When I don’t say anything, but only stare at the sexiness that stands before me, mute as can be, he says, “Did I interrupt something?”
“No, no! I’m just surprised to see you.” I move to the side and wave him in.
He sets the cake on the counter and turns to me. “Have you eaten?”
“I haven’t. I just got home.”
He then notices the packages on the couch.
“Presents?”
“Yeah. I was just about to open them,” I say.
“Don’t let me ruin your birthday.”
“Aren’t you funny? You’re the only one who cares. Sit with me, please. You can watch.”
He takes a seat, and I open the brown box to find that inside is another box. When I see where it’s from, I get slightly nervous. I can’t hide it either—the box, that is.
“Tiffany’s, huh?” he asks.
“Er, yeah.” I read the card, and it’s from Cate. “Aww, listen to this. It’s from Cate.”
I read the note out loud to him. Jenna, this bracelet reminds me of us. Infinity—because we’ll be friends forever. I can’t possibly thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. Happy birthday and love always. Your bestie, Cate
I open the box, and it is, indeed, an infinity bracelet. There are two infinity symbols on it, and they are embedded with diamonds.
“Good Lord, it’s gorgeous,” I say.
I hand it to Brandon so he can see. “It certainly is. It looks like she didn’t spare any cost either.”
“Yeah, that’s Cate.”
I open the other package and immediately start cracking up so hard, tears flow down my face. I pull out a stuffed animal and hold it up.
Brandon eyes me curiously. “What’s so funny about that?”
“It’s a Sasquatch.”
“And?”
“She named it Louise.” I’m laughing so hard, my fists pound the cushions of the couch. No doubt Brandon thinks I’ve lost my mind.
“A Sasquatch named Louise. There has to be a story behind this.”
“Oh, Brandon, there is.” I get my hysterics under control and tell him when Cate first went out with her husband on their kind of, not really, blind date. They had met at a party, but Cate had a little too much alcohol to remember him. She fell head over heels that night, and he invited her over. His intentions were quite honorable, only Cate panicked and realized she hadn’t done any woman-scaping in a while. So instead of just letting things take their course, she decided to take the path of brutal honesty and told him that Louise looked like Sasquatch.
Brandon looks confused. “I still don’t know who Louise is.”
A giant roar of laughter bursts out of me, and I must admit, it’s not very ladylike. “Louise is what she used to call her, you know.” I point between my thighs.
His brows go sky high, and my head falls between my legs as I crack up all over again.
“Jesus. Will I ever understand women?”
“Doubtful.” The word is muffled, as my head is still crammed between my legs. When I lift my head, he’s holding Sasquatch, a.k.a. Louise, and eyeing it as he would an alien. I’m still giggling at the distant memory of Cate telling me that story. Her face was the color of a tomato.
Brandon is wearing a comical expression.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m imagining being that poor guy.”
“Right? He handled it well, like everything else he did in life.” Suddenly, I grow solemn.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to throw you back like that,” Brandon says.
“Nah, it’s fine. We all still miss him. But if there ever was a moment in time where I could’ve been a fly on that wall, that would’ve been it.”
He shakes his head. “Not me. I would run from that shit.” We both laugh again. Then he hands me the bag he brought in. “Okay, don’t expect anything from Tiffany’s.”
“Oh? And why not?” I tease.
His expression grows serious, and all of a sudden I wish I hadn’t said that. “You deserve Tiffany’s, you know.”
“I’m joking. I hope you know—”
He stops me with his hand. “Yes, I do. Now open it.”
The colorful gift bag is stuffed with tissue paper, so I pull it out to unveil what’s inside. The first thing I see is a pen like thing.
“That’s a tire gauge, so you can check the air in your tires.”
“Ah, very useful. Thank you.”
Next, I pull out a can that says Fix-A-Flat.
Brandon advises, “Only use that if you get a flat and can’t reach me. Like if you’re in danger of being abducted by aliens.”
“Okay. What will happen if I use it?”
“It’ll allow you to drive on your flat tire until you get to safety. But then your tire may be useless afterward.”
“Really?”
“Sometimes it totally fucks them up. But, if it’s that or being stranded somewhere, it’s worth it.”
“Thank you. I’m touched you’re concerned with my safety.” And I am. No one has ever given me anything like this before, even my dad.
“There’s more.”
I dig to the bottom and pull out some gift certificates. One is for a year’s worth of oil changes.
“Wow! This is awesome! Thank you.”
He asks, “Did you see the other?”
I glance at what’s in my hand and see a gift certificate to a local spa for a manicure and pedicure.
“Oh, Brandon, this is way too much.” And it is. I know this spa, and they overcharge for their services.
“It’s your birthday. Enjoy it.”
The smile he gives me is worth more than the presents.
“You just made my birthday the best one ever. Thank you.” I reach out to hug him, and right then my phone rings.
“It’s probably your parents. You’d better answer.” So I do.
“Hello.” Pause, and then a smacking belly flop, because it’s not Mom or Dad. It’s Kenneth. “Oh, hi, Kenny. Thank you.” Pause. “Yes, I’ve had a very good birthday,” I say, staring at Brandon. “You what? I mean, you are? Now? In Charleston?” I look at the time. “Oh, that’s great. Then I guess I’ll be seeing you in about thirty minutes.”
