by Caitlyn Blue
He sets his forehead against mine and peers at me. “Are you sure you have to rush off?”
“Maybe I have a couple more minutes.”
An hour later, I’m humming as I enter the house. It’s too late for Brynn or Sarah to still be home, but Gabby is in the living room watching cartoons and eating cereal.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
“The cat of which you speak is sleeping on the couch next to you and could not possibly have dragged me in.”
“You’re in a good mood.” Gabby grins at me. “Seems like morning sex does a girl good.”
My mouth drops open as I form a protest, but then I take in Gabby’s keen regard and grin instead. “You got me. Any coffee left?”
“I just made another pot. Hurry, get yourself a cup and then come tell me all about it.”
It takes me a couple extra minutes because I toast some bread and slather on peanut butter. Gabby has Pewter on her lap when I return. The kitten is on his back, eyes closed in expressive pleasure as Gabby runs her fingers from his chin to his belly and back. I start my story around a bite of toast and watch as her expression transforms from appalled to wistful as I tell her about the store closing, how Zach came to dinner with my parents, and finally the night I’d spent with him.
“Are you two dating then?” Gabby asks, raising her voice to be heard over Pewter’s purring.
My stomach clenches at her question, clearly demonstrating that I have no idea what’s going on, but I try to sound casual as I say, “I don’t know if we’ve defined it.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Do you want to date him?”
“Yes?” Obviously I’m afraid Zach and I have different ideas about what’s going on between us.
“What’s stopping you from saying a definitive yes?”
“Where do I start?” I blow out a breath while I sort through every doubt that’s spinning in my brain. “You were the one who told me he’s a player.”
“I also mentioned that seems to have slowed down in the last year. Maybe he’s ready to settle down with just one woman.”
“And then there’s the question of whether I’m ready to settle down with just one man.”
“Next.” She dismisses my comment with a dry snort.
I make a face. “Is it cowardly of me to prepare for the worst in order to not get hurt?”
“I think we all do that. But do you want to see where things go with him?”
“So much.” I grip my coffee mug hard enough to crack it. “I’ve had a crush on him since high school.”
“While Julie was dating him?”
Her question makes me grimace. “I saw him first.” Even after all these years I still sound pathetic. “He was in my speech class. We were paired up for a project, and when he drove me home so we could work on it, he met Julie for the first time. She was more age-appropriate.” As well as being prettier and more popular. “But she knew how I felt about him and used to tease me about it.”
“So, how does Julie feel about you dating him now?”
“We’re not dating,” I remind her, striving to sound cool while my stomach is doing back flips. How would Julie react to Zach and me getting together? Even if nothing comes of it, he was her first love and she’s oddly territorial about him. “And she’d never believe he’d be interested in me.”
“But he is.”
I nod and it’s an effort to keep a wide grin from forming. Even if it’s only for a little while, and only about enjoying the chemistry between us, Zach is definitely into me. And it’s fucking amazing.
Gabby cocks her head and her brows draw together. “She didn’t look too happy that night you guys came to Coastal Vibe.”
“What are you talking about?” I think back to that night. If anyone was annoyed, it was me. “She was perfectly fine.”
“By the time you two showed up, sure. But she and Paul were arguing before you got there.”
“I’m sure that had nothing to do with Zach and me. This wedding has been nothing but stressful for everyone involved. She gets mad at Paul for not contributing his opinion or not wanting to decide about stuff, and then when he does tell her he wants something, she refuses to consider it.”
“Your sister has been planning her wedding since high school.”
For some reason, Gabby’s words send a chill through me. “You mean college.”
High school is when she met Zach. Could Julie have imagined herself married to him? No, that’s crazy. She was too young. And yet…would Julie have married Zach if he hadn’t cheated on her?
Suddenly, my sister’s future looks completely different. It’s her and Zach exchanging vows in front of all our friends and family. They’re the ones having babies, buying their dream home and hosting barbecues in their backyard. And me, standing off to one side, aching to be with a man I can never have. He might not be marrying Julie, but there’s no reason to think he’d pick me instead. Am I a fool to take this shot with Zach when my heart is at risk?
“Emma?” Gabby’s voice brings me back. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. Just a little tired.” I put on a wicked smile to hide my sudden panic. “Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” A wave of exhaustion sweeps over me. “You don’t think that Julie will make a big thing that I’m seeing Zach, do you? I mean, it’s not like we’re involved or anything. We’re just having fun. A wedding hook-up.”
But that isn’t all I want to happen. I think about all the times Julie has criticized the women Zach has dated. Is that why I treated Zach like a friend last night and kept my distance? Had I sensed that Julie wouldn’t be happy to learn how much time Zach and I are spending together?
“Sure, if that’s all it is,” Gabby says, but she looks doubtful.
“I just can’t imagine it going anywhere.” Although that’s not really true. I have a great imagination where Zach is concerned. Unfortunately, dreaming about him has never lead to anywhere but heartache. “We’re just having fun.”
“I think you need to do whatever makes you happy,” Gabby says. “But hiding your relationship—or whatever it is—from your sister is only going to blow up when she finds out from someone besides you.”
