by E. L. Todd
“I get it.” I couldn’t say I hated him, not when he was the father of my two nieces. That gave him a pass because he used to be a great father. He was an even more loving husband. I remembered the way he used to stare at Amelia across the table when we were all together. He couldn’t care less if anyone was watching. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he loved her, once upon a time. Obviously, lust had blurred all his logic. “So, you wanna get some breakfast, or should we whip up something here?”
“It’d be nice to be a customer at Amelia’s Place for once.”
“I could go for some crispy bacon and Kauai pancakes.”
“Alright.” His hand moved to the back of my neck, and he pulled me in for a kiss. “I’ll throw some clothes on, and we’ll go.”
Dino bowed his head in silence and released a quiet moan.
Cypress chuckled. “He does this every time he knows I’m leaving.”
“He’s so smart. But we aren’t leaving you behind, Dino. You wanna come with us?”
His ears perked up, and he immediately wagged his tail.
“You’re so cute.” I kneeled down and hugged him, getting a few wet kisses in return.
Cypress watched me from his chair, grinning at me as he watched me play with our dog. His fingertips rested against his lips, and he wore a smile that reached his beautiful eyes. “I think you’re cuter.”
I left the café and headed over to Olives since Ace was there. Cypress had been stuck to me like glue lately, so it was impossible for me to do anything without him knowing about it. As I was sworn to secrecy, I had to operate in the shadows.
I walked into the restaurant and found it in full swing. Every table was filled with people having lunch. Waiters in white collared shirts with black ties moved around and served iced tea and wine to the customers. Ace wasn’t in sight, so he was probably in the back helping out in the kitchen.
I walked into the chaos of the back, where a full-time dish washer was stacking the white plates, and a waiter was looking over orders so he knew which meals to take back to his table.
Ace stood there in his slacks and collared shirt, and he sorted through the orders and handed two hot plates to the waiter so the food could get delivered faster.
“Hey, Ace.”
Ace wiped his hands on the towel before he looked at me. “What’s up, Bree? I didn’t know you were working the lunch shift.”
“I’m not. I’m at the café today.”
“Then what brings you here?”
“I want to talk about Amelia. You got a minute?”
When he tensed under my stare, knowing exactly what I wanted to talk about. “I’m kinda busy right now, Bree.”
“Well, with Cypress and Amelia always around, this is the only time I have.”
More plates of food were placed on the rack by the chef. Ace looked at the orders before he turned back to me. “Alright. Five minutes. Go.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped away from the rack so the waiters could move in and out better.
I suspected this would take longer than five minutes. “Evan said he wants to get back together.”
Instead of pure shock spreading across his face, he held the exact same expression. “I’m aware.”
“She told you?” I was surprised she told anyone besides me.
“Yeah.”
“And did she tell you she wasn’t going to go back to him?”
“Yes.” He still wore an irritated expression, caring more about the hot food waiting to be served than a possible relationship with my sister.
“And that means nothing to you?” What was I missing? “You said you were worried she would go back to Evan, but it’s obvious she’s not going to. So grow some balls and tell her how you feel.”
“Grow some balls?” he asked incredulously. “She says she won’t go back to him now, but I’m sure after a few months, she’ll change her mind.”
“Then change her mind to you.”
He continued to stare at me with indifference. “Why do you want me to make a move so badly?”
“Because I know how she feels about you.”
“Well, when I spoke to her about Evan, she said she still loved him.”
“Not in the same context.”
“And you think I want to break up a family? Trust me, I wish things were different. I wish she’d never married him in the first place. If I’d done something sooner, this wouldn’t be happening at all. But this is where we are. We both have to move on and accept it.”
“I think you’re being ridiculous.”
“And I think you need to back off, Bree. I can’t compete with Evan, and I’m not going to try.”
“That’s pathetic.”
He narrowed his eyes in hostility. “She’ll always love him more. I don’t want to settle for less than what I deserve. That’s not pathetic if you ask me.”
“It’s pathetic that you aren’t going to even try. Come on, Ace.”
“If Amelia were my wife, I wouldn’t stop until I got her back. I can guarantee you Evan is going to do the same thing. Amelia is just upset right now, but when she calms down after a few weeks, he’ll worm his way back into her heart. I already see it. I’ll get attached to her and think everything is okay, and then she’s gonna leave me for him. Not only will it hurt like hell, but it’ll ruin our friendship. There’ll be no coming back from that.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and ignored all the employees in the back kitchen as they yelled at each other to get orders going. Steam erupted from the stove, and the place smelled like rice.
“Can you honestly tell me there’s not the slightest chance she’ll take him back? I was there too, Bree. I remember what they had.”
I wanted to disagree with that statement but I couldn’t. “I guess there’s a small chance but—”
“I don’t want to get involved in something complicated. Can you really hold that against me?”
“No…”
“Then drop it, Bree. It’s never going to happen. Sometimes I think it could, but now that Evan is back, it can’t. I know they’re going to get back together. She deserves better, but I know she loves him. The girls love him. It’s just the way it is.” He dismissed the conversation before I could get another word in and walked away.
