Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
I’m a mess.
“What if I didn’t want wine?” I grumble, feeling way out of my depths with Gavin. I’ve been a rather self-assured woman in my life—well at least most of my adult life. I’ve refused to take shit from anyone. Maybe it’s because Gavin is…well…Gavin, that all the old insecurities I had through high school are back. I’m starting to think I had even more than I knew.
“You need it Moth-girl. You’re way too tense. Don’t you know that living in California you’re supposed to be laid back and relaxed all the time?”
“Whoever thinks that, hasn’t spent time on our roads, especially during rush hour.”
“Can’t argue there,” he laughs, giving me my glass.
“For some reason, I thought you would have left California after graduation,” he says taking a drink and watching me over the rim of his glass.
“For some reason, I figured you never thought of me at all,” I grin, feeling more at ease now that he’s not putting the moves on me.
“I was a dumb kid, I admit it, Casey. But, it might surprise you to know that I’ve thought of that night on the football field plenty of times over the years. You were different from what I was used to.”
“Meaning I didn’t fall at your feet?”
“Well, that was different, sure. I should have known then you were special,” he says with a grin and he has no idea that his words make my heart flip inside my chest. “But, honestly, it had more to do with your encouragement. Because of you I went off to play football.”
“You did?” I ask, extremely shocked.
“I did.”
“But then…How did you wind up where you are now?”
“Car wreck my junior year of college. Me and my buddy had been out partying, it was raining and the car hit water and hydroplaned. It flipped and my leg was wedged, fucked up my knee.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I tell him, and I know from the offhanded way he’s explaining things it was probably much worse than I’m imagining.
“Don’t be. Football served its purpose,” he shrugs.
“What was that?”
“Pissed off my parents and taught me to live my life for me,” he grins.
“Good plan,” I tell him looking down at my drink, contemplating his words. “I barely talk to my mother anymore.” The words make me sad, but they’re real. “Last I heard she was living in the Valley with a new husband and the perfect stepdaughter.”
“The perfect stepdaughter?”
“Yeah. I was always a disappointment. The only thing I did right was go to the prom, even though we couldn’t afford the money she spent on the dress. She was convinced I’d find a rich family to marry into and our futures would be set. When that didn’t happen she found herself a rich retired doctor and made it happen herself. Her stepdaughter is a doctor too,” I laugh taking the last drink of my wine. Before I can barely do more than blink, Gavin is filling up my glass again. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” I ask, watching his arm move, as he sets the bottle on the edge of the pool behind me.
“I can’t imagine you being a disappointment to anyone,” he says, ignoring my question about getting me drunk. I let it go, because I figure that might be part of his game. I’m kind of a coward I guess, because I take a drink. I want Gavin. If I decide to give in, I can always blame the alcohol. The thought makes me cringe.
Definitely coward material.
“I’m hitting thirty and I’m a make-up artist with no plans to change my career. I have no husband or 2.5 kids either. I don’t own a home, or even a decent car. In my mother’s world that is failure.”
“Do you want a husband and kids?” he asks and I want to roll my eyes. That would be what he picked up out of all of that.
Typical man.
“I did once upon a time, but that ship has sailed I think,” I shrug and I look at my wine glass noticing it’s almost empty again. I should probably quit now, because I really don’t remember drinking it that fast.
“Sailed how? You’ll be thirty. Jesus, Moth-girl we’re not over the hill here.”
“Yeah, but I’d want to be married and settled and since that’s not in the picture yet,” I shrug. “I don’t want to be fifty years old going to my child’s cheerleading practices or soccer matches.”
“Will you drive a minivan too?”
“I like vans,” I shrug, laughing.
“Me too, we can drive up on the hill by the Hollywood sign, put the seats down and I’ll fuck you so hard, you’ll feel like you’re seventeen again.”
“Interesting idea, but I think my mythical husband and father of my children would have a problem with it,” I laugh, putting my glass down then diving into the water and swimming to the other side of the pool—getting some distance from him and clearing my head at the same time. I cry out in shock when I feel his hands go around my stomach in the water. We float back up like that, him maneuvering me so I’m pinned between his body and the wall of the pool.