by Adele Niles
I took Lora’s hand, continuing, “It was Mark, and he was… in bed. With a guy. And they were, well. It’s pretty safe to say that Mark wasn’t waiting for marriage.”
“Wait—what?” Kenzie’s voice was sharp.
Lora’s grip on my hand tightened.
I nodded. “Yeah. Mark was having sex with another man.”
“He—but—he’s not gay?” Kenzie looked at me in shock, shaking her head.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know. He said it was an experiment. But why would he be okay fucking a guy and not me? I—I just…”
Lora squeezed my hand again. “It’s okay. Do you want to tell us the rest?”
No.
Yes.
I sighed and kept going. “I kicked him out. Immediately. Told him to pack his shit and get out. So, he went to a hotel. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t stay with him, you know? Not after that.”
They both nodded. I took a sip of my beer.
“I started packing that night. I took everything that was mine out of the apartment. If it fit in my car, I packed it. And I called movers to come get the rest. I called my job the next morning and told them I had to go. They understood, though. They actually put me in touch with Hills & Bridges.” That was the one good thing to come from this. I’d gotten hired fast. “Mark came home that afternoon and I was ready to go. I gave him back his ring and told him we were done.”
For a moment, all three of us were silent.
“Has he, like, tried to get a hold of you?” Kenzie asked.
“Yeah. He’s called a few times, but I never pick up. I mean, what is there to say?” I shook my head. “He was going around behind my back. And he wouldn’t sleep with me because I guess he’s really gay and didn’t want to admit it.”
I’d been used so he could hide from whatever made him think he couldn’t be out.
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for him to have cheated on me.
I lowered my head, tears in my eyes.
“I didn’t call because, well, because it’s really humiliating. You know? Just… all of it. He cheated, and with men, and he lied to me, and I feel like I’ve wasted the best years of my life. I should have been dating and having really good sex and I was just… doing nothing.”
I sniffled softly.
Lora squeezed my hand. “Hey,” she said gently. “I know it’s not the same as what happened with me and Chris, but it’s similar. And you’ve got the opportunity for a fresh start. Okay?”
I looked up at her, wiping my eyes with a free hand. “I don’t know. What guy my age wants to get with a twenty-five-year-old virgin?” I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m going to die alone.”
It sounded melodramatic even to me, but it was how I felt.
“You are not going to die alone,” Kenzie said, shaking her head. “You’ve just got to find the right guy, Syd. And when you do, it’ll happen. Okay? There’s no need to rush it.”
But I wanted to rush it. I wanted to get with somebody who would show me a good time, and then…
I didn’t know. I wanted love and stability, but I also wanted to date around. Experiment. Try out different guys and see what I liked.
I’d lost so much time to Mark, and I’d never get it back.
I sniffled again and reached for one of the potato skins, biting into it. Something about greasy bar food made this suck a little less.
Kenzie and Lora were quiet for a moment. They slowly let me go, each of them grabbing a snack.
I broke the silence. I had to change the subject, and I wanted to ask Kenzie some questions. “Hey, Kenzie?”
“Yeah?” She looked up, shoving the rest of a nacho into her mouth.
Charming.
“How well do you know Ryker Hart?”
“He works with Bradley and Benny.” She tilted her head. “Why? I know he bumped into you the other night. Did he do something?”
I shook my head. “Just curious about him. He dropped by my office today.”
“Why?”
Oh, shit. I didn’t know if Kenzie knew what Benny was up to.
“I dunno. He asked one of the lawyers some questions, I guess.”
“Huh.” She shrugged at that.
Lora joined in the conversation. “He’s a really good artist. I follow him on Instagram, and he does some cool stuff.”
“He’s worked at No Regrets for a while.” Kenzie picked up her beer. “Five years, maybe? Benny and Bradley hired him a couple of years after they took over the shop. He’s kind of a player.”
“So, no girlfriend?” I hoped I sounded casual.
Clearly, I didn’t sound casual at all. Kenzie shot me a look, one eyebrow raised. “No. The whole time I’ve known him, he never had a girlfriend. He’s hooked up with a lot of girls, but there’s never been anything serious.”
Maybe he would be the one to do it, then. Nothing serious. And he was hot.
But maybe I wanted to lose it to somebody I had a real connection with.
Why couldn’t I have just done it when I was sixteen like most girls?
I took a sip of my own beer. “This is weird, but do you know if he ever went to college?”
Kenzie and Lora looked at each other, shaking their heads.
“Why?” Kenzie asked.
“Well, he seems to know an awful lot about law. But not like he’s a criminal. Like he’s studied it.”
Lora shrugged. “Some people have weird hobbies.”
Kenzie nodded in agreement. “I mean, as far as I know, all of the guys at No Regrets either went to art school or jumped straight into their apprenticeships. I don’t think any of them actually went to college.”
Weird. Maybe, if I saw Ryker again, I’d ask him about it.
Kenzie waved her hand suddenly, like she remembered something important. “He definitely didn’t go to college. He had this girlfriend, he only ever called her Bay. They broke up when she left for college.”
