by A. K. Evans
“Don’t get your hopes up, Avery,” I warned her.
“You’re going to be eating your words, Kieran Decker,” she insisted. “Elise is a catch. Isn’t she, Ryker? Tell him. Maybe he’ll believe it if it’s coming from you.”
I shifted my gaze to Ryker and cocked an eyebrow waiting for him to tell me all about how some other chick was hot. I knew it wouldn’t happen because the man couldn’t see any woman other than Scarlet. He hadn’t for the fourteen years they were apart.
Ryker turned his attention to Avery and asked, “What do you want me to tell him?”
“About Elise. Tell him she’s gorgeous, and he’d be a fool to pass up an opportunity to date her,” Avery insisted.
Ryker’s eyes came to mine, and he looked like he was being tortured by having to stand around and gossip. In the most monotone, uninterested voice, he said, “Elise is cute, Kieran. But be careful because she’s fucking crazy.”
Great.
Just great.
Avery gasped, “She is not!”
Logan, Nash, and Knox all chuckled.
“Avery, that woman came in here and essentially called me a liar months ago,” Ryker reminded her.
“Yeah, she did,” Avery agreed. “And that’s the reason you’ve got Scarlet with you right now. Because Elise made you see that something was wrong. And she’s cute, yes. But she’s smoking hot.”
Ryker contemplated Avery’s words a moment, turned his attention to me, and said, “Let me rephrase that, Kieran. Elise is not only completely fucking crazy. She’s also a loyal friend to Scarlet, so that makes her cool in my book. And she’s a very determined woman that’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants.”
“And?” Avery encouraged.
Ryker rolled his eyes at her. “And she’s beautiful. You guys would look good together,” he ended before returning his attention to Avery. “Am I done now?”
She didn’t answer him. She simply grinned.
Knox laughed and squeezed her shoulders.
“So, what do you think, Kieran?” Logan asked with a glint in his eyes. “Are you looking forward to my birthday?”
Great. Now I was going to have to deal with this all fucking day. I honestly had no problem going out and meeting people. But the truth was that I now knew I’d compare every woman I met to Flynn. Something about her, not just her exquisite beauty, drew me in. It might have only been one plane ride, but it wasn’t exactly a short one. We talked for a long time, and I found that I enjoyed talking with her as much as I liked looking at her. And considering I spent nearly the entire flight dealing with a hard-on because I kept thinking about how badly I wanted to see her mouth wrapped around my cock while she stared up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers, that was saying something.
I sighed. “Why me? I mean, Nash is single, too,” I pointed out.
“Because like Avery just said, you are Elise’s type,” Knox replied.
“Yeah, I’m not feeling that,” Nash said. “She can be drop-dead gorgeous, but if she’s going to be into one of my best friends, I’m going to have to pass.”
“Are you all seriously going to harp on this all day?” I asked. “I’m going to be there tonight. I’ll meet her. But I’m not making any promises.”
“Fair enough,” Avery returned.
“Babe, you ready to go grab lunch?” Knox asked Avery.
“Yeah.”
“Anybody else want to join us?” Logan asked.
I shook my head. “No, I brought food, so I’m good.”
“I’ll tag along,” Nash started. “Don’t want you to feel like the third wheel, Logan.”
“Ryker?” Knox called.
“I’m going to hang here,” he answered.
With that, Knox, Avery, Logan, and Nash took off. I returned my attention to the computer and completed ordering the parts needed for the engine I was in the middle of working on. When I finished, I saw Ryker was still standing there with his arms folded over his chest as he looked at me.
“Hey, man,” I said. “I’m glad you stayed. I got the RB26 engine torn down. I’ll show you the damage.”
“How bad was it?” he wondered.
“It needed a new crank and two new connecting rods. I found metal shavings in the oil pump,” I answered as I stood.
Just as I was about to walk past him, he reached out and grabbed my arm. “What’s up?” I asked.
For a moment, I saw he was struggling with something, and I started to worry that perhaps something was going on with him and Scarlet.
“Ryker, man, is everything okay with you? Scarlet?” I questioned him.
He quickly nodded and replied, “Yeah, we’re good. It’s just… well, I hesitate to get involved in anything. I told myself I wouldn’t do it anymore after Scarlet and I went through our shit.”
My head tipped to the side as I gave him a questioning look and asked, “Involved in what?”
“Anybody’s personal life,” he clarified. “I did it with Logan, and I did it with Knox. And then they decided they were going to do it with me. It pissed me off, and I remember telling them that I wouldn’t get involved in anything for you or Nash.”
I was still confused by everything he was saying because I wasn’t going through any relationship problems, especially not as he, Logan, and Knox had endured.
“Okay, but honestly speaking, Logan and Knox needed someone to talk to them,” I began. “And it was the same for you. The thing is that I’m not dating anybody right now, so why do you seem so conflicted?”
“It’s not you that I’m worried about. It’s Elise.”
“Ryker, man, I’ve not even met this girl,” I reminded him. “Damn it, Avery already has me standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her. I’m sure Kendall isn’t far behind her. And if this is Scarlet’s best friend, I’m going to take a wild guess that she’s probably hoping this introduction tonight could turn into something special for her friend.”
