by Lauren Wood
“Happy to help.”
“Ben!” Greg called out to us just as we were headed for the door. “Good to see you again.” He held out his hand for a firm shake.
“Yeah, I wasn’t so sure we would,” Chuck mumbled.
Greg looked at Chuck and laughed. “If anything, we’ll be seeing more of him around, once they tie the knot! I’m looking forward to having another guy in the crew at our work functions.”
It was an awkward moment as Greg tried to figure out what Chuck could have meant and he exchanged accusing glances with Kate.
“Uh, actually … you may not be seeing much of me after this,” I told them. They all stared at me expectantly, especially Kate. “I’ve got a big deal coming up at work that could have me traveling around the country for a while.”
Chuck perked up. “I guess that means you’ll be cutting back hours, Kate. Since someone will have to take care of Olivia.”
“Uh … well … you see,” she stammered cluelessly.
“Actually, Olivia will be coming with me,” I blurted. “After the wedding, I’ll be hiring a nanny to travel along with us. Olivia is so attached to me with her mother no longer being with us and all. We thought it’d be best for us to stay close until I wrap up my countrywide business and can spend more time getting Olivia and Kate bonded.”
“That sounds awfully hard,” he argued. “Getting married and then taking off with your kid like that. Kate, how do you feel about that?”
This guy was doing everything he could to try and poke holes in our story or spell trouble out for Greg. Anything to throw her chances at the promotion.
Kate tried to rustle up a response. “Oh … you know … I …”
“We agreed that we’ll have the rest of our lives together,” I chimed in for her. “No need to worry about one small sliver of time that we’re apart when we have forever.” I pulled her to my side and kissed her forehead. “Isn’t that right, honey?”
“That’s right,” she murmured.
“Sounds like you have it all figured out,” Greg smiled. “Good for you. Well, Ben … if I don’t see you before you take off …”
“What about the wedding?” Chuck interjected. “Surely we’ll be invited to your wedding?”
“We’re eloping actually,” I shot back.
“How perfect,” he groaned.
“As I was saying, Ben,” Greg reached out to shake my hand again. “If I don’t see you again before you take off, it was great getting to know you these past couple of weeks. We’ll throw you a big party when you get done with all your traveling. Kate’s lucky to have a great guy like you in her life. And Olivia too, of course.”
We did the last farewells and returned to our exit from the building. Kate walked with us out into the parking lot, looking so relieved and happy.
“That was genius, Ben,” she grinned, ear to ear. “And he bought it! Greg actually bought it! Now I’m off the hook for at least a year. And when it comes up again, I can just say the long distance was too hard for us and we decided to go our separate ways. Genius!”
“Glad to be of assistance. Yeah and other than all your co-workers thinking you’re a divorcee, it’s a relatively harmless lie in the long run.”
“A harmless lie,” she sighed. “If there is such a thing, I’d say we came pretty damn close to accomplishing just that. And I don’t mind being a divorcee. It makes me sound more interesting, I think.”
I watched her squinting from the sunlight with her perfect nose all scrunched up. “Kate, you are by far the most interesting woman I have ever met.”
She blushed and kicked her heel around the pavement. “Hey, listen. I do feel bad about the last time we saw each other. I made it weird when it didn’t have to be and … ”
“Don’t mention it,” I huffed, turning to get Olivia into her car seat.
“Well, I was wondering … we really did pull off a crazy feat here. Not only convincing them we were engaged, but that we had a kid on top of that. Would you be free this evening to have a drink to celebrate? Nothing crazy. Just a friendly drink. It’d make up for that movie I scared you off from.”
I finished buckling in Olivia, considering the offer. I liked to think I could do the smart thing and decline, but when I turned around and saw her again, I knew it was pointless to try. I was no better equipped to turn that invitation down than I was any of the ones before.
“Drinks would be great, actually,” I told her. “I’ll go drop Olivia off, and then I can meet you somewhere?”
“Perfect. I just need to make a few phone calls here and run back home real quick, then I’ll be ready.”
“We can go to my buddy Damon’s club. You’d like it there. It’s my favorite spot in town.”
She took a few steps backwards towards the building with a big smile on her face, waving and giggling to herself. As flustered and as giddy as she looked, I knew it was just about her job. I was not about to let my brain go there again.
After dropping Olivia off, I headed to Damon’s after texting Kate the address. He fixed us up with a VIP corner booth, which I insisted wasn’t necessary.
“She’s just a friend,” I insisted. “Can’t we save the big gestures for someone I’m trying to win over?”
As soon as I said it, we both spotted Kate walking over from the entrance. My mouth dropped as her long curls bounced around her shoulders and cleavage. She was wearing a tight red mini dress with tall stiletto heels and lipstick to match.
“This woman’s trying to kill me,” I muttered under my breath, having to readjust around the bulge in my pants just from one look at her.
“We’re right over here,” I waved towards the booth, trying to look unmoved by her knockout appearance. “You had to run home first, huh? You trying to pick up some other guy in front of me?”
“That wasn’t my intention, but now that you mention it …” she teased, scanning the room.
