by Ali Parker
“Ugh.”
“That bad?” he chuckled.
“No.” I ran my hand over his broad shoulder. “I was just thinking about how when I’m with you, I forget about everything else. It’s nice.”
Andrew’s face softened. “It’s the same for me.”
“Yeah?” I couldn’t keep the happiness out of my voice.
“Mm-hmm,” he murmured, getting in closer to give me a light kiss.
Once again, I melted into his arms, my lips the only part of me still working.
“I kept wishing you were in bed with me,” he admitted, pulling back enough so we could look at each other.
My body tingled. “Don’t even tempt me right now.”
Andrew’s eyes shone. “The night is young. I guarantee Raven won’t be back until the stroke of midnight.” He kissed my forehead. “Come here. Get more comfortable.”
Curling my legs up on the couch, I laid my head on his shoulder. With his firm palm running up and down my arm, nothing else was needed. Simple as it was, this was the perfect night.
“What do you think about us, Lanie?”
The question surprised me, and I lifted my head to look at him. “I … like us. A lot.”
He thoughtfully nodded. “I do too. And we haven’t known each other for long.”
“Right.”
“But I like this. I want it to continue.”
I gulped. “I do too.”
“Good.” Andrew ran his thumb along my cheek. “What are you doing the Saturday after this one?”
“Um, let me see.” I pretended to think hard. “Nothing.”
He rolled his bottom lip under his teeth before smiling slightly, an action that made my mouth water. “Come to this fundraiser event with me.”
“I’d like that.”
“Great.”
“I wish I could see you again before that.”
“But?” I encouraged.
“Work.”
“Right. You own a company.” I shrugged. “I can imagine how it is.”
His brows furrowed slightly. “How much do you know about my job? I never talk about it.”
“Andrew. Come on.” I gave him a look. “It’s not that hard to find things out.”
“Hm. I guess not.”
“Plus, my friend knows who you are. She keeps up with business trends, or whatever you call it. Um, yeah, that part of the world I have absolutely zero interest in.”
“Maybe that’s one of the reasons I like you.” He playfully pinched my side.
“And maybe I like you because we never have to talk about work stuff.”
“Oh, I hope you like me for more than that.”
Before I could answer, he’d pulled me into his lap. With my legs on either side of his, I lowered my face and took a kiss. Warmth blossomed in my chest, spreading down between my legs and turning into a veritable fire.
As if he sensed the change in me, Andrew pressed his hand against the back of my neck and held me close to him. His tongue slipped between my teeth, its movements delicate and sweet.
I want this to continue. That’s what he’d said. My head spun deliriously at the thought. It was what I’d been wanting. I hadn’t allowed myself to get my hopes up, though. I’d done that so many times, only to be disappointed when a romance didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
But sitting here in Andrew’s lap, feeling safe and desired, I became tired of not getting those hopes up. Let them rise as far as they could go. I wanted to believe again, the way I had years before when everything in the world seemed possible.
Great love stories might not happen all the time, but didn’t they every once in a while? And wasn’t there a chance, however slight, that mine and Andrew’s could be one of them?
I arched my back, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him with my whole body and heart.
Andrew’s hands went lower, pushing their way up under my shirt.
The jingling of a lock cut through the air. In an instant, I was off Andrew’s lap and sitting back next to him.
Nearby, the front door slammed. “I forgot my purse!” Raven called.
Andrew, eyes downcast, rubbed his mouth. “All right. Be safe!”
The door closed again, and a heavy moment passed. Mine and Andrew’s guilty gazes slid over to each other. At the same time, we grinned.
“Did that ruin the mood?” he asked.
“Ruin the mood of wanting you?” I shook my head. “I don’t think anything could do that.”
“Good. Get your sexy self over here.”
Within a breath, I was back in his lap.
Yes, this was unquestionably something worth getting my hopes up for.
Chapter 22
Lanie
“Is that you, Lanie?” Mom called as I closed the front door behind me.
“Yeah!” I hung my jean jacket up and made my way through the house, following the spicy-sweet scent in the air. As expected, my mom was in the kitchen. As I entered, she pulled a baking sheet of cookies from the oven and set them on the stove top.
“Those look good,” I commented, leaning against the kitchen island.
“They’re for the library bake sale tomorrow. I thought we could ice them.” She turned to me, and her eyes went wide. “That’s not what you’re wearing, is it?”
I looked down at my jeans, ankle boots, and sweater. “Uh, to the bake sale? Isn’t that tomorrow?”
Mom pursed her lips. The oven mitt hit the counter with a grand display of annoyance. “To your father’s event.”
“What?” Realization, come days too late, struck. “Crap. That’s tonight?”
“Yes. I hope you’re going home and changing.”
“Mom, I forgot. I have plans.”
She studied me. “What kind of plans?”
“Plans with Andrew.”
“Lanie—”
“Mom, don’t.”
“You’re still seeing him?”
“It’s going super well.”
“Oh, yes? Has he found a secret serum that will help him become younger?”
“Very funny. You should consider going into stand-up.”
“You still haven’t told your father, I assume.”
