The Mr. Wrong Series

by Madden, A. M.

  “No, but now I can without feeling guilty. I want to surprise Brae with a trip to Hawaii for her birthday in June, and like the last time I won’t be taking any calls or communicating with the outside world.” At my surprised expression, he added, “Except you.”

  “Gotcha. So, you’re giving me two months to get comfortable wearing your shoes?”

  “Pretty much.”

  I shook my head, and he laughed. “You know I’m kidding. This company is what it is today because I had you by my side. Since day one, you’ve had the same knack I had, and I trust you implicitly.”

  “Thank you.” I stood and offered my hand for him to shake. “I’ll do you proud, my brother.”

  “You always do,” Jude said, holding our handshake for a few more seconds. “Just promise me one thing.”

  “Anything.”

  He stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. “When Brae calls you later, please remember she is the love of my life and you shouldn’t hold her antics against her. She means well. Otherwise, I’ll have to hurt you, and a worker’s comp claim isn’t something I want to file.”

  “Noted,” I said, dreading why the hell Mrs. Soren was going to call me later. Just before Jude stepped through the door, I added, “Hey, a hint at least?”

  “Her name begins with a C, and she’ll be joining us for dinner tonight to celebrate.” With that, he walked out leaving me wanting to call Cassie to warn her.

  Cassie and I arrived at the Sorens’ apartment building at the same time. I knew Brae would be elated thinking we came together. The woman was relentless in her quest to see us as a couple and was lucky we both loved her.

  I knocked on their door and when Jude opened it and saw us standing there, he gave me a cocky smirk. “Please, not you too.” I handed him the bottle of wine I brought and stepped aside for Cassie to walk in first. “Our simultaneous arrival is a coincidence.”

  “Hey, Jude. How are you?” Cassie rolled up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking in to hug Brae, who was wiping her hand on a small towel.

  “Hi!” If Brae was a bottle of champagne her bubbly personality would cause the cork to explode with force. After she released Cassie, she threw her arms around me and whispered in my ear. “You both are so adorable. I told you.” I let out a sigh and shook my head just as a ding rang out from the kitchen. She released me and said, “That would be dinner. I’ll be back. Have a seat at the table.”

  Cassie and I sat on one side, leaving room for the Sorens on the other.

  “Brae cooked?” The uncertain tone in Cassie’s voice made me laugh.

  Jude shook his head. “No, just reheating. You know she’s lucky if she doesn’t burn peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  I poured myself and Cassie a glass of water from the pitcher on the table, shaking my head at my friend who clearly had lost his mind. “You don’t cook peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  “Hey, I heard that.” Brae appeared with a tray of four plates. Jude being the kind husband stood and took it from her, so she could hand us each our dinner.

  “Is Bobby Flay in your kitchen?” I bobbed my head to the left and right trying to spot the chef.

