Page 10

Chapter eight

Silas

Did someone say monsters in their pants?

~ One Day Later / October ~

After hanging up with Cecilia, I spent a little extra time at Clay and Morgan’s before heading home. Closer to my girl. The minute I walked through the door, I grabbed a quick shower and called her up, needing to hear her siren-like voice again.

She told me about her day at work, the things she was working on, as well as the issues that she was having with some of her more demanding clients. I love how passionate she is with her work, the way she talks about it with enthusiasm and excitement.

We moved on to simple topics shortly after, where she told me about her roommate, Emma, and how they met.

Along with the crazy things they’ve done together in the six years of being in each other’s lives.

I don’t know Emma Mackenzie personally, but from the stories Cecilia has told me, she seems like a great friend for my Minnie.

In return, I told her about Clay and Greyson, about my parents and my brother, and what it was like growing up with hockey. We talked for nearly three hours when I finally let her rest.

Hearing her kitten-like yawn through the phone every two minutes was a big indication of how tired she must have been. She wasn’t the only one exhausted since I fell into a deep slumber the minute we hung up.

I wake to the sun heating my face through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It seems I forgot to switch off the automated curtains last night. For the first day of October, it appears to be a warm one.

I reach out with one hand to my nightstand and pick up my phone, tapping the screen, but it stays dark. Great, I forgot to plug it in, too. I plug in my iPhone and head downstairs to start my day .

After consuming a nutritious breakfast, I make for my home gym and get a two-hour workout session in. By the time I’ve finished my workout, taken a shower, and eaten lunch, it’s a quarter past one.

Retrieving my fully charged phone from my room and turning it on, I’m instantly bombarded by texts from Morgan. I’m about to tap into our message thread when an incoming call takes over the screen, Clay’s name staring back at me.

“Hey.”

“Where the hell are you!? And why weren’t you answering your phone?” he says in an angry whisper.

“My phone was dead. Why are you whispering?” I ask, bemused at how odd his behavior is.

“Because I hid in the bathroom so that I could try to get a hold of you, Morgan’s starting to scare me. She keeps giving me the stink eye because of you.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You were supposed to be here hours ago!” he shouts a bit louder into the phone.

I pull the phone away from the angry voice in my ear and decide to set it down on the kitchen island, placing it on speakerphone as I walk over to the fridge and grab a water bottle.

After guzzling half of its content in one go, I recap it and set it down, then press the palms of my hands onto the counter, my phone resting between them. “You’re gonna have to give more here, Burkley. Why was I supposed to be at your place?”

“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, HAYES!” I hear him breathing hard, trying to calm himself down. “You promised Morgan last night that you’d be here early to help out with the decorations... it’s the first!”

“SHIT!” It had completely escaped my mind, but I do vaguely remember agreeing to help Morgan last night after speaking to Cecilia on the phone for the first time.

Morgan, being the interior designer, has a love for decorating, and Halloween just so happens to be her favorite holiday. Every year like clockwork, Morgan decorates her home from top to bottom on the first of the month.

Ever since the tradition started three years ago when they began dating, I’ve been helping out with everything that requires height. Not that her husband is that much shorter than me, but as she’s stated in the past, he apparently doesn’t have the eye for what looks good and what doesn’t.

“Yeah, shit . So, you’d better be making your way over here soon.”

I’m about to tell him I’m on my way when it hits me that I have my date with Cecilia tonight. I don’t have to pick her up until five, but if there’s one thing I learned in the last three years, it’s that I won’t be out of there by five. Fuck!

I could always tell them that I can’t make it to be on time for Cecilia, but I’d feel guilty.

Morgan has always been there for me as a friend.

Just yesterday she was giving me moral support while I waited for a sign from my girl.

I can’t do that to Morgan, but there’s also no way I’m canceling on Minnie.

A thought suddenly comes to mind. I’m just a little uncertain of how my girl will feel about it, but it’s worth a shot and solves both my problems.

“You mind if I bring help?” I ask him. I know he’ll say yes, but I still prefer giving them a heads up.

“I don’t care if you bring the whole damn church choir, Silas. Just get your ass down here fast before my wife has a meltdown!” The line goes dead after his statement.

Wow, he must really be mad to hang up like that. Taking a deep breath, I pick up my phone and dial Cecilia’s number, praying it all works out. The line rings twice before she picks up.

“Hello?” There are muffled voices in the background. Shit, she might be busy.

“Hello, Minnie.”

“Hi,” her voice softens, turning into a purr.

My chest warms at the visible effect I have on her. If only she knew just how much she affects me, too. “What are you doing right now?”

“Um, nothing really. Just watching a TV show with Em, why?” she asks, sounding worried.

“There’s been a slight change of plans. Can you be ready in ten? I’ll come down and get you.” I bite the inside of my lip. Please, say yes. Please, say yes.

Being optimistic, I grab my keys and wallet off the console table in the entryway and head for the door. I’d normally take my private elevator that only gives access to my floor, the lobby, and garage. But since I’m picking up a lovely lady three floors down, I take the main elevator cab.

“Like, right now?” She sounds hesitant. You know you want to, Minnie.

“Yes, right now. I’m already heading for the elevator.”

“You said ten minutes!”

