Convincing Her

  Convincing Her

  Dana Love

  Copyright © 2013 Dana Love

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  ISBN: 978-0-9910242-6-1

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Rich pulled into the parking space at Angie’s dorm, turning down the music that was blaring from the stereo. “I can’t believe you only gave me one bite of that pie. Why do you hate me so much?” He shot her a grin as he put the car in park, making sure she knew he was just giving her shit.

  He’d insisted on giving her a ride when they left Cameron and Tyler’s barbeque about twenty minutes ago. She’d only had a few beers so he knew she wasn’t drunk, he’d seen the girl put back four shots of vodka in less than thirty minutes and she’d still been able to function. She’d refused to drive though, saying she couldn’t afford a DUI. He respected that. In the two years he’d known her he couldn’t think of a time when she’d acted irresponsibly. So when she said she was going to call a cab he’d offered to give her a ride. It had taken some convincing, but she’d finally agreed to let him bring her back to her dorm.

  “I don’t hate you. I love pie. There is a major difference.” She grabbed her bag and a package of rolls she’d taken from the barbeque and started to slide out of the passenger side of his old Chevy Nova. “Thanks for the ride Rich. I owe you one.”

  He grabbed her arm, “You don’t owe me anything. Why are you rushing off? It’s still early. We haven’t actually talked in months.” The only contact they’d had recently was teaming up to send Tyler on a disastrous date.

  When they met through her best friend, Rich had been taken from the moment he laid eyes on her. She was a real beauty, with long almost-black hair and the most intense green eyes he’d ever seen. Angie was a real woman, not like the fake girls he usually hooked up with. Not only was she smart, she was built just right, with curves in all the right places. She didn’t strive to be stick-thin like most girls and he was more than okay with that. She was also the most honest girl he’d ever met. She never let him get away with his normal crap that he pulled on other girls. No, she’d shut him down quick. She’d told him in no uncertain terms that there would never be anything between them but friendship. And he’d been okay with that, for a while. There was never a shortage of girls for him to choose from. Something about being a loud prick drew them in like moths to a flame. He didn’t get it, but he’d never been one to over-think things either. Not like Angie. Now though, after really getting to know her, he wanted nothing more than to claim her for his own. He’d give up random pussy for her any day.

  She let out a long sigh, “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Fuck, don’t act like it’s such an inconvenience. I just wanted to spend a little time with you. Do you have other plans or something?” He didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but he was getting tired of playing games. He just wanted to have an intelligent conversation for once.

  She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing for the briefest moment before releasing, “No, I don’t have any plans. I’m sorry.”

  He relaxed into his seat as she slid her legs back in the car and shut the door. “I can’t come up to your room? Curfew isn’t for another hour or so.”

  She snorted, “I doubt you want to deal with the skank’s boyfriend-of-the-week. The guy has been here every night.”

  “I can tell him to get the hell out if you want me to.” He cracked his knuckles, more than a little upset that Angie had to deal with that shit.

  She shot him a small smile, “Thanks, but he won’t last long. They never do. I’ll be rid of her soon enough, I’ve already signed up with housing for next semester with a girl in my chemistry class.”

  He nodded his consent, though he was still tempted to walk her to her dorm later and let his presence be known. He wondered how her roommate would like it if he decided to hang around for a while.

  “So, Cameron and Tyler are together. I have to admit I didn’t see that one coming.” He’d been pretty shocked to see two of his buddies holding hands and kissing, but he was cool with it. Everyone had a right to be happy.

  “I knew all along. It killed me not to say anything sooner, but I knew they’d find their way.” She smiled, “You played a part in it you know. The date with psycho-slut pushed him right over the edge.” Angie’s smile widened, “I’m so happy for them, especially Tyler.” It looked like she was going to say something else, but she turned away instead.

  “You know, we’ve been friends for a while now and I don’t even know if Angie is your real name. Is it short for something else?” He wanted to kick himself for asking such a lame question, but he was curious. For some reason he wanted nothing more than to know about this girl.

  “My given name is Angelique. My mother’s idea I guess. It just didn’t seem to fit.” She shrugged her shoulders, “She’s the only that’s ever called me that.”

  “So I can call you Angel then?” He tugged gently on a lock of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder as he gave her his winning smile.

  “What about you? Is your name Rich or is it short for Richard?” She pulled her hair back and twisted it into a messy bun as she spoke, pulling a hair-tie off her wrist.

  He wished she’d leave it down, but he knew better than to make the request. “Yeah, I’m Richard Remington the third actually. Since my dad was Richard I just started going by Rich.”

  She let out a loud laugh before she covered her mouth with her hand and tried to compose herself, “Richard Remington? Sounds like a porn star name to me.” She turned in the seat and cocked her head at him, “I’ll tell you what, you can call me Angel if I can call you Dick.”

