by Roxy Wynn
Every time I tried focusing on work and our recent restaurant venture, I kept finding myself reflecting on what happened in my bedroom this morning. When we first met, the women and partying were an instant turnoff, but over the past week, I found myself unable to deny how attracted I was to him.
Was he staring at me on purpose? Or did I imagine that?
“Let’s head on the roof and take a look at the air conditioning unit,” Jax said to the contractor, steering him to a side exit.
Chrissy waddled over to join me and used the table to help lower her body into the seat.
“We’re lucky Jax is on our side with this shit,” I said. “I can decorate and pick out light fixtures, but strong-arming contractors about ventilation isn’t my strong suit.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen you deal with business stuff way more difficult. You just weren’t paying attention.”
“Yes, I was.”
“No. You weren’t. At all. You’re lucky I dragged my fat, pregnant ass in today, or we would have purple, sparkle walls,” she said with her eyebrows raised. “Where were you? Because you weren’t here.”
I took a deep breath and held it, remembering of Alfie in that stupid helmet. The story was so strange, I doubted she would even believe me. I barely believed it myself. Looking around to make sure no one was in earshot, I let her in on my issue. “I caught Alfie watching me… in the shower.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “For real? Do tell. Was it a sexy peeping or a creepy peeping?”
“Well, at first I was a little freaked out.”
“Oh no.” She frowned. “Freaked out? That’s not a good sign.”
“I was only freaked because he had an astronaut helmet on.”
Her jaw dropped. “What…?”
I shook my head. “It was Bailey’s, and he got it stuck. It’s why he came into my room in the first place.”
“Yikes.”
“I was running a little late, and the two of them were playing in Bailey’s room, so I slipped away to take a shower quick. I’m so used to leaving the doors open when its just Bailey and I, that I didn’t even realize what I had done until it was too late.”
She smirked at me, rubbing her stomach, waiting for the juicy details. For the first time in almost five years, it was me who got to share a spicy story with her, and she loved every second.
She leaned in closer, whispering. “When you figured out he was there, what did you do?”
I shrugged. “Nothing.”
“You didn’t confront him?”
I shifted, unable to meet her eyes. What was I supposed to say? No, I didn’t confront him because I liked it?
“No. Everything happened so fast. One minute I was taking a shower thinking about how good he looks in nothing but underwear, next thing I know I have a captive audience who isn’t a four-year-old looking for snacks.”
“You ARE thinking about having sex with him!” She said, louder than either of us expected. Across the room, a man installing a light fixture glanced over and smiled.
“Will you shut up,” I said. “Jesus, I don’t want everyone around knowing my business.”
“What business?” She asked, incensed. “You sleeping with your fiancé? That’s what you’re supposed to be doing.”
My eyes darted around the room for the hundredth time in five minutes. “If I wasn’t marrying him, I would fuck him in a heartbeat,” I whispered. “But I am marrying him. Throwing sex into the mix feels like playing with fire. Plus, last time I had sex, I got pregnant.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at me in disbelief. “Sweet Jesus, has it been that long?”
I nodded. Once I started showing, Eli lost all interest in me. I tried everything I could think of to make myself attractive, but he was more interested in sports than making sure his pregnant girlfriend got any loving.
“Listen,” she said, taking my hands across the table. “Eli sucked, but don’t let his dumbassery screw up the rest of your life. There are good men out there.”
When the side door opened again, the contractor came back into view looking angry, followed by an ecstatic Jax. He made eye contact with us when the contractor turned away, and gave two thumbs up.
She blew him a kiss before looking back at me. “See? Exhibit A.”
I took another deep breath and rested my face on my palm. “You lucky bitch. He really is a catch, isn’t he?”
She giggled and watched Jax, beaming. I had never seen her as happy as she was with him. They were perfect for one another. Where she was scatterbrained and bubbly, he was determined and down to earth. Falling in love with him had changed her life for the better. They played up each other’s strengths and worked through their weaknesses together.
Hashtag relationship goals.
I wasn’t exactly jealous, but I wondered if I would ever meet someone who fit me as well as Jax fit Chrissy.
I drove back to the house, trying to imagine a scenario where Alfie and I could have sex like consenting adults, without making a year of marriage awkward as fuck.
What if I forgot how to have sex after going so long without?
What if one of us developed feelings for the other and things got weird?
What if I fell for him and then had to watch him bring groupies back to the house?
So far, Alfie felt like the missing puzzle piece to our little family. He was sarcastic and super weird, but deep down, Alfie was a wonderful man. I saw it in every interaction he had with Bailey. No matter what happened between us, I hoped we could stay friends when we divorced.
The fact that I wanted to climb him like a tree had almost nothing to do with that assessment.
I pulled into the driveway behind Alfie’s motorcycle, feeling like a fourteen-year-old girl with a crush. Each time my brain slipped into La La Land, I fought tooth and nail to pull myself back into reality.
A part of me wondered if the best course of action would be to leave it alone. Keep the friendship going, and try to forget about how hot I was around him. How every time he touched or looked at me I melted inside.
