Married With Me: A With Me In Seattle Universe Novel

by Bailie Hantam

  I was meant to take the meeting alone while Wyatt attended a panel he was interested in. Ned, of course, kept me so long that Wyatt was able to join us for the tail end of the lunch meeting. On the upside, Ned seemed to accept our solution to every problem he raised. Perhaps he was testing us, or maybe complaining was how he processed things. Either way, the meeting was going well.

  “Well, boys.” Ned says, standing up a little while later. “You seem to have thought everything through. I expect the paperwork for the contract and the business plan on my desk on Monday morning. Also, send me the building plans, old and new. If there are permits we’ll need, I know a few people who can speed things up.”

  Both Wyatt and I stand to shake his hand, suppressing our smiles. “Will do, sir. Thank you.”

  “You won’t regret this, sir,” Wyatt says.

  “I don’t doubt it.” He checks his watch. “You boys stay out of trouble. I’ve already asked for the bill from this table to be charged to my room. Don’t clean out the bar.”

  With that he walked off. I wasn’t sure if I should be insulted that he saw Wyatt and I as a couple of kids he was overly fond of. We were both pretty successful in our own right and made a decent living. But I decided that it really wasn’t enough to ruin what was the best outcome we could’ve hoped for.

  Wyatt sits back down and takes out his phone. “I think we need to celebrate. Let me just text Amelia.”

  I nod and take out my phone. “Definitely,” I say, but don’t mention that I also have someone to text.

  Justin: Hey there. Meeting went well, just having a quick drink to celebrate.

  Angela: No problem. I’m having my makeup taken off here anyway. Meet at the bar in an hour?”

  Justin: Yeah. I’ll be waiting.

  I close the message app and put my phone face down on the table. I don’t want to take the risk that Wyatt sees me getting a message from Angela. I’m not hiding her, but I don’t know if she would appreciate anyone knowing about us. Especially someone from Seattle.

  Wyatt orders two whiskeys from a passing waitress then turns back to me. “So, are you going to tell me why you’re in such a good mood?”

  “We just finalized the last of the investors on this project. We have everything we need to get it started. I think that’s a good reason to be upbeat.”

  He raises a brow. “Upbeat? Okay what the hell is up with you? And don’t use Ned as an excuse. You were like this when you came downstairs this morning.”

  Yeah, I could admit that I’d been in a better mood than I have been in in a long time. Sex with Angela was out of this world. Actually, just being with her was on another level. Texting her and letting her know I was running late felt so natural. I find myself looking forward to hearing about her day. I want to know how her routine went. This is not normal, I’m sure.

  “Amelia is going to do a video on removing show makeup with one of the members of the cheer team she’s sponsoring.”

  Something clicked. Angela said she was having her makeup removed, not that she was taking off her makeup.

  “Your wife’s makeup line is a named sponsor for the Vegas Dynamite, right?”

  Wyatt narrows his eyes like he’s not sure. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

  If I don’t give him a decent answer he’ll just guess. Instead, I try to be vague. “I met one of the cheerleaders.”

  “That’s what has you in such a good mood.” His grin widens and he bangs his hand on the table. “You’re banging a cheerleader.”

  I shake my head. “Are you twelve. No one says banging.”

  “Fucking?”

  “Watch it.” It may be true, but I didn’t like the idea of anyone talking about me and Angela that way. “It’s none of your business.”

  “So, it’s more than that?” Wyatt had been married a few years. When I met him, he was a senior at college and my dorm advisor, my freshman year. I think he took pity on me, seeing as we were both from Seattle and both a little on the geeky side. Okay, a lot geeky. “So, was it a one-night stand or a Vegas fling?”

  “None of your fucking business.” He also came from a family of brothers. And despite what the stereotype says, brothers are nosy and interfering.

  The waitress stops by our table and drops off our drinks. “Just call if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks,” I say to her, still glaring at Wyatt.

