[English novel] SOMETHING GREAT (Điều Tuyệt Vời)

Something Great
Page 8



I hung up with a frowning face and looked at Becky, who had been staring at me the whole time, as if she knew. Perhaps the speaker had told her what company she was from.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, pulling me into a hug. “There’ll be other jobs, I promise.”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Not only was I a bad liar, I couldn’t even fake disappointment that long. “I got the job!” I squealed at the top of my lungs.

Becky pulled back, squinting her eyes, looking surprised. “You….” She socked me lightly on my arm. “Congrats!” She pulled me in again and squeezed me tightly.

“Ahhh…I can’t believe it. I thought they would take at least another week to decide.”

“So when do you start?”

“They said as soon as possible. I’ll have to go in and talk about details.” Floating above the ground from the awesome news, I plopped myself on the sofa. Becky went to the kitchen to throw her apple core away, sank down next to me, and narrowed her eyes at my sweater. “You’re not wearing that tonight, are you?”

For a second, I had forgotten I had a date, and I stared at my half-eaten apple. “Should I wear something else? I thought you liked my sweater.”

As if she had sat on a pin, she jolted up and quickly pulled me along with her to her bedroom. “You need to wear something else if you want him to kiss you.”

Becky’s room was like mine, very simple. A queen size bed sat in the middle of her room, a tall wooden dresser was placed at the corner, and a small desk was situated on the opposite side of the dresser. One positive thing about our apartment was that we each had our own bathroom, but the down side was that when our guests needed to use one, they had a peek of our rooms.

On top of the desk were a computer and her cell phone, and the top of the dresser was adorned with several Swarovski crystal picture frames I had gifted to her on her birthday. In one of the frames was a picture of us that I had slid inside. Another one held a shot of the four of us—Nicole, Katie, Becky, and I. The third frame held a picture of her family—her parents and her younger sister.

Rummaging through the closet, sliding hanger after hanger, she pulled out a black dress. “Here. This is the perfect dress. He won’t be able to resist you with this on.”

I was just about to take a bite, but instead I shook my head vigorously. “Noooo way. That thing is way too tight and too low. I don’t want to tease him or send him the wrong message.”

“Just try it on, and if you don’t like it, you can take it off. It doesn’t look the way you think it looks.”

How could I say no when she gave me the puppy eyes and an alternative? With a sigh, I exchanged the apple for the dress and tossed it on her bed. After I stripped off my sweater and pants, I slipped it on and stood in front of her long closet mirror. To my surprise, I liked it. It transfigured me into an elegant woman. Dipping just enough to show the cle**age of my br**sts…but not too much…it fell nicely on the curves of my body.

I felt different, more confident and even beautiful. Turning to face Becky, I knew she would give me an “I told you so” look, and sure enough she did. Shaking her head with a proud gleam, she lit a huge smile. “Love, love, love. See…I always know what’s best for you. Come on, let’s fix your hair and makeup.”

Becky handed my apple back to me, tugged me to the bathroom, and started to fuss with my face and hair. “If only that guy from the restaurant could see you. If you had been dressed like this, he would have come to our table for sure.”

“He was with someone, remember? Why are we even talking about him?” I arched my brows. “I’m going out with your favorite person.” Rubbing in the word “favorite,” I watched her grimacing facial expression.

“Okay…I’ll give Luke a chance if you tell me that you like him after you kiss him.” She reached over with one hand while holding the curling iron with the other. Placed in front of me were a pair of fake diamond earrings and a pendant necklace. “Here. Save some time, put these on.”

“You don’t give up, do you? And thanks.”

“Nope, not when it has to do with your happiness.”

Needing free hands, I bit the apple in my mouth and put them on. They added a touch of flavor to the dress. Then my mind wandered to thoughts of Nicole, and I turned to face Becky as I took the last bite of the apple, but she guided me back to face the mirror. “That was a good idea putting us in a group text,” I slurred as I chomped away.

“Now hold still or I’ll burn you by accident,” she scolded. “And yes…it was a good idea. Glad I thought of it.” She giggled proudly with a smirk on her face.

“At least we can be close to each other through texting, since it’s difficult to get together. We’re still on for tomorrow night, right?”

“Didn’t you read the text?”

“That’s the problem with group texting; if you don’t scroll up, you miss things. I guess somehow I missed it. Nicole seemed fine when I called her last night, but you know how she is. She won’t say much.”

“Don’t worry. If she says she’s fine then she is. Just worry about your date tonight.” She let go of the strand of hair that she’d just curled. It bounced softly against my cheeks, but it was hot so I turned a bit to the right. I thought about telling her that I had run into him, but it didn’t matter. The likelihood of running into him again was slim to none. And again, I was dating Luke, not him.

Something Great
Page 9



Just as she finished curling the last section of my hair, the doorbell chimed. Looking at my watch, I saw that he was right on time. Startled, I flashed my eyes to Becky.

“I’ll open the door. Go get your black heels, sweater, and your purse.”

“Thanks.” I hugged her, speed walked to the kitchen to throw the apple core away, and headed toward my room.

Taking a peek through the crack of my bedroom door, I could see Luke standing by the door waiting, looking slightly uncomfortable next to Becky. He wore casual black pants and a yellow sweater, bringing out his emerald green eyes. He looked simply “nice.” Smiling, I paced toward them, wondering what kind of questions she was drilling him with. She was really good at that. Though at times it was annoying, I knew her heart. Her intentions were always good.

The clicking sound of my high heels caught Luke’s attention. When I caught his eye, his eyes popped open with a shy smile. I couldn’t read what he was thinking, but I think he liked what he saw.

“Hello,” I said nervously. Though the unbuttoned sweater covered the front of the dress somewhat, you could still see a little cle**age. I wasn’t used to wearing any type of clothing that even showed a peek of my br**sts…except my swimsuit, sort of.

“Hi,” he greeted. “You look very nice.”

“Thanks, so do you.”

