Emma’s hand slipped inside my boxers, stroking me gently as I groped her, trying to get me into the mood. After a couple of minutes, she was still stroking me, playing with my balls – but nothing was happening. She pulled out of the kiss and peppered little kisses down the side of my neck.

Something was wrong. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole situation was just wrong. I didn’t even really want to be here. What I actually wanted to be doing was walking Rosie home and hearing her talk some more.

Emma pulled back and looked at me curiously. “Everything okay?” she asked breathlessly.

I nodded and gulped. What the hell is wrong with me? Never in my life had I failed to get hard. When I wanted a hard-on, I got one. Never had the girl had to work for it.

“Want me to suck it?” Emma offered, frowning, clearly confused as she looked down towards my still limp dick in her hand.

The honest answer to that question scared me a little. I didn’t want her to, and I’d never even thought that before in my life either. Damn it, Nate, get your game on and have sex with the pretty girl. You know she’s good!

“Nate? I said-” she started, but I cut her off quickly.

“I heard what you said. Sorry, I can’t do this tonight; I’m not feeling too good. I think I’m coming down with something,” I lied, stepping back from her and hastily buttoning up my jeans.

Her confusion changed to sympathy. “Aww, you’re sick? Does the poor baby need a nurse to look after him?” she flirted, stepping closer to me again and pouting.

I resisted the urge to groan. I couldn’t bring myself to have meaningless sex with Emma in the back of the bar, when I was interested in Rosie. Once I’d had Rosie then I’d be able to turn my game back on and get back to normal. This was just a little blip that was easily fixed, once I’d jumped her everything would be fine and dandy again – I hoped.

“No. Seriously, Emma, sorry, but I can’t tonight. I need to go home,” I muttered to her obviously disappointed face.

She nodded and straightened her barely-there skirt. “Okay, well I’ll catch you next time. Hope you feel better.”

She shrugged and flipped the lock on the bathroom, walking away, leaving me standing there in the middle of the ladies bathrooms.

I walked over to the mirror and looked at myself. I didn’t look any different, but I felt like I should for some reason. I looked down at my crotch and frowned angrily. “Nice let down, buddy. You couldn’t just do it?” I muttered. And now I’m talking to my dick. I need help.

I sighed and headed out of the bathrooms, deciding enough was enough. I was going home with a mental image of Rosie and a box of tissues just like I told her earlier.

Tomorrow would be different, tomorrow I was turning my game back on and heading to Ashton’s for dinner whether I was invited or not. Persistence was the key, and I had never given up on anything in my life.

Chapter Five

I glanced in the mirror, messing with my hair for another couple of minutes, trying to make myself look the best that I could before heading over to Ashton’s. I really needed to give it my best effort tonight. Finally satisfied, I sighed and looked myself over; jeans and a plain, white T-shirt. I didn’t want to go there dressed to the nines and make it too obvious that I was desperate for her attention.

“Get your game on, Nate,” I mumbled, as I slipped on my sneakers and headed to my best friend’s apartment to crash their dinner party. Well, ‘crash’ wasn’t exactly right because I’d called this morning and managed to talk Anna into inviting me over; whining that I hadn’t eaten properly for ages and how I’d had a hard week. As always, she fell for it. In reality, she probably knew the reason I was angling for an invite.

On the way there, I stopped at the gas station, buying a bunch of flowers for Anna and a bottle of wine. By the time I pulled up at their apartment, I felt a little sick with nerves. If it didn’t work tonight, I’d decided to admit defeat. If she loved her guy that much then I had no right to split them up for one night of passion with her.

After letting myself up to their apartment using the front door key card they’d given me, I knocked on their door. While waiting for an answer, I quickly straightened my shirt and ran my tongue over my teeth, making sure I didn’t have anything stuck in there. Ashton answered the door, laughing at something; he waved me in and walked back into the kitchen, where Anna and Rosie were giggling hysterically.

