Flawed Perfection Read online

  “I had to get your attention somehow, didn’t I?”

  He slipped his arm around me and pulled my chest into his.

  “Attention gotten,” he purred.

  I rolled my eyes at him as I pulled away.

  “If that wasn’t a direct hit, I don’t know what was.”

  “Hey, I had to try. You just flung yourself at me,” he said with a playful nudge in my ribs.

  I shook my head. “You know better.”

  “So, an apology?” he asked as we began to make our way up to the apartments.

  “Look, you know I was only trying to defend Adam—”

  “At my expense?”

  “You know I didn’t mean it like you took it, but that’s the way your parents see things. They don’t think Adam has accomplished anything because he’s not the spitting image of you or your dad. You know it’s true.”

  “It’s not true, River! Adam just makes you think it is. He has you so wrapped around his finger—”

  I turned in front him, practically causing him to mow me down as I poked my finger in his chest.

  “Do you think Adam’s a failure?”

  Bobby’s strong jaw was taut. “No.”

  “Do your parents?”

  “River—”

  “No, answer the question, do they ever brag about Adam? Or is it always about you?” I demanded. When he didn’t answer I continued, “Think of how that makes Adam feel. He’s been nothing but successful, but no matter what he does he’s always in your shadow.”

  “He still has things I want that I can’t have,” he answered, his eyes burning into me.

  I closed my eyes. “This isn’t about us.”

  I felt Bobby’s hand lift my chin. “I know it’s not, but I always make it that way. It’s hard for me not to.”

  I opened my eyes to see his lips turned downward as he shrugged. “I give up, Riv. I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t think what we have is special? I do! I’m sorry it’s not what you want, but you’re my best friend—you both are.”

  He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

  “I know; what other girl would let me crash on her couch and special order me hockey games?”

  “Exactly, and who do you talk about your girl problems with?” I reminded him as he dropped my chin.

  “Alright, you’ve got me. It is pretty awesome,” he said.

  “I’m making pasta tonight with meatballs from scratch. It’d be a lot easier if I could cook for two instead of one?”

  Bobby’s stomach growled its response.

  Chapter 4

  Not talking to Adam was killing me. Yes, I had Bobby to talk to, but there were some things I just didn’t talk to him about—like work. He’d never understand, because his job was like play to him. He didn’t understand why I did what I did, because he didn’t think anyone could love it. He thought it was boring and made a point of telling me that. He told me the only benefit was the hot outfits he got to see me in. With Adam it was different, Bobby was my friend to hang out with and have fun; Adam was my serious friend, the one I shared in-depth conversations with. I hadn’t had a serious conversation in three days.

  I missed Adam. A lot. I was avoiding him, because I didn’t want to have to explain what about Amber arriving had made me so upset. Logically, from Adam’s perspective, there probably was nothing about the situation that should have made me upset.

  Besides the fact I was utterly head over heels for him.

  I shook the thought out of my head and concentrated on the sweat that was now dripping down my forehead as I entered the more strenuous part of the dance workout. I closed my eyes for a second, doing the moves to the music from heart as I let the rhythm sink into me. I heard my door swing open and assumed it was Bobby, so I kept dancing in my skimpy booty shorts and sports bra. It wasn’t anything Bobby hadn’t seen before. Bobby was my beach buddy.

  When I opened my eyes, mid belly roll I found a squeal escaping from my lips. Adam stood, arms crossed, one eyebrow up, and dimples deep in his cheeks with a smile.

  “Wow, so that’s what you do this early in the morning, mhmm?” he teased as he headed towards the fridge.

  He was shirtless still, in his cotton pajama bottoms with his hair mussed from sleeping. I tried to concentrate on something other than his lightly sculpted abdomen, and then when he turned the indents on his back where his hips were caught my stare. I was going to die a happy woman with that imagery.

  He turned, milk carton in hand and flicked open the paper carton.

  “Don’t you DARE!” I said, darting across the room at him.

  He knew how much I hated it when he drank straight from the carton.

  He grabbed me by my sweaty waist and twirled me as he took a big gulp.

  “You asshole!” I screeched as he pushed me against the counter so I couldn’t reach him. I was smiling though, and he knew he’d won because I stopped struggling.

  He wiped his upper lip before placing the carton down, hand still just below the band of my sports bra. His eyes wandered down to my low-rider workout shorts, hand lowering slowly.

  “How come you never told me about that?” his voice was husky as he flipped his arm, placing it against the skin of my hip so the tattoo on his forearm was directly next to mine.

  “I swear to God it wasn’t on purpose!” I whispered, watching his eyes as they widened.

  I could feel my heartbeat in my head from the sudden pounding of blood at the fear of what he must be thinking. My breath caught in my throat, and it came out in a whoosh as he smiled up at me.

  “No wonder Bobby flipped shit on me when he saw mine,” he replied straightening. His eyes wandered back to my bare hips.

  “Yeah, he came with me that day. He was upset already because I didn’t choose the one he liked. I saw this one and loved it instantly,” I explained, watching as he reached forward and began to outline the stars with the tip of his finger.

