Anya couldn’t know any of that.
“Oh my God Jia, can’t you tell me anything?” Her bright brown eyes sparkled with interest. “Not even an itsy bit?”
No. I couldn’t tell her anything. I really shouldn’t start talking about Xander either.
I was so stupid, wearing this little skater dress. It hugged my frame and gave me a casual appearance. A little tamer than the business wear I normally wore.
I wasn’t wearing heels either. Today I’d chosen a pair of silver pumps.
All for him and yet not for him. Just like yesterday’s dress, and the romper and silver heels I’d worn the day before. Never mind all the assortment of stylish clothes I’d flung on all the days in between.
God, I was like a sixteen-year-old girl trying to catch the attention of the most popular boy at school. I wasn’t acting like the woman in charge I’d become over the years.
I’d allowed this man to work his charm into my head and weaken me with a night of wild passion. A night I would give anything to have again.
Sucker much? I was a goner for the man, but there was nothing of real substance to hang on to other than him telling me he couldn’t get me out of his head and that he liked me being there.
“There’s nothing really to tell.” I decided to say.
“Why don’t I believe you?” she huffed.
“I don’t know.”
“It’s because you’re lying through your damn teeth and blushing too.” She giggled.
I couldn’t hide my inner feelings from my best friend. I shook my head at her and decided I’d share something. Small.
“We haven’t done anything much,” I confessed, and that was a bald-faced lie and a half. It made me blush more and she gasped.
“Oh my God, Jia, did you sleep with him?” At least she kept her voice down low with the question.
She squealed when I gave her a slow nod.
“Anya please, it’s nothing to be excited over. Truly, it’s not.” It was best to point that part out because I didn’t want her getting all excited for nothing.
The worst thing ever was telling your friend you had a new love interest and then things went south before they really began. I had to admit though that I’d rarely had that happen to me.
Most guys I’d been with had established a date with me first before I told any of my friends anything.
In some cases I may share slightly more with Anya if I liked someone.
Like Xander.
However, I was starting to think that I’d probably told her too much.
“I’m just excited. It’s nice that one of us is getting some bedroom action.”
“Please tell me that’s not some way of making me feel sympathy for you not seeing Mike.”
“Actually it’s not. I am still Mike-free and I have a date on Saturday,” she informed me.
This was good news. Something to smile about. “That’s awesome. Details please?”
“His name is Tim. He’s a vet. We met at the coffee shop on South Main Street. He has his own practice and he said he’s been wanting to ask me out for a while.”
That was more along the lines of what I’d wanted for her. I nodded with definite approval.
“I like the sound of him,” I chirped giving her an encouraging smile.
“Me too. He’s thirty and has a stable career unlike Mike, the dealer… Asshole.”
I reached across the table and took her hand. She might say those things but I knew part of her still felt for him.
“You’re going to be okay Anya. This new guy sounds really interesting. I know you wouldn’t mention him if you didn’t like him. I think you’re going to be okay.” I gave her a firm nod and her eyes twinkled with the hope I knew she wanted desperately.
She’d been through a lot with Mike. There was no doubt that she’d been in love with him. I might have gotten all worked up and bitched at her every minute about his behavior, but I knew it had to be different when you were in love. I’d never been in love before, so I wouldn’t have known. I could imagine though that it must have been hard to unlove him and put reality into perspective so she could do what was best for herself.
“Thank you. It feels promising. You too, Jia. I think you’ll be okay too.”
I let go of her hands and gave her my best impression of me looking like I really believed that was possible.
I wasn’t so sure about it. I hated that there was something going on with Pa that I’d been kept in the dark about and to add to it I couldn’t get Xander out of my head.
I couldn’t get him out of my head, same as he couldn’t get me out and I didn’t want to. I liked him being in my head too much.
The memories of that night we shared were so wild and unreal. Taking him out of my head would mean forgetting.
I didn’t want to do that.
“I hope I’ll be okay,” I told her and at least tried to sound like I had hope.
“You’re Jia Marchesi, the strongest woman I know. You can do anything you put your mind to. You will be okay.”
I went to answer but the words trailed from my mind when I saw him coming up the stairs.
He seemed like he was looking for someone.
Anya turned her head too and saw him. Out the corner of my eyes I watched her mouth drop. She looked from me to him when he spotted me and started making his way over to us.
“Holy shit! Is that him?” She winced under her breath. “You didn’t say he was Chris Hemsworth gorgeous.”
I was too busy being taken with the fact that he was coming toward me to answer. I stood as he approached and Anya just stared.
“Jia,” he said my name with that soft adoration that I’d come to love.
“Hi.” An unwelcomed blush crept up my cheeks when he gazed into my eyes.
Anya cleared her throat in an overly exaggerated way that made me turn to her.
“Xander, this is my best friend Anya.” I motioned to her. “Anya this is Xander Cage.” It sounded weird saying his full name.
Anya stood up, completely star struck. She probably looked a little like I had when I first saw him. So taken with his gorgeousness she found it hard to speak.
Yup, I’d gone through that and now she was too. Looked like she was having more of a girly moment though, because her cheeks flushed when he put out his hand to shake hers.
“Hi,” she said in a high-pitched tone.
“Really great to meet you Anya,” Xander told her.
I couldn’t resist the little smile that inched across my face. It was her reaction making me smile.
“You too.”
Xander returned his focus to me once he released her hand and held my gaze.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
I gave him an incredulous glare because I had to wonder if that was some kind of rhetorical question. Here I’d been hanging out like some love struck, love sick teen waiting to catch a glimpse of the man and he was asking if it was okay to talk to me.
“Of course,” I replied and tried to stave off the breathy rasp that took me. “Be back in a sec,” I said to Anya, whose curiosity I could see going toward the heavens.
I loved that Xander slipped his arm around me as he steered me over to the corner of the restaurant where it was empty. It was clear he wanted to speak to me in complete privacy. Not even the waiters came by here.