Then it was silent. The three of us stood there for an awkward several seconds until I finally spoke. “Shall we?”

Luke nodded and I led him out the door. Just before I closed the door behind me I looked over my shoulder. Of course Becky was right behind me, puckering her lips, making a kissing sound. “I can’t wait.”

I busted out laughing, but just before it became even louder, I covered my mouth. Shaking my head, I mouthed. “I love you too. Don’t wait up for me.”

She raised her brows in surprise, but her interpretation of “don’t wait up for me” was different than mine.

Chapter 6

Luke wasn’t the “perfect gentleman” type of guy. Most men opened the car door for their date, but he never showed that kind of charisma. But what did I know about men, anyway? They were all different, just like us. Was it too much for me to want him to open the door for me?

The restaurant was nice, dimly lit, and not too crowded. White linen tablecloths covered the tables that were adorned with candles on top, giving it a romantic ambiance. I had to give him cre*** for that. The hostess took us toward the back to a table for two, but the tables were very close together. I had hoped there wouldn’t be anyone sitting near us.

The hostess pulled out my chair, and after I sat, she placed the white linen napkin on my lap. “Thank you,” I said to her.

“The waiter will be right with you.” She smiled and left.

“How was your day?” Luke asked. He had one eye on me and the other eye on the phone. “Sorry…checking an urgent email.”

“That’s okay. I had a fantastic day actually. I got the job I was talking about.” I tried my best to contain my excitement, but he looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. I clearly remembered texting him about it the night before. Apparently, he hadn’t read the text or had forgotten.

“Yes, of course, I remember,” he said slowly and mechanically as his eyes flickered to his phone, then to me. “That’s wonderful. What position will you be holding for the company?”

“I’ll be going in to talk about that next week.”

“I see,” he nodded, looking past me, seemingly in deep thought, but not about our conversation.

The waiter came by with the menus. “May I take your orders for your drinks?”

I was just about to ask for a glass of water when Luke broke in. “We’ll both have glasses of water, please.”

He didn’t even ask me what I wanted. I brushed it off, thinking he knew I always ordered water.

“Sure.” The waiter left after he told us the specials.

Gazing from top to bottom of the menu, I had a hard time deciding what to order, especially when all I could think of was the need to use the restroom. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back. Can you order me the salmon special if the waiter comes back before I do?”

“Sure.”

Not knowing exactly where the restroom was, I headed toward the back where restrooms were usually located. This place was like a maze, or I had a very bad sense of direction. Seeing a bar, I thought I’d ask the bartender.

Though there was no one standing behind the bar, I figured the bartender went to get something and would be right back. From where I stood, I could see the waitress and waiters, but I didn’t feel like walking in that direction again just to ask a question, so I waited. I could see the pendant on my neck sparkling brilliantly against the mirrored wall. What a great fake diamond!

From the corner of my eye I saw a figure, but dismissed it and shifted my eyes to the right, where they settled on the elusive restroom sign. I was just about to head in that direction when someone spoke to me from behind in a deep, manly voice that sent shivers down my back.

“I’m your prescription. Let me be your new addiction.” His words glided like butter, smooth and cool.

Startled, I twitched, and turned my body to his voice. There he was, all six feet of him, peering down on me with that smile that could make me do just about anything. Though there was nothing to laugh about, especially seeing this hottie in front of me, I couldn’t help but giggle from his words.

Something Great
Page 10



He wore beige casual pants and a black sweater that fit perfectly to the tone of his body. His hair was brushed to the side, showing his nice forehead. Whatever kind of cologne he had on made me want to dive right into his arms…maybe it wasn’t the cologne, but just him.

“Pretty cheesy, huh?” he chuckled.

I shyly giggled as I stared down at my shoes. What’s wrong with me? Answer him. “Umm…kind of,” I smiled as I peered up, only to have him take my breath away again.

“Sorry. I just had to say that. You looked so lost and vulnerable. Did you need some help?”

Great! To him I was just a lost puppy…lost and vulnerable. “I actually found what I was looking for.” I was staring into his eyes, melting, feeling myself sinking into him. Snap out of it!

“You certainly did,” he said with a playful tone.

Arching my brows in confusion, I thought about what I’d said. From his perspective, my words had been about him.

“We meet again, for the third time.”

He was counting?

“You left so abruptly at Café Express, I didn’t get to ask you for your name.”

“Umm…my name? Oh…my name is Jeanella Mefferd, but you can call me Jenna.”

Extending his hand, he waited for me. “I’m Maxwell. But you can call me Max.”

Nervously, I placed my hand in his to shake. It was strong, yet gentle…just right, and heat blazed through me from his touch.

“Are you here with someone?”

“Yes.” I looked away shyly.

“Are you lost? Do you need some help?”

“Actually, I was looking for the restroom. Since I didn’t know where it was I thought I’d ask the bartender, but I guess there isn’t one, and I’m on my way to the restroom.” I rambled nervously as I slowly pulled my hand back to point in the direction I meant to go. I had just realized we were holding hands during our short conversation. “So…I’d better go.”

“I’ll walk you there.”

What? “Oh…no need. I’m sure I won’t get lost.” Feeling the heat on my face again, I turned before he could say another word, but it didn’t matter what I had said. His hand was gently placed on my back, guiding me to the women’s room. I turned my back to the bathroom door to thank him, but he spoke first.

“I think this is my stop,” he muttered, looking straight at me. “I’m not wanted in there. What do you think?” He arched his brows, and his tone held a note of challenge.

Huh? He wants to go in with me? I gasped silently, as I was still lost in his eyes. “I think the women in there will throw themselves at you.” I couldn’t believe I’d said those words. I couldn’t take it back. What was I doing, flirting with him?

He seemed to like what he heard. His arms reached out, his muscles flexing as he placed one on each side of me on the wall. With nowhere to go, I was trapped inside the bubble of his arms. He leaned down toward the left side of my face and brushed my hair with his cheek. “You smell…delicious,” he whispered. His hot breath shot tingles to places I hadn’t expected them.

