His Complete Polar Opposite

by Theresa Paolo

  They each grabbed a plate from the countertop. Ella gave Cami a friendly bump with her shoulder, and Cami swatted Ella in the rear with her plate. Cami rested her head on Ella while Krissy retrieved her shells.

  “I really am going to miss you,” Cami said to make sure Ella understood that just because she wasn’t as forth coming with her feelings like Krissy, didn’t mean she’d miss her any less.

  “I know,” she said. “But you two need to promise me while I’m gone, you will still have Taco Tuesday and you’ll FaceTime me.”

  Krissy glanced at Cami and smiled. “Of course,” she said, but Cami knew exactly what Krissy was thinking. While they would continue the tradition, it definitely would not be the same without Ella.

  Chapter 7

  It had been one of those days where it was an endless flow of customers, and Enzo was ready to go home, grab a beer, and watch the new documentary on World War I he had recorded. Having something to look forward to helped make the day pass. Though as busy as he was, he couldn’t keep his mind from drifting to the newly dyed redhead down the boardwalk.

  Like a damn fool, he’d woken up too early and headed to the beach, hoping he’d see her again. It was downright ridiculous. He’d seen Cami multiple times a week for years and never thought twice about it.

  All these years he’d been looking at her with blinders on, and now that he allowed his mind to contemplate the possibility of them together, all he could think about was her. The gold flecks in her brown eyes, the slight tilt of her head when she was determined, and the way her lip curled when she was amused. All of these things attracted him to Cami, but he had trained his mind to ignore any feelings for her years ago, always putting her well-being to the forefront instead. He’d never given it a second thought until his libido betrayed him and he checked out her ass. Now he didn’t know what to do.

  He should ask her out, but the idea gave him pause. Not only was Cami his baby sister’s best friend, and God only knew how Ella would react, but she was also direct, stubborn, a social butterfly who was known to love a night on the town, and everything Enzo wasn’t. Hell, he was looking forward to going home to watch a historical documentary. He wasn’t even sure if Cami knew what the cause of World War I was.

  How could they have a future together if they had nothing in common? And what was the point in pursuing her if forever wasn’t a possibility? Enzo was thirty-one and he thought he’d be settled with a family by now. He didn’t want to date just to date. He wanted someone to love and grow old with him. A soulmate to sit with him on the porch in forty years and watch their grandchildren run around their yard.

  With a sigh, he got back to work. He cleared an outside table and wiped it down before heading back inside. He greeted a few people who were debating on whether to sit in or outside. They smiled as they finally decided on one of the shaded patio tables.

  Most people sat outside, since indoors were really more for the locals in the winter months. Still, the interior did hold its charm even if it was completely outdated. For Enzo, it was memories. The lobster wallpaper was put there by his grandmother and was a symbol of his childhood. He couldn’t imagine walking in here and not seeing the faded paper, the rundown booths, and the bar that he’d spent a majority of his life behind.

  Come late fall he’d have no choice. When Ella came home from California, she would start making plans to redo the entire place, and he and Grandpa were giving her free reign. He almost didn’t want to know what she was going to do. It was better to wait until everything was done and then see it all at once. Fast and easy, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

  They’d have to close for a couple weeks, and it was why Enzo had put it off until after the busy season, volunteering his house as Ella’s first project. He honestly thought she’d be done by now, but he had been a bit resistant to all of her suggestions. Cami had been right, he wasn’t a fan of change, and having someone redo his entire home was a big step for him.

  He only hoped giving Ella the power to take control would move things along. He didn’t want her flying off to California before she finished.

  The door opened, and Enzo nodded to his brother. Marco walked into the restaurant like he did with everything in life: smooth, confident, and slightly arrogant. He nodded back and slid onto a barstool.

  By the strange look on Marco’s face, Enzo didn’t even bother to ask if he wanted a beer. He popped the top and handed Marco the bottle. Marco accepted it and took a swig.

  “You and Aubrey have a fight?” he asked, ready to give advice whether it was desired or not.

  Marco put the bottle down, eyebrows curving toward the bridge of his nose. “No. We’re doing great actually. I feel like we got all our fighting out of our system over the years and now we’re just enjoying each other.”

  “Good,” Enzo said. All he cared about was that his brother was happy, even if it proved that Marco had grown up and didn’t need him anymore. “Then what’s going on? You have that look on your face like you’re either pissed off or overthinking something.”

  “Okay.” Marco rested his hands. “I was wondering if you’d be my best man?” Marco asked, and Enzo’s heart constricted. After their father had gone to jail, and though they were only a few years apart, Enzo had felt like he’d gone from big brother to father figure for Marco. He knew Marco loved him and appreciated him, but for Marco to want Enzo to be the man standing beside him as he married the love of his life? That meant the world to Enzo.

  “Of course I will.”

  Marco stood, and Enzo came out from behind the bar. They each went in for a hug and held tight, patting each other on the backs before pulling apart.

  Enzo was beyond thrilled for his brother and Aubrey. The girl who’d made mistakes and broke his little brother’s heart one too many times had grown up and become her own woman. There wasn’t anyone in the world Enzo could picture as a more perfect match for Marco.