Interesting. I nodded, taking another sip. My glass was empty, so I put it down. “Well, good to know. I’m gonna go grab another round. And when I get back, let’s talk about something fun?”
Lora smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
I slid out of the booth, going up to the bar. Ryker was definitely a mystery, and one I couldn’t stop thinking about. I’d have to find an excuse to talk to him, figure out what his deal was, and how to get him off my mind before I made a really, really bad decision.
Chapter Eight
Ryker
The shop had closed on time, but everybody else seemed to have plans.
That was fine. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time hanging out with just Benny.
I understood; he was the one who handled most of the business stuff, especially now that Bradley was spending a lot of time with his lady. Benny stayed after-hours more, and he wasn’t quite as wild as the rest of us.
Not that he was boring or anything. We always had a good time talking when we hung out.
But tonight, I wasn’t here for a good time.
“Benny, c’mon.” I leaned against the bar, one elbow resting on it, the other hand holding my bottle of beer. “If something’s going on with the shop, I need to know.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about.” Benny just sounded tired.
I was tired, too. Tired of him keeping this close to his chest.
“Look, man, if I’m gonna be out of a job soon…”
“You’re not. Not unless you keep getting on my damn nerves.” Benny shook his head, running a hand through his long hair. “Everything’s fine. Okay?”
I frowned, taking a long drink of my beer. I didn’t look away from him.
I had to figure out how to make him crack. “Benny, come on.”
“Shut up. Let’s just have a beer and chill. Okay?”
Fine.
I quieted, taking another drink of my beer.
Benny took a sip from his bottle. He lowered it to the counter and sighed. “So… you remember Bryn?�
��
Of course, I remembered her. Traitorous bitch. “Yeah. What about her?”
Benny shrugged. “Well, she opened her own shop. Skin Buzz.”
“That’s a shitty name.”
“It’s not great, but whatever. It’s across the river, in West Virginia. But like… right across the river.” Benny shook his head. “Too close for comfort.”
“Yeah, I hate that. What, is she trying to steal our clients?”
“Yeah. She is. She’s advertising a lot, using photos of work she did when she worked for me. And telling people they can get work just as good as ours without going as far.”
I wrinkled my nose. “So, what, are you trying to sue her?”
Benny shook his head. “No. Not at all. I’m gonna take the fight to her.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What—you want to open a shop on the other side of the river?”
“Yeah, but it’s kind of a good opportunity to make some other changes.” He pushed his bottle across the counter, thinking deeply. “Good changes, I mean. Nothing bad. Nobody’s getting fired or whatever.”
“You can’t just drop it there, Benny.” I shook my head. “C’mon. Tell me. I’ll keep it quiet.”
Benny looked up at me. I could tell from the look on his face that he was weighing his options, trying to decide what was the best choice. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Just don’t talk about it. To anybody else. Not even Bradley. He knows, but he doesn’t want to talk to anyone else about it yet.”
“Sure, yeah. You know I’ve never let you down on shit like this before.”
He had to nod in agreement. I’d never betrayed his trust before.
That he knew of, anyway. The envelope may have been sneaky, but I was still letting him tell me on his own.
“So, we’re going to open another shop. In West Virginia or Ohio, whichever is going to be a better deal for us. And as a thank you to you and the other guys, and Zoe, we’re planning to give you all stake in No Regrets. As a business.”
That had the potential to be really good for us, especially if No Regrets kept doing so well.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
Benny nodded. “Yeah. You and the others have stuck with us, and it feels like the right time. Let’s see if we can make this bigger and better, right?”
I had to smile at that. I picked up my bottle, tapping it against Benny’s. “Hell, yeah!”
Benny laughed, shaking his head. “All right, all right. Quiet down.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I shook my head, drinking deeply. As I lowered my bottle, I turned my head.
Lora was here. I wondered what Bradley was up to, since she seemed to be with some girls. I leaned to look. Kenzie was there, and beside her…
Sydney.
She looked up at just the right moment and our eyes met.
She looked amazing.
She wasn’t wearing her pencil skirts and blouses tonight. I couldn’t tell what was going on with her lower half, but the top… she was wearing a tight-fitting shirt that hugged her body just right. And the neckline was perfect. I wasn’t sure if it was the way she was sitting or the cut of the top, but her tits were half-exposed, the lace edges of her bra peeking over the top.
Just looking at her was a tease. I felt my cock stir and looked away. But then I looked back.
I couldn’t help it. She was stunning.
She leaned forward at the table, speaking. I wished I was closer. I wanted to know what they were talking about.
And then she stood up.
Her jeans clung to her curves. There wasn’t a lot left to the imagination. I was glad I was sitting so I could try and keep my half-erection from being too obvious.
She started to walk toward me.
Fuck.
She came to the bar, standing close to me. Really close. She smelled summery, like coconut and tropical flowers. I almost reached out. I wanted my hand on the small of her back, where I could easily pull her closer and let her know exactly what she did to me.
But I held back.
She shifted, rested one elbow on the counter, then leaned into it, looking around me. “Benny, hey. Thanks for getting the paperwork back so quick.”