Out of nervousness and habit, my left index finger flew inside my mouth. Max gave a crooked, naughty grin and slowly took my hand out of my mouth. “Did you know that biting one’s finger is an indication one is ***ually deprived?” His words came out slowly, playfully, but hot. “I can fix that for you, if you’d like.”

He did not just say that to me! I parted my lips for a good comeback, but I couldn’t find one. Feeling my chest rise and fall quickly, I tried to control the heated desire. Sure, he’d helped me once, but that didn’t mean we were friends, or flirting buddies, or that I would allow him to fix my ***ual deprivation. Oh God…can guys tell if you haven’t done it in a very long time? This had to stop or else…oh dear…I wanted to take him with me into the restroom.

Needing to put a stop to the heat, I placed my hand on his chest… big mistake. Touching him made the heat worse, and tingles that were already intensifying burst through every inch of me. I had to push him away.

As if he knew what I meant to do, he pulled back, but his eyes did the talking instead. There was no need for words; I felt his hard stare on my body, as if he was undressing me with his gorgeous eyes. His gaze was powerful, as if his eyes were hands; I felt them all over me, completely unraveling me.

Just when I thought I was going to faint, his eyes shifted to mine again. “It was really nice to meet you, Jenna. I’m sure we’ll see each other again, real soon. I better let you go. Your someone must be waiting for you. By the way….” There was a pause as he charmed me with his eyes again. “You…took my breath away. If I were your someone, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight for even a second, because someone like me will surely try to whisk you away.” He winked and left.

Oh no…don’t ever wink again. That wink made me shiver even more, let alone his words. I pushed the door with my behind without thinking. Thank goodness there was no one by the door, or I would have knocked a stranger over with the force of my push. Max was right. How long had I been away, but did Luke even care? Oh no…what if he came to find me and he saw…oh no! I quickly took care of business and headed back toward our table.

Wiping Max and his words out of my head, I had to think of an excuse. What would I say if he saw us? How could I explain? Anxiety was rising to the surface, and so was my blood pressure. Just as I turned the corner to our table, I saw that another couple had been seated next to us. I gazed around the room, a little upset. Why would they seat another couple next to us when there were other empty tables around us? I didn’t understand.

Something Great
Page 11



“Luke, I’m so sorry,” I apologized as I sat. “I got lost and then….”

Oh no…Max was sitting adjacent to me, and his beautiful date was sitting across from him. My face felt hot, but my hands felt cold as the blood drained down to my toes. Max having a date was not the issue. Flirting with me when he was on a date was. How wrong was that? He was trouble for sure. In a way I felt guilty, guilty towards Luke, because I had enjoyed it.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked.

Placing my hands on my cheeks, my cold hands soothed them somewhat. “I think I’m coming down with something,” I whispered, trying not to attract Max’s attention, but who was I kidding? He was not blind or stupid.

“Would you like to go home?” Luke asked, looking concerned.

“I’ll be fine, Luke. Maybe I just need something to eat.”

When dinner arrived, our conversation was minimal. A part of me kept quiet because of Max. In a way, I was more interested in their conversation, because his date giggled every so often. From what I could tell, she was tall and her dark hair fell to her shoulders. Was this a personal or a business date? I couldn’t tell, but why did I care?

Never once did I look his way, and never once did he look my way. Well, truth be told, I did peek with my peripheral vision. I wasn’t sure if Max snuck a glance, but Luke looked their way when Max’s date was a little bit too loud.

When Luke excused himself to the restroom after he had finished his dinner, Max’s date did the same thing. Though there were more couples around us now, I felt as though this place only existed for the two of us. Feeling uncomfortable, I focused on my plate. With my fork, I swirled around what was left of my mashed potatoes. Suddenly, I gasped and turned. I knew it was Max, but the fact that he’d pulled up his chair and bumped his shoulder into mine startled me.

“Hi, again. Ignoring me, aren’t you?” he said casually, as if we were good friends.

I turned to him. His face was way too close for my comfort. I had no choice but to gaze into his hypnotic eyes. “Ignoring you? I hardly know you, and you and I each have a date,” I snapped. I didn’t know where the angry tone was coming from.

“We can fix that.”

“We can?” I asked, dumbfounded.

Instead of answering, he tilted his head, with a look as if he remembered something he wanted to say. “I meant to ask you how your hand was earlier, but I got a little…distracted.” Max grabbed my right hand and tenderly rubbed the area where the hot coffee had spilled. He’d even remembered which hand it was.

“It’s much better. Thank you for asking,” I mumbled, fixated on his index finger, stroking the area on my hand. His touch produced a tingling vibration that was slowly waving throughout my body, and I didn’t want him to stop, but I managed to pull back without offending him. If I’d let him continue, I would have dived into his arms, and I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself.

“Good. I’m glad, but I think your someone is boring. And he doesn’t treat you well.”

Now, he was being rude and arrogant. “He’s just fine. You don’t know him.”

“True, I don’t know him. Maybe your someone is with my someone, and they’re making out in the bathroom.”

I didn’t know why I thought that was funny, but I laughed, a good hardy laugh, the kind of laugh that gives you tears, and he laughed with me. No, I couldn’t see what he’d just planted in my mind, but the thought was hilarious. But why? Because I thought that a sweet, non-dangerous type of guy like Luke wouldn’t make out with someone like her. Nah…couldn’t picture it.

Wiping the little tears that had settled in the corner of my eyes, I looked at Max. His eyes were soft and kind, and he looked at me with the sweetest smile. Neither one of us looked away, as if we were reaching for something deeper. I felt something that I couldn’t describe in his gaze, like I had known him all my life. There was a strong, undeniable connection, like two lost souls finally finding each other. Was it the hot, steamy flirtations we shared, or was it the laughter? I didn’t know. Whatever it was, I liked the feeling too much. But at the same time, it frightened me deeply, so I looked away.