“Then chop-chop, Minnie. The clock is ticking,” I tell her, chuckling as I press the call button for the cab.

She shrieks loudly in my ear, followed by the sound of what I think is her running before she hangs up. It takes me less than two minutes to make it to her door, and I knock on it with a wide smile. She’s going to hate me once she finds out where I’m taking her .

The door swings open a second later and a tall red-headed woman stands before me in a silk short and shirt pajama set. Well, tall next to Cecilia, still short compared to me. I presume this must be Emma Mackenzie, the famous roommate and best friend.

“Holy shit, that was quick. Did you move in with Ms. Maggie or something?” Her eyes roam over me from head to toe, then back up. She opens the door wider and steps aside, giving me access to enter.

“Nah, just three floors up,” I inform her, noting that Minnie must not have told her. Good girl.

“Three flo—” she begins to ask, unclear of what I mean, but quickly stops herself when the puzzle pieces click together. She puts up a hand to silence me, or in this case, herself.

She closes her eyes and breathes heavily through her nose, bridling her emotions at the latest news, then yells in what I imagine is Cecilia’s direction. “HE LIVES IN THE PENTHOUSE, AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME!?”

“Stop yelling, it wasn’t important information.” Cecilia comes into view wearing a white robe while brushing her hair. Her makeup is done lightly, but she still has yet to put on clothes.

Damn! The image of her in my head didn’t do her justice. Cecilia is a work of art. The nerves of seeing her had subsided on my way down, but now that we’re face to face, they’ve come barreling back.

My hands grow damp, a shaky breath exiting my body. I’ve never been known as someone timorous, but Cecilia evokes so many unknown emotions in me. It’s unsettling.

“Wasn’t impor—” Emma cuts herself off once more. “You know what? I don’t think this friendship’s going to work out.”

“Stop being dramatic, Em.” Cecilia rolls her eyes playfully before turning her gaze on me. “I don’t know what to wear, you didn’t mention what we were doing.” She blushes timidly.

“Go with simple, casual. Really, anything works.”

She sends me a beaming smile in return, telling me she’ll only need a few more minutes and saunters back in the direction she came from.

I stare in her direction for a while longer. When I look back to her roommate, she’s regarding me with a knowing smirk. “Oh, you’ve got it bad.”

I don’t reward her with an answer, simply shaking my head as I look down at my feet with a grin. You’re not wrong there, Mackenzie. Not wrong at all.

“You’re so much hotter in person,” she says, looking me up and down once more .

“EMMA!” Cecilia shouts from afar.

“What? It’s true! Have you seen the man!?” Emma’s hand stretches out my way.

An amused laugh escapes me at the interaction between them. I can imagine this happens often, the two seem to be complete opposites. Where Cecilia is calm and collected, Emma seems more outgoing with an extravagant personality.

My girl returns shortly, wearing high-waisted light-blue jeans with a white long-sleeve shirt that gives off a little peek at her ample cleavage, the bottom tucked into her waistband. The whole ensemble is simple yet chic. Everything looks practically glued to her skin.

Desire rises through my veins as I picture peeling off every item, one by one. She slips on a pair of white low-top sneakers that seem to have never been worn, or maybe bleached after every wear.

“Is this okay?” she asks bashfully as she looks down at her outfit, her loose brown waves falling into her face.

She’s mesmerizing. Her natural beauty radiates so brightly that even the blind would take notice. “Come here, Minnie.”

She looks up with curiosity and hesitantly approaches me.

Once at arm’s length, I reach out and pull her the rest of the way until her body falls into mine, wrapping my arms around her neck as hers come up to circle my waist. Although, I’m pretty sure her hands don’t even touch with how wide I’m built.

I bury my nose into her hair, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo before kissing the top of her head and whispering quietly, “You look absolutely beautiful, it’s perfect.”

“Thank you,” she replies, resting her head against my chest, eyes closed and enjoying the moment as much as I am. This feels like heaven. We’ve never hugged before, and it truly baffles me how natural it all feels. Like coming home.

A sharp gasp is heard, followed by suppressed laughter. I look toward the sound and find Emma with a hand held over her mouth. Cecilia untangles herself from my hold with a sigh and steps to the side, turning to her friend.

“What now?”

“Cecilia! He’s huge... and you’re so tiny,” Emma laughs between each statement.

“Ha-ha, very funny. Yes, I know,” Cecilia says, unimpressed.

“BABE. You’re not listening... he’s huge! Look at his hands. Jesus, look at the size of his shoes!”

I look down at myself like I’m trying to figure out where she’s going with this. But the truth is I know exactly the point she’s desperately trying to make. A smile spreads on my face as I gaze back up .

“Okay... and?” Oh, my poor innocent girl.

“CECILIA! The man clearly has a monster in his pants!” Right again, Mackenzie. Right again.

I double up, roaring with laughter while Cecilia’s mouth hangs open in complete shock.

“OH MY GOD! Okay, we’re out of here. Let’s go.” Her face goes red as she turns me to the door. She grabs her coat and wallet, shoving it into the coat’s pocket before rushing us out.

“Have fun, lovebirds!” Emma yells out as Cecilia shuts the door behind us.

“I like your friend,” I inform Minnie, still cracking up.

She shakes her head, then slaps me on the biceps, taking up the giggles herself. “Shut up.”