Stupid Cupid (4 page)

I grinned. “We could have gone out another night.”

“I didn’t want to wait.” Nathan reached for me, sliding his hand along mine until our fingers entwined.

“Did I pass the test?” I whispered, loving the feel of his hand against mine.

Nathan laughed lightly. “My daughter asked you to read her a bedtime story. That’s never happened.”

Warmth flowed through me.

He grabbed the remote, and the two of us pretended to watch whatever was on the television screen. It was something about a man . . . and his dog . . . or was it a cat? I had no clue, because all I could focus on was Nathan’s hand and the way he was drawing little patterns against my palm with his finger.

“Tell me something about you,” he whispered.

“What do you want to know?”

It was almost hypnotic, the shimmering blue of his eyes.

“Everything.”

Wrapped in our own little bubble, we sat on the couch until long after midnight. I told him the most mundane facts about my life, beginning with my birth date and ending with details about my brief marriage to Austin.

“We were just kids . . . two friends who thought it’d be cool to get married. Once the honeymoon phase was over, and we actually had to be
spouses
, it dawned on us pretty quickly that we’d made a stupid decision. We were divorced within a year.”

Nathan told me about his life in Oklahoma. His father owned a construction company in Tulsa, and his parents had divorced when he was twelve. His mom loved real estate and actually co-owned this building—which explained how he was able to afford such an expensive place.

Then, he told me about Arwen’s mother.

“We met in college during my sophomore year. In our life drawing class, we were asked to draw nude bodies. Amy was one of the models. Long blond hair, legs that went on forever . . . to a teenage guy, she was every fantasy come to life. We started dating, and within three months, she was pregnant.”

I squeezed his hand, giving him a little encouragement to continue.

“I wouldn’t trade my daughter for anything, but for a nineteen-year-old kid, it was overwhelming to know that I was going to be a father. Amy was wild, which was something that hadn’t really bothered me while we were dating because I didn’t care. I wasn’t in love with her. We were just kids, and you’re supposed to do that crazy stuff in college. You experiment and you dabble in things you probably shouldn’t. The problem for Amy was that she experimented too much. I didn’t realize
how
much until we found out she was pregnant. The doctor told her she couldn’t drink, and she completely freaked out. She was an eighteen-year-old alcoholic, and she was carrying my child—a child she didn’t want. I had to promise to raise the baby all by myself. That’s the only way I could convince her not to have an abortion.”

My stomach twisted. How could she not want her child?

“How did you keep her from drinking while she was pregnant?”

“Money,” Nathan admitted with a sigh. “My parents deposited $50,000 into a trust. The cash was hers if she stayed sober during her pregnancy and signed all parental rights over to me once the baby was born. She had to consent to weekly drug tests, too. Once we got her through detox, it was a little easier. She seemed content with the knowledge that she could drink to her heart’s content as soon as she gave birth—which is exactly what she did. Our daughter was born just before Christmas. By May, we were attending Amy’s funeral.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my heart breaking for him and his daughter. “What a horrible thing for you to have to endure.”

“I couldn’t have handled any of it without my mom. I moved out of the dorms and back home, so that she could babysit while I was in class. My dad helped some, too. They didn’t really get along when they were married, but they’re good friends now. My daughter couldn’t have two better grandparents. Amy’s folks are dead, so I didn’t have to deal with any of her family getting in the way of the custody agreement. I know that probably sounds cold . . .”

“No, it doesn’t. It sounds like a devoted father.”

Silence filled the air, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. We continued holding hands, and I’d occasionally look up to find him gazing intently at me.

“You’re blushing,” Nathan murmured.

“You’re staring.”

“You’re beautiful.”

I was flushed red like a traffic signal now. I could feel it.

“And I really, really want to kiss you right now, but I know it’s too soon.”

I was terrified. We’d only known each other two days, and I’d already met his daughter. Already, we’d shared our deepest heartaches.
 

“I want you to kiss me.”

Nathan placed his hand beneath my chin, lifting it toward his face.

“But it’s too soon,” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

Neither of us sounded too convincing, but he closed his eyes and nodded. Very gently, he placed his palm against my cheek and pulled me closer, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. His mouth lingered there, and my pulse raced, loving the feel of his warm lips against my skin.

“I should go,” I whispered after we pulled away.

Nathan walked me to the door, his hand remaining firmly attached to mine until I stepped out into the hallway. We said goodnight, and he gently lifted my hand, pressing a kiss against my knuckles.

The elevator was unnecessary. I’m pretty sure I floated all the way down to the lobby.

“This is dangerous, Jada, on so many levels.”

