Olivia poked her head out into the hallway curiously as she heard another male voice. She walked slowly towards the entryway, picking up more pieces of conversation as she got closer.
“I told you I’ve been busy,” Alex said. The sound of his front door closing echoed down the hallway. At first, Olivia thought he had gotten rid of the mystery person, but then she heard the other voice again.
“Bullshit. I know you’re hiding some chick,” the mystery man said. “Now, where is she? I wanna meet her.”
Olivia frowned, edging closer to the front door. Who was this man? “And I already told you I’m not, so just drop it,” Alex replied, his voice calm. But Olivia could tell he was agitated. He was a little too calm.
But why would he lie about her? They were sleeping together. Didn’t guys brag about that kind of stuff?
The voices were rounding the corner of the entryway and Olivia froze when she saw the mystery man come into her direct line of sight. Alex was following closely behind him, his expression blank.
The man spotted her a few moments later. “So, who is this then?” he asked, grinning widely at Olivia.
The man was handsome, but not in the devilishly handsome way Alex was. He had short blonde hair, cut close to his scalp, with piercing blue eyes and a crooked nose. And he was massive. He looked like he could pull train cars with his pinky finger. But Olivia noticed immediately that this man practically oozed charm, which gave him an air of confidence that surely attracted many people. Probably many women. He was dressed casually in light wash jeans and a thick black sweater. But he had mud encrusted on his boots. Olivia was certain it would drive Alex crazy if he hadn’t realized it already.
Olivia felt rooted to the spot as both sets of eyes zeroed in on her. Olivia waited for Alex to introduce them, smiling politely at the man who practically lumbered towards her. But Alex never said anything.
Before she could wonder what that meant, the man held out his hand. “Pardon my friend for his extreme rudeness,” the man said, still smiling widely. “I’m Luke Branford. And you are?” His name seemed familiar to her but she couldn’t put her finger on where she had seen it before.
She took his hand and smiled hesitantly. “Olivia Ward. It’s nice to meet you, Luke.” She was surprised when he brought her hand up, as though to kiss the back of it. But he stopped suddenly, something shifting in his eyes and he gently let go, casting an unreadable look at Alex. That was weird, Olivia thought, looking to Alex for answers. But he wasn’t looking at her. He apparently thought his floor was much more interesting.
Olivia felt an odd pang in her chest at his refusal to look at her. Why hadn’t he introduced them? And why did Luke think Alex was hiding her?
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Olivia wondered if Alex didn’t want his friends to know about her.
Suddenly, she wanted to leave. She wanted the floor to swallow her up so she wouldn’t have to look at him. How could she have been so stupid? Of course a man like Alex wouldn’t want his friends to know he was having sex with a plump, self-conscious baker.
But unfortunately, Olivia couldn’t make her escape just yet. “So, how long have you two been dating?” Luke asked, his grin still as wide as when he first saw her.
She felt a flash of anger burn down the middle of her chest, a perfect compliment to her embarrassment. It was like Miles all over again. Except somehow, it hurt more that Alex was ashamed of her. “We’re not dating,” Olivia replied. Her voice sounded icy to her own ears and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex’s head snap up at the sound. “I was just leaving actually, but it was nice to meet you, Luke.”
She plastered a smile on her face as she brushed past the both of them, trying not to inhale Alex’s smell on the way in fear that she might start crying. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
She reached the entryway in record time, grabbing her purse off the side table quickly. She had left some clothes and her toothbrush in Alex’s bedroom but there was no way in hell she would go back to get them. As she opened the front door, she heard Luke say, “Uh oh, trouble in paradise?”
“Shut the fuck up, Luke,” came Alex’s annoyed response. It was the last thing she heard as she shut the door behind her.
Olivia raced down the steps, fumbling for her keys in her purse. Just as she reached her car, she heard Alex’s front door open and slam. But she didn’t turn around.
She unlocked her car door but just as she reached for the handle, she felt a warm hand clasp around her arm. “Olivia, wait. Don’t go,” came Alex’s deep voice.