The last thing I wanted was Bailey in a toxic environment where the two people he’s living with were at odds.
I opened the front door and kicked my shoes off, shaking my hair free of my bandana. I searched the living room for the boys, and when I didn’t find them there, I headed down the hallway leading to our side of the house.
“Bailey? Alfie?” I asked, peeking my head into Bailey’s room. The lights were on, and the damn NASA helmet lay on the ground, but there was no sign of them anywhere.
“Bean-sprout, where you at, kiddo?”
I crossed back the way I came, through the kitchen and looked out to the backyard. Bailey’s swing set stood still, but no sign of him or Alfie. Frowning, I didn’t know where else to look.
Alfie’s room was too boring for an almost five-year-old, and there’s no way he would take Bailey into the studio with him, was there?
I headed down the hallway to Alfie’s wing of the house, and when I reached the studio entrance, I noticed the door open.
Well, if he can do it while I’m showering…
Letting myself in, I heard faint voices and music playing. Inside was a soundproofed glass partition that separated the mixing board from the small music room. The only reason I heard them was because the inside door was ajar, giving me a perfect view of the two of them, playing guitar.
Bailey sat on a stool holding a child-sized version, while Alfie knelt in front of him helping him position his fingers on the neck.
“There you go,” Alfie said, helping Bailey hold the strings down. “You got it, Mate. Just like that. Now strum with your other hand.”
Bailey’s little face crinkled, as his fingers struggled to hold all the strings down at once. But after several attempts he got it perfect, and the smile he gave Alfie almost had me in tears. My heart thumped hard in my chest while I watched how gentle Alfie was with him.
This is what Eli s
hould be, a father who taught and loved his son, not someone who abandoned him. This was what a dad looked like.
When Alfie ruffled his hair and picked up his own guitar, I bit my lower lip, fanning myself. My cheeks burned, and my knees felt weak.
Was it hot in here?
Of all the things a man could do to look attractive, being kind and patient with a child was at the top of the list. The way his shirt stretched tight against his biceps while a lock of brown hair dangled in his eyes made me want to kiss him. I had never wanted someone so badly in my life.
Just as I bit my lower lip, Alfie turned his head toward me and winked.
Chapter Fourteen
Sarah
Over the next few days, I tried to keep my brain firmly on work, which was easy to do with everything going on.
After six months of construction, our dessert bar, Pavlova, was finally ready for staffing. While everyone agreed Ruby’s was amazing, it’s vintage malt shop aesthetic was too kitschy and cute for late nights. For that, we needed something sexier.
Pavlova was based on a show kitchen model, so we had a large half circle bar in the center of the room where our pastry chef would be on display. Initially, that chef was going to be Chrissy, but when she got herself knocked up I put my foot down and demanded we hire someone new. We needed someone with molecular gastronomy experience, who was cheerful and kept with our theme.
It was the perfect ruse to keep myself busy and not daydreaming about sex with Alfie.
For a full week, I conducted interviews and sat on the sidelines whittling down the list of talented pastry chefs. In the end, it came down to two people Nadine Graham and Eddie Fletcher.
Eddie was a Louisiana native with plenty of industry experience, and an extensive knowledge of the dessert industry. The dishes he prepared during his stage were classics done right.
Nadine on the other hand, was a relative newcomer. Recently graduating from culinary school in Paris, she chose to go a different route and made something none of us had ever tasted before, a candy cap mushroom whoopie pie with a buttered malt shooter.
At first, I didn’t think it would be good, and even texted Chrissy to tell her Eddie was our guy, but when I bit into that whoopie pie, and tasted that sweet, marshmallowy cream, I knew we were on to something. My official back up tasters, Kenneth and Tiffany agreed.
Both chefs were crazy talented, and both had experience working small open kitchens, but Nadine was the most fierce, driven woman I had ever met.
Besides Chrissy and myself of course. I had no doubt Nadine was the perfect fit.
When I offered her the job, she hugged me fiercely. “Thank you so much for this opportunity. I’m new to the area and Ruby’s was the only place I applied.”
“We are so happy to have you,” I said, once I pulled out of her embrace. “My partner, Chrissy came up with an opening menu, but we want to stick to seasonal dishes here. So after open, it’s all yours.”
She clutched her recipe book to her chest, her words coming out in a rush. “That’s perfect. Exactly what I hoped to hear. There’s nothing worse than sticking to the same menu all the time.”
“My only concern Nadine, is having enough help for you. We wanted Chrissy to be here with a pastry sous chef, but now that’s she’s off for maternity leave, we thought it best to go in a different direction. I have a schedule worked out that would allow for two prep cooks in the morning, and two more in the evening as back up for you.”
She nodded, looking around at all the empty tables as the realization set in that the place was hers.
Don’t back out on me now, girl.
“How would you feel about Eddie as your sous chef?” I hoped she would perk up again, but she didn’t.
She straightened, but stayed calm. “I don’t know if he would even take it. I think he was pretty set on being the lead here.”