  He raises his hands. “Okay, I’ll drop it. I just never figured you for a reckless Vegas fling kind of guy.”

  “That’s not dropping it.” I decide to change the subject. “I should probably get my assistant started on that contract. She can gather all the paperwork too and make sure it’s all messengered to Ned’s office by Friday afternoon.”

  “Well it has to be you, not me.” Wyatt takes a big gulp of his drink. “I still need to find an assistant.”

  Wyatt had interviewed hundreds of people for the job but had yet to hire someone.

  “Maybe just hire a temp. If it doesn’t work out, you can end it and find someone new. At least then some of the work can get done.” I finish my drink in two gulps, gesturing for the waitress to bring another. “Obviously your current method is not working. It’s like you’re looking for fault with everyone who applies. At least with a temp agency, you don’t interview so you don’t have a chance to reject them before they even start working.”

  Wyatt frowned. “I’m supposed to be your mentor, remember. I’m the smart one. And you give crappy advice.”

  “Dude, when were you the smart one? And a good assistant doesn’t magically appear, you need to train him or her, so you might as well start with a temp.”

  “We’re not here to discuss my lack of assistant, we need to celebrate.”

  As if on cue, the waitress drops off my drink. I lift my glass to Wyatt.

  We have a few more drinks discussing the details of the project now that we have all the financing in place. I don’t even notice the time until Amelia comes walking in. She gives me a quick hug before kissing her husband.

  I know now that if Amelia’s here, I need to leave soon. The restaurant we chose was the one attached to the bar. As much as I would like for Angela to join us, I’m not sure she would appreciate it. Just as I stand to leave Angela walks up to the table.

  “I asked the hostess if you were here and she sent—” She looks at everyone else at the table. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I interrupting something?”

  “Of course not.” I pull out the chair next to mine and gesture for her to sit. “I take it you’ve met Lia Montgomery. This is her husband Wyatt. He’s an old friend and a partner on the project I was telling you about.”

  She shakes Wyatt’s hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Amelia smiles up at her husband. “Angela’s the woman I was telling you about this morning. The one who might be looking for a job. Well, I spoke to her and she can start a week from Monday. Isn’t that right, Angela?”

  “Well, I—”

  Angela seemed a little steam-rolled but before I could step in. Wyatt smiled at her. “So, you’re from Seattle. Justin was just telling me I need to give a temp a chance. I think he may be right. At the very least, it will be interesting.”

  Chapter 6

  Angela

  Dinner with Montgomery-Crawford’s was, if nothing else, entertaining. Watching Lia unwind and be herself was refreshing and eye opening. I wonder how her fans would react to seeing her so completely uninhibited. Wyatt was funny too. He and Justin had known each other a long time, and it was clear they were comfortable with each other. It was fun to watch Wyatt and Lia make subtle innuendos about what was going on between Justin and me. Also, watching Justin interact with them was kind of fun.

  Of course, I’d seen Justin with his male friends. He never took my brothers for granted and had managed to stay in touch despite all the miles between them. Justin wasn’t the kind of person to easily let go of the people he cared about.

  After drinks, the four of us caught a cabaret
show at a swanky hotel two blocks away. Justin and I topped the evening off with more mind-blowing sex.

  Wednesday, I took Justin to a seedy bar a few blocks away from his hotel. I wanted him to see more than just the glamorous side of Vegas. With his restriction on not driving, that included using the driver he had while he was in Vegas, my options were limited. Still, the little hole in the wall bar was a good distraction. We weren’t so buzzed that I’d suffer a hangover in the morning. Just enough to encourage us to do body shots off one another. The man’s tongue never got anywhere near my lady parts and yet by the end of the night I was revved up and ready for him.

  It was good to see his fun side. Despite all that seriousness, Justin could let loose when he needed to. Now that I saw his fun side, I wanted to see his serious business side in action. Thanks to a friend who works the reception desk at the hotel, I manage to sneak into the panel he’s leading.

