Meant For Her (5 page)

Chapter 8

A knock at the door the next morning made the dogs go ballistic. Evan frowned and paused the video game he was playing. After debating for a minute, he got up to answer it. He assumed it was Sierra and tried to convince himself that the sudden increase in his heart rate was due to his irritation over being interrupted.

When he looked through the peephole, though, there was no denying his disappointment. He shrugged that off and opened the door.

“How’d you get up here?” Evan asked, trying to keep Miller and Beck from flying out into the hallway.

Cole grinned. “I happen to know the property manager really well. She’s seen me in my underwear doing naughty things.”

“Are you talking about Sierra?”

“Yep.”

Without waiting for an invitation, Cole elbowed his way past him and into his apartment. He bent down to pet the enthusiastic dogs as he walked in and looked around. His gaze stopped on the television.

“Hey, is that the new Grid game?”

Resigned, Evan closed the door and moved into the apartment. “Yeah.”

“Is it any good? I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet.”

“Pick up a remote and let’s go.”

Cole looked torn. Evan saw him wrestling with himself.

“What are you doing here, mate?” he asked at last. “You could have called, you know.”

“Yeah, but you would’ve just told me no. This way, I can drag you out bodily by force if needed.”

Evan snorted. “You think you could take me?”

Flexing his bicep, Cole said, “You may have me in height by an inch, but I’m married to a physical therapist who puts me through regular strength training torture sessions. Bring it.”

Shaking his head, Evan walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. Holding one up, he looked at Cole, who held up a hand. He tossed the second bottle to him, then cracked the top on his and drank half the bottle in one draw.

“Where, exactly, are you planning on dragging me?” he asked.

“I figured we could take in some BP at Chip’s.”

Evan’s eyebrows lifted. He and Cole used to visit Chip’s Batting Cages every weekend for batting practice. Those were some of the best memories of his childhood.

“That place still exists?”

“Yep. Chip’s son, Luke, runs it now. They’ve redone the place since we were kids.”

Looking at the television, Evan considered blowing off the suggestion. He was perfectly content holing up in his apartment between ballgames. Why his friends were so insistent on him going out and being social was beyond him.

“Come on, man,” Cole said. “You’ve got to see this place now. You won’t be sorry.”

“Do they still have the nachos with the atomic cheese that could melt your stomach lining?”

“You know it. I’ll buy.”

“Extra jalapenos?”

“That’s the only way to live, my friend.”

Five minutes later, they headed out. Just as Evan told the dogs to behave and locked his door, the elevator dinged. Two young women emerged, one a tanned, dark-haired beauty with legs for miles, and the other a brunette with fair skin and eyes so blue they looked purple. Cole and Evan didn’t move from in front of the apartment door, content to watch them walk closer.

They stopped in front of Sierra’s door and knocked, but both of them stared back. The dark-haired one lifted a brow and tossed her straight hair over her slender shoulder. The brunette smiled.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Hannah, and this is Zoe. We’re friends of Sierra’s. Are you the new neighbors?”

When Cole shoved him forward, Evan glowered at him before he advanced.

“I am. Name’s Evan. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, I love your accent!” Hannah said as she reached out to shake his hand. “But I’m sure you hear that all the time.”

He shrugged without comment. When the door opened, he glanced over. Leo stood next to Sierra with his tail wagging violently. How she got the ball of fur to stay put when he clearly wanted to pounce was beyond him. His gaze slid from the dog to Sierra’s legs. She wore flip-flops with some kind of shiny stones on them. Her toes were painted a shade between pink and orange. A hemp bracelet wrapped around her left ankle, which also bore a tattoo…something colorful with intricate scrollwork.

His gaze traveled up her shapely calves to her toned thighs, which were revealed by a denim miniskirt with a shredded hem. She wore a pink halter-style top that left her navel exposed. Something winked at him from her midsection.

Was that a belly button ring?

“Hi, Evan,” Sierra said, making his gaze finally shift up to hers. “Are you and Cole heading out?”

He didn’t respond. After a moment, Cole cleared his throat behind him.