Just in the nick of time, Max settled back to his table. Luke showed up first. He didn’t ask me if I wanted dessert or if I was finished; he’d already paid the bill, and just asked me if I was ready. As usual, he didn’t walk with me. I followed behind him. Was someone like Luke—a readable, easy, non-dangerous type of guy—what I wanted? I wasn’t sure, but my eyes were opened that night.

Just before Max was out of my sight, I peered over my shoulder. I figured I was safe to look since his date had come back just as I got up, but I was wrong. His piercing eyes were watching me the whole time as I exited, and just before I turned the corner to disappear, he winked at me, leaving me completely unglued.

Chapter 7

Luke and I walked down the long hallway in silence and stopped at my door.

“I had a nice time,” he said. “Are you busy next weekend?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll be starting my new job, and I don’t know how busy I’ll be.”

He nodded with a smile. “I understand. How about we play it by ear, and you let me know what evening you are free.”

“Sure,” I agreed as our eyes locked. He leaned closer. This was it…Becky was right. He was going to kiss me. There it was, his lips on mine. While he rubbed my arms, he pressed deeper. I kissed him back, but not for long, and I pulled back shortly after.

Something Great
Page 12



“I’ll call you later,” he said and walked away, leaving me wondering if I’d seen fireworks…and nope. But it was a nice soft kiss. Since I hadn’t kissed many guys, I didn’t have much to compare it to. If I had to describe it in two words, it was wet and sloppy.

Opening the door with my keys in my hand, I was almost positive Becky would be waiting up for me since it wasn’t too late, but she wasn’t. Either she was out or she was already sleeping. Not wanting to wake her, I went straight to my room. After I showered and got ready for bed, I snuggled inside my blanket and cuddled up with a book I had started reading.

Young adult romance novels was the genre I loved to read, ever since I’d picked up a book from Target…recommended by Becky, of course. The author was one of her clients. Though I loved books about vampires, angel stories were my favorite. Just as I reached the part where the heroine described how she was feeling about the male she had encountered, my heart did a funny flip. Then a vivid image of Max’s face pooled to the forefront of my mind.

Not liking how he was invading my mind, I closed my book and turned off the lamp next to my bed. Why was I thinking of him? I didn’t even know him. Sure, we flirted, but it meant nothing. Obviously he got a thrill out of doing it, even though he was with a date. Guys like him were trouble. Luke was safe, and he was nice, the kind of guy that would only date one woman at a time, the kind of guy that would never cheat on his girlfriend. Yes…Max made me open my eyes, but regardless, Luke was safe, and I liked it that way.

I grabbed my cell phone to see if I had any messages. Our group had been texting away while I was on my date. Reading the texts, I chuckled out loud. Apparently, they were betting on whether Luke would kiss me and if I would see fireworks. They all agreed Luke would kiss me, but they disagreed on me seeing fireworks. Kate said I would, but Becky and Nicole disagreed. Then they ended with see you tomorrow and can’t wait. Just like them, I couldn’t wait to see my friends.

**

Oh, how I loved the weekend. Still in my pajamas, I was all smiles to see Becky, but she wasn’t around. When I went to the kitchen, a note was on the refrigerator. The note read: Going to the gym, then lunch date. See you when the posse comes around at four. I’ll pick up salad and dessert. It’s potluck, just in case you missed the text. No need to make anything. See you later. Hugs!

How I loved Becky. She was always looking after me and making my life easier. She was the sister I wished I had. Just because we weren’t related by blood didn’t mean we couldn’t be sisters. Nicole and Kate were like that for me too, but Becky and I were closer, mainly because we had lived together and had been through some hard times together. Through thick and thin, we were always there for each other, and I was blessed to have them all in my life.

Before I forgot again, I placed a phone call to my parents, since I hadn’t spoken to them in a couple of days. I tried to call as often as I could since my mom was a worrier. My parents lived in San Francisco. My dad was a dentist and mom was a stay at home mom. Being an only child was lonely at times, so my closest friends had become my family. Of course, people changed and friends changed too, but I was grateful for everyone in my life.

Since I didn’t have much to do, I cleaned our apartment, did the laundry, went to the grocery store to stock up the refrigerator, and watched some television. The day had gone by fast, though I felt like I hadn’t done much. Lastly, I turned on my laptop to check my email, but instead of doing that, I became so engrossed on Facebook that I didn’t notice when Becky walked in.

“Hey, Jenna. Where are you?” Becky shouted from the kitchen.

Happy to see her, I followed the sound of the shuffling noises.

“Hi, Becky.” I peered into the kitchen. She had placed the salad and the dessert on the counter.

“Looks good,” I said, admiring them both. “So…who did you go out to lunch with?”

After folding the recyclable plastic bags, she shoved them under the sink cabinet. “It really wasn’t a date. He was an old friend I knew a long time ago. No biggy.”

Just when I was about to ask when Nicole and Kate would get here, the doorbell chimed. That answered my question. Opening the door to let them in, Becky and I took turns giving them hugs. Nicole brought pasta salad, and Kate brought some wine.

After we piled food on our plates, we settled around our square wooden dining table for four. Kate took care of the wine for everyone, and even remembered to pour me only a little. Since she was still breastfeeding, she had none.

“How are you, Nicole?” I asked, thinking about her break up, then wondered if I should have brought up the sore topic. When everyone completely froze so that I could hear the sound of my own breathing, I figured I should not have spoken.

Shockingly, Nicole put down her glass of wine, then looked up at us. “After a year, I realized I didn’t love him after all, not in the way I wanted to. I think I loved the idea of being with someone, to be loved by someone, but I wasn’t in love. You know, that kind of love where you can’t be without him? And to be honest, the *** wasn’t that great.”

Becky had just gulped some wine, but regurgitated it, and it came shooting out of her mouth. She did that once in awhile. “Sorry.” She shrugged her shoulders, wiping up the crimson liquid around her plate. Thank goodness she’d spat it out in front of her and not at us.

