How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé (How to Rom Com Series Book 2)

by London Casey

  “Of course not,” I said.

  I felt Miranda wiping her shoes on my back.

  Hello, world, my name is Emily… and I am your doormat…

  “You can keep those papers,” she said. “But get them out of my sight. It makes me sick to do this. I feel sick, Emily.”

  I folded the papers and put them on the table next to me.

  “So what else is going on?” I asked. “Rough day you said?”

  “Just dealing with assholes all day today,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. I got dumped today.”

  “What?” Miranda asked. “By who?”

  “Jon.”

  “You were still with him?”

  “Yeah. He kind of came in here and screamed it in front of everyone.”

  “Oh, that’s embarrassing. I would have closed up and gone home to cry. Liam was being clingy this morning… just annoying…”

  “Clingy?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Worried about that wedding quiz I told you about. Talking about the past all the time. I don’t know. I just wasn’t in the mood.”

  “Well, you two are supposed to be talking about the past,” I said. “The past makes the future. Or something.”

  “Bullshit,” Miranda said.

  “You’re enjoying the wedding planning, right?” I asked.

  “I will soon,” she said. “I’m working on a case and then it’s time to focus. I wish Liam would hear me when I say that.”

  I knew Liam. He was eager, jumpy, and wanted it all done in advance. He wanted everything laid out in front of him.

  Trust me, I knew Liam all too well.

  Again, another joyous thing I did with my life mostly by accident.

  I ran into him in college while visiting Miranda. And when I saw him and felt all those crazy old feelings, I got spooked and not only introduced him to Miranda, but all but threw her at him.

  Like I wanted to protect myself from my feelings. Or from whatever Liam felt or didn’t feel.

  Next thing I knew, they were dating… and then more…

  I looked at the diamond ring on her finger and I smiled.

  I was genuinely happy for her. And him.

  They were great together.

  They belonged together.

  “Hey,” Miranda said. “At least you’re single now. So get out there and have some fun.”

  “I don’t do that,” I said.

  “You should come out with me,” Miranda said. “I have plenty of lawyer guy friends who would love one night of fun.”

  “Thanks,” I said with a smile.

  “Anyway, I have to go,” she said. “Back to the office. More heads to stomp on.”

  “Yeah,” I said. I stood up. “It was good to see you.”

  “You too,” Miranda said. “Don’t forget those new charges, okay? Don’t fuck me on this.”

  “I won’t,” I said.

  Miranda took a call and walked out of the bakery.

  I grabbed the papers and looked at the number again.

  Things were getting tight.

  I wanted to cry.

  But I’d save that for later.

  “And you’re all set,” Henry said. “No more annoying buzzing.”

  “Thank you,” I called out from behind the counter as I wiped it down.

  “Now that bitch Miranda won’t complain,” Lucy said.

  Henry looked down at Lucy.

  “Sorry,” Lucy said. “That was bad of me to say.”

  “Dirty mouth,” Henry said.

  “Sometimes,” Lucy said.

  I felt like dumping cold water on Lucy’s head.

  I cleared my throat.

  Lucy looked at me and winked.

  I shook my head.

  Last thing I needed on the day I just got dumped was to see two sixty-something-year-olds flirting.

  Henry climbed down the ladder and leaned against it. “So how are you, Lucy?”

  “Better now,” she said. “I kind of wish more bulbs were burned out.”

  “Want me to break one on purpose?” Henry asked.

  “Get a room,” Ember called out as she walked from the back.

  “Hey,” Lucy said. “There’s miles on the car but the engine runs just fine. Okay?”

  “Oh, that I didn’t need to hear,” Ember said.

  “Lucy, I don’t think you realize what you just said,” I said.

  “Yes, I do,” she said.

  “No, you don’t,” I said. “You just called yourself a whore.”

  Henry chuckled.

  Lucy touched her cheeks. “I’m not a whore. I’ve only been with… wait a second…”

  “Oh, now this is getting good,” Ember said. “Keep going.”

  “Don’t listen to them,” Henry said to Lucy. “I knew what you meant.”

  “Thank you, Henry,” Lucy said.

  “Now, I want to hear about this knucklehead that broke your heart, Emily,” Henry said.

  “There’s nothing to tell,” I said. “What’s done is done.”

  “He shouted it front of everyone here,” Lucy said.

  “That was my fault,” I said. “He left a note and wanted to talk back at the apartment. I kind of gave him no choice.”

  “He sounds like a punk,” Henry said.

  “More like an asshole,” Lucy said.

  “Again, with the mouth,” I said.

  “I think Lucy is right,” Henry said.

  “And I think it’s time we all get out of here,” I said. “I’m going home to unwind.”

  “Don’t go home alone,” Lucy said.

  “I’m not alone. I have myself.”

  “That’s what alone is,” Ember said.

  “Goodbye,” I said. “Henry, thank you for your help. I’ll see you other two tomorrow.”

  Before leaving, I packed up a large bag of baked goods that we hadn’t sold and that were still fresh.