With those last words, Brandon is already moving toward the door, but I want to tell him not to go. How can I? Kenny is on the way here. He decided to surprise me for my birthday, and why am I so unhappy about that?
When he opens the door, my voice stops him. “Brandon, you made this the best birthday ever. And I’m sorry. Thank you for everything.” With a slight nod, he leaves, and that’s when I see the small cake on the counter he left behind. Happy Birthday Jenna! Looking at it makes me want to cry.
Guiltily, I keep staring at the cake. Do I hide it in the fridge, or do I leave it on the counter? Then again, I can’t possibly let Kenneth eat some of the cake Brandon got me. That seems wrong. I rush and place it in the almost empty refrigerator. I really should start cooking more.
When Kenneth arrives, his first move is to kiss me. After a quick meeting of our mouths, I step back and offer him a drink.
“I thought maybe we could go out. It is your birthday,” he says, giving me his winning smile.
“Yeah, that sounds great. Let me change.”
But he stops me with a tug on my arm and gives me a more passionate greeting. I want to feel all weak-kneed like I did when we first met. But something’s missing, which only makes me feel worse.
“You look fantastic,” he says.
His hands glide down my back to cup my ass, and with us so close, I feel his growing excitement.
Playfully, I dance out of his embrace and chide him. “None of that or we’ll never leave for dinner.”
His boyish lopsided grin is so damn cute as he speaks. “We could eat in.” He licks his lips with promise.
For a second, I stand there, half of me wanting the man in front of me, the other fantasizing about the man who left. Why is life so unfa
ir? Why can’t I have my cake and eat it, too? And doesn’t that remind me of the cake sitting in my fridge? I have this image of a little naked Brandon popping out of it, saying, Eat Me, Lick Me. I have to bite down on my lips to suppress a giggle. Now I’m hopping on the crazy train.
Groaning, I turn back around and scurry to my room. Kenneth follows, assuming my groan is for him, and in part it is, but not for the reason he thinks. Though as I undress, I start to feel shy and give him my back when I remove my shirt and bra. With my hands covering my breasts, I take my shyness a step further and dart into my walk-in closet. Why am I hiding myself from him? He’s seen the goods.
“If you are teasing me,” Kenneth says from the bedroom, “it’s working.”
“Speaking of work, how’s yours?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
He doesn’t deserve my divided attention and sudden squeamishness.
“You know Dad. The man keeps me busy. He wanted me to do some business thing tonight, but I put my foot down.” For once, I think. “I told him it was your birthday, and I wasn’t going to miss it.”
“You didn’t,” I say. “Now he’ll hate me.”
“He won’t hate you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve told him all about you. He can’t wait to meet you. You’re probably the one thing he thinks I’ve gotten right.”
Guilt assaults me again. How can I be right for him when I’m torn up over another man?
“He hasn’t met me yet,” I counter.
“No, but he’s seen your picture and knows your parents. Your dad handles all of my dad’s accounts.”
“Yeah, I forgot about that.”
“Anyway, he’s anxious to have you over for dinner the next time he’s in town. Oh, and there’s a ball coming up in D.C., and I want you to go with me.”
Dressed, I step out of the closet, and the way he stares at me makes me feel beautiful.
“Damn, Jenna, if it wasn’t your birthday, I would insist we stay in so I can help you out of that dress.”
A blush blooms on my face. “You don’t think it’s too much?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll probably have to have our driver run over the assholes who try to take you from me.”
Although I hear his compliment, I focus on one thing he’s said.
“Driver?”
“Yes, I want to drink tonight, and I’m sure you will, too. So, Jimmy is giving us the royal treatment. I hope that’s okay. I know you don’t like the pretentiousness of it, but think of it as a one night celebration.”
“Jimmy’s outside?”
“Yes, why?”
“You’ve let me waste all this time,” I say, grabbing my purse and heading for the door.
“Jenna, that’s his job. He drives and waits and drives some more. I promise you, Father pays him well to do that,” he calls after me.
“Okay, let’s go then.”
He catches me at the front door.
“First, kiss me.”
Ten
BRANDON
“It feels like forever since we’ve spoken,” Jenna says.
It has been a while, and we’ve seen each other less over the last few weeks. Kenneth, or Kenny as she sometimes calls him, the senator’s son, has been in town more often. Not that I blame him. If Jenna were mine, I wouldn’t leave her alone as much as he does.
“You sound happy.”
Her voice through the phone is upbeat, something she wasn’t the last time we spoke.
“I am. My mother is treating me as though I won the lottery. You should have seen her face when I introduced Kenny to her. She’s been over the moon for weeks. I swear, she would plan my wedding if she could.”
This is the point where a friend should be happy. But hearing her contemplate marriage with another guy isn’t the highlight of my day.
“I saw your picture in the paper,” I tell her.
Rather I saw her and Kenneth together at some function. She had been stunning in a red dress that looked like it had been sewn on her body.
