by Nina Crespo
Accepting the inevitability of sharing her problems and her ice cream, Cori took a long breath. “I read a post on Facebook about Kevin…and his new wife.”
Nat reared back a little. “His wife? Since when? And what woman in her right mind would marry boring-ass Kevin?”
“Her name is Kenzie. They got married this weekend. Wait a minute, you thought Kevin was boring?”
“Girl, please. As soon as he walked into a room, people started to yawn, and when he opened his mouth to speak…” For a brief moment, Nat closed her eyes and mocked a snore. “Good thing he’s not a trial attorney. Justice would come to an abrupt halt.”
“But you never said anything.”
“We didn’t think we had the right.”
“We? Alexa, too?”
“Hey, who were we to judge considering the guys we let into our lives? But it wasn’t so much about him, but more about what was happening to you. You stopped going to things because he wasn’t interested. You even stopped dyeing your hair. Last year, you even left your own surprise birthday party early—a party he didn’t even bother to show up to.”
The recollection of that birthday rose in Cori’s mind. Kevin had called and told her he was stuck at his office with a client. She’d gone home early, with some birthday cake and champagne, wanting to celebrate the last few hours of her birthday with him. When he’d come home close to midnight, he’d smelled of cigars and had whisky on his breath. He and the other junior partners regularly hung out at a cigar bar in downtown DC to relax…without clients.
Even though she’d suspected that he’d intentionally skipped her party, she hadn’t confronted him. Kevin had told her he wouldn’t attend any more of her family’s events, outside of Thanksgiving. It had hurt that he hadn’t made an exception for her birthday, but she’d rationalized it and forgiven him. God, she’d been stupid.
Cori poked at the softening ice cream. “I didn’t realize how much I’d changed with him.”
“You didn’t completely lose the fabulousness of you. Alexa and I made sure that didn’t happen. The main reason we’ve dragged you away for weekend trips every now and then was to deprogram you. Outside of that, Alexa and I just agreed to just stock up on wine and compromise when it came to you and Kevin.”
“Compromise.” Cori ate some ice cream. “That’s what I thought I was doing when I adapted to all of the things Kevin wanted and liked.” And in return she’d short-changed herself and given up way too much.
Nat nudged her arm. “Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know. According to the post, he met his new wife just two months ago, after he broke up with me. Kevin never did anything that spontaneous when we were together.” A bitter chuckle slipped out of Cori. “Kind of makes it hard to believe that he didn’t cheat on me.”
“So, you think he was actually cheating on you?” Nat ate a spoonful of ice cream.
So many things had unraveled in her relationship with Kevin, it was hard to distinguish fact from fiction. “No. I don’t.”
“So why are you holding a pity party over him getting married? You just said that you compromised so much to be with him, and it’s clear, now, that he wasn’t worth the effort. Say ‘bye’ and be glad that he’s gone.” Nat pointed to the nightstand. “There’s enough room now. Pass the caramel and whipped cream.”
Cori set her spoon on the towel and gave Nat what she asked for. She held the ice cream container still as Nat squeezed and sprayed in a generous amount of both. “I know he wasn’t worth the effort. I just don’t understand why I didn’t realize it sooner. Like last Thanksgiving at my parents’ house. Everyone was teasing us about when we were getting engaged. He was so uncomfortable, he almost choked. I just assumed it was because he wasn’t ready to get married.”
“To you.” Nat’s statement stung with the truth but not a hint of unkindness.
Still, as Cori put the bottle and can back on the nightstand, it was hard to let the fact of what Nat said settle in. “We were together for over two years, but he runs off with Kenzie after only knowing her for two months? I just don’t understand.”
“I think you do.” Nat scooped up a bite of ice cream, dripping with caramel and cream. She held it in front of Cori’s mouth and waited until she ate it. “You’re just all up in your feelings because he never asked you. But let’s say he had proposed before he’d left. Would you have said yes?”
As Cori swallowed the ice cream, it went down with a bit of reality she couldn’t deny. Based on her feelings about him today, her answer would have been an easy hell no, but back then… “I would have been tempted to say yes to him. We’d been together for so long, and it seemed almost expected that we would get married.” She picked up her own spoon. “If he’d asked me instead of leaving, I might have said yes to prove to myself we were okay.”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw what happened to you and Alexa, and I was relieved because I told myself it couldn’t happen to me and Kevin.” The ugly truth dug inside of Cori uncovering sadness and shame. “That sounds so horrible.”
“And human.” Nat chuckled ruefully. “Do you know how many times I thought that you and Alexa had it easier because you didn’t have to go through a divorce? That my road was tougher than yours and you had nothing to complain about? I’m sure Alexa has had her own version of the same. We all have our coping mechanisms.”
“Well, I was obviously wrong about a lot of things.”
“Let it go. It’s time to forgive yourself for that and find something more enjoyable to occupy your mind.” Smiling, Nat paused in digging out more ice cream. “Or maybe you already have? Your mom mentioned you brought a plus-one to your cousin’s engagement party. Someone named Grey. If I remember correctly, you had an ex by that name that you were with years ago. You said he had scorching-hot, melt-your-panties-off-gorgeous eyes.”
