Page 38 of The Attraction

The alarm on my phone starts ringing out at me, and I want to ignore it, but I have responsibilities. Plus, I don’t want to make Forrest late for work, and I know he waits around to escort me down to my car, which is kind of sweet.

Not sure on how we are going to act around each other this morning, but better to rip the band-aid off and just face him straight up. Remind him of our deal and then move on as friends.

Yep, friends, I can do that. Well, I need to be able to do that. My best friend is about to marry his brother, so if I have screwed this up, that’s on me, and I’ll need to work out how to fix it.

Both Felisha and Flynn told us to stay away from each other for that reason. But what they don’t know won’t hurt them.

“Right, get on with it, Harper.” Sitting up and swinging my legs over the side, I look down at myself and giggle. “Guess I didn’t ask him to dress me last night before I passed out. He’d better not think he’s keeping those silk pajamas as some kind of trophy. They are my favorite, for more than one reason now.” As soon as I start walking to the bathroom, his words from last night come back to me when he told me,“You will be feeling every place I touched you for days, while I’ll be remembering what you look like under those uptight suits and be in equally as much pain.”

Shit, he was right.

My leg muscles are sore, but I won’t be admitting that to him to stroke his ego. So, I better work out really quick how to walk normally before I leave this bedroom. Surely a hot shower should do the trick. I hope.

Showered, hair and makeup done, bed linen stripped off to be washed, and I’ll find out where he keeps the spare ones later.

Taking a deep breath like I always do before I walk into an unknown situation, I put my super-confident face on and walk with purpose to the kitchen where I see a piece of paper folded with my name written on the front, next to a travel coffee mug that feels warm, a wrapped breakfast burrito, and some Tylenol.

Harper,

Please don’t take this to mean that I’m running from any awkwardness after last night, because there shouldn’t be any. We both know where we stand.

I had to leave early for an emergency meeting on a work issue.

There is a security guy from your team outside the front door. Don’t give him any shit, he’s just doing his job.You agreed, if I’m not here then someone else will be.

Eat the burrito, drink the coffee, and take the pills (you’re welcome!).

See you tonight.

Forrest

“Thank God he understands how this is. But why does he have to be so nice? Forrest Taylor, you are killing me.”

Taking my first sip of coffee, it’s like liquid gold sliding down my throat.

Smiling to myself, I grab my phone. I take a picture of the coffee cup in my hand and the burrito moved out of the picture frame, just the two Tylenol left on the plate. I attach the caption to the picture: “Thank you, but don’t flatter yourself. No pain relief needed.”

Hitting the send button on the text message to him, I start to giggle as I pick up the pills and wash them down with my coffee. I one hundred percent need them, but he doesn’t need to know that.

* * *

The real world has a habit of getting in the way of the little bubble we thought we could live inside in Forrest’s apartment. Whereas he had an early meeting this morning, I was stuck in a late-night one with Felisha when an overseas negotiation for a new hotel was going pear-shaped, and we were not about to let that happen.

So, by the time I get home, Forrest is in a Zoom meeting, and I don’t want to interrupt, so I just give him a wave and head to my room to crash. Walking down the hallway, I suddenly remember that I have to find some fresh sheets but decide to dump my bag and take off my shoes first, then I will start opening cupboards until I find some.

The moment I enter my room, I see the bed is freshly made and my pajamas are folded neatly on my pillow, and when I lift them to my nose, they smell freshly laundered.

Why can’t I find a way past my insecurities to be with a man, because he could be so easy to fall for.

After getting no sleep last night and today being a very long day, I can’t keep my eyes open and figure I’ll just catch up with Forrest in the morning. I think between his note this morning and the laughing emoji I got in reply to the text message I sent him that we are okay, and I don’t need to be too worried about having a big deep and meaningful talk tonight. He’s busy, and I need sleep.

* * *

Waking the next morning to my alarm, I feel rested and calm which seems to be becoming a new normal for me. Must be the bed, because I feel like I sleep better here than even in my super-expensive bed in my apartment. I might have to buy it off Forrest when I eventually move back home.

Rolling over toward the empty side of the bed like I do every morning so I can stretch out properly, it happens again. My bed smells like Forrest, which I can’t understand. The sheets on my bed are fresh ones.

Surely his sex smell isn’t that strong that it seeped into the pillow after I slept in here without a shower. Giggling to myself, I get up and figure that I’m just imagining it. It’s my brain trying to tell me it wants another night of sex with him, but that’s a really bad idea. I smack my forehead to remind my stupid brain why we do it this way.

---