“I’m not sitting next to you next time,” Kate giggled, stabbing her fork into the salad.

Something Great
Page 13



“Anyway,” Becky turned to Nicole. “Hello…why didn’t you tell us that in the first place? It’s important, you know. Did he at least make you come?”

“Becky!” I squealed in a scolding tone, though I didn’t mean to.

Nicole finished swallowing her mouth full of pasta salad and poured more wine into her glass. “You know…I’m not sure.”

“What?” Kate spat. “Are you serious?”

“Do you?” Nicole asked hesitantly.

“Oh yeah.” Kate’s lips curled into a smile and her eyes radiated with thoughts I could only imagine. “You wanna know something funny? The first time we had *** after the doctor gave us the green light, I squirted milk all over John’s face when I came.”

We all busted out laughing, and Becky squirted wine out of her mouth again from almost choking, producing a choking laughing sound.

“Oh my God, that is hilarious.” Becky coughed relentlessly. “I could just picture it—though I wouldn’t want to picture both of you naked—but how funny is that?”

“It was that good. So….” Kate turned to Nicole. “If you were breast feeding, would he make you squirt?”

Nicole pulled her brows together, creating a pinch in the center, seeming to think. “I’m not sure.”

“Everything in life has ups and downs. I’m sure that applies to *** too…right?” I asked hesitantly. Did I even really know much about this topic? Not really.

“True, that applies to life in general, but maybe not ***,” Nicole replied. “Either he’s good at it or not. There is no in between with ***, I guess…I don’t know. Anyway, thanks for the phone calls and the group texts. It cheered me up knowing you were all there for me, but I’m sure I’m fine with the break up. I guess it’s better to know sooner than later.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Becky said sincerely.

“Cheers to that,” Kate said, raising her glass.

“To everlasting friendship,” I muttered, raising my glass. After the clinking sound echoed in the room, we all gulped down our liquid.

After dinner was finished, Becky placed the strawberry cheesecake dessert she’d bought on the table. Carefully slicing each piece, she placed them on small paper plates and passed them to us. Shoving the fork through the cream, I scooped up a chunk and placed it in my mouth. “Mmmm…this is so good,” I raved. “Good choice for dessert, Becky.”

“Knowing it was your favorite, I got it for you,” she winked.

“You’re the best.”

“Don’t you forget it. So…I’ve been patiently waiting all day to ask you a question.”

“You mean, we’ve been patiently waiting,” Kate broke in, pulling the fork out of her mouth. “This is probably the best strawberry cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve tasted plenty.”

Nicole nodded her head in agreement and looked at me. “We have two questions. One…did he kiss you; and two…did you see fireworks?”

Making them wait for my answer, I took another bite, savoring the sweet creamy taste, but Becky was getting very impatient.

“Well…answer, or I’ll have to take that away from you,” Becky said playfully, tugging my plate away from me.

“Mine.” Sounding like a child, I pulled the plate toward me. Then all of a sudden, I got really shy, but not from the thought of telling them about Luke. It was just from the mere thought of Max. Knowing Becky would get a kick out of what had happened, I had to tell her…maybe that night.

“Yes, Luke kissed me,” I said with conviction.

Their eyes lit up as they waited for an answer.

“And…,” I continued. “I didn’t see fireworks.” Before they could say, “I told you so” to each other, I spoke again. “But that doesn’t mean I want to stop seeing him. He’s cute, and he’s really nice.”

Nicole looked disappointed. “If you didn’t see fireworks, then the likelihood of having great *** isn’t there. But…who am I to judge? He could prove otherwise. So, when are you going to—”

“Nicole,” Becky barked. “Jenna isn’t like you.”

“I’m just making sure she doesn’t make the same mistake I did, so relax, Mother,” she said to Becky, narrowing her eyes at her. Then she turned to me. “You see…think of *** like this creamy, soft cheesecake.” She patted it with her fork. “It’s good, but how you make it and what you put on it makes it even better. There are many cheesecakes out there, but what makes this one stand out from the rest?”

“The ingredients,” Kate added. “How much effort you put in to making it. You can take the short cut, or put more time and add different ingredients to make it even more delicious.”

“True,” Becky seconded. “You can even spice it up by adding toppings.” She lit a sly grin. “And yes, I’m talking about food and other things.”

“No you didn’t!” Nicole squealed, her voice went up an octave with excitement.

“Yup, whipped cream and all.”

Suddenly I felt hot. I’d known when I gulped the wine down that I would feel it right away, but in a way I didn’t care. I was at home with my friends.

“Are you okay?” Kate asked me.

“It’s the wine. You know how Jenna gets,” Becky explained. “She only drank half a glass.”

Something Great
Page 14



“I wish it only took me half a glass to get buzzed like that,” Kate commented.

“I’m okay. I just feel hot all over, and somewhat buzzed,” I giggled, taking another bite of the cheesecake, then rubbing my temples and feeling the blaze all over my body.

“I don’t blame you,” Kate muttered, fanning herself with her hand. “Cheesecake and *** talk is making me leak milk already.”

Laughter rang in the dining room from Kate’s remark. Looking at the cheesecake and their comparison to it, I knew I’d never experienced what they had, but then again, I had only slept with one man. Raised by extremely strict parents, I didn’t get to go out much in high school. Witnessing all the heartaches, drama, and even being a late bloomer myself, I didn’t want to go through that. And I didn’t want to just make out because I thought some guy was cute, or have meaningless *** I was not mature enough for. Studying so I could get into a good college was my main focus.

Finally, in college I met an amazing guy—at least I thought he was, until he broke my heart by cheating on me with my roommate. I immediately moved out, and lucky for me, Becky was looking for a roommate; the rest was history. I’d dated many guys, but I couldn’t make a connection with any of them. My friends had tried setting me up on several dates, and they’d all turned into nothing. It wasn’t that I didn’t find men attractive. I was just being picky, and no one had ever made me feel the way Max did, and…dear God…I was thinking of him again.