I could have grabbed his arm and kept the conversation going, but I knew I shouldn’t. Ace made great points that I couldn’t argue with. He wanted something better, to be in a relationship with a woman who didn’t love another man. He was a great guy, one of the best I knew. How could I tell him he didn’t deserve lasting happiness just like everyone else?
12
Blade
I walked down the cobblestone way and entered the courtyard where the coffee shop was located. People sat at the tables with their coffee and scones, dogs lying at their feet. My heart was beating hard in my throat, and the nerves were getting to me. I hadn’t spoken to Celeste in a while because I was purposely playing it cool.
But I was tired of playing it cool.
There wasn’t a line today, so I walked right up to the counter. A blond woman helped me, not the person I was hoping for. “What can I get you?”
“Uh…” My eyes shifted to the door that led to the back kitchen. Celeste walked through, looking stunning in black leggings and an oversize gray sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Her hair was pulled into a nice bun, and she had coffee mug earrings in her lobes.
When she noticed me, she walked up to the counter with a pretty smile on her face. “I got this, Tania.”
Her employee disappeared, and we were left alone together. “Here for your caffeine hit?”
“Yeah. But that’s not the only reason.” I purposely wore a new t-shirt that made my arms and shoulders look nice. I took more time to do my hair that morning, actually caring about someone’s opinion for once.
“The scones?” she asked playfully.
Her lips tasted like scones. “You got me.”
She filled a cup with m
edium black coffee and handed it to me. “Anything else?”
“Maybe a date tonight?” I spent every single day restraining myself from marching down here and asking her out. If I wore my heart on my sleeve, it would chase her away. Or even worse, it would bring her even closer. Both of those weren’t good outcomes.
She looked at the buttons on her register. “Hmm…not sure how much that costs.”
“Hopefully free.”
She smiled then rang me up for the coffee. “I’d love to go out with you.” She had the thickest lashes, dark and curled away from her eyes. I liked looking at them, the distinctive way they curved. She had the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen. I suddenly imagined myself on top of her in bed, my cock deep inside her as I watched every reaction she gave.
It got me hard.
I got a grip on myself. “Great. Want to get a drink at Cultura?”
“I love alcohol.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
“I’ll see you then.”
I paid for my coffee then walked away, a stupid grin on my face the entire way. When I arrived at work, they would all give me shit for it.
Like I cared.
I got to work a few minutes later and found Ace practically sleeping at his desk.
I tapped him as I walked by. “Cinderella didn’t get enough sleep last night?”
Ace sat up and rubbed his eyes. “It’s Sleeping Beauty, idiot.”
“I’m an idiot?” I asked. “I think not knowing makes me less of an idiot.”
“Well, Rose and Lily have educated me on these matters.” He eyed my coffee cup and recognized the logo on the side. “Looks like you visited your French babe today.”
“I did. We’re going out tonight.”
“Awesome. Where?”
“We’re having drinks at Cultura.”
“Interesting,” Ace said as he rested his face against his cheek. “Cypress and I were thinking of going there.”
“Not tonight,” I said. “You guys need to steer clear.”
“Why?” Ace asked. “Wouldn’t you want your friends to meet her?”
“She’s not my girlfriend and she never will be, so I don’t see the point.”
Ace rolled his eyes. “No need to be so serious, man. Let’s just hang out and get a beer.”
“It’s only my second date with her. She hardly knows me, so you think she needs to know my friends?”
“Then what do you want us to do? Ignore you from across the room?”
“Just don’t go there tonight.”
“Free country, asshole. That’s where Cypress and I are going. If you don’t like it, you can go somewhere else.” He walked out of the office just as Cypress and Bree walked inside. Cypress snatched my coffee off the table and took a drink. “Thanks, man.”
“Not for you,” I said.
“Now it is.” He dropped into his chair and kept drinking it like the behavior was perfectly normal. “Pretty good. Your French babe make this?”
“Actually, yes,” I answered.
“So you asked her out again?” Bree was in a cheerful mood that morning, reminding me of who she used to be before she lost her memory. “That’s awesome. She sounds really great.”
“Yeah, we’re going to Cultura tonight but—”
“We’re going there tonight too,” Cypress said. “Cool, we’ll get to meet her.”
“No, I was just telling Ace—”
“I wanna come too,” Bree said. “I can finally meet her in person.”
“Finally?” I asked incredulously. “Guys, I went on one date with her.”
“We can talk you up,” Cypress said. “You know, tell her how awesome you are and stuff like that.”
My eyes narrowed with annoyance. “We both know your idea of talking me up is telling her how I almost burned down Olives by accident.”
Cypress chuckled. “Yeah, I should probably tell her that story.”
“Guys, keep it cool.” I left my desk and headed to the door because I knew my day wouldn’t be productive if I stayed there. “I don’t want to chase her off before I even get her in the sack.”
