Page 38 of Not Falling for the Forward
“Wait!” Jess interjects. “I thought you weren’t interested in management?”
“I’m not. I just. I dunno.” I take a breath, steadying my thoughts. “I don’t know what I want. Chris always used to push me to do more, but not in a good way. In more of a ‘your job isn’t good enough’ kind of way.” I hear Dan let out a sigh through his nose at this. “But when I was talking to Jack about enjoying my job as I am and not wanting to progress, he was really supportive, like he was happy that I was happy, you know? It freaked me out a bit.”
“What about that freaked you out?” Taniyah asks.
I blow out a long sigh, buying myself time to answer. I have been honest about him so far and these are my best friends, I can tell them my worries. Very quietly I say, “What if he’s just saying all these thingsto get on my good side? What if everything I have read about him is actually true and I’m just another dumb bitch who falls for it.”
“From what you have told us about him, evenIdon’t think that’s true…” Jess adds. “And I actively hate all men.”
“Okay. So say he is a good guy and we date and I end up falling for him. Then what if he cheats on me too? This feels bigger than what I ever had with Chris already. I know it’s new and I don’t know how to explain it. Chris was convenient, like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing because society said that’s the what we should be doing at this point in our lives. Move in together, get engaged, plan a wedding. Then bam. It all went off the rails. What if that happens with Jack too?” I look around the room as I finish.
“What if it does?” Jess says as she sits back down and shuffles closer to me on the couch.
“What?”
“What if he does cheat? Or fuck up in some other way that is unforgivable?” She takes hold of my hand, gazing into my eyes before adding. “He will have lost you! A Gorgeous—in every light, no matter what you say—unfathomably smart, quick witted, exceptional floor nurse, with cracking tits and an ass that won’t quit. And you’ll have lost what? Another white man? Ooh, as if there isn’t enough of them to go around.”
“Preach!” Taniyah bellows, throwing Dan a quick shrug.
I look up at my friends. My team. A small smile on my face. Jess is right. I’d still have these guys. Shit, I broke up with Dans brother and he’s still sat in my front room, cuddled up with his wife, drinking my wine listening to me bitch about a boy.
I take a deep breath and nod, “Okay, then there’s the other issue.”
“What’s that?” Jess says.
“We’re both super busy with work, I’m not going to see him apart from this coffee, and as discussed, he’s fucking gorgeous and I wanna jump his bones every time we’re together.”
Dan gags where he is sat.
“Why don’t you just find somewhere to fuck him after your coffee?”
“JESSICA!” Dan screams utterly outraged! We burst out laughing.
***
Jack
“I’d actually much rather you went home, Aimee.” I fold my arms and glare at my sister perching on the bar stool next to me.
“You have literally been begging me to come and watch you ever since I moved in!” she whines back at me.
“One. You absolutely, categorically, do not live with me. You said you would be crashing with me for a few weeks, that was six months ago. Two. You’re very early. Three. I didn’t ask you today for a reason.” I hold up a hand in front of her counting off my fingers as I go. She huffs, my own glare now mirrored on her face, anyone who didn’t know we are brother and sister before, would by just looking at us now.
“Now, now, why is it so tense over here?” I hear Kieran’s voice before he drops an arm over both mine and Aimee’s shoulders situating himself between us. We both simultaneously shrug him off and turn our glare to him.
He backs up a step and lifts his hands in surrender. “Shit, that’s scary from both of you at once,” he chuckles and runs a hand throughhis dark cropped hair. “Anyway, I couldn’t help but overhear that Jack doesn’t want to keep you company today and I came to offer my services,” Kieran turns to Aimee and winks.
I try my best not to notice Aimee’s neck start to pinken at the goalkeeper’s attention, even if the glare remains firmly glued to her face. As much as these two getting close makes me want to jump through the nearest window head-first, I could use the distraction to my advantage. “See look,” I say, pointing to Kieran, “someone wants to talk to you.”
Aimee punches me in the chest, “You’re such a dick, Jack.”
“Weird, I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere before?”
“Why specificallytoday, do you not want me here?” Aimee asks. Shit, busted. Both Aimee and Kieran are staring at me now, awaiting my answer. So much for Kieran distracting Aimee. He’s a good-looking guy, taller than her, dark skin, muscles, mouth full of teeth, that’s what the women look for right? Not that she should be looking at him like that, it’s just much easier to distract people with pretty things. I should know.
I reach for the back of my neck to scratch before dropping my hand too quickly, knowing full well that is my nervous tell. Aimee knows it too and she has already spotted the movement. Might as well just say it then. “I’m meeting someone,” I blurt.
Aimee’s face lights up in glee, “Is this the same someone you haven’t stopped talking about for weeks?”
