Matt"Matt. Good to see you again." Joan extended her hand as I walked toward her."Pleasure is all mine." I shook her hand and nodded to Erica's office. "Is she around?""She's in a meeting, but have a seat in her office and I'll let her know that you're here." She smiled. "Would you like a coffee or water?""No thanks. I'll grab something myself if I get thirsty.""Of course. This is your father's firm.""Yep." I walked toward Erica's office, and breathed in deeply when I walked in, catching traces of her perfume. Every cell in my body woke up. I breathed in again as if I were out of breath. Dropping down in the chair in front of her desk, I imagined her sitting in front of me, her dark blond hair in a loose bun, her lips cherry red.What the fuck was I doing? Why did the boy in me show up when commitment was at stake? I forced myself to stand my ground with her when she came in.I was sorry.I was beyond interested.I was in love. Period."Yeah, thanks, Joan. I'll just leave them i
EricaSorrow threatened to suffocate me as I watched him walk toward the elevator. A scream lodged in my chest, burning me from the inside out.My pride wouldn't let me move, but my heart cried out to run after him. To stop him, throw myself at him and beg him to love me.So weak. Pathetic. Needy. Everything my mom wasn't.I turned and forced one foot in front of the other until I made it back to my desk. The large bouquet of flowers from Mitch was almost too much, but the gesture was sweet, kind. Poor Matt for having to see them. He had to be worried that I'd moved on after our weekend together. As if. I wished I could move on, but it wasn't going to happen for a while. No matter how perfect Mitch might be for me. I felt nothing more than an odd curiosity toward him."Erica. Is everything okay?" Joan's voice was soft, timid even."Yes." I sat down at my desk and looked up toward her as my eyes filled with tears. "No. Can you shut the door for me?""Of course, dear. I'll hold your cal
Erica"Hi there. You looking for something specific?" A short girl with a bobbed haircut bounced up beside me, a huge smile on her face.I pointed to the puppies in the glass case in front of me. "Can I see the little brown one?""You bet. He's a mix between a Schnauzer and a Yorkshire Terrier. Super playful and loves to chew on things." She laughed and left me standing there as she went behind a closed door.I'd been wanting a pet for as long as I could remember, but it never seemed like a wise investment. Wise could take a hike now. I needed someone or something to love on and be loved by. Not trivial, conditional love like most of the men in my life, outside of my father, had given me. Unconditional love. Joy. Happiness.She walked back out and I laughed as my heart swelled in my chest.Yes. That feeling. Exactly. "Here you go. This little guy is six weeks old. Still a baby." She handed him to me and I cuddled him against my chest."Six weeks old? You're so cute, little guy." He l
MattThe weather was a little bit more biting in Seattle than Texas, but it was good for me. I pushed myself hard, forcing my jog into more of a run as I moved down the harbor with the other joggers. Erica was constantly on my mind, driving me mad with the need to have reconciliation. My family thought so much of her, and I was right behind them, but she wasn't having anything from me. My indecision to call left me not even friend-zoned, but put into the category of a new employee that she'd never seen a day in her life."Tonight," I mumbled and turned to head downtown. Traffic was crazy, but it would keep me alert and aware of my surroundings and not let me dive too far into the hamster-wheel conversation in my head. Should have called. Told her you loved her. Asked her to be yours. Should have called. Told her you- "Fuck!"I jerked back as a car honked and skidded to a stop beside my thigh. A second later and the guy would have hit me. I glanced up to see the sign across the street
Matt"Yeah. I'm fine, and I met the old coot on Wednesday when I went up to the office to tell Erica I was in town. He brought her a large vase thing full of flowers. Seems like he's got his eye on a much younger woman. Mine.""Oh shit. Seriously?" Damon chuckled."It's not funny. He's the kind of man she deserves." I sat back and held in a sigh."How do you know the type of man she deserves? You're being a presumptuous cock, by the way.""Thanks. That's almost a compliment coming from you." I got up and wiped my hands down the front of my shirt."Fix this shit with Erica or I'm going to fix it for you. There's only room for one asshole in the family, and I'm the older brother. I get first dibs."I smiled. "This is true. I'm working on it. It's not as easy as you think.""Oh, I'm well aware. You and Kendal have been all over me to fix my problems with Beth, but it's a little more complicated than a 'sorry’, right?"Kendal was Damon's best friend from college, and just happened to be t
Erica"Dammit," I muttered as I walked into the darkness of my apartment. I'd promised myself I wouldn’t let him sweep me off my feet, and he hadn't yet, but it was a matter of time. "Yeah, minutes."If he wasn't everything I'd dreamt he could be over the last few years it would be different, but he was. Just because he had tucked tail and run the weekend before didn't mean he wasn't still that man underneath the fear.I pulled my dress over my head and changed into a pair of jeans, a nice blouse and black flats. A quick brush through my hair and touch up on my lipstick and I was jogging back downstairs. Annoyance at the fluttering of my heart rose up sharply in my chest. How could I so quickly forgive him?Because he was earnestly sorry. He wasn't a dick, he was lost but searching, just like I was.He watched me like a hawk as I walked toward the car. It's the way I'd wanted him to look at me since meeting me.What about Mitch?"What about Mitch?" I snorted and reached for the car do
Erica"Paint." He moved away and turned down the paint aisle. "I know we're not really back to where we were, but I'm going back to Dallas next weekend. I'd love for you to come with me. Bethany and Damon are planning their wedding, and Bethany mentioned a few times how well you did on my father's wedding with the decorations. You think you might be-""Of course I'll help." I pulled out my phone and flipped to my calendar. "I need to be in Dallas next Saturday anyway for a meeting with your father and your brother.""Excellent." He stopped in front of the paints and bounced on his toes. His energy was contagious, and I found myself feeling lighter, happy. "You still doing yoga with Lanie on Sunday nights?""Yeah. Why?" I smiled as I leaned against the cart. No way was he wanting to come to my yoga class. He almost died the last time we were there. I lamented over not getting to see him suffer for the days that followed."I want to come with you." He handed me a few tubes of paint and
MattTaking her home the night before was like stabbing myself in the chest. It was my fault that she wasn't staying, and not that I blamed her one bit, but it didn't deaden the pain of watching her walk into her apartment alone. She didn't even look back. I spent Saturday working on the portrait just to keep myself from slipping into depression or eating everything in the house, which wasn't much. I was grateful for Sunday showing up fast. It gave me a chance to at least see her."And today is a new day." I mumbled in my car as I sat in the parking lot of the yoga place. I pulled down the mirror above my head and lifted my eyebrow playfully before smiling. I could do this. I could win her back, and I would."You coming?" A knock at my window caused me to stiffen.Lanie. Erica's best friend.I got out and smiled. "I am. Did she tell you that I was up for an afternoon of torture and couldn't imagine letting anyone else share it with me besides you?"She laughed and ran her fingers thro