“Who are you thinking of?” Nicole asked. Her hand was tucked underneath her chin, glaring at me with a mischievous smile, like she knew something was up.

Gazing at my friends, I hadn’t realized they were staring at me. Was it that obvious?

Becky placed a fork full of cheesecake in her mouth and mumbled. “Surely it’s not Luke. Your face never lit up like that before.”

I wanted to blame it on the wine and the effects of the alcohol, but I said one word. “Max.”

“Who the hell is Max? Are you dating two guys?” Nicole blurted, smiling like she’d never smiled before, giving me that “you go girl” look.

“No….” Then I realized I had just opened up a can of worms. Lacing my fingers through my hair, then down to my face from the heat of the wine, I had no choice but to tell them what had happened. As they listened intently, they all grinned as if it were happening to them. They giggled like schoolgirls and teased me at times, but it was all in fun. I assured them it was nothing, since the likelihood of running into him again was slim, but one never knew about these things.

After dessert, we all cuddled on the sofa with warm blankets around us and with cups of coffee. We sat and talked about love and life, and everything in-between.

Chapter 8

My stomach dropped as the elevator soared up. This was something I would have to get used to, at least five days a week. Excitement tingled through every inch of me as I walked out of my elevator to the first day of my new job. My former boss had already known that there was a possibility I would be resigning as soon as I got the good news, so it was easier to start my new job. Thankfully, he didn’t expect me to stay the whole week. He only asked me to stay couple of days to train the girl who took my place. Wearing a brown sweater dress and a scarf around my neck, my workbag by my side, I was as ready as I’d ever be.

Then there went my feet again, but this time it was the heels on my boots, but hearing others pacing by, making the same clinking noise, I didn’t feel so bad this time around. As I approached the secretary, she was all smiles. “Ms. Mefferd. I’ve been expecting you.”

From her greeting, I felt warm and cuddly inside, and it gave me a feeling of belonging. “Thank you.” I quickly searched for her nameplate and found it on the right corner of her desk—Mrs. Ross.

Mrs. Ross pointed to the left. “Go this way, and the first door on your right is the office to the Human Resource Department. Mrs. Ward will show you to your office, and she’ll go over everything with you.”

“Thank you,” I smiled, and paced myself there. After I knocked, I heard someone tell me to come in.

The door was already ajar so I pushed it just a little bit more until I saw a face smiling back at me. “Mrs. Ward?” I questioned.

“Come in.” She stood up. “You must be Ms. Mefferd.” Her strong grip shook my hand. “Have a seat.”

Pulling out a chair, I settled myself into it as I watched her skim through several pieces of paper in front of her. “Ms. Mefferd, I’m going to go over a few details we discussed over the phone first.”

I nodded with a smile. “Sure.”

“As you already know, the position you had interviewed for had been filled by someone else we felt was more qualified; however, we believed you would be a strong asset to our team, so we would like to start you off in the Customer Relations department. Our Knight Magazine company takes pride in customer relations, and with your experience and your personality, we feel that you can take it to a whole new level.

“Since our previous manager took a permanent leave of absence a while ago, Lisa, whom you will meet real soon, was doing double duty. We were going to announce the opening of that position after the rep position was filled, but when they interviewed you, they felt you were perfect.

“Customer Relations Manager is your title. We have four employees who will be working in your department under your direction, and you will be following mine,” she smiled. “Lisa will be assigned to you, and she will help you with everything you need. Before I take you to your office, let’s go over your salary and your benefits.”

Something Great
Page 15



After the logistics and signing contracts were taken care of, she led me to my office. Gripping tightly on my bag, I could feel the tension in my knuckles, and the palms of my hands were moist. Nervousness and excitement had claimed me. As I inhaled deep breaths, I walked behind Mrs. Ward.

The office was fairly large, but the five of us shared it. My desk was placed next to the large window, and the other desks were place on the either side of the wall. In the center was another table with chairs, perhaps for meetings.

There were two females and two males. The one that approached us first was Lisa, who had light brown hair and soft brown eyes. She looked just as young as me, and seemed friendly. Then I was introduced to Rachel, Dan, and Eric, who were just as welcoming. After the introductions, Mrs. Ward left, and they all sat down and got back to work.

Lisa knew all the ins and outs of the place. She showed me the lists of our clients, and where I could find their information on the computer on my desk. There was so much to learn and so much to do. As I sat, I turned my black leather chair around to face the window. My stomach lurched up to my heart from my fear of heights, so I backed away to marvel at the beauty of my view.

Looking straight down I could see the front entrance, people rushing in and out of the building, and cars whizzing by. I inhaled a deep, thankful breath at the thought that I was given this wonderful opportunity. Though I didn’t get the job I’d wanted, things happened for a reason. I hoped it would be a good one.

Before I knew it, it was almost noon. “We usually take our lunch at twelve-thirty to miss the lunch rush. Would you like to go to lunch with us?” Lisa asked, smiling.

Though I should have said yes, I had so much to do, and knowing they would be gone for an hour, I declined. “I’m just going to grab a sandwich and get back to work. How about I join you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Lisa smiled and everyone left, leaving me all alone.

Grabbing my wallet and my cell phone out of my workbag, I headed out of the office, down the elevator, and stepped out into the wind. It had been comfortable that morning…where had the wind come from all of a sudden? Trudging through the heavy wind, I entered Café Express. My heart pounded, wondering if I would see Max again. I did a quick scan of the room and relaxed my shoulders when there was no sign of him.

The line wasn’t as long as I had expected it to be, but thinking of Lisa’s words, I guessed I was at the tail end of the lunch hour rush. To pass the time, I checked my emails and texts as I stood in line. Becky, Nicole, and Kate had texted to tell me to have an awesome first day. They were so sweet. My parents did the same. There was a missed call from Luke; Becky asking me to find a rich guy for her; Kate telling me to find someone who made me leak; Nicole telling me to find someone who would rock my *** life. I giggled a little bit too loud, and looked up when the cashier said something.