  On my walk home, I stopped by the corner where a small group of homeless people hung around.

  I had gotten to know them a little.

  Barry, Rich, and a guy they all called Jenkins saw me and they all smiled.

  “Treats,” I said.

  “You’re too good to us,” Barry said.

  “Hardly,” I said. “Don’t eat too much at once, you’ll get a stomachache.”

  “Got a burger in there?” Rich asked and laughed.

  “No,” I said. “But I can get you one if you’d like.”

  “No,” Rich said. “I was just joking. We’re fine. Even this is too much.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want this?” Jenkins asked. “This is a lot.”

  “My treat,” I said.

  They thanked me again and I kept walking home.

  I hated the idea of anyone living on the streets. Whether it was self-inflicted or not, it bothered me.

  There were a lot of things I hated… a lot of the world’s problem I wore like a cloak of honor. When in reality it just brought me down.

  But that was just who I was.

  My eyes filled with tears and I wiped them as quick as I could.

  I didn’t plan on crying while walking home.

  But I thought about Jon… what he had done…

  Seven months down the drain.

  He used to get mad at me for giving the homeless food.

  I always laughed it off though.

  Wasn’t anyone able to see the good in the world…

  Or the good in me?

  Chapter Five

  Liam

  I begged my body for one more rep, shrugged the bar up and then dropped it.

  The weights smacked the floor with a banging echo.

  I took a deep breath and turned around.

  “Your set,” I said to Cole.

  I stepped over the bar and went to get a set of weights to keep lifting.

  “How’s work?” Cole asked.

  “Boring,” I said. “But I get paid a lot.”

  “You ever thinking about switching
gears?” Cole asked.

  He crouched and picked up the bar.

  He looked in the mirror at me, shrugging the weight, waiting for me to answer.

  “You want me to come work for you?” I asked.

  “With me,” he said in a breathless voice.

  He grunted and shrugged again.

  “With you,” I said. “You’re just getting things set up.”

  “I’m busy,” he said in a growling voice. He let the bar go and it smashed to the floor again. “Really busy. I could use you. Bring your legal background and you can jump right into the business side of things.”

  “You’re the business master,” I said. “I don’t know shit about consulting.”

  “So what?” Cole asked. “You can consult for all the legal issues. There’s plenty of them.”

  “You can’t afford me.”

  “I bet I can,” Cole said. “And even if I can’t, I’ll get you on the backend. Bonuses. Perks. That kind of shit.”

  “I don’t know, Cole,” I said. “I’m cushy where I am. And with the wedding coming up…”

  “You two set a date?” Cole asked.

  “Not a final date,” I said. “But you know, it’s expensive.”

  He nodded. “Let me ask you something then. If you weren’t getting married, would you do it? Jump ship?”

  “That’s not reality.”

  “Pretend it was,” he said. “The Liam I once knew would do it.”

  “Great. Now you sound like Jackson.”

  “Not even close,” Cole said. “I’m not telling you who to marry or not. Just having a conversation. I left a six-figure job to go out on my own.”

  “You had some rough times too.”

  “It was all worth it,” Cole said.

  “Hey, are you two ladies done chatting so I can lift something?” Lincoln asked as he approached us.

  I put my fist out and he punched it.

  “I’m trying to get Liam to quit his job and come work for me,” Cole said.

  “I thought it was with you and not for you?” I asked.

  “Yeah, that too,” Cole said.

  “I don’t know,” Lincoln said. “Liam’s a badass… he might do it.”

  “He used to be a badass,” Cole said.

  “A good woman can tame any man,” Lincoln said.

  “Show me a good woman then,” Jackson said as he entered the conversation.

  He was soaked with sweat.

  He had been off on his own for an hour.

  “Callie’s not a good woman?” I asked.

  “She’s the best,” Jackson said. “She doesn’t tame me though. She makes me crazier.”

  “You take it out here though,” Lincoln said. “You don’t go out and go crazy.”

  “True,” Jackson said.

  “We’ll see what happens tonight,” I said.

  “Hey, maybe we can get you laid,” Jackson offered.

  “Fuck you,” I said.

  “What?” Jackson asked. “They all know, right? That Miranda has turned the love valve off.”

  “Is she making you wait until the wedding?” Cole asked. “I heard about people doing that.”

  “Fuck,” Jackson said. “If this guy has to wait until he actually gets married to get laid, his balls will be the size of beachballs.”

  “Thanks for that visual,” Lincoln said. “But he’ll be married soon, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “No,” Jackson said.

  “Lincoln,” I said. “Your brother is getting married. What’s it like?”

  “I’m in the mix of it,” Lincoln said. “They’re just doing their thing. They’re getting married soon though. Everyone is different.”

  “They got engaged after you, Liam,” Jackson said.

  “Who cares?” I asked.

  “Wait a second,” Cole said. “I’m trying to get Liam to quit his job and come to my company. Can we drop the wedding talk?”

