“Number three, roller-skate in Venice Beach.” Her eyes met mine, and I nodded. She smiled and continued. “Tour Napa.” Again I nodded. “Go to Mann’s Chinese Theatre.”
I held up a hand. “It’s now known as TCL Chinese Theatre, but yes, we can do that.”
“Great.” Her smile grew. “Go to the Santa Monica Pier and ride the Ferris wheel.” When she looked up at me, her eyes were wide and childlike. “That’s one I really want to do.”
“Then we’ll do it. So far your list is doable. Is there more?” My question was rhetorical, but she answered with a smile.
“Oh, here’s one that you can do for sure.” She looked at me with the most gorgeous smile that shone brighter than the flames in the fireplace. “Can you teach me how to surf, surfer boy?”
Just picturing Gretchen in a wetsuit made my dick twitch. I needed to calm down before I embarrassed myself.
“Yes, it would be my pleasure to ride a wave with you.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
She winked at me and I shifted in my seat, needing to move this along.
“Next?”
“See the Golden Gate Bridge.” Before I could answer, she looked at me. “Can we do that when we drive the coast?”
“Sure thing.” I’d take her to the North Pole if it made her happy.
“Have sex on the beach.” She looked up at me, her eyes as wide as saucers.
My pants tightened and my heart stuttered, just like my voice would do if I tried to speak.
“I’m sorry,” she said when I didn’t respond. “It’s something I always dreamed of.” She closed the book and set it on the floor in front of her, then picked up her glass.
Knowing she felt uncomfortable about her last item on the list, I thought I’d help her out. “So, surfing. The water will be cold, so how about we go to the surf shop and get you a wetsuit. It’ll help.”
“Really? Can we go tomorrow?”
Her enthusiasm made me chuckle. “Yes, I’ll pick you up. But I should get going.”
We both stood and walked to the front door.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said. “I’m so glad you came over.”
She wrapped her arms around me to pull me close, and her scent invaded my senses. Shampoo or perfume, I wasn’t sure which, but I loved whatever it was.
“It was great to see you, Gretch. I’ll call you in the morning.” I kissed her on the cheek and headed home for a dream-filled sleep.
* * *
The sound of my phone buzzing screwed me out of a couple more hours of rest. I groaned as I answered Spencer’s call.
“This better be important.” I glanced at the clock to find it was only seven a.m.
A chuckle reverberated through the receiver. “Thought we were hitting the waves. Where the hell are you?”
I scrunched my eyes closed. “Spence, I didn’t set my alarm. Sorry, man. I was with Gretch last night and—”
“Say no more. I don’t need to hear about your sex life. She isn’t still there, is she?”
For some reason I glanced to my left, knowing full well I was alone. “No, I told you we aren’t like that; we’re just friends. She just got to LA and I’m the only one she knows. I’ve told you all this. Actually, I’m going to see her soon, so I do need to get up. Sorry about standing you up.”
“Hold up. I want to meet her.”
I let out a breath, knowing Spencer would make a play for her, even though I’d warned him not to. Gretchen was perfect for him. No, she was just perfect. Maybe she’d like him, and I wasn’t going to stand in the way of her happiness.
“Yeah, okay. Why don’t we hit up Jamz later for a drink and I’ll introduce you.”
“Sounds like a plan. I gotta go; the guys are taking all the good ones. Wish you were here, buddy. I’ll talk to you later.”
* * *
Walking into my favorite club with Gretchen by my side made me aware how her brothers must feel when they were with her. Men seated at tables, alone or not, were checking her out. Not that I blamed them, because she looked amazing. In the jeans and top she had on, although just a super-casual lavender T-shirt, she looked like a runway model.
“This is a cool place.” Her honey-blond curls bounced on her shoulders as her head moved from side to side while she took in the ambience. “The music is great too. I love it here.” She rolled up on the balls of her feet and gave me a swift kiss on my cheek.