“So, what I’m hearing from you is that I need to be an adult about this.”
“Pretty much.”
“Great,” I grumble. “Maybe Zach and I should talk before I say anything. It seems like we should maybe define what we’re doing before we go telling everybody about it.”
And that is not a conversation I’m looking forward to having.
21
Zach
I’m surprised and pleased when my phone rings a couple hours after Emma leaves my place, and it’s her. We’d agreed to catch up in a few days. I don’t know about her, but I’m trying to play it casual. It’s not normal for me to want to connect with someone minutes after they’ve walked out of my front door. By the time I’d showered and eaten breakfast, I’d thought of four different things I wanted to share with her.
“What’s up?” I sound cool despite the way my heart is thumping. This girl has definitely gotten under my skin.
“I’ve been thinking…”
I give her space to finish her thought, but after way too much silence, I check the display on my phone. The call’s still connected, but I’m not hearing anything. “You still there?”
Still nothing and I’m gripped by curiosity. What did I hear in her voice? Anxiety? Reluctance? Has something new developed with the store? I hang up and dial her number.
“We had a bad connection.”
“Oh.” She gives a little laugh. “I wondered what was going on when you didn’t say anything. How much did you hear?”
“You said, ‘I’ve been thinking,’ and then dead air.”
“I think we should let everyone know we’ve been seeing each other. Not that we’re dating or anything,” she rushes to explain. “But just that we are together sometimes…socially.”
She’s trying to say sleeping together
without actually saying it. It’s kind of cute that she’s suddenly gone all good girl considering some of the wicked suggestions she murmured in my ear last night.
“You don’t think everyone’s figured that out?”
“No.” She sounds appalled. “Why would they?”
“You spent the night at my place. Your cousins have to be wondering what’s going on.”
“Okay, yes, they know. Which is why I think I need to tell Julie.”
“She’s your sister. I get it.” Only I don’t. I’m coming to realize this is the person she’s most worried about finding out. What’s the big deal? Unless she’s ashamed of what we’re doing and wants to put some sort of spin on it. “What are you planning on telling her?”
“I’m not going into a lot of details.”
“About the sex or…?”
“I’m certainly not going to trade war stories with my sister about how you are in bed.”
There’s a long pause while both of us let that sink in, and then I say, “There won’t be much to compare. I was not at my best in high school.”
“Maybe not, but I bet you were just as memorable.”
“So I’m memorable.”
“How big is your head right now?”
“Depends on which head you’re asking about.” I’m smiling at her disgusted snort. “Both are feeling mildly inflated.”
“I’m worried that Julie won’t be happy that I’m seeing you.”
“I think that’s a stretch. Your sister is marrying Paul and can’t think about anything else. But I get that you want to be up front with her. She’s never been one who likes being outside the loop on anything.”
“Exactly,” she says. “So I’m going to tell her that you and I are having fun.”
“Is fun a euphemism for sex?”
“Not always. But in this case, yes.”
“I thought dessert was our word for sex.”
“It is, but I can’t tell my sister you and I are having dessert.”
“Lots and lots of dessert.”
“Not lots of dessert.” Her tone has gone stern.
“We had three helpings last night.”
She continues the conversation as if I hadn’t sidetracked her. “She won’t get the dessert reference at all.”
“When are you going to tell her?”
A pause. “In the next couple days.”
“You’d better make it before the anniversary party at Evolution Brewery because she might be too preoccupied with her wedding stuff to pick up on our vibe, but I can’t guarantee she’ll be the only one.”
“We have a vibe?”
“It’s the way you look at me like I’m a giant popsicle that you can’t wait to lick all over.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
And before I can say another word, I’m listening to dead air. The smile on my face lingers for a minute, and then the core of the conversation sinks in. She sees our relationship as strictly sexual and assumes that’s my opinion as well. I guess that makes sense. We’ve been having a lot of dessert. Dessert is great. And if I want to continue this metaphor, in the past that’s all I’ve really been interested in because my business and my friends make up the healthy, nutritional part of my life. I might be able to skip dessert, even live without it for long periods of time, but I never miss a satisfying meal.
So, I guess I need to decide whether Emma is the sweet surprise at the end of the meal or something that will sustain me morning, noon, and night.
At five, I knock off and head to Paul’s brewery. On Friday nights, food trucks set up in the parking lot and offer dinner options for the brewery’s customers. Tonight, I’m delighted to see the Tapas Chicks truck. Before I head into the brewery, I get an order of chorizo filled dates wrapped in bacon.
As usual for a Friday night, the place is hopping. I look around for Paul, but he’s not behind the bar as usual. Instead, I see Jayce Kelly, Paul’s backer, working his way up and down the long bar with the ease of a guy who’s been a bartender all his life. Jayce is a bit of a puzzle. His father is worth nearly a billion dollars, but the way Jayce talks makes it sound as if he misses a couple paychecks, his car will get repossessed. I asked him about it once and he explained that he didn’t like the way people behaved when they found out about his family’s money. So, he goes by his mom’s maiden name and keeps a low profile.
Clad in worn jeans and a faded plaid shirt, he shoots me a broad grin. “Hey, Zach, what’s up?”
