Their Paid Girl

Their Paid Girl - Part 34

          Twisting my body, I turned to give Adam a better view of the flat look I was giving him. He grinned mischievously down at me.

          Liam chuckled. “Okay,” he said good-naturedly, understanding that it wasn’t something I was comfortable telling him. “I just hope that you didn’t forget his ice cream; he’s almost as excited to eat it as he is to see you,” he winked at both of us.

          I frowned, mystified. “What ice cream?”

          Behind me, Adam said a word that I prayed Jaime would never learn, and suddenly the arm from around my waist – which I had been enjoying as much as I casually could – disappeared.

          “Gotta go back to my car,” Adam called over his shoulder, jogging back out the way we’d come. Completely distracted by how good the back view of his jeans was, it took awhile to realize that Liam was laughing at me. By then, Adam was already in the parking lot, rummaging around in his trunk for something.

          “What?” I demanded again, bewildered, as Liam continued to grin at me.

          “Nothing; it’s just good to see you happy with him. And whatever Adam did or didn’t do to the Wells, it’s resulted in Jaime being happy, too. So I think he’s been good for the two of you, and you don’t know how glad I am to see it.”

          I was touched, but also flaming red. “That’s really sweet, Liam, that you care so much about me and Jaime, but Adam and I aren’t together.”

          Liam looked positively shocked. Then his knowing look returned as he shook his head at me. “I keep forgetting how young you really are,” he said patronizingly, giving me a kind look.

          Annoyed, I tossed my head and looked at him. “This is Adam we’re talking about; he doesn’t do ‘together.’ It’s all “me, myself, and I” on his ship flying solo.”

          But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt a heat wave of shame roll over me. That wasn’t true; the more I got to know Adam, the more deeply touched I was by his ability to be so tender and caring and thoughtful.

          With other relationships, the ones which started off with both sides trying to please the other, it always came as disappointments as they inevitably discovered the bad in the other. With Adam, it was the opposite. I’d started off hating him. But the longer I knew him, the more I realized that he was, under the abrasive, defensive exterior, a truly good person. Liam was right; without any of us noticing it, he’d done a lot of good for me and Jaime.

          “Well, clearly you don’t know Adam as well as it looked like to me,” Liam raised his eyebrows. “Let me just tell you that Adam doesn’t tease girls, and neither does he flirt.”

          “What?” I gasped. “You have met him, right?”

          Liam looked at me strangely. “Yeah, he’s a mutual friend of practically every friend I’ve got. Everyone knows him. And every girl flinging herself at his 6’3 body knows that Adam never, ever flirts.”

          I stared at him, stunned. “But he’s such a smooth talker!”

          “When he wants to be,” Liam acknowledged, shrugging. “But let’s be honest here, Shawna. With a face and body like that, do you think that boy has ever had to open his mouth to get a girl? He’s used to them coming to him, falling into his lap – literally – and I’ve never seen him particularly exert himself or profess any genuine interest for any girl. Until you shocked me by casually coming in with his arm around you and with him looking at you like that.”