Waiting for Jo (12 page)

Me: That sounds great. I’ll stop by after
work. Do you know if Will will be there?

Scotty Miller: I think he’s hanging out with
Blake, but he might be around later in the evening. Look forward to
seeing you.

Me: Me too!

I try really hard to work on the Martinez
motion, but I’m too distracted. By the end of the day, I still
haven’t heard from James. I wonder if he’s doing this on purpose.
Does he get off on torturing me?

I manage to sneak out of the office a bit
early and make my way down to the Alcove before the happy hour
crowd fills the place. Scotty is behind the bar as usual.

“Hey, Josie,” he says as I walk in. “You’re
just in time. I’m letting a bottle of that Chateauneuf-du-Pape open
up right now.”

“I’ve always had good timing when it comes to
wine.” I say, feigning pride. I take a seat at the bar and let
Scotty pour me a glass. “So how have you been, Scotty? I feel like
it’s been forever since we’ve talked.”

“I’ve been good. Busy, but good. We’re
thinking about opening up another location in Grove Park, so I’ve
been spending a lot of time talking about that with my
brother.”

“That’s a great idea. I think an Alcove would
do really well up there,” I say.

“How have you been, Jo? Will has filled me in
about the stuff with the stalker. That must be tough,” Scotty says
with a concerned look on his face.

“It’s been very trying. But Will has been
helping me out a lot lately, which has been really nice. I don’t
feel as scared when he’s around.”

“So, you two have been spending a lot of time
together then?” Scotty asks. “Are you guys like a couple or
something?”

“No. I think we both like each other, but
that’s all it is right now,” I say, trying to be vague.

“Does that have anything to do with James?
Are you still hoping things work out between you too?”

“I was hoping that would happen, but I’m
starting to realize that I need to move on. It’s not healthy for me
to sit around and mope and wish things were different. It’s been
over for two months.”

“That’s a lot easier said than done though. I
know because I’ve been in that situation before. But you can’t make
someone act a way that they don’t want to act, and you can’t make
someone feel a way they don’t feel,” Scotty says.

I take a big sip of my wine and let Scotty’s
words sink in.

“Slow down!” he says. “If you’re just looking
to get drunk I have a $10 box of table wine in the back.”

I laugh out loud at the thought of Scotty
even allowing boxed wine in the Alcove. “Liar!” I say. “You
wouldn’t keep boxed wine in this joint if your life depended on
it.”

“Yes. I’m definitely lying, but seriously,
slow down. Enjoy that stuff!” Scotty says to me as he walks away to
tend to a couple that just sat down at the bar.

I pull my phone out to see if James has
e-mailed me back. There’s only an e-mail from some department store
trying to get me to buy some article of clothing that is way out of
my budget and another with the subject line Please your woman all
night long!!!! I delete both and then take another big swig of
wine.

Suddenly, someone approaches me from behind
and two hands cover my eyes. I jump slightly. “Guess who!” The
mystery person demands.

“Hmmmm. I don’t know. Can you give me a
hint?” I ask.

“I’m incredibly handsome. That’s the only
hint you need.”

“Oh! My! God! It’s Channing Tatum. I can’t
believe that I finally get to meet you!” I say.

The mystery guy lowers his hands and starts
tickling my ribs. “No, silly. It’s Will. Remember me?”

“Of course I do.” I spin around on my bar
stool so that I’m facing him. “I thought you were hanging out with
Blake tonight.”

“I was. I picked him up from school, and we
worked on his homework for a few hours. But now I get to hang out
with you.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d show up here,” I
say.

Will, sits down on the barstool next to mine.
“How’s work going?” he asks.

I let out a long sigh. “It could be better, I
suppose. Working with my ex is harder than I thought it would be. I
haven’t even been there for a full week, and I’m already thinking
about looking for another job.”

“What’s going on?”

I don’t really want to get into the whole
situation with Will or give him all the details. “James just acts
in a way that an ex shouldn’t act,” I say.

Scotty finishes up with his other customers
and interrupts our conversation. “Hey, Will!” he says. “What’s up?”
The two guys start chit chatting. Thank god! I’m saved from having
to talk about James with Will.