Too engrossed in my texts, I hadn’t realized the line had moved fast. “Sorry. I would like to order your turkey sandwich, a bottle of water, and….” Should I or shouldn’t I order one? Heck…I deserved one for being good and not having sweets for the past couple of days. “One Rice Krispies Treat, please.”

The cashier came back with my stuff and rang up the register. “That will be thirteen fifty.”

I opened my wallet and was just about to place a twenty in his hand when a hundred dollar bill crossed my vision. “I’ll have what she’s having, except for the Rice Krispies Treat; and I’ll be paying for both.”

I froze. I knew the sound of his voice, his smell, and his warm breath against my face when he reached over. Turning, I peered up to him. “Um…thank you, but it’s okay,” I said politely.

“Jenna, we meet again. I got this.” There was excitement in his tone. He gave a stern look to the cashier, a look that meant, “take it now.”

Not wanting to make a big fuss, I turned to him again. “Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s my pleasure, and since we’re friends now we can sit together.” He grabbed his change and our lunches, and headed to an empty table toward the back with one of his hands on my back.

Having no choice, I let him lead me. “We’re friends?” I ****ed my head to the side with a questioning look.

“We’ve run into each other four times already, and we even had dinner together,” he joked, pulling out a chair for me.

After I sat, he pushed it forward. What a gentleman! A part of me felt guilty for sitting there with him, but he was being friendly, and in a way, we were friends. “I didn’t really have dinner with you,” I corrected.

He opened the cap to the water bottle and placed it in front of me. Then he unwrapped the paper that was tightly hugging my sandwich and placed that in front of me as well, but he held on to the Rice Krispies Treat that was inside a brown paper bag. “Here you go. You must be hungry. But we did. You sat across from me, didn’t you?” he winked.

Oh…don’t wink. My heart did a funny flip. “Yes, but I was with someone, and you were with someone, so I hardly call that going to dinner together,” I giggled, thinking how funny this conversation sounded.

“We can change that. And just so you know, I wasn’t stalking you.” He smiled that irresistible smile. “I come here to grab a quick bite to eat. Unless you want me to stalk you, then I can make that happen.”

My eyes grew wide.

“You know I’m joking, right? Someone has to protect you from people who like to accidently bump into you, make it seem like it’s your fault, and then be really rude about it,” he winked again, opening his mouth to take a bite of his sandwich.

Something Great
Page 16



Stop staring. I focused on my sandwich and took a small bite.

“So, what brings you here?” he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“I just got a new job.”

“Congratulations. Where do you work?”

“Today is my first day. I’m the Customer Relations Manager for Knight Fashion Magazine.”

His brows and tone lifted high. “Really? And what do you do for them?”

“Basically, I make their clients happy. My team takes orders and makes sure their shipment gets to them on time. There is more to this, but this is my responsibility for right now. Someone else took the position I wanted, but I’m excited to be there. It’s a start, and at least I have my foot in the door.”

“What position were you interviewing for?”

“I wanted to be one of their reps. Part of the job description was to attend the New York fashion show,” I explained, finding myself opening up to this stranger who made me feel so comfortable. Here I was telling him things I hadn’t even discussed with Luke or my friends. “I know it’s not the reason to get hired for that position, but I wanted to do something exciting. But don’t get me wrong. I’m lucky to even have the position I have now. I mean…to work for Knight Magazine is a dream come true.”

Max listened intently, nodding, and hadn’t taken a bite since I started spilling my guts. I didn’t remember much about what we talked about, but I remembered the whole conversation centered on me, which I wasn’t used to. Looking at my cell phone without trying to be rude, I noticed the time.

“Max…I’m sorry, but umm…I need to go.” I got up, wrapped the half-eaten sandwich, closed the cap on the water bottle, and grabbed my wallet and my cell phone that were on the table. “Thank you so much for the lunch. I…I….” I didn’t know what to say or how to end the lunch. My finger laced through my hair, wondering what I should say or do at that point.

Max stood up too. His sandwich was half eaten, like mine.

“I’m so sorry. I was talking away and you didn’t get to eat your lunch. But I gotta go,” I

rambled. As I was talking, Max reached into the brown bag. “May I?”

“Sure.” I had forgotten about the treat. “You can have it. Thanks for lunch again.” I turned on my heel and started walking.

Suddenly, Max placed his hand under my elbow. With a slight tug, I was somewhat in his hold. With a light gasp and a wave of heat flushing through me again, I was lost in his eyes. He leaned in. “I had a wonderful time,” he whispered. “Thanks for being my lunch buddy.” Then he handed me the brown bag. “Lunch buddies share their feelings, stories, and even goodies.”

I radiated a huge shy smile and walked away. Needing that Rice Krispies Treat right that moment, I reached inside the bag. What I saw stunned me, and even tugged at my heart. He hadn’t broken it in half as I had expected. Instead, he had molded it into the shape of a heart.

After that, I knew…unwillingly…I was making a space for him in my heart. Thinking he would be devouring his sandwich, I looked over my shoulder just as I pushed the door to exit. His eyes were set on me intently, and I got a glimpse of his wink that made me want to dive into his arms. I liked the feeling way too much!

Chapter 9

Luke went on a business trip to San Francisco. He had asked me to go with him, but I wasn’t ready to go away. Going away and sharing one room meant sleeping together, and I wasn’t ready for that…at least not yet. Becky was way too happy I didn’t go, and not going also meant spending time with her.

“So, you want to catch a movie or stay home tonight?” Becky asked, folding her laundry.

“You w…wear th…at?” I stuttered, looking at what was supposed to be underwear. “It doesn’t cover anything. It’s…just…do you floss your vagina with that thing?” I cracked a joke.

Becky laughed out loud. “No…it’s a G-string. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen one before?” Becky tossed one to me.