“Yeah, we’re out of here,” Cole said. “Thanks for letting me up, Sierra. I’ll bribe him into giving me his code so I don’t have to bother you next time.”

She smiled. “It’s never a bother, Cole. You guys have fun.”

Evan wondered if he’d ever stop feeling this way when he saw her smile. The corners of his mouth had that unfamiliar urge to turn upwards, but he fought it back. Cole gave him another push and got him walking toward the elevator. Behind them, he heard a couple of feminine whispers as the women moved from the hallway into Sierra’s apartment. The door closed on Sierra’s laugh.

He and Cole traveled down the elevator in silence. Once they reached the parking lot, they headed to Cole’s Maserati.

“Not exactly a family car, is it?” Evan asked.

Sighing, Cole climbed into the driver’s seat. “Sadly, no. Everly actually said the ‘M’ word the other day when we discussed shopping for a more family-friendly vehicle. I think I spontaneously aged a decade when she did.”

“Jesus, mate. A minivan?”

“I know, right?” Cole shook his head as he pulled out of the lot. “I told her I refused to consider it until I’m at least thirty. Please, Lord, let some car company design a non-dorky minivan between now and then.”

“Better you than me. That’s all I can say.”

Cole slid him a sideways glance. “Oh, I don’t know. Judging by how you were acting around Sierra back there, you might not be as far from wedding bells and minivans as you think.”

Evan frowned. “Since when is finding a woman attractive a sign that you’re on the marriage track? There are many other kinds of relationships to be had with sexy females, though maybe you’ve forgotten that in your old age.”

“Are you considering proposing one of those other types of relationships with Sierra?”

Something in the tone of Cole’s question had him drumming his fingers on his thigh. In fact, the entire conversation was starting to piss him off.

“I’m not considering anything, okay?” he responded. “I barely know her. The last thing I want to do is get tied down here…or anywhere, for that matter. I like being unfettered.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Cole said, his shoulders relaxing. “That’s what I told Sierra.”

He stilled. “What?”

“We were chatting at the photo shoot yesterday, and she mentioned you. I got the sense she was getting interested in you as more than just a new neighbor.”

“You did?”

Why did that make him feel like he was back in high school and the most popular girl in school had asked him to prom?

“Yep. Since you’re both friends of mine, I thought it’d be best if she knew that you don’t intend to stick around.”

For some reason, that made Evan want to reach over and choke his friend. But why? Hadn’t he just told Sierra that very same thing?

“You did the right thing,” he said at last.

Now, he thought as he stared out the window, he just had to convince himself of that.

Chapter 9

Sierra, Zoe, and Hannah ate lunch at Tijuana Flats. They tried to get together every couple of weeks, depending on their schedules. Since Hannah was a student at Georgia State University and Zoe worked as a runner for a downtown law firm, Sierra’s schedule was the most flexible. She was happy to work around their availability.

Hannah used her napkin to wipe sour cream from the side of her mouth and asked Sierra, “How’s everything going over at Z?”

Sierra took a sip of her Diet Coke before replying. “The studios are doing great. I’m so happy for Bastian. All of his dreams are coming true.”

“It sure would be nice if he’d make my dreams come true and pay me,” Zoe said dryly around a bite of her taco salad. “He still owes me from a job I did three months ago.”

Zoe modeled part-time, which was how Sierra had met her. Her comment was puzzling.

“Really? I had no idea. But then, I’m always on-site when I collect my pay.” Giving it some thought, she hazarded, “It could be his assistant, Camille, who’s having trouble keeping up with that stuff. I get the sense that she isn’t the savviest with bookkeeping.”

Zoe gave her a pointed look.

“I’ll ask for your check,” Sierra said. “No worries.”

“Ooo,” Hannah giggled. “If you could get your new neighbor to say, ‘No worries, mate,’ that would be fan-freaking-tastic.”

Poking Hannah in the side, Zoe said, “How cliché. Next you’re going to want him to grill another shrimp on the barbie.”

“Only if he says it before he does.”

Zoe snorted in laughter. Sierra smiled. It was nice to see her usually more serious friend enjoying herself.

