| Shelby picked up her blouse and shrugged back into it, the wet fabric sending a chill down her back. "As much as I like you kissing me, we need to talk." She put some distance between them and Brian could see her mind spinning with all sorts of questions. She wanted some answers and so did he. Shelby moved to the other side of the room creating a chasm between them. "I don�t expect a declaration of love from you," her words came out softly, hesitantly. "I�m not going to pretend for one minute that you need to profess feelings you don�t have or that you must see me again or anything just because of what happened on Saturday. I�m a big girl, Brian. I know the score." "Whoa, wait a minute." He closed the gap between them and took her by the shoulders. He could feel her body tense under his touch. "I didn�t say what I did because I think you expect it. I meant it, Shelby. I love you. I know it sounded like a knee jerk reaction on Saturday, but it wasn�t. It was," he lowered his voice as his thumb brushed her cheek, "it is the truth." Shelby felt her insides churn at his touch. She took hold of his hand and let it drop to his side and stepped out of his reach again. "You expect me to believe you�ve been in love with me all this time." Her words were filled with doubt. "What about Laurie? What was that all about?" Her voice rose slightly as she spoke. Brian let out a laugh at her words, but it sounded more like a groan. "I used Laurie to try and forget you." Shelby shook her head in disbelief. "Yes. I know you don�t want to believe it. But it�s true." "No. I don�t want to hear this. I saw the two of you together." She paced back and forth in front of the windows. "You were all over each other Brian. You couldn�t keep your hands off each other." Her heart pounded in her chest as visions of them clutching each other and kissing each other ran through her head. "You weren�t interested, Shelby, or so I thought and I actually believed, for a while, that I could move on with someone else. But in the end, well let�s just say that my eyes were opened and I realized I never loved her." Brian made a move towards Shelby but she backed away putting her hands up to thwart his advances. "You were going to ask her to marry you Brian. You do remember that, don�t you?" "God only knows what I was thinking. I thought I loved her. I guess my ego is bigger than I ever imagined." Shelby eyed him warily. "She fed me all the right answers, at the right time. But I wasn�t enough for her, Shel. AJ told me how he had seen from the very beginning she wasn�t faithful." She didn�t want to hear any more. He thought he loved Laurie, but he had been in love with her all along? "I can�t do this, Brian." She walked to the front door. "Please, leave. I can�t believe you. I saw with my own eyes. You weren�t faking it, Brian." "Shelby, listen to me. I love you." She shook her head. "Yes. You kept me at arms distance. No matter what I said or did, you turned away." Shelby thought back and suddenly remembered how he would come and spend time with her, bring her favorite coffee, or listen when schedules were messed up. He always seemed to be there when she needed a shoulder but at the time she couldn�t let her feelings be known. She had worked for him and it wouldn�t have seemed proper. But there was still the fact that he and Laurie were�tears welled in her eyes. "Brian, please. I can�t do this. We can�t do this." "Why? I know you love me Shelby." He came to her. When he was near, she lost all composure. He was still shirtless and his hair and Shelby had all she could do from running her hands along his firm chest. "No." "Yes," he said firmly. "You may have pushed the feelings deep down, and learned go on, but Shelby I could feel it the other night." He ran his hand through her hair and pulled her to him. A breath escaped her body and they stared intently at each other. He never gave her time to answer before his lips seared hers. Shelby groaned as Brian continued his onslaught. He pulled her body tight against his and she surrendered wrapping her arms around his neck. When Brian pulled back, she was breathless. He gathered up his shirt and put it on. "I�m going to leave now. But I�ll be back at seven. Put on your prettiest dress because I�m taking you to dinner." She tried to protest but he kissed her to silence her. "If I have to woo you, I will Shelby. I�m going to prove to you that my words weren�t just platitudes." He opened the door. "Seven o�clock," he kissed her again. "Be ready." He was gone and Shelby leaned against the door in total confusion. