“Show me now! I can’t wait to see this guy and if he’s really hot or if he’s just some old fogy.”
“He’s not an old fogy! Trust me in this, Nellie.”
“Well, show me!”
“I’m not going to show you until you let me see the phone! I want to see the messages!”
“Fine.” I went to turn it on, but then I realized the battery was dead. “I’m sorry,” I giggled self-consciously, “I actually have to charge this. The battery is dead.”
“Oh, how convenient.” Shelby rolled her eyes. “Of course the battery would be dead.”
“Dude, phone batteries don’t last that long—”
“But wasn’t the phone powered off?” She raised an eyebrow. “Something doesn’t add up.”
“Look, I don’t know, but it’s not coming on, okay? I’m going to charge it, and hopefully, it will come on.”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“So show me this guy.”
“Mm … That’s not the deal, though.”
“But you know, I’m going to let you see! Show me the guy.”
“Fine.” She grabbed her phone and handed it to me.
She’d gotten a side shot and the front shot of a tall, muscular man. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and a smile on his face. And he was really hot.
“He’s your dad’s best friend? He doesn’t look as old as your dad. What’s his secret?”
“I don’t think he is as old as my dad. I don’t really know his age, but they’re business contemporaries. So that could really mean anything. Isn’t he dreamy?” She sighed.
“He’s definitely dreamy,” I agreed. “So what’s your plan of action?”
“Girl, I can’t have a plan of action. He’s my dad’s best friend. Could you imagine if my dad ever found out that I had a crush on him? And I mean, what if he was interested in me and we hooked up and my dad found out? All hell would break loose.
“I don’t think all hell would break loose,” I giggled, “just a little bit of hell.”
“You’re silly. Nellie.”
“What?” I laughed. “Let’s be real. Both of us are way in over our heads. These guys do not know what they’d have in store for them, if they even gave us the time of day.”
“I guess lucky for them they’re not currently interested,” she said, and we both started laughing harder than I’d have thought possible about the situation.
Chapter Nine
“I’m really nervous for you to turn the phone on,” I admitted to Shelby as she took it off the charger.
“Why, Nellie? What’s the worst thing he could have said?”
“Nothing,” I said. “If he hasn’t messaged and he hasn’t called, I mean, it means he literally thinks nothing of me.”
“Wow…” Shelby looked at me, surprise in her eyes.
I frowned, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You really like this guy.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t even know him.”
“Yeah. You don’t know him, which is why I don’t understand why you care so much.” She shook her head. “But you like him. I mean, you’re not in love with him, I hope. But you care if he’s interested.”
“I guess I do. I don’t really understand why, though. I guess I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Here’s the phone. Turn it on and let me know. I’m going to go to the restroom. Tell me when I come back.”
I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I didn’t need to use the toilet, but I did need to splash my face with some cold water. I was feeling emotional. I wasn’t sure why the hot dad bothered me so much. Maybe because our interactions had felt personal in some way. Maybe because when I looked into his eyes, I felt a connection and a chemistry with him that I’d never felt with another guy. There was just something about him. He was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous, but even more than that, he was a man, a real man. And there’d been something about the way he’d looked at me. It felt special.
I took a deep breath, dried my hands and my face, and headed back into the bedroom.
“So …” Shelby’s eyes sparkled. “Guess what?”
“What?” Butterflies in my stomach were starting to fly.
“He sent you a message …”
“Oh gosh. And what?”
“He left you a voicemail.”
“No way.” My jaw dropped. “What did he say?”
“I didn’t listen to it, silly. I’m not that invasive, but his message didn't seem bad.”
“What did the message say?”
“Well, his message said …” She pulled up the phone. “So, Nellie, can I ask you why you decided to leave a letter for me? I can’t tell if you want to kill me or make love to me. Which one is it?”
“He did not say that!” Heat rose in my cheeks. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe he said that!”
“Well, it’s a good question.” Shelby pointed out. “Do you want to make love to him or do you want to kill him?”
“I don’t want to do either. I just was trying to be friendly and give him some helpful advice and—”
“You told him he was bangable?”
“What?” My jaw dropped.
“I looked at some of your previous messages.” She laughed. “You totally told him he’s bangable. I can’t believe you.”
“I can’t believe I did that.” I put my face in my hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m going to use that line myself on someone.” She pushed a button on the phone. “So now we’re going to listen to the voicemail. Okay? I can play it on speakerphone.”
“Okay,” I said nervously. “I don’t know if I want to hear it, though. What if he tells me that he hates me and to never bother him again?”
“Girl, why would he call you to tell you that? He texted you, and you didn’t respond to him. If anything, it’s him that’s bothering you.”
“Yes, but I am the one that left him the letter in the first place.”
“Come on, let’s hear the voicemail. Maybe it’s not so bad.”
“Fine. You can play it.”
She pressed the button to retrieve the voicemail and put it on speaker.
“You have one new message,” the machine said while I chewed my lip anxiously.
“Hey there, Nellie, it’s me, Steele.” His voice was deep and melodic, and I shivered. It was so husky and warm, and I loved it.
“Not sure if you got my last message, or if you’re hiding somewhere in shame. But I figured if we were going to talk, it should be in person, not over the phone, and definitely not over text message. You’ve got my number. Call me. That is, if you really want to help me with my kids and possibly have some fun. I’ll be waiting.”
“Oh my gosh!” Shelby screamed after the message finished. “Oh my gosh, what are you going to do, Nellie? What are you going to do?”