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She took his hand and got up, but said, “But look at him. He needs someone to stay with him tonight. What if he needs moreice or something for pain? If I stay the night, he won’t have to get out of bed to get it.”
And I want to jump out of the window because there is no way in hell that my mother is checking on me in bed.
Before I could voice my opinion, Dad said, “He doesn’t need a doctor. And if he does, I’m sure he knows how to call one.” He looked at me and said, “We will see you for brunch tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“But...”
“Sarah, just tell him you love him, and let’s go,” Dad said.
She sighed. “I love you, Cameron. Don’t listen to your father. You have my number. Call me if you need me.”
“Love you too. Good night,” I said.
Dad tugged on her arm and reluctantly, she left. The sound of the door latch clicking behind them was wonderful. Finally, alone.
I dragged my ass off the couch and headed for the bathroom and started the hot water. Even stripping off my clothes seemed a chore. The adrenalin from earlier had worn off, and I was left feeling sore and exhausted. I wasn’t one who took meds for pain. The jacuzzi was all I needed now. But I wouldn’t mind the gentle touch of Sydney massaging my shoulders.
Just one touch from her, and it wasn’t my shoulders that I would want her hands on.
Damn it!
Even as spent as I was, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Those thoughts only reminded me of how badly I wanted her. I had no choice but to resist acting on my needs, but the title match was over. Nothing stopped me from pulling her into my arms, carrying her to my bed, and enjoying every single inch of her.
Stepping into the jacuzzi, I let the hot water and jets pound on my sore and bruised muscles. This would need to do for now but I wasn’t taking care of all that ached in me.
Shit, it’s been too damn long.
Chris joked about my having a little black book of numbers that I could call depending on where I was. I hadn’t put Sydney’s number in that book and didn’t want to. Not because she didn’t make the cut, but because somehow there was something different about her. We’d been talking for a week, and we had only kissed… once. That wasn’t like me at all. Hell, had it been any other woman I would’ve stopped talking to her and moved on.
Deep conversations never had been something I enjoyed. I mostly avoided them if possible. Yet I meant it when I asked Sydney how her day was. I wanted to know. I just wished I didn’t need to lie when she asked me about mine. It wasn’t a good way to start a relationship.
Fuck! This isn’t a relationship. It’s just going to be a date. ONE date.
I had to keep reminding myself of that. She might be different, and I wanted to talk to her, but let’s be realistic, it wasn’t going to last. Hell, I couldn’t even believe I suggested that we spend the entire day together on Sunday. But I wasn’t about to back out. I knew she was looking forward to it. And if I was honest with myself, I was too.
My phone buzzed again. It was midnight and they just weren’t giving up. They could all wait until morning. There was no reason why I needed to be disturbed by the noise all night. Grabbing my phone off the stand next to me, I went to put it on silent, but it began to slip through my wet fingers. Before it fell into the water, my eyes caught one name. Sydney.
With a splash, it was completely immersed. Trying to locate it through the bubbles wasn’t easy, but I finally pulled it out fromunder the water. The screen wasn’t completely black yet, but close.
I spoke too soon. It shut off. People said putting it in a bag of rice and it will save the phone. I’d never heard of anyone telling me that it actually worked for them. I was too late to go to the store and get another one. I’d need to do that in the morning. But I didn’t care about the phone. Right now, I was worried why Sydney had reached out so late. What if there was something wrong and she needed me? I had no way of getting in touch with her, or her to reach out to me again.
Getting out of the jacuzzi, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist. I searched the apartment for a phone but found none.
Great, Chris. You have everything one could want in this place except for a landline so I could call Sydney.
Since I didn’t know her home address, it wasn’t as though I could go and check on her myself. I wasn’t about to call the police for a well-check when I had no proof that she was in trouble. No stores were open, but I had options. I could drive to my parent's hotel and use their phone or head downstairs to the bar.
Finally, something about this place that I like. A bar that’s open 24/7 to the people who live here.
I threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Grabbed the keys and rushed downstairs. When I entered the bar, there were a few people sitting at the table talking. I didn’t want to get into a lengthy conversation, so I headed to the bartender.
“Sorry, man. But I dropped my phone in the jacuzzi, and I needed to make a call. Can I borrow yours for a minute?”
He looked me over and then I realized why he was hesitating. “Sorry. I’m Cameron Giampietro. I’m staying at Chris Giampietro’s apartment. You can verify this with the doorman if you need to.”
He shook his head. “We are all made aware of any guests here. Just making sure you are okay. You look as though you’ve been in a...” His eyes widened and then blurted out. “You’re him. The underdog that just won the WBA middleweight title match tonight.”