  “Aubrey is okay with this?” Enzo asked. He hadn’t always been easy on the poor girl.

  “She’s cool,” Marco said. “That Shirley Temple peace offering seemed to have done the trick.”

  He knew the coke and grenadine drink would work. It always had when Aubrey was a teenager. “Have you set a date?”

  “We’re thinking February.”

  “A winter wedding? I would have expected a summer wedding from you two.” Summer was when they had met all those years ago.

  “We’ve waited so long to finally be together; we don’t want to wait any more. We figured six months is long enough. If it were up to me, we’d go down to the town hall and be married tomorrow, but Aubrey wants a wedding.”

  “I don’t think Grandpa would forgive you if you didn’t have a wedding. You know he loves a good party.”

  Marco rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, he does.” Marco’s lips pressed into a thin line, the corners of his mouth turning down. Enzo knew that look, too.

  “What’s going on?”

  Marco took a swig from his bottle. “It just sucks that Mom and Grandma won’t be there.”

  “They will be,” Enzo said. “They’re a part of you. A part of all of us.”

  “I guess.” He took another sip of his beer. “Anyway. I have to now ask Tony and Reid if they’ll be groomsman. Have you seen our baby brother?”

  “Not in over a week. He’s been sleeping in his studio, though, and you know how he doesn’t like to be disturbed when he’s in there. I tried checking on him, and he basically shut the door in my face.”

  “I’m surprised Grandpa hasn’t dragged his ass out yet.”

  “It’s only a matter of time, I’m sure.”

  “Maybe I’ll try my chances.”

  “Worth a shot.”

  “If he gets pissed, I’ll just kick his ass.”

  Enzo sighed. Marco always thought with his fists first. As a teenager it was a problem, and he’d finally gotten his impulses under control, with the exception of punching Lucas a couple months ago, but he did it in def
ense of Ella, so Enzo couldn’t get mad at him. Even if he was a tad bit out of line.

  “Please don’t,” Enzo said.

  “Why not? I kick his ass, someone calls the cops. Reid shows up, and I kill two birds with one stone.”

  “And get taken away in handcuffs.”

  “Reid wouldn’t arrest me. He’d just shake his head and grumble under his breath.”

  “Probably.”

  “What are you doing after work? Want to come down to the docks and throw back a few?” Marco asked.

  “Not tonight.” He had his heart set on watching that documentary.

  “Just as well,” Marco said. “I have a shit ton of orders I have to work on.”

  Marco’s repurposed lobster trap furniture had been a huge success ever since Aubrey’s old employer ran a magazine spread with Marco’s pieces at the beginning of the month. After Aubrey had quit, neither knew if the piece would even be published, but it was, and overnight Marco and his furniture had become a hot commodity, guaranteeing Marco a stable future.

  Enzo no longer had to worry about Marco. All the pieces were finally falling together for him.

  Marco finished off his beer and pushed the bottle across the bar. “Thanks for the drink.”

  “I’ll put it on your tab,” Enzo joked.

  “I can only imagine how high that tab is. It’s been going for the last ten years at least.”

  “I’m waiting for you to make it big, then I’ll come collect.”

  Marco laughed. “That’ll never happen.”

  “There was a time when you’d never thought you’d get married and look at you now.”

  “That’s true. I always thought you’d be the one to marry first and pop out a litter of kids.”

  Enzo had, too. In no vision of his future did he imagine himself being single still. He wanted kids more than anything in the world, but there were days when he wondered if that dream would ever come to fruition. Or if he was destined to be alone, watching historical documentaries on his couch, the only company the ice, cold beer in his hand.

  It was a sad sight.

  Marco fished his hand into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. “Never mind,” he said. “Aubrey is heading home early from her visit with her mom. I’m going to see my girl.”

  Enzo only hoped that one day he would find that special someone who would have him excitedly rushing home just to see her.

  Except maybe he did already find her and now he needed to wait for her to find him too.

  ***

  The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and Enzo already felt like an idiot as he jogged down the beach in hopes of seeing Cami. He should’ve been sleeping, but the truth was, he hadn’t been sleeping much lately. Every time he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Cami invaded his dreams, and while the dreams were pleasurable and even a bit wild, he always wound up waking up alone and frustrated. After that, it was impossible to fall back asleep.

  He convinced himself getting his workout done early in the morning gave him more time for the rest of the day, but five in the morning was a little much. Still, there he was, jogging down the sandy shores, the sky barely lit by the start of the sunrise, hoping to bump into a woman who, for the most part, he found maddening. Between her blatant refusal to accept his help to her constant need to be in control of a situation, she could drive a man insane. Yet, he couldn’t seem to get enough.

  He could have easily gone and got a cup of coffee like he’d been doing every day since Cami opened her coffee shop, but there was something about seeing her on the beach that he couldn’t dismiss. The tiny hot pink running shorts that barely covered her ass and molded to her thighs like a coat of paint, the black sports bra that showed off her entire midriff, dipping just low enough at the top to reveal two pert mounds…

  Or it had nothing to do with the outfit. Maybe it was because they’d been the only two around for miles, and it felt like they were somehow no longer in Willow Cove, but in their own world together. Or maybe it was because this attraction he had for her kept growing by the day and made him feel like he had to keep it hidden from the rest of the world.

