Rebecca“I’m out with Trisha. What’s up? You okay?” Panic flooded her at the angst in his voice. Parker was rarely a basket case when it came to his emotions, but she could hear the tension in his voice.“I’m at your house. I just needed to talk.”“Oh. I’m stuck here at Nite Moves on FM 1960 in North Houston. Come get me and I’ll have an excuse to get out of here.” She looked around the parking lot, shocked that people were still piling in. It had to be after midnight.“You sure? I don’t want to mess up your groove or anything.” He laughed, but the sound fell flat.“My groove went to bed an hour ago, and things couldn’t be more awkward here, to be honest.” She shivered and moved back toward the door, yelping softly as her back hit the cold glass.“You okay?”“Yes, it’s just freezing out here and I don’t have my damn coat.”“Okay. I’m coming to get you. Be there in fifteen minutes or so.”She hung up and rushed back toward the entrance, slipping in with a group of older females and fee
RebeccaParker’s fingers beat along the steering wheel as he pulled out of the night club, his eyes a little puffy and his blond hair a mess. Rebecca wanted to pry, but wasn’t exactly sure how to start. He’d come to her apartment needing her shoulder to lean on, so leaving her night out on the town was no problem, but whatever was bothering him seemed to be worse than anything she could imagine. She waited a few more minutes before pushing.“Okay, spill.”He looked over at her, his eyes wide as he ran his fingers through his hair. “What?”“Spill. You came over to the house looking for me and then were willing to come all the way to North Houston to get me at midnight. What the hell is going on?”He shrugged and looked back at the road, the freeway empty in front of them. “I just needed to talk to you. I went home after last night and thought about our conversation and how right you were that I had no ability to change Mina. She is who she is and I married her knowing that.”“Good for
RebeccaParker simply nodded and moved back, Rebecca reaching over to take his hand into hers and pull him toward the house. She’d only seen Parker in such a state a few times, one of the worst being when his former wife decided to have an affair and he’d walked in on her having sex with another man. That scenario had landed him in jail for the night, and Rebecca had bailed him out the next morning, as soon as she heard about it. He’d given his ex-wife the house and come to live with Rebecca for a month or so until he could find a new place and emotionally stand on his own two feet again.They walked up the long sidewalk to her place and took the elevator in silence. She kept rubbing his thumb with her thumb, a hopeful reminder that she cared for him and would help him heal and get past this mess that was his life.She moved in front of him to open the door, the draft in the hallway causing her to shiver. “Why is it still so cold here? It’s springtime.”“It’s Texas, Becca. The winter
RebeccaAfter crashing at around six that morning, Rebecca didn’t stir until close to one that afternoon, her phone buzzing on the nightstand next to her. She yawned and stretched, hating to get up and knowing that it was far past time. Sunday was her day to shop and go for a long jog, a day of catching up a little here and there and resting like crazy in all the breaks in between.Six messages on her phone. Five were from Trisha asking about Parker and talking about how great Kade was. There was one from Jason asking if she wanted to join him at a friend’s house to watch the game and eat some snacks later that afternoon. She laid the phone back down and crawled out of bed, padding to the living room to see Parker snuggled up on her couch, dead to the world.Her situation was rough, but Parker’s was heartbreaking. It might be a good thing in disguise, but there was no way he was going to see that for a while. Most women thought that having a man cheat on them was worse than anything t
Rebecca“Why is the fridge totally empty?” Parker’s voice yelled above the sound of the water from her shower.Rebecca yelped and covered herself, as if Parker could see through the thick shower curtain. She rolled her eyes and growled, leaning her head out and staring at him as he peeked through the slightly opened door.“Why are you talking to me while I’m in the shower?”“Because it’s hot, and I’m hungry.”She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll be out in a minute and we’ll go grab something at the grocery store to cook. Shut the freaking door.”He laughed and she heard the sound of the door shutting, leaning over to peek out once more to make sure he didn’t stay in the bathroom with her. The man had no couth at all, but she loved him all the same. The thought of spending the afternoon curled up on a couch next to Jason was a little more desirable than she cared to admit to herself, her will failing horribly in the face of carnal attraction. He was everything she imagined wanting, an
