Our past is intertwined so tightly that the idea of ever doing anything to rip apart the fabric we've weaved together is out of the question.
He runs his fingers through his hair, then grabs a bottle of wine and lifts it up. “Thirsty?” he asks.
“Very. I'll take two, bartender.” I place the basket on the table in front of him. “Here's my parting gift, help yourself.”
“Gluten free?”
“Try gluten full.” I open my eyes wide and stick my tongue out making a gagging noise. “I'm sick just smelling them.”
“Really? Even after all this time, they still got you regular muffins?”
I drop down into the chair across from him and relax back. “It's the thought that counts, or at least that's what my mom says.”
“Your mom also spells taco with an r. Soooo. . .” He drags out the word and squints his eyes. “Tarco, we never did find tarcos that day at the store.”
I chuckle and smirk. “Mr. Brennan meant well.”
“Mr. Brennan's a moron.” Doug pulls the basket closer and rips open the plastic wrapper around the muffins. “For Christ’s sake, you worked there for half a decade, he should know you can't eat gluten at this point.”
I roll my hand and nod. “Yeah, but who cares at this point. Right?”
“True,” he says as he pulls out a muffin and starts to peel the wrapper off. “So, when do you start your new job?”
“Hopefully next week. I should have my start date in a day or two. I think they're just waiting on a couple references.” I nod my head at the wine. “You going to pour me some of that or what?”
“Oh yeah, a double for the lady.” He pours three glasses of wine and pushes two of them my way. “Cheers to a fresh start,” he says, holding his glass out.
“Yeah, well, we'll see about that. I'm already a nervous wreck, and I still have some time before I start.”
“Lucky for you, you have such an awesome friend. Me, I'm talking about me.”
“I know who you're talking about, Doug,” I say with a giggle.
“Good, just clarifying. If shit hits the fan, I got your back, that's all you need to remember.”
“Thanks, Doug,” I say with a soft smile. “Where would I be without you?”
“I can think of a few places.” He gives me a wink, then takes a long sip of his wine.
Doug is head of productions for a movie company. He's worked hard to get where he is and deserves every dollar he makes. He's the only reason I'm going out on a limb and taking this new job. If this falls through for some reason, Doug's willing to cover our entire rent until I figure shit out.
That's the kind of guy he is. He'll carry you when you're down and push you when you need a boost. He's given me the confidence to spread my wings and try something new. Without him, I don't think I'd even attempt a new job. I'd probably still be behind the desk, working for Mr. Brennan, and getting gluten filled food from people who don't listen.
Doug shrugs his shoulder as he sips his wine. “You can just call me Sugar Daddy.”
I'm drinking my wine and almost spit it out when the words come out of his mouth. Laughing out loud, I shake my head. “Nope, not a chance in hell. And please, don't ever call yourself that again.”
“I don't know, I'd like to hear you say it first, see how it sounds.” He tilts the muffin in my direction as he takes a big bite. “I mean, it has a nice ring to it don't you think? Sugar Daddy. . .”
“I will never call you that, no matter how much you might beg me to.”
“You say that now, but when I lay those Benjamins down on the table, you'll think differently.” He flashes me a big smile and bounces his brows up and down. “Sugar Daddy,” he says again. “I really like the sound of that.”
“You're insane.”
“Insane or a genius?”
“Insane, I got it right the first time.”
“Come on now, you're not fooling anyone.” He takes another bite of the muffin, looking me straight in the eyes. “You're just saying that because you want to kiss me right now and you can't because this muffin I'm eating will make you sick as a dog. But if I weren’t eating this, you'd be planting those big lips on mine, and you know it.”
“In your dreams,” I say.
He stops moving, his lips turning into a straight line as he gives me a serious look. “How do you know what I've been dreaming about?”
Has he really had dreams about me? I can feel my cheeks start to blush.
Doug's lips start to crinkle and move as he's trying to hold back his smile. I know this look, I've seen it before. He's messing with me.
He can't stay serious for long, and busts out with laughter.
Fucking smart ass.
Shaking my head, I glare at him. “I'd never kiss you.”
He smirks as he stuffs the last bite of muffin in his mouth. “All right, fair enough,” he says, downing the rest of his wine, and standing up. “We'll have to talk about your dreams sometime, though, I'd like to know what goes on in that head of yours, but right now, I have some shopping to do. I need to go find something to wear.”
“For what?”
“For this client dinner tomorrow night. Well, hopefully she'll become a client. I need something nice to wear. Hey, why don't you come along? We can grab some dinner after. I'm sure you're hungry. Especially since you can't eat any of these.”
I think about it for a second. I don't have any plans for tonight, and my stomach is grumbling. “Yeah, okay, I'll come along. You'll need my help anyway because we both know you can't dress yourself for shit.”
“That's a lie if I ever heard one. I mean, look at me. . .” He pauses and holds his arms out, spinning in a slow circle.
Damn, he does look good.
His black t-shirt is tight around his biceps. He flexes his arms, and the fabric thins like it's struggling to stay together. I can see the ripple of muscles in his back and chest, and the hint of his six-pack underneath. His jeans make his ass look amazing, and the light stubble on his sharp jaw is casting a sexy little shadow across his face. His blue eyes pop with his jet-black hair, making them bright as the ocean.
Fuck. The worst part is he knows he looks good.
“Yeah, I see you. Which is why I should go.”
Doug looks down at himself, then flicks his eyes back to me. “You just want to come for the chance to see me naked, don't you?”
I roll my eyes and giggle. “Yes, Doug, that's it, you caught me. Guilty as charged.”
He points at me and grins. “I knew it.”
“Don't get a big head, I'd never want to see you naked. Not ever. Never ever ever.”
His eyes lock on mine, and for a split second I can feel them invade every inch of my body. My heart skips a beat and my belly tightens. A surge of intense heat floods my cheeks, forcing me to look away.
“Wow, someone is in denial.” Doug chuckles as he runs open palms up and down the outside of his thighs. “All right, before you lose control of yourself, I'm going to grab my wallet and we can walk downtown. Sound good?”