I can’t help but laugh. If he could see me right now, he wouldn’t be so eager to “catch up.” Half of my living room is covered in snotty tissues. I’m wearing a pair of yoga pants that have a hole in them from the time I snagged my leg on a steel fence when I went for a jog. My white shirt has last night’s dinner spilled down the front, and I haven’t brushed either my hair or my teeth.
“Thank you for making me smile, but I think I’ll pass.”
Christian sighs. “Come on, Jen, have a cup of coffee with an old friend while he’s in town.”
“I’m really not in the mood to go out.” Hopping off the couch, I gather the mountain of tissues sitting on the coffee table. Even if I have no plans to go out, I don’t have to live like a slob.
I freeze when Christian mutters, “Then I guess it's lucky I came to you.” His comment coincides with three loud taps hitting the front door of my apartment.
I glare at my door, certain there’s no way he could get past the security in the lobby. My dad rented this apartment because of its impeccable security services. Unless you're a tenant, or you’ve been placed on an approved list, you can’t even access the elevators in the lobby.
“Answer your door, Jenni, or I’ll have the security guy come and open it for me,” Christian says down the phone. I also hear his voice rumbling through my front door.
Panicked out of my mind, my wide gaze flicks down to my outfit. I cringe. My apartment isn’t the only slobbish thing around these parts. I look like I’m homeless. I consider running to my room and getting changed, then I realize my current state will be the perfect way to repel Christian. He’s a player, meaning he and Nick can go row up the same creek without a paddle as far as I’m concerned.
I swing open my door before I can change my mind. Christian’s plump lips curve into a large grin as his dazzling eyes stray to mine. He gives me a flirty wink before lowering his heavy-lidded gaze down my body. Taking advantage of his distraction, I scan his body, nearly stomping my feet. Of course, he’s wearing an impeccably tailored suit. His long blond hair has been cut into a more mature style, and he has a slight bit of stubble on his jaw, making him appear more mature than his twenty-two years. His body has changed a lot the past four years as well. The skinny boy I was used to seeing has been replaced with a man.A very well-built man.
I snap out of my trance when Christian’s eyes lift and lock with mine. “Still as dazzling as ever.” He leans in to press a kiss on my cheek. His minty breath reminds me that I didn’t brush my teeth this morning.
Curving my hand over my mouth to save face, I murmur, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
After shutting my front door, I dash into my bathroom. The shuffling of my feet along the floorboards echoes in the silence that has underscored our reunion.
In a record amount of time, I brush my teeth and hair and change into more suitable attire for guests. It isn’t that I want to impress Christian; I just don’t want to look like a slob. By the time I make it back to my living room, Christian has cleared away my used tissues and stacked my magazines and books into a neat pile on the coffee table.
“A book I was reading was really sad; one of the characters died. I’ve always been a bit of a crybaby,” I inform him, covering up my tears with a lie.
He spins around to face me, removing his suit jacket on the way. “You’ve always been a big softie.”
When my eyes zoom in on his impressive six pack visible under his nearly see-through white business shirt, I silently beg him to put his jacket back on. I’m not strong enough for this.
Spotting my scan of his body, he chuckles before moving to stand in front of me. “You’ve always been a blusher as well.”
The back of his hand rubs my heated cheeks. It’s a kind gesture, but it also reminds me that I attract the wrong type of man.
“Yeah, I have been — just like you’ve always been a player.”
I pull away from his embrace and amble to the kitchen. He wants to have coffee, so we’re going to have coffee.And only coffee.
Chuckling, Christian shadows me into the kitchen. I switch on the kettle and collect the mugs from the cabinet while he takes a seat at one of the two chairs I have around my shabby chic dining table.
I add coffee and sugar to our mugs while asking, “How did you get past my security?”
When he doesn’t answer me, I spin around to face him. Grinning, he shrugs. I really wish he'd stop friggin’ smiling.His smile is the main reason he became the school’s biggest player. He didn’t have to compete with the quarterback or the basketball captain. He just smiled, and the girls came running.
* * *
Although peeved at his unexpected arrival, the next two hours go smoothly. Christian and I spend the entire time talking. He tells me how he was studying at another university in New York before he caught the acting bug. For the past year, he's been filming a movie due to be released in a couple of weeks. He seems to have matured a lot over the years, but I can still see the player sparkle in his eyes.
“So what are you doing all the way in New York?” He sinks into his sofa chair before draping his arm so it touches my shoulder.
I reposition myself so he can no longer touch me. “I’m studying fashion design.”
My lips curve into their first smile of the day. I’ve always loved fashion. I don’t believe you need to find one style and stick to it. Why can’t you love jeans, dresses, and skirts all the same? I love dressing to match how I feel for the day. That’s why today’s outfit was so lacking in personality.
“Like costumes?” Christian tugs on a piece of my hair that’s fallen from my messy bun.
“No, like clothes you find in stores.”