RebeccaThe traffic on the way to work on Monday morning was heinous, but having Parker in the car made it a bit easier. He’d demanded to drive, whining something about losing his masculinity if he let a woman drive him to work. He claimed that Rebecca might as well cut off his balls. She rolled her eyes at the drama and threw him the keys, reminding him that they could always drive separately.And people complain about women being emos. She’d spent most of Sunday afternoon cooking and cleaning; her laundry pile had gotten ridiculous. She’d have to run to the cleaners that afternoon to pick up her dry-cleaning so that she’d be ready for her flight to Oklahoma on Tuesday just after lunch. Jason verified that he would be going with her, so first thing after reaching the office, Rebecca stopped by to get the new receptionist, Lisa, to book them two tickets.She parted ways with Parker, the morning still early and the rest of the staff usually not getting in until later in the day. Then
RebeccaThe cafe was busy, but a small table still sat open in the corner, the seat yourself setting making life harder during the rush hour effect of lunchtime in downtown Houston. Rebecca hurried over, smoothing her gray skirt as she slid into one of two lonely chairs. She checked her phone and slipped it into her purse, sitting back and enjoying the diverse array of people. Most of those in the deli were on their lunch hour too, by the nervous tick of impatience that sat on many of their faces; their fidgeting gave them away.She waved as Trisha walked in and motioned her over. “Hey, you.”“Hey, Becca.”Rebecca stood and pointed to the other seat. “Take a seat and I’ll get us something. I don’t want to lose this table, and that’s worth paying for your lunch today.”Trisha laughed and sat down. Her black slacks fit well, but her purple sweater was a little loud for Rebecca’s liking.“I’ll take a turkey on rye and a bag of chips.”Rebecca nodded and walked toward the line, a handsome
RebeccaThe rest of the afternoon was filled with client calls and coaching some of the new staff on various complex accounting principles. By the end of the day Rebecca was beat and could think of nothing better than a hot bath. She stood, turning and walking to the file cabinet at the back of her office where the roses sat. She leaned over and breathed in deeply, the sweet smell filling up her senses and reminding her of beauty and innocence.“They’re beautiful.”She turned and smiled at Jason. “Yes they are. I thought they might be from you.”He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not exactly a ‘rose’ kinda guy, but I’ll take you fishing and bait your hook for you.”“And take the twenty-pound bass off the line when I catch him?” Rebecca smiled and walked toward him, stopping on the other side of her desk.“Girl, if you catch a twenty-pound bass I’ll take the fish off, skin it and cook you a meal you’ll never forget.” He winked at her, his eyes shifting a little to look back in the dir
RebeccaJason had called into work on Friday and Monday and ignored Rebecca’s calls and texts completely. Parker had railed at her over not telling Jason about meeting Kade, and if she felt any worse, she might jump from a building.Rebecca sat at her desk, the dark circles under her eyes throbbing from lack of sleep and crying. She should be at home, and yet there was too much to do because it was month-end for a lot of her clients. She worked late into the night every night and shut her door in the mid-afternoon, just to make sure no one stopped by to talk to her or invite her anywhere.Parker stuck his head in as the sun set in the window behind her, a sad smile on his face. “Come eat with me.”“I’m not hungry,” she mumbled and grabbed her calculator, her fingers furiously slipping over the keys.“You have to eat.”“No I don’t.”He walked in and she huffed loudly, closing the file in front of her and sitting back, the burn of misunderstanding sitting heavy on her chest. It hurt to
RebeccaRebecca climbed out of her car. The pub was packed with people because it was two dollar beer night. Thursday night was college night, and all the University of Houston students enjoyed a release. She remembered all too well having many Thursday nights at Barney’s. She pulled her coat tighter and walked toward the front door, a nagging sensation about Parker’s warning eating at her. She didn’t want to text Jason. It seemed like a controlling, silly thing to do.Yes they were together, but they were starting out with a trusting relationship. If he texted her that he was going to have dinner with an old flame she would either be put off or think it was a silly text and wonder if he thought she was controlling and overbearing. Either way, Parker wanted her to do it because of his own situation, not because it was reasonable.She walked in and was greeted by an uber-happy hostess who bopped up to the front. Rebecca smiled politely and pointed toward Kade, who was standing and wavi
RebeccaThe soft buzz of the alarm was an unwelcome pest. Rebecca rolled over and pressed the snooze button, Jason moving up to snuggle in behind her. She collapsed back on her pillow. The seven a.m. wake up call had given her only two hours of sleep. There was definitely something to be said about younger men … they had endless energy.“Morning, beautiful,” he whispered, kissing the side of her neck and then her shoulder.She looked over at him and smiled at the sight of his handsome face filled with affection.“This is like a dream.”“What is?” she asked and then turned over to cough, pulling the covers up to cover herself.“Me waking up next to you.”He leaned over and kissed her lips, her hand coming up to touch his face. He moved closer, as if he wanted to replay the night’s events, and she laughed, unable to help herself.“What?”“What? It’s seven in the morning and we have a meeting at nine.”He laughed and kissed her again before getting up and baring himself without concern.