Thinking about the workload for a new restaurant made me cringe. “He has a lot of experience though,” I said. “How about I just extend the offer to him, and we can go from there? If he doesn’t accept, then we can look at some other applicants. I want you to feel like you have ownership over this space, but I also know this area. Pavlova has been in the works for a long time. It’ll be slammed every night. I want to set you up for success.”
A brief shadow crossed over her features before she perked up again. “Okay,” she said, smiling. “Just let me know what he says.”
“Will do. Chrissy and I are so happy you’re joining our team. We can’t wait to see what you do.”
While I left her to create an inventory, I called Eddie who accepted and felt a huge weight off my chest. See, this business stuff was fun! I got to crunch numbers, hire people, eat tasty things, and make sure other young women had their chance to shine. It was the perfect job for me. The only bad part? Now that I had crossed the hiring off my list, there was only the wedding and Alfie to deal with.
“Did he say anything or just wink at you?” Chrissy asked.
I rolled over on the bed to face her and took a deep breath while my stomach did somersaults. “No. He just winked and continued playing. And I felt actual electricity when he did it. I swear, if Little Man wasn’t there, I would have taken all of my clothes off and jumped him.”
Chrissy laughed and plopped an arm behind her head. After dropping Bailey off at Tiffany’s house for the night, the two of us had been taking our time getting ready for my impromptu engagement party. Between Pavlova and the Alfie situation, I had completely forgotten about it until Kimberly showed up with my gorgeous designer dress.
I guess that’s what you should expect when you sign up for a marriage of convenience.
All afternoon, Chrissy had been putting on a brave face and trying not to complain while we got ready, but the constant kicking and need to pee was driving her crazy. With the wedding one month away, we had an unspoken agreement that she would not be there with me. This engagement party was our last chance to go out on the town together before she became a mom, and we intended to make it count.
She jiggled one of the curlers on my head. “Come on, let’s get you in that dress and style your hair. When I’m done with you, you‘re gonna look like the world’s tiniest supermodel. Alfie Lane won’t know what hit him.”
Thinking of being up close and personal with Alfie tonight while being photographed looking like we’re in love, scared the shit out of me. We had been talking about him all afternoon, but hearing his name still gave me butterflies. “Do I have to?” I asked.
“If you want everyone to believe you’re getting married for love and not money, then yes. Also, if you want to have sex with the guy, you need to flirt. Let that control freak inside of you have the night off.” She reached her hand out, and I took it, allowing her to pull me into a sitting position.
“But what if my vag has like, sealed itself shut or something,” I said, peering down at my lady bits.
“I’m no vagina scientist, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing. Do you want him to bend you over a table and fuck your brains out or what?”
Dragging my feet and avoiding her question, I took my black garment bag into the walk-in closet. I had peeked in to see the dress when Kimberly dropped it off, but once I uncovered it and hung it on the door, I fell in love. The sparkly gold body con dress had a high neckline and open back, perfect for showing off how hard I worked to get my body back after the pregnancy. Paired with some super tall heels, and I would look amazing.
“Try not to overthink things,” she said through the door. “I know you. You over-analyze everything.”
“That’s not over-analyzing, it’s being cautious.” Removing my sweatpants, I pulled the dress over my head, wiggled the fabric in place, and turned around in front of the mirror to make sure my ass was covered.
Thank God for thongs.
“There’s being cautious and then there’s being afraid to live your life,” she answered.
This was my punishment for having a best friend who knew
me so well. I had nowhere to hide. When she pointed out the obvious, there was no denying it because she knew me better than I did. She was right, I spent more time playing a Debbie Downer than I did having fun.
Even when we were kids, it was Chrissy that wanted to cause trouble, while I was the one pointing out every little bad thing that could happen.
If I had to admit it, it’s why Alfie appealed to me so much. His good looks coupled with his devil may care attitude made him irresistible.
Bad boys are every good girl’s kryptonite.
When I opened the closet door, Chrissy gasped and covered her mouth. “Dude! You look amazeballs!”
“Yeah?” I spun around in a circle to show off the back of the dress. While the front was gorgeous, from behind, I looked sexy as hell.
“I would definitely fuck you.”
“You don’t think it’s too short?” I asked, looking down at my exposed legs. The hemline barely covered my ass cheeks. If I were any taller, I would be worried.
“No way. That’s the style.” She said, nudging me toward the seat in front of her vanity mirror. “When Alfie sees you he’ll freak out. You have condoms, right?”
“Of course. Condoms, birth control pills, and spermicidal lube. You think that’s enough?”
She laughed while she took the curlers out and fashioned a side-swept fishtail braid. “Do you have a hazmat suit too?”
I panicked, and spun around to face her. “No. What is that? Do I need one?”
“I was joking,” she said, gently facing me towards the mirror again. “It sounds like you have everything covered. Just have fun tonight. When we get there, we need to get a girly drink in your hand ASAP. Something to take the edge off so you aren’t so nervous,” she said.
“It’s been so long, Chrissy. What if I’m not good or I forgot how to do it?”
“Relax. Sex is like riding a bike. You never forget.”
I winced. “I hate riding bikes.”
“You wouldn’t if each ride ended in an orgasm.”
