Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 3
"So you just moved out here for shits and giggles?" he grinned.
"Something like that." I sidled. "But what about you. Did you grow up here?
Jasper leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Nope. Rose and I were born and bred in Texas. She moved out here when Emmett, her husband, got a football scholarship. I followed a few years ago."
I smirked, finishing off the last of my wine. "You guys are close then?"
"Well we didn't used to be." He admitted. "I'm pretty sure she used to plot my death when we were little. But then I had… I moved out here and we've been close since. What about you? Do you have siblings?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Only child."
Jasper was about to say something else when a throat cleared from beside us. We looked up to see our waitress, looking oddly embarrassed.
"Sorry to bother you but umm… we need to close."
"Shit." Jasper muttered, moving to stand up and helping me to my feet. It was then that I realized the heels had been a good choice as he had at least a foot on my five foot four inches. "Sorry, I completely lost track of time."
The waitress assured us it wasn't a problem while shooing us out the door and we were both laughing as we walked through the now deserted parking lot.
"Can't believe we're the last ones here." Jasper murmured almost under his breath as we stopped by my car, his having been parked a little further down.
"I have a confession." I said, "I didn't even want to come tonight."
Jasper beamed. "Neither did I."
"I had a really good time though." I admitted.
"Me too." I said, and maybe it was the wine talking, or maybe it was the fact that for the first time in a long time, I really did enjoy myself, but I reached up and placed a kiss on his lips.
Surprised at first, he stilled under my lips, and then he reacted. His lips danced again mine, pulling me closer to him. The heat between us intensified and I felt myself melting against him just as his cell phone sounded from between us, the vibration shattering the mood between us.
He pulled away, reading the screen, before placing it back in his pocket and looking to me with a sad kind of smile. "I've really gotta go."
"Need to get home to your wife?" I joked, knowing full well that he was single.
He stilled and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck stiffly. "Thank you." He said finally. "I had a good time."
I swallowed thickly and nodded, watching him walk back to his car, get in, and drive away. It wasn't until I was at home, changed and in bed that I realized he wasn't going to call me and the thought made me strangely sad.
"So..how'd it go?" Rose asked as she swiveled in her chair, munching on pistachios as I typed in the information from our rounds.
"Okay." I said simply as I continued on with my work.
The swiveling stopped and I looked up to see her pinning me with narrowed eyes. "Did he tell you?"
"Tell me what?" I asked, confusion setting in.
Rose looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it, instead shaking her head as she leaned back in her chair. "Why just okay?"
"It was… okay, it was more than okay." I finally admitted. "We talked more than I have ever talked to anyone in years. He was funny, and smart, but…"
"But?" Rosalie prodded and I paused. This was her brother I was talking about. The man had told me, straight out that they were close.
"Didn't he tell you all about it?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.
She shook her head. "No. I haven't seen him. He's been working a lot lately. My husband has too. I've been spending my days eating ranch dressing straight out of the bottle."
I pulled a face and she laughed, poking her belly. "I know but it's so good."
"It was just… it was nice but I don't think we'll see each other again." I confessed.
I expected her to argue, or to tell me that I was being ridiculous but nothing came and I finished putting the notes in the computer in relative silence.
The rest of the day passed quickly with rounds of tonsillitis and a kid who swallowed a marble and I didn't see Rose again until I was clocking out in the nurses station. She was leaning against the counter chatting with another nurse when she saw me. "Hey! Just the girl I was looking for."
I smiled and clocked out as she waited. "What's up?"
"I'm having a barbecue at my house this weekend. I thought you might like to come. Get to know some people, you know?"
I narrowed my eyes, "Is Jasper going to be there?"
She shrugged. "Don't know yet. But seriously, no ulterior motives. Well… unless you count the fact that you get to see my giant ass of a husband try to burn his eyebrows off."
"Well, how can I resist that?" I cried.
"So, see you there?" She asked, hopefully.
I mulled it over. On the one hand, it could be another attempt at a set-up with a man who very obviously didn't want to be set up with me, and yet, it could be a friendly neighborhood barbecue invitation. "Fine." I sighed finally, laughing when she clapped excitedly before giving me the details.
We said good-bye and parted ways, with the promise of burgers and beer on the horizon, I went home, ready to spend the next few days off in front of the television with enough take out and eighties movies to last for days.
A/N: I know, I'm horrible! I should have updated earlier. However, I am the worst sinus infection my doctor has ever seen and I am apparently worse than my husband when I get sick. (At least, he's been telling me that while I moan about being sick through the holidays!) If you wanted a sneak peek and didn't get one, I'm very sorry! I'll make it up to you! I promise!