“This is Damon. Damon, this is Kate.”
Even he looked thrown by how hot she looked, even though there wasn’t a woman in the world that could hold a candle to Lizzy in his eyes. “Yeah. Drinks. Coming right up,” he spun on his heels. “Oh, and nice to meet you, Kate.” He shot me a bold gaze before retreating back behind the bar.
“Sorry, I was just in such a great mood. I felt like getting dolled up,” she explained.
“You don’t need any excuse to walk around looking like that,” I assured her. “But … as much as I know what things are between us … I don’t think I’m quite ready to see some other guy putting his hands on you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m all yours tonight.”
I cleared my throat and looked back towards the bar. “Where are those drinks?” I asked anxiously. Anything to avoid the vision in front of me and the hard lump she caused to form in my throat.
The worst part was knowing what she looked like underneath that dress while trying to convince myself we weren’t going to go there again. The best way to ward off any feelings was to drink … A lot. And Kate seemed just as eager to do the same.
A couple hours later we were both wasted and having the drunken time of our lives. We laughed so hard we could barely breathe. Somewhere amidst all that raucous laughter, we found ourselves sitting dangerously close. All of our defenses were weakened from the booze. The laughter trailed off at once point, leaving us staring at each other … just inches apart.
We quickly cleared our throats and looked away, trying to find anything else to look at or talk about. Anything but each other.
“I have a bit of a confession to make,” she slurred.
“Confession time?” I perked up, waving to Damon. “Another round please!”
“If I’m confessing secrets, we probably don’t need anything else to drink,” she joked.
“But maybe I do,” I chuckled.
She swayed over the table, leaning in close. “When you first said you would have never returned my calls or texts,
before the whole fiancé fiasco really began, I was insulted. And a little hurt.”
I winced with her words. “I’m sorry. I was being a total ass. No wonder you didn’t like me after that. Sometimes I just get a little … defensive towards women.”
“You don’t say?” she said sarcastically, making us both erupt into laughter again. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. Joey told me about … well, he told me about you getting your heart broken in college.”
The smile faded from my face and my gaze dropped to the drink in front of me. I swirled the straw around the ice in my empty glass. “Did he now?”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed. If anything, it’s redeeming that you got your heartbroken at one point. It’s proof that you have one. Well, that and everything you’ve done for me.”
I faced her again, and somehow we seemed to have drifted even closer together than before. “Maybe I had ulterior motives for helping you,” I suggested.
Our lips drifted together like magnets, stopping just short of touching. “And what motives would those be exactly?” she asked, her voice low and seductive.
“It’s your confession time. Not mine,” I whispered just before our mouths collided.
15
Kate
There was a throbbing pain deep in my skull when I woke up, not entirely sure of where I was or how I got there. Why did I have the distinct feeling that someone should have been sleeping next to me?
I rolled over, realizing that no one was there, but I was in my own bed. I shot up, flinging my hands to my pounding head. “What the hell happened last night!?” I groaned.
I slowly fluttered my eyes open through the pain and looked around my room. My clothes were scattered across the floor along with half the contents of my spilled purse. I glanced over to the nightstand and noticed a full glass of water sitting next to two aspirin. Both were rested on top of a slip of paper.
I quickly threw back the aspirin with a big chug of water, which still had remnants of ice floating inside, snatching up the note as I swallowed.
Kate, last night was fun. Good luck with everything at work and in life. I wish you nothing but the best. And I hope you find a real fiancé one day. -Ben
I stared at the handwritten words for a long time, blinking. The last thing I remembered clearly was having a blast with him at the bar. But this note was definitely a final send-off. What the hell had happened? A question I was getting all too used to asking when it came to Ben.
I swallowed hard, despite my dry, itchy throat and mouth. One thing I knew for certain after checking the time was that I would be late to work. And I needed coffee and a shower before anything else could happen.
I set the coffee maker to work on a full fresh pot and shuffled into the bathroom. Standing in there, even for only a few minutes, sounded exhausting. So I opted for a bath instead. I needed to lay out flat on my back and try to wrap my head around the rest of my blurry memories from the evening.
But first I was hit with the memory of Ben’s hands between my legs as I waded in that very tub. I was buzzing with arousal at the lingering thoughts … The way he scooped me out of the water and placed me on the counter. At least those memories did something to overshadow my hangover.
It didn’t take long after I settled into the hot water for it all to come flooding back to me. We were laughing and talking, all while drinking way too much. I remembered saying something to him … I didn’t exactly remember what I said, but I had a feeling I said things I would regret if I knew.
Then we were kissing. Long, passionate, deep, intoxicating kisses. We made out in the bar, then in his car, at my apartment door. It all led to the bedroom where it unraveled the way it had all those times before. Once the barriers between us were down, there was no way to put them back up.
We were having sex … hot, ravenous sex. I went wild for his body, and he wasn’t timid with mine in return by any means. But then he did the thing … where he slowed down, looked in my eyes, and locked his hand into mine. Just thinking about it took my breath away all over again.