I directed my focus at the bowl of fruit on the counter, unable to meet her eyes. “Um, no.”
And I didn’t have any plans to tell my dad about Andrew and me. I would have to one day, though. Even though I hadn’t seen Andrew since the dinner at his house, due to it being a busy week for him, we’d spoken almost nonstop. A few nights, after he’d finally finished for the day, we lay in our beds and video chatted. It almost felt like we were in the same room. Almost.
But tonight, we really would be. It was the night of his fundraiser event, and I’d been tingling with anticipation all day.
“Come to your father’s thing.” Her back was to me, her hands busy in the fridge. “You know how much it will mean to him. He’s been so busy lately.”
“Yeah,” I conceded.
It was true. Part of the reason I’d sympathized with Raven from the beginning was that I understood the pains of having a father who worked all the time. Even as an adult, my dad’s busy schedule got to me. It had been weeks since I’d last seen him.
“I’m sure this Andrew man will understand,” Mom went on.
I winced at her calling him “this Andrew man” but decided to ignore it. “I’ll go. I do want to see Dad. And I have a dress in the car. I was going to change here for Andrew’s thing.”
“Wonderful.” Mom turned to me, her face aglow. “We’re leaving in a couple of hours.”
“What is this again?”
Her hand fluttered. “Oh, honey, I don’t know. I can never keep up with your father’s projects. Some work thing.”
“Okay.” I laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
Snatching my denim jacket from the hook, I went back onto the front porch and made the call. With each ring, my heart sank further. I hated feeling like I was choosing betwe
en my father and Andrew, but maybe Andrew and I could see each other tomorrow?
“I was just thinking about you,” came the deep, smooth voice over the line.
“Hello to you too.” I laughed, deciding to launch into it. “Hey, I um, I can’t come tonight. I’m so sorry. My dad has this thing I forgot all about, and I haven’t seen him in weeks. I think it’s important that I go. But I am sorry. I want to see you so badly”
“Lanie, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
I nervously twisted a button on my jacket. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Am I disappointed? Of course. But I’ll see if Raven wants to come. I haven’t seen her much this week either, and it’ll be a family-friendly event.”
I let out a relieved exhale. “Okay. Good.”
“Do you have plans after the event?”
“After?” I repeated, confused. “Um, it’ll be pretty late, so I think I’ll go home.”
“Come to me, instead. My house.” It was a demand, not a question, and it made my breath catch.
“Okay,” I drunkenly whispered.
“You’ll have to sneak in. As long as that’s okay.”
“That’s fine by me.” I giggled.
“Good.” I could almost hear his smile. “Text me as soon as you’re done. I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.”
“See you soon, baby.”
It was the first time he’d called me that, and something about it was too endearing to handle. “See you soon,” I repeated, my heart so full all the good feelings spilled out of it.
We hung up, and I sat there grinning at the autumn leaves. Life just kept getting better and better.
The black, slinky dress with a slit up the leg looked so good on me, it was a shame Andrew wasn’t there to see it. As I did a makeup check before getting out of the car, though, I reminded myself that he would soon be taking the dress off me. That one action would make up for the hours we’d be apart this evening.
“Ready?” Dad asked, climbing from the car and taking Mom’s hand. His gaze drifted between the two of us. “Just look at these fine ladies. How did I get this lucky?”
“Stop it.” Mom nudged his shoulder with hers.
“You look great too, Dad,” I promised him. He gave me an appreciative smile, and I was instantly glad I’d chosen to come tonight. There was room for everyone in my life. Like Andrew, I needed to make careful time management a priority.
The venue was a historic mansion with a massive front yard. At the door, a coat check took the wool coat I’d borrowed from my mom, and I followed my parents into what could only have been built to be a ballroom of some sort. People dressed in finery milled around, expensive jewels dripping from the women’s necks.
Was the event Andrew was at like this? I imagined so. In some ways, he and my father were very alike. They ran in those upscale, money-infested circles that I cared nothing about. Give me a cozy apartment and a job raising kids’ self-esteem. What else, other than a hot boyfriend, did I need?
Thinking about the hot boyfriend part, I took a seat at the circular table my dad led us to.
“You’re smiling a lot,” Mom commented.
“Am I?”
She gave me a knowing look, but, thankfully, didn’t mention Andrew. “Your father is thrilled you’re here. Cohosting this is a big thing for him.”
“I’m glad I’m here too.” I looked over at my dad, who had half-disappeared in a sea of people.
“Janice. Elizabeth. How are you doing?” I looked up to see a smiling, balding man. He seemed half-familiar, but I couldn’t tell from where.
“Nice to see you, Bernard.” Mom smiled.
“It is Elizabeth, right?” the man asked me. “I apologize if I got it wrong. I haven’t seen you since you were little.”
“That’s all right.” I smiled. “And yes, that’s my name. But everyone calls me Lanie. My middle name is Helena.”
“Lanie,” he tested out. “Yes. I remember now. Well, it’s so nice to see you here. I’m going to make the rounds. Hopefully, I’ll see you before the night is over.”
“Isn’t this fun?” Mom asked once Bernard had departed.
