AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His jaw clenches. Apparently I hit a nerve. Humor doesn’t seem to be helping. “I’m a grown man. I don’t need someone to tell me to brush my teeth.”
Of course not. We’re getting seriously off track. Again. It’s as if I’ve never had a conversation before. “How about a trial run? You let me assist you for a few weeks and then we reevaluate.” I wince. That sounded vaguely dirty. Again. Is it wrong that his sex appeal doesn’t seem diminished by his lack of personal hygiene? Or his bad attitude.
Ugh…I need to stay focused.
He sighs. “No.”
I should give up. The only reason I’m here is because I can’t say no to my baby sister.
His phone rings. He stares at it for a minute before answering.
“No,” he says loudly. He looks at me steadily, as if staring will get me to disappear.
Maybe I should take the not-so-subtle hint. I take a step backward. His expression doesn’t change. I should definitely go. Why am I not leaving?
He listens. Grunts. Listens some more. Says “no” again. Listens. Says “fine” and hangs up.
“You’re Kelsey’s sister?”
I nod and wait. He doesn’t smirk. Nor does he make an inappropriate comment. Believe me, I’ve heard them all. The only thing he says is, “I guess I’m stuck with you.”
I beam. It isn’t quite the reception I was hoping for, but I’ll take it. He steps out of the doorway and I slowly enter his apartment.
The shades are drawn. Sitting around in the dark during the day would make anyone depressed, so I pull them open. Light floods the room. It might be freezing outside but at least the sun is shining.
All I can see is the office building next door. I’m not surprised—DC apartments aren’t known for their stunning views.
The view inside isn’t much better. Two pizza boxes, three empty bags of chips, two packages of Oreos, an orderly line of beer bottles, and an orange sit on the coffee table. The orange is clearly out of place. Maybe he’s worried he’ll get scurvy.
The back of the sofa is strewn with shirts. Why only shirts? Where are the pants? I wouldn’t mind seeing him shirtless. Before my mind goes completely off track, I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
I sneak a glance in his direction. He’s still watching me steadily.
“Do you want to shower? Or maybe put on a clean shirt?”
He shrugs. I’m pretty sure he’s testing me. For what, I’m less sure. He acquiesced to letting me in a little too suddenly. And now he’s watching and waiting.
I’ve had plenty of patients who didn’t want to see me. In marriage counseling, it’s often one spouse pushing for counseling and the other agreeing under duress. Somehow, this feels different. I’ve invaded his personal space, which I never did with my patients. I’m not sure what a friend or an assistant would do right now, but I can’t help wishing he’d disappear for ten minutes so I can tidy up. His neighbors clearly don’t have to worry about an overuse of the vacuum. How does he live like this?
“Has anyone been here recently—other than you?”
“I just got in on Monday,” he says. I learned that he played in Miami last season, so it’s conceivable he hasn’t been here in months. Although, if it’s this disorderly after such a short time, I shudder to imagine what his place in Miami looked like.
“Okay,” I respond with a reassuring smile. “What about a girlfriend?”
He shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Friends?”
“The only people who’ve ever been here are Cam and Amber. And neither of them have been here recently.”
“Amber?”
“Amber Hope.”
My jaw hits the floor. “Pop star extraordinaire Amber Hope?.”
He rolls his eyes. “We’re friends. We hang out sometimes. I walk the red carpet with her. She doesn’t have a boyfriend and likes the company.”
