Levi is a model. He flies all over the world doing photo shoots for different brands. Chances are if you look on the side of a building or a bus or a TV you’ve seen his face somewhere. He’s building a name for himself.
“Nah, change of plans. The director pushed everything back a day. Something about a family situation he needed to deal with” he says slouching back in the chair.
Natalie takes the other seat, her long curly black hair is pulled up into a bun on top of her head. and Gavin sits on the arm of it.
“Make yourselves at home,” I say sarcasm thick in my voice.
Levi flashes me that smile. The same one he and I have used to get women all over the country. “I plan on it. You never did answer my question. What crawled up your ass this morning.”
“Nothing,” I lie.
Levi studies me for a minute before a shit eating grin takes over his face.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the situation from last night would it?” he asks.
“What situation?” Gavin asks.
Before I can respond he continues talking. “Last night at the club, I saw him talking to this fine ass woman. He was so engrossed in the conversation that when I came over to interrupt, he almost took my head off.”
“You met a woman?” Natalie’s eyes light up and she shifts forward onto the edge of her seat.
Oh for fucks sake. Between her, my mom and my older sister Sarah, they’ve been trying to get me to settle down ever since I ended things with Victoria. Right after everything went down, I didn’t have any interest. Until now that is.
“Kind of.” I know I have to tread lightly. If I give her any indication that I might be into someone, she and my mom will be planning a dinner party before I know it.
Natalie claps her hands together excitedly. “This is so exciting! What’s here name? Where’s she from? When can we meet her? Is she-“
“Calm down, babe,” Gavin says laying a hand on Nat’s thigh. “Let him answer one question before you start peppering him with more.”
I’m appreciative of Gavin’s interjection but I can see the gleam in his eyes too.
Natalie looks slightly guilty. “Sorry, I’m just so excited! So, what’s her name?”
Knowing I won’t be able to get out of this anytime soon I resign myself to answering questions.
“Her name’s Ava. We had one brief conversation. She volunteers at the same children’s hospital I go to and that’s all I really know about here because some asshole interrupted us and by the time, I got back to the table she was gone.”
“Hey, that asshole was trying to save your ass. Or did you want me to tell the bouncers to let Victoria’s friends into the club?” Levi says looking at me with that stupid smirk on his face.
“Of course, I didn’t want them in the club.”
“Victoria? What was she doing there?” Nat says a frown creasing her brow.
Nobody in my family liked Victoria. She didn’t make the best first impression. That should have been my first clue that it wasn’t going to work.
“She wasn’t there. Two of her friends tried to get into the club. The two that were banned the last time for starting a fight on the dance floor. When they were asked to leave, they caused a scene, so I had to go take care of it. It took longer than I would have liked and by the time I got back Ava was gone.”
God just thinking about that entire situation pisses me the fuck off.
“Well did you at least get her number?” Natalie asks.
“No, I promised her I’d be back in ten minutes, but it took me a half hour just to get them out.”
Natalie’s face falls. “Oh, well I’m sure you’ll run into her again. Maybe she’ll come back to Temptation.”
I sure as fuck hope so because the idea of never seeing Ava again has something akin to panic twisting up my insides.
Gavin must see something on my face because he gives me a slow smile curls the ends of his mouth up before morphing into a full blown one.
“I’ll be damned. Never thought I’d see the day,” he says chuckling.
“What?” I say irritation clear in my voice.
“When you know, you know. And apparently your ass has just been gotten. Welcome to the club bro.”
Motherfucker. At the saying Gavin starts laughing and Levi joins in. Natalie just sits there looking between the three of us with a small smile on her face.
Usually, if they made such a statement I’d protest and tell them they were crazy. But in this case, I just keep silent and let them get it all put because they might be right. I know I have to find a way to get in touch with Ava.
Sooner rather than later.
***
I’m just finishing up one stack of paperwork when my cell phone rings. Glancing down at the screen, my sister Sarah’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hey, wha-.” I barely get my greeting out before she’s speaking.
“Oh, thank God I caught you. I need you to do me a huge favor,” Sarah says. Her voice sounds breathless like she’s been running around.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m stuck in traffic and Jeremy is still at work. Can you please go pick up Christopher and drop him off at his program?” she asks referring to her seven-year-old son.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll leave right now.” I stand shrugging on my suit jacket.
I hear her let out a sigh of relief through the phone.
“Thank you so much. I’ll meet you there. I’ve gotta run. Love you. Bye!” She hangs up.
I shake my head a small smile on my face. Not just anybody could get me
