The BFD (A Big Deal Romantic Comedy Book 1) Read online

  I snorted. “Nice.”

  He then led me into the dining room. “Where I eat all my gourmet meals.” He tilted his head to glance down at me. “Not really. I eat at the bar in the kitchen. And gourmet usually equates as protein and carbs, like roasted chicken and broccoli.” There was the playful wink again which concerned me because my stupid stomach fluttered once again. Fluttering anything on me at this point when it came to him was not good, so I decided to write it off as he had a tic.

  The family room was next with its huge flat screen TV on one wall. “Where I sit and cry watching the teams that are still in the playoffs,” he admitted. In the next room, he said, “Formal living room which I’ve never gone into except to show people.” Walking across the hallway and going inside another room, he reported, “Parlor.”

  “Parlor?” I questioned curiously.

  “Mom says it’s a sitting room. I say it’s a place to put people’s coats when I have guests over.” He shrugged and led me to another room. “Living room where…all…the…living takes place.”

  I chuckled. “You’re pretty funny, Castle.”

  “You can call me Calder if you want,” he offered as he led me to an elevator.

  An elevator!

  “Seriously?” I asked in amazement.

  “Yep. My niece Tinley loves playing on it.”

  We rode to the second story where he took me through all seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. Good lord. When we entered the fourth bedroom, my phone rang and I excused myself.

  “Something bad happened,” Mara claimed when I answered.

  “Mar. You should see his house. He has an elevator!”

  “He does not.”

  “He does! His house is gigantic! He showed me the first floor and then the sauna and weight room in the basement, which took us like thirty minutes to see all of that before we even got to the second floor!” I divulged.

  “Jeez, how many floors are there?”

  “Three. This is crazy. It’s all so beautiful too.”

  “So you don’t need my help then?” she asked.

  “No, I think I’m good. But thank you. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning!” I said and we hung up.

  “Sorry about that,” I offered as I went back into the bedroom where he straightening a painting on the wall.

  “Let me guess. That was Mara, who you told to call to give you an out in case things weren’t going well?” My mouth dropped open but I quickly closed it when he winked again.

  Tic. It had to be a tic.

  I shrugged nonchalantly and followed him through the rest of the bedrooms.

  In the elevator again, as we rode up to the third floor he asked, “You ready for this?”

  “Uh,” I mumbled because I didn’t know what to expect.

  Please don’t let it be a clown or a giant spider or a giant nuclear-mutated cockroach or an ill-fitting bra, I listed off all the things that scared me inside my head.

  But when the door opened, my mouth hung open yet again.

  Leading me out, he announced, “The ballroom.”

  “Please tell me you didn’t have this house built. That all this stuff was from the previous owner.”

  “Whaaaat? It was all I could think about as they built it. I need a ballroom!” He then snorted. “Yeah. Bought as-is.”

  “You have a ballroom,” I whispered.

  He scratched the side of his neck. “I have a ballroom.”

  “Wow.”

  It was gorgeous. And huge. It spanned the entire third floor and I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful wood floor. Matter of fact, the entire house had almost all wood floors that were just stunning, but seeing one laid out in probably 2200 square feet was jaw dropping.

  Leading me to what looked like a doored room with four walls that was just in the middle of the ballroom, he opened the door and I saw a staircase.

  “Come on,” he said, this time taking my hand and tugging me with him.

  I waited for my freak-out to hit, and when it didn’t, I was surprised. A hotter than hot guy was holding my hand and I was cool with it. Progress!

  At the top of the stairs was a room with windows all around and two sets of French doors on opposite walls. Going out one set of doors, we were then standing on the freaking roof.

  “Observation deck for…observing,” he shared.

  Wow. This house was spectacular. Looking up, I saw the sky was clear and the stars were in abundance. I hadn’t realized his house sat on a hill when I arrived, but gazing out I now saw the lights of the city from where we stood.

