by Angel Devlin
“They’re just worried about you. It will all settle down.”
“I’d ask about your wedding, but I remember that bit. You made up the fact you were getting married?” She shook her head.
“Well, we wanted to go party for Spring Break. We were all single and the thought of lots of alcohol and bikini-clad girls was too tempting. However, I like to get to know someone, so even though I went along with the idea, I suggested the bachelor party cover so the guys wouldn’t give me grief over not hooking-up the moment I got there. The last thing we expected was to meet the three of you. I think Cupid was on that island or something with the way Tasha, Shane, and Seth got together; plus Dante and Riley.”
“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. I’m sorry if I embarrassed myself last night when I said I thought you were hot.” She flushed a deep shade of red which I’d never seen Sherry do before.
So here it was. Did I acknowledge it and tell her I felt the same way, or did I do the right thing and give her time to adjust to her new life?
Damn conscience.
“You were so wasted; I couldn’t make out most of what you were saying. To be honest it was like one big mumble.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Erm, would you like a tour? To see whether or not you’d like the room?”
“Sure.” She placed her coffee on the table at the side of the sofa and stood up. Then she followed me as I changed the subject completely and described the apartment in detail.
“It’s lovely. I have to admit when you said about a guest room in a man pad, I kinda imagined abandoned pizza boxes and Chinese cartons and thought I’d have to come with my cleaning kit.
I fake laughed. “Oh no. I like a clean home.”
“Well, if you’re certain you want me as a roomie then I’d love to take it.”
“You would?”
She nodded. “Yes, please, and if I could owe you that first month’s rent. Just until I get my finances sorted.”
“I told you, the first month is free.”
She sucked on her top lip. “That’s really kind, but I can’t do that. I need to pay my way. It’s time for me to be a little more independent.”
“Okay. Well, there’s no rush. Now would you like four strapping men to help you move your belongings?”
She giggled. “Why, who’s helping Seth, Shane, and Dante?”
I put on a look of mock outrage. “I’ll have you know I’m just as strong as those three. I save lives you know?” I flexed my arm.
“I’m amazed you’re single. Surely with all that life-saving, and your amazingly strong body, the women just throw themselves at you in your paramedic uniform?”
“They do, but I’m choosy, and at the time usually very busy doing that life-saving.”
Sherry chuckled. “Well, thanks for the drink. I’d better get back to my house and start packing. I’ll call when I’d ready for collection, shall I?”
“Yep. I’ll call the guys. Dante has the van now, so we’ll have you moved in no time.”
Sherry’s face took on a more serious expression. “Thanks so much for this, Ty. I know Dante said I could stay in the house as long as I needed, but truth is, I can’t wait to get out now it’s over.”
“It’s really no problem. I know you have the girls, but I want you to know you can count on me. If you need to talk, I’m here. I’m your friend.”
“Yeah.” Was it me or did the light in her eyes dull a little then? “You’re a good friend. You all are. See you later.”
And then she was gone and I hurt my toes as I kicked the wall on my way into the living room to collect the empty coffee mug.
Friends.
What an absolute dick I was.
SHERRY
I’d spent Sunday packing and then I’d gone and had a late dinner with my parents to satisfy them that all was good, and I wasn’t about to have a mental breakdown.
Kade and I had paid for our wedding ourselves so there was no guilt attached to our cancellation other than having dragged guests along for no reason; but that couldn’t be helped. We’d made the right decision for sure.
So now I was waking up on the first real brand new day of my brand new life. My room was small, much smaller than the bedroom I’d shared with Kade. But it was mine, all mine. I’d left all the furniture we’d purchased jointly. All I wanted was my clothes, shoes, toiletries. I’d brought my pillow and a duvet cover, things like that. My room was still packed with my stuff. I had a LOT of clothes, shoes, and purses!
Walking into the kitchen, I saw Ty fixing a fresh pot of coffee.
“Morning. Want one?”
“Yes please.” I waited for him to pour and then took it from him.
“I’m not big on breakfast, but I shopped and got a few things, eggs, bacon, maple syrup…”
I hovered near the doorway. “Thank you. But I’m not hungry today. Nerves are getting to me.”
“Sit down and I’ll fix you a slice of toast. So, first day at Juniper’s. Do I need to confiscate that huge discount card of yours when you get home?”
“Well that depends on how many bags carrying the name Juniper are in my hands when I get back tonight.” I wrung my hands. “I just hope I make a good impression, with it being Tasha’s boss. She’s gone out on a limb for me.”
“He’s a billionaire businessman. There’s no way he would have taken you on just as a favor to Tasha. He’ll have had you checked out and decided he needed you on his team. Just go and be yourself and you will be fine. You look fabulous, now head held high, and go show Juniper what you’re made of.”
I smiled at me. He was such a genuinely nice guy. “What would I do without you, Ty? You’re proving to be my guardian angel.”
Though it wasn’t an angel I wanted him to be with me. More like a dirty devil.
“Well, that’s what friends are for.”
“Friends, yeah. You’re a great friend, Ty. Thank you for being here and giving me the rallying speech this morning. I feel better already. Right, I’d better go.”
