Hold Me Close: A Jemi Story

Chapter 11

Saturday came by all too quickly. I was already out of the shower and squeaky clean when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

"I'll be there in two hours," Wilmer's voice sounded on the other line.

"I know, you told me the show started at 7 already," I said, trying to keep my mobile device up to my ear while also attempting to keep my towel wrapped around my body.

"I wanted to remind you. You know, just in case." I could hear his smirk through the phone.

I laughed lightly, appreciating Wilmer's manners. "Well, thank you for being a gentleman."

"See you soon," He said happily, before the line went dead.

I locked my phone again and tossed it onto my unmade bed. I let myself have extra time to get ready, just in case my nerves decided to get the best of me.

Slipping into a red and strapless skin tight dress with black studs wrapping around the top part of my bust, I pulled on my favourite pair of high top, black converse. I let my hair fall into deep waves as I tossed it over my left shoulder and added small, black stud earrings to match. I slipped into my black leather jacket, liking the feeling it left lingering on my bare shoulders and arms. Just as I was finishing up my look, the doorbell rang.

At the loud ring, I jumped slightly and felt my heart speed pick up a tiny bit. I ran my hands down the front of my dress as I gave my reflection one more glance in the mirror. Grabbing my purse and keys, I strode towards the door with a smile dancing on my lips.

"Wow, you look... Wow," Wilmer fumbled over his own words as he eyed me carefully.

I could feel heat creeping onto my face as he grinned widely at me. It was nice to feel appreciated, it felt like I hadn't been in too long.

"Thanks Wil, you too." I smiled sheepishly. I wasn't even lying; Wilmer cleaned up nicely, just like I remembered. His dark jeans hung low on his hips, showing the band of his boxers. His black and red plaid shirt clung to his figure so beautifully, and I could feel my cheeks growing even hotter.

"We match too, without even planning it," He chuckled, "Even your cheeks are red."

I blushed even harder, ushering him away from the door so I could exit and lock it behind me. We walked silently through the apartment building and out the door. I followed Wilmer to his car and slid into the passenger's seat.

"Buckle up," He said, just as I was grabbing the seat belt.

"I'm already one step ahead of you," I said teasingly as I secured the clip.

He started the car and backed out of the parking lot before he smiled and quietly said, "You always have been."

Although I heard his heart warming comment, I chose to ignore it as I fidgeted with the buttons on his dashboard. "How the hell-"

Music filled the small space as I clicked on a large, black button.

"Like that," He chuckled, knowing that I couldn't stand being in a quiet car.

It was sort of comforting, being around Wilmer again. We knew each other already; there were no awkward moments that were truly awkward, and we just were in sync. At the same time, however, it all felt so new. Maybe Wilmer really had changed.

"So, we haven't really done any serious chatting," Wilmer commented as he adjusted he drove down a fairly busy road. "Just small talk."

I nodded in agreement, not really sure what to say. It was true, we hadn't really talked much about ourselves. I guess I felt like I didn't need to, it seemed like he knew everything.

"Are you still working at Cosmo?" He gave me a little side glance before his eyes settled back to the road.

"Yeah actually, we just released our June issue and it's been going well," I said. I looked over at him from the corner of my eye, not really wanting to turn my head and make my staring obvious. "I've been working from home for a couple months now though but I go back to the office in two days."

Wilmer nodded his head, showing me he was paying attention although he was staring straight ahead. "That's good. Yeah, I've just been doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that." He sighed, as the car came to a stop at a red light. He looked over at me and smiled. "You know how it is."

I smiled back, admiring how his smile always reached his eyes. I really didn't know 'how it was' but I didn't dare question him. I was starting to like Wilmer again and I didn't want to hear anything he'd been up to if it was going to change my perception of him so quickly. I needed him right now, he was a good safety net.

The rest of the car ride was just filled with mindless chatter about my work and and our families, just for the sake of talking. It was when we finally arrived and Wilmer parked the car that I recognized someone exiting their parked car as well.

I quickly got out of the car before Wilmer could say anything. I shut the door behind me as I ran up to the familiar face.

"What are you doing here?"