Playing It Safe(45)

As I’m zipping up the black pencil skirt I had picked out for myself the night before, I freeze in mid-zip remembering something. Dear Lord, I agreed to a date with Alex tonight. I can’t sit across from him and try to have a casual conversation when you know I’ll be busy thinking about him jacking off over the phone. How is that going to work? Probably something like this: “Um, can you pass me the butter, and by the way, you make the sexiest noises when you come.”

Just kill me now.

I button up my red silk blouse and grab the first pair of black high heels I can find. I rush through putting on my makeup, and I blow-dry my hair to the best of my abilities. Glancing at the clock, I see that I have three minutes to spare before Lisette is supposed to arrive. I’m darting around like a crazy person, grabbing my keys, purse, and phone when I hear her honking the horn outside. Before I make it to the front door, I turn around and run back to my bathroom, nab the bottle of aspirin for my head, and throw it in my purse—now I’m ready.

My ass isn’t completely settled into the front seat when she starts pulling out of my driveway. “Here,” she says and shoves a Starbucks cup in my face.

Ahhh, the sweet smell of coffee, the elixir of the gods. “Have I told you lately how much I love you, Lisette? Because I do.”

“You’re welcome.”

I tip back the cup to my awaiting pursed lips and let it swirl around in my mouth for a second before taking a huge gulp. My cell phone starts to chirp as I’m about to take another sip. I dig it out of my purse and stare at the screen. Oh, hell no! Cursing under my breath, I ignore Alex’s call and keep drinking my coffee instead. I can’t face the music just yet. Plus, how can I have a normal conversation while I have Inspector Gadget sitting to my left chomping at the bit to see who keeps calling me?

“Why didn’t you answer him?”

So much for trying to keep it on the down-low. “No reason,” I say and shrug my shoulders. “He’s probably butt dialing me and has no idea.”

“Hmmm. Muy interesante.”

“There is nothing interesting about it, Lisette.”

“If he’s butt dialing you like you say he is, then that would mean your number was the last one called or the last number that called him.”

Sliding my sunglasses down the bridge of my nose to peer over at her, I can almost see the wheels turning in her head. I push them back up to cover my eyes and try to change the subject.

“So how did it go dropping Sarah off last night?”

“Fine,” she says like it’s an afterthought. “But getting back to this Alex thing—”

“Oh my God! Really?”

She laughs again. Seriously, she’s laughing. Cackling, to be more accurate, like she’s really enjoying herself on my account, which only makes me irritable.

“Lisette, I’m not going to tell you what happened, so drop it.”

“Aha! I knew it!”

“Knew what?” I ask in between another sip of coffee.

“I knew something happened between the two of you last night!”

I pivot in my seat to face her. “Nothing happened. That’s it. End of story.”

She stops at a red light and turns her head to say something when my phone rings again. Why me? I think to myself while looking up at the roof of the car in exasperation. I’m a good person. I pay my taxes. I donate to Goodwill. I never change lanes while driving without turning my blinker on first. So why am I being tortured like this?

“Just answer the phone, Julia,” Lisette pleads before slowly inching the car forward.

“Fine. I hope you’re happy,” I snap.

As soon as I swipe the phone to answer his call, he doesn’t even give me a chance to say hello. “Were you trying to ignore me?” he guesses with a smirk in his tone.

I suck in a breath and answer truthfully. “Yes.”

“And why would you go and do a thing like that?”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

Alex’s rumbling laugh makes me roll my eyes. “Well you better get over that because not only are we going on a real date later tonight, you and I have a meeting this afternoon to go over some of the particulars with Josie’s party, in case you forgot.”

Shit, shit, shit! How do I get out of this? Then in the midst of my panic-strewn thoughts I picture sweet little Josie’s cherubic face and remember that this is for her. Looks like I’ll be taking one for the team after all.

“Judging by your silence, I assume you conveniently forgot about that,” he goes on, delighting in his ability to trip me up at every turn.

“I didn’t forget, I just—”

“Just what? And remember, don’t lie to me,” he chides in a naughty tone.

I sigh loudly and tilt my head, only to find Lisette craning her neck like she’s Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four attempting to listen in on the conversation. Covering the phone with my hand so Alex can’t hear me, I slide my sunglasses down my nose to look at her.

“Ahem! Excuse me, Mr. Fantastic,” I say, acknowledging her attempt at eavesdropping.

Lisette straightens her back and shoots me a who me? look.

“Yeah, you. Do you mind?”

“Sorry,” she mumbles. “Go on.”

Putting the phone again to my ear, I lower my voice. “I can’t talk right now, Alex. Can we discuss this later?”