Because of My Best Friend

14. Double Date

*JUSTINE POV*

“This is Justine calling from Armor Security.  I have it reported that the alarm disengaged at the back entrance of the home.  May I have the household password?”  I smile to myself, having to make this man say his password…. But honestly, it’s completely his fault…. If this is him.

...B…lici…s

“I’m sorry sir.  You’re going to have to speak up, or I’ll have to notify the authorities.”  The alarm going off in the background is annoying as hell, and dammit, I can’t hear him.

I SAID BOOTYLICIOUS!

I try not to laugh, sensing his embarrassment.  Finally, I hear the alarm cut off- he eventually entered the password right.  “And for notary purposes, what caused the alarm to go off?”

I came in through the back door to avoid my mother-in-law… forgot she set the alarm while she’s taking a nap

AND YOU WONDER WHY I WANTED MY DAUGHTER TO MARRY JARED INSTEAD OF YOU!!!

“Thank you sir.  If there’s anything else I can do for you, don’t hesitate to call back.  Once again, my name is Justine.  Have a good day!”

Once I hang up, I throw the stupid headset down and groan in frustration.  I hate this job.  It’s so mundane and you do the same thing every single day.  My mom offered me a management position, but I didn’t want other workers to think I got special treatment.  Plus, with the amount of work that they do to make everything flow ‘smoothly’, I would get sick of it.  I already hate working 40hrs a week… there’s no way I could function working 50-60, no matter what pay increase I would get. 

Luckily, Kelsey texted me earlier saying she was treating me to lunch.  It would be a really sweet gesture, but I know her… she wants something. 

After we got back to town a few weeks ago, life went back to normal for the most part.  Michael did try to press charges against Kelsey, which was hilarious, because the judge is her uncle, and there was no way the papers were going to go through.  As for me, the first week, I did everything in my power not to think of Aidan.  It soooo did not help that he starred in every s***k bank memory I had when I got myself off… it only made me want him more.

Kelsey still goes on rants on how great the guys were, and how much she wishes they could live closer.  I know she still texts Tanner every now and then…. I think he initiates first, which is a first for her- she’s always the one to pursue, and it’s nice to see her smiles and blushes again.  But with that, she reminds me of Aidan.  His smile, his dark eyes.. those damned arms…..

I shake my head at myself for thinking of him, yet again.  Stupid crush!  I grab my purse and head downstairs and wait outside for Kelsey to come get me.  It’s the middle of summer now, and the heat is sooo unforgiving.  I have to wear my hair up almost all the time.  It’s only this time of year where I seriously think about chopping it all off.  As a bead of sweat starts forming on my forehead, her car zooms to a stop in front of me.

“Hey lady!  Ready for some food!”

“Always!  What are we having today?!”

“I was thinking Marie’s Sandwich Shop.  She needs to the business and I need her homemade mayonnaise in my life!”

I laugh at her as we make the five-minute drive to the shop.  Once we ordered, we put our ticket number on the table and get comfortable in our chairs.  Kelsey looks happy in her own little world, people watching out the window. 

“Spill it girl.  What’s going on?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she deadpans.  The little liar.

I roll my eyes.  “If you can’t be honest, my automatic answer is no!”

“Okay, okay, okay…. I sort of… umm…. Set us up on a double date.”

“YOU DID WHAT!!”  I slid my chair back, trying to think of the best way to bolt.  “No!  Don’t you remember what happened the last time we did that??  We scarred the man for life, Kels.  He could never look at another cucumber the same again!  I refuse to put another man through that.”

“But we basically did that back in Dallas!” she wines.

“That was…I ……urgh!  That was different Kels and you know it!”

“I…. I really want to try to find that here, Just…. Please…”

Oh, she went so low…so damn low.  She even used the damn sad eyes.  I swear she will be the death of me.  Her face begins to light up as she sees me caving into her sad pathetic show.

“When is this stupid date?”

*

*

“You look fabulous!!”

I don’t feel fabulous.  I’ve pouted since she’s brought this hell upon me on Wednesday, and now it’s Friday… 6pm… our date in in a damn hour.  “I don’t want to go.”  I go stand to look at myself in the mirror, fluffing up my hair that I straightened for this damn date.  Kelsey and I are dressed similar in simple summer dresses and sandals, showing off the pedicure I made her get me since she’s forcing me into this date.

“Please tell me you’re not going to have an attitude all night?”

“Is that an option?  OW!  What the hell?? Were you a dominatrix in your past life?!” I scream, rubbing my poor butt that will most likely have a mark on it from her damn slap.

“Depends... do you need another punishment?”  I flip her off as she laughs at our childishness.  “It’s only for a few hours.  Hell, you might even like the guy Justine.  Suck it up.” 

Yea, fat chance.  I doubt there’s another guy out there like Aidan….. who won’t return a simple text.  I knew I shouldn’t have sent that video to him.  He probably thinks I’m that weird small town girl—amazing in bed—but still, weird.  He still could have at least ‘LOL’d the damn thing….

*

*

We get the only decent date restaurant in town, and that’s not saying much.  We get out of the car and I huff out a breath.  Kelsey seems too eager for this s**t as she’s been smiling nonstop.  I don’t know where she found these guys, but maybe they could help us get over the amazingness that we had on vacation?  Ha!  Fat chance.

As soon as we walked into the restaurant, everything went into slow motion.  I could hear other people laughing and in their conversations.  I could see the waiters running around with trays or taking orders. But the only thing I could really focus on is the man with a gorgeous smile on, happy to see me.  My heartrate accelerated seeing Aidan, knowing how happy he could make me.  It feels as if my body is floating towards him as Kelsey drags me to the table.  He gets up and approaches me and I almost stop breathing. 

“Hey gorgeous.”  He kisses my lips incredibly lightly and I’m frozen to the spot.  I can feel Kelsey smirking from the sidelines, and all I want to do is throttle her for not preparing me, but my sole focus is on this man, standing not even a foot away from me.  His smile hasn’t left his face, and his eyes stay focused on mine.  The connection we had in Dallas is still there.  I could stay like this for a long ass time.

“Ma’am… you have to sit in a chair,” a worried voice says.   My trance is broken when I turn and see Kelsey on Tanner’s lap, playing tongue swords in a very unrespectable fashion.  I don’t think the Issac’s are ready to see all that.  I roll my eyes as I have to handle the situation.  

“I got this Hannah.”  The waitress looks to me appreciably.  An evil smile forms on my lips as I walk to Kelsey and grab the top of her ear roughly. 

“Ow, ow, ow ow!!” 

“Be a good girl Kels… you are going to give Old Man Issac a damn heart attack!” I whisper yell.  He just had a bypass done last year!  I let go of her ear, and she glares at me, but sits on her chair anyhow, giving an apologetic look to Jane Issac, who looks less than amused.

“Is it okay for me to be here?” Aidan asks, looking unsure of himself.

I smile as I walk back to him and bring my arms around him, nuzzling my face into his neck.  I needed a second to breathe him in, to make sure this is all real.  “It’s more than okay.”