Nate (A Texas Jacks Novel) (9 page)

They wait, watching to make sure I’ve gotten inside my apartment before pulling out of the lot to head to their own place.

Making sure the apartment is secure for the night, I head to my room to change into pajamas before going to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I return to my room, flipping the light switch off as I make my way to the bed and climb in. After pulling the covers up to my neck, I snuggle deeper into them, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Turning onto my right side, curling up in an S-shape, I rest my hands under my cheek as my heavy eyes finally start to close, allowing visions of Nathan to play through my thoughts. Before sleep finally claims me, I think of how I hope Nathan stars in my dreams tonight.

The guys and I make it uneventfully back to our house, ready to crash for the night.

I’m heading down the hall to my room when Holt stops me. “What’s up with you and Charlie? Did you get her number?” he asks, stifling a yawn.

Sighing, I rub a hand through my hair. “No,” I tell him honestly. “She didn’t give it to me, as much as I wanted it. She didn’t ask for mine, either.”

Tucker’s now standing in the doorway of his room, overhearing our conversation. Raising his eyebrows in shock, he asks, “Seriously? After she practically let you in her lap, she didn’t throw you a lifeline with her number? That’s messed up, dude.” Tucker lets out a chuckle, but I know he feels bad for me, too.

“You were different with her tonight. The last time you were really into someone like that, would’ve been back when you dated Heather Morgan. Right around the time your mom —” Holt trails off, making for an awkward moment.

Deciding to let it go, I’m determined to push past his words. “Yes, she turned me down, and yes—it sucked, but she did promise I could have it the next time we saw each other. And, if I recall right, you both were able to get her friends’ numbers. Which means you now have the access to make it happen,” I remind them with a grin.

A smile plays at the corners of Holt’s lips, at the idea, as he high-fives me. “Darn straight I got that saucy woman’s number. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing them again. If you want, I can get Charlie’s number for you. All you have to do is say the word, and I’m on it. Besides, I wouldn’t put it past Halley to freely give it out. I get the impression she’s already planning your wedding,” he says, cracking himself up along with Tucker.

“You’re laughing now, but with Halley’s speech, I’m pretty sure she’s not a ship passing in the night. So, you better not screw this one up.”

“Chill out. If you really plan on getting serious with Charlie,” Tucker says seriously. “Then we won’t screw it up.”

“I really don’t know what I’m doing. She’s different, and I want to get to know her better. That, I know for sure. Otherwise, I can’t promise anything — and yet, I can’t get her out of my head, either. So I’m taking a chance, and seeing what happens. That’s my plan for now.”

The guys share a look between them, but I let that go, too. I don’t want to think too deeply about what this could mean, and it doesn’t matter, anyway. We barely know each other, so for now, their point is moot.
At least that’s what I tell myself
. And with that thought, I’m ready to put my mind to rest, content with the possibility of Charlie dancing through my dreams.

“Let’s not get too serious or carried away here. I’m heading to bed. Just make sure you set a plan in motion with the girls, and let me know where to be,” I tell Holt. “By the way, thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Goodnight, John-boy.” Holt calls over his shoulder as he walks away to his room.

“Goodnight, Jim Bob.” I toss at Tucker, continuing down the hall to mine.

“Goodnight Ben,” he says to Holt. “Wait a minute,” he continues, stopping us both for a moment. “Why do I always get stuck with Jim Bob? That makes me sound like a freaking hillbilly.” He sounds peeved, and we just laugh at him, closing our doors behind us.

Sometimes we really are childish. Case in point: our Walton’s bedtime routine.

T
HE WEEK PASSES BY AT
a snail’s pace, and the only thing on my brain is Nathan. Somehow, I’m able to function normally at work and interact with my friends, but my nights are spent dreaming of Nathan.

Thursday starts off decently enough, but I wish the hands of time would speed up so I can see him again.

I’m sitting at the reception desk that I’m in charge of when my cell phone alerts me to a text message. I probably shouldn’t have my phone out and lying on the desk, even if it is on silent or vibrate. Luckily, I don’t usually get in trouble.

Picking it up, I see that it’s just my mom, wishing me a beautiful day and telling me she loves me. She also reminds me about the family dinner coming up again soon —
like I would forget
. I reply with the same sentiments and get back to work, silently regretting not giving Nathan my number. I’ve contemplated the reasons I never gave it to him in the first place, and my only conclusion is that, basically, I was a big chicken. No other ways around it. I hate that I didn’t jump at the chance; however, I can’t just change in a blink of an eye. After only a few short hours of knowing him, I had already pushed the limits on my comfort zone. Maybe if he hadn’t been so touchy-feely that night and had asked for my number instead, I would have given it to him. Then again, I wouldn’t take back those moments over the exchange of a few numbers. So back to work I go, trudging along, as there’s no point in going over it more.
It is what it is.

I work for a family medical practice here in town, as Dr. Blankenship’s medical receptionist. We tend to see a lot of elderly patients and children, predominantly. The patients are really sweet and friendly, and the staff is like a second family to me, so I can’t complain. Sometimes, the older women bring in homemade food for Dr. B as a thank you for his medical care. Truly, this is a great place to work. The staff is upbeat and positive, and that makes a difference in the patients’ overall wellness and care.

By lunchtime, I’m ready to ditch this place — as much as I love working for Dr. Blankenship, I’m ready to call it a day and sleep until it’s Friday night. I really can’t wait to see Nathan again, but I need to pull myself together. I’m sure he’s not sitting at his job — whatever it is — pining over me. I need to get a grip. Maybe I’ll work on
that
after lunch.

I’m usually the last to go to lunch, as I finish checking patients out and scheduling future appointments. When it’s time to head out, I turn the phones over to an answering service during our lunch hour. If there’s an emergency, the staff can give Dr. B a call right away without the patient waiting for us to get back.

I’m starving, and need food pronto. As I’m walking to my car, my phone buzzes in my hand. Looking down, I see the text is from Halley.

Halley: Are you off to lunch yet?

Charlie: Yes. Just left the office and heading to my car.

Halley: Want to meet up?

Charlie: Sure. Mexican sound good?

Halley: Yep! Meet me at Freebirds World Burrito. I’m headed out there now.

Charlie: Sounds good, see you shortly.

I get into my blue Honda and pull out of the lot, headed towards
Freebirds
and Halley.

It’s Thursday afternoon, nearing lunch hour, and the guys and I will be knocking off soon to go eat. I have no idea what their plans are, but as for me, I’ve decided to check in with my family. I’m long overdue for a visit. Today seems as good a day as any to stop by and show my face.

Holt, Tucker, and I all work at the same construction company, where we mainly build houses. We’ve been working for Jim Cates, at
B&B Builders
, for three years now. Jim is a cool guy, a longtime friend of Holt’s dad, and he knows our vision for the near future. He’s genuinely interested in helping us make our dreams a reality, and goes about doing so by showing us all sides of the business.

Our goal is to someday have our own company, and that is why we all live together now. We purchased the home we live in so that we could pool all of our resources together and save the money needed to build our company.