  “I can see the Washington Monument!” I said and I heard him chuckle. “This is amazing,” I uttered breathlessly. If this were my house, I’d be up there every morning drinking my coffee watching it snow.

  After several minutes, he said, “Dinner’s probably done. Ready to go down?”

  I nodded, gazing at the view one last time before going back inside the room that held the staircase.

  Chapter 11

  I loved showing Rori around my place because she appreciated it.

  She was the first woman I’d had over, so it’d also been fun sharing it all with her.

  On the roof, I’d wanted to kiss her so badly, I could hardly stop myself, but I did because I’m a strong man like that. Also, because she still wasn’t giving me the vibe that she wanted to be kissed, plus, I didn’t want to get slapped.

  While we ate, we’d had a great conversation about movies and we found we both liked pretty much the same ones. Once, she got up to clear our salad bowls off the table for some reason, wanting to help, I guess, and when she opened the pantry door, she started laughing so hard, it made me smile just hearing her.

  “You are so busted!” she called out and I frowned wondering what she was talking about. When she carried the box the spaghetti Bolognese had come in from an Italian restaurant downtown into the dining room to show me, I’d actually felt my cheeks get hot because I definitely had been busted.

  We’d had a good laugh with me admitting the most I could cook was grilled cheese sandwiches but I was trying to impress her. The rest of our conversation was just as easy as I had been at first, with each of us talking about where we’d grown up, then telling stories of our childhood through college years, and I had to admit, I was shocked at how nice she was being, which made me feel bad at serving her papers.

  We finished our meals and over the tiramisu I’d also had Filomena’s deliver, we looked at each other and at the same time said, “Look, I’m—” Then we’d laughed and I’d told her to go first.

  “I was just gonna apologize for Super Bitch making an appearance,” she said remorsefully.

  “Super Bitch?”

  She nodded. “Leaps cocky assholes in a single bound.”

  I snorted. “That’s what you think of me, huh?”

  “Maybe not after tonight…”

  That was good. She was seeing me as a guy she might want to date, which meant she’d eventually want to have sex with me, at least I hoped she would, then I could move on.

  Ladies. I’m a guy. Sex is never far from our thoughts. You should know that by now. And the moving on part? I know. I’m a dick. But my five-year plan was still in the works.

  I cleared my throat and stated, “Well, I was gonna apologize for suing you.”

  And then it was like another person showed up as I watched her remember that I’d sent her papers.

  I saw her body go tense and I muttered, “Fuck,” but it was already out there. I’d ruined the evening. “Rori, I’ll drop—”

  “I need to go,” she insisted, standing and taking her plate to the counter by the sink.

  “Rori, I was just trying to—”

  “Please take me home,” she whispered.

  Our nice evening was over.

  I tried explaining on the ride to her apartment, but she kept asking me to “Please be quiet” so I shut up. I went with her up to her apartment, and at the door she seemed to recall the terms of t
he lawsuit and stuck her cheek out for me to kiss. Then giving me a hollow thank you, she went inside her apartment closing the door in my face and that was the end of what’d started out as a great night.

  So now you see the lawsuit worked, yet again it didn’t.

  On the way back to my place, I cranked my music, singing along with Seether’s latest song. At home, I cleaned the kitchen, putting away the food to eat as leftovers the next couple days, loaded the dishwasher then made it to my bedroom where I showered, brushed my teeth then lay down.

  It was only then I allowed myself to think about my evening with Rori.

  Staring up at the ceiling, I thought about what I wanted: I wanted to win the Super Bowl, first and foremost. I wanted to continue having a successful career. I wanted to make a lot more money so I could have a comfortable future after retiring from playing. And finally, I wanted a family.

  In that order.

  But there was one little glitch.

  I also wanted Rori.

  Then I thought of my five-year plan and felt I could accomplish all my “wants” in that amount of time. Then and only then, would I make time for a relationship and finally a family.

