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Chapter 10:

I couldn't believe Ana was taking the news about my feelings for Paul so well. I was expecting a national disaster or at least WWIII.

None of which happened.

Instead, to my great discomfort, she kept wanting to talk about him.

All the time.

Twenty-four seven.

Don't get me wrong, he's a hunk a hunk a burnin love, and there's nothing I'd like more than to think of him. It just somehow felt wrong, listening to Ana talk about my Paul. She didn't know him the way I did.

Ugh, I rolled my eyes. Now I'm having debates about who knows him better. I really needed to start popping some prescription medication for these delusions.

As we pulled into Sam and Emily's driveway, I gasped. There were over fifteen gorgeously hot males playing football without their shirts on.

I groaned, trying not to visualize Paul.

It didn't work.

"Can I take one home?" Ana said, sitting right next to me.

As long as I get Paul, I thought.

As soon as we stopped, Ana jumped out of the car. I sat inside and closed my eyes. I needed to prep myself, so I started taking deep breaths.

Yes, Paul is hot, but you are a grown woman.

Breath

He looks like every other male human being.

Breath

Yah friggin right!

Breath

Somebody tapped on my window.

I looked, wishing I hadn't.

There standing right on the other side of my window, was a shirtless Paul.

Why was he doing this to me?

"Hey," he shouted through the glass. "Open up."

I took one last breath and opened the door. "Hey," I mumbled looking at the trees behind him.

"I'm glad you came," he said.

I chanced a glance in his direction. It took all my effort not to groan, he had dirt on him.

As if I needed more complications in my life, the friggin man had to go get all sweaty and dirty.

I scowled, hiding my love sick expression. "You're dirty."

He pulled his eyebrows together and looked down. "Yah, sorry," he said, wiping the dirt, but it only helped to spread it more.

Shoot me. Please, just shoot me.

New topic, new topic, new topic, my mind chanted as I watched him rubbing his stomach still.

"You're playing football," I said, stating the obvious.

He grinned, "Yah, do you like it?"

Now I did.

"I like watching it," I mumbled looking at the damn trees again, "but I don't understand it at all."

"I can teach you," he said, still grinning.

Haha, yah right and be close to that body. I don't think so. No way was I that into self torture.

"I don't think I could learn it all in one day," I said.

He tensed, effectively causing me to stare at his stomach muscles that tightened.

I didn't want to, but I really thought I was about to drool.

"You could always –"

"Paul," someone playing football cut him off. "Come on man, you're making us lose."

He glared at whoever that guy was, effectively shutting him up.

"There's a lot of people here," I murmured, for lack of anything better to say.

He smiled, "Don't be nervous."

"Sorry," I half winced, half smiled, "You're telling me that, doesn't really make the nervousness disappear."

"Maybe I could flick the nerves away," he joked.

I about died on the spot.

He laughed, I saw a few people behind him stop playing ball to look in our direction.

I blushed harder. "Yah, about that…"

"Don't worry," he winked, "you can flick me anytime."

My mouth dropped open, he threw his head back and laughed again at me.

This time, everybody stopped playing football to stare at us. I officially wanted to blend in with the car and never be seen again.

I wanted to push him out of the way so I could move, but I knew that the moment I touched his body I would pounce. So instead, I just stood there waiting for him to stop chuckling at my own humiliation.

"Are you done yet?" I asked, trying to distract myself from looking at him. He was way too attractive for his own good.

"The expressions you make," he chuckled. "They're absolutely priceless."

"To bad," I said, trying to ignore the fact that people were still looking at me, "I was really counting on getting that beach house in California."

He stopped laughing, and a little ripple went across his entire body.

Woah! Whatever the hell that was, I hoped to never see it again. I wanted to moan out loud. Stupid, friggin ripples that are way too sexy on a man that has no need to be more sexy!

"Is that where you see yourself living?... In California." He asked. I could see the muscles in his arm tightening.

I wonder if he'd notice if I kissed his arm.

I'm so pathetic.

"Talliah?"

Oh frig, I totally lost myself in a way to steamy day dream. "Uh," I said, giving myself time to recoup, "Uh, no. I was just playing."

He was about to say something, when a group of guys came over and started pushing him out of the way.

"You must be the infamous Talli?" One said, "It's great to finally see you in person."

In person?

"In person?" I mimicked my thoughts aloud.

Another one said, "Yah, I'm officially in your dept."

"Wha – " I started to say, only to be cut off by another one.

"Yah," One chuckled, hitting Paul in the ribs, "You're a magic worker."

I winced, that poor guy was going to have a bruised elbow tonight.

"You guys," someone whistled. Whoever it was, I was seriously thinking about kissing them in thanks. Then I looked over and saw Paul, my mind was totally changed.

It was Kim, she came over shoving guys out of her way. "Seriously, I know you guys are nothing but a bunch of cuddly puppies," a few of the guys rolled their eyes. "But you have to realize, to her, you're nothing but an overzealous crowd of testosterone."

