A Boy Worth Choosing (The Worthy Series Book 2) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

~Jessie~

I sit straight up from a very vivid and very hot dream. The clock on my nightstand says its 3:14, and there isn’t enough water in the world that can stop the thirst I now have. I slip out from under the sheets, welcoming the cool hardwood floors on my toes. A few steps later I flip on the light switch over my vanity and turn the cold water on to splash on my face and neck. I look into the mirror; the black camisole, my bed-crazed hair and fresh sheen of sweat makes me look like something straight off the cover of the newest young adult novel Shelby reads.

I have GOT to stop with these dreams.

The cool water helps to rid me of the new shade of pink my cheeks and chest were rocking, but does nothing for the images that now race through my mind. There was kissing, it always starts with kissing. But then there were hands, and skin to skin contact and before I know it, a mess of golden hair and smoldering emerald eyes whispering things I’m not yet meant to hear.

Good Lord, please help!!

After turning everything off, I make my way back to bed and kick my plush down comforter to the foot of my bed, and pull the chilled sheets back over me.  Before long, even they are too warm, so I kick them off. Then starts the tossing and turning. Each time I look at the clock I pray for some sort of reprieve: sleep or a faster clock. But neither seem to come. Finally at a quarter after five, I decide it’s not worth the fight any more. I really want a shower, but decide that a run isn’t going to hurt anything, especially since I’m already drenched in sweat.

***

Forty-five minutes and nearly three miles later I find Old Man Harvey with his morning cup of coffee outside his door as I get home.

“Couldn’t sleep, Miss Jessie?” he asks from his little metal lawn chair.

“Not really, no.” I smile, trying to get my breath back to a more regular speed.

“Mister Stephen needs to stop keeping you up so late.” He winks at me.
If you only knew…

“Have a great day, Miss Jessie,” he calls as I open the door. I wave back at him and make a bee line for the shower.

Thinking that a little praise and worship should help get my head in the right spot, I shower with the radio blasting some Hillsong. I stay under the steaming hot water, letting it pelt over my back, stretching ever so often to try to get out some tension. Mid-song a genius idea comes to me. I switch the water off, wrap up in a fluffy white towel, and try not to drip water all over my bedroom.

Grabbing my phone, I send out texts to Shaina and Daphne seeing if they are game for a yoga and spa day tomorrow. Both respond fairly quickly, and within the hour I’m dressed in sharp cropped dress pants and my favorite navy blazer with ruby red open toe booties. I drive to work in a cool, controlled manner, feeling like I’ve got the upper hand on my...situation.

My newfound confidence shows in my steps as I make my way toward the studio. Just as I reach for the front door, however, a shiny black Audi parked out front catches my eye. A tidal wave of images invade my mind, leaving me breathless and shaky. I take a moment to try to gain some sort of composure, thankful I didn’t overdo the make up today because I’m fairly sure there is a fresh new shade of pink all over my face when I pull open the front door.

My hunk of a boyfriend looks up from his seat with his signature million dollar smile. All six feet of him stands up totally rocking a nice, and perfectly tailored I might add, navy pinstriped suit. My face flushes yet again when I notice that we kinda match.

“Well good morning, gorgeous.” He reaches out and plants a swift, hungry kiss on my lips. I nearly melt right then and there.

“Morning,” I say all out of breath. I hear a giggle from the front desk and I realize that Daphne, who is all sorts of smiley, cannot take her eyes off our little scene. “Good morning to you too, Miss Thomas.”

She winks at me and I throw her a look. I pull the business card for the spa out and hand it to her.

“Can you look up the times for the earliest meditation class, and then call and schedule full body massages and facials for the best time after the class please? The earlier, the better.” I try to juggle my laptop bag, purse and coffee that Stephen hands me. “Oh, and send the times to Shaina once you have everything scheduled please.”

She nods and gives me a quick once over without saying a word. Her eyebrows peak when she notices my shoes but I just shake my head, warding off whatever comment she might have, as I follow Stephen to my office.