  He chuckled at her sarcastic tone, “I’m okay with that. Dick Remington sounds more like a porn star name than Rich Remington anyway. I like it.” He waggled his brows at her as he spoke. “You never know, that might be my true calling.”

  She wrinkled her nose at his teasing, “I know it sounds fun and all, but you’d think at some point you’d get sick of sex. Which is just plain sad.”

  “I don’t think a guy can get sick of sex. My grandpa is eighty-something years old and he still chases my grandma around the house from time to time.” The old man succeeded too, at least from what he could tell. He envied his grandparent’s relationship. They’d been together forever and were still very much in love. He’d never met his grandparents on his mother’s side of the family since they’d died before he was born, but his dad’s parents were cool despite their age. He envied their love for one another. He on the other hand really didn’t know what love was.

  “Not a visual I want in my head, Dick.” She gave a little laugh and pulled her legs up underneath her on the bench seat. “So who are you doing, I mean dating, this week?”

  He frowned. He knew she was just giving him shit, but it sucked that she thought of him as nothing but a player. A user, she’d once said wh
en she’d had too much to drink. It had hurt, worse than he was willing to admit. What was worse was that she wasn’t wrong. Not really anyway. Just a few nights ago he’d hooked up with a bride-to-be that was out on the town enjoying her bachelorette party. He’d probably go to hell for that one. Instead of admitting that unattractive bit of information he just shrugged, “Not seeing anyone right now. Are you?”

  She barked out a bitter laugh before shaking her head, “Nope. I haven’t been out on a date in over five months. Carbohydrates are my substitute for sex, didn’t you know?” She held up the package of rolls.

  He considered his response for a long moment, “Why don’t you and I go out on a date?”

  Giggling, Angie grabbed her bag again and straightened her legs, opening the door. “That’s my cue to leave. Don’t worry. I’m sure you can find some other desperate girl to keep you entertained.”

  He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not. He blew it off, “I never said either of us was desperate. I just figured it would be nice. We could go to dinner, maybe go see a play or something.”

  Her head whipped around, her gaze meeting his, “You, go to a play? What the fuck?”

  He bit back his anger, “Just because I come across like a dumb jock doesn’t mean I actually am one. I like art, and music, and yes the occasional play. So sue me.”

  She slid her legs back into the car again, “Sorry, that was a really bitchy thing to say. I don’t think you’re a dumb jock. I just didn’t expect that. Okay? Are we cool?”

  He nodded his head before replying, “Yeah, we’re cool.” He reached over and grabbed her hand, “So go out with me. Let me show you a good time.” He held his other hand up at her questioning glance, “No sex, I promise.”

  Something flashed in her eyes and she looked a little hurt though he couldn’t understand why. “I’ll think about it. Thanks for the offer, and for the ride.” She pulled her hand away, exiting the car quickly. Before she shut the door she muttered, “I still owe you one.”

  Rich let out a long sigh. That hadn’t gone like he’d expected.

  A week later he still hadn’t heard from Angie. He hadn’t called or texted her since he didn’t want to seem too clingy. He’d never been one of those guys, always up a girls ass every minute, always wanting to know where she was and what she was doing. Of course, he’d never really been into a girl before either. He’d thought about giving her a call more than once. Okay, at least ten times. Somehow he knew if anything was going to happen between them he’d have to let her call the shots. That was hard for him, but he’d give it a chance.

  He’d thrown himself into work and school, trying to keep his mind busy. Finals were coming up anyway and he couldn’t afford to fail any of his classes. He’d hung out with a few guys from work and played basketball at the gym for a few hours each week. He’d even taken the time to call his brother who he hadn’t spoken to in almost a year. The conversation had been strained, to say the least. He didn’t have much in common with the guy. They were pretty much complete opposites in every way. Where Rich was tall and muscular, with straight dark hair and dark eyes, his brother Pete was blond-haired, blue eyed, and a bit on the small side. Pete had that whole sensitive guy thing going for him, and he’d always done well with the girls despite his less than masculine appearance. Rich took after his mother’s side of the family, where Pete tended to favor his father in many ways.

  Rich considered calling his mom, he hadn’t checked in with her in a while either, but he knew she’d just ask him the same questions. Was he doing okay in school? Did he need any money? Was he dating any nice girls? It was the same conversation every time he checked in, and though at first he thought she really cared about his well-being, he began to realize over time that she was just asking what was expected of her. They’d never been very close. She was distant, and it wasn’t just with him. She’d never really been very warm to his farther or brother either. How his parent’s had stayed together as long as they had he didn’t know.

  He flipped his phone in his hand, startled when it sounded a notification that he had a new text. He swiped the screen to unlock it, smiling at the name that appeared. He’d switched Angie’s name to Angel the night he’d dropped her off at her dorm. He wondered if she’d changed his name to Dick.