“She is,” Ryker confirmed.
I did not need this kind of pressure. I loved and cared for my friends, but they weren’t going to force me into a relationship with anyone. It wasn’t fair to me, and it wouldn’t be fair to the girl.
I figured if there was anybody who could understand what I was going through, it was Ryker. So, I asked, “You know how you waited a long time for Scarlet?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did you do that?” I wondered.
His eyes narrowed as he assessed me, presumably trying to figure out why I was asking such a question. Eventually, he answered, “Because she was my girl. I knew that from the time I was sixteen. Time apart wasn’t going to change the way I felt about her or what I knew we had between us.”
I digested his words and blurted, “I met someone.”
Shock came over him. “You did? That’s awesome. Are you bringing her tonight?” he wondered.
I shook my head. “I don’t know her name,” I started. “I met her over the break, and we had just under six hours together. But we didn’t exchange names, at her request, or any identifying details. I didn’t like it, but it was the only way she would talk to me. So, I agreed. Now it’s been weeks, and I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Shit, Kieran. That’s tragic.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know. Don’t remind me. I did get her to make me one promise, though,” I noted.
“What’s that?” he wondered.
“If we ever run into each other again and neither of us is attached to someone else, she is going to go out on a date with me,” I told him.
Ryker chuckled.
“I know it might sound crazy, but I only had those few hours with this woman, and there’s just something about her that’s different for me. I can’t explain it,” I confessed.
“So, hope for the best or do what I did and become a grump,” he teased.
I laughed. No matter how hard I tried, I didn’t think I could ever be nearly as grumpy as Ryker had been over the years that he and Scarlet wer
en’t together.
“I’m a patient man,” I reminded him.
“Yeah. Look… I’m glad you met someone, but the circumstances obviously suck,” he started. “I’m not going to be like Scarlet, Kendall, or Avery and have these expectations of what’s going to go down tonight, but I am going to ask a favor of you.”
“What’s that?” I asked cautiously. I didn’t want to be agreeing to take someone out that I wasn’t particularly interested in.
Ryker sighed. “Elise is Scarlet’s best friend,” he began again, repeating information that I already knew. “I want my girl to stay happy, and I know she won’t do that if her friend starts going through more heartbreak than she’s already dealing with. So, if you’re not feeling it tonight, that’s cool. I’m just going to ask that you don’t take advantage of any attraction she might have to you. According to Scarlet, Elise’s last relationship didn’t end well, and she’s had a rough couple of weeks these last few weeks.”
Yeah.
No.
I wasn’t interested in being anybody’s rebound guy. That was never good for anyone involved. So, it wasn’t hard for me to give Ryker what he wanted.
“I promise I’m not going to take advantage of anything and go there if I’m not feeling it,” I assured him.
“That’s all I needed,” he remarked.
There was a moment of silence between us, and I had a feeling it was merely about mutual respect for one another. Ryker was grateful I wouldn’t do something that would cause strife for him and Scarlet, and I was thankful he wasn’t going to insist I take this girl out simply because she was Scarlet’s friend.
“You want to go check out this crank before you grab some food?” I asked.
He nodded and let out a laugh. “Sure.”
With that, the two of us walked out of the front office and down the hall to the cleanroom. I showed Ryker the damaged crank and rods from the engine and updated him on getting it rebuilt based on the new parts’ arrival times. Then we both sat down to have lunch.
And as the rest of the day wore on, I had to admit that I felt less and less thrilled about what was in store for later that night. I’d never not go out to celebrate one of my best friend’s birthdays, but I wasn’t looking forward to meeting Elise. While I was sure there was nothing wrong with her and that she was a nice girl, I couldn’t stop thinking about Flynn. I knew it wouldn’t be fair to Elise or myself to force something when I wanted someone else.
No matter the thoughts that ran through my mind as the day wore on, the thing that made me feel the worst was that I had been stupid enough to agree to walk away from that flight, from Flynn, without knowing anything about her. I may have just told Ryker I was a patient man, but the truth was that I wasn’t so sure that applied in this situation.
I wanted that girl bad.
And I was convinced I’d never have her.
The harsh reality of that was crushing.
“I honestly didn’t think it could get any worse.”
I stared into the sympathetic face of my best friend, Scarlet, and agreed, “You and me both. At least now I know how it happened, and hopefully, I’ll be able to get the company to recover.”
It was late Friday afternoon, and Scarlet decided to come over to visit with me today. She called me last night to check in with me. It was something she’d been doing since she learned about what happened, and I so appreciated having her support. But given how horrible yesterday had been for me, Scarlet must have realized I was spiraling downward quickly. So, she insisted that she would come over to spend some time with me so I could vent.
“I’m sure you will,” Scarlet insisted. “Every company is bound to have some kind of horrific incident to deal with at some point, right? And most of them bounce back. With a company as large and successful as yours, you probably should have expected you’d have to endure some kind of strife.”
I sighed. “I just wish it hadn’t been something like this. Something that puts the integrity of the company at risk. I would have preferred a legal battle over a logo or packaging instead. This was just bad, bad news all the way around.”
“How are your employees handling it?” she asked.