“Have things gotten any better at Stokes and Freeman, Zoe?” she asked.

When Zoe’s brown eyes once again grew serious, Sierra had her answer. She felt bad for her friend, who had struggled to hold down a job since graduating high school. Odd as it was, her beauty often worked against her in the professional world.

“It’s miserable,” Zoe said, poking at her salad. “I’ve officially decided that I hate lawyers.”

Sierra reached over and rubbed her arm. “What happened?”

“She got hit on by one of the partners,” Hannah answered. Since she was Zoe’s roommate, she was more in the loop than Sierra. “He wasn’t happy to hear no as an answer, so he’s making Zoe’s job ten times harder than it needs to be.”

Sierra thought about Matt Jensen and his cheesy come-on line. It had made her uncomfortable, but her aunt had come to her rescue. She couldn’t imagine having that experience in a job that she needed to keep in order to pay the bills.

“I’m so sorry, Zoe,” she said. “Is there anything we can do?”

Pushing her unfinished salad away, she shook her head. “No, but thanks. You know I love you guys.”

“My offer still stands,” Hannah said. “If you want, I’ll hunt the guy down and tear off his balls.”

“And that’s why I love you. But I just have to deal with it.”

“No, you don’t,” Sierra argued. “There has to be someone you can talk to. Maybe one of the other partners?”

“You don’t understand, Sierra. I work for one of the oldest law firms in the city. It’s the Good Ol’ Boys Club. Runners like me come and go in a blink.”

“I still say you should update your résumé and look for another position,” Hannah said.

Sierra’s intuition tingled when she saw the brief flicker of a reaction cross Zoe’s face. She sat up straighter.

“Well…” Zoe fiddled with a napkin. “Actually, another friend of mine mentioned this support position for an interior design firm in Buckhead.”

“Zoe, you should apply,” Sierra said.

“Yeah, what could it hurt?” Hannah echoed.

Sierra watched her usually self-assured friend stare down at the table. It looked like she might even be fighting off tears. She hadn’t ever seen Zoe cry.

Reaching over and putting her arm around Zoe, she asked, “Why wouldn’t you at least apply?”

“Because I have zero education or experience in interior design,” Zoe said, speaking quickly, as though she had to get all of her fears on the table.

“That’s not true,” Sierra argued. “You helped design my apartment, and you did yours, too. I’d be happy to take some shots of our places to start a portfolio.”

Zoe blinked at that. “A portfolio?”

“Yes!” Hannah declared with a nod. “You’ve totally got to try, Zoe.”

“But it’s crazy,” she said, waving her hands and nearly toppling her drink. “It’s so far outside of anything I’ve done before.”

“Hey,” Sierra said, reaching out and taking one of Zoe’s flailing hands. Hannah took the other. “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.”

This time, there was no mistaking the tears in Zoe’s eyes. “You two are the best friends ever.”

While Zoe dabbed her eyes with a corner of her napkin, Sierra took another bite of her quesadilla. She knew in her heart that Zoe was finally on the right path. It made her incredibly happy.

“And how’s our journalist-in-training?” she asked Hannah.

Wrinkling her nose, Hannah sighed. “I don’t know. I really thought I wanted to go into investigative journalism, but I just think it’s too cutthroat for me.”

Sierra silently agreed. Zoe wasn’t as subtle.

“You’re right,” she said. Before Sierra or Hannah could give her a look, she added, “But you’ll be one hell of a journalist, no matter what style you choose.”

Hannah beamed. “Thanks, Zoe.”

“Have you ever thought about sports journalism?” Sierra asked.

“Well, no.” Hannah’s brow wrinkled. “I guess it’s a path to consider.”

“You’d get to travel,” Sierra pointed out, knowing her friend loved to do that.

“And you’d meet lots of hot athletes,” Zoe added with an eyebrow wiggle. “Like third baseman Evan Dorsey.”

Her eyes widening, Hannah looked at Sierra. “Evan the sizzlin’ Aussie is a ballplayer?”

“Geez,” Zoe said with an eye roll. “If you do end up choosing sports journalism for your career path, you’re going to need to vastly improve your education in actual sports.”

