“Suit yourself. I hope you like my playlist. I call PDJ.”
“PDJ?” What the hell was that?
“Yup. You drive and I’ll be the passenger DJ. Get ready for the musical stylings of Gretchen Prescott.”
Why did I have a feeling I should have let her drive? As soon as I swung the door open, a scream sounded so loud, my ears rang.
“Surprise!”
“Oh my God, Sophie. You’re here.” Gretchen pushed past me and went straight into the open arms of her best friend.
“In the flesh. A landscaper was leaving when my cab pulled in. I hope you don’t mind that I breached security.”
They rocked back and forth before breaking apart.
“Hi, Mason.” Sophie looked down and saw our luggage. “Were you two leaving?” Her face paled as she realized what she’d just walked in on. “I’m so sorry. I should have called first,” she said, her voice much softer now. “I can go to a hotel.”
As great as that sounded, I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. Gretchen’s eyes bore into mine as the corners of her lips turned down. All the jubilation of our impending trip had vanished.
There was no way I’d go on this trip now. Not with Gretchen thinking that she’d let someone down.
“The coast isn’t going anywhere. We can go another time.” I smiled at both Sophie and Gretchen, who exhaled a long breath at my words. “I’m going to go take our things upstairs.”
Before I made it to the first step, Gretchen was at my side.
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have called to tell her. I’ll work it out; I know you took the week off for me.”
“Whatever you want. Now, go hang out with your friend. I’ll be back down in a minute.” I gave her my best smile and jogged up the stairs, our bags in hand and my heart in the pit of my stomach.
When I got upstairs, I shot Lucy a text telling her our plans had changed. I also texted Spencer to tell him the same. He was stoked, not because my week with Gretchen got derailed, but because he had been wanting to have a party. Now that another female was here, there was no time like the present.
Gretchen had thought it would be more of an adventure to grab a hotel on the fly during our trip, so we didn’t make any firm hotel reservations. At least I didn’t need to cancel anything.
* * *
A delicious aroma wafted by me as I made my way down to the kitchen. My intention was to make myself a sandwich to give the ladies girl time, but I was stopped in my tracks. Gretchen was sitting on the counter in cut-off jean shorts and a bikini top, eating a hot dog.
“There you are.” She hopped off the granite.
“Hey. I hope I’m not interrupting.” When Sophie slid off the stool at the kitchen island and gave me a big smile, I said, “Sophie. I hope you had a nice flight.”
“I did, thank you, but nothing compared to how nice it is to see you.” She licked her lips.
Gretchen shook her head. “Don’t mind her; she’s jet-lagged.”
Sophie laughed.
“My friend Spencer is having a party tonight. What do you ladies say, do you want to go?”
“Are your friends as hot as you are?” Sophie waggled her eyebrows while Gretchen rolled her eyes.
Wow, Sophie wasn’t shy at all.
“You can decide that for yourself tonight.” With my attention back on Gretchen, I asked, “What do you think?”
“It sounds great. While you were upstairs, I shot my family a group text to tell them our trip was postponed. Also, Jonas called to say everyone loved the website.”
I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and held it up. “Congratulations. How could he not love it?”
Gretchen had shown me what she’d created for his company, and honestly, it was one of the best websites I’d ever seen. I might be biased because of the creator, but it did rock.
She lifted her glass, which appeared to be filled with a margarita, as did Sophie. “Cheers.”
* * *
“Dude, her friend is hot,” Spencer whispered in my ear as soon as we walked into his apartment.
Yes, Sophie was stunning and had a kick-ass body, but it didn’t hold a candle to Gretchen’s. Of course, that was my opinion. Knowing Spencer thought so highly of Sophie made me realize he’d be distracted enough not to come on to Gretchen. When they’d danced at the bar that night, I’d wanted to throttle him. Yes, he was one of my best friends, but I knew he only did it to piss me off.
The girls stood in the doorway. Gretchen said hi to Spencer and introduced Sophie before I had the chance. Spencer leaned over and said something to Sophie that caused her to giggle. All I could do was shake my head as the four of us joined the rest of the party.