Letting out a sarcastic laugh, I answered, “There’s no denying that they were all on edge for the first two weeks. It started to get a little better around the office for them, but then we learned that someone in the company, someone who was supposed to be trustworthy, purposely did this. After I let her go, I packed up and walked out. I needed the time off.”
“Wasn’t this supposed to be your time off anyway?”
“Yeah, but that’s gone down the tubes,” I replied. “I think I’ve worked more over the last few weeks than I did throughout the entire holiday season trying to stay on top of things and wanting to do whatever I could to show my staff that we’re going to be okay. But I reached my breaking point yesterday.”
“Well, look at the bright side,” she urged.
I cocked an eyebrow and gave her an assessing look. “Which is?”
Scarlet’s eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t tell me you forgot. We’re going out tonight. It’s Logan’s birthday. Remember?”
Shit.
I forgot.
With everything I had going on the last few weeks, what with the company’s potential demise—the company I’d spent the last however many years building—I completely forgot. Before Thanksgiving last year, I made a plan with Scarlet, Kendall, and Avery to go out with them for Logan’s birthday. The girls and Scarlet’s fiancé, Ryker, were the only people from the group I’d met. And because Scarlet was my best friend and Ryker was her guy, she wanted me to meet the new people in her life. I wanted to do that for her and had specifically requested that they plan something for after the holidays since I knew I’d be busy with work through the holiday season.
Of course, at the time, I never suspected I’d have this happen to me.
Since Logan’s birthday was at the end of January, the girls had all decided that it would be the best time for me to meet the rest of the crew. I had been looking forward to it then. Now? Not so much.
“Damn it, Scarlet, I completely forgot,” I confessed.
“It’s okay,” she insisted. “You’ve had a lot to deal with over the last few weeks. It’s a good thing I came over and reminded you. And I can help you get something picked out to wear tonight.”
“Babe, there’s no way I can go tonight,” I said.
“Why not?” she asked.
Shooting her an incredulous look, I confirmed, “You are the girl that’s been sitting there for the last couple of hours listening to me tell you all about what happened yesterday at work, aren’t you?”
“Yep. That’s even more of a reason that you need to go,” she declared. “You’ve been working your butt off for months now, which was, no doubt, stressful. With this latest situation, your stress levels have gone through the roof. You need to give yourself one night. It’ll be good for you to get out, forget about everything going on with the business for a few hours, and try to have a good time.”
I loved my friend, but I honestly didn’t think I had it in me to do this tonight. I needed to keep a low profile.
“I don’t know,” I murmured.
“Come on, Elise,” Scarlet begged. “This will be good for you. Besides, did you forget that I’m going to introduce you to Kieran tonight?”
Shit.
There was that, too.
Scarlet, Avery, and Kendall had all insisted that I meet Kieran. He worked with their men, and according to Scarlet, he was just my type. At the time we’d planned this whole thing, I’d caved and agreed to it. While part of me wanted to find a guy I could trust and depend on, I knew that it would be difficult for me under normal circumstances. My last relationship was awful, and I wasn’t interested in jumping back into something serious again.
And even if I was going to try going the no-strings-attached route, now would not be the time. It would be a mess.
/> “I can’t, Scarlet,” I said. “I just don’t have it in me right now. You know how hard it would be for me to do this in the best of circumstances. Now, it would be even worse. And because this guy is Ryker’s friend, I’d hate to screw him over and create a problem for you and Ryker with him.”
“Nobody is going to expect anything from you,” she assured me. “We’re just going out to have a good time. You can meet him and just be friends for right now. There doesn’t have to be anything else. In fact, you don’t even have to exchange numbers with him. I promise. I won’t push you to do anything. Just come out with us and meet him. That’s all. I think you need to get out and have some fun for at least one night.”
She wasn’t going to let it go. And the truth was that I hadn’t gone out in months since I’d been working so much.
I sighed. “Okay, fine, I’ll go,” I acquiesced. “But I’m not dating this guy. I need to get my life sorted right now.”
“Whatever you say,” she replied, her voice a little too cheerful for me to think she was serious. She stood up from the couch, held her hand out to me, and ordered, “Let’s go find you something smoking hot to wear tonight.”
“Why?” I whined.
Scarlet grinned at me before she answered, “Because even though you think you know what you want right now, it’s my job as your best friend to make sure you don’t make a mistake. If you show up tonight without putting in the effort I know you normally would, you’re going to be angry with me for not making you. Kieran is perfect for you. So, while you might not think you want to pursue something with him right now, you should at least prepare yourself for the fact that he’s going to take one look at you and want you. And quite frankly, I think you’re going to be doing the same thing once you see him. That’s why.”
She’d been so excited about introducing me to this guy for months. And for a while, I’d been excited about it, too. But that was all before I met Deck.
God, I still occasionally thought about him. It was usually at night before I’d fall asleep.
Part of me wished I hadn’t insisted we not exchange real names and maybe even phone numbers. I’d formed a connection with him in those few hours on that plane that I hadn’t developed with a guy I dated for five months. It was something about the way he sat and listened to me. The fact that he was interested in what I had to say and had an actual conversation with me.