The e-mail alert on my phone buzzes. I pull
it out and turn my body away from Will a bit so that he can’t see
my phone. Finally, James has responded. My heart pounds as I open
the message.

To: Josephine O’Shea

From: James Parker

Jo,

I appreciate your honesty, and I’m sorry if
I’ve made you uncomfortable. I just don’t think that I can give you
what you’re looking for. But the truth is that I’m having a hard
time letting go of you. I know this must be confusing for you, and
it’s not fair to you at all, but I just can’t be in a committed
relationship right now. It’s going to be difficult for me, but I
will try and respect your wishes and treat you in a professional
manner.

Love,

James

My heart sinks to the floor and that familiar
punch-to-the-stomach feeling returns. I don’t understand why he
just won’t be with me if he’s having a hard time letting go of me.
I take another drink of my wine and try to hold back tears. Stay
strong. Stay strong. Don’t break down in the middle of the
Alcove.

Will and Scotty are still talking so I decide
to take a moment to do what I promised Harley I would do whenever I
get sad about James. I’m going to go over in my head the list of
things that I hate about James.

One, he always has to be right. Two, he’s
arrogant. Three, he leaves the toilet seat up. Four, he’s not very
empathetic. Five, he always seems to be annoyed with Malcolm. Six,
sometimes, he could be cheap, even though he’s a fairly wealthy
litigator. Seven, he’s a shitty cook. And eight, he has a dumb
haircut. Harley came up with number eight, and every time I think
about it I can’t help but laugh a little.

I take a deep breath in, slowly let it out,
and I start to feel a tiny bit better.

“So how do you like the wine?” Will asks
me.

“What?”

He points to the almost empty glass of wine.
“The wine. Do you like it?”

“Yeah,” I say. I try to be upbeat, but I have
a hard time hiding my emotions.

Will touches my chin and turns my face
towards his. “What’s wrong, Jo?”

I can’t tell him the truth. “I just got an
e-mail about a case that I’m working on. Apparently, I did
something wrong. It’s stressing me out.”

“Well, I think you should get another glass
of wine and come up stairs with me. I have something to show you.”
Will motions for Scotty who left to go check on some other
customers. “Pour this lady another glass!” he says
enthusiastically.

Will carries my beverage upstairs for me and
sets it down on his coffee table before taking me by the hand and
leading me over to his studio area.

“I just finished this one last night,” he
says, after placing me right in front of a painting that I haven’t
seen before.

I take a few seconds and study the artwork.
It’s another abstract piece with greens, yellows, pinks, and reds
toward the bottom and blue and white toward the top. “What does it
remind you of?” he asks.

“A garden,” I say without hesitation. “It’s
beautiful!”

“Any particular garden?”

And then it hits me. It’s the rose garden
that we sat next to at the concert the other night.

“It’s the botanical garden,” I say
proudly.

“That’s right. I was just so inspired that
evening. It was so beautiful, and I had such a good time with you.
I think that this is the fastest that I’ve ever finished a
painting.”

“I love it, Will. It’s amazing. Everything
you paint is amazing.”

“Well, thank you,” Will says with a big smile
on his face. “Alright, enough looking at this painting. Let’s get
you drunk.”

“I actually wouldn’t mind that right now,” I
say sarcastically.

“Well, have a seat on the sofa and drink your
wine.” Will puts his hand on the small of my back and directs me to
the living area. “I’m going to have a beer.”

He joins me on the sofa with a beer in
hand.

“Thanks for inviting me up here and showing
me your work. I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now.” I take off my
heels and put my legs up on the coffee table.

“You are welcome to come up here any time,”
Will says as he checks out my stems.

“Hey, Will. There’s something I’ve been
meaning to say to you.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s on your mind?”

I lay my hand on his. “I just want to thank
you for being here for me. I really don’t know what I’d do without
you. You’re an awesome guy, and I just wanted you to know
that.”

“I try,” Will says, feigning smugness. We
both laugh.

Will stops laughing and the smile fades from
his face. “There’s something that I want to say to you too.”

