“You’re right. It’s the same for me when Dominic goes away for extended periods of time. I miss his presence so much that after a while I start going through his clothes to remind me of his smell.” Michelle says blinking at me from over her champagne glass.
"Nothing compared to that closeness you have with your man." I add.
"Nope. After a while, even Skype sex is lame."
Michelle's comment has us all roaring in laughter. It’s amazing how stupid you become when you’re a little tipsy.
"Well, since I'm the only single one in the group, I wouldn't know." Nikki says with a frowning face.
Michelle whips her head to the right and frowns at her manager. "Nikhol Holt." She scolds. "Don't you dare. Don't even think of going there with me. The only reason a woman as gorgeous and intelligent as you are is still single, is by choice. Not for the lack of extraordinarily interesting suitors. What happened to Harry Mychals, aka the sexy start-up king?"
Nikki shrugs. "He was okay."
"I gather you two are no longer together?" I ask.
"No. I had to end that one. I couldn’t take it anymore." She says.
"What happened? I thought things were going well.” Michelle asks.
Nikki sighs. She gulps down more champagne before speaking again. “He's rich, successful, gorgeous and he hangs out with the right crowds, but every time I'm with him, it’s always about him. I'm all for being proud of your accomplishments, but with Harry it's a little off-putting. So yes, he has a lot of enviable qualities as far as boyfriend material goes, but in the same token, he always makes me feel like I'm the last item on the second page of his life. He's good at buying expensive gifts, but he never makes me feel special. I don't have the sense that he's buying those gifts to make me happy. It's more like him proving how deep his pockets are. In time, I've come to the conclusion that everything about Harry is rehearsed and inauthentic. Basically, Harry is no Powerball. Not all of us were lucky enough to snatch one." Nikki purses her lips and waggles her eyebrows.
"Hello!" Jessica shouts.
"It's too bad Hunter Evans doesn't have a brother." Michelle chimes in.
Wait a minute, when did this conversation become about me?
"I'd even settle for a cousin, Michelle.” Nikki quips. “Heck, I wouldn't even kick out one of Hunter’s distant cousins out of bed.” Nikki shakes her head. I can't help but giggle. Hunter doesn't have very good relationships with his mom or that whole side of his family. Since he doesn't talk much about them, I don't ask too many questions. As a consequence, I haven't got a clue if he has any male cousins or not. It's fairly estrogen rich on his Dads’ side. Hunter has tons of female cousins, but no male ones.
"I love my Italian Prince with all of my heart, but let's be honest, Miranda's guy is a gem." Michelle laughs.
"That’s some good DNA right there." Nikki’s comment has us folded in half slapping our thighs and snorting inelegantly. When we regain our composure, Nikki is at it again. "For the record, if Hunter had any male relatives—single of course—and if they were as drop-dead gorgeous and caring as he is, I'd be the first one to claw my way to the front of the line." Nikki snaps her fingers in the air.
"Meow.” Jessica lets out. The cougar hand gesture and the way she contorts her face just add to the visual.
I roll my eyes. "You guys are impossible. You're never going to let go of this Powerball business, are you?"
"Nope.” All three say in unison mustering up the most angelic faces they can.
We all crack up again.
“Not only did she snatch a Powerball...” Jess pauses and shoots me an amused look. "but she’s moving in with him. Other than marriage, you can't get a guy to commit much more than that. I should know." Yup. Kevin laid his cards on the table early on in the relationship.
"You're right Jessica." Nikki says. “In an age where there are so many commitment phobic self-centered men, Hunter Evans proves that there are still a few good ones out there. It's a matter of bumping into them. Seems like three times’ the charm." Nikki, Jessica and Michelle laugh their heads off. Jessica is the only one who knows about my kinky proposal to Hunter. As far as Michelle and Nikki go, they have no idea that my brazenness opened the door to the most beautiful love story of my life. So yeah, they can keep having fun at my expense. They’re lucky that I'm in such a blissful state of mind. I really don't care.