“Oh, that,” she says. I can almost picture her waving a hand, trying to play it off like it’s nothing.
“You must be happy he’s spending more time in Charleston these days.”
I wait for her to disagree with me, which is stupid and the reason our friendship is so tenuous.
“Yes and no. The endless parties and events to attend make it hard for me to keep up with my job. He thinks I should quit.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to. Mother seems to think that it wouldn’t be socially acceptable for me to continue to work when I might marry him one day. She thinks I should volunteer for a local charity. And it makes sense, but I like earning my own money. I’ve put a few feelers out for jobs at local charities. Kills two birds with one stone.”
At a loss for words, I say nothing.
“Brandon,” she says tentatively.
“Yeah.”
“Are you still there? Which is a stupid question because you just responded, so don’t answer that.”
Doing my best to be what she wants me to be, I ask, “How was D.C.?”
She’d gone there to hang out with Cate, whom she hadn’t seen in months.
“It was awesome. I think Cate might find love again if she’d let it happen.”
“With Drew?”
Because I’d heard all the stories.
“Yes. He’s in D.C. Talk about crazy. Anyway…”
I don’t ask anymore. Hearing about her spending time with Kenneth would be torture.
“What about you?” she asks.
The time has come for honesty.
“I’m seeing someone.”
Her silence is more truth about what we could be to each other. Yet, she’s hell-bent on staying with a guy that I know from our conversations doesn’t make her completely happy.
“Wow, is she nice, pretty?”
She tacks that last part on as almost an afterthought. The woman in question I’d met by accident and maybe at the right time. I’d needed someone to fill a place that I’d been holding for Jenna. “She’s a little jealous of you. I guess I can’t blame her. I think in the name of both of our relationships we should cool things off.”
“What? Wait?” she asks, panicked.
“I can’t imagine Kenneth likes knowing you have a guy friend who has a little crush on you. And, well, I need to give my full attention to—”
“No! Besides, he doesn’t know about you.” Even though I figured he didn’t, it feels like a gut punch to hear her say it. “You… you can’t do this. I need you.”
“Jenna, I’ll be honest. I can’t do this. I can’t move forward with someone else because I keep hoping you’ll change your mind about us.”
“No, you are not breaking up with me over the phone.”
“We aren’t breaking up because we aren’t together.”
“Please… Brandon. Let’s just talk about this.”
“A conversation won’t change anything.”
“Just come over to my parents’ house. I’m here for Sunday dinner. Please, just come and talk to me. At least let me say goodbye in person.”
Therein lies the problem. I’m weak when it comes to her. Ever since the first time I met her, I’ve been half in love with her. I can’t allow myself to fall completely. She’s unavailable, to me at least. Yet, I find myself agreeing. She gives me the address, and I drive my truck over there.
She’s at the curb, waiting with red-rimmed eyes. My resolve starts to crack as I get out to meet her. Instead of ushering me into the house, she whisks me around the side toward the back. There are trees, and we keep walking until we’re near one with a makeshift ladder attached. Above is an ancient treehouse. What a life she must have lived. Nothing like my own. But that thought is shattered as I realize she has us hidden.
“What’s going on? Why the camouflage?”
“Kenneth’s on his way,” she admits.
I search the sky for patience.
“Jenna.” I take a breath and decide to get this over with before I say something stupid. “We can be friends, but I think we need to stop talking so much or hanging out. It’s not good for either of our relationships, and it’s not good for us.”
Her hands latch onto my arms. “Brandon, he’s not going to be here much longer.”
I honestly think she believes that’s the solution.
“But the woman I’m seeing will be. And it’s not fair to her that I’m holding back. It won’t be forever. I just need some distance from you.”
“Brandon,” she begs. “I don’t want things to change.”
“I do. I stand here, and I want so very much to kiss you, Jenna. You know this. You’re my one weakness. Please, just let me go.”
Her eyes start to water. “I wish…”
“That I had the right last name or no tattoos.”
“That’s not fair.”
The fight is instantly in her eyes.
“It’s the truth,” I say.
“It’s not.”
“I’m not going to fight with you. We’ll always be friends. I just need some time.”
“If I give you that?” she asks.
“Who knows what the future holds. Just promise me one thing?”
“What’s that?” she asks.
“You’ll be happy. If you marry that guy, I hope he’s everything you ever wanted. You deserve nothing less.”
I start to turn.
“Wait.”
Her gray eyes hold me in place. She steps forward, and for a second her focus dips to my mouth. I lick my lips, wanting, but not hoping.
“Maybe we could go out on a double date and things could be less awkward.”
A bark of humorless laugh escapes me. I shake my head, but she hasn’t let go of my arms. Her touch burns a hole in my soul I fear will never be filled. I take her arms, ready to break free of her hold.
“You and I both know that will never work.”
“Something has to. I feel like I’m losing a piece of my heart if you walk away.”
“Jenna, please,” I beg, needing to leave before she convinces me to stay, because she will.
Her face turns as I lean to kiss her cheek in an effort to say goodbye, in the absence of words that won’t form.
The Cruel and Beautiful Series Boxset Page 83