Sierra smiled. “Yes, Evan’s a ballplayer. He was just traded to Atlanta from L.A.”

“Is he any good?” Hannah asked.

“Seriously—a
lot
of education,” Zoe said. “Like, ‘hole up for a week with Evan Dorsey and pick his brain’ kind of education.”

Hannah grinned. “Could I do more than pick his brain?”

“I’d have to object to that,” Sierra said with a lift of her hand. “I call dibs.”

“Yeah?” Zoe sat back in her chair. “You planning on jumping him soon?”

Sierra laughed. “Yes. But it’s more than that.” She wondered if she could possibly express what she’d felt since she first spotted Evan sitting alone at the wedding reception. “There’s this connection. It started the very first time we saw each other. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. We’ve still got a lot to learn about each other, but I can’t help but feel that he’s the one who’s meant for me.”

Zoe’s humor faded. “Are you serious? Sierra, you hardly know the guy. Are you telling me you love him?”

Sierra took a sip of her drink and looked her friends in the eyes, knowing they’d see her answer without her having to say anything. In light of how society approached relationships, she knew they thought she was nuts. People didn’t fall in love in an instant. But she knew love came in many forms, and started as a seed that grew over time. She also knew she could count on their support, regardless of what happened. They exchanged a look, Zoe’s brow furrowing.

Hannah’s mouth pursed in thought before she nodded. “Sierra, you have this weird sense about stuff like this. You’re the one who convinced me that it was time to move out of my dad’s trailer and find a place of my own, even though I didn’t have a job or a penny to my name. Now look at me.” She reached over and gave Sierra a hug. “I’m thrilled for you. Is it okay if I fantasize about him for a few weeks, though?”

Laughing again, Sierra nodded and looked at Zoe.

“Hell, you just convinced me to apply for a job I’m not remotely qualified for. If you say he’s the one for you, I believe you.”

Sierra was buoyed by the support of her friends. Although she felt confident in her feelings, it helped to have some encouragement. She returned home from the lunch feeling optimistic.

Since she smelled the cooking oil from the restaurant on her hair and skin, she took a shower and changed into a sleeveless cotton maxi-dress in swirls of green and gold. While she was brushing her hair, she heard Miller and Beck barking, followed by the faint thud of a door. She realized that Evan was home. There was something she wanted to run by him, so she put her brush down and hunted for a pair of sandals so she could pay him a visit.

When she walked out of the apartment’s only bedroom, she heard another sound, this one alerting her to the fact that Evan had opened the door to his balcony. It seemed it wouldn’t require a knock on his door to chat with him this time.

Opening the door to her own balcony, she stepped outside. The humid air hit her like a slap, but she breathed it in. Turning, she saw him watching her from where he stood on his own balcony. Seeing him made her smile.

“Hi, Evan. Don’t you need to get to the stadium?”

“I’m leaving after I walk the dogs.”

“Okay. Did you have fun with Cole?”

“Are you this chatty with all the neighbors?”

So, he was cranky. A new mood to learn.

“Yes,” she said.

He stared at her for another minute, his gaze moving from her damp hair to beneath the balcony railing where the wooden newels left enough room to see the bottom of her dress. He looked away without answering her question.

“I wanted to offer to look after Miller and Beck while you’re gone on your road trips this season. They get along so well with—”

“I’ve got someone handling it, thanks.”

Disappointment flashed through her. She’d been looking forward to having the dogs together. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might have already made arrangements.

“Oh. Okay.” She smiled anyway, figuring it couldn’t hurt when facing his dour expression. “Good luck at the game tonight.”

She went back inside and closed the door, leaning against it. Leo hurried up to her with his tail wagging. Kneeling down, she buried her face in his fur.

“Sorry, buddy,” she murmured. “I tried.”

Leo licked her cheek and whined in an expression of affection, making her smile again. He never failed to lift her spirits. Since she wasn’t going to be caring for Miller and Beck, she supposed she would use this upcoming road trip in a productive way.

She’d spend some time thinking about how she could break down the barrier that Evan seemed intent on keeping between them.