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Shelby had shared many meals with Brian but that night was different. Before it had been one huge feed fest with the rest of the guys. If you weren�t quick enough, you were left with the scraps. Shelby had learned early on to fix her plate first and let the rest of them fight over the food. They had been good times sharing pizza, Chinese, Italian, fast food. It wasn�t so much the food when they were together but the conversation and just being able to chill out and relax. But as they sat in the small, dimly lit restaurant and shared a bottle of wine, Shelby realized how serious Brian was. She had initially decided not to go out with him. After he left her apartment she changed into dry jeans and a tee shirt and curled up on the sofa. Their whole confrontation running through her head. She couldn�t deny her feelings. She loved him and memories of their night together were vividly etched in her mind. His words haunted her. I love you played over and over again like a broken record. Could she believe him? Did she want to believe him? She knew the answer. She had waited so long to hear them spoken and now that he had, Shelby was still wary. She wondered what had happened with Laurie. Did she break it off? Did he? There were still questions to be answered. She had to see this through even if the outcome caused her to walk away. So she took a warm shower and perfumed her body and slipped the simple black dress on over her head. It was time to see just how serious Brian was about her. Their plates had been cleared away and they sipped the last of the wine. Piano music filled the air and Shelby could feel her heart beating in her chest. If time could stand still she would stay in this moment forever. The whole evening was one she would never forget even though nothing had been resolved between them. Brian reached across the table and took her hand. "This was lovely. Thank you," Shelby said as she placed the wineglass on the table. "Shel," Brian expelled a breath, "let�s walk by the lake and talk." They walked in silence for awhile neither one knowing exactly how to begin. The evening was still warm, the rain earlier having left the air thick and humid. A distant roll of thunder rippled and the sky flashed as the threat of another storm moved their way. Unconsciously Brian took Shelby�s hand and led her to the gazebo for shelter. Once under the protection of the latticed octagon they both spoke at once causing them to laugh at their spontaneity. Brian encouraged Shelby to speak first and she lowered her eyes as she tried to find the words. "I don�t know where�I didn�t think that�oh God, this is crazy. From that first day, in the conference room, it was you." She looked up slowly and that look, it was there on his face, the look that filled her dreams. "You came in and smiled at me and your eyes sparkled and seemed to dance when you laughed and I fell right then and there." Shelby turned away afraid that her declaration and the fragility of her emotions would cause her to cave in. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest and her hands were wet as her emotions flooded her body. Brian came up behind her. "I never knew. You never showed the least bit of interest." He touched her arm and turned her back to him. "I was working for you. You were my employer. It wouldn�t have been seemly." "We both wasted a lot of time. I took your coolness for disinterest so I never pursued my feelings." "Pursued your feelings? When? I don�t ever remember you coming on to me." "I was too subtle I guess. I�m not good with the lines like AJ and Howie. But all those times I asked you to dinner, you always turned me down." "Yeah, but we were always going out with the group anyway." Shelby was confused by his comment. "I wasn�t asking you to join the group. I was asking you to go with me. Alone." Her eyes got large when it dawned on her what he was implying. And then she remembered how he always seemed disappointed when she would tell him that AJ or Kevin had already asked her to join all of them. "You wanted to be alone with me?" He nodded. "Yes. It was you from the first day too, Shelby." His hand caressed her cheek and Shelby closed her eyes at his touch. "I saw you and I couldn�t think of anyone else." She felt herself yielding to his fingers, but then Laurie�s face loomed in her mind and the conversation they had and the images of them together filled her thoughts. Shelby backed away. "No Brian. No, you and Laurie, all those months�How can you tell me that you were in love with me while the two of you were," he reached out and she jerked from his touch. "Don�t!" "Shelby, please listen to me." "Why? So you can justify it all. I don�t want to know. You don�t owe me anything. I never admitted my feelings and neither did you. So, we�re even. I won�t ever forget the other night, but that�s just it Brian. It was one night. Let�s leave it that way." She ran from the gazebo. A light rain started to fall and the sky lit up as the approaching storm herald it warnings. She ran to the nearest street. Without a car she would either have to walk or find a cab which would be unlikely in this part of town. Brian called after her but Shelby ignored his pleas. She knew it all. That one conversation with Laurie was enough to know that Brian couldn�t have had any feeling for her and still spend night after night with Laurie. The rain came down harder and Shelby continued to walk hoping to find a cab. She stepped off the curb and Brian called to her. She turned to see that he was gaining on her when there was a screech of tires and the last thing she heard was Brian, as he screamed out her name. The driver of the car was already out of his car and kneeling next to Shelby when Brian arrived. Brian knelt down and cradled her head in his lap. There was a small bruise on her forehead and her one leg was bent under her body. He took out his cell phone and dialed 911 as the rain beat down on them mingling with his tears. |