Spencer had a nice place. It was similar to mine, less the smoke damage I imagined mine had. When we’d pulled into the complex to come to the party, my building was covered in scaffolding and surrounded by orange cones. From what I’ve been told, it could be another few weeks until I could get back in. Thankfully, I was happy where I was staying.
There were about ten of us here. To say I was shocked when I saw Amber sans Donny would be an understatement. Why Spencer would have invited her was beyond me.
Since I couldn’t have Gretchen to myself, hanging out with everyone was just what I needed. Although, our days spent together were wonderful.
Merely seeing Gretchen having a great time made me happy. After what her douche-bag boyfriend did, she deserved to relax. Then there was the way she blended with my friends. It was as if she’d known them for years. We weren’t away, but as long as she was happy, so was I.
People started heading out, which I was ready to do myself. But right now Spencer was engaged in a game of beer pong with Amber and a few others, including Gretchen and Sophie.
Thankfully, Gretchen wasn’t losing, but I could tell she’d had a few more than she probably intended. On the other hand, each time I looked at Sophie, she was slamming back a shot. Amber sucked at this game, this I knew from playing with her in the past, so she was plastered and would surely regret this in the morning.
“Come here, Mason, baby.”
Amber crooked her finger, encouraging me to join the game, but that wasn’t on my agenda. I didn’t want to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I had to stay sober since I was the designated driver tonight.
Gretchen’s gaze met mine after Amber’s term of endearment, if that was what you wanted to call it. All I could do was shake my head and mimic the tipping of a glass, indicating Amber was a bit tipsy. Gretchen laughed and gave me a nod in understanding.
“I think I’ll just be a spectator, but thanks.”
Spencer laughed as he knocked back another shot along with Sophie. Apparently, they made up their own rules.
Out of the blue, Amber shouted, “I know.” She clapped her hands together, grabbed an empty beer bottle, and held it in the air as she said, “Spin the bottle.”
Was she insane? Were we in the seventh grade? The only guests left were the five of us. Before I knew what was happening, the coffee table was moved off to the side and everyone was sitting in a circle.
“Come on, Mason, don’t be a party pooper,” Amber drawled.
Spencer laughed. “Yeah, Mason. Don’t you want to kiss me?”
I knew what he was up to. The odds were in our favor, but the only lips I wanted to taste were Gretchen’s.
It was her pleading eyes that made me sit down. Yup. Almost thirty years old and I was sitting in a circle on the floor, playing spin the bottle like a sixth-grader. Sophie was to my left and Spencer to my right, which left Gretchen and Amber next to each other and directly across from me.
“Amber, this was your grand plan. You spin first.” Spencer took a sip of yet another beer as Amber got up on her knees to spin the bottle.
All I could do was pray it didn’t land on me. But when it pointed at Sophie, my heart stopped. Would they kiss?
Gretchen’s eyes went wide when Amber and Sophie did indeed kiss. It was ju
st a peck, but seeing two beautiful women’s lips touch was definitely a turn-on, no matter who you were. Guys liked that shit.
Spencer let out a long whistle. “Right on. Girl-on-girl action.” He held his hand in the air for a high-five, but I left him hanging.
Panic set in. No way could I watch Gretchen kiss anyone else, nor would I kiss Spencer. That thought made me shudder. This was a horrible idea. Another beer was placed in my hand by Spencer, who must have read my mind. At least he had the good sense to have a small cooler in the room.
Sophie’s spin landed on Gretchen and the two of them giggled like schoolgirls. They gave each other a quick kiss on the cheek. Thank God.
Gretchen’s fingers wrapped around the label of the bottle as she gave it a whirl. I couldn’t stop watching the neck of the bottle as it spun, and when it slowed down, I prayed, but clearly not hard enough. It landed on Spencer. Fuck.
His lips twisted into a snarky grin as he leaned forward to claim the lips of the woman I wanted. His lips met hers briefly with no tongue, no lingering.
