Just Joshing: A BBW Romantic Comedy (Short and Sweet Series Book 1)

by Evie Mitchell

  You shouldn't like this. This is Josh. Josh! Pete's brother! Sam's best friend!

  And a man who makes your nipples ache. I pushed the uncomfortable thought away.

  "Molly? Truth or the mask?" Josh asked again, his eyes were liquid fire, his mouth sculpted into an intense line as he studied my face.

  "Truth," I replied, my voice equally hushed.

  "I want to kiss you." The mask dropped, revealing desperately raw desire.

  A heat spread from my core, liquid warmth radiating out. I shifted, my body brushing against his as I whispered, "Josh?"

  "I can't pretend any longer. I want you, Molly. In bed, out. I want to date you. I want to taste your lips. I want to show you off, I want to watch you teach, and hold you when things get tough." His head dropped, his forehead resting against mine. "Fuck. I shouldn't have said that."

  My heart thumped in my chest, a flush heating my cheeks as I looked up into his eyes. "H-how long have you felt like this?"

  He pulled back slightly, giving me a crooked grin, "a while."

  I drew in a shuddering breath.

  Space. I need space.

  I stepped out of his arms, locking my fingers with his, pulling him over to sit on one of the plush couches. He perched beside me; our bodies separated by three inches of dead air. The silence stretched as I searched for what to say. The irony of being speechless while surrounded by literally millions of words wasn't lost on me.

  In the quiet I considered his request, taking out my feelings and examining them one-by-one. I had fear and anxiety, nervous anticipation and a bubbling of… something. It felt like hope and warmth and a turmoil of exciting shifting feelings. As if I were walking a familiar path that had suddenly been rendered new. It were as if I were lost but in only the best of ways.

  "I think I'd like to date you." I whispered, my fingers tapping out a nervous beat against my thumb. "But I'm scared."

  His hands covered mine, halting my nervous tapping. "What scares you?"

  "You know."

  "I'm not him." He lifted my chin, searching my face. "I'd never do what he did. I don't want to change you, Molly. I want to support you in anything you do."

  I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling tears shimmer on my lashes. "I don't want to disappoint you."

  "Jesucristo, Pecas. You could never."

  I sniffled, rubbing a hand over my eyes. "That's a lie."

  He wiped at a rogue tear with his thumb, caressing my cheek. "Not in the way you're thinking. If we do this, some disappointments are bound to occur. I'll miss dinner or forget an anniversary. You'll get me subpar scotch for Christmas. But I could never be disappointed in who you are. You're amazing, Molly. Y ya tienes mi corazón."

  I bit my lip, heart hammering but melting a little too. "Okay."

  "Yeah?" His lips lifted in a smile.

  "Yeah. Let's try this out."

  "Should we seal this with a kiss?"

  I shook my head, pushing to a stand. "Absolutely not. I'm a three-date kind of girl."

  He raised an eyebrow, grin turning mischievous. "Don't worry, I'll change your mind. Epic first date coming right up." He winked. "And it may even involve some Dino Porn."

  I laughed as he stood. He gave me space, close but not intimate. We were entering a new phase, and despite my attraction to him, the nerves still remained.

  Josh isn't a monster. He knows who you are and you know him. He doesn't want to change you.

  "So, different topic. Should I buy it?" He waved a hand around, encompassing the room.

  I relaxed, thankful for the break in tension. "I haven't even seen the rest of the place."

  "Gut feel though?"

  "Absolutely." I whispered, knowing my heart was in my eyes. "This is a beautiful home."

  He nodded, watching me with that hungry expression once again. "It's a family home."

  My heart skipped a little. "Lots of spare rooms." I commented softly.

  "Kids take up rooms."

  I squinted at him, shaking a finger in his direction. "Don't go Crazy Elena on me."

  "Only if you're my Syd."

  We both chuckled. "I really want to know how their story turns out."

  Josh reached into his back pocket, pulling out Syd's card. "Why do you think I kept this? I'm gonna call the guy and get the low down."

  I sniggered, "You're such a romantic."

