The Girlfriend Game by Sierra Hill
Fourteen
Kendall
Indecision and weakness battle it out in my head as I sit in the parking lot at the lake. I mentally kick myself for getting stuck in this untenable situation.
A situation, I might add, my sister got me into when she signed me up for that stupid dating app in the first place.
Rationally, I know I shouldn’t pin the blame on my sister because I made the choice to continue the conversation with Mountain Man.
Zeke.
Irrationally, though, I’m angry over being put into a position where I have to make a choice between my career and my love life.
My heart twists as I stare through my windshield at the couples milling about, one couple lying on a blanket laughing as they share a story together. Another couple with a baby in a stroller, and a dog on a leash, as they meander hand-in-hand around the lake on this beautiful summer day.
Why can’t that be me?
My hope and expectation of where this day would lead have been smashed to smithereens the moment I found out my date was Zeke Forester. Instead of being out here on a fun first date with potentially the man of my dreams, I’m stuck dealing with this highly unusual, complex, and extremely unethical situation with my client.
Why couldn’t Zeke have turned out to be a completely different hot, single, and extremely good-looking man instead of the one who is my patient? And why do I have to be so attracted to him?
When he flashes that gorgeous grin at me, my knees nearly buckle. Damn him.
I thwap my palms against the steering wheel hard and drop my forehead on it in frustration. All these years I’ve put my love life on hold for the sake of my career and now the moment I’m ready to explore a personal relationship with a guy I’ve sparked a connection with, it happens to be Zeke Forester?
Can it get any more unfair?
A knock on my window startles the hell out of me and I throw my head back with a shriek. “Jesus! You scared me.”
Zeke crouches down next to my window, his muscular arms stretched above his head, palms on the roof of the car. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, but I called your name a few times and you didn’t answer. I was worried you were overthinking this and would speed off at any moment.”
“I am overthinking this and I probably should,” I grumble under my breath. My grip remains tight around my steering wheel.
Noticing my indecision, Zeke exhales and reaches in to remove the keys out of the engine and dangles them in front of me, dropping them into my lap.
“Let me ask you something, Kendall.” He folds his arms, leaning his head through the window, plopping his chin onto the platform of his hands. “If I wasn’t wasn’t me—your patient—and just a random dude…would you have a problem being with me today?”
I slide my gaze to his, pinning him with my eyes. “Of course not.”
As if that settles everything, he pats the window frame and stands, opening the door to allow me to exit.
“Okay then. For the sake of argument, today I’m not your patient. I’m simply Ezekiel Roland Forester. The man you met online who is completely enamored with you and wants to take a walk around the lake with a beautiful woman.”
He produces that charming smile of his and steps to the side, waiting for me to stand.
When I finally do unfold my legs and stand up, he offers me a hand to help me up. It’s warm and inviting.
“I might even buy you an ice cream cone,” he teases with a smirk. I can’t resist letting out the giggle that sneaks up my throat.
Standing next to him, our proximity so close I have to dip my head back between my shoulders just to look into his face, I realize how tall and built Zeke is. The Mountain Man handle is entirely accurate and fits him perfectly. Zeke Forester is built like a mountain. Tall, imposing, and clearly immovable.
I turn back to lock my door, and when I spin around again, my breath catches when I suddenly slam straight into the hard male mountain. Zeke had taken an unexpected step forward.
“Umph,” I groan, my hands flattening against his T-shirt covered abs that flex underneath my palms. I push away, but it only serves to give me a better indication of what’s under the shirt. Hard, sculpted flesh that ripples with movement.
Zeke takes a quick step backwards, leaving my hands to fall from the wall of steel as he hooks a thumb behind him. “Sorry about that. I was trying to avoid being run down and flattened by speedy over there.”
I peer around his shoulder to see a kid on a skateboard whizzing around pedestrians as he takes the path with excessive speed.
“Yikes, he’s bound to do some damage.”
I swing my bag over my shoulder and take a few steps forward. The light brush of his hand against the small of my back sends butterflies flocking to my stomach.
“You ready?” he asks sweetly, gesturing for me to join him on the sidewalk.
