Perfect Player

ELLIE

You know that phase in life where it seems like all your friends are happy and have achieved everything there is to achieve? That was the phase I was going through. It seemed like all my friends had achieved professional success, found the perfect partner, and were getting married or planning to have children. And I was the outlier in this story.

At twenty-seven, I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck, even though I'm happy with my work as a scientist and researcher and extremely happy for my friends, I couldn't help feeling unhappy with my love life.

It was hard not to feel a little jealous of each couple's story in my large group of friends. Bennett or simply Ben, and Zoe, two cretins who fell in love before they could kill each other, I don't know how they were still alive, maybe because they took out all their anger on each other in sex.

Anna, my best friend, and William or Will, former jerk and tattooed nerd, the most handsome and hottest I had ever met. I was still trying to convince the two of them to donate some of Will's DNA, so I could clone him in the lab. I always say it's unfair that there's only one Will. Anna hit the jackpot, and so did Will, of course.

I can't forget about Jack and Zara, what can I say about them? Eccentric? Too romantic? They make my heart warm just by watching them. The way Jack treats Zara, as the object of all his dedication and affection.

There are two more couples whom I see less often but whom I love just as much. The newest of the couples is Anna's brother, Jason, and his English girlfriend, Phillipa. And Jack's brother, Neil, and his English girlfriend, Rosie, a friend of Phillipa's.

Being around all these happy couples who have lots of sex, maybe it was affecting me and making me start to think about finding the right guy. Not that I was really looking, I had just decided not to date any more jerks or players after everything I had been through.

But that's when the problem started, or rather, that's when the problem walked through the door. Ben's younger brother, Ethan, walked into Zoe and Ben's apartment during one of our get-togethers involving lots of alcohol and catching up.

Just by looking at him, I would say he's the type of guy I used to call a 'wolf charming.' This was my antithesis to the prince charming, which in my head was what I didn't want but should want. But I always found prince charmings too perfect and consequently boring.

The wolf charming was my ideal type, the kind that has wild sex, that takes you with force but has the charming part and treats you like a princess the rest of the time. That was the impression that the man with dark blond hair, extremely tall, with broad shoulders, gave me when he walked into the room wearing a suit on a Saturday. He looked too elegant and, at the same time, fierce and virile.

"Wolf charming?" I asked Anna in a whisper as we approached to greet him with the rest of the group. I had heard little about Ben's brother. I only knew that he ran the London office and was returning. Anna should have told me he was... like this.

"Wolf player, from what I heard from Will," she whispered. My smile instantly disappeared. Not that I judged before getting to know someone, I didn't do that, I hated typifications and stereotypes as a good scientist, but hearing that would make any intelligent woman wary. In recent months, I've worked hard to keep my distance from any womanizer, player, or scoundrel in New York.

I swallowed the last gulp of beer and leaned forward, leaving the bottle on the coffee table, before it was my turn to greet the man with striking light brown eyes and a good twenty centimeters taller than me, even wearing heels. My stomach churned as I forced a smile in response to his perfect teeth. Damn... he's fucking gorgeous. I blinked, trying to snap out of it.

"Nice to meet you, Ethan. I'm Ellie. Welcome back to New York," I said, offering my hand, while my heart palpitated against my chest. I ignored it, along with the shiver that ran down my spine. Maybe it was because everyone was around staring at us with some strange expectation as if something screamed, two singles in the room, not just me as always.

"Pleasure, Ellie!" He shook my hand firmly. I tried to ignore the quick glance he gave me from head to toe, focusing too much on my breasts. I stepped back as soon as he let go of my hand.

Ben, Will, and Jack gathered on the couches after Ethan's arrival. I pulled Anna to grab another drink in the kitchen.

"His eyes are the same as Ben's," she said. Yes, the brown eyes were hypnotizing.

"The reputation too, I mean, before he married Zoe," we laughed. "But don't let her know I remembered that. She'd eat me alive."

We entered the kitchen.

"He looked at your boobs," she said, holding back a laugh and leaning on the island as I opened two beers.

"Did you notice that? I thought it was just for a split second."

"I think everyone noticed."

"Gross! Why was everyone staring?"

"I don't know, maybe because you guys are the only singles here? It's interesting to watch when you're married."

"Do you really have to remind me of that? And it's not like anything's going to happen between us."

"I know, I know. No womanizers, players, or scoundrels. Have I been hearing that for over a year now?"

"And you'll keep hearing it until I find the right guy." I handed her one of the beer bottles.

"To the right guy! May he appear soon!" She raised her bottle for a toast. I raised mine. "And put an end to your bad mood with lots of sex!"

"Hey! What bad mood?"

"Excuse me!" The deep voice came before he entered the kitchen. Anna turned to face him. His presence was enough to make me uncomfortable.

"Can I find Ben's wine stock?"

"I'll help you!" Anna offered, leading him to the wall cellar behind me. I took a long gulp of my beer, lost in my own thoughts while they discussed wines, behind my back.

"What do you Morgans drink? I know Bennett goes to the gym almost every day, but that doesn't justify you guys growing up so much, not just up, if you know what I mean." God! Anna, as always, with no filter at all. I heard him give a low laugh.

"You're the scientist, right? So you can explain genetics."

"I think there are certain things that even scientists like us can't explain, isn't that right, El?" I turned to them. "Sure! Whatever you're talking about. I'm with you."

"So, are you a scientist too?" He arched an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, more of a researcher currently."

"I must confess, I had a very different image of scientists in mind."

"Let me guess... White lab coat, glasses, test tubes, and completely nerdy?"