“Wouldn’t you like a challenge?” Cypress said. “You even said you were getting bored of the game.”
“No, I’m definitely not bored of getting laid.” I walked out before I could hear the happy couple say anything else. I wanted to have a quiet date with Celeste, but it would be weird if I changed our plans now. I’d just have to hope for the best.
I didn’t offer to pick her up again. In a small town like this, which was only one square mile, it wasn’t customary to ask where someone lived. Just an awkward question all around. When I arrived at the restaurant, she was standing outside near the fire pit, looking beautiful in black leggings and a tight dress. Her hair was pulled out of her face, with dark makeup on her eyes. She wore red flats that contrasted against the dark colors she wore, and I assumed that must have been on purpose.
I walked up to her wearing a dark blue collared shirt and jeans, wanting to look nice but not overdo it. “Hey.”
She was looking at her phone when I approached, so she lowered it and looked at me with that beaming smile I’d come to adore. “Hey. Right on time.”
“You look nice tonight.” I looked her up and down, careful not to stare at her chest longer than necessary. I’d already snuck glances when she wasn’t looking, and I definitely liked the curve of her tits. They were perky, and I suspected they would be even more beautiful when she was naked. Ace and Cypress always told me they were ass men. I was definitely a tit kinda guy.
But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. If I thought about it too much, I would get hard. She had already felt my hard cock through my jeans, but I didn’t want to deal with a hard-on for the rest of the night.
“Thanks. You do too.” She leaned into me, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed me on the cheek.
It was classy and sexy at the time. I loved it. My arm wrapped around her waist, and I guided her into the restaurant, my cock still hard without any sign of deflating. There were a few open tables in the bar, so I guided her to one by the window. The second I sat down, I heard familiar voices.
“Yo.” Ace waved from across the room.
“Hey, what’s up?” Cypress left his chair and grabbed his beer before he joined us at the table. “Celeste, right?” He extended his hand to shake hers.
She didn’t need a moment to recover. She jumped right in. “Yeah. I’m sorry, but I don’t know you.”
“Your accent is awesome,” Cypress blurted. “I’m Cypress, Blade’s friend and business partner.”
“Oh,” she said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m sure Blade didn’t mention me because he hates how handsome I am,” Cypress said with a straight face. “But I’m married, so he doesn’t need to worry about it. Sweetheart?” He turned over his shoulder until Bree joined him. “This is my wife. Wife, this is Celeste.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening right now. Celeste probably thought I planned this ambush on purpose. I couldn’t get mad about it, so I had to keep my cool and bite my tongue.
Bree shook Celeste’s hand. “It’s Bree, not wife.”
Celeste laughed. “I was hoping that wasn’t your actual name.”
Ace came next and shook her hand. “I’m Ace. Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Celeste said politely.
Ace sat down with his beer, and Cypress and Bree did the same.
I guess that meant they were sticking around.
Once they were all seated at the table, there was a long pause of silence. Full of awkwardness, no one really knew what to say.
So I blurted something out. “I didn’t plan this.”
Celeste looked at me. “That’s okay. The more, the merrier.”
I was lucky she was being so cool about this. Not all women would go with the flow so well.
“So, you’re from Paris?” Ace asked. “That’s pretty cool.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah,” she answered. “Born and raised. Have you ever been?”
“No,” Ace answered. “I work too much.”
She chuckled. “Blade said the same thing.”
“All we know is work,” Cypress said. “You’re lucky you have a manager you can trust to look after your store while you’re gone.”
“It makes me uneasy sometimes, but it’s definitely necessary,” Celeste said. “Sometimes you need a break.”
“What’s that like?” Cypress asked with a laugh. “I was lucky to have Sunday off this week.”
“At least we spent it wisely,” Bree said.
I wished they would all disappear. They were making it so obvious that I told them everything about her. Now my heart was on display, and I couldn’t keep my cards close to my vest much longer. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll take a gin and tonic,” she said. “Thank you.”
“I got it.” Ace jumped out of his chair. “I insist.”
“In that case, I’ll take a Blue Moon,” I said.
“I’m not gonna get you shit,” Ace said. “Just the lady.” He marched to the bar and leaned against the counter.
Celeste pressed her lips tightly together, trying not to laugh.
“Aren’t my friends great?” I asked sarcastically.
“They’re pretty wonderful, actually.”
I didn’t buy that. I left the table and ordered my own beer at the bar, ignoring Ace.
“She’s cute,” Ace said. “I like her style.”
“Why do you think I asked her out?” I pulled out some cash from my wallet and set it on the counter.
“You’re lucky you beat me to the punch.” He winked before he carried the drinks back to the table. He sat down and said something funny, because everyone at the table laughed. Celeste hung out with everyone and held her ground pretty well. She was smiling and laughing with them like she wasn’t uncomfortable to be there without me. She was confident and suave every time I was with her, so maybe it was just natural for her.
I carried my beer back to the table and sat down.