  But Rori was screwing shit up and I hadn’t even really kissed her yet. Jesus.

  So, you know how they say older people are set in their ways? I felt I must have an old soul or something because I was pretty set too, not wanting to vary from my plan even though something inside was tugging at me to make a change.

  I fell asleep wondering how I could make things work.

  “Don’t file anything,” I told Tanner the next morning. “I’m dropping it.”

  “No? You sure?” he replied.

  “Yeah. I did it mostly to scare her and it worked. But thanks, man. We’ll have to make it out to Burning Tree in the spring and play a couple rounds,” I said.

  “We will. I’m dying to try out my new nine-iron after I trashed my old one,” he stated with a chuckle.

  I laughed. “I think my driver’s still in the pond with the fountain from the last time we went.”

  “I know my three-wood is. Just give me a shout and we’ll head out there one weekend.”

  “Sounds good. Thanks again. I appreciate it,” I replied.

  I guess I should’ve called Rori to let her know I’d dropped the suit, but I still had a lot of thinking to do.

  I called Carson that afternoon—she’s gonna tell me to fuck off at some point in our conversation as usual. Just wait.

  “You guys are still coming to the dance this Saturday, right?” I asked.

  Wait for it.

  We’d talked about the KIDS Klub charity dance last Saturday at Tinley’s birthday party, and she and her husband had still been on the fence about it not knowing if they’d be available, so I was checking to see if they’d decided.

  “Myles and I’ll be there with bells on,” my twin sister said.

  Wait for it.

  “Uh, that’s fuckin’ weird, but okay.”

  “Fuck off, Calder.”

  BOOM! Told ya.

  I laughed. “Best sister ever.”

  “Damn straight I am. Are you taking a date to this dance? I wanna be prepared when you introduce Bunny or Buffy or Bizzy or whatever stripper you’re dating. I mean, I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out bigger words than these chicks of yours use.”

  “It was Bitsy and she was a senator’s daughter,” I replied indignantly. But she was right. I’d been dating women I knew I’d never see myself with for the long haul. They were easy, not so much speaking of sex-wise, although it was true, but they didn’t ask a whole lot from me. We met, we went out, we fucked, we moved on. They got to go out with a celebrity, and I had a beautiful woman on my arm for any event I might have to attend as well as in my bed afterward. Win-win. But not Rori. She’d ask for everything, I knew. She’d challenge me. And she’d be a partner. And I wasn’t ready for that.

  “Oh, well, la-dee-dah.”

  “You’re PMSing, aren’t you?” I asked knowing she hated when I said that.

  “No! Sam’s teething and he’s kept me up the past two nights. Poor little guy’s in so much pain and all I can do is rub numbing stuff on it.”

  “Well, damn. I hate that for him.”

  “Yeah, but Myles was a sweetheart this morning and brought me these amazing cinnamon rolls from some bakery on Fourteenth Street. And I mean, they were ah-maze-ing!”

  “I know the place. Matter of fact, I sort of had a date with the owner last night,” I confessed.

  “Marry her, Calder! Do it! Today! Anyone who makes something that heavenly has to be perfect!”

  I frowned. “I screwed up with her, though.”

  “What? How?”

  “I sued her for defamation of character,” I confided.

  “Wait! She was the woman on the radio with you, wasn’t she? The one who alluded to your having STDs.” She snorted. “And you sued her for that?”

  “I didn’t really sue her. I just had Tanner draw up some papers to, uh, scare her so…she’d go out with me.” I mumbled the last part hoping she wouldn’t hear it. “But I dropped it.”

  And, of course, she’d heard it. Carson never missed a fucking beat. “You threatened to sue a woman so she’d go out with you.”

  “Well, hearing it said that way makes it sound bad.”

  She cracked up. “Oh, my God, little brother. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

  I rolled my eyes not only at her laughing but at her calling me little brother as she was merely two minutes older than I was.