“My best friend is shacking up with her man!”
“God, Jessica, that sounds so unromantic.”
“Nikki is right, Jess.” I side with the woman who found me the red dress that pumped my confidence to new height. I hold it responsible for giving me the courage to go with Hunter to that private room. Once he kissed me, there was no going back.
“All right then, Miranda gets to play house with the dashing Hunter Evans for the rest of her life. Is that better?” The screenwriter in Jessica comes out to play.
“Much.” Nikki cheers. “Yes.” I shriek joyfully lifting my lift glass in the air. “Finally.” Michelle smiles. All three of us answer Jess’ question at the same time.
“And before you know it, my best friend will start popping out the most beautiful babies ever.” Jess adds.
“Hooray,” Michelle shouts.
“I want to be an honorary aunt.” Nikki requests.
“Done deal.” I know it’s more than the champagne that’s making me this giddy. It’s the perspective of a wonderful life with the man I love.
“I’m warning you right now, I want lots of nieces and nephews.” Jess is a riot. “I can’t wait to see all those tiny cupcakes running around on that ranch of yours.”
“From your lips to God’s ears, Jess.”
“Trust me. She’s listening.” Jess flashes me a complicit look. Knowing her I wouldn’t be surprised if she found a way to get her request in front of God.
I won’t lie. I can’t think of anything I want more than to have kids with Hunter someday. That would be my ultimate happy ever after.
EPILOGUE
Hunter
Five weeks later
“Allison, can you bring out the cock sauce for my girl? I forgot it,” I throw over my shoulder as I step out into the backyard, carrying a tray of hot dog and hamburger buns.
Miranda looks at me and shakes her head.
“What? You know you want it.” I wink at her, fully aware I’m being a smart ass.
“Hunter, it’s called Sriracha. That’s the proper name for it,” Allison disputes.
“Listen, sexy blondie, there’s a rooster on the jar, right?”
“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbles. I love pulling her chain.
“Allison, answer truthfully.”
“Sure,” she says in a patronizing voice.
“Let’s try this one more time. A rooster is a cock. The rooster is printed on the jar. The jar is filled with hot sauce, therefore it’s cock sauce.” I laugh.
“It’s not like you can walk into a grocery store and ask for cock sauce.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Cut it out, Hunter.” Jake’s tone is way too jovial for him to be upset. “You’re going to get her all worked up.” Jake chuckles, reaching out for the tray I’m handing him and swapping it with a huge plate of freshly grilled veggies and a second one loaded with juicy T-bone steaks—our Angus beef, of course.
“You can thank me in the morning, buddy. Since tomorrow’s Saturday you can really milk this for the next forty-eight hours. Not sure she’ll be able to walk on Monday, though.”
Both Jake and I lose it and it’s a real balancing act for me to reach the table without dropping all the food I’m carrying.
“I heard that,” Allison yells from her kitchen.
“Hunter, stop using me as an excuse to make fun of Allison,” Miranda scolds.
“There’s nothing wrong with a little fun, sweetie,” I say to appease her.
Miranda puts her hands on her waist. “Seriously, the two of you are like five-year-old boys when you’re toget
her.”
“Do you see what I’ve had to endure until you got here, Miranda?” Allison huffs, standing at the top of the stairs with the cock sauce in one hand and mustard in the other. “At least now I have an ally. It’s no longer those two grown kids against little ol’ me.” She’s waving the condiments at us in a dramatic circular motion. Uh-oh.
“Girl, you know I’ll always have your back,” Miranda quips. “We’re at a deficit in terms on the number of women living or working on this ranch. We owe it to ourselves to stick together.”
