college?” Reed seemed almost amused.
I scowled at him. “Yes, and if you're going to be a jerk, I'll just go home.”
“I'm sorry.” He immediately backpedaled. “I didn't mean to pry.”
I was saved from having to respond when the waiter returned. Once our meals were ordered, Reed started on some small talk that led us safely away from areas that were too personal. He asked about which classes I'd liked at St. George's and we reminisced about teachers we'd shared. We talked about favorite things like food and movies, but we stayed away from ballet and our families.
I found myself enjoying the mundane conversation and relaxing as we talked and ate. As the dinner started to near the end, however, Reed began to appear more anxious. He started tapping his fingers on the table and leaning forward in his chair. Either he was waiting for something to happen or he had something he'd been wanting to say. He was running out of time in which to say it.
“Look, I know we've been keeping things light, but I need to tell you something.” The words came out in a rush.
I tensed. What was he going to say now?
“After I saw you at the airport, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and then you came outside at the reunion. I've never been able to talk to someone as easily as I can talk to you,” he confessed. “And that night... I can't stop thinking about it.” He reached out as if he was going to take my hand. “I want to be with you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
He froze, his eyes wide. Clearly, that hadn't been the response he'd been expecting.
All of the anger I'd been feeling since I saw him in that hotel room came bubbling up and out. “You want to be with me?” My laugh was brittle. “You're engaged, you asshole! Isn't it enough that you've already used me once to cheat on your fiancée?” I fought to keep my voice low. There were too many people around who'd love to see a good show. “Maybe you think that because of what I do, or because we slept together before, I'm easy, but I'm not. I had sex with you because I genuinely liked you. I thought you were a nice guy–”
He finally found his voice. “I don't think you're easy.”
I glared at him and made a gesture for him to continue. I needed to hear his explanation so when I stormed off, I'd feel justified.
“And I wasn't using you, Piper. I really liked you. I do like you.”
He touched my hand and I pulled back. I didn't want him touching me, especially when just that little bit had sent a jolt through my entire body.
“Dammit!” He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “This isn't going how I thought it would.”
“How you thought it would?” I shook my head. “What, you thought you'd take me out to eat, tell me you want to be with me and I'd just forget you were getting married and fall into bed with you?” I crossed my arms. “And before you say I did it once before, let me remind you that I didn't know you were engaged then.”
“I thought you'd at least believe my feelings were sincere,” he said. The expression on his face was almost sad and if I hadn't been so pissed, I might've felt sorry for him. “I thought we had a connection. I thought you'd felt it too.”
I had felt it, but that didn't mean it wasn't just physical attraction, a need to get laid, the psychological response to all those memories coming home had brought back. None of those were reasons to break up a relationship headed towards marriage.
“Connection or not, you have a fiancée.” It didn't seem fair that I had to keep reminding him of that fact.
He nodded. “I know, but it's not... I mean.” He blew out air in a frustrated sigh. “I don't have this with Britni.” He gestured between the two of us.
“Dinner?” I said dryly.
Not even a hint of a smile. “I don't have anything in common with her. I can't talk to her like I can talk to you, and I've known her since we were kids.”
“I'm not sure why that's my
I scowled at him. “Yes, and if you're going to be a jerk, I'll just go home.”
“I'm sorry.” He immediately backpedaled. “I didn't mean to pry.”
I was saved from having to respond when the waiter returned. Once our meals were ordered, Reed started on some small talk that led us safely away from areas that were too personal. He asked about which classes I'd liked at St. George's and we reminisced about teachers we'd shared. We talked about favorite things like food and movies, but we stayed away from ballet and our families.
I found myself enjoying the mundane conversation and relaxing as we talked and ate. As the dinner started to near the end, however, Reed began to appear more anxious. He started tapping his fingers on the table and leaning forward in his chair. Either he was waiting for something to happen or he had something he'd been wanting to say. He was running out of time in which to say it.
“Look, I know we've been keeping things light, but I need to tell you something.” The words came out in a rush.
I tensed. What was he going to say now?
“After I saw you at the airport, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and then you came outside at the reunion. I've never been able to talk to someone as easily as I can talk to you,” he confessed. “And that night... I can't stop thinking about it.” He reached out as if he was going to take my hand. “I want to be with you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
He froze, his eyes wide. Clearly, that hadn't been the response he'd been expecting.
All of the anger I'd been feeling since I saw him in that hotel room came bubbling up and out. “You want to be with me?” My laugh was brittle. “You're engaged, you asshole! Isn't it enough that you've already used me once to cheat on your fiancée?” I fought to keep my voice low. There were too many people around who'd love to see a good show. “Maybe you think that because of what I do, or because we slept together before, I'm easy, but I'm not. I had sex with you because I genuinely liked you. I thought you were a nice guy–”
He finally found his voice. “I don't think you're easy.”
I glared at him and made a gesture for him to continue. I needed to hear his explanation so when I stormed off, I'd feel justified.
“And I wasn't using you, Piper. I really liked you. I do like you.”
He touched my hand and I pulled back. I didn't want him touching me, especially when just that little bit had sent a jolt through my entire body.
“Dammit!” He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “This isn't going how I thought it would.”
“How you thought it would?” I shook my head. “What, you thought you'd take me out to eat, tell me you want to be with me and I'd just forget you were getting married and fall into bed with you?” I crossed my arms. “And before you say I did it once before, let me remind you that I didn't know you were engaged then.”
“I thought you'd at least believe my feelings were sincere,” he said. The expression on his face was almost sad and if I hadn't been so pissed, I might've felt sorry for him. “I thought we had a connection. I thought you'd felt it too.”
I had felt it, but that didn't mean it wasn't just physical attraction, a need to get laid, the psychological response to all those memories coming home had brought back. None of those were reasons to break up a relationship headed towards marriage.
“Connection or not, you have a fiancée.” It didn't seem fair that I had to keep reminding him of that fact.
He nodded. “I know, but it's not... I mean.” He blew out air in a frustrated sigh. “I don't have this with Britni.” He gestured between the two of us.
“Dinner?” I said dryly.
Not even a hint of a smile. “I don't have anything in common with her. I can't talk to her like I can talk to you, and I've known her since we were kids.”
“I'm not sure why that's my
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