Good. I didn’t have to kill my best friend.
Just when I thought I was going to come out of this unscathed, Spencer’s spin landed on me. Everyone started laughing, except for me, of course. But my not-so-shy friend waggled his eyebrows.
All I could do was shake my head. Thinking I was out of the clear and he was going to attempt another high five, which I’d gladly agree to, or maybe luck out with a bro hug, I was shocked when he grabbed my head and kissed me square on the lips.
Granted, he didn’t draw it out. It was more of a smack, but I still wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Dude, really?” More laughter broke out, but I remained stunned in silence.
“Aw, you’re so lucky, Spencer,” Amber drawled. “I’ve missed your lips, lover.” She was hammered, but that didn’t prevent Sophie from letting out a little gasp, and Gretchen’s eyes went wide.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Your turn, my man.” Spencer winked.
How I wished I’d never agreed to this dumbass game. I spun the bottle and it pointed to Gretchen.
Nope. Not going to happen. There was no way.
Spencer let out a whoop, encouraging me to go in for the kill.
Gretchen’s eyes bore into mine. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, making my heart rate increase. Everything about this was wrong.
Air. I needed to breathe. Even smog-filled air would be better, so I stood.
“I’m sorry” was all I could say before I made a hasty exit to the balcony, beer in hand. There weren’t any stars out tonight, and no moon. Since the balcony faced the back of the property, the only illumination was coming from inside the apartment.
Everything about today was wrong. Our trip getting derailed, Amber acting weird, and me walking away from a kiss I’d been wanting.
Once again, I’d ruined a moment. But was that really just a moment? Not to me. The first time I’d rejected a kiss with Gretchen, it was because she was too vulnerable, and tonight, the game was just that—a game. When Gretchen and I kissed for the first time, it needed to be natural, unforced, something we’d never forget.
Our terms, no pressure. Just us.
“How are you?”
Gretchen’s voice startled me, making me jump a bit. Her words were laced with what sounded like disappointment.
When I turned to face her, a gentle breeze blew her hair back. Her perfume wafted past, teasing me. She glanced away and took a sip of her drink, and I watched her throat move as she swallowed.
“I’m all right,” I said, and her head tilted as she studied me. “It’s just—”
“It’s fine if you didn’t want to kiss me. I understand.” Her lips formed a tight smile.
All I wanted to do was savor every inch of her. If I couldn’t have that, I’d have tonight. This needed to end now.
“Can you hold this for me?” I said as I held out my bottle of beer.
With no hesitation or curiosity, she took it.
Both hands now free, I slowly wove my fingers into her hair. Staring into her eyes, I saw exactly what I needed—Gretchen. My palms framed her face as I brought my lips to hers.
Our mouths fused together as if they were two pieces of metal welded to form one. After a pause, I slid my tongue out and ran it across the seam of her mouth, begging for entry. Once her lips parted, our tongues swirled and savored each other. She sighed, turning me on more than I could have imagined. I’d often wondered what kissing Gretchen would be like, but this was a million times better than anything I’d dreamed of.
When I stopped the kiss and pulled back, we were both breathing a bit faster. My ears thundered with my pulse, and the air around us stilled as if we were in our own bubble. I took a small step back and took my bottle out of her hand, but I didn’t drink it. I didn’t want beer to taint the taste I’d waited so long for.
No words were said for what felt like an eternity. Then I broke the silence.
“There was no way our first kiss was going to be because of a game. It needed to be on our terms, Gretchen. Not wanting to kiss you has never been an issue, but I’ve waited so long, I wasn’t going to share it in front of our friends. You need to know it was because I wanted to, not because the top of a Corona bottle pointed at you.” I ran my hand through my hair. “You’re all I think about, Gretch. There hasn’t been anyone who has occupied my heart since I met you. There’s never been anyone to hold residence there.”
Her cheeks were a gorgeous shade of pink. God, she was stunning. Would she want to kiss me again? Was she upset that I kissed her? Why wasn’t she saying anything?
