilled by the notion that you were in bed thinking of me last
night.
;)

I will admit that my
behavior may have been less than gentlemanly however “ass” may be a
little too strong. $275 is the going rate for a new shirt.
Unfortunately the dry cleaners couldn’t remove the stain that is
now permanently etched into my garment. As to the payment, I’m sure
we can come to some
 
sort of an
 
arrangement.
J

Received: 17.16

From: The Asshole

Arrangement? Like a payment plan?
 My heart was pounding and I could hear it beating in my ears.
A shiver of anticipation ran like electricity through my veins.
Shaking slightly from the adrenaline pulsing through my veins, I
responded.

Arrangement? What did you have in
mind?

Sent: 17.20

To: The Asshole

My hands were sweating as they
gripped the phone; I bit down on my lip waiting impatiently for his
next message. This was crazy. I hardly knew him and he was turning
me into a hot irrational mess without even being in the room. The
phone buzzed and I stared at it. I was biting my lip so hard I
could taste blood from the small incision my tooth had made in the
flesh. Licking it into my mouth, I opened the message:

Well I thought we could start with
you letting me take you out to dinner.

Received: 17.24

From: The Asshole

I gasped, my mouth falling open as
my eyes read his words over and over again. Did I really want to do
this? He was asking me out. I’d been thinking about him all
weekend. My mind suddenly wandered back to the office that morning
in the shop: his dimpled chin, penetrating blue eyes, wet shirt
clinging to his hard abs and his heart stopping smile. The more I
thought about it, the hotter I felt. My heart wasn’t just pounding
anymore, it was trying to escape from my chest; thumping hard
beneath my ribcage, which was rising and falling rapidly as my
breathing quickened. Taking two long calming breaths, I sent him my
reply.

When?

Sent: 17.28

To: The Asshole

There was no turning back.
It was typed, sent and delivered. I imagined the look on his face
when he read it, that sexy satisfied smirk. Thinking about it made
me utter a girlish squeal of excitement. I glanced over at the
bathroom door. Amy was still in the shower and I could hear her
singing as she always did while she was in there.
Waiting
 
for
 
what felt like an eternity, but was probably only moments,
the phone finally buzzed in my hand. I took a deep breath and
opened the message. Reading it I let out a loud squeal. “Oh my
god!”

Amy flew out of the bathroom with
a towel wrapped around her chest and her hair still had the foam
from her shampoo that she had obviously been rinsing from it when
I’d yelled.

“
What!? What’s
happened?” She was looking at me up and down
 
I imagined,
checking
 
me
 
for
any injury or ailment.

My mouth was gaping open and I
shook my head.

Pulling my gaze away from the
screen, I looked over at her and she gawked at me waiting for a
response.

“
I think I’m having dinner with
Jared.”

Amy held her hand to her mouth and
gasped. “Oh my gosh Layla. When?”

I suddenly found myself grinning
as I re-read his message.

How about right now?

Received: 17.32

From: The Asshole

I showed it to Amy and she
threw her arms around my neck, getting residue shampoo bubbles on
me in the process. Releasing me, she jumped up and down, clapping
her hands. “First you have to tell him to pick you up in one hour.
Then get your ass in the shower. I have the perfect outfit for you
to wear. We’ll fix your
 
hair into an up do and give
you a little natural make up. He won’t know
what’s
 
hit
him. You’re gonna knock his socks off girl! And I’m gonna help you
do it.”

This was going to be
interesting and
 
I couldn’t wait. 

Chapter
10

You’ve Got A
Friend

“There. Finished. You look
amazing.”
Amy lowered the makeup brush and
spun me around to face the mirror.
I
gingerly opened my eyes and gazed in astonishment at my reflection.
My once lifeless and frizzy hair was now set into loose curls. Amy
had taken a few ringlets and pinned them at the back to give me a
beautiful retro beehive. The rest flowed down to sit on my
shoulders. It was glossy and the hairspray made the blonde shade
glisten as I moved. My eyes had a smoky effect and the lashes that
framed them were long, thick and dark. Amy called them smoldering.
My lips were shimmering from the light pink gloss she’d applied.
Bringing my hand up to my mouth, but not covering the gloss, I
gasped. “Amy. It’s amazing. I look gorgeous .Thank you so
much.”

I stood up and hugged her
tightly. “Hey, careful. It took me forever to get your hair and
makeup perfect. Don’t go ruining it now.”

Patting me on the back
with both hands, she gave me a gentle shove. Taking my hand, she
twirled me around to admire her work. She had been rummaging
through her wardrobe for some time before she finally decided on my
current outfit.

I was wearing a little
black dress. It was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. With a
matching black clutch purse and some silver and diamond earrings, I
looked like a model you’d see in a magazine. I’d never dressed that
way for anyone or anything for that matter. Even at my prom I wore
a simple long line dress that hid my curves well. Mel had called it
frumpy but I didn’t care. I wasn’t willing to advertise my body to
anyone. But this felt different. A knock at the door drew her
attention and she shouted over her shoulder at it.

“Come on in its
open.”

It swung open and Oliver
stood in the doorway. Resting his arm on the frame he leaned into
it. His eyes met mine and then made their way down my body slowly
before returning to hold my gaze. “Wow.” It was barely a murmur but
I’d heard him loud and clear. I was hot. Swallowing hard, Oliver
gave me a seductive smile.