  He’s wearing navy slacks and a white button-down shirt, no tie. Nothing special, and yet oh so sexy. His colleagues respect him, and he commands the room because he’s earned it. It isn’t just that he’s confident. He knows his shit, and understands the concerns others have.

  “So, the idea is that while we’re going through phase one, which we anticipate being in the region of twelve to eighteen months, we will not be looking for new tenants.” Justin answers a question from someone in the audience. “If our tenants choose not to renew a lease, we won’t fill it until we’ve completed the renovations on that apartment.”

  “Will that mean that phase two will start while phase one is still ongoing?” another person in the audience asks.

  “Absolutely.” His eyes drift to the entrance and he spots me. The corners of his mouth lift a little. “And because of that, there is no definite timeline for when phase two will be completed. But we have contingencies in place in the event that we need to speed things up.”

  “Care to share those with us?” the man counters.

  Justin smiles at him. “I’m not going to give you my entire business plan.”

  Watching him talk business with his peers is a huge turn-on. It’s strange really. I’d seen Carl work, in court even, and it never did anything except make me yawn. I’m so engrossed watching Justin, I don’t notice Lia slide up beside me.

  “This is not exactly part of a typical Vegas week.” She gestures to the panel. “Watching him work.”

  “I suppose. But how does he make business gobbledy-gook sound so sexy?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know.” Lia smiles at me. “I mean, I think my husband is sexy all the time but there is just something about watching him when he’s in his element. But it’s different for me, I’m in love with Wyatt.”

  I roll my eyes and gesture to the panel. “I don’t need to be in love to find that sexy.”

  “True, but I bet if you asked him, he’d tell you that most girls found his work pretty boring.”

  Maybe before, when he was designing apps. He wasn’t passionate about that. I could easily see that translating. But he’s so taken up with his current project that it’s hard not to be caught up with him.

  “Most girls are idiots, then.”

  We continue to listen, until Wyatt shows up, standing next to his wife. “How’s my boy doing?”

  “More than holding his own,” Lia answers. “Where have you been?”

  He smiles down at his wife. “Preparing for tonight.”

  Lia turns to me. “We decided to make the most of our last two nights here. Wyatt is in charge of tonight. And tomorrow is my turn to woo him.”

  I ignore the niggle at the mention of there being only two more nights left. “That’s so sweet. I love that you’ve been married a while and you still put in so much effort.”

  “Marriage is work,” Wyatt says. “Any relationship is, really.”

  He’s right. It’s one of the things I’m looking forward to with moving back to Seattle. Having dinner with my parents and girls’ nights with my sister, hanging out with my brothers a little more. Of course, hanging out with my older brothers will inevitably mean hanging out with Justin. But I don’t want to think about that. Yet.

  There’s applause sounding through the room as Justin wraps up. People start filing out of the conference room. I stay standing with Lia and Wyatt and check my watch. I still have an hour before I need to be at the arena. I’m already dressed, and my hair and makeup’s done.

  Once the room is nearly empty, Justin walks up to us. He holds the back of my head and kisses me square on the lips. I love that he figured out a way to do that without messing up my makeup too much. Though judging by the redness on his lips, I may need to touch up my lipstick.

  “Dude,” Wyatt snickers. “I don't think that shade suits you.”

  Justin shows him the middle finger. “How much time do we have?”

  “I have about an hour. Why?”

  Justin wiggles his eyebrows at me and smiles.

  I read his mind immediately and hold up one hand. “No. That can wait.” I frame my face with my thumbs and forefingers. “This does not happen instantly.”

  “Well, that’s our cue to leave.” Wyatt takes his wife’s hand. “If anyone is looking for us… too bad.”