Exactly!

Man candy if you will.

When Kim finally reached me, I gave her my best 'I so owe you for saving me' look. She just smiled back.

She grabbed my arm, pulling me away. "I know you were nervous to meet the guys, but you already have them won over."

"How?" I asked.

Ignoring me, she went on, "It's the girls that you'll have to impress."

I looked back at Paul with wide eyes, suddenly wanting to run over and hide behind him. He gave me a worried look, then turned to glare at Kim.

Save me, I thought, as we headed through the open door.

The group of men outside compared nothing, to the group of women inside. Every woman was talking a mile a minute.

It struck me strange that there were no children.

"Talli!" Claire yelled, from across the room.

The silence that followed her statement had me seriously reconsidering my plan to hide behind Paul.

Ana somehow appeared from out of the thickness of the crowd. "Talli," she said, full of smiles, "these are the rest of the band members' wives."

Oh shizzle.

"Oh," I said dumbly. "Hello."

How many fricken band members were there?

Claire laughed, coming towards me. "Some of us aren't really the wives to the band members, but the crew as well."

"Oh," I said stupidly, once she answered the question that was in my head.

"Don't be nervous," Claire said, "They won't bite."

I chanced a glance in Kim's direction. "That's not what she said," I whispered.

Claire scowled, "Ignore her."

I tried.

It didn't work.

Geeze, why was the whole entire room silent? I had been to celebrations where I didn't know anyone before, but never once had the entire room shushed on my account.

Was this what they did to Ana when she walked in?

I went to stand next to Ana, only to see that she had disappeared. Looking around, I spotted her amongst some wives in the center of the room.

Trader!

"Uh," I mumbled, "I think I'm going to help Emily in the kitchen."

Claire grabbed my hand, "No need, we've already finished cooking."

"Oh." I said, a little deflated.

For the next hour, I went around the room with Claire talking to complete strangers. Only, after the first two or three conversations, I felt right at home. Everyone was extremely nice, with the exception of a moody Leah that sat in the corner. Something about her made me want to talk to her, but her continual glowering at me, suggested that I do otherwise.

It was hard to miss the men walking in, they were so loud and rambunctious. I looked at the furniture and personified it. It would suck to be you, I thought.

It didn't take but a minute to figure out which woman went with which man. As soon as the men walked through the doors, they went right over to their wives and kissed them. I caught myself blushing a time or two.

And envying more than that.

When Paul came in, I was curious as to who he'd go to. I looked around the room for any single ladies, but the way it was described to me, Ana and I were the only unattached singles.

I tried to act like I didn't care by walking into the kitchen for something to drink. I made it half way there when Paul caught my eye, a smile lit up his face and he started walking towards me.

What did that mean?

When he made it to me, he didn't say anything. "How was the game?" I asked.

If it was possible, his grin got bigger. "We won."

I smiled.

Why? I don't know, just because he smiled. I'm a freak like that, I guess.

Someone coughed; I looked away from Paul to see everyone else grinning at us.

I blushed.

"Are you hungry?" Paul asked.

"Yah," I said, pretending that the entire room wasn't listening to us.

"Great," Emily said, walking into the kitchen. "Let's eat then."

The women stood in line first to get their food. I didn't know whether to think it was cute and romantic or sexist. I decided on neither in the long run, after I saw the reason for all the women getting their food first.

The men were just pigs.

We all took our food outside, sort of like a picnic. It was beautiful out, accept for the cold. I had to run back to the car to grab my sweatshirt to put on under my jacket. It still didn't help too much, but it was okay.

The guys were still in line getting their food, when I sat down next to Ana and Kim. Claire followed behind me.

It was then that terror struck me.

No.

No, it couldn't be.

My back stiffened and my heart stopped.

Please no.

I looked at Paul, he was joking with… Embry was it?

When he saw me, he was in the middle of laughing. Something about my posture must have given me away because he tensed. Ignoring his food, he walked straight towards me.

It must have been my eyes. They were probably as big as saucers.

I was trying not to cry.

I continued to look at Paul as he made his way towards me. He was starting to move faster.

"Kim?" I said very hollowly.

She must have sensed something wasn't right with me because she asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Talli –" Ana started to say.

I cut her off, still staring at Paul. He was getting closer.

"All of the band members are married, right?" I whispered.

Paul's step faltered a little.

"Yes?" Kim said it like a question.

"All but Paul," Claire clarified, breaking my heart in the process.

I closed my eyes, wishing it wasn't true.

"So Paul's the friend of yours that loss his girlfriend the day of the fundraiser." I stated, devoid of emotion.

No one answered.

"So he's on the rebound."

Still no answer.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

Paul had stopped walking, but he continued to look deep into my eyes.

I turned my head, ignoring him, as my mind spun in chaos.