I won’t lie, I thought about it for a moment before deciding it wasn’t a good idea. The hookup scene hasn’t been doing it for me anymore. I’ve found myself getting restless although, I can’t put my finger on exactly why that is.
“I see she’s still pissed at you,” Jayce says falling into step beside me.
“Yeah, she’ll get over it.”
Jayce plops down on the couch and I take a seat in a chair by the mirrors. A lazy smile stretches across his face.
“I’d steer clear of her for a while if I were you. I’m pretty sure she’s never been turned down before,” he says.
Shrugging, I lean back in my chair. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t either. The look on her face when I told her I didn’t want to go back to her hotel room last night was one of pure shock.
“I’m sure she’ll find another guy to hook up with. Sooner rather than later.”
“Dude, she’s been after you since that first clothing campaign we did five years ago. Do you really think she’s just gonna let this slide?”
“She’ll have to because I’m not interested.”
Jayce’s head tilts sideways as he looks me up and down. “What’s up with you lately?”
“What do you mean?”
He raises an eyebrow. “You know exactly what I mean. You haven’t been into the club scene like you used to be and you haven’t hooked up with anyone lately. Something’s going on.”
Looking away, my eyes drift towards the window. I’m not surprised Jayce has noticed my restlessness. Besides my family and Mia, he’s the closest to me. We met when were seventeen and just getting into the modeling business. We did our first campaign together for a popular clothing company and we’ve had a shit ton of jobs together since, including this one. We’ve been through a lot and seen a lot in this industry over the past several years.
He knows me better than anyone. Well almost anyone, because the truth it’s Mia. That girl knows me better than anybody else. Even my brother’s. Of course, she’s not a girl anymore. She’s more like a woman, which is a part of the whole damn problem.
Lately, I’ve been looking at her as more than just my best friend. I’ve been thinking about her in ways that I know I shouldn’t. Ever since Liam’s birthday party a few weeks back, she’s been the starring role in a lot of my late-night fantasies. I’m talking really inappropriate shit. The dress she was wearing that day made her usually short legs appear miles longer. Her usually curly hair was hanging around her face, and when I looked at her, I felt a weird shift in my chest. Something that I’ve never felt before.
It freaked me the hell out. I’ve seen her in dresses before. I’ve seen her with her hair down. So what was so different about this particular time and every time I’ve seen her since then? It’s been driving me crazy.
“Is everything okay with you and Mia?” Jayce asks suddenly.
My head whips towards him. “Yeah, why would you ask that?”
Jayce shrugs. “The only time I’ve seen you act this strange or restless is when you two have had an argument.”
“Nah, everything’s good between us.”
He looks like he wants to say something else on the subject, but he doesn’t.
“Alright, if you say so. Do you have any plans for tonight?” he asks.
“I’m just gonna hang out in my room. I have an early flight to catch tomorrow morning. Are you still coming to Chicago later this week?”
“Yep. I have some business to take care of. And I have to get my banana bread,” he says with a stupid smirk on his face.
My eyes narrow. I know my jealousy of Mia baking for another guy is irrational. Hell, she bakes treats whenever we have family get togethers, but that is my banana bread dammit. Not his
“We’ll see about that.”
We talk for a few more minutes before he has to leave. The urge to get back to my hotel room and call Mia is strong. I meant to call her back last night, but by the time I got to the hotel it was too late and I know she would have been sleep.
Quickly changing into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, I grab everything I need to head back to the hotel. The sooner I can get Mia on the phone and hear her voice the better.
***
The sun has set by the time I make it back to my hotel room. Trying to get off set took way longer than I originally thought it would. Several people stopped me to talk and I got wrapped up in several conversations that took longer than they should have.
Checking the time, I curse when I see it’s a little past nine o’clock here which means it’s eleven o’clock in Chicago. Taking a chance that she’s still up I dial her number.
“Hello?” she murmurs. The sound of her voice is slightly husky from sleep. My dick perks up.
Down boy. I cannot think about my best friend like that.
Clearing my throat, I say “Hey, baby girl. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I hear rustling on the other side of the line. “It’s okay. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, the shoot just wrapped. I meant to call you back last night, but I got in late.”
“Oh,” she pauses and her voice sounds strange when she continues talking. “Did you have a good time?”
I pause too wondering why she suddenly sounds off. “Yeah, it was alright. I just hung out with Jayce.”
“Oh, alright.” I know I must be imagining the relief I think I hear in her voice.
“What