Both Jake and I are happy Miranda and Allison get along so well. When Allison was in LA, she and Miranda didn’t have much time to get to know each other, let alone bond, because Miranda was healing. The couple of days Miranda spent here to celebrate my return to the ranch weren’t enough for those two to get to know each other, but it was a start. We know from experience that just because we’re seeing two women doesn’t guarantee they’ll be able to stand each other. It was a minor irritation when we were casually fucking, but it could’ve been disastrous considering we live with these women. They each have quite different personalities, but they mesh. It’s a good thing since Allison’s best friend Gwyn is in New York and Miranda left Jessica behind in Los Angeles. Other than Riley, Isadora and the new housekeeper, there aren’t that many women on the ranch. Our two girls have quickly become inseparable.
“You’re absolutely right. If we don’t, they’ll walk all over us.” Allison is quick to agree with my girlfriend.
“Jake, quick. We need to feed the girls before they gang up on us,” I joke.
“Don’t worry, buddy. I got this one under control.” He grins back at me. He turns to where Allison is still standing and flashes her an incredulous look. “Please, honey. Don’t even go there with me. You can hold your own,” Jake retorts. “You get a kick out of this as much as we do.”
“Whatever,” Allison says, doing her best to look unimpressed. The teasing smile on her lips is her only betrayal. She shifts her eyes towards me. “Just because you have a tattoo doesn’t make you badass, Hunter Evans.”
“Yes, it does,” Jake answers as he places the buns on the grill. “Any pussy can get a tattoo. It takes some serious cojones to get your arm inked from shoulder to wrist.” He turns around to face Allison. “Don’t forget the inside of his arm is also inked. That’s hours sitting there feeling the sting of the needle. True, it’s homage to his beloved grandmother, but still, in my book it’s fucking badass. I can take on a lot, but I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I’d have the courage to do what he did. As far as I’m concerned, Hunter’s my superhero.” Wow.
Jake has always been fascinated by my inked sleeve. That said, I’ve never heard him talk like this about my decision to live with the memory of my grandmother permanently etched on my skin for the rest of my life. He’s the one of the only people on this planet to know how fucking much this hurt when I got it done because I refused to admit it to anyone else.
“He’s mine too,” Miranda says, jumping in the conversation.
Jake turns his attention to her. “In your case he really is, sweetheart. He’s your savior in the flesh.”
“That he is.” Miranda beams at me. “And I love my savior,” she adds.
We stare at each other with that ridiculous grin we share when words can’t express how we feel.
“Okay, gang, I’m done. The buns are ready and everything else is cooked to perfection. It’s time to chow down. Honey, sit down. Miranda, you do the same. Come on, buddy.” Jake taps me on the shoulder and guides me to the table.
This has become a ritual for us since I moved back to the ranch. It’s early October, but we’re lucky enough that the weather is still holding off and we’re able to sit outside to eat. Just like LA, Fort Collins had an unseasonably warm summer that seems to stretch out. I’ve been back for two months now. Since Miranda arrived, our life together is far better than anything I ever expected. For the past five weeks, on Friday and Saturday nights, all four of us cook up a storm, eat, drink and laugh. We either meet at Jake and Allison’s place or they come over to our house. Once we polish off dessert and several bottles of booze, we usually kick back and chill until late or until one of us gets way too horny and has to drag his or her better half back home for some late-night action. For some inexplicable reason, it’s usually one of the girls who get antsy first. Trust me, neither Jake or I have anything to complain about. Watching those two transform from good girls to unabashed vixens has been an incredibly hedonistic experience. When Riley and Rick are in town the dynamic is quite different, but it’s still a lot of fun.
“I’m definitely going for these steaks first,” I cheer, reaching out for the plate in front of me. “Especially since the marinade is one of Miranda’s newest concoctions. Jake? Allison?” They both nod, extending their empty plates. “Sweetie, you get your steak first,” I say, dropping a smaller portion of her plate. “Potato salad? It’s also Miranda’s recipe,” I say proudly. Everyone nods again. “Grilled veggies?”
Miranda and Allison have been busy in the kitchen most of the afternoon while Jake and I finished our day. What they prepared looks delicious, like always.
