The Unyielding Bachelor Page 4

  Rick’s apparent ignorance of her flirtations was probably his way of giving her hints. She was just too stupid to read them. Well, better to have been late in waking up to the truth, rather than regret not giving it a good try.

  She turned to Rick, who was already looking at her.

  “Thanks for tonight, Rick,” she said with a genuine smile.

  “We didn’t get to talk much,” he said softly.

  “It’s okay. Everything’s fine,” she said with conviction. She reached up to give him a tight hug. “Goodbye, Rick,” she said softly, her heart constricting from knowing those words weren’t just for tonight.

  She let him go and walked away, consoling herself that this was just one of life’s disappointments that she’d eventually learn to get over. Sooner or later, she’d meet her soulmate. Pity it wasn’t Rick.

  She blinked away the moistness in her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Cassie whispered, catching up to her and reaching for her hand.

  “Yes.”

  She kept a serene smile on her face as they all piled into Lucas’s car. While she was grateful to Lucas and Jade for giving them a lift tonight, she now regretted that she and Erin hadn’t driven separately. She wasn’t in the mood to chat, especially when Lucas was there to hear.

  Everyone in the vehicle was quiet as they drove off, and she had a strong inkling it was because of her.

  Soon, guilt overtook her. The extended silence in the car was just too much to bear.

  “Shelley’s food was really good, wasn’t it?” she said in a jovial tone. “But being a sweet tooth, I loved her chocolate hazelnut mousse cake and pistachio ice cream the best.”

  Her three best friends agreed, stating their favourites of the night. But Lucas kept quiet in the driver’s seat.

  “What about you, Lucas?” she prodded.

  “I actually like them all,” he murmured, sounding distracted.

  “You okay, honey?” Jade asked him.

  “Yeah,” Lucas said, taking Jade’s hand and lifting it to his lips.

  Lexie’s guilt increased. Was Lucas feeling caught between supporting Rick’s choice and sympathising with her? She didn’t want anyone else to feel bad about her situation.

  “Hey, you know what, guys?” she said lightly. “Since it’s obvious that Rick isn’t the man for me, I need your help in finding me a date for next week.”

  The women looked at her in surprise and Lucas glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

  “What?” she asked, laughing. “Since I have to move on anyway, might as well do it sooner rather than later, right? What’s the point of sitting around, moping?”

  “Well, then, I have the guy for you,” Cassie said.

  “Who?”

  “Carter, the brother of my flatmate Natasha. He’s really hot.”

  “Don’t you have a crush on him, Cass?” Erin asked.

  Cassie laughed. “No. We don’t have that kind of chemistry. Tash and I get along like a house on fire, though.”

  “Nice to know you’ve totally replaced me, Cassie,” Jade said, feigning hurt.

  “Hey, you’re the one who moved out of our place to live with your Mr. FK,” Cassie said.

  “It’s Mr. Fuck King, Cassie,” Lucas said impishly. “Say it with me, girls. Mr. —”

  “Fuck King,” the other ladies said dryly, except for Jade, who rolled her eyes and shook her head at her playful fiancé.

  “What’s that look for, sweetheart?” Lucas quipped. “You’re the one who wants me to keep that title because—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Jade said, placing her hand on Lucas’s mouth to shut him up.

  Lexie smiled at the couple’s antics, touched and envious.

  “Anyway, Cass,” Jade said. “We haven’t met Natasha’s brother yet. I want to check him out and see how hot he really is.”

  Lucas took his eye off the road to glare at Jade.

  “For Lexie,” Jade said with a laugh.

  “I don’t want that either,” Lucas grumbled.

  “Why not?” Lexie asked, surprised.

  “I’m sure he’s not the man for you, Lex,” Lucas answered.

  “Oh? And how do you know this if you haven’t met him yet?”

  “Or do you want to set Lexie up with someone else?” Jade asked.

  Lucas merely shook his head.

  Lexie was about to grill him further when loud ringing came through the car’s speakers. She glanced at the dashboard and her heart hammered.

  “Hey, Rick,” Lucas greeted.

  “Hey. Someone left a notebook here. I think it might be Lexie’s.”