I sighed deeply and continued checking my email while she hovered around my desk. What had possessed me to tell Annalise about my night with Nathan and his little girl?

“First of all, you’re going to get attached to his daughter.”

“And that’s bad?”

“It will be bad if it doesn’t work out between the two of you,” she said softly. “Jada, look, there’s something you have to understand about seeing a single father. Dating is serious business to them. It’s not a game. They’re looking for a
wife
. They’re looking for a mother for their child.”

I thought about Nathan and the expression on his face while I read the story to Arwen. He’d looked so peaceful and content, and it had warmed my heart. Would it really be so bad if he was looking for more than just a quick fling? Dating had never been my favorite thing, and in a city like New York, it could be downright painful. Would it be so terrible to find a man who was looking to settle down? Someone who wasn’t into playing games or sending mixed signals?

“It was just one dinner, Annalise.”

My best friend eyed me closely. “Just be careful, please?”

“I will.”

With the interrogation over, Annalise made her way back to her desk. “At least you’ll have a date for tomorrow night’s party! We could hit the stores after work. Find you something slinky and sexy to wear instead of that black cocktail dress you wear to
everything
.”

I grinned. She was right. I could totally invite him to the dance
.
All of the employees were expected to make an appearance, so we’d be going anyway. With Nathan by my side, maybe it wouldn’t be a horrible evening.

“Okay, you can take me shopping,” I said, and my best friend fist-pumped the air.

The rest of the morning continued in a blur of meetings and conference calls. Everybody was excited about the unveiling of
Cupid’s Arrow
and expected the cards and gifts to be our bestselling line of products this year. The little winged men were still dangling from the ceiling, but today, they didn’t seem to irritate me as much. They were actually kind of cute, hanging there with their pointy arrows, just waiting to shoot some unsuspecting soul and render them star-struck.

I shook my head at my silliness, but that brief moment of sentimentality was exactly what I needed to write a few greetings. I worked through lunch, eager to get finished so that I could leave early and hit the stores. Annalise was right. I needed something besides my trusty black dress. For once, I was actually feeling festive, and I wanted something pretty and red to wear to the party.

Which reminded me . . .

Grabbing my phone out of my bag, I quickly sent a text to Nathan.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TOMORROW NIGHT?

His response was quick, and it made me smile.

TAKING THE SWEETEST GIRL IN THE

WORLD TO THE COMPANY PARTY.

I was just getting ready to reply when another message appeared.

I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND. SHE’S SO EXCITED,

AND I’D HATE TO DISAPPOINT HER.

Oh.

He already had a date.

That wasn’t too surprising. I mean, he’s a handsome, single guy, and we’d only met two days ago. Of course, he’d already made plans to take someone to the party.

It still hurt a little.

Okay, it hurt a lot, but I’d never admit it out loud.

I sent back a quick text, telling him it was no problem at all. Then, I set my phone on silent and tossed it into my bag.

“What do you mean he has a date?”

I was following Annalise through the store, wishing I’d just stuck with my little black dress. She was a shopping dynamo and could sniff out a clearance rack from miles away, but I just wasn’t in the mood anymore.

“He already had plans to take someone else.”

“And he couldn’t cancel them?”

“I didn’t ask him to,” I said, sighing as she handed me another dress. “He’s a nice guy. A gentleman. I couldn’t expect him to cancel on someone just because I assumed we’d go together.”

“But you’re hurt. I can hear it in your voice.”

“I’m disappointed, yes.”

“Well, he’s going to be the one who’s disappointed when he sees you tomorrow night. The little skank on his arm isn’t going to compare to you, especially if you wear
this
,” she said, holding up a fiery red low-cut dress with an obscenely short hemline.

Glancing at the price tag, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why don’t I just save the $200 and show up naked?”

Annalise grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the dressing rooms. “Because indecent exposure is frowned upon, and I don’t have the money to bail you out of jail. Now, go try it on, and I’ll find shoes.”

Minutes later, I was standing in front of the mirror, debating whether showing this much skin was really a good idea. The dress, while beautiful and sexy, really left very little to the imagination. Adding the four-inch strappy heels made me look like a walking felony.

It was insane, but then I thought about Nathan and the woman who’d be arriving on his arm. Without a doubt, she’d be gorgeous. Probably a blonde with supermodel legs and fake boobs.

Taking a long look at myself in the mirror, I considered my options.

I could play it safe and wear something far less revealing. I could sit in the corner and sulk all night while I watched Nathan and his date dance to cheesy love songs under a canopy of Cupids.

Or . . .

I could wear this dress and make him wish he was dancing with me.

Sold.