“Yeah, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that embarrassing scene I caused, Rod. I had no right in doing what I did, whether or not she was lying. I overreacted and made a fool out of myself.” I put my hand over my eyes to shield my insanity from him.
“Made a fool out of yourself? Are you crazy? That was hot as hell. I’ve never had a woman fight for me before. Now I’m even more determined to convince you to change your mind about me.” His proud smile and the mischievous gleam in his eyes verify he’s not simply being nice. I can’t help but smile in return.
“Fine. If I’m being completely honest, it felt fantastic to snatch that top off her. She was enjoying my torment way too much.” The trio laughs with me and it dispels most of the awkwardness.
“Rod has been my best friend since high school, Daisy. I’m not the least bit hesitant to put my good name on the line here. He hasn’t been with another woman for one minute. He’s only been interested in spending time with you. With that said, Tracy and I are going back up to the pool area for the afternoon activities and to give you two some time to talk alone.”
Kevin takes Tracy’s hand, and they leave together. My best friend clearly mouths “make-up sex” to me as she closes the door on her way out.
“I know this sounds like a cheap line, but I’ve truly enjoyed spending time with you these last couple of days. Part of why I was so mad at Thomas was because I could tell he made you doubt me, even if you didn’t fully believe him. I didn’t want you to ditch me. We both know I don’t need any help in the one step forward two steps back category.” Rod’s confident smile belies the vulnerability in his eyes.
I know what he’s asking, even though he didn’t speak the words.
Can I move past my own issues and let whatever this is between us resume?
Because despite my earlier protests, there is something there. We both feel it and we both know it, though neither of us wants it. I’m under no delusions about falling in love or finding the perfect man. But I’ve enjoyed his companionship and even came to look forward to it, so in that respect, I’m not keen on ditching him.
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with you too, Rod. And because I don’t want anything to feel awkward between us now, I think I should explain why my reaction was so extreme.” I tell him to have a seat on the couch before sitting beside him.
“You have my undivided attention.”
“When you asked me if I was here looking for my soul mate, I told you I didn’t know if I even believed in that anymore. The truth is, I want to believe in two people loving each other for their entire lives. I want to believe there’s one man out there meant only for me. When all of this happened today, it was like a hard slap in the face that woke me up and made me accept it’s not in the cards for me. At all.
“Anyway, I know you enjoyed having two women fight over you, but I’m afraid my reaction was more about me and the death of something I’ve always wanted to believe in than it was about you and some bimbo in the hallway.”
“Just so I’m clear, none of your reaction was because you felt jealous or territorial over me?” His question is meant in jest, I know that, but there’s a modicum of earnest curiosity in it too.
“I can neither confirm nor deny there was any jealousy involved. But if I hike my leg and mark my territory on you later tonight, I need you to overlook it. Let it happen without commentary. Chalk it up to me having a bad day.”
His roar of laughter is exactly what I need to hear after my surge of adrenaline mixed with other hormones.
“I’ll do my best not to be offended by it. If it makes you feel any better, I was very jealous when I saw that jackass, Thomas, talking to you. I was ready to kick his ass before I heard what he was saying. Maybe I’m selfish, but I don’t want to share you with anyone else. What if you left me because you decided you liked him better?”
Rod and I just crossed a line we never intended to traverse. There’s a lot more truth behind that question than there is jest.
“That’s not something you have to worry about with me, Rod. Unfortunately for you, once you become my friend, you’re stuck with me for life, no matter what happens. Just ask Tracy. She’s been trying to get rid of me for years, but I haven’t taken the hint yet.”
CHAPTER NINE
Daisy
“We had a great talk after you and Kevin left. We’ve kept things superficial until now. It seems as if we’ve turned a corner and are sharing more personal information with each other. But do you think that’s such a smart thing to do? I mean, we only have a few more days together, then I’ll never see him again. Not weeks. Days.” I turn to Tracy, waiting for her to impart her wisdom and tell me what I should do about these damn feelings I have for Rod.
“Of course I think it’s the right thing to do. Share all your feelings. Squeeze his out of him. Lay it all out on the line. How else will I get you laid? You won’t give any other guy a chance to get to know you. You’re brave, gorgeous, and strong. I want to add happy to that list.” She waits for my argument, ready with her next countermove.
“There’s an enormous problem with this scenario. Two, actually.”
“And what are these two enormous problems?”
“One, I really like
