Chapter 10: Ready for Ridge

I'm ready for Ridge today. I've washed the paint from my hair and put on a pair of jeans and a baby pink long sleeve shirt with the Oklahoma State University logo on the front. No short pants and tank tops today. I also spent a few minutes post wakeup making sure my hair looks nice.

Okay, fine. I woke up at six, did my hair, and put on make-up. Yes, I'm trying to look good for a man. Shoot me. I don't care.

He's hot.

I won't be in the market for a new boyfriend any time soon thanks to Mario, but no one wants a hot guy to see them looking shitty. There's nothing wrong with that.

Ridge's knock on my back door comes later than yesterday. I've spent the last ten minutes thumbing through a book I found in the bottom of the master bedroom closet. Turns out Aunt Gertie liked her smut as much as the rest of us.

The doorbell rings in the living room and another short knock follows. I wait for another ten seconds, counting quickly in my head, and then walk to the kitchen in a hurried fashion. The little window next to the back door gives me a perfect view of Ridge as he leans forward to knock again.

I open the door and smile. "Hi," I try to say as seductively as possible, but it sounds more like a bashful school girl with more syllables than a two letter word requires. Is it even possible to make hi sound sexy?

"I brought you breakfast." Once again his body's covered by too many clothes. I want one tiny little peek at what he's hidden under his thick navy blue sweater or the pair of stone washed jeans.

"Coffee." I hold my hand out gratefully. I haven't purchased a coffeemaker yet although having a morning cup delivered by a hot neighbor isn't the inconvenience you'd think.

He laughs. "Not just coffee, but food too."

I open the door the rest of the way and see the small brown bag he carries in his other hand. Ridge hands me the coffee mug and pulls out a long chocolate covered doughnut.

"I wasn't sure if you'd had time to buy groceries, so I made a quick stop and picked up a snack."

"Wow. Thank you." I take the chocolaty goodness from him and take a bite. There is food in my cupboards and fridge. We shopped last night after dinner, but this is much better.

Ridge pulls out another doughnut. "They're from the gas station. Don't get too excited." But it's too late. I've already eaten half of mine. He could have brought me a rice cake, and I'd probably consider it tiramisu.

"Katy and I bought groceries last night. And I'm here, in one piece, and there were no problems... mostly."

"Mostly?" he asks, his eyebrow tilted.

I blow on the top of my coffee cup to buy myself time. "Well.... Katy's an... interesting driver."

"You got in a car with her?" Shock mars his handsome face.

I shrug. Not letting her drive wasn't on his list of warnings. I've waited for him to hand over the second doughnut, but with one large bite Ridge devours half the éclair I thought he'd brought for me.

"I can't believe you're eating a doughnut." First, I had my eyes set on another doughnut and second, how does he maintain his body with his horrid diet? Chinese and now a sugar log? I thought these muscular types only ate plain chicken and salad.

He lifts his sweater up a few inches exposing his stomach. A well-toned section of abs lingers before me, forcing me to put both hands on the counter separating us so I don't reach out and smooth my palm across it.

All too soon he drops the sweater covering my view. At least I got one good look to use in my fantasies later.

"What's on your mind?" he asks me, finishing the rest of what should have been my doughnut.

"Nothing." Not you without a shirt on chopping wood in the yard or hanging a picture on a high section of the wall. Definitely not.

He grins like he doesn't believe me, but thankfully doesn't press. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm painting this afternoon, and then Katy and I are going shopping at three."

Ridge crumbles up the bag and throws it in the trash against the wall. The whole scene slows down and as he leans against the sink sticking one foot in front of the other. I've known him two days, but somehow he fits in my kitchen. In my life.

Ridge is the hottest piece of man meat I've ever laid eyes on, but he's given no direct signals he feels the same. What if I'm reading the whole situation wrong? What if he's still helping out the pitiful girl next door. Are we friends? Only friends? Have I been friend-zoned? Can a girl even be in the friend zone?

"And tonight?" he asks.

"Hmm?" I'm still lost in my worries about an external friend area I'll never pull myself out of and haven't paid proper attention. Although, I can't decide why I care. Like Aunt Gertie, the last thing I need right now is a guy.

"Do you have plans for tonight?"

Oh. "Um, not that I'm aware of." I pick up the coffee cup as casually and calmly as possible while sending him silent brain waves with permission to ravish me after the sun sets.

"Would you like to go to dinner?" He leans closer as he asks and I get a straight shot into his deep blue eyes. He blinks and I use the short reprieve to answer.

"Sure." I hurry and stick my mug back on the counter, my hands shaking.

"Great. It's a date. I'll pick you up around six?" He closes the distance. His hand cradles my jaw in his palm, his fingers snagging in my hair behind my ear.

I am so not in the friend-zone. Yes!

"Tabitha?"

"Yes?" My eyes lock on his, but regardless of the saying, they aren't a window to his soul. I tense waiting to hear his next question.

"Can I kiss you?"