A Brush with Love(47)
There wasn’t one thing Dan could have said that would cut his father as deeply as those words cut him. So, he did the only thing he could. He walked out of the room to go check on his mom.
Now, as he stood in his closet, holding that same suit, he felt a stab of loss over everything that had changed.
He was no longer that guy who loved his job. No longer climbing the corporate ladder. No longer talking to his mom.
He was a twenty-six-year-old, dissatisfied student, failing a program he wouldn’t graduate from until he’s thirty, with concrete plans to take over a practice he didn’t want at his grief-stricken mother’s demand. He was a passive bystander in his own life, the wants of others dictating his future.
He shoved the suit deep into the back of his closet and locked those bitter memories back in their box.
* * *
“I’m going to pick up Harper,” Dan yelled to Alex an hour later, pocketing his keys and wallet. “I’ll meet you at Lizzie and Indira’s. You have the address, right?”
Dan grabbed the wine bottle he’d bought, hoping to share a drink with Harper before the night officially started.
“You’re sure I should wear the silver tie?” Alex asked, walking into the kitchen in his dress shirt and underwear, a rainbow of silk ties clutched in both fists.
Dan shrugged, eyeing his friend. “You okay? You seem to be putting a lot of thought into this.”
Alex nodded absentmindedly, still analyzing his options. “I’m trying to make a good impression.”
“A good impression for Thu?” Dan drew out the name with a hint of teasing, desperately grabbing at any lightness and humor he could to keep the earlier memories at bay.
“Yes,” Alex answered plainly, and Dan was surprised at the sincere anxiousness in his friend’s eyes.
“Don’t sweat the tie, Alex. You two will continue to hit it off. But if you don’t like the silver, go with the black with stripes. That’s a cool look.”
“Yeah?” Alex’s face lit up as if Dan had told him he was the prettiest girl at the ball.
Dan couldn’t hold back a laugh as he moved to the door. “Yeah. Text me if you have trouble finding the place,” he said over his shoulder, leaving the apartment.
Even the harsh wind on the street couldn’t dampen Dan’s mood as he made his way to Harper’s apartment.
Tonight felt pivotal. Important.
He wanted it to be perfect. He wanted Harper to have fun, to feel beautiful, cared for. He wanted her to see how right it was for them to take the leap.
Getting to her place, he punched the buzzer and bounced up and down on his toes, trying to warm up his frozen legs.
“Hello?” Harper’s voice crackled over the intercom.
“Hey! It’s me.” Right away, the buzzer sounded and the door clicked open.
Dan opted for the stairs, bolting up them two at a time to burn off the excited pulse of energy through his body. Reaching her unit, he took a moment to catch his breath, leaning his forehead against her door and giving his smile free rein.
With a deep breath, he knocked lightly and adjusted his tie. Dan heard heels clicking on the other side of the door, and Harper swung it open.
The air rushed from his lungs and his heart squeezed.
She was devastating.
The soft waves of her hair framed her lovely face, her lips painted a deep red that taunted Dan to bite and suck at them until they were parted and panting.
Emerald silk glided down her body, her skin glowing against it, tempting Dan to reach out and touch her. Straps of fabric wrapped around her neck, forming a deep V down her front. He followed its path, memorizing the swell of her breasts, the subtle points of her nipples hinted at through the liquidy fabric. Dan stiffened as he imagined undoing the bow at the back of her neck, watching the silk slide down her shoulders and fall to her waist. He dragged his knuckles across his mouth as he imagined the cool silk against his heated skin, pulling at the fabric hugging her hips, seeing the dress in a green pool on the floor.
“Hi,” she said hesitantly, and Dan’s gaze snapped back to her face, focusing on the chocolate depths of her eyes.
“Why are you staring?” she asked, her eyebrows puckered as she smoothed a shaky hand down her belly. “Is something wrong?”
Dan shook his head, trying to clear it. “No, sorry,” he said through a dry throat. “It’s just … You look incredible.”
A pale pink blush spread across her cheeks and she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, stepping aside to let him in her apartment.
“This is for you,” Dan said, handing her the bottle of wine. “I thought we could have a drink before we head out?”
“God, yes,” Harper said, turning for the kitchen.
Harper dug around in a drawer for a wine opener before uncorking the bottle and pouring them both huge servings.
“Cheers,” Dan said.
Harper’s glass was already halfway to her lips, but she clinked it with his before chugging it down like a shot and pouring herself another.
Dan noticed the tremble in her hands as she brought the glass to her lips for another long gulp, the tension in her shoulders as she set it down. Her eyes bounced around the room while she fisted her hands in the skirt of her dress, then smoothed them over the fabric repeatedly. Dan grabbed one of her hands, catching her gaze as he gave her fingers a squeeze.