“A girls’ day?” he asks, standing just outside my door, allowing me to enter first.

“Yeah. I thought we could all use some quality time after the whole Caleb thing.” I say shyly, hoping I’m not going to offend him with my excuse.

“Sounds great. I’ve got a couple of games with Grady and the boys I can’t put off any longer. Do you want me to pick you up after your spa time? We could drive home together.”

“No. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to head to Dad’s yet. You go on ahead and I’ll see you down there for sure Sunday morning.” I try to busy myself by uploading the edits I completed before he and I ended up in a semi-tangled mess on my couch last night.

And yep, there the images are again.

“Are you okay?” he asks, dipping his head down to try to catch my eyes. I don’t dare look up.

“Yeah.” Ugh…I totally looked up. Now I’m breathless again, and I’m pretty sure that my face is getting redder and redder by the second. I try to give him an innocent smile, but the way his chest fills out his suit vest has my insides growling like a hungry pride of lionesses.  “I’m just a little distracted right now.”

I attempt to swallow a sip of coffee, but he decides to take that particular moment to smirk at me.  By the grace of Jesus alone, I manage to keep the coffee in my mouth, but just barely.

“Am
I
distracting you?” he asks, that smirk still firmly planted on his face.

He stands and saunters around my desk, gently leaning up against it just beside me. I lean back in my seat, trying my hardest to create some space in between us. He crosses his Herculean arms over his chest and leans forward so that his face is inches from mine. I gulp…yep, gulp.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with last night, per chance, would it?” His voice is low and husky and I nearly lose it right there again. I manage a deep breath that barely helps. He smells delicious.

“Nope.” I lie. I’m pretty sure he can totally tell.

“Mmmhmm,” he leans in a little further so that I feel his breath just below my ear. Every nerve from my neck down flares, paralyzing me in my seat. I can’t even open my eyes. “I think I need to get to work. Enjoy your coffee.”

I nod and just like that he’s gone, leaving a familiar hum in his wake. I hear him tell Daphne to have a good day and not a heartbeat later my desk phone rings.

“Holy steamy romance novels, Batman! You okay?” she sounds as out of breath as I feel.

“Um... yoga…and facials…did you get them scheduled?” I ask, finally getting some train of thought back.

“Not yet, but I can definitely see why you would need some girl time.” She hangs up, giggling.

***

I wake up in the same manner as yesterday, only 4:23 isn’t as early. Our yoga class isn’t until seven, and well, since running wasn’t as much help yesterday as I had hoped, I decide some muffins for the girls would be a good start to our day of rest and relaxation. So as to not to wake anyone up with a blaring radio, I pop in my earbuds and turn on my running mix anyway, hoping to get my heart to beat at least at a consistent pace.

I wrap my favorite apron around me and get to work. Two hours later my apartment smells delightful, and a basket with enough muffins to feed a small country are cooling on the counter as I dress and prep my gear for the day.

Shaina arrives at the yoga studio first, her belly filling the cutest neon pink work out shirt. She glides with grace and elegance in the largest shades Dolce and Gabbana produces, a soy latte in one hand, and arms outstretched to pull me into a hug.

“Why, in the name of all things holy, are we meeting for the earliest yoga class known to mankind on a Saturday?!” she whines, pulling back. Her voice is hoarse, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she woke up about five minutes before leaving her house.

“Because I’m in need of some serious relaxation. Muffin?” I hold out my Tupperware container a little too enthusiastically. She props her sunglasses on top of her head swiftly before reaching in and snatching a muffin as if it would jump out of the bowl and take off down the street.

Another set of ladies approach the building, and I offer them a muffin as well. Daphne follows closely behind them and gives me a weary look as I thrust the container of muffins in her face.