There was a moment’s awkward silence before Ty broke it.
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
I caught the subway to Juniper’s, no longer nervous about my first day in my new role, but instead completely confused; my mind whirling as it replayed every encounter with Ty I’d ever had. I thought he liked me?
But he’d clearly friend-zoned me.
Then it struck me. I bet he’d only wanted what he couldn’t have. While I’d been marrying someone else, I was safe to be attracted to, a forbidden potential conquest.
Now I was young, free, and single, and no longer the same prospect.
I realized I was more gutted about this realization than about my doomed wedding.
I got off the subway and made my way to Juniper’s. I was meeting Alex this morning and therefore seeing Tasha first.
“Sit down, sit down. Tell me. Did you fuck all over Ty’s apartment? Are you barely able to walk? How was it? I need all of the details. All of them.”
I sat in the chair opposite her desk.
“He friend-zoned me.”
Tasha froze in place, her straightened brown locks coming to rest at her chin after bouncing around along with her exuberance.
“Say that again because I swear I heard friend-zoned and that is not possible because Tyrone Neill has been walking around for months like a lovesick wounded puppy because you were getting married.”
“Friend-zoned. Loud and clear. Obviously just wanted what he couldn’t have.”
“But you said you thought he was hot. What did he say about that?”
“That I’d been mumbling when intoxicated but he couldn’t make out what I was saying.”
“Bullshit.” Tasha slammed her hand on her desk. “We all heard it loud and clear. What the hell is he playing at?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to pursue it. He’s made it clear we’re friends and right now, I need that guest room, so you will
behave and keep your nose out, and you will not raise this issue with Seth and Shane. Okay?”
She huffed. “Fine.”
At that point Alexander Green walked in. A stunningly handsome man who was completely wasted on both of us because to Tasha he was like another older brother, and I now had unrequited love with a man who didn’t want me. It was time to focus on my career. I stood up and held out my hand.
“Mr. Green. Pleased to meet you.”
“Yeah, just call me that in front of other people, Shezza. I know enough about you that we are firmly in the ‘on first name and nickname terms’ gang. Drinking out of belly-buttons. It inspired me with Jodi. Was quite the night. So thank you for that.”
“Ew, Alex. Shut up. Too much information. Watch where you sit around the store, Sherry, because the chances are him and Jodi will have fucked on it.”
He stuck his tongue out at her.
Well this was certainly not what I’d imagined for my first day.
I came home feeling amazing. I’d thought of a new concept for the baby department. With the Duchess of Sussex having just had a baby boy, I’d suggested we brought in the theme of ‘red, white, and bloom’, and the advertising department had loved it; saying we could have royal blues, reddish pinks and then neutral whites.
I called at the store on my way home and bought the ingredients to make spaghetti carbonara, which I knew from our vacation was a favorite of Ty’s. It was the least I could do; the guy had given me a place to live.
I felt a fizz in my stomach. I was excited about my life for the first time in a long time.
My wedded miss was becoming bliss.
“Wow. A guy could get used to this.” Ty patted his stomach. “That was delicious.”
“Well, I wanted to show my appreciation because you letting me stay in the guest room means a lot. Actually, I love cooking and I didn’t get to do much of it at home. Kade liked to cook too and I guess I just let him, so… if it’s okay with you, can I cook more often here?”
“Only if a couple of nights a week you let me order a takeaway so you’re not chained to my kitchen sink.”
“Deal.” I held up my wine glass and clinked it against Ty’s. I would only be having the one. We didn’t need me complicating matters with any more drunken declarations.
“Dante’s having his bookstore opening this Thursday evening. Bit last minute, but the women who work in the coffee shop nearby have agreed to cater it. He’s invited everyone on that row of stores, and family and friends. About thirty of us altogether. Are you coming?”
I wish.
Christ, was I going to keep thinking about Ty taking me to bed?
“Yeah, Riley texted me about it earlier. It’s exciting. I’m sure he’s only gone into the book business to get Riley away from her old place of work and to where he can keep an eye on her daily. He’s so over-protective now she’s having his baby.”
“My friends have all changed so much in this short amount of time.” Ty said. “So shall we go to the bookstore opening together?”
“Together?”
“Yeah? You know, travel together. Not together, together. Not a date or anything.”
“Oh, sure, yeah. Makes sense.”
No, not a date. Friends. Message received loud and clear.
SHERRY
My week had been fabulous and just felt so… right. I found it remarkable that after all those years with Kade, I could embrace and enjoy these changes so quickly, but I was.
There were things that reminded me of Kade. We’d spent so much time together after all. I wasn’t going to forget him overnight. I still loved him; I just wasn’t in love with him.
We’d been texting daily, just the once, to check in with each other. No big details. Just a ‘how are you today?’. Once he was back from our honeymoon, I was going to meet with him so we could arrange our final break. I felt comfort in knowing he was okay too, but I didn’t want daily check-ins for the rest of our lives. We needed to say a proper goodbye, just the two of us, without shocked wedding guests around us.