Spencer called out my name and waved us over to his booth. I had told Gretchen she’d be meeting a friend of mine. However, I might have omitted why he was so enthusiastic to meet her.
“Hey, buddy.” Spence shook my hand, but his eyes were drawn to Gretchen.
I wasn’t surprised.
“Spencer Donovan, this is Gretchen Prescott.” I motioned between them. “Gretch, this is Spencer.”
She smiled and held out her dainty hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
When he kissed the back of her hand, I wanted to swat the back of his head.
“Welcome to California. I’ve heard a lot about you from this clown.” Spencer motioned to me with his thumb.
“Hey there.” A sultry voice interrupted our banter. “Can I get you something?” The waitress licked her lips and focused on Spencer and me, totally ignoring Gretchen.
“Gretch?”
“I’d love a margarita, please.”
Spence and I ordered beer for us, and after a wink directed at me, our waitress sauntered away.
“She had so much Botox, I’m surprised her eyelids even worked.” Gretchen’s comment made us laugh.
After Botox Blondie brought us our drinks, our conversation flowed. Spence asked her about her job, which sounded complicated, yet with the way Gretchen had set up her contracts, she didn’t lose her independence. She loved being freelance with the option of accepting a deal of her liking.
“Who’s the client you’re working with?” Spencer took a sip of his beer.
“Jonas West.”
Gretchen had said it nonchalantly, yet my mouth went slack. “The sports agent? That Jonas West?” All I could think was please say no.
“That’s the one. You know him?” She took a sip of her drink.
Did I know him? He was a cocky son of a bitch.
“You could say that.” Before I could elaborate, a familiar voice chimed in.
“Hey, stranger.”
Amber. Shit.
Lucky for me, her eyes went to Spencer’s rather than mine.
“Hi, Spence. Who’s your friend?”
Spencer smiled. He’d always had a thing for Amber but knew our history, so he’d never made a play for her. “She’s actually Mason’s friend from Virginia.”
“Oh my God. Are you Gretchen? I’ve heard so much about you.” Amber slid into the booth next to Spencer and across from Gretchen.
“I’m at a definite disadvantage. I don’t know who you are or what you’ve heard, but if it’s all good, then we’re cool.” Gretchen smiled, and Amber did the same.
“Mason has mentioned you once or twice, and believe me, it’s been all good.” Amber’s gaze flicked toward me.
My heart slammed against my ribs. It could be because my former fuck buddy was sitting across from a woman I wanted to get to know better. What would Gretchen think of me if she knew?
“Well, this guy here is one of the best.” Gretchen nudged me, and her hand rested on my forearm that was on the table, sending a wave of pleasure through me.
“That he is.” Amber winked, and the slamming in my chest ceased and was replaced with fear. What was she doing?
“How about a dance?” Spencer stood and held his hand out to Gretchen.
Gretchen placed her hand in his as she stood. Spencer’s hand went to the small of her back as he guided her to the dance floor.
My friends had all gone insane. All I could do was stare at them with a lump in my throat.
“She’s cute.” Amber looked at them and back to me.
“Very. What’s new with you?” I needed to distract my thoughts from Spencer’s arms around Gretchen.
“Just waiting for Donny and saw you sitting here.” She took a sip of her pink drink before setting it down. “I can understand what you see in her.” Amber glanced at Gretchen, who was in Spencer’s arms on the dance floor. “Have you told her how you feel yet?”
“Nope.” I glanced at Gretchen before looking back at Amber. “She’s not ready yet, and I don’t want to push her. Not only will she end up not liking me, but I’ll also hate myself.”
“You’d better clue Spencer in, because he looks like he’s making his move.”
She was right. Even though my so-called best friend knew how I felt about her, his hands began to roam a bit too low on Gretchen’s ass. He wasn’t fooling me. This was his way for me to admit how much I wanted Gretchen all to myself. A man approached us, kissed Amber, and held out his hand to me.
“Hi, I’m Donny, and you are?”
“Mason.” We shook hands. “Please excuse me for a minute.”