We head toward the lake, a manmade attraction in the north end of Seattle, surrounded by old Victorian and bungalow-style homes where families, pedestrians, and bicyclists gather in hordes, rain or shine, to enjoy the scenery.
Taking in a giant-sized breath, I let it out slowly, trying to formulate a logical explanation of how this connection between Zeke and me even occurred.
As if reading my mind, he chuckles to himself, spinning his hat forward again and pulling it down to shield his face. I wonder if it’s because of the sun or fear of being recognized.
“This is strange, right?” He glances furtively under the bill of his cap, tipping his chin to the side. He offers me an amused smile and I can’t help but smile back.
“Honestly, yes. I’d have to say it’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me. But then again, that’s not saying much because I live a pretty dull life.”
He tsks dubiously. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
I wrinkle my nose. “You do realize it was my twin sister who got me into this mess in the first place, right? I would never have done something so bold and risky. Like, ever, ever.”
“You consider a dating app bold and risky?” He lets out a bark of laughter. “Wow. Then I shouldn’t tell you some of the wild and crazy things I’ve done in my life. You might just turn and run right back to your car as fast as you can.”
“Oh, really? Why hasn’t this come up before now? Let me hear it.”
Even as the question leaves my mouth, I realize it’s the first question I’ve asked him to elaborate on from my personal perspective because I want to know more about the real Zeke. The question wasn’t asked from a therapist’s standpoint in order to get him to open up so I can learn what makes him tick.
I asked it because I honestly want to know about him.
Zeke turns toward a long boat dock stretching out across the water, geese and ducks swimming contentedly near the edge of the greenish-brown water that laps against the dock buoys. I follow his long strides across the wood-slatted sections. A light breeze provides enough chill in the air that I remember I left my sweatshirt in the car.
“Hell, I don’t even know where to start.” He stops at the end of the dock and looks down at me, raising an eyebrow that gets lost under the bill of his cap. “I was a hellion from the time I was a kid. Always doing all the things I was told not to do. If my parents or someone in authority told me it was forbidden or against the rules, it only made it that much more enticing. I was a daredevil and always pushed things to the limit.”
He points to the sign in the water about six feet out from the edge of the dock. “See that sign?”
Shielding my eyes with my hand against the brightness reflecting off the water, I see it says “No diving from the dock.” I nod.
“If I were a kid and saw that sign? It would only encourage me to do it because someone told me I couldn’t.” He snickers, lifting the cap to run a hand through his thick, tousled mane.
I gaze out across the water to the roped-off swimming hole area now filled with kids, their laughter and joy reminding me of my own childhood.
“I’m the complete opposite,” I admit bashfully, lifting my eyes back to his to see him peering down at me with interest. “I was the rule follower in every sense of the word. My sister wasn’t too bad, either, but she certainly had a wild streak in high school. She made me cover up for her a lot.”
Zeke laughs. “I bet you hated that. But you probably came out ahead in the end with some great blackmailing tools.”
I think back to that period in our lives and remember the arguments Kerry and I would get into when she’d back me in a corner and demand I do her bidding, making me promise and swear never to say a word to Mom and Dad about whatever trouble she got into. Sneaking out in the middle of the night and coming home drunk, leaving me to take care of things.
Sarcasm rolls off my tongue. “You’d think so, right? But I was too naïve and innocent back then to even consider it.”
“Ah, man. You missed out.” His face lights up with a mischievous gleam in his deep brown eyes. “Maybe I can help you experience life on the edge today. What do you say? Want to go have some real fun with me?”
I gulp nervously and stare down dubiously at his outstretched hand between us. He’s offering me a chance to let go and trust that it will be okay.
Something inside me says, “Do it. Just this once. Go ahead and do it.”
So, I do.
I fit my hand in his as our palms touch, the heat sizzling and zapping from the connection as he interlaces his fingers with mine. With a quick tug, he sets off in a jog, and I try to keep up with him as we head back toward dry land. When we get to the end of the dock, he peers over his shoulder with a wink.
“Trust me, Kendall. This will be fun. I promise.”