  My skin was on fire with his touch, and I had to fight the urge to close my eyes and moan.

  “I love the colors in yours,” he said. His fingers stopped tracing the outline, and he took a step away from me.

  He looked down at his tattoo, which happened to be the same exact set of nautical stars. The only difference was his were baby and navy blue while mine were lilac and dark purple.

  He leaned back against the island that separated the kitchen and living room, elbows resting on the counter.

  “Explain something?” he asked.

  I nodded. “What?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Honestly…I was embarrassed. I thought you might think I did it on purpose.”

  He looked up from his feet, eyes melting into mine. “I can’t tell you the rage that Bobby went into. He punched a hole in the wall! I thought he was just pissed I went and got it without him—that I’d do something like that without talking to him. He was jealous, though.”

  I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant even though my heart was beating out of control. “He doesn’t like our relationship.”

  “I don’t like your relationship with him either,” he said, and my head jerked back in response.

  “Why?”

  It was his turn to shrug. “Sometimes I get jealous. You’re more willing to do things with him than me, for example you won’t ever go to the beach with me…and I bet from that toned body you’d make a mean beach volleyball player. I could use another person on my team.”

  I blushed, and unable to hold his gaze anymore I looked away. “I’ll make you a deal, next time you’re going to go to the beach with the boys I’ll go with you.”

  “Really?” Adam’s voice changed to a higher octave in excitement.

  “Yeah.”

  “This weekend it is.” Adam looked behind me at the microwave. “Don’t you need to get ready for work soon?”

  “Shit!” I said as I turned and looked at the time. I would barely be able to take a shower.

  “Sorry.” H
e cringed, but the smirk stayed on his face as he took the milk and headed towards the door. “I need this for my cereal.”

  “You’re such an ass!” I yelled as I went towards my bathroom.

  “River?”

  “Yes,” I replied, turning with my hands at the bottom of my bra ready to lift it over my head.

  Adam blinked twice, swallowed, and continued, “What are you doing tonight?”

  “Nothing?”

  “I need someone to help me pick out a new wardrobe for work. I have no clue what a teacher wears, or what it’s supposed to look like. Would you mind coming to the mall tonight and helping?” He ran his teeth over his bottom lip as if I would say no.

  “Sure, what time you picking me up?”

  “How about we make it a date—I’ll bring you out to dinner first, we can pick my clothes out and then catch a movie?”

  My skin tingled as I repeated the word, “A date?”

  He shrugged. “Not a date, date… you know what I meant.”

  Of course I knew what he meant. I was just off in la-la land again.

  “Yeah, like always.”

  He smiled at me, and I smiled back before turning into my bathroom and smacking myself in the head.

  What was wrong with me?

  Chapter 5

  I stood assessing myself in the mirror Adam had bought me for my twenty-first birthday. It had been a welcome to the apartment building gift after him and Bobby had coerced me into moving across the hall from them. They had just moved in, and the day the apartment opened up they were dragging me to meet the owner of the building. It hadn’t even been posted in the paper, and I already had the keys. Adam bought me the full-length mirror because the frosted flowers and butterflies reminded him of me. What the hell he was doing in the designer furniture store he found it in was beside me.

  I ran my fingers over the butterfly with a smile as I looked at my outfit and took a deep breath. It wasn’t a date, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to look like it. I’d put on my best dark-wash skinny jeans, wedge booties, and a green sequin tank-top that pulled the green out of my gray eyes.

  Adam never knocked on the door, but I heard it swing open before he flopped on the sofa. I smiled to myself as I applied mascara and then stuck my head out of the bathroom door.

  “Just invite yourself in,” I teased, and Adam looked up from his smart phone.

  “Wow, you look amazing as always,” Adam said as his eyes went up and down my body.

  “I figured I’d make you some good arm candy tonight,” I replied, grabbing my purse. “You ready?”

  He nodded. “Crap, I’m lucky. It’s a good thing I chose you to dress me.”

  “Yes,” I nodded; “You do have good taste.”

  Adam placed his hand on the small of my back as we headed down the stairs. When we reached the front door he held it for me, still smiling as he looked at me.

  “What?”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling like an idiot.

  I could get used to him looking at me like that.

  “Nothing. I’m just so grateful you’re willing to help me.”

  “I know it’s a sore subject, but why didn’t you ask Amber to help you?” I asked as we neared his white VW.

  He looked over at me and his lips pursed before he slid into the car and said, “I think it’s more of a sore subject for you.”

  I rolled my tongue into my cheek and inhaled a long breath as I kept in the words I wanted to say.

  “You really don’t like her, huh?” he asked as he placed his arm around my seat, looking over his shoulder to back up the car.

  “I don’t like any of your girlfriends. You have bad taste,” I shot back.

  I could feel the warmth of his arm against the back of my bare neck, and despite how I tried to hang onto the feeling, it wicked away the anger I felt at him for the accusation. He left his arm there and sunk into the seat, steering with one hand.

  “What’s wrong with my taste in women?”