  Lexie opened her handbag to check. “Yes, that’s mine,” she said with a croak. “Sorry.”

  “We could turn around and get it,” Lucas said.

  “No, Lucas,” she said. “We’re far away from Rick’s now. Rick, would you mind just handing that to Lucas when you see him next? I’ll get it from Jade later on.”

  “Or I could drop it off at your place sometime this week,” Rick offered.

  “Don’t inconvenience yourself. Erin’s written down Shelley’s recipes too, so I don’t need it immediately.”

  “Okay,” Rick said hesitantly.

  “Anything else, bro?” Lucas asked.

  “Uh... no.”

  “Right. See you again soon, then,” Lucas said, just as he pulled up at a vacant parking space close to Cassie’s apartment building.

  Cassie gasped. “That’s him, Lex!” she said, pointing to a good-looking man crossing the road. “That’s him! Tash’s brother.”

  “Oh, wow. He is a looker,” Erin said. “What do you think, Lex?”

  “Yes,” was all Lexie could say. This Carter guy was indeed handsome, but she was distracted by the display on the car’s dashboard. Rick hadn’t hung up yet and was hearing everything they were talking about.

  “Anyway, I better get off so you guys can go on home,” Cassie said, opening the door. “Thanks for the lift, lovebirds,” she added to Jade and Lucas.

  “Oh, look, he’s waving at you, Cassie,” Erin said of Natasha’s brother.

  “Get him to come here and introduce him to Lexie,” Jade said teasingly.

  “What?” Lexie said with a laugh. “Not tonight. I don’t want to hold you guys up.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll arrange a blind date,” Cassie said. “Wait for my call, Lex. Bye, everyone!” then she closed the door.

  Lucas rejoined the traffic and Lexie’s gaze went back to the car’s dashboard. Why hadn’t Rick hung up yet?

  “Dude, you still there?” Lucas asked.

  “Yup,” Rick answered in a low voice.

  “Oh, sorry, Rick. We didn’t know you were still there,” Jade said.

  “It’s okay. So you guys are setting Lexie up with someone, huh?”

  Lexie let out a silent sigh. She should be glad that Rick would know she was fine after his clear-as-day brush-offs. But instead, she felt like she’d been caught cheating.

  Ugh. Ridiculous.

  “Yes,” Erin replied, nudging her with an elbow. “We’re setting Lexie up because she’s looking for a date. Do you know anyone, Rick?”

  Lexie stared at her friend in disbelief.

  “No,” Rick said definitively. “Why are you looking for a date, Lexie?”

  Lexie lifted her eyebrows. Why the hell did he want to know? “Because I want to find my special someone,” she answered, surprised by her candour. Frankly, she hoped he’d get jealous.

  “Right,” Rick said quietly. “You shouldn’t have a problem with that.”

  Big ouch. Served her right for even trying. Once again, she hurt no one else but herself. When would she learn?

  “I think I know someone who’s perfect for Lex,” Lucas said.

  “Who?” asked Rick.

  “I want to talk to the guy first.”

  “None of our friends will do, Lucas,” Rick said with warning in his tone.

  “Who said it’s one of your friends?” L
ucas responded. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter at this point. Looks like Cassie’s flatmate’s brother will be the first cab off the rank.”

  “No, wait,” Rick said. “I do know someone. So hold off on the other guys, please.”

  “Who do you know?” Lucas asked.

  “I need to talk to the guy first.”

  Lucas snorted.

  “Don’t worry, Rick,” Lexie said, trying to sound nonchalant even though Rick was twisting the knife he’d stuck in her heart. “Carter’s a nice guy from what I’ve heard. I’ll check him out first.”

  “Who’s Carter?” Rick asked.

  “Cassie’s flatmate’s brother. The one we were just talking about.”

  “So you’re really gonna go out with him?”

  “Yes. If he’s open to a blind date.”

  “Right. But don’t... don’t make any decision until I introduce you to my friend, okay?” Rick said.

  Lexie sighed. The last thing she wanted was for Rick to get personally involved in finding her a date—a date who was supposed to help her get over him. “No, Rick. I’ll let you know if I need to be set up with someone new. I’m going to do this one guy at a time, and Carter’s it for now.”

