Page 20 of Revived

He’s thoughtful and strong, talkative only when he feels he needs to be, and is the most amazing father to the little boy that has me wrapped around his fingers.

“As a friend, yes…” I say, avoiding their eyes once I decide how to answer.

“A friend with benefits?” Jess suggests and all I can do is roll my eyes.

“No. Not at all.”

“Perfect! Then you can go speed dating with me,” she exclaims, yanking on my arm to get my attention.

“Jess…” I whine, knowing there’s no way I’m going to get out of this, although the thought of dating someone and potentially having sex after months of abstinence instantly makes my body heat. Too bad it’s Luke’s body that I picture hovering over mine.

“Fine. When is it?”

“This Saturday.”

I mentally assess my schedule. I don’t have to work at Tony’s that night and Luke should be home.

“Okay. I’ll do it,” I relent. “But you’ve been warned… if this ends horribly, I will never do something like this with you ever again.” My voice is stern as I face her and point a finger at her chest.

“I can accept that. But this will be good for you, for us. Maybe it can help you move past the crush you have on Luke,” Jess slips in as I choke on my saliva.

“What? I don’t… I mean… I…”

“Oh, now I know for certain,” she winks.

“Rachel, do you like Luke?” Pfeiffer leans forward in her seat so I can see her as I close my eyes and admit defeat.

“How can you look at him and not find him attractive?” I whisper, opening my eyes to find Grayson again, scaling the playground for the umpteenth time.

“True. Luke is handsome. But don’t do something you’re going to regret, okay?”

I stare back at my best friend, knowing she’s only trying to look out for me. And I get it, understand it, and ultimately know there is nothing I can do where it concerns my attraction for Luke. It’s just a physical thing, nothing more. That’s what vibrators were made for, right?

“Although… the idea of you and Luke ending up together is something that would make for quite the story. My best friend and one of Cash’s best friends? Falling in love? That’s the kind of stuff romance novels are written about,” Pfeiffer smiles, bouncing up and down in her seat.

“Yeah, well. I don’t see that happening, so let’s forget this conversation ever happened, okay?”

Jess and Pfeiffer glance knowingly at each other just as Grayson runs up to me. “Yeah, okay,” Jess scoffs as Grayson and I get ready to leave.

“Hey, don’t you think you’re the pot calling the kettle black, Miss I-have-a-crush-on-my-co-worker?” Staring down at Jess, I lift my brow and rest my hands on my hips.

She cowers a bit before recovering, brushing her long, black hair behind her shoulders, and sitting up confidently. “All the more reason why you and I need to partake in this speed dating event, Rach.” She points a finger up at me. “We’re both in sticky situations. Maybe there’s a polite, safe, guy that will be there to show us the light. I’ll see you Saturday night.”

Once Luke gets home from work that afternoon, I do my best to avoid him, almost as if he can sense the conversation that took place today and my admittance to the attraction I feel towards him. But a shift at Tony’s tonight means I have to exit my room so I can leave the house.

I walk out of my room in tight blue jeans and a low cut, curve hugging top with my hair down for a change—my typical outfit I wear when I work at Tony’s two nights a week. Bartending is definitely not my forte, but it gets me out of the house and provides some adult interaction, seeing as how most of my conversations I hold these days are with an almost five-year-old boy.

Fixing my shirt as I walk down the hall, I barely notice Luke standing there watching me until I lift my head, his darkened eyes surveying me as I stop a few feet in front of him.

“Uh…” he starts and then swallows hard. “Uh, you’re working at Tony’s tonight?” He asks, his eyes bouncing between mine before dipping down and gazing over my entire body. I swear I can feel the heat emanating from them as they travel up and down my torso, marking me with his stare before landing back on my face.

My body is alive with electricity as I watch him watch me, making me question if this attraction I have for him isn’t just one-sided. The tick of his jaw catches me off-guard as we stand there in a silent stare down.

Finally, I find some words. “Uh, yeah. Another girl wanted to trade shifts, so she took my Sunday night since she needed someone to work her shift tonight.”

He nods. “I see.”

“Are you okay? Are you mad or something?” I’m suddenly worried, like I forgot about a meeting he had that he needed me here for.

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