Page 13 of Who’s Playing You (In The Nick of Time #1)

SCOTTIE ANDERSON

I ’m jonesing with excitement. I can’t wait to meet this group of people and experience the wonder of nature through their eyes and artistry. And lead them on this spiritual journey that often just leads to self-discovery.

I swung by the Caffeinated Cock and grabbed myself an iced latte and scone before jumping in my car.

I had loaded the car up last night so all I’d have to do this morning was head out.

I made sure I had extra canvases, paints, brushes, palettes, charcoal, paper…

just everything I thought we might need.

I even brought the water colors and all of the things needed for that medium if it called to anyone, even though the focus today was supposed to be on charcoal on paper and acrylic paints.

There was one that stood out though.

Tucked in the corner of the lot, about two spots over from me, was an all black older model Bronco. And it looked like it was on big tires.

Leaning up against the SUV with one of his legs angled up and leaning on one of those big tires was a guy who was meant to be noticed.

He was tall and looked to be in really good shape, like really really good shape. He had his face kind of hidden from me though, so I was only able to appreciate his physique. And what physique it was!

Hubba-hubba!

Once I had my car parked and turned off, I dared to peer over in his direction again.

He was looking straight at me, showing me more of his face from this angle.

I allowed myself to take him all in, because… why not? The dude was staring at me! And there was an invisible thread that kept pulling my gaze to him.

He must be damn near 6’5, strongly built but not like one of those bulky sport guys. More like a runner. But… better.

He removed his sunglasses and lifted his baseball cap from his head which had his long inky black hair falling over his forehead, but now I could see his face.

His jaw was so friggin’ chiseled, I’m sure he could cut glass with that thing.

His nose was straight, his eyes were lighter, which was made obvious with the stark contrast of that inky-black hair.

Wow.

That’s all I could think.

Just wow.

This guy, whoever he was, was just really beautiful .

There’s literally no other way to describe it.

He probably left nothing in his wake but broken hearts, and I’m sure he had men and women throwing themselves at him left and right.

From an artist’s perspective, he was quite literally the most perfect specimen.

I’m sure Leonardo DeVinci would have loved the idea of drawing and painting a man like this.

I’m sure Roman statues were carved with men like this as models.

Oh shit!

I’d gotten lost in my own head - literally just staring at this guy beyond the time that was considered socially acceptable. Yet, he just kept looking at me… like some sort of gaping freak like I was.

Again, that invisible string tugged at me.

I quickly pretended to look down to the floorboards, to break the trance that I felt I’d gotten lost in.

I grabbed my sunglasses and put them on my nose, bringing my cellphone up so it was visible above my dash, and I pretended to be playing with my phone while I continued to ogle him, a little more freely now.

I mean… how could someone be so beautiful and sexy all at once? It was like he was God’s favorite human or something and He’d graced him with pure beauty. Oh to be so lucky. Life really wasn’t fair sometimes.

God, and my DNA, had graced me with these child-bearing hips.

Yet the irony of my reality was crueler than anything because in all of the years that Earl and I had tried, these hips just lied.

There was no child bearing happening. So then, why give me a more rotund bottom half?

I mean, I wasn’t “fat” per se. I wasn’t skinny either.

I guess I’d be considered some form of “fit”, but “could stand to lose ten pounds or more” - that summed me up.

But at least I was tall! That kind of helped me carry my weight better.

And not so low key, I kind of loved that my breasts were sizable.

Not like porn-star sizing, but also not little mosquito bites.

But they were a full C-cup, and perhaps more importantly, they were naturally firm.

The irony of that was my familial history when it came to breast health…

and oh-sweet-baby-Jesus what was this man who was standing before me doing?

He was surely sent here to inflict pain on me, because he just ran his hand through his dark hair again before putting his baseball cap on backwards.

Mother of all that was holy…

Every woman’s catnip was a backwards baseball cap. I was no different. I wasn’t immune.

I lost the grip on my phone and dropped it in my lap, which snapped me out of my pure and unadulterated ogling by startling the bejesus out of me. Shit, I think I even had a little drool on the side of my mouth. I knew that my cheeks were bright red.

What was wrong with me? The guy was clearly much younger than I was.