  “Lexie...” Rick said, almost pleadingly.

  “I don’t need you to feel guilty, Rick. I told you I’m okay.” Heck, she’d prefer to have this kind of discussion with him in private, not through a car speaker where four other people could hear.

  Rick let out a heavy sigh.

  “Bro, I’ll talk to you later,” Lucas said.

  “Okay.”

  Lexie exhaled with relief when Rick finally hung up. “I meant what I said, Lucas. Please tell Rick not to feel guilty that he’s not interested in me.”

  “I don’t think guilt is what Rick’s feeling right now, Lex,” Lucas said.

  “What then?” she asked with a frown.

  Lucas was silent for a moment. “You’ll have to ask him.”

  She slumped in her seat. “No. I won’t,” she said. “If he’s not feeling guilty then he just wants to be a good friend and help me out. But I don’t want him getting involved in my dating life. That’s just way too weird.” And hurtful.

  Erin pulled out her phone. “I’m texting Cassie now to remind her to set up a date with you and Carter while the guy is in her apartment.”

  She nodded. If her heart would stop being so stubborn, she’d get over Rick in no time.

  Her eyes smarted.

  Well, today wouldn’t be that day. But sometime soon.

  She hoped.

  *****

  Lexie murmured her thanks to the waiter who placed her dessert in front of her.

  “Wow, yours looks yummier than mine,” Carter said.

  “Try some,” she offered, pushing her plate closer to him.

  Carter spooned a portion of her dessert, then tasted his and nodded his head. “Yup. Definitely yummier than mine.”

  “Let me see.” She tried hers, then his. “You know what? I actually like yours better.”

  “In that case...” He swapped dessert plates with her.

  Their blind date had been pleasant so far. Carter was a well-mannered guy with a great sense of humour and it was easy to feel comfortable in his presence. She was enjoying herself, and she was sure Carter was too. But unfortunately, even though Carter was one hunk of a man, she didn’t feel any spark.

  She hoped he wasn’t interested. It would be a shame if he started hitting on her. It might ruin an otherwise pleasant dinner.

  They’d finished dessert and decided to call it a night.

  “Thanks for dinner, Carter. I enjoyed myself,” she said, smiling at him as they got up their seats.

  “It was my pleasure, Lexie. Shall I walk you to your car?”

  “I have to go to the ladies’ first. Why don’t you go ahead?”

  “Okay. Maybe I’ll see you around at Tash and Cassie’s place, hey?” Carter said, his hands in his pockets and not looking keen to push things further.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, for sure,” she said, grinning at him.

  Carter chuckled, reading her expression. “Great. I hope those two don’t get disappointed that you’re not going home with me.”

  “We could always tease them,” she joked. “I didn’t tell Cassie that I drove today.”

  Carter laughed out loud. “I like that idea. I’ll stay mum and let their imaginations get away. Goodnight, Lexie. I really enjoyed myself.”

  This time, they gave each other a friendly hug. She might not have met a possible happily-ever-after guy tonight, but she’d just made a new friend.

  She headed for the restrooms. The smile on her face was replaced by shock when she saw the woman walking towards her.

  “Betty!” she said in surprise.

  “Hello, Lexie,” Betty said, her frown indicating she wasn’t at all pleased with whom she’d bumped into.

  The ladies’ door opened again and out came Shelley.

  “Lexie! Hi!” the girl said, immediately greeting her with a kiss and a hug. “I saw you out there with a good-looking guy. I didn’t want to come over because I didn’t want to interrupt your date. What’s his name?”

  “Carter.”

  “Ooh. He’s really cute.”

  “Come on, Shelley,” Betty butted in. “We have to go.”

  Shelley almost rolled her eyes. “See you later, Lex.”

  “Yeah. Bye, Shel.”

  Lexie didn’t bother saying goodbye to Betty. The woman was already ushering her daughter away anyway.