Right now, I was in a cab on my way to the bookstore. I’d been a little shocked when instead of riding at the side of me, Ty had got in the front and sat alongside the driver. They were chatting away, leaving me to stare out of the window at the sights of New York City.
Ty held the door of the bookstore open for me. I thanked him, moved past him and walked away from him. Two could play at being assholes. I spotted Riley and headed over to her, kissing her cheek and hugging Dante.
“Congratulations. The place looks amazing.”
“Thank you.” The bookstore had been fitted with modern looking white units, and there were beech colored floors. A wide counter held a couple of computers and payment machines and there was a corner with leather seating and a coffee table. A sign on the table said:
Feel free to bring in a coffee from HappBEANness,
although damage to books through spillages MUST be paid for!
A table had been set up against the windows with sandwiches and the most delicious looking muffins and cakes, and there were bottles of wine open and what looked like homemade drinks. On closer inspection there was lemonade, and elderflower cordial.
“I don’t want to work for Juniper’s anymore, I want to work near HappBEANness.” I declared.
“Don’t let your boss hear you say that.” A male voice boomed from behind me and I turned around to see Alex standing there, a tall, dark-haired, glamorous woman at his side.
“You can’t blame her, Alex. It really is the best coffee and cake ever.” The toned woman patted her non-existent stomach. “You should try working next door to it.”
“Sherry—meet my girlfriend, Jodi. Jodi, meet my new advertising genius, Sherry.”
We shook hands. “So you work next to the coffee shop? Would that be Sew-in-Style? Are you the lady who designed Harlow McDermott’s wedding dress? That was exquisite.”
“Yes, that was me; well, me and my partner, Ella. She’s here somewhere.” Jodi craned her head. “Ella, come meet Sherry.” She yelled. A redhead began to walk toward us. She was small and most definitely pregnant. A man with dark-brown, wavy hair followed closely behind her.
“Hey, Sherry.” Ella said and again I found myself shaking someone’s hand. “I’m Ella, and this idiot is my fiancé, Finn.”
“Charming introduction, my darling.”
“Sherry is working in the advertising department of Juniper’s so we might come across her at work.” Jodi announced. She turned to me. “We have a bridal line in development there.”
“Oh, wow. What a small world!”
“So why is Finn an idiot, Ella?” Jodi inquired.
“Because he’s not cancelled the wedding. I’ve found out it’s still booked for in two weeks time.”
“I still want you to be my wife.”
Ella huffed. “I’m not getting married looking like I ate too many pies.”
Finn crossed his arms across his chest. “Well, I’m not cancelling it.”
“Marry yourself then. I won’t be there.” Ella flicked her hair.
“Well, I’ll be there, so are you going to leave me standing there. Jilt me? I mean what will our friends and family think if you do that?”
From the look on Jodi’s face, I could see that Alex has told her my backstory.
“I’m just going to say hello to my other friend.” I said and excused myself.
“You okay?” Tasha took one look at my face and hugged me toward her. “Yeah, just met Jodi and Ella. It got a bit awkward.” I explained what had happened.
“Oh, Sherry. But you are okay about it all, aren’t you?”
“I really am. I just felt embarrassed, I guess.”
“Well, don’t. Let me get you a huge glass of wine and then introduce you to some more people.”
“I think I should stick to that gorgeous lemonade. Heaven forbid I declare I find someone hot.” I muttered.
“Still friend-zoned then?”
/> “Tash, he didn’t even sit in the back of the cab with me. He’s ignored me since we got here.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Erm, no, he’s stared at you repeatedly since we arrived.”
I looked around for Ty, to find him looking at me before quickly averting his gaze.
“On second thoughts I will have wine.” I told her.
The event was great. I met the coffee shop girls, Casey and Audrina, and their boyfriends Jared and Tom. Everyone around me seemed completely loved up. Dante had a lady called Grace Graham coming to sign new copies of her book in his store next week. A matchmaker who Ella had applied to, only Finn had interfered so that she’d ended up with him instead!
Audrina wandered over to me. “So, what’s going on with you and the guy over there?” She nodded in Ty’s direction.
“Nothing at all. He’s my roommate.”
“Well you’ve spent all night eye-fucking each other, so something’s going on.”
“We have not.”
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“He’s made it clear he only wants to be friends.”
“Babe, he’s lying.”
“Well, I’m not making the first move.”
“Yeah, I get that. But, hey, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be with my guy. I saw him in a club and got up the courage to go for it. It was New Year’s Eve and I’d decided I needed to change my life, to take a chance. I heard you split up with a fiancé because he turned out to not be the one. Don’t let someone who could be leave your life without trying.”
Casey shouted her over and Audrina squeezed my shoulder and walked away.
Should I make the first move?
It could all end up in tears.
But then if Ty went and dated someone else maybe I’d be in tears anyway.
Where was that wine again?
“Hi there.” A guy with dark blond hair and green eyes stood in front of me. “Sherry, right? Dante asked me to come check see you were okay because you were on your own. I’m Blake, named after the poet William. I think I got the lucky break there, they were between that and Poe.”