Nat and her mother were gossiping about Grey? Oh boy… “What did my mom say about him?”
“Hold on. Let me see if I can remember the conversation.” Nat shoveled in a big spoonful of ice cream then pointed to her lips, indicating she couldn’t speak because her mouth was full. Then her eyes nearly crossed, indicating she was experiencing a brain freeze.
Yeah, right, more like she was enjoying being a pain in the ass while holding back her answer. And she was really selling it. It was no wonder that she was good at her job as an accounts director at an advertising firm.
“Okay. So it went like this.” Nat made over exaggerated hand gestures. “She wondered if Grey being here might help you get over Kevin. I told her that was a very good possibility since you said having sex with Grey was so good your vagina used to practically sing an aria when he finished.”
“What?” Cori fought not to choke. “You did not say that to her.”
“It’s the truth. In fact, you told us you couldn’t even uncross your legs in public at times because Miss V might spontaneously break out in song.” Nat belted out a high note that was actually pretty good.
“Will you stop?” Cori threw a pillow at Nat’s head and missed. But she had said that during a chat about old boyfriends they’d had years ago. In her defense, wine had been involved during their conversation. “You’re impossible.”
“And I bring such wonder and delight into your world, you’ll never send me away.”
“No, but I’ll lock your ass in a basement and lose the key if you really said that to my mom.”
“Of course not.” Nat chuckled as she pointed the spoon at her and circled it in the air. “But your face a minute ago, when you thought I did? Totally worth it.”
“Whatever.” Cori traced an s-pattern in the ice cream.
Sex, among other things, was really good with Grey. Or at least it had been.
Nat’s expression sobered as she reached out and took Cori’s hand. “Promise me something.”
<
br /> “What?”
“If it’s still good with Grey, allow yourself to let go and enjoy the moment. You know, a temporary thing that you’re both keeping in perspective. Right now, you need someone who makes you laugh and reminds you that happiness in a relationship really does exist.” Nat’s face softened briefly with a faraway expression. “Someone who reminds you that someday, when it’s time, you’ll have that again with the right person.” She shook her head. “But you definitely have to stop thinking about Kevin and overanalyzing what you did or didn’t do with him. It’ll just make you bitter and get in the way of everything good in your life.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” The first part of Nat’s advice would work if Grey was still speaking to her.
“And now that my work is done, I have to get home and take Betsy for a walk.”
Nat crawled off the bed. She carried the towel and bottle of caramel down the stairs while Cori carried the almost empty pint of ice cream and the can of whipped cream.
At the front door, Cori switched on the lights inside and out then gave Nat a hug. Her mom had been right to call Nat. She felt so much better. “Give Betsy some extra treats to thank her for letting me borrow her mama.”
“I will.” As Nat stepped back, she laid the towel over Cori’s shoulder. “This belongs to you. And this belongs to me.” She slipped the whipped cream from Cori’s hand and replaced it with the squeeze bottle of caramel. “Thank you.”
“Hold on a minute. You’re taking my whipped cream?”
“Yep.” Nat smiled and winked. “I ran out.”
“Exactly what or who have you been topping with whipped cream?”
“Tell you later. Let’s just say whomever claimed Rome wasn’t built in a day didn’t know what they were doing, and I do.” Nat’s laughter was more than just a little wicked as she practically skipped out the door with the can.
Cori returned Nat’s wave as she drove off. After closing and locking the door, she went to the kitchen to put the ice cream and caramel away.
The doorbell rang.
Had Nat forgotten something? Knowing her, she’d come back to swipe the bottle of caramel, too.
Cori peeked out the side window. It was Grey.
He’d stopped by instead of calling her. Was that good or bad? Flutters erupted in her belly as she opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hi.” A light breeze ruffled the hem of his casual cream button-down shirt as he tucked his keys into the front pocket of his jeans. “Can I come in?”
She opened the door wider.
He slipped past her, and she shut the door behind him.
As they walked to the living room, the silence between them made her uneasy. What did he want to say? What did she want him to say?
He faced her. “The decision you made to stay here and not go to Austin with me? I’d never wish you’d changed that. You needed to be here. But I do wish you would have discussed things with me instead of deciding our future on your own.”
“I can see that now.” He no longer looked frustrated or disappointed. Relief started opening in her chest. Did that mean he forgave her? “I’ll sit down with Dad right away and make sure he knows the truth. Or we can call him right now.”
“Let it go, for now. I didn’t come here tonight to dwell on the past. Can we sit a minute?”
“Sure.”
He led her over to the kitchen stools.
They sat and faced each other, and her knees brushed his.
Grey took her hand. “I’m not just on the east coast to see Damien. I’m flying to New York to speak to my dad about joining Latham Reeves.”
“What?” Had she heard him right. He was joining his family’s company? “What about your career? You’re doing so well.”