  By not denying his attraction to Cami, there had been a sudden shift in his feelings, an irrefutable lure that had him throwing glances down the boardwalk in hopes of catching a glimpse of her.

  His legs burned, his eyes hurt from lack of sleep, and it was time to go home. He took a moment to look out to the ocean, appreciating the vast beauty and the quiet stillness of the beach. Sometimes life got so busy; he forgot to allow himself a moment to take it all in.

  It was so peaceful, and now he understood why Cami came here so early. With one last glance out to the ocean, he turned around and froze. Cami stood there, a tired smile on her face, her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail, and another pair of tiny shorts and sports bra covered her. This time they were navy blue with white accent bands.

  “Hey,” he said, warmth spreading through his chest.

  “I’m starting to think this is more than a coincidence.” She smiled and lit up the entire beach.

  “Couldn’t sleep again,” he admitted, though it was only half the truth.

  “I had the opposite problem. I overslept.” She ran two hands over her hair, smoothing it back and putting the definition in her arms on display.

  “Your body probably needed it.”

  “I don’t have time for my body to start taking over my mind.”

  “Only you would get mad at yourself for needing sleep.”

  She shrugged. “You know how it is. No rest for the weary.”

  “You don’t want to burn yourself out either. It’s okay to take a day every now and again to do nothing.”

  “Thanks for the advice, but I’ll be okay.” She pulled her leg up behind her, stretching her quads. His eyes lingered on the perfectly sculpted muscle, and he swallowed down the desire that rose inside him.

  “Get your tire fixed? he blurted.

  “Do you want me to hurt you?”

  He smirked. He wouldn’t mind seeing her try. “It was just a question.”

  “So was mine.”

  His intention wasn’t to come here and piss her off first thing in the morning, so he made for the stairs.

  “You done for the day?” she asked and he turned to her. “Or are you up for a run?”

  Before Cami had shown up, he had been tired and exhausted, but now, he felt reinvigorated. “You think you can keep up?”

  She barked out a laugh then took off, running at full speed.

  It took him a moment to react. His brain and legs got on the same page, and he sprinted after her, laughing the entire way.

  He caught up to her with a little more effort than he expected and fell into a comfortable stride. They jogged side by side in silence, but Enzo didn’t mind. If anything, it was the perfect start to his day.

  Chapter 8

  After another long day of work, Cami was grateful to step outside and inhale the salty air. The sun was still in the sky but was slowly making its descent into the horizon. In a couple more hours it would be gone until morning. She took a moment to close her eyes and look up, letting the rays beam down on her skin.

  She missed lying on the beach in the middle of the day, taking a dip in the ocean when the heat got to be too much, and she missed that feeling at the end of the day when her body was thoroughly exhausted from doing nothing in the sun. Now her body was exhausted from being on her feet all day behind a register, espresso machines, and blenders.

  She wouldn’t change it for the world, though. Her business was her pride and joy, and while she had to make some sacrifices, she was okay with that. The beach would always be there, but the opportunity to continue to provide a wonderful service to her customers was not. She needed to put the time and energy in now so one day, in the future, she’d be able to take a day off to sit on the beach and do nothing.

  Right now, with the sun on her face, the scent of salt heavy in the air, she dreamed of that day. She ope
ned her eyes and glanced down the boardwalk toward the ocean. It was tempting to take a stroll along its edge, but she had things to do.

  With one last look of longing toward the beach, she headed in the opposite direction. She got to the parking lot and walked around to the passenger side where the donut stood in place of her tire. It looked pretty ridiculous, considering the size difference between the other tires. She made a mental note to get it taken care of. If anything else, it would get Enzo off her back.

  He seriously needed a hobby. She didn’t have time to worry about her own problems, let alone someone else’s. She should’ve just kept walking that day and ignored his offer of help, though she knew Enzo too well. He never would have left her stranded on the side of the road. He would’ve picked her up and tossed her over his shoulders before he’d let that happen.

  The thought gave an unexpected rush of warmth through her body. “No,” she said to herself and got into the car. Enzo Moretti was nice to look at, but he was rigid and not to mention her best friend’s brother. She needed to stop allowing thoughts of him to infiltrate her mind.

  She didn’t have time to date. In the summer she usually gave herself time to have a summer fling with an out-of-towner. That way when the first sign of summer’s end appeared, she could go back to her life, free of a relationship and any ties that came with it. She was all about fun and letting herself have a good time, except this summer she never got around to meeting someone.

  Maybe that’s why Enzo was looking extra good in his Vinny Lobster Shack t-shirts, and his eyes were extra blue when they stared at her. She was desperate for a little male companionship was all. But Enzo was the last person on earth she would want that from. He wasn’t her type. He was a man of tradition and high morals who wanted the white picket fence and cookie cutter family. Something she never imagined for herself.

  Even if she did have a shot of hooking up with Enzo, she couldn’t give him what he truly wanted.