I slid out of the booth and weaved my way to the dance floor where the song still had a beat, but it was a bit slower. Before Spencer sent me over the edge with his tightening hold on Gretchen, I tapped him on the shoulder.
“I’m cutting in.” After a nod and a what took you so long look, he stepped aside.
Gretchen looked up at me with a genuine smile. Once she was in my arms, I let out a breath and kissed the top of her head.
She leaned back. “Where’s Amber?”
“With her boyfriend.”
No more talking. I pulled her close to me, wrapping one of her hands in mine and resting my other hand on the small of her back. Our chests were firmly pressed together. There was no hiding how I felt for her; my pounding heartbeat was a dead giveaway. The problem was, I wasn’t ready to disclose that, so I took a half step back.
“Spencer seems nice.” She looked up at me. The small spotlights above the dance floor made her eyes twinkle.
“Yes, he’s a great guy. Are you having fun?”
She nodded. “I am, but I’m getting tired. I don’t think my body is on West Coast time yet. Even though I’ve been here several days, I can’t seem to catch up.”
“Then let’s get you home.”
CHAPTER 13
~ Gretchen ~
Work was moving along at the perfect pace. Thankfully, this job wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, and I wasn’t hit with any bizarre requests. I’d run another test, and all the pages and links were updated with new information and photos just as I’d intended. This site would need maintenance, of course, but that would be a piece of cake, even for a novice.
I devised a plan for Jonas to have direct access to the working site so he could leave me real-time notes. This would keep his cost down while maintaining the integrity of the website.
At the rate I was going, I’d be done within two weeks, if not sooner. Naturally, Jonas had the final say in that, but there was no reason for me to get paid for doing nothing. Of course, I could use the money, but the hefty check I’d be receiving when I completed the project would be enough to tide me over for a few months, if not more.
Sophie was on my mind. I hadn’t spoken to her in a few days, and I knew she was itching to get out here. I told her she could come whenever she wanted, but she’d insisted on waiting until I was done with this project. In my opinion, I was close enough, so I gave her a call.
“My girlfriend.” Her voice boomed through the phone.
“Hey, Soph. How are you?”
“I’m good. Bored, but good. Maybe I should get a job.”
I stifled a laugh. Sophie was a trust-fund baby who hadn’t worked a day in her life. No, that’s not true. She worked at a coffee shop for all of five minutes. As soon as some snobby woman with a Pomeranian in her purse ordered a large, skinny, two-pump caramel, three-pump vanilla, three-pump chocolate, two-Splenda non-fat latte, upside down with extra foam heated to 120 degrees, Sophie was fired. Not because she’d made it incorrectly. Technically, she didn’t make it at all—she simply asked the woman if she wanted coffee with that. Unfortunately for Sophie, it was the owner’s aunt who had placed that obnoxious order, and she had Sophie fired.
“Why don’t you come here instead?”
The loud squeal made me pull the phone away from my ear.
“Yes, oh my God, yes. I’ll make my travel plans and let you know when I’m coming. How much more work do you have?”
“It doesn’t really matter. I’m chilling out at Jack’s, so you can come whenever.”
“I’m so excited. I’ll text you tomorrow and let you know when I make my reservations. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I’d been working tirelessly on Jonas’s website. After reaching out to my beta testers, I decided to relax a bit. That was after I called Jonas to let him know my progress. There must be something in the air, because I didn’t feel this relaxed and energetic at the same time back in Virginia.
Although Jonas was arrogant, he was a decent guy but demanding. Basically, he didn’t take no for an answer, so I could definitely understand how he had excelled in his business. Thinking of men who didn’t take no for an answer, I decided to call Jack.
“If it isn’t my long-lost sister.” He chuckled, but I knew he was serious. It had been far too long since we’d actually spoken.
“Very funny. I don’t remember my phone ringing.” There, take that.
“Touché.”
I smiled as I looked around my palatial surroundings. “Jack, your home is spectacular. I can’t believe you don’t come here more often. If I owned a place like this, I’d never leave.”