The seriousness of his tone worries me, and
in the few seconds it takes him to begin his next sentence, I think
of all the horrible things he might be prepared to say to me. I
always seem to assume the worst.

Will takes my hand and clasps it with both of
his and looks directly into my eyes. I almost melt looking at that
gorgeous face of his. “I like you, Jo. I like you a lot. I’m
seriously falling for you.” Will pauses for a few seconds. “Or, I
guess I should say that I have fallen for you. You’re smart and
beautiful, and you’re fun to be with. I know that you probably have
reservations about me and that you might still be getting over your
ex, but please just give me a chance. I think I can be what you’re
looking for.”

I’m quiet for a moment as I think of what to
say. A million things run through my head. Should I give him a
chance? Is it stupid to get involved with him even though I’m still
feeling so hurt by James? Can I really be with a man like Will?
Then I hear Harley’s voice in my head: you don’t know unless you
try. She’s right. I think I’m going to try this time. It’s time to
stop worrying and start trying something different.

“Yes,” I say.

“Yes? You mean you’ll do it? You’ll be with
me?”

I beam. “Yes. I’ll be with you, Will!”

Will takes my hand up to his lips and kisses
it several times. “I’m so happy. You have no idea,” he says between
kisses.

“I’m happy too!”

Will puts his hand on the side of my face and
strokes my cheek with his thumb. He leans toward me and kisses me
softly on the mouth. His full lips feel so good against mine.

“That’s so nice,” he says after sighing
quietly.

Will kisses me again, but more eagerly this
time. His soft tongue makes its way past my slightly parted lips
and slides against mine. He tastes divine. I can feel the arousal
welling up inside of me, and all I can think about is getting him
naked.

Will’s hand moves from my face down to the
front my blouse. He continues kissing me as his hands make quick
work of buttons. He opens my shirt, exposing my light pink lacy
bra. I’m so glad I chose to wear pretty, matching underwear
today.

“My God, you’re sexy,” he says as he greedily
stares at my cleavage. He pulls my shirt down my arms, I take it
the rest of the way off and toss it on the floor. His hot mouth
moves to my neck and he trails kisses down to my collarbone and
then to my chest.

I can’t help but look at Will’s groin. I can
see the bulge in his pants, and I so badly want to caress it. I
want to feel it throb in my hand.

I feel his fingers move to my back and unhook
my bra. He pulls it off, freeing my breasts, and to my surprise, I
don’t feel self-conscious.

Will looks at my naked chest with his large
blue eyes. “You look amazing, Jo!” he says before he lightly guides
me to a lying position. His mouth moves to my right breast, and he
lightly circles my nipple with his tongue. I’m so excited at this
point that I could come without any further effort.

Will pushes my legs apart and positions
himself between them. Now I can feel his hardness, and I want it
inside me. I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer to me as
he moves his mouth to my left breast.

“I want you,” I whisper in his ear.

“Then you should have me,” Will says in a
breathy voice. I unbutton his shirt and run my fingers over his
smooth pectorals and chiseled abs. I unbuckle his brown leather
belt, unzip his jeans and then reach down the front of his pants
and run my hand up and down his large erection.

“Ohhhh, my God!” he says. He has pleasure
written all over his face, and it makes me feel powerful, which
turns me on even more.

Will lifts himself off of the couch and moves
to his feet. He sheds his shirt and then drops his pants to the
floor. Will is by far the sexiest man that I’ve seen without
clothes. Every part of him is toned and perfect and I want to be
under his ridiculously good-looking body.

“You’re amazing,” I say.

“Thank you,” he says with an air of pride in
his voice. “Now take your skirt off.” I love that he’s telling me
what to do. There’s nothing hotter than a man who takes charge. I
unzip my zipper, pull my skirt down my legs, and kick it to the
floor. Will watches me intently, like a teacher watching a student
practicing a new skill.

“Good girl,” he says.

He bends down and runs his fingers over my
lacy panties. His touch sends what feels like electric current up
my spine, stimulating every part of my body. I lift my pelvis to
try and intensify his touch, but before I know it, Will’s hands
move to the sides of my panties, and he slides them down my legs,
pulls them over my feet, and throws them over his shoulder.