  Angel: I’m in when and where

  Rich: 2maro 7pm I’ll surprise you

  Angel: I don’t like surprises

  Rich: Get over it

  Angel: Fine, Dick

  He laughed and sat his phone down. He had some planning to do.

  After taking a quick shower, Rich dressed quickly in some new jeans and a white button-down. He sprayed on some cologne and even put a little gel in his hair, running his fingers through it a few more times than necessary to try and tame the mess. He hadn’t been this nervous about going on a date since he was fifteen. Then it had been Sally Walker, one of the hottest, and easiest, girls in tenth grade. He assured himself that date had gone fine and that this one would too, but his feelings for Angie were more intense than what he’d felt for any of the girls he’d hooked up with before her. She challenged him and made him laugh like none of the others had ever managed to do.

  He’d decided on taking her to the art gallery downtown. After all, he’d sort of set a high standard for himself when they’d discussed their plans last week. After, he’d take her to her favorite sushi restaurant. He knew she’d be happy about that. The girl really liked her raw fish.

  Though he’d promised no sex, he slipped a condom into his wallet just in case. It was always smart to be prepared. Not that he really thought he’d have any chance. He was pretty damn sure she wouldn’t initiate anything, and he was going to try and be a gentleman even if it killed him.

  Rich wiped his hands on his jeans before getting out of his car to head up to her dorm room. He sort of hoped her roommate’s current fuck-buddy would be there. It made him a little nervous that the guy had been around Angie so much. He knew first-hand how guys could be, and he knew that Angie was a lot hotter than the girl she lived with. It wouldn’t be the first time that a douche-bag boyfriend had tried to get into his girl’s roommate’s pants or worse yet try to get them both in the sack. He knew Angie would never go for it, but that only eased his worry somewhat.

  He sent her a quick text as he headed up the stairs, and then tapped three times on the door before taking a few deep breaths.

  She opened the door, waving him in with her hand, “They’re not here, thank goodness.”

  Rich stepped in the small room, closing the door behind him. He turned to face her, but stopped mid-movement at what he saw. She was breathtaking. Her hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves, and the form-fitting grey dress she wore fell perfectly over her body, ending a few inches above her knee where it flared out slightly, the color bringing out the brightness of those green eyes. And the shoes, strappy black heels that wrapped around her ankles, shoes that simply screamed fuck me.

  “Damn, you look amazing.” He stepped forward, “Just beautiful.”

  She looked away, crossing her arms over her chest, “Thank you,” she shifted from her left foot to her right, “I hope this is okay. You wouldn’t tell me what we’d be doing.”

  “It’s perfect.” He looked her over once more. She looked great in her usual t-shirt and jeans, but he liked this side of her, the feminine side she hid so well most of the time.

  “So what are we doing?” She grabbed a small black purse and her keys.

  “It’s still a surprise. I hope you like it.” He reached for her hand, leading her towards the door.

  “I’m sure it’ll be interesting.”

  He’d make sure of that.

  Thirty minutes later they were at the gallery, and so far everything was going great. She’d even let him open her car door. Other than placing a hand on her lower back, he hadn’t touched her since he’d led her out of the dorm. Not that he didn’t want to. He was usually a lot more physical. But this was Angie, an
d she expected that. Tonight was about showing her the unexpected.

  They stopped in front of a metal art piece, and he watched as she cocked her head, trying to make sense of the jumbled mass.

  “What’s this one supposed to be?”

  “I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be anything. It just looks cool. See the pieces on the sides? Those are tail pipes from a car. It looks like they used all sorts of scrap metal for this one.”

  “It’s sort of ugly.” She gave him a small smile, “I thought you only liked pretty things.”

  “If you look hard enough you can find beauty in almost everything.”

  Her eyes widened, “Wow. That was deep.” She nudged him with her elbow.

  “I can be deep,” he tapped his temple with his left hand, “there’s more in here than scores from the last game you know.”

  “I’m starting to figure that out.”

  They walked around in silence, observing the different exhibits. She seemed to admire the photography most, as she took several minutes at each photo, observing every detail.

  “Do you read Rich?” She murmured her question as she studied a photo of two young girls running through a meadow of flowers.

  “Yeah, I read sometimes.” He wasn’t lying. He had a small shelf in his room with some of his favorite books. There was no reason to point out that he also kept all of his dirty magazines in the same spot.

  “You’re full of surprises tonight. What do you read?” She turned away from the photograph to look up at him.

  “Mostly mysteries, but I’ll read the occasional thriller too.”

  “Tyler calls the books I real dirty-girl books. It’s silly really, but I like trashy romance novels.”

  He chuckled, “Nothing wrong with that.” He couldn’t resist, he took her hand in his, “Are you ready to go eat?”

  Her free hand fell to her stomach, “Yes, starving like always.”

  “C’mon, you’ll like this.” He led her through the gallery and out to his car, “Having a good time so far?”