  I give them a wave as they walk out of the conference room. Instead of trying to find something to do, Justin and I make our way to the arena. We watch some of the routines. He asks questions. The fact that he doesn’t mock the kids on stage is another point in his favor. Carl never thought what I did was worth all the time and effort I put into it. He certainly didn’t understand why it was important to encourage school kids. He thought we should be encouraging them to spend more time on their academics. And he was nowhere near as smart as Justin. Considering how much time Justin had spent with his books in high school, I would expect him to be more dismissive about cheerleading as a sport. But if anything, he respected the amount of time and training these girls put in.

  “I cannot believe I didn’t know you could do this when we were younger.” He looks down at me. “Though, I don’t think I would have appreciated it back then.”

  “Yeah, you and my brother were pretty much anti anything the popular kids did.” I narrow my eyes and think about the fact that he’s also friends with my second oldest brother. “I’m surprised you’re such good friends with Denver. As captain and quarterback of the football team, he was more like the ultimate jock.”

  “Yeah, we only became friends once he left school.”

  I wondered if he knew that Denver and his cousin Andi had dated for a while. He’d already left for college and they had kept it a secret. The only reason I knew about it was because I caught them one day. And they weren’t making out. I’ve tried to banish that image from my head, though. I suppose he didn’t know about it and I wasn’t going to bring it up now.

  The alarm went off on my phone. “I need to go.”

  “What do you have planned for tonight?” I smiled at him. “I want to make-out at a movie.”

  He lowers his forehead to mine. “I think that can be arranged. We better eat beforehand. I think we’re going to want to get back to our room as soon as possible after the movie. And we’re going to need our energy.”

  “I’m counting on it.” I give him what I hope is a sexy smile and saunter off.

  Justin

  I’m sitting at the back of the arena watching Angela’s final cheerleading performance of her career. Last night after our movie date followed by some more explosive sex, we ended up having another one of our marathon talking sessions. She’s really easy to talk to. She doesn’t judge and I am still a little surprised at how much she’s interested in my work, even though it’s clearly not her thing.

  They’re dancing to Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night. She’s wearing tiny black shorts and a silver racer-back top. Watching the way she moves that body reminds me of some of the bedroom acrobatics we’ve been doing over the last few days. I adjust myself as surreptitiously as I can.

  The week has go
ne by far too quickly. I was right when I said that one week with her would not be enough. I don’t want to end what we have. It may not work out outside of the bright lights of Vegas, but I want to at least try. She’s my best friend’s little sister, though. Not that I expect Michael to get all caveman on me about it. Besides, if Angela does agree to date me, I have no intention of sneaking around.

  I watch the end of the performance and applaud with everyone else as they make their final bow.

  As everyone files out of the arena, I stay put staring at Michael’s contact details on my phone. I could wait to see if she will even consider dating me once we’re back. That is probably the safest course. No need to rile anyone up for something that may not happen.

  Then again, if we do just pick up where we left off here, he might accuse me of hiding things from him.

  Before I can overthink it anymore, I hit call.

  Michael picks up after the second ring. “Hey asshole, how’s Vegas”

  I take a deep breath. “Vegas is… better than I expected.”

  “Did you get a chance to catch one of Angie’s performances?”

  So much for building up. “I did. In fact, I’ve seen almost all of her routines this week.”

  “You what? Justin don’t tell me—”

  Before he can give me any warnings, I cut him off. “This is a courtesy call. I’m not asking your permission. And for the love of God, don’t threaten me with our friendship. Angela and I are both adults. We’ve been on a few dates, and when we’re both back in Seattle, I’d like to see her some more.”

  “You’re screwing my sister?”

  “Don’t be an asshole.” I wasn’t going to argue with him about this, but I also wasn’t going to allow him to disrespect her. “Don’t speak about her like that.”

  “Okay.” I can hear Michael take a deep breath on the other end of the line. “I appreciate the head’s up. Just don’t hurt her. Do you have any intention of letting Denver know? You know he’ll get all over-protective caveman-big-brother on you.”