Catching it, I stretched the waist. “Of course I have. I just…don’t…have one,” I said shyly.

“That’s okay. None of my business. You can wear anything you want, but I hope you’re not going to wear grandma panties when you start dating Max. Instead of watching a movie or staying home, we need to go shopping for panties.”

“What? Max and I are not dating. He’s had plenty of chances, but he didn’t ask,” I huffed, then I was stunned at myself for sounding mad. I calmed down. “I meant…we’re friends. He thanked me for being his lunch buddy.” My mind went to that moment at Café Express, when time stopped and everything around me was nonexistent. I sighed inwardly, secretly. I had told Becky about the accidental lunch encounter, but of course she’d insisted that it wasn’t a coincidence.

A comfortable silence filled the air while I helped her fold the rest of her clothes. The sound of the doorbell chiming broke the silence, and we flashed our eyes to each other in surprise.

“I’ll get it.” Becky reached for the door.

Keeping my ears opened to the conversation, I didn’t hear much. “Thank you,” I heard her say, and then she walked back to the living room. I turned to ask what it was all about, but stopped when I saw a tall glass vase full of red roses, and a box in her hands. I excitedly beamed a smile. “They’re beautiful. Who sent them to you? And what’s in the box?”

Something Great
Page 17



“I don’t know. I didn’t open it. And they’re not for me…they’re for you. So the question is, who sent them to you?” She giggled with a smirk on her face, like I already knew who sent them. Becky handed me a card and placed the vase and the box on our dining table.

Leaning against the chair, she waited for me to open the card. They had to be from Luke. Who else could they be from? As my heart pounded from anticipation, I opened and read the note. I was in shock, and my heart beat even faster. Did I somehow misread the sender’s name? I read it again and stared at the name.

“Who is it from?” I heard Becky’s voice ring in my head. Peering over my shoulder, she read out loud.

Dearest Jenna,

Hope you had a wonderful week at your new job.

Until we meet again.

Lunch buddies share their feelings, stories, and even goodies.

Thinking of you!

Your lunch buddy, Max

“I knew it,” Becky squealed. “Luke never sent you flowers. He’s not the sending flowers type of guy. Wait…are you not telling me the whole story?”

I turned stoically. “I told you everything.” My voice was soft and still unbelieving.

Turning my gaze to the flowers, I couldn’t help but smile. They were the most beautiful roses I had ever seen. They must have been expensive, because roses that exquisite were hard to find. Leaning over, I smelled the scent and touched the silk like petals. “They’re beautiful.”

Then my eyes shifted to the white box and I pulled it to me. An oval sticker on top read Café Express. Using my nail to break the seal, I opened it. Inside were a dozen heart-shaped Rice Krispies Treats.

“Oh my God! This was really sweet of him, but I don’t think he thinks of himself as just a lunch buddy. He wants more.”

“But I can’t,” I sighed lightly, feeling confused. “I’m dating someone else.”

“True, but did Luke say he wanted to date exclusively?”

“We never talked about that.”

“So you’re assuming. Maybe he’s dating someone else while he’s dating you. Have you thought about that?”

Becky was right. It was a possibility. Just because I was a one-man-at-a-time dating type didn’t mean he was. “I don’t think he would.”

Draping her arm around my shoulder, she shook her head. “My inexperienced, innocent friend, who only thinks the best of everyone, you need to figure out what you want. I think you feel safe with Luke, but at the same time, you want to jump into bed with Max.”

“Becky!” I said, a bit too loudly.

“Admit it. You’ve got the hots for Max. Who in their right mind wouldn’t? But you’re scared that he’ll hurt you once you let him in. I understand. I’ve been there before, and so have you. But Max may turn out to be different.”

“First of all, Max hasn’t even asked me out. He’s just having fun flirting with me, because I’m not giving him the kind of attention he probably gets from other women, like throwing myself at him. He probably sees me as a challenge and nothing more.”

Becky released her hold on me. “Don’t judge him without getting to know him. To me, he seems like a great package, but….” Both of her hands went up. “I don’t know him. And you won’t know until you try. You don’t ever want to regret, and think of ‘what ifs,’ because that will eat you alive.”

“You sound as though you have a regret of your own,” I said, but when I saw the impassive expression on her face, I knew I’d touched a sore topic.

She pulled her lips into a thin line that curled into a quick smile. “Let’s not talk about me. If he asks you out, what are you going to do?”

Pulling out the dining chair, I slumped down on it and placed my fist under my chin as I stared at the roses in a dream-like state. “He sent me flowers and my favorite…Rice Krispies Treats. He also shaped my treat into a heart shape when we had lunch together. That was so sweet. What am I going to do?” Then I plopped my head on the table.

Sitting adjacent to me, Becky started laughing lightly. Copying my position, she looked squarely into my eyes, seemingly preparing to give me good advice. “Why don’t you sleep with both of them, and see who makes you sing hallelujah?”

Sing hallelujah? My eyes grew. I couldn’t hold it any longer, and I spit out a loud laugh. Becky joined me and I pulled her in for a hug. Then she squeezed me tightly and spoke into my ear. “I just want the best for you; you know that, don’t you?”

I nodded. “I know. I don’t like being confused. We haven’t even gone out on a date, and he’s invading my thoughts…not to mention my body. I want him out of my mind.” I wasn’t ready to let Luke go. We were just starting to get to know each other. I had to give him a chance, but what would I do if Max ever asked me out?

“I know. Just follow your heart.”

But what if my heart split down the middle? Then I popped the question that was on my mind earlier. “How does he even know where I live?”

Becky released me. “I don’t know, but that should tell you he’s slowly making his move. He’s feeling the water first. He knows you’re dating someone, but he’s trying to find out how serious your relationship is. And the fact that you had lunch with him gave him the okay sign to send you flowers.”

“It did?” I sighed. Extending my arm to reach for a treat, I gave it to Becky. “How do you know so much?”