  She smirked. Betty still hated her guts for interfering in a family matter before. She shook her head as she remembered the scene from seven months ago. It was still vivid in her memory.

  ~~~

  Lexie got out of her car and stared at the impressive two-storey house in front of her.

  “Wow, nice,” Erin said, climbing out of the vehicle.

  “Yeah,” she agreed.

  “You sure know how to pick a guy, Lex,” Cassie said teasingly, banging the back passenger door shut. “I know you like big houses.”

  She laughed wryly. “Rick doesn’t even notice when I’m around.”

  “Hey, you were on his guest list. So of course he at least knows you’re coming.”

  “Sure. He’s probably hoping I’ll buy an expensive car from him. I heard from Jade he holds these parties often as a networking thing for his business.”

  “Hey, he might give you an expensive car, if you can snare him,” Erin joked.

  Lexie sighed heavily. “Fat chance of that with all those women prancing around him. And you know I don’t make the first move—”

  She let her sentence trail off when a taxi stopped next to them. To their surprise, a clearly distraught young girl alighted from it.

  “Are you okay?” Lexie asked, hastening to the girl.

  The girl sobbed quietly, looking in dismay at Rick’s house with all its lights turned on. “Is my brother having a party tonight?” she asked.

  “Are you Shelley?”

  The girl nodded.

  “Yes, he’s having a party. But I’m sure he won’t mind that you’re here,” Lexie said, frowning with concern at Shelley. The girl seemed to be hesitating.

  “Shelley!”

  They all turned to the vehicle driven by an older woman who looked quite mad. “Get in the car!” the woman barked.

  “No, Mum. I’m talking to Rick,” Shelley answered.

  “No! You are not!” Shelley’s mother said, getting out of her car. “This is our problem, not anyone else’s.”

  “You’re being unfair, Mum! You’re not doing the right thing and you know it!”

  “Come here!”

  Shelley stepped behind Lexie to avoid her mother.

  “Look,” Lexie said to the older woman. “Why don’t you calm down and—”

  “This is none of your business,” Shelley’s mother hissed.

  Instinctively, Lexie put her arms up to ward off
the woman. Shelley stayed behind her, clearly accepting her intervention.

  “Girls, could one of you get Rick, please?” she said quietly to her friends.

  “I’ll do it,” Cassie said, hurrying inside.

  Shelley’s mother stepped close to Lexie’s face. “You have no right to interfere like this!”

  “Look, ma’am,” Lexie said calmly. “All I know is that your daughter is very upset. She came here to see her brother. Why don’t we all wait for Rick and you guys can talk and sort this out.”

  The older woman’s lips twisted into an ugly smile. “So who exactly are you? One of Rick’s whores?”

  “Mother!” Shelley said in horror.

  Lexie felt her whole face go red in anger. She didn’t know anything about this woman, apart from overhearing Rick say to Lucas a couple of times how irresponsible and impossible Shelley’s mother was. Lexie could see the truth in that.

  “My name is Lexie and I am not anyone’s whore,” she answered in a steely voice. “But this poor girl behind me obviously wants her brother’s help. I’m not letting you get to her until Rick comes out.”

  “Listen here. That girl behind you is my daughter. You’re a—”

  “Hey, hey,” Erin interjected. “No one is going to call anyone a bad word out here again. Look, ma’am, we obviously don’t know what the problem is. And you’re right. Shelley’s your daughter and we’re strangers to the both of you. But she’s very upset. And you are too. It’s not gonna end well if you take Shelley home while you’re angry. Rick might just follow you back there—or who knows, he might even call the police. Might as well talk about this rationally right here, right now.”

  The woman backed off, Erin’s words seemingly working.

  “What’s going on here?” Rick said, rushing out to them.

  “Rick!” Shelley cried, running to her brother, who embraced her protectively.

  “Let’s all go inside, including you, Betty,” Rick said authoritatively.

  ~~~

  Lexie huffed at the memory as she exited the stall and walked to the sink. Rick, Betty and Shelley had talked behind closed doors after they’d gone inside. Lexie never did get to know what Betty and Shelley’s issue had been. But Rick had assured them it wasn’t about Betty hurting Shelley physically or anything like that. Betty had never laid a hand on her daughter. That was a relief.

  The restroom door opened, and to her surprise, Betty stormed in.