I nodded. Since a waiter had arrived and poured me a glass of wine, yes, I could agree it was indeed fun.
“No one has called me Elizabeth in years,” I commented.
Mom shrugged. “Oh, your father’s friends. You know.”
I waited for more.
“He’s so busy,” she explained.
“Yeah,” I nodded. What she meant was that it often felt like Dad lived in a world separate from ours. One of lunch meetings and last-minute flights to the east coast. For not the first time, I wondered if my mom was lonely.
I looked down at my lap, thinking about Andrew again. I didn’t want life for him and Raven to be like it had been for my dad and me. Things looked good, though. He and Raven both seemed happy.
And, heaven knew, I was.
I wanted to check my phone to see if he’d texted me, but I resisted the urge. Soon.
In just a few hours, we’d be in each other’s arms again. The beginning of a golden age. That’s what it felt like when I thought about us.
“Lanie, I want you to meet someone.” I looked up, seeing my dad had arrived back at the table. “This is one of my closest friends. He’s cohosting tonight. Andrew, this is Lanie.”
Dad stepped to the side, and then I saw who was right there with him. Deep, expressive eyes. Firm jaw. The lips I knew as well as I did my own.
No.
Andrew’s mouth fell open, and everything around him blurred. It was as if we were in a tunnel, being sucked away from the rest of the world.
Dad clapped his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. The camaraderie there couldn’t be missed. “Andrew’s wanted to meet you for years. Isn’t that right?”
He glanced at Andrew, but the man standing next to my father looked as speechless as I felt. Our eyes locked, and so many questions hovered there.
But greater than the questions was the pain.
Andrew was my father’s close friend.
Thirty seconds ago, I’d been looking forward to our future together. And now I stared at the painful end.
Chapter 23
Lanie
I opened my mouth, searching for air, but finding none. I’d been reduced to a frantically gulping fish. All I could do was stare at Andrew as the world around us turned apocalyptic.
Andrew stared back, his face pale and his features tight.
“How have you never met before?” my mother asked from next to me, her voice sounding miles away.
I kept my eyes on Andrew, too aware of the pounding in my ears. Did we say something? As in the truth?
I gulped, squeezing the sides of my chair. What would my parents say once they found out the man I was seeing was none other than my dad’s long-time friend?
Andrew cleared his throat, his eyes quickly jumping to my mother. “I honestly don’t know. It’s crazy.” Again, his gaze slid over to me, the tension in his shoulders unmistakable. “You don’t go by Elizabeth.”
He made it sound like an accusation.
“No,” my numb tongue responded. “Helena is my middle name, so, you know, Lanie.”
Andrew’s chest rose sharply with an inhale. “Right. It’s very nice.”
So we’re not going to say anything? I internally screamed. Are we just going to act like we don’t know each other?
Was that for the best? Or was Andrew staying mum because revealing our relationship would be too shameful?
“Andrew was kind enough to cohost tonight,” Dad said. His hand was on Andrew’s shoulder again, in the same spot that I’d come to love resting my own fingers. “Are you ready for the speech, Andrew? It’s in five minutes.” Dad laughed like he’d made some kind of joke.
Andrew’s throat worked up and down. “I should be fine.”
“Dad?” a familiar voice asked.
The hair on the back of my neck sto
od up as Raven approached, arms folded across her chest. That’s right. I’d completely forgotten Andrew was bringing Raven in my place to his event tonight, the event, it turned out, that was also my father’s.
My head spun, and I took a hasty drink of water.
Raven’s eyes went wide at the sight of me. “Miss Jacobs?”
My parents and Andrew all looked my way.
“You know each other?” Mom asked.
Over Raven’s shoulder, I quickly caught Andrew’s gaze. He still looked like a statue, his face flat, the only sign of life the desperation in his eyes.
Tell me about it, I wanted to say.
“She’s my school counselor,” Raven said, frowning, probably offended no one had thought to share this information yet.
“Right,” I smiled. “I know Raven from school.”
I looked Andrew’s way again, silently trying to ask him what we should do. My mom knew I was seeing an older guy, but until this moment, neither one of us knew that older guy was, in fact, my dad’s friend. And Dad himself? As Mom liked to put it, if he found I was so much as hanging out with a man in his forties, he would “freak out.”
But if Andrew was willing to bite the bullet and spill the news, then so was I. I’d been terrified of telling my father I was seeing an older guy, and this new revelation that Dad hung out with said older guy brought the stakes up a whole new level. There was no telling how my parents would react now.
But with Andrew standing by my side, it couldn’t be that bad. No matter what my parents said, at least I’d have him for comfort.
I lifted my chin, hoping my gaze somehow emoted all of this.
Without warning, Andrew turned away, putting his back to me. My heart dropped into my stomach and through the very floorboards, continuing until it left the planet.
“We should get up there,” he told Dad. “Raven, honey, take a seat.”
Without so much as a glance my way, Andrew left, Dad right behind him. Heat I’d never known filled my face, and I looked down at my wine glass. Had Andrew just snubbed me?
“Is it okay if I sit here?” Raven asked. “It’s a bunch of old people at my table.”