  “Since when did you have to start suing women to get them to date you?” She was still giggling but it was dying down.

  I let out a breath. “She’s a tough one, Car. But I think I’m done with her.”

  “Why?”

  “My five-year plan.”

  “Oh, good lord, Calder. Love happens whenever it happens,” she groused.

  “Whoa whoa whoa. Who said anything about love? As far as I’m concerned, that’s a four-letter word. And it scares the bajeezus outta me.”

  “Look, I know you have plans and they’re amazing. I mean, look at all you’ve accomplished so far. But sometimes you’ve got to let the chips fall where they may. That’s what makes life so exciting, honey.”

  “I have enough excitement as it is trying to out-maneuver beefy linemen,” I mumbled.

  “You’re such an old codger with an old soul, I swear.”

  See? Told you I had an old soul.

  “I guess.”

  “Just think about Baker Girl, okay? She could be the one and you don’t want her to be the one who got away,” she advised.

  Fuck. This would be the last time I talked to my sister about women.

  “You just want cinnamon rolls,” I teased trying to lighten shit up.

  “You’re onto me. Okay, I hear Sam fussing so I need to get him before he wakes Tinley from her nap. Love you.”

  “Love you too,” I replied and we hung up.

  Now, damn it. You came into this thinking it was gonna be a rom-com and here I am whining about a woman to you. We’ll get back to rom-com’ing shortly. I promise.

  Chapter 12

  I hadn’t heard from Calder since our date Monday. It was now Friday.

  And it kinda bummed me out.

  Kinda.

  As far as I knew, he was still suing me, so there was that, which meant I shouldn’t even have been thinking about him.

  Also, I’d left in a huff, hadn’t wanted to talk to him afterward then I’d slammed my apartment door in his face, so why would he call?

  But I’d found out he was nice. He was funny. And I realized I liked him and that scared me.

  Those of you who’ve been hurt by someone—which I’m sure is 100% of you—can understand my state of mind, I’ll bet. Noah had hurt me tremendously, and what he’d done wasn’t something you got over right away. Granted, I’d been getting over it for a year and a half, but
still. We’d been together for four years prior to making plans to get married then he’d dropped his bomb on me. And after that happens, you find you’ve lost a little of your innocence. And a lot of your faith. You’re more cautious and less trusting. Mara called it when she said I’d become jaded because I had. When that happens and someone new comes along, it’s that much harder to jump in, and you actually find yourself wanting to run in the other direction. To Djibouti.

  So that was where I was.

  “You’re still coming with me tomorrow night to the charity dance?” I asked Mara Friday evening as I closed the bakery.

  “Of course. We’re both going as Madonna, right? I wouldn’t let you go alone. What time is it?”

  “Seven to midnight,” I answered. And, yes, we were both going to be Madonna, but we decided not to discuss what we were wearing then show up and surprise each other.

  “Would you be okay with me leaving at nine? I’m supposed to go over to Caleb’s.”

  “Fifth date?”

  “Fourth.”

  “Damn!” I spouted. “I was hoping it was the fifth so I’d get sexy deets Sunday.”

  “Oh, we already slept together,” she shared casually.

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You’re getting sued. I didn’t think you needed anything else on your plate.”

  “What happened to the five-date rule?” I questioned.

  “You were right. I played it by ear and it felt right, so we did.”

  I frowned, sad that I’d been so freaked out she hadn’t told me. “So, is he at least good?”

  She smirked and nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

  “Good. Next time, I don’t care if I have a collapsed lung, you’d better put it on my plate!”

  She chuckled. “I will. Promise.”

  I finished closing, hollered out a goodnight to Mara, then headed to my parents’ where they’d invited all us kids to dinner saying they had a big announcement.

  “Hey, Dad!” I said walking in the back door into the kitchen. I went to where he stood at the stove and tiptoed up to give him a kiss on the cheek. “What’s cooking?” I asked as I took off my coat and hung it up.