  "Yeah. The muse wants a happy ending." He said it looking at me, as if I held the answer to his happy.

  "Josh, I…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

  "Let's look at the rest of the house then I'll walk you home." His eyes sparkled. "I may even try to steal a kiss."

  I kind of hoped he would try.

  Chapter Ten

  Molly

  Bess had invited me to Sunday brunch. I should have declined but I hadn't seen her since the wedding dress debacle (don't even get me started on what happened a Vera Wang…) and despite her numerous invitations to lunch, I'd been flat out at work, planning this new fundraiser for the community center.

  "Babe!" She waved from across the restaurant. "Hurry! We have news!"

  I’d always thought of Bess as someone who spoke in exclamation marks. Everything sounded exciting and new and interesting when she said it. Even mundane things like asking for a tampon took on an air of urgency – as though her very uterus would slip out if she didn't have one right now.

  I settled at the table, noting the "quiet brunch" included the wedding party – all eighteen of us. Josh had saved me a seat. I squished in between him and Candy, shooting her a welcoming smile.

  "Thanks," I whispered, settling at the table. Josh's thigh immediately pressed against mine.

  "No problem, Pecas. But they already ordered. I got you waffles and bacon, and a cup of coffee." His hand brushed my thigh, sending a pleasant wave of heat straight to my core. I shivered, shooting him a secret smile. He grinned back, whiskey eyes heating.

  "You're just in time for the announcement." Candy interrupted our heated glances.

  I turned, taking in her strained expression. "Are you okay?"

  "Peachy," she replied, nodding at Bess on the far end of the table. "But she's about to drop a bombshell."

  "How do you know?" Josh asked, leaning across me.

  "Call it intuition based on years of data collection."

  Bess and Pete stood, calling attention with a tap of a spoon against her mimosa glass.

  "Thank you all for coming today," Pete started, wrapping an arm around his fiancé. "We just wanted to say thank you so much for agreeing to be in our wedding party. You're our nearest and dearest friends, and we can't wait to share our special day with you."

  "So far so good," Josh whispered from the side of his mouth. I hid a giggle in my coffee cup.

  "We've finally decided on the venue and date and wanted you to be the first to know." Bess announced, practically shimmering with excitement.

  They exchanged a look then together shouted, "May eighteen!"

  We all clapped and I rapidly calculated if that would clash with any events next year. Hopefully we'd be breaking ground on the new center by then, but other than that, I didn't think so.

  "That's good. It'll give us enough time to work out what to get them for-"

  "Wait, this year?" Candy asked, her face paling.

  "Of course not," I replied, laughing. "That's less than two months away. They'd be-"

  "Oh, not next year. This year." Bess called, her voice carrying over the noise of the table. We all shut up, staring in horror at the happy couple.

  She shrugged, arm still around Pete. "The venue had two options, May this year or December three years from now, and the dress just won't work for a December wedding."

  "And we don't want to wait that long." Pete pressed a kiss to Bess' cheek. "I've kept her waiting long enough."

  "Fuck," Josh muttered.

  I did some rapid calculations. It was March twenty-third today, that meant we had exactly eight weeks to pull off the
wedding Bess had dreamed of. I'd seen her Pinterest board – a wedding that big and grand and (if I was honest) over the top would be next to impossible.

  Unless you threw a shit-ton of manpower and money at the problem.

  My stomach sank. She was going to want the bachelorette parties and kitchen teas and everything that went before the wedding. Which left me next to no time to plan it. As maid of honor I would be responsible for the planning and execution.

  Bess picked up a stack of booklets, handing them out. "As you can see, we've delegated tasks to everyone. We've also included all of our event dates – including tastings, fittings, and, of course, the parties." She bounced on her feet, shooting a big grin at the table. "I've set up a website and group chat. I'll send the calendar invitations shortly. The videographer will be capturing every part of this journey so enjoy brunch and we'll get started shortly."

  "Get started?" I asked, staring at the booklet in my hand. Dear god, it even had bios and photos along with all our contact details and measurements.

  This is some next level bridezilla shit.