“What did I miss?” I asked, looking between the three of them.

Rosie smiled and nodded towards Anna. “Just these two flirting; it’s burning my ears so I’m glad you’re here, maybe they’ll stop now.”

“I’ll stop,” Anna chuckled.

Ashton stepped to Anna’s side. “I didn’t agree to that, Mrs Taylor,” he murmured playfully, as he draped his arm around her waist. She grinned and gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him closer to her, looking at him with that look; it wasn’t love; it was something else, almost like he was the centre of her world. It was embarrassing, and way too much for me to be seeing when I had no one to look at me like that.

I cleared my throat dramatically, and Anna sighed, pulling away from her husband. She tore her eyes away from him and looked at me.

“Nate, I could un-invite you, you know,” she scolded playfully.

“Well then I’ll give these flowers to Rosie if you do.” I shrugged and put them on the counter, along with the bottle of wine I’d brought.

Anna picked them up, smiling gratefully. “Thanks, Nate, these are beautiful.” She hugged me and headed over to get a vase to put them in.

My gaze flicked to Rosie who was looking at me with an air of surprise. “What? You didn’t think I was a nice guy?” I guessed.

An apologetic smile crept onto her lips. “No, I just… I don’t know.” She shrugged and turned back to help Anna put the flowers in the vase.

Ashton looked at me knowingly as he stepped to my side. “I know why you’re here, so I’m just gonna say this; please, don’t hurt her. If this is just about sex, then be straight with her about it, don’t lead her on.” His expression was stern and protective.

I nodded innocently. “Chill, bud, she’s not interested anyway. She already told me she has a man, so I’ve got no chance.”

He frowned and cocked his head to the side. “She told you that?”

“Yeah, some dude called DJ.” I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about the lucky bastard that got to go to bed with her every night. Ashton must know him because he was the one who asked about him the previous night at the bar.

A wicked grin spread across his face as he nodded. “Yeah, she has a man called DJ, he’s-” he looked like he was about to say more, but Anna turned around and looped her arms around his waist which, of course, caught his interest immediately.

“Let’s eat then, I’m starving,” she suggested. “You pour the wine and I’ll get the food. Oh, and before you ask me, Nate, yes, I did make the lasagne myself.” She stuck her tongue out at me and I grinned happily. Anna was a really good cook. Hopefully it wouldn’t all get eaten tonight, and then I could take the rest home with me to save me from toasted sandwiches and microwaved dinners like usual.

“Sweet.” I slipped my arm around Rosie’s waist and guided her to the table. “Muffin, you can sit near me and we can save each other from all the flirting those two will do over dinner,” I suggested, pulling her chair out for her, remembering this time how to behave like a gentleman.

She chuckled and sat down. “And who’s going to save me from all the flirting you’re going to do over dinner?”

“Hmm, you’re right, there’s no hope for you, you’re screwed.” I shrugged and slipped into the chair next to hers.

The rest of the night went like that. It was fun, as it usually was hanging out with Ashton and Anna, but Rosie just seemed to add something extra. We were laughing all night, and she was definitely warming to me. I kept the flirting to a minimum and tried to keep my conversation intelligent and interesting. Surprisingly, we actually had a lot in common. The more we talked, the more I noticed it – movies, music, hell, even her favourite book was the same as mine. Rosie was getting scarier and scarier by the second.

As the night wound down and it got later, I decided it was time to leave the new parents in peace. I smiled hopefully over at Rosie. We’d had a really great night and we got on really well. I silently wondered what would happen if I asked her out again. Would she still say no and go home to her man? One last try, I decided, and then I was calling it quits.

“Want a ride home?” I offered, standing up.

She smiled gratefully. “Really? You don’t mind?”

“Sure, it’s no problem.”

She grinned happily and pushed herself up, saying goodbye to Anna and Ashton before following me to the door. I purposefully stopped next to the mirror in the hallway and waited for her to catch up to me. She slipped on her shoes and smiled.