“Again?!?” she exclaims, eyes wide as she takes in the muffins. I had filled her in yesterday when she started asking about my "steamy” shoes. I thought she was going to die laughing in the middle of my office floor so I threatened to kick her with my “steamy” shoes. She left, but not before making a big production of my need for yoga and a massage.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I brushed her off, but Shaina gives both of us a curious look so Daphne fills her in.

“Someone has been having some very stimulating dreams this week.” Daphne winks. “A lot of pent up energy, if you will.” She makes some frantic gesture with her hands to allude that I’m in all sorts of a mess with my overactive imagination.

“Ahh!” Understanding hits Shaina and she literally laughs out loud. “Oh, honey. Didn’t you guys
just
start dating?” I pull my shades back over my eyes, hoping they get the picture. They continue to giggle at my expense.

“Well then.” Shaina hooks an arm through mine. “I guess, we will just have to make sure you get all this tension worked out today, now won’t we.” Her smile is genuine, but I’m sure deep down she’s getting a kick out of all this.

The morning instructor arrives and unlocks the doors, allowing our small group to enter, muffins and all. She gives me and my Tupperware a leery look until I offer her one, immediately making me teacher’s pet. She gives me an appreciative look as I follow the other girls into the studio and unroll my mat out in between Daphne and Shaina.

Inhaling slowly, I start mentally chanting 1 Peter 5:10 over and over again, reminding myself that I will be delivered from this. I make it through the basic breathing techniques the instructor starts us on, but the moment I close my eyes, the images are back.

He will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.

“What are you whispering over there?” Daphne hisses at me.

“I’m not.”

“Yes. You are,” she hisses back, causing Shaina to snicker from her Lotus position on the other side of me. Our instructor gives us a warning via the stink eye.

“My meditation for the day,” I answer quietly as I try to move fluidly to the table position as the instructor leads us.

“Oh honey….He’ll definitely restore you, there’s no doubt about that.” Daphne snorts, causing Shaina to break pose and nearly collapse on the floor. The instructor gives us, what I assume to be, her final warning look and I consider moving my mat to the back of the room and away from Daphne.

Fortunately she stops with the unwelcome comments and I finally start to enjoy the class. I stretch my muscles as we move through every position, pushing myself to limits I’ve never been, the whole time focusing on nothing but breathing and posture. By the time the class is up, I feel grounded again, like I can relax through a good massage.

At the spa, everyone is on their best behavior as we prepare for our massages. By the time the masseuse is done with me and I join the girls for facials, I’m feeling light as a feather and have nearly forgotten the whole reason I needed this day. The girls, however haven’t forgotten my dilemma at all and are keen to remind me of it as soon as I get seated.

“So just how dirty are these dreams?” Shaina asks, head tilted back with green goop drying on her face and sliced cucumbers hiding her eyes. If the goop wasn’t holding her cheeks in place, I’m sure there would be the biggest cat-ate-the-canary grin there.

“Dirty enough she had to have it massaged out of her,” Daphne rumbles from her seat and I nearly throw the cucumbers from my eyes at her.

“The yoga did the job; the massage was just for the fun of it.  But keep laughing it up, ladies. Just remember what they say about paybacks,” I tell them, settling back in my chair.

Light flute music plays behind the ambiance of a water fountain, reminding me of a swanky Asian restaurant Stephen and I tried a couple of weeks ago. The thought of him brings some heat to my cheeks. I’m glad that there’s dried green goop all over my face and that the other girls are too blinded by cucumber to see. After a few moments, Shaina gets antsy and picks up the conversation again.

“So this whole thing with Stephen, you seem really happy. Tension-filled wet dreams aside,” her voice betraying the inevitable smirk on her face.

“I am. Things are definitely different. From both my relationships with Jake and Caleb.”

“Good. Listen, love, don’t get me wrong. You had every right to have a problem with Caleb.” Daphne interrupts Shaina’s confession with a snort. “But I’m really glad Stephen doesn’t make you so… whiny.” Daphne explodes into laughter from her lounger beside Shaina.