Actually Love - Jessie & Zach (39 page)

That’s what they were…friends.

*     *     *

Brian desperately tried to think about anything other than how good the soft curves of Becca’s body felt against him. His hand rubbed up and down the smooth slope of her spine as she melted against him. The pillowy fullness of her breasts pressed against his stomach caused a fiery need to ignite within him like a wildfire.

He closed his eyes as his fingers grazed her scalp, running through the silky strands of her long, shiny, dark hair and he inhaled the sweet citrus and vanilla smell that was unique to Becca Sloan. The scent that had always made him feel happier, lighter, and calm. Now, it sent his body into sensory overload. It flamed the fires already burning inside of him. His jeans were starting to get more than a little snug beneath his fly but he didn’t want to pull away from her before he “normally” would. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was draw attention to the fact that anything was off or different about their dynamic.

This was Becca. His partner in crime. The person who always had his back. His confidante. She was more than just his best friend, she was a part of him. Without her the world didn’t make sense to Brian.

That was why he had to ignore the fact that, ever since she’d surprised the hell out of him by kissing him senseless after he made sure that she made it safely back to her room at her sister Haley’s wedding, he hadn’t been able to think of her the same way. Or stop thinking about her at all, for that matter.

No matter what he did to put her back in “the friend zone”, she kept slipping out of it when his thoughts would turn to the way her lips had felt against his, to the way her talented tongue had explored his mouth, teasing and seducing him in sensual torment. The soft moans that had triggered the most primal reaction in his body, filling him with raging testosterone-fueled hormones.

Only when she’d tried to begin unbuttoning his pants had he been able to put a stop to their unbelievably passionate kiss. Pulling away from Becca that night, telling her that “
this couldn’t happen
,” had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do. For a brief moment, he’d been scared she was going to start crying. He’d seen the tears pooling in her eyes. Thankfully, she’d mumbled something incoherent about a lobster and flopped on the bed, passing out cold.

Now as he stood in a crowded airport, people bumping into him as he held his friend, he knew needed to pull away from her again. The problem was, anytime they’d gone a long period without seeing each other, he’d always given her long hugs. So he had a decision to make: act a little out of character (which if push came to shove and she called him on it he could attribute to being in a rush, or stress), or keep holding her and take the risk that the evidence of his body’s response to her would start poking her in the hip (which there really was no other viable explanation for other than the fact that he wanted her…badly).

Opening his eyes, he was saved from either fate when he saw her luggage coming down the baggage carousel. Releasing his arms from around her he stepped beside her and reached out, grabbing both pieces easily.

“My, my, my. Isn’t that chivalrous?” an older woman that stood beside Becca observed, smiling up at Brian, her deep-set eyes sparkling with life.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Becca blurted out.

Brian glanced down at her, his brows raised in surprise. He’d heard her say those same four words at least a hundred times over the years, but never had they held such a defensive tone before.

Looking up at him with a sheepish expression on her porcelain face, Becca brushed her hair behind her ear as she shook her head a little. “Sorry. Brian, this is Stella. Stella, this is my
friend,
Brian.”

Setting one of the suitcases he’d just retrieved from the rotating conveyor belt down on the linoleum floor, Brian extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Stella.”

“Oooh, and manners, too. This one is a keeper.” Stella winked and smiled as she placed her hand in Brian’s.

Becca sighed and shrugged resignedly. He wasn’t exactly sure what the conversation leading up to his arrival had been, but something told him that what he heard had not been the first time Becca had informed Stella of their relationship status.

“Thanks,” Becca’s vivid blue eyes peeked up at him from beneath thick, dark lashes as her hand gestured to the bags.

Brian smiled down at her, his eyes drifted down past her button nose to her cherry red lips of their own accord. He was drawn to her mouth like a moth to a flame. Like her lips were the pied piper. He didn’t want to look but he didn’t seem to have control over his optical nerves at the moment.

“Brian?” Hearing his name on Becca’s lips, even in a questioning tone, was one of the sweetest sounds in the world.

Forcing himself to push on and move through the lusty-fog that had taken up residence in the harbor of his brain he managed to raise his gaze up as he asked, “You ready?”

He was met with a look of confusion as she answered slowly, “Yeah.”

“It was great meeting you,” Becca said warmly as she turned and hugged Stella goodbye. “Are you okay? Is there someone meeting you?”

Brian had always loved the way that Becca connected with people. Every time they went anywhere she would learn someone’s life story. If she hadn’t always wanted to be a pediatrician, Brian would have suggested that she go into counseling. People trusted her, they opened up to her, and she really and truly
cared
about each person that came across her path.

Stella hugged her back, then, as she pulled away, she patted Becca’s cheek affectionately. “Oh, you sweet dear. No, my Robbie is parking the car. He texted me while you two lovebirds were saying hello.”

“We’re not lovebird-” Becca started but then sighed mumbling under her breath, “Oh, forget it.”

Grabbing her carry-on from where it was sitting by her feet, Becca lifted her hand in a little wave, “Let me know how everything goes.”

“I will, dear,” Stella nodded somberly.

As they began walking away Brian waved as well, “Nice meeting you.”

“You, too,” Stella raised her hand and wiggled her fingers.

“Everything okay?” Brian asked as they made their way through the crowded airport.

“Yeah, why?” Becca said, a tad on the defensive side.

“Nothing, I just…you asked her to tell you how everything goes,” Brian explained, not really sure where her attitude was coming from.