"Something like that."

"Don't be fooled. We spend ninety percent of our time exactly dressed like that," Anna said. "But even now, the nerd part remains." That's my girl.

"You just forgot to mention we wear high heels," I winked at her.

"That's the closest they got to making the image of a sexy scientist. Well, thanks for your help, Anna. Finish up what you're doing and join us. It'll be the first time I've had the opportunity to talk nonsense in front of two scientists." He said before leaving.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"What?"

" 'What do you guys drink?' "

"It was just curiosity. The man is... bigger!"

"As if it were uncommon and Will wasn't the same size or bigger! "

"Well, Will is... Will. " She shrugged.

"Great argument."

"What I mean is that Will exercises a lot and runs regularly."

"What I mean is that your question seemed like a flirt. It's obvious he spends a lot of time in the gym."

"I'm married, it couldn't seem like a flirt."

"You're terrible!"

"I was just trying to be nice."

"Got it. Where were we?"

"Praying for your ideal guy to appear, so you can have lots of sex?"

"You make me sound desperate."

" I know you're not. But you really need to have sex."

"Just because you have sex every day doesn't mean everyone needs to. People do other... things."

"You don't have to do it every day, at least once a month, but never once a year."

"What do you mean by that? "

"You tell me... how long has it been?"

"That's enough." A year? Maybe more. It was with that lawyer I met through work. He was hot but too busy. A shame.

"You're trying to remember, aren't you?"

"This subject is closed. My sex life isn't important when all available men are scoundrels."

"Don't forget about Will and Ben's past. I don't forget, so there's still hope. Sometimes a scoundrel just needs to discover love. "

"Thanks, but I don't want to be the reason for any scoundrel's change. And Will and Ben have always been good men. Sleeping with many people doesn't mean you're a scoundrel. Only when you cheat and lie."

"I wouldn't put my hand on the fire for them."

"We're talking about your husband. "

"I know. "

" Come to think of it... neither would I." We laughed.

"He looked at your butt."

"Huh?"

"Twice, and he lingered quite a bit on the second time when he thought I wasn't looking."

"What are you trying to say?"

"He was analyzing you, first your boobs and now your butt. I'd say he liked it."

"Why are we still on this topic? The guy has a history."

"He's hot. And maybe... if you just wanted to..."

"Don't continue. I'm not interested in anything superficial. I think I have to repeat..."

"Okay. Okay. No womanizers, players, or scoundrels."

"Great! "

"But why not have fun until you find the right guy?"

"I will never let someone use me just for sex again. I respect that there are people who enjoy that, but it doesn't work for me anymore. You know what happened last time."

"Seven months wasted with a guy who couldn't be honest with you and didn't dare to say he wasn't interested in anything more than sex, while you fell more in love."

"Yes. I wasted my time. So let's drop this topic."

It was already past ten, it was time to go. Jack and Zara were already leaving. I nudged Anna on the couch and told her to take the empty beer bottles, which had accumulated on the coffee table, to the kitchen.

"Don't bother," Zoe said, slightly groggy from drinking, leaning against her husband's chest.

"We'll do it," Ben added.

"Don't be so nice. We already know you're not that cool," I said, making everyone laugh.

"I'll help you," Ethan said, getting up. "Anna can worry about how she's going to get Will home." I nodded, getting up as well.

"I'm fine. And you'll see that tomorrow during our run," Will said, all smiles, pulling Anna closer. "I still have plenty of energy to spend tonight."

"God!" I leaned down and picked up four bottles, two in each hand. Zoe and Ben laughed as I headed towards the kitchen, hearing Ethan walking behind me, making me uncomfortable. I really didn't want to see the two couples' foreplay.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go running with Will tomorrow? The man is a machine," I chatted, trying not to let an uncomfortable silence settle in as I put the bottles on the kitchen island.

"It won't be the first time. I've known Will for a long time, we've done many runs in London during his visits."

"Of course. You also think it's normal to wake up before ten on a Sunday to exercise. How did I not notice?" I teased.

"You don't like to exercise? I mean... you seem pretty fit to me," I tried to ignore the idea that this could be a flirt.

"Thank you. I go to the gym whenever work allows. But waking up at seven on a Sunday? No way," I stared at his face, looking into his eyes for the first time since I shook his hand. Bad idea. The man had a perfect face that made me feel clumsy. His chin looked like it had been sculpted by the gods themselves.

I kept myself busy organizing the bottles he put on the island, placing them next to mine.

"I understand. So, you have nothing against cardio after ten?"

"I don't think so."

"Great, because it's almost eleven."

"What?" I raised my face to look at him, not understanding.

"It looks like we're the only ones here not having sex tonight."

"I got lost in the part about cardio after ten, but about that, you'll get used to it, it's part of when you only have married friends."

"You really didn't understand what I meant?" A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Should I have? Maybe it's the alcohol."

"You said you have nothing against doing cardio after ten, it's almost eleven, and I have an idea of cardio we can do together."

"Wait... are you? You just met me, and you're doing what I think you're doing?" God! What a jerk!

"Is that a no?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. It had to be a joke.

"Of course, it's a no! Absolutely not. Good night!" I rolled my eyes, passing by him. Returning to the living room, I picked up my purse from a corner table. What a jerk!

"I'm leaving. Thank you for the night. Love you guys," I said, heading towards the door.

"Is everything okay?" Anna asked, getting up. I turned to see Ethan returning from the kitchen.

"Of course, see you tomorrow." I forced a smile at the group sitting on the couch before leaving through the door.