  “He’ll never do that,” Jackson said. “Liam is settling.”

  Jackson put his arm around me.

  “Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

  “Nah,” he said. “I guess I’m settling too. It happens to the best of us. At the very least, man, you have to get laid. You can’t forget about your dick. It’ll turn on you.”

  “My dick is just fine,” I said. “And can you not have your arm around me while we’re talking about my dick?”

  “Why not?” Jackson asked.

  He kissed my head and I elbowed him away.

  “Okay, let’s wrap this up,” Cole said. “I want to get Liam drunk and make him call his boss and quit his job.”

  “I want him to get drunk and break it off with Miranda,” Jackson said.

  I shook my head.

  I could have taken a swing at either Cole or Jackson.

  But let’s face it…

  It was Friday.

  It had been a long week.

  And I wanted to get drunk.

  “And then he did this crazy flip move over the railing,” Cole said. “It was unbelievable. Campus security stopped dead in their tracks. Then he jumps off the skateboard, turns and salutes them. Like a madman. A complete and total madman.”

  I smiled. “That was a long time ago.”

  “But it was awesome,” Cole said.

  “One more round,” Jackson said.

  “No way,” I said. “I’m already feeling it.”

  “Good,” Jackson said. “Keep feeling it. We’ll get you home safe to Miranda.”

  “I’ll just hit the couch if I’m drunk,” I said. “She doesn’t like when I’m drunk.”

  “You know,” Lincoln said, “throwing all these old stories down on the bar… it’s been a wild ride for us. I hate to feel old here…”

  “Then don’t,” Jackson said.

  “Maybe we are,” I said.

  “Okay, that’s it,” Jackson said. “Just give me a second here.”

  He ordered four more shots of whiskey and we all downed them in a second.

  We flipped the glasses over and Jackson pointed to the front of the bar.

  “Come for a walk,” he said.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Cole asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Jackson approached a large high-top table with four guys and four women.

  “Your girl wants to fuck my friend here,” Jackson said.

  He pointed to me.

  Ah… shit…

  “Are you serious right now?” Lincoln asked.

  “What did you say?” the guy asked as he stood up.

  “It’s true,” he said. “Right, babe?”

  I blew a kiss to the guy’s girl.

  “Actually, all these women are begging for it,” Cole said. “I guess you guys don’t have the right size dick.”

  “Shit,” Lincoln said.

  “You’re fucking dead,” the first guy said.

  He lunged for me.

  I wasn’t sure who landed the first punch because the second we tangled up, the table was flipped over and it was a four on four bar brawl.

  Over nothing.

  Just to prove that we could be crazy and pretend we were still young.

  It was a short-lived fight though.

  The bartender and security were there in seconds, breaking the thing up.

  We were ushered out of the bar and I stumbled down the sidewalk, rubbing the left side of my face.

  “Man, he got you good,” Jackson said.

  “You’re an asshole for that,” I said.

  “You’re smiling.”

  I looked at Cole and Lincoln.

  Their shirts were roughed up but that was it.

  “I was just getting into it,” Cole said.

  “Let’s go back in,” Lincoln said.

  “Yeah,” Jackson said.

  “No,” I said. “We’re good.”

  “You sure?” Cole asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “You guys are crazy. I love you.”<
br />
  “There he is,” Jackson said. He put his arm around me again. “Drunk Liam. Fighting and saying he loves us. There’s my best friend again.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said.

  “I’m calling it a night,” Cole said. “I have an early morning tomorrow. I’m still working on getting the rest of my team together. I need an assistant.”

  “Don’t pick someone good looking,” I said. “You can’t help yourself.”

  “That’s not funny,” Cole said.

  “Yes, it is,” Jackson said. “I could definitely see you banging your secretary.”

  We all laughed, then got rides home.

  I rubbed the left side of my face the entire ride home.

  That prick got a good punch in on me.

  That really pissed me off.

  I didn’t bother finding my key.

  I just knocked on the door.

  I was going to catch hell for it, but I was already drunk.

  Miranda was going to be pissed no matter what I did.

  Which meant…

  The door opened and I shut my eyes.

  I reached out and walked into the apartment.

  “I’m drunk, and I’m horny,” I said. “Let’s fuck, babe.”

  “Liam, stop.”

  My eyes opened.

  It wasn’t Miranda.

  It was Emily.

  “Are you drunk?” Emily asked.

  “Em,” I said. “What the…”

  I looked to my left and saw Miranda standing in the kitchen.

  “Wow,” she said. “You’re really feeling it, huh?”

  “Shit. Sorry about that. I didn’t know you had company.”

  “I was getting ready to leave,” Emily said.

  “We had a glass of wine,” Miranda said. “Just one. We don’t need to get plastered like you and your friends do.” Miranda hurried toward me. “What happened to your face?”

  “Got into a fight,” I said.

  “What?”

  “Jackson picked a bar fight.”

  “Of course he did,” Miranda said. “I hate that guy.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I’m fine. We’re all fine. Right?”