“I was doing well.” He glanced down as he intertwined their fingers. “But my heart isn’t in it the way it should be. I’m not enjoying it anymore, and it shows.” He looked up and gave her an uneven smile. “And no one wants to listen to a DJ who isn’t into the party. I can’t sit on my ass doing nothing. The next installment for my trust fund is due. So I may as well take it and go work for my family.”
At a loss for words, she was silent. He squeezed her hand as he looked at her, expecting a response. Finally, she said, “But you saved Dana and Ben’s engagement party. You seemed like you were enjoying it then.”
“What I enjoyed was helping out the DJ and your family. Being the one everyone is relying on to entertain a crowd in a club or at a music festival is a bigger deal and a lot more responsibility.”
“Could you be just a little burned out?” Cori climbed off the stool and stood between his legs. “Maybe you just need an extended break to recharge.” She was probably grasping for reasons he’d already considered, but she still had to ask. Music was his passion. She couldn’t imagine him just giving it up.
Unhappiness shadowed his face as he released a deep exhale and rested his hands on her waist. “It’s deeper than that. Five months ago, I lost a friend. His name was Liam. Since he died, things haven’t been the same for me. It’s not just a slump or me feeling sad. I’ve lost the drive that it takes to do the job. And the last thing I want to do is disappoint people.”
Not wanting to disappoint people. She could understand that. And as far as losing a friend, she couldn’t imagine how she’d cope if she ever lost Nat or Alexa. How had Liam died? Grey hadn’t mentioned it, and from the pain in his eyes, now wasn’t the time to ask.
“I’m sorry you lost your friend.” Cori laid her hands just below his shoulders. “There’ll be a lot of changes up ahead, working for your family. Is there anything I can do?”
“Thank you. Liam was a good guy.” Grey looked away and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what help I’ll need, but I do have a question for you. How do you feel about us continuing to see each other?”
Well, Nat had said if she enjoyed being with Grey, she should keep seeing him. She just needed to make one thing clear to him.
Cori slid her hands up and wrapped them loosely around his neck. “I’d like that. As long as we keep it casual. I just came out of a relationship, so I’m not looking for anything long-term right now.”
“Do overnight dates fit into casual? I was hoping you’d come with me to New York when I go to meet with my dad. Afterward, we could hang out in the city, check out a few restaurants, maybe see a show.”
That sounded nice. “I’d like that. When?”
“I’m not sure yet. But soon. Possibly this coming weekend.” He rubbed his hands up and down her waist. “I want this to be a clean slate for us. No hanging onto the past.” He gave her a soft kiss. As he moved a fraction away, he licked his lips. “You taste sweet.”
“I was having ice cream. Want some?”
“Definitely.” He cupped her ass and smiled in a way that made her heartbeat ramp up.
As Cori kissed him again, a small pang of disappointment hit her. Dang it. She shouldn’t have let Nat take the whipped cream.
Chapter Sixteen
Outside the door of Cori’s townhouse, Grey glanced at his phone. He was there to pick her up and drive to the airport so they could make their Friday morning flight out of DC to New York where he was supposed to have dinner with his father that night.
He reread the text his father’s assistant had just sent him earlier that morning.
Assistant: Just following up to make sure you received my voicemail. You’re no longer having dinner in New York with your father. You’re meeting him at the house in Infinity Beach at 5 pm for dinner.
He’d been navigating through heavy morning traffic when the call had come in. He hadn’t answered it because he’d forgotten to connect his phone to the car’s Bluetooth system. When he’d arrived at Cori’s a couple of minutes ago, he’d planned on listening to the voicemail that had dinged in after the call, but then he’d r
eceived the text from his father’s assistant.
Vacations cancelled, along with holiday plans rearranged to a time that was more convenient for his father—or him not showing up at all at the last minute to one of Grey’s school events—had been typical behavior for the man all of Grey’s life. The company always came first. His mother had, more often than not, adjusted her schedule daily to accommodate his father’s. Grey had learned to keep his expectations low about whether or not his father would be available. And he put up with his father’s need to give input on how he could do and be better, even though the older man knew almost nothing about his son.
Grey stuck the phone in the front pocket of his charcoal-colored athletic pants and massaged the tension that had started gathering low on his neck. It felt as if his black shirt weighed a ton, and the heaviness went all the way down to his red, white, and black Nikes.
He wasn’t a kid anymore. He had his own life to manage. His father couldn’t expect him to flex with a change of plans at barely a moment’s notice.
And what about the surprises he’d planned for Cori? He’d booked a spa package for her later that day. A massage, mani-pedi, the works, including dinner brought up to the room for her while he was meeting with his father. He’d also arranged champagne and dessert for the two of them to enjoy in their room that night. And he’d had other things in store for her during their extended long weekend that would end on Wednesday morning when they flew back to DC.
His father would probably think nothing about the last-minute change and wouldn’t have an ounce of remorse about altering their plans if he’d known about them. This was just a small dose of what it would be like to work under his father. And if he was going through with joining Latham Reeves, he’d have to get used to it.
The door opened, and Cori stood in the threshold dressed in a fitted tan button-down shirt and jeans.