  "Page three," Candy muttered, flicking through the perfectly bound schedule. "We're attending the engagement photos." She looked over at me, flicking hair out of her face with an impatient hand. "I'm never going to be able to make even half of this. She's going to freak. I should pull out."

  "Bess, how many people are you inviting?" I called, setting down the booklet.

  Bess and Pete exchanged a glance. "The venue can fit eight hundred but our guest list is sitting at about five."

  I blinked, then blinked again. "F-f-five hundred people?"

  Bess smiled, laying a hand on Pete's arm. "It's a great opportunity for Petey to invite all his business contacts. They’ll feel special and we’ll get some networking opportunities."

  "Jesucristo," Josh muttered beside me, reaching for the mimosa jug. "I wasn't planning to drink today but this is…." He poured, immediately downing the glass.

  Breakfast arrived, the waiters handing me a beautiful plate of perfectly cooked waffles and bacon. I shoveled a mouthful in, drowning my anxiety with carbs. Beside me, Candy violently forked up her pancakes, muttering curses between mouthfuls.

  The videographer arrived, tailed by an official photographer, three – THREE – make-up artists and a stylist.

  Oh yes, a stylist. She came complete with back-up outfits for everyone in the bridal party.

  "You know how I said the speed dating was hell?" Josh whispered three hours later from between smiling teeth. We were facing the photographer, all of us in different "casual" poses.

  "Mm?"

  "I take it back. This is hell."

  I laughed, immediately causing the photographer to drop his camera. "I said don't move."

  "Sorry," I bumped Josh, getting back into position. "Thanks for that."

  The day dragged on and any hope I may have had of doing my groceries or relaxing or catching up on work or Netflix was quickly squashed when a caterer appeared, setting up an elaborate picnic scene outside.

  Finally, when the sun sat low in the sky and the shadows were long, Bess and Pete called it a day. We all trooped off while they headed back to their apartment for a couples' shoot.

  "When I get married," Josh said, pulling out his mobile to order us a car. "It's going to be a small intimate wedding. And I'm not subjecting anyone to photos outside of the wedding day."

  "What if your future wife wants something like this?" I teased, gesturing at the exhausted wedding party. "She might want to do a five-hundred-person wedding with a twelve-tier cake and horse drawn carriage."

  "Do you?" He gave me a hot look.

  Heat flushed my cheeks. "No."

  "Happy with an intimate wedding?"

  The blush deepened. "Yes."

  He watched me for a moment, raw desire darkening his features. "Honeymoon?"

  "Somewhere warm," I whispered, feeling my body sway towards his. "With a place to swim."

  "Wedding at your winery, honeymoon somewhere we can walk around naked. Got it."

  A car pulled into the curb. Josh checked his phone, then nodded. "This is us." He held the door open, letting me slide in first.

  "Where t-" The driver gasped. "Mr. Greenfeld! Sir!"

  What were the odds that we'd landed back in New Jersey actors' car? About a million to one I guessed.

  "Mr. Greenfeld, I took your advice. I got a role! It's a walk on in a SVU crime show. Even got some lines and everything." He held up a hand for a high-five.

  We both slapped his palm, offering our congratulations. He pulled out into traffic gifting us with a blow-by-blow of the audition process. We arrived at my apartment, bidding farewell to the driver.

  Hands tucked into pockets, Josh stood staring up at my apartment building, a small frown on his face.

  "What?" I asked.

  "You don't suit this place." He nodded up. "It's too soulless for you."

  I chuckled, "try and tell my parents that."

  "I put an offer on the brownstone."

  My heart leapt into my throat. "Good." I whispered, feeling a small fire warm my blood. "I like it."

  "You wanna move in?"

  I laughed. "No. But thank you for the offer."

  "Don't worry," he winked. "I'm not above using my library to seduce you."

  I laughed, then gasped as he wrapped me up, pulling me close. He bent his head, pausing a fraction away from my lips.

  "Tell me you don't want this," he whispered.

  My heart skipped, "I want it."

  His lips met mine. He tasted like sunshine and spice. I whimpered, letting him deepen the kiss. Need thrummed through me, deliciously painful and achingly persistent, pooling low and deep. My fingers clutched at his coat, pulling him closer. His hands shifted, settling on my hips, slowly easing us both back.