  “They’re never good enough for you—you choose these high maintenance big boobed bitches, who don’t respect you for anything but your sculpted body,” I replied.

  He shrugged, his lips tugging at the corner as he formulated his no doubt cocky response, “What’s wrong with having women who worship my body?”

  I leaned forward and slapped my forehead. “I should know better. I really should.”

  His arm slipped from behind the seat, and his hand went to my knee and squeezed.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think you date a bunch of Cro-Magnon idiots.”

  “That’s not my fault. Tara keeps setting me up with them,” I said.

  Adam kept his hand on my knee. “You’re the one who continues to date them after the first failure of a date.”

  “A girl has needs,” I answered, looking out of the corner of my eye and waiting for his answer.

  His nostrils flared as he thought over my response.

  “I’m going to choose not to respond to that,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Adam?”

  His hand came off my knee and he gripped the steering wheel with both hands.

  “You know what? I’m not going to leave it be. You deserve someone who worships you…knows your favorite color, your favorite fruit…that you’re afraid of the dark—”

  “Hey! You’re not supposed to ever mention that!”

  He looked at me as his eyes washed over my face before turning to the road.

  “You think I deserve better—I don’t think I do, but I know you do.”

  “Well, until someone tells me they’re going to worship me; I think we’re stuck with Cro-Magnon, Tara’s choice men.”

  Adam was thoughtful for a second before he shook his head.

  “So where would you like to go for dinner?”

  “I could really go for a big burger and some fries?”

  “That’s my girl!”

  “You’re not going to be saying that when I put you in a sweater vest.”

  Adam’s nose scrounged up and he made a gagging noise. “Uh…sweater vest?”

  I bobbed my head in an overly enthusiastic movement, and he gagged again.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “That’s what hot teachers wear.”

  “Sweater vest and hot, don’t usually go together in the looks department—maybe in the body heat department, but not in the sexy teacher department.”

  “Shows what you know!”

  He looked over at me through his eyebrows. I was teasing him, but I was definitely going to force him into one just so I could get a picture.

  “I’m not coming out there!” Adam yelled over the dressing room door.

  I’d gotten my way and given him a sweater vest to try on over a white button-up.

  “I look like a frat brother for the geek squad!” he said.

  “Yeah, yeah—get your butt out here!” I ordered from my seat. I’d picked several bathing suits out for our upcoming beach day and was sitting with them in my lap.

  He opened the door, hand on top and leaned back, one eyebrow raised.

  “Hey, baby, how you doin’?” He put on his sleaze-ball smile and winked at me before sauntering over.

  He leaned down and tilted my chin with his index finger. “You know you want all this.”

  He stood signaling to his sweater vest.

  “It just turns you on, doesn’t it?” he cooed, sticking his lips out in a pout.

  I bit my lip as I tried to hold back the laughter.

  “Alright, alright…it looks bad…really bad.”

  In truth it didn’t look that bad, the navy of the vest picked up his eyes, but it did nothing to show his A&F model shape.

  “The other pants and button-ups looked good, though!” I said, watching as he leaned back against the wall, hand in chin.

  “Yes, they did. Why you got this thing into your head, I have no clue. I just have the handful of normal vests you picked to try on.
I’m sure they’ll be just as awful.”

  I shook my head. “No, and don’t forget to try on the ties I picked out to match.”

  I stood with my pile of bathing suits. “While you try on those vests I’m going to try on some of these.”

  Adam put his hands in his pocket and bounced on his toes. “I get to see at least one, right?”

  I rolled my eyes as I entered one of the empty rooms, pausing as I closed the door. He was flirting, and I was flirting back. My heart pounded in my chest before I took a deep breath and settled in to try on the bathing suits.

  I huffed after trying on several one pieces that just weren’t sexy enough. I wasn’t a fan of showing everything off, but nothing seemed to be fitting right.

  “You okay in there?” Adam called over the door. “I’m waiting to show you my sexy teacher look.”

  I looked down at the pile of discarded bathing suits and then looked up at the one left. It was one of the only two-pieces I picked up. The top was a twisted-bandeau style, with a bit of push and the bottom had two gold hoops on either side right where my hipbone started. The mauve pink color was subtle, but that was about the only thing that didn’t scream sexy.

  “I’ll be right out,” I said over the door, my nerves getting the best of me as I shimmied into the top and bottom.

  When I looked up I knew it was a winner. It fit me in all the right spots, and the optional halter top would be good for volleyball. Right now though, it was strapless for full on beach goddess status…or so I hoped.

  I opened the door to find Adam leaning back against the wall looking down at his fingernails.

  I coughed, and he looked up.

  His body went rigid as he took a step towards me with his eyes wandering up the curves of my body. Mine wandered up his, concentrating on the way the vest showed the smallness of his waist, tugging perfectly at his strong chest and broad shoulders.

  He was the picture of a sexy teacher.

  “Wow,” he finally said, his hand going to the back of his neck to rub it. “You’re not wearing that to the beach are you?”

  I wandered forward and placed my hand on his tie. “Why?”