Just before my climax hit … I murmured something …
I thrashed up in the bathtub with a sharp gasp, flinging my hand over my mouth as if I could still take the words back. “No! Noooooo! I didn’t!”
But the luxury of my hazy memory was rapidly fading. I could remember it all clear as day now. Rocking into his body with each thrust, feeling closer to him than I had ever felt to anyone. Our hands clasped together. I looked into his eyes and moaned with a whisper, “I love you.”
Maybe he hadn’t heard me? No, I remembered the look in his eyes that made it clear he did. The moment I said it, he dropped his mouth to mine and guided us both to climax. Maybe he didn’t remember? Yeah, right Kate. You read the note he left. It sounded like a man running from a woman who just said the dreaded ‘l’ word to him.
I felt sick with regret. After getting out of the tub and drying off, I considered calling or texting to apologize, but I stopped myself. Saying anything else would only make it worse. And what did it matter anyway? Ben was long gone and obviously had no desire in seeing me ever again.
I plopped onto the edge of my bed, wrapped in my bathrobe, running my hands along the dips in my bed and sheets where our bodies had twisted together in ecstasy the night before. If only I could go back in time. Being suspended in drunken lust was far preferred to the morning after shame and guilt.
I laughed to myself, thinking Ben got exactly what he wanted all along. We played the cat and mouse game of who wanted who, and I managed to stay one step ahead the whole way. That’s why he kept coming back. But the moment I gave him the upper handed by muttering those three stupid little words, he ran as fast as he could. It was everything I swore I wouldn’t let happen … and yet there I was.
After struggling to make myself put on clothes, fix my face, and gather my things, I reluctantly headed out to work with a to-go cup of coffee in hand. I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes, trailing my thumb in circles across my phone screen. Maybe he would regret leaving me like that with that stupid note. Maybe he would come to his senses. I felt tears well up in my eyes at the unlikelihood of that.
Don’t let this get to you, Kate. At least you were smart enough to see it coming. You knew the whole time that things would end up this way. Suck it up and let it go.
I wiped my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, gearing up to throw myself into work. I marched into that office like I owned the place. I didn’t have the guy. But I would get the promotion if it was the last thing I ever did.
Tucked away into my office, I concentrated on calling child psychologists and tracking down books for research. I had a theory about what could potentially make the Nesters toy line more successful than they even imagined, and I was preparing myself to present just that in my pitch. I didn’t know what kind of generic, lazy ideas Chuck was mulling over, but I knew what I had to offer would blow him out of the water. The client and the new job, along with the fancy corner office, would be mine. And I needed the pick-me-up more than ever before.
Several days went by, still with no word from Ben. I wasn’t surprised, but it was harder than I expected to shake the disappointment that nagged at my heart. What was I thinking falling for someone like him? Or the better question, why would I tell him I loved him!?
It was a constant tug-of-war pitting all of my questions and regrets against my determination for my work. Until finally, it was time to present everything to Greg. Chuck, of course, insisted I go first, which I was more than happy to do. I presented them both with all of my research on how to best sell the new line of toys and make them stand out from the competitive market.
Greg looked impressed by the time I finished, but we still had to wait for Chuck to take his turn. His pitch was typical and predictable and didn’t stand a chance against mine.
“Well, you two. This is a tough decision,” Greg told us as we wrapped up.
>
I knew the only thing that made it tough was Greg’s personal fondness of Chuck, but I bit my tongue and waited for him to finish.
“But Kate’s angle is innovative and fresh. It’s something that I think will really speak to not only parents, but teachers and caregivers alike. Great work, Chuck. But I’m going with Kate’s idea for the pitch to the clients. Can you have this ready to present to them by Friday?” he asked me.
A huge smile spread across my face. The first time I had genuinely smiled in days. “Absolutely, sir. It would be my pleasure. And I won’t let you down.”
Chuck was speechless and stunned, but didn’t waste any time to start throwing dirty, resentful looks in my direction. I gathered my things and strided out of the meeting room before he had a chance to say anything to me. On my way out, I heard him pleading with Greg to reconsider. I didn’t bother sticking around to defend myself. I knew it was a no-brainer. My pitch was better than his, hands down. I was just glad Greg had enough sense to make the right decision.
I felt relieved and proud as I sat down at my desk and immediately started tweaking things for the big meeting with the client that Friday. I hadn’t been working long when Chuck darkened my doorway.
“Well. You actually pulled it off,” he huffed.
“All I did was present my ideas on how to best market the toys, Chuck. You had the opportunity to do the exact same thing, and Greg made his decision. Fair and square.”
“I don’t mean that. I mean your whole fiancé schtick. Listen, if I was way off … and you and this Ben guy really are engaged … I owe you an apology.”
It was not the time for my face to lock up with tears threatening to stream down from my eyes. But it happened beyond my control. The last thing I needed was to hear Ben’s name right then.
“We are,” I replied, trying to hide the ache in my voice.
“Well, then I’m sorry. Congratulations. On this pitch … and him,” he offered before turning to walk away.
I jumped to my feet, racing over to shut the door before sinking back down into my seat and bursting into tears.