Benny turned his head, smiling at her. “Sure,” he replied. “Having a good night?”
“Yeah, just some girl time.” She turned to the bartender. “Can I get three beers, please?”
The bartender nodded and headed off.
She hadn’t even looked at me.
I took a sip of my beer. What had I done wrong? Was I not her type? I didn’t believe that for a second. I was every woman’s type.
“Good call on the contract,” she said. “I can’t believe we missed that.” Her voice was quiet, her words meant only for me.
It went straight to my dick.
God. I wanted her so bad.
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “How’d you know that, anyway?”
Maybe I did have her interest after all. That felt pretty good.
I smiled, leaning toward her. “I’m a lot more than just a pretty package, you know.”
Her eyes dipped down, between my legs.
I shifted just a little, inviting her to take a longer look.
Maybe seeing what she was missing out on would be too much. Maybe she’d just be overcome by need and beg me to take her home.
She looked again.
No begging, but her cheeks went red, and she smiled. She looked up again, then turned and grabbed the three beers that had just been dropped off in front of her.
I watched Sydney turn and power-walk back to her table. I chuckled, shaking my head.
Beside me, Benny laughed. “You ever gonna quit thinking with your dick and settle down?”
“Are you?” He was just as single as me. “And anyway. Maybe.” I nodded toward Sydney, watching as she walked away. “Maybe with her.”
Benny snorted. “A girl like that? C’mon, dude.”
“You don’t know. I think she likes me.”
“Whatever, man. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Chapter Nine
Sydney
I carried the beers back to our table, face hot. Ryker had to know I’d been looking at his dick, but…damn.
How could I not?
And then he’d moved, and it was just…out there.
Meant for me to look at.
And standing so close to him had been a mistake. His scent—spicy, leathery—hit every button I had.
I needed to get home, get back to BOB. Get off until I passed out.
Probably say Ryker’s name while I came.
God, I was desperate.
Kenzie and Lora looked up at me as I approached. ‘Oh, my god!’ I mouthed, rolling my eyes. I knew I had it bad.
They looked at one another, then toward the bar.
“Oh, Benny and Ryker are here.” Lora smiled. “We should say hi in a few minutes.”
“They know we’re here.” I sat back down beside Kenzie, passing out the beers. “They definitely know. They might come say hi first.”
Kenzie was staring at me. I could feel it.
It was definitely disapproving.
“What?” I looked at her.
“Sydney.” She had that serious tone in her voice. The ‘I’m giving you advice whether you want it or not.’ Bradley may have been the older sibling, but Kenzie was definitely a big sister at heart. “Ryker’s bad news.”
“Why?” I asked. “I mean, he’s hot. And he’s…interesting.”
“He’s a player.” Kenzie sighed. “He’s going to take you to bed and then move on. That’s what he does with every girl I’ve ever seen him with.”
That might not be a bad thing. No strings attached, no emotional investment. Just a good time, and then hardly ever seeing each other again.
After everything with Mark, maybe it was what I needed.
“I just think there’s more to him,” I said, shrugging. “He’s hiding something. Like he’s some kind o
f super-genius.”
“Ryker?” Kenzie laughed, shaking her head. “Nah, he’s pretty surface-level. What you see is what you get with him.”
But she didn’t know about the contract. She didn’t know that he’d found a mistake in a legal contract and provided the right solution to it.
That wasn’t something a big dumb guy could do.
Kenzie shook her head. “I promise you. Whatever he’s doing, it’s just a way to get into your pants.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” The words came out before I could stop them. “I mean, maybe that would be good for me. A fun night with no strings attached.”
Lora and Kenzie looked at each other. Lora shrugged. Kenzie sighed and shook her head.
“I mean,” I continued, “it’s supposed to be memorable, right? And he’s hot. And if he gets around, it means he knows what he’s doing. Why not have a good time, right?”
“I just don’t know how I feel about it,” Kenzie said, shrugging. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want anything bad to happen. And Ryker, he’s the worst out of the bunch when it comes to women.”
I glanced back toward the bar. Ryker was still there, talking to Benny. He looked relaxed, chatting with a friend and enjoying a drink. And still really sexy.
And I’d seen what he was packing, even if it was still in his jeans at the time.
It could be fun. I let my mind wander for a moment. I could imagine him being a pretty good kisser but way better with his fingers. And incredible when it came to actually fucking.
He also looked like he’d be happy to go down on a woman. That was a nice thought.
Kenzie’s voice snapped me back to reality. How long had she been talking?
I turned my head, blinking at her. “Wait, what?”
She tilted her head, then turned, following the direction I’d been looking. Of course, she knew immediately. Ryker.
“Syd, don’t,” she said quietly.
No promises.
“Look, I’m not going to fall in love with him.” I smiled, squeezing her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry about me, Kenzie. I’m a big girl. And I already had my life ruined by a guy once. I know better now.”
She nodded, squeezing my shoulder in return. “Okay. Anyway, I was saying that you should let me and Lora come over one night this week. We can help you get your apartment settled, make it look nice. And if you’re looking for any furniture, let us know.”