“Well, thank you, baby.” Miranda beams, caressing my back. “I’d like to take full credit for this, but since one of my cooking classes focused on marinades and sauces, it just made sense for me to try out one of these new recipes I learned this week.”
“Are you still enjoying school?” Allison asks.
“Absolutely. It’s very different the second time around, though. Not having any financial burden makes such a difference and also I’m walking into it with only two years left, as opposed to three. And the best part is contrary to a lot of my peers, I don’t have to struggle to find a position where I can apprentice. I’m lucky enough to work for one of the top chefs in the country while I earn my culinary degree.” Every time Miranda talks about her studies, she radiates. She absolutely loves what she does.
“I guess in some strange way you have Nigel to thank,” Allison says.
“For the record, I would’ve footed the bill, but I’m thrilled Nigel Warner gets to be punished for his stupidity.” I’m fully aware of the harshness of my tone. The dramatic story might be behind us now, but I still get worked up every time I think of him.
“I totally understand about the need to protect Miranda, but the only unfortunate thing is that the predator will never know that in the end his evil actions turned into something good,” Jake says. “Nonetheless, it was a brilliant maneuver on Gary’s part.”
Gary’s one-strike-you’re-out clause means Chef Warner was stripped of his earnings—both his pay for the month of shooting and the colossal advance on his royalties based on his celebrity status. It’s amazing how quickly those attorneys worked at retrieving the funds the Food Network had transferred to Nigel. Gary decided to make Miranda’s wish come true. The network is paying for her studies at the prestigious Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Denver—the same world-class school celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse studied at. It was a little last-minute, but Gary made it happen, to Miranda’s sheer delight. By the time she moved here, the fall semester had already started two weeks prior, but Gary threw his weight around and made sure the dean reserved a spot for her. She had a lot of catching up to do, but she jumped in fearlessly.
“It was. I can’t believe that after only two months of me working there, he’d be so generous. It’s beyond anything I could’ve wished for. As for you,” Miranda says, swatting my arm, “you’ve already done so much. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“You thank me every day by waking up by my side,” I respond, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you, and you know it.”
Until her last day in LA, Miranda thought I was going to transfer her vehicle to the ranch. It was a battle to convince her to leave her little electric-blue Volkswagen Beetle in Los Angeles. As cute as it is and as adorable as she looks
behind the wheel, it’s just not a vehicle that’s adequate for Fort Collins’ rougher terrain. When I picked her up at the airport on the day the day she arrived and drove her to the ranch, I surprised her with a brand-new top-of-the-line Audi Q5 SUV in metallic moonlight blue. Of course, it’s fully loaded. She couldn’t stop jumping up and down when she found out these were her new wheels.
Her vehicle is a little roomier than Allison’s Jeep Wrangler simply because Allison tends to only drive around Fort Collins. She doesn’t need to venture further. My girl, on the other hand, has to travel back and forth to Denver when she has class. If you’re able to bypass rush hour, the trip is over an hour. When everyone else is on the road that can extend by a whole half hour. I wanted to be certain she travels in the lap of luxury. I also bought us a swanky four-bedroom condo in Denver because once a week one of her classes ends at nine o’clock at night. By the time all is said and done, she’s rarely able to get on the road before nine thirty. After a couple weeks of this, I put my foot down. Not only did it not make any sense, it was potentially dangerous for her to drive late at night. She’s usually pretty exhausted since she’s at work by six o’clock every morning without fail. I usually drive up on that day and we spend the night together. We get up early the next morning and we tailgate each other back to the ranch.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over how incredibly lucky I am to be yours.”
I love it when she says stuff like that. I lean down to kiss her, but she grabs me behind the neck, pulling me closer to her. What was supposed to be a quick peck turns into something completely different.
“Awww. Ain’t love beautiful? Don’t you agree, Ali, honey?” Jake is spreading it on thick, as usual.
“Can you not stop teasing them? You do that every time they exchange a tender moment in front of you.” Allison elbows Jake.
Intoxicated Page 14