“You didn’t have to get
all dressed up for me but boy do I appreciate it.” My cheeks
flushed as I could feel him mentally undressing me with his
eyes.

Amy gave me a nudge and
glared at him. “Well, she didn’t do it for you. She’s got a date. I
told you at the party Ollie, you snooze you lose emo boy. Coffee
shop guy snapped her up. He’s taking her to dinner.”

I rolled my eyes and
avoided looking at him. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow
me whole. I know Oliver and I had never really got things going but
I couldn’t help but remember Friday night at the bar. I
had
flirted with him and
only moments ago I’d made plans to go to the movies with him. But
that was just to hang out right? It wasn’t a date. Tonight with
Jared was most certainly an official date, he’d made his intentions
clear simply with the tone of his text. I prayed Ollie didn’t think
less of me and that he also didn’t begin to think that I had been
leading him on. It was disturbing to say the least. I was a great
many things, but a tease I was not.

When I finally plucked up
the courage to face him again, I could see that he wasn’t pleased
by the news. His mouth was set into a hard line and he was standing
rigidly with his hands in his pockets. He shrugged and lowered his
head studying the floor before raising his hand to rub the back of
his head.

“Well I just came to see if
you guys wanted to order a pizza and hang out but since Layla
has
plans
already, we can do it some other time maybe. And Amy while
we’re on the subject, since when is my romantic life any of your
damn business?”

Amy stood
straighter, obviously
shocked
by
his demeanor
and fisted her hands on
her hips. She opened her mouth about to respond when he turned on
his heel, held his hand in the air to signal a wave, walked back
over to his room and slammed his door shut.

Shit. I had definitely upset him.

Amy turned her stare at me with her mouth
still gaping open, closing it she pointed at the door “What the
fuck was his problem?!”

I rolled my eyes and cocked
my head to the side. She couldn’t be that dim surely. “Oh come on
Amy. Have a little respect for his privacy, whatever you two
discussed about me at that party was probably not meant for me to
hear. Plus, I don’t think he was that thrilled about me having a
date. I did flirt with him
all
evening at the bar. He must think I’m a total
tease or worse.”

Amy was shaking her head
at me and now she was the one rolling her eyes. “Layla he had his
chance to make a move and he didn’t. He can’t be sore now just
because he missed his opening.”

I felt terrible. I
couldn’t enjoy my date feeling the way I did.

Grabbing my purse off of
the bed and breezing past a stunned Amy, I walked out into the
hallway, closing the door behind me. I could hear loud guitar music
coming from his room. Swallowing the lump that had formed in my
throat, I held my head up and knocked hard on his door. The music
stopped and Nick answered. Holding the door open just enough for
him to be seen he grinned widely at me.

“Well, what are we all
dressed up for?”

A voice from behind him
snapped a reply. “She’s got a date.” Oliver was still pissed at me
that was for sure. Standing on my tiptoes, I yelled over Nick’s
head, “Come on Ollie. Come talk to me. I won’t be able to enjoy
myself at all tonight knowing you’re upset with me.
Please.”

“You’re not exactly giving
me any good reason to change my mind now that I know that.” I heard
him let out a long sigh and hoped he would reconsider so we could
thrash this out and move on. Nick glanced back over his shoulder,
obviously waiting for Oliver to give him the ok before moving aside
to let me in.

Oliver was sitting on his
bed gripping a white electric guitar which was attached to a large
amp. My eyes scanned the room and I realized I’d never been in
there before that moment. Every available space was covered in
posters of different rock groups. The Ramones, Greenday, All Time
Low, Muse and Nirvana were just a few that I recognized. Nick’s
side was littered with junk food wrappers and he had a drum kit set
up in the corner. The room was enormous and I couldn’t quite
believe that no one had complained about the noise. Nick left the
room giving Oliver a quick nod as he shut the door.

Looking up from his guitar Oliver glanced at
me with a pained expression. I walked over to his bed and sat next
to him. “Oliver please don’t hate me. You and Amy are the only
friends I have here. I mean that’s what we are right? Friends?
Can’t you be happy for me? I mean who else is going to pick me up
when I’m spread eagle on a hallway floor?”

He put his guitar down and
gave me a sideways look, his long black hair hung in front of his
face restricting my view of his delicious brown eyes. Tilting my
head so that our eyes met, I gave him a hopeful smile. I nudged him
and he draped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his
side. I leaned my head on his shoulder and heard him let out a long
sigh. “Ok Layla. I’m happy for you if that’s what you wanna hear.
So go enjoy your date. But if he tries anything or gets too heavy
handed, you call me and I’ll come get you. I mean it.”

I nodded and gave him a
tight hug, wrapping my arms around his back as I rested my head on
his shoulder again. “I promise I will call you Ollie.”

He stood up and
outstretched his hand. Placing my hand into his, he pulled me to my
feet. As he opened the door for me to leave I gave him one last
tight squeeze before planting a quick peck on his cheek. I just saw
him blushing as he raised his hand, in typical Ollie fashion and
closed the door. Relieved that we had now defined our relationship
as friends, I could now focus on the knot of nerves beginning to
form in my stomach. I cast an eye at my watch. It was almost seven.
I checked myself over and straightened my dress before making my
way down the hall to the exit. Taking my cell out of my purse I
checked if I had any messages. There was only one.

I’m parked right outside.
Waiting with bated breath for your arrival. J