Ugh, it’d be just my luck if he turned out to be a student.

I might have to resign if he turned out to be one of my students come fall.

But he looked like one of those sporty types, and we didn’t have too many of them come through my advanced painting classes.

Which was a shame really if you asked me…

That reminded me: I was the adult here, the professional. And I had a job to do right now. I’d never get those five minutes back where I just stared at this poor, innocent man… man-boy… hunk… hottie… man ! Ugh, get it together Scottie.

Maybe it was time to start dating again. Maybe I was just lonely and horny. I hadn’t been with anyone since Earl after all. It’d been a minute. So maybe it was just my body reacting to this attractive man and reminding me that I had needs.

Some very, very real needs.

Ugh, my libido was in full force today. Damn Mr. Hot ‘n Hunky getting me all fired up.

I had to collect myself quickly because I needed to get out of the safety of my car and start getting things together before my people arrived, which would inevitably be at any moment.

I quickly glanced back towards Mr. Hot ‘n Hunky. He was now fully leaning up against his Bronco. Arms crossed over his chest as he just grinned. I couldn’t see where his eyes were however because he’d put his sunglasses back on, but his head was still turned in my direction.

My car was in eyeline with the entrance. I bet he was just waiting on some friends, or a friend. Probably some young and spry little thing…

Shut up, Scottie. Focus. Priorities. Art.

With that mental slap, I filed out of my car and rounded to the back of it. I was moving boxes and canvases around in the back from how it had shifted during the drive, when I felt a presence behind me.

“Scottie?” said the most smooth and deep masculine voice I’d ever heard in my life, that reverberated in my very being. I completely stilled and dropped whatever it was that I was holding.

I must have startled because whoever was behind me said, “Oh shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. You’re Scottie, right?”

I slowly, hesitantly, turned. Or turned as much as I could in the small space between my car, the trunk door and where Mr. Hot ‘n Hunky stood.

Right. In. Front. Of. Me!

My mouth opened. Closed. Opened. Closed. I was officially a fish on land, dying, unable to breathe. Unable to speak.

He smiled at me, showing off his damn perfect white and straight teeth. This man had really won the genetics lottery. Hot dayum. He was flawless.

With his left hand he slowly removed his sunglasses as his smile grew bigger. His mouth was moving. What? What was he saying? Wait, he was talking. Why did it sound like I was under water and all the sound was muffled?

His right hand just hung in mid-air, between us. I looked from it back to his face.

I didn’t think it possible but he smiled even bigger. “Are you okay?” he asked on a chuckle, a chuckle that rumbled deep in his chest and was the most amazing sound I’d ever heard in my life.

A chuckle that seemed to have been the electric current that I needed to jump start me back to firing off a brain cell or two because I quickly replied, the words tumbling from my lips, “Nonoitsfine… Imean… noyoudidn’t…

” I quickly shut my mouth, pinching my lips together while I closed my eyes and breathed a heavy sigh through my nose.

It would be really terrific if the Earth could just open up and swallow me whole right now. Or to be struck down by lighting, that would also be perfect for this moment, because the embarrassment that I felt was crippling.

I could feel the heat, and I could literally feel the color red flush my neck and cheeks.

I couldn’t help but cover my face with my hands due to mortification, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I obviously shouldn’t be let out in public unattended.”

I saw his one foot scuff the gravel beneath his shoe as I heard his delicious and full laugh. “You’re kind of adorable, you know that?” he asked as if that were an obvious response to my delusional behavior.

“I wouldn’t have expected that description to be used for my behavior just now,” I replied on an almost whisper while I removed my hands and let them fall to my sides as I looked up to his eyes. And ohmygawd… his eyes were literally the most beautiful shade of grey.

Light storm clouds.

Did this man have a flaw? Even just one?

“Well, expect it because I just said it,” he replied and chuckled. “So now I feel compelled to ask you if you’re okay, because you kind of short-circuited for a minute there.” He said this without judgement, which I appreciated.

“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m okay. Thank you for asking, and also please accept my apology. I’m just having like a really weird da… well, year. Yeah, year is more accurate.”

The one side of his mouth lifted up and it revealed a fucking dimple! I just groaned as if it had physically pained me.