RebeccaShe was a ball of nervous anticipation by the time they made it back to the hotel, Jason doing a great job of making simple conversation that didn’t deaden their lust but certainly didn’t throw fuel on the fire. She got out of the car, thanking the bellman and then walking into the warmth of the hotel. People filled every corner of the place, the conference attendees not seeming to have a ride around town. She was almost grateful for Parker and his ridiculous idea of a rental car. If they’d stayed at the hotel restaurant, it might have been a longer wait than their drive back from the restaurant. She felt Jason’s hand on the lower part of her back as he moved up beside her, excusing them all the way through the crowd. They slipped into the elevator and moved to the back as twelve other people piled in.She stepped back, looking over her shoulder in an apologetic way toward him as her back bumped into his chest. His fingers found her hips and he pulled her the rest of the way b
RebeccaJason moved back across from Rebecca after the server left, and she raised her eyebrow, as if questioning him.“I want to see your expressions as we talk about this. I’ll move over there and paw at you later if this goes well.”She laughed and reached for another chip. “No pressure, right?”“None at all.” The seriousness of his voice and the stern look on his face laid open truth in his words.“I want to try us.” She held up her hand before he jumped in with celebration, which he seemed poised to do.“But?” he asked.“But, I need to work through a few things with you first.”“Us working together?”“No, I think we’re good there. But I’m not comfortable with mixing business and pleasure. I want everything to stay very professional with us at work. I don’t care if the office knows we’re dating, but we’ll not be touching or ‘pawing’ at each other in the office.”“What if I close the door?” He bit at his lip, looking far too attractive for his own good.She rolled her eyes and laug
RebeccaThe valet had been happy to take the car off their hands.“Two tonight?” the host greeted them as they walked through the door of the large steakhouse.Jason moved to the front and nodded at the host, talking with him as they walked back to the table. He reached back to help Rebecca remove her coat and slipped into the booth across from her, a smile on his handsome face. “You look beautiful, by the way.”“Me?” She set her purse down and reached up to fuss with her hair.“Yes, you.”“I’m in the same thing I was in earlier.”“I know, but the cold makes your cheeks and little nose red, and brings out the fiery color of your hair.” He shrugged and pulled his napkin into his lap. “You’re just stunning to me.”She wasn’t sure what to say. No one had ever called her stunning. Pretty, beautiful, lovely, sure, but stunning? No.“Thanks,” she whispered, her facade dropping a little as he smiled and chuckled. “What?”“You. You have such a wall built up around you where men are concerned.
RebeccaJason pulled the curtains back as Rebecca flipped on the lights in the room, her phone buzzing in her pocket. She checked it and was slightly surprised to see that her mom was trying to get ahold of her. Her parents had moved into the country after she’d graduated college, her dad wanting to get back to his roots, which she totally understood. They saw each other once every couple of months and spoke every once in a while, but a call in the middle of the day was a bit alarming.“Hey, I’m going to step out to take a call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”Jason turned and walked toward his suitcase. “Sounds good. I’ll be here.”She slipped out into the hall, looking to her right and left before finding a small alcove where large bay windows let light slip in. She moved toward it and hit redial, her heart thumping hard in her chest. Her mother’s voice sounded fine as she answered the phone, and a small bit of relief settled over Rebecca.“Hello?”“Mom? It’s Becca. Everything okay?
RebeccaThe hotel was large and far more elaborate than anything she would’ve picked out, but that was Parker for you. He was into creating an experience, no matter where he went or whom he was with. Life had always been ‘too short’ for her illustrious partner, and over the last few years their budget had expanded at the office because his tastes had gone one way—up. She would’ve given him more grief about it if he weren’t so good at bringing in new clients and loading their bank account with revenues. Half the reason she was able to build such a large house in the country was thanks to his three year sales record. He’d more than tripled her original revenue when she was running the firm on her own.Parker was a big-picture guy and knew how to sell multiple product offerings to anyone who walked through their door. To say she was grateful for him would be an understatement, and as such, she’d not be mentioning the fancy hotel stays or the first class tickets.“This place is more count
Rebecca“All settled in?” Jason worked to get his seatbelt buckled, his hair a bit disheveled, making him appear more boyish.She smiled and settled back, her black sweater dress fitting perfectly and keeping her warm too. Tall black boots that her mother had bought her for Christmas accented the outfit nicely. To say that she’d dressed to be casual and to impress would be an understatement. She’d even dragged Parker into her room to tell her which outfit looked both laid back and hot. He laughed, but played along perfectly. A smile touched her lips at the thought of him.“Whatcha thinking about?”“Parker’s been going through a lot lately, and he’s still finding it within him to be silly and fun, caring and kind.” She shrugged and frowned slightly at the expression on Jason’s face.He sat back and lifted his hips a little, his arm touching hers and his leg coming to rest against hers as well. “Are you and Parker just friends, or am I sensing more competition for your heart?”She laugh