“Gretch? Say something.”
She exhaled and went back to biting her lower lip. “Are you sure about that?”
Wait, she didn’t believe me? Fucking Scott and douche bags like him ruined it for guys like me.
Right before I was about to explain, she said, “Tell me about Amber.”
Ah, that’s what this is about. Can’t say I blame her. “We’re friends.”
Gretchen let out a laugh that didn’t have a trace of humor in it. “Friends?”
There was no way I would lie to her. Talking about my now inactive sex life wasn’t on my agenda for this evening. None of this was even a thought in my head until we played that stupid-ass game. This wasn’t the place to have this conversation, but there we stood, out on a balcony, alone in the dark.
“Amber and I had an arrangement. Neither of us wanted a relationship, so we basically used each other until we found someone else.”
“Did you?” She looked up at me through her long lashes. “I mean, are you still?”
“No. There’s only one person I want to be with. The last time we were together was right when I got back from Virginia.”
“Who?”
When all I did was stare at her in response, realization dawned on her face.
That’s right, Gretchen. Ever since I heard you didn’t have a boyfriend, we stopped. Could she read my thoughts? Please let her be telepathic.
“I like hanging out with you, Mason, but as far as starting another relationship, I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
My heart dropped, but something told me she’d feel that way.
“Please tell me we’ll always be friends,” she said. “I can’t lose you.”
Friends. My eyes stung. Did she want to forget that kiss? I knew I would never. But it appeared that I’d been tossed in the friend zone by the only woman I wanted. So, what else could I say?
“Of course.”
Gretchen exhaled and hugged me. “Great.” Her voice went back to being chipper. “Let’s get back inside. It looks like Sophie is ready to crash. We should probably go.”
When we walked back in, Amber was gone. Thank God.
Spencer stood and was about to say something when I shook my head. I’d fill him in tomorrow.
Or not.
CHAPTER 19
~ Gretchen ~
<
br /> Sophie had her own room, but the night turned into an old-fashioned slumber party. We both sat on my bed with our legs crossed. I clutched a pillow to my chest as if it could keep my heart from bursting from the confines of my ribs.
“Want to talk about it?” Sophie’s eyes were more understanding than curious. All I could do was shrug. “I saw the kiss, then the look on your faces when you walked back in the apartment. What happened?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that.” Images of what happened earlier were on a continual loop in my head. “Mason kissed me and made me feel a way I’ve never felt before. Every cell in my body came alive at his touch. Then I told him we should just be friends.”
All animation left her face. “Let me see if I understand this.” Sophie shifted her legs so she was now perched on her knees. “One of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen—including on magazine covers—kisses you as if you’re the answer to his prayers, turns you on like you’ve never been before, is kinder and sweeter than the douche bag you stayed with for years, and you told him you just wanted to be friends?”
Feeling like a fool, I said, “Yes.” My head dropped in my hands. “Did I make a mistake?” My words came out muffled, but I knew she heard me.
“Gretchen, look at me.” When I lifted my head, her eyes were full of compassion. “Talk to me. Tell me why you don’t want to give him a chance.”
I settled in my bed so my back rested against the headboard. Using my fingers as I ticked off my reasons, I said, “One, he’s my sister-in-law’s best friend. Two, what if we got together and broke up? I love having him in my life. Three, and this is a big one, I live thousands of miles away from him. Four, I just got out of a relationship.” I paused, gauging her reaction to my reasons, but her face remained impassive. “Five, I’m scared.” That one drew a snort out of her. “What?”
“Can you hear yourself?” With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she said, “Let’s review, shall we?”
Mimicking what I did with my fingers, she said, “Who gives a shit if he’s Lucy’s best friend? If it didn’t work out, so what? It’s not like you’re a bitch and won’t talk to him. Scott was an asshole and you still haven’t spoken poorly of him. It’s not in you, just like I don’t think it’s in Mason, so that was lame.”
Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Page 14
