CHAPTER 13—Olivia
When the sun rises the next day I wake up wearing Jake’s clothes with no memory of putting them on.
It smells so much like him that I never want to take off. It’s a mixture of night life and an ocean scent.
I snug deeper into his bed; it was sad that he wasn’t here when I woke up. Having him put his arms around me was the best I’ve felt in my life. Or at least close to it.
I’m getting out of bed when a certain pair of hazel eyes flash in my head. I’m not sure yet what to make of what she told me at the party.
Asking Jake might be improper, and he might get defensive, it might even turn out worse if she lying.
I mean his supposed father was leaving his entire company in his hands, which meant he had a lot of trust in Jake.
Maybe it was nothing. Just sibling rivalry and I was now choosing to stay out of it. Whatever was going on with his family was not my concern. Besides, I wasn’t even his real wife.
When I follow his voice I find him in the kitchen making coffee. He slides me a mug filled with the brown liquid and eyes me wearily.
“You seemed pretty out of it last night” he says slowly like he’s gauging my reaction.
I nod, “Was exhausted, I’ve never been around so many people before” I explain, and he visibly relaxes.
“I should have warned you about the proposal. It was all father’s idea; I wasn’t even aware of it” he goes on and I feel bad for him.
His blaming himself for what his father set up.
“I’m not angry Jake, I don’t know what gave you that idea” I sip the hot coffee and hiss.
“You didn’t talk to me all through the drive home” he says.
“I was barely awake,” what he doesn’t know is that a certain red plagued my thoughts just as much as he did.
“It felt like you were upset because it was sudden”
“Jesus, Jake, drop it. I’m really not angry. If anything, thank you for helping me out of my clothes…I like yours better,” I don’t know why I say that last bit, but I do.
There’s finally a smile on his face, which suits him better.
“Is there a gym here anyways? I feel pretty much out of shape” I ask him, my 6-pack was barely invisible with all the carbs he has been feeding me.
He winks at me “Was waiting for when you’d ask that. There’s one around the corner, you can come with me now if you want” he offers, and I don’t need to be asked twice.
“Let me find something suitable to wear real quick” I run in and put on the first short I find with a tank top.
I pull my hair into a pony tail as I walk back to the kitchen.
“This okay?” I ask Jake whose eyes are fixated on something that isn’t my face.
He gulps “Sure, let’s go.”
The gym is in fact not around the corner, it’s in his building last floor. Can’t believe I didn’t ask earlier.
When I put my legs on the treadmill it feels like I finally found heaven.
I go easy at first, testing my legs before going full speed like I always did. In a few minutes I’ve already built-up sweat and I loved every bit of those tiny drops.
There’s a tap on my shoulder and I turn with a smile until a strange face is thrust into my view.
“Hello” I say a little harshly.
It doesn’t deter the hunk of a man in front of me. It helps that we’re slightly the same height, I could take him down if it ever came to that.
“Seems to me like you are working that machine so fine” he says and his probably fake teeth flashes in my face.
“Your point?” I’m growing impatient.
“For you to work me the same?” his voice is husky and hopeful, but he’s got the wrong chick.
I laugh “You’re probably the reason I hate men” I say but he still doesn’t get the memo. I sigh.
“Chill out dude I’m gay” I say with a disgusted look at the same time Jake says, “She’s married dude” and I want to punch him in the face.
“I had this handled” I whisper to him.
He put a hand over my shoulder “So did I.”
The man puts his hands up “Sorry man, I didn’t know” he says before he walks off.
I shrug Jake’s arm off and face him “You don’t have to go around telling people that we’re married”
“Why not? The wedding is scheduled in two weeks”
“You’re missing the point. You can only tell your family about the marriage, just not to strangers”
“Why can’t I?” he is being stubborn right now and I want to smack him across the head.
“Then what happens when we’re not married anymore” I say with air quotes “And I have to explain to random people that I wasn’t really married.”
“Why do you care about random people?” he asks, and I groan because he’s asking for it now.
“You never know where you’ll meet someone again, and it’ll hurt me more than it will you. Let’s just go, you’ve totally ruined the mood.”
“What do you mean ruined the mood? If anything you should be the one not going off about how you’re gay. What if word gets out then it ruins what we have going?”
“So the problem now is that I’m gay?” I can’t with him right now, how does he even think?
“Yes!” he yells like he has been trying to get it out of his system, “You don’t have to remind me every time that you’re gay!”
“So expressing my sexuality now is a problem?”
It’s a good thing that the gym is now empty because we stood opposite each other with fumes leaving our ears.
Sweet Jake is gone and in place of him is this guy that I don’t even realize. “I’m out of here!” I throw in the air and leave, taking the elevator to his apartment floor.
When I go in Kyle is standing in the middle of the sitting area. Not him too!
“What do you want?” I ask him when he stares at me for way too long.
“Where’s Jake?” he asks.
Said human walks in with a scowl on his face. Good for me because I wasn’t going to answer the question.
“What the hell is wrong with both of you?” Kyle asks when he notices the murderous looks we’re giving each other.
I point at Jake at the same time that he points at me. I scoff “Why are you acting like a kid?” I tease.
He smiles “You did the same thing that I did.”
“Why are you all acting like a bunch of kids?” Kyle butts in when he sees us get closer. “How about you both go shower and we’ll all have breakfast together.”
My stomach chooses that time to grumble, and I see Jake trying to hide a smile, so I flash him the middle finger before storming off.
When I come back out Jake is already wolfing down eggs with Kyle giving him a disapproving look.
I take the seat across Jake. He stops only a moment to fill my plate with food before he continues.
One look at the plate and it was obvious Jake knew the way to my heart.
“Thank you” I tell him and for that moment our little quarrel is forgotten. That was the thing about food, it had the power to bring the worst of enemies together.
When I’m done I go to wash off my plate at the sink.
I’m almost done when I feel Jake come up behind me. I know it’s him because his scent immediately fills my nose and I feel light-headed for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry” he whispers as he gets something out from the cupboard above my head, it doesn’t help that he’s a foot taller than me.
His voice is so soft that it feels like cold water chilling me to the bone, “It’s fine I’m sorry too” I mutter.
His hands slide to my waist to steady me when my legs falter “So we cool?”
I nod because words have failed me.
Everything about him starts to overwhelm my sense. His breath is hot against my neck and my entire back is pressed his front.
Every curve of my body fits into his, like we were mean for each other. It takes everything not to fold further into him and let his hands keep roaming.
I clear my throat and turn to put space between us but end up pressing my boobs into him, “Sorry” I mutter and start to step back when my back hits the sink.
“What is it Olivia? Does my closeness affect you more than you let on?” his mouth is turned up at the side in a blooming smile.
I scoff “Of course not, I would have to be attracted to you to even be affected.”
“And in your words you can’t ever be attracted to me?” he asks, taking a step closer and leaving no space between us.
“Never” My voice is breathless, “I’m not attracted to men” I remind myself more than him.
“I was kind of getting the impression that you liked this guy standing in front of you. It’ll be best for us if you don’t fight it” he sounds just as affected as I am.
Did I really create that reaction in him? It’s hard to believe that he’s attracted to me in anyway.
I look up at him “I’m not interested in you Jake, snap out of it.”
I am the one trying to snap out of it and keep my head in the game. Why did I feel like this every time he was close to him.
But I couldn’t be attracted to him right? I was wholesomely gay and not into men. I just needed to get laid and remind myself which side of the spectrum I belonged to.
“How about we all club tonight?” I ask suddenly.
Clubs equal to Chicks. Lots of chicks.