“Oh, that.” Relief fell over Becca’s face, which made Brian suspect that everything was
not
okay and that she absolutely did not want to talk about it with
him
. “She’s here to go to see an Oncologist at Grace Memorial to run some tests.”

“Oh,” Brian nodded, he’d just met the woman but he felt his chest tighten. His mom and dad’s health had not been so great over the years and he hated thinking of anyone suffering.

“Yeah, her son Robbie is a second year resident there.” Becca smiled, “Luckily, I think the distraction of getting to see where her son, her
Doctor
son, spends ninety plus hours a week is working to help offset some of the fears she has.”

“That’s good,” Brian said as they walked through the sliding doors into the hot, muggy air that instantly caused sweat to form on the back of his neck.

“Oh man, I’m gonna call Riley and Chelle to see if they don’t mind me taking a dip when we get home. This heat is no joke,” Becca stuck out her bottom lip and blew a puff of breath up so that her bangs lifted up off of her forehead.

As much as Brian would have loved to invite himself over to swim at Becca’s cousin’s house, if not for the sole purpose of being able to spend time with a bikini-clad Becca, he unfortunately had other plans.

“Actually, I was kind of wondering if you could go with me to this thing, an audition. They are seeing people until eight, so I can take you home and come back, but if you wouldn’t mind hanging out-”

Becca’s brilliant blue eyes widened, “Of course I will. I’m not going to have you drive all the way to Harper’s Crossing and then drive back to the city, that’s ridiculous.”

“Are you sure?” Brian didn’t mind the drive. And it wasn’t like he really wanted to book this gig, but it did pay good money and with his student loans coming due since he’d had to take so much time off to care for his parents, he felt like he at least had to go and check it out.

“Yes!” she enthused as they walked through the parking garage. “What’s it for? I didn’t even know you were still pursuing acting.”

He wasn’t
. Brian had briefly considered being an actor his senior year of high school, but after booking two commercials and a small part in a pilot that didn’t get picked up, he’d spent enough time on sets to see that what he really wanted to do was direct. Directors were the ones who not only set the tone for the entire project, but also, in most cases, had the greatest creative control.

“It’s not really acting. It’s a reality show, and I’m only going to check it out because the prize is half a million dollars,” Brian explained as he pulled out his fob and clicked the unlock button for his Jeep.

“A half a million dollars,” Becca repeated slowly.

“Yep,” Brian confirmed as he picked up her largest piece of luggage and threw it in the back.

Clapping her hands together, her face shined with support and excitement as she said encouragingly, “That’s awesome! You could pay off your student loans.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. But, I’d have to get cast first, and then I’d actually have to win.” Brian didn’t mean to be a downer, but he was a realist and the chances of that happening were slim to none.

“Of course they’re going to cast you. Look at you,” Becca waved her hands up and down. He knew that she was just being supportive but he still liked it. A lot. “And it doesn’t matter what challenges or races or whatever they throw at you are, you’re good at
everything
. Remember, at the summer festival, they disqualified us from participating in the egg toss, the three legged race and you from the obstacle course when we were ten because you’d won everything you’d entered since you were six. And you were going up against fourteen-year-olds.”

The corners of Brian’s mouth turned up as he remembered how angry Becca had gotten that he’d been, in her words “punished for being awesome”. She’d always had a strong sense of right and wrong and had never had an issue speaking up if she felt there was an injustice occurring.

“We made a good team.” He opened the door for Becca and she spun around as she hopped in.

“No, I was just along for the ride. You were the athletic one. You’re totally gonna walk away with that money,” she declared as if it was a done deal.

Brian shut the door and walked around climbing behind the driver’s side. As he put the key in the ignition, Becca asked, “So what is the show about? Is it like Survivor or Top Chef?”

“No. I wish.” Brian actually wouldn’t mind competing on a show like that, where there was actual skill involved and real competition. “It’s a dating show, kind of like The Bachelor meets Temptation Island. The spin on this one is that it’s set in a castle and everyone who is cast will either be a princess or a prince. And, wait for it,” he paused and looked over at her, “the name of it is…drumroll…Fairytale Love.”

Brian waited for Becca to laugh and tell him how cheesy that sounded. Instead her already-pale skin looked as though it had grown even paler in the last few seconds.

“You’re going on a dating show?” she asked. The excitement, the support that had been radiating off of her in waves mere moments before was gone, drained from her body.

Brian searched her eyes, trying to figure out what could have happened in just the last minute or two. As his eyes studied her, he recognized her expression from the time she thought she’d lost his pet turtle. They’d found Slowpoke under the porch, but Becca had been beside herself for the short time he was missing.

“Well, I’m going to
audition
for a dating show. I have no idea if I’ll be on one,” he said, beginning to grow concerned. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. Sometimes after flights she would get nauseous. Maybe he should just take her home. “You know what, why don’t I run you home and get you settled? If I have time I’ll come back out.”

“No,” she said quickly, and a smile appeared on her face. “That’s silly. Let’s go. This is exciting,” she said with forced enthusiasm.

“Ooookay,” Brian agreed as he looked behind him and began backing out of the space.

He honestly had no idea what was going on with Becca, but something was up. If he didn’t know better he would think that she didn’t like the idea of him being on a dating show. That she was jealous.

But, that was a ridiculous notion. Becca had
always
been the first one to make sure everyone had known that they were “just friends.” She’d just said that very thing to Stella. Brian shook his head as he pulled the parking ticket out of his pocket. He was probably just projecting what he was feeling on to her. Because, like Becca was the first one to point out, they were
just friends
.