“I was looking for Paul. Is he around?”
“No, he had to go pick his sister up at the airport.” Amusement glints in Jayce’s clear hazel eyes. “He wasn’t real happy about it.”
“I thought they’d be back by now.” Of course she has to go through customs, and knowing Riley, she probably has something questionable stashed in her bags.
“So, what’s she like?” Jayce asks. “Paul says she’s only come home from Paris twice the entire five years she’s been working there.”
“How to describe Riley,” I muse. “Trouble with a capital T. She likes drama and tends to stir up more than her fair share of it.” It sounds like I don’t like her, but that’s not the case. She’s fun and outrageous. That’s not everybody’s cup of tea.
Jayce’s grin broadens at my description. “She sounds like a wildcat.”
“Hellcat is more like it.” Because I know Jayce is a big boy and fully capable of dealing with the consequences of his mistakes, I shelve any further warnings. “Did he give you any idea what time he’d be back?”
“He thought by six. He has to run Riley home before coming back here.”
“She’s staying with him?” I polish off the last of my tapas and check to see how long the line is at the food truck. It’s over a dozen people deep.
“Temporarily. Until she finds a place to stay.”
I wince as I picture how that conversation must have gone. Put those two in a room together and you’re bound to see fur flying. “Julie is not going to be happy.”
“You all spend too much time worrying about how Julie feels.”
Truer words were never spoken. “She’s a great gal, but a bit high-strung.”
“I’ve noticed that. You guys all tiptoe around her.” Jayce shakes his head in disgust. “And it’s gotten worse since she got engaged.”
“I think we do it for Paul’s sake. He’s a great guy and deserves to be happy.”
“He does.”
Jayce and Paul have known each other for four years and been business partners for three, but until Paul asked the guy to be in his wedding, Jayce only knew Julie from the few times they’d met at the brewery. She thinks he’s just someone who helps Paul behind the bar from time to time.
There’s a reason why Jayce dresses and acts the way he does. He likes his anonymity. Says that people treat him differently after they find out how much he’s worth. I think it amuses him when it’s presumed he’s unsuccessful based on how he appears. All you need to do is have a conversation with the man to realize just how brilliant he is.
I’m the only one who knows that Jayce backed Paul when he first opened the brewery because I’d introduced them. I originally met Jayce through a client of mine. If the guy wants to keep a low profile, who am I to judge?
“Paul said you’ve been spending a lot of time with Julie’s sister.”
“She’s the maid of honor.” Did I just make an excuse for why we’re hanging out? “We’re planning a combined bachelor/bachelorette getaway.”
“I heard. Puerto Rico. Sounds like fun.” Something catches Jayce’s eye near the front door and a lopsided smile appears on his face. “Speaking of fun, here comes Paul and Riley.”
I follow the direction of his gaze and spot a skinny blonde with smoky eye makeup and scarlet lipstick. She’s wearing an oversized black hoodie that mostly conceals a pair of thigh-baring denim shorts. On her feet are platform ankle boots that easily add six inches to her height.
I bite back a grin at Paul’s wo
eful expression and murmur, “Here we go.”
“It is so fucking cold in this city,” she complains to her disgruntled brother as she approaches the bar. “I don’t know how you stand it. Shit, I need a drink.” She fixes Jayce with a heavy-lidded stare, sizing him up. At six feet, two inches, Jayce is a lot to look at and Riley takes her time. “Got a decent cab back there?”
Jayce looks thunderstruck and I don’t think it’s because she just asked him for a glass of wine. I guess if I didn’t know her, I might be a bit overwhelmed by meeting hurricane Riley for the first time, too.
“For fuck’s sake, Riley,” Paul shouts. “It’s a brewery.” Since he’s not usually one to swear in his place of business, it’s pretty obvious Riley has gnawed through his last nerve. “Have a beer.”
Riley pushes back the hood of her sweatshirt, revealing long wavy strands of pale gold. “Hey, Zach,” she purrs, giving me the once over. “You look great.”
“You, too,” I say, but her attention has already swiveled to Jayce.
“What’s your name?”
“Jayce.”
“What’s good here, Jayce?” She lingers over his name as if she likes the taste of it on her tongue.
“I’m partial to the Sunset IPA.” He leans his forearm on the counter and captures her gaze. “It’s full-bodied with a citrus aroma and a little spice from the rye.”
“You like ‘em full-bodied?” Riley asks, building anticipation as she slowly slides down the hoodie’s zipper. Beneath it she’s wearing a low-cut white tank that shows off her cleavage.
Jayce nods. “And a little spicy.”
The way they’ve locked eyes, it’s as if everyone in the room has faded away and it’s just the two of them.
Her red lips part in a wicked grin. “You and I are going to get along just fine. I’ll take one of those.”
“How long are you going to be in town?” I ask as soon as Jayce begins to fill a glass for her, pretending she and I hadn’t already talked on the phone and ignoring that I’d paid for her plane ticket.
“Not sure yet.” She rolls her eyes. “It depends on how long I can stand living with Julie and this one.” She gestures over her shoulder at Paul. “If things get too bad, maybe I can move in with you.”
