To Hate Adam Connor

Olive closed her eyes and sighed a happy sigh. “I can already picture you two together. You’re kissing. Passionately. It’s a quick one because Aiden is there. But you are happy. Like crazy. And you love Aiden just as much as you love Adam. Adam definitely notices that and loves you all the more for it.”

“Okay, crazy lady,” I said, snapping my fingers to wake her up from her dream. “I’ll leave you with your dreams and slowly back away.” And I did exactly that; I opened the sliding doors and walked out, only to have Olive follow me.

“Come back here, I’m not finished.”

I headed toward the ladder.

“Where are you going? Lucy, you can’t run away from your dreams.”

I faced her, but kept backing away. “My dreams? Those were all yours. I never dreamed about the guy. Dreaming about him fucking me six ways to Sunday? Sure, I admit I did dream about that, but all of it was before I met him.” My back hit the infamous bush, and I turned around so I could climb up the wall. “And for your information, I’m going over to say hi to Aiden.”

Olive leaned against the tree and smiled at me, showing me her full set of teeth. “Keep telling yourself that, little Lucy.”

I straddled the wall and looked down at her. “You’ve officially lost your mind. Go write down a few words so your brain can start to function again.”

“Lucy, close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting next to a waterfall. A waterfall where Adam Connor appears out of nowhere. Naked. Or half-naked. You’re a calm little—”

I flipped her the bird and climbed down the rest of the way.

Shame on her for making fun of my relaxing tactics.

“Should I wait up for you, or are you planning on spending the night in Adam’s bed? Because if you do, you know you’re gonna have to give me details. I want the answers to everything you asked me about Jason. The size. The size is important. Measure the penis so I can picture everything in my mind.”

“You keep calling it a penis and I won’t tell you a thing. Bye, Olive!”

It was a good thing Adam hadn’t thought of moving the ladder away yet. Until he did, I’d feel okay with invading his privacy. It wasn’t like I was going to visit him or anything. I’d just missed the little guy and was hoping to catch him before his bedtime.

When I got close enough to the house, I could hear music. The doors seemed to be closed, but the sound was leaking outside. Rich people and their surround sound…

I stopped moving so I could listen and a few seconds later I recognized the unmistakable sound of Frank Sinatra’s voice.

Huh, so my jerk had taste. Well, not my jerk of course, but you know what I mean.

I stood on the side where I couldn’t be seen and spotted Adam near the bar cart. Had Aiden already gone to bed? I thought about knocking on the window to get his attention before he got his manly panties in a twist and accused me of invading his privacy again, but it was hard to take my eyes away from him. He was so damn handsome, the kind of handsome that made you start panting like a dog when you looked at him for more than a few seconds.

So I silently watched him pour himself a drink and read through the papers he had in his hands. He looked occupied—not in an I’m reading some documents kind of way, but an I have a million things on my mind kind of way.

I wondered what was making him look so miserable.

Truth be told, since he’d asked me to look after Aiden for a few days, I was seeing him in a different light. Sure, I hated him.

A little.

Kind of.

Strongly disliked him.

For the way he treated me that day and because I still wanted to jump his bones after what he did for me. But other than that, my heart melted a little bit every time I saw him—when he wasn’t being a bastard that is, like he’d been the other day.

Who gives people permission to touch their junk? If you asked me, I’d say it was a great idea because him talking into my ear like that…and giving me permission to touch him? Silly, silly boy. He knew nothing about me at all. If I’d touched him, I would’ve ended up fucking his brains out and for reasons even unknown to me, I didn’t want that.

Now, don’t be all like, but, Lucy, how could you hate such a fine specimen of the male form… The biggest reason I had to keep hating him was because of the way I’d felt when he had touched me the other night, when he wanted to put ice on my hand. I’d felt those annoying butterflies in my stomach that Olive had always said she’d felt when she first saw Jason, and it scared the crap out of me. While I’d felt different kinds of butterflies in my lady parts when I was going after Jameson, these had taken flight in my stomach and they were deadly to me, like an allergy that could kill me unexpectedly.

After watching him for a few more minutes, I stepped forward and knocked on the glass. His head came up from the papers in his hand, and he spotted me. He seemed to hesitate before he got up from the couch and came to open the glass doors.

“Hi,” I said when he was standing in front of me without a barrier.

He turned down the volume of Frank Sinatra with the help of a small remote control before he said, “I see you are creeping around in my backyard again.” He had a small smile on his lips, so I didn’t think he minded having me creeping around.

“If you don’t want me creeping around, as you so rudely put it, you should move the ladder away.”

“How can I help you, Lucy?”

“I’m good, thank you so much. And how are you doing tonight?”

He sighed and invited me in with a sweep of his hand.

“How nice of you to invite me in,” I commented as I stepped inside and he closed the door.

“Is there anything I can do for you, or did you just come over to get in your daily amount of—”

I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. “Before you say anything you’ll have to apologize for later, I’ll let you know I came to say hi to Aiden. I missed him this week.”

Adam looked at me for a long moment as if he was trying to figure out if I was lying to him or not. When he was satisfied with whatever he saw in my eyes, he ran a hand through his hair and motioned for me to sit down.

Wondering what was going on, I did as he asked and sat my ass down.

“So?” I asked when he didn’t say anything for several long seconds.

“Adeline didn’t drop him off, so I sent Dan over to see what was wrong.” He checked his watch. “He should be here soon. You’re welcome to wait if you want.”

I drew my legs up and got comfortable in my seat. “You’re not going to kick me out?”

“Aiden asks me about you on every phone call. I assume he’ll be happy to see you here and that way I’ll be saved from all the questions he’d ask if he didn’t see you immediately.”

That made me smile. “He loves me.”

Adam smiled back. “Weird, isn’t it?”

I frowned at him. “You’re weird. I love the little guy too. He is way cooler than his dad could ever be.”

Sporting a small smile, he shook his head and headed for the bar cart. I’d never seen him drink before that night.

“Something on your mind?” I asked, just to make conversation until Aiden got there.

“Too much.”

I grunted and reached for my phone when I felt it vibrate in my pocket.

Jameson: I wish you’d come with me.