“Then stay there. No one uses it. You can work from anywhere. That place is more of an investment; I bought it when the market was down.”
He was so nonchalant about his wealth, yet he wasn’t arrogant like Jonas. It’s a shame he doesn’t have anyone to share it with.
As I relaxed further into the soft cushions, I scanned the room, dreaming about living in a place like this. “Living here would be amazing, but I couldn’t afford it. Plus, do you really want me three thousand miles away?”
“Wait, you want to move to California? I meant as a vacation.” He let out a long breath. “What’s going on, Gretch?”
“It’s peaceful here and I feel at home, even though the only person here for me is Mason.” A smile grew on my face at the thought of him.
“How is he?”
“He’s great. We’ve been hanging out a bit, and once my job is done, then I’ll have more time. Oh, Sophie is coming here to stay with me. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Listen, I have a conference call with a client in Australia. Don’t wait so long to call again. I’m sure Mom would want to hear from you too. Maybe Facetime us all on Sunday. Love you, Gretchen.”
“I’ll do that. Love you too.” Australia? Maybe I should work for Jack.
Before I could hang up, he said, “I meant what I said. If you want to stay there, then my house is yours.”
“Thank you. I’ll think about it. You’re the best.”
“I know.” He let out one more chuckle before ending our call. Okay, so he had a hint of arrogance.
Could I live here? God knows it would be wonderful, but to be without my family? That would be the hard part.
I got up and padded across the tile floor into the kitchen, poured myself a glass of wine, and went outside. The waves rolled onto the shoreline and then retreated. It was as if they wanted to stay on land, but kept getting pulled back.
Was that what I was doing with my life? I’d get an opportunity and then retreat to what was familiar?
My heart soared at the thought of being truly on my own, of being able to live for today and not worry about tomorrow. The salty air pushed my hair back as I took a sip of wine. Was I just comfortable instead of living? Was I just a wave waiting for the perfect place to land? No time like the present, as th
ey say, and it was my time to live my way.
Once my assignment was completed, that was exactly what I intended to do.
* * *
Today Mason was giving me my first surfing lesson. I was so excited to wear the black-and-fuchsia wetsuit I bought when we went shopping. The sun was shining, the air was warm, but according to Mason, the water temperature was in the mid-fifties—hence the wetsuit.
I met Mason at his place, and we hopped in his truck to head for the beach. The sun was barely up, but the beach was filling with surfers. As I looked at the sandy area, I felt the first stirring of nervousness.
“What happens if I crash into someone?” I bit my lip as I continued to stare out the window.
“Come on, princess.” He got out of the cab of the truck and walked around the hood to open my door. “Let’s start with getting you to stand while on dry land, and then maybe we can head for the water.”
I grabbed our bags, which had towels and dry clothes in them. “Maybe? What do you mean, maybe?” Any hope in my voice vanished. I knew I sounded like a whiny little kid, but I wanted to surf, not just stand on a board.
He grabbed both surfboards from the back of the truck and led me to a less-crowded area of the beach. After laying our boards on the sand, he demonstrated how to stand on one. I stared at his toned, muscular body encased in neoprene. Even the black material couldn’t hide his brawny form.
After I felt as if I’d done a few yoga poses, including but not limited to downward-facing dog, cobra, and ending up in warrior two, we headed to the ocean. Excitement laced with a touch of anxiety coursed through me as we entered the cold water.
I lost count of how many times I fell off the board, which seemed to become narrower with each attempt, but my surfer boy had it down pat. He effortlessly rode wave after wave. Was his board wider than mine? It must have been.
One thing was for certain—Mason was right, this was much harder than it looked. But when I finally popped up and successfully climbed to my feet for the first time, I felt free.
Mason yelled, “Way to go!”
Excited, I looked back at him to give him a thumbs-up, and promptly fell off my board, swallowing gallons of saltwater in my surprise.
Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Page 10