  I made a sound of protest but let him pull back, leaning his head against my forehead.

  "Come to Florida with me," he whispered. "Next weekend. We'll have the house to ourselves." His lips quirked, "and I've already checked that we don't have a wedding event on."

  "Thank god." I muttered.

  He lifted my chin, thumb grazing the soft skin at the corner of my mouth. "Say yes."

  "Yes."

  Chapter Eleven

  Molly

  Between my classes with the kids at the center, my efforts to romance new donors, and Josh's insistence we cram in as many dates as possible, I'd been stretched thin.

  So far Josh and my official date tally stood at four. We'd had brunch on Sunday, dinner that night, breakfast Monday, and lunch yesterday. He'd invited me over for dinner tonight but I'd put him off. I needed a night to catch-up on work and take some time out. It was also why I'd booked in lunch with Bess for today.

  "Babe!" Bess waved from across the room. "Get that cute butt over here."

  I smiled, striding over, my steps faltering as I clocked the others at the table. She'd brought some of her bridesmaids.

  I sank into a chair, glancing at the others around the table. "Hey, I didn't realize we had a thing today." I had to admit, I was disappointed.

  "Well we need to plan the bachelorette and a few other events and I just thought why not kill two birds with one stone?" Bess beamed at me.

  "Ah, sure." I reached for the menu.

  "Oh babe, I hope you don’t mind but I ordered for you. It's just a salad but we all need to fit into our dresses, right?"

  "Ah, sure." I repeated, resigning myself to the inevitable. I'd stop by a sandwich place and pick something up on the way back to the office. A dress would be made to fit me, not me fit the dress. I'd long ago learnt to embrace my curves and love myself just the way I was at any one moment.

  Because life is too short to not love yourself.

  "Now, let's get down to business." Bess clapped her hands together, leaning in. "Tell me all about the Bachelorette."

  The bridesmaids turned to look at me. Only four had managed to attend this lunch, and all of them
were women I didn't particularly like.

  "I thought we'd start with a spa day-"

  "Oh please," Ginger Freemont rolled her eyes. "She wants us to stay in town and do boring shit. It's totally her MO. Don't let her ruin this for us, Bessie."

  I bit the inside of my cheek, reminding myself not to piss her off. The Freemont's had donated a half million to the center last year, and didn’t want to ruin my chances for more in the future.

  "Is that true, Molly?" Bess turned big sad eyes on me.

  "Well, I just thought with the wedding so close we wouldn't have time to travel-"

  "Doesn't Peter have a vacation house at Palm Beach?" Rose Umbridge tapped a finger against her lips. "We could totally party there."

  I tried to inject some reason into the conversation. "The bachelor and bachelorette parties are scheduled for two weeks before the wedding. In order to accommodate travel time, we'd have to cancel the," I pulled the booklet from my bag flicking to the events list. "We'd have to cancel the make-up and hair trials or the final dress fittings." I looked up. "The only free weekend is this week and there's no possible way we'd be able to accommodate-"

  "Let's do it!" Bess declared, beaming at the table. "This weekend. We can talk the guys into coming with us. I'll call the catering if you ladies plan the entertainment." Bess turned to me. "Your house is next door. We can put the guys up there."

  I saw my quiet weekend with Josh slipping between my fingers. "But Bess-"

  "Yes! Let's do it." Ginger declared, smirking triumphantly. "But if you're too busy to be maid of honor, Molly, then I could always-"

  "No," I gritted out from between clenched teeth. I took a deep breath, releasing it slowly and struggling to paste a smile on my face. "I've got this."

  I didn't. It was Wednesday and god knew I had a million other things to do between now and Friday.

  Rose held up her phone. "I just texted the others. They're totally in."

  "I'll need a list of other people you'll want to invite."

  "Oh, just the usual suspects. We'll do the Disney-version for my family when we get home. I'm sure the spa day followed by a tame dinner will suffice." Bess fluttered a hand in my direction. "But let's make this weekend decadently over the top."