“Come here a second.” I gripped her hand, pulling her closer to me, showing her where to stand. I stepped closer to her side and pulled her arm around my waist while I draped my arm around her shoulder and nodded towards the mirror. “You definitely look good on me,” I teased. Actually, it wasn’t really a joke, we certainly made a hot couple, even if I did say so myself.

She gasped and pushed me away. “Your flirting is going to give me a nose bleed if you don’t stop soon,” she joked, putting her hands on my back and pushing me out of the apartment.

Anna shouted me quickly just as we were about to walk away, and held out a dish filled with half a leftover lasagne.

“I want my dish back, and please wash it this time,” she begged, grimacing slightly.

I hugged her, kissing her cheek and as thanks. “You’re the best.”

“Thanks for dinner, guys, it was great.” Rosie smiled.

“Good luck at work tomorrow. Call me and let me know how it went,” Anna instructed, hugging her quickly.

As we walked down to my car, I stole little glances at Rosie. “So, how are you finding LA so far?” I probed, trying to get her talking.

She shrugged. “It’s alright. Too big for me really, but I think once I get used to it, it’ll be better. The people are rude here sometimes; I accidentally bumped into a woman earlier when I was at the store, and I swear she was going to kill me,” she answered, shuddering.

Barstow was a far cry from LA, that was for sure. She’d have to get used to that kind of thing compared to what she classed as ‘normal’.

“You’ll get used to it. Just learn to stay away from the weirdos, or become one, that way people will stay away from you,” I suggested.

When we got to my car I made a point of opening her door. She grinned. “My, we really are being a gentleman today, Nate; pulling out my chair, opening a door. What’s next? Will I be getting flowers?” she teased.

“If you agreed to come out with me, you would.” I winked at her as I closed her door and walked round to my side of the car with a hopeful smile on my face. This was going well, and I was on my best behaviour; plus, she’d had a little to drink, so maybe my luck was changing.

She directed me to her apartment, and I looked at her sideways as we drove down her road. It wasn’t exactly the nicest street in LA that she’d chosen to relocate to.

“This one’s me.” She pointed to a really crappy looking building that was covered in graffiti. The only thing it appeared to have going for it was that there was no one hanging around outside it. I pulled in and cut the engine, deciding to walk her to her door, just in case.

“I’ll walk you in.” I got out before she could protest.

She met me on the other side of the car, smiling gratefully as she dug around in her purse for her keys. “You don’t have to; I’ll be fine,” she assured me, heading to the door and punching in a code for the external door to unlock.

“I want to, pumpkin.” I shrugged. She rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, and I was pleased to see it was a lot nicer inside than it was out. The inner hall looked fairly clean and no graffiti covered the walls.

I followed her up to the second floor, and she stopped outside her door.

“Want to come in for a coffee or something?” she asked.

I felt like doing a victory dance just because she didn’t actually want rid of me yet which was a step in the right direction. “Or something would be nice.” I looked at her suggestively and she groaned.

“I walked right into that one, huh?”

I threw my arm around her shoulder and nodded sadly. “Yep, sweetness, you did.”

Laughing, she pushed the door open, holding it open for me to go in after her. I followed her in eagerly, looking around. The apartment was basic, and half unpacked boxes were stacked all over the place.

“Coffee?” she offered, as she headed towards her poky little kitchen.

“Sure.” I followed her in, watching as she made it. I couldn’t keep my eyes away from her ass. Every time she turned around, my hands were itching to grab her, so I shoved them in my pockets to remove the temptation.

“So, it looks like you’re almost done moving in,” I observed, trying to distract myself from staring at her body.

Rosie sighed and nodded, frowning at the two boxes in the corner, labelled kitchen non-essentials. “Yeah, jeez, I hate moving. It’s such a pain. You don’t realise how much crap you hoard until you’re boxing it all up,” she muttered, handing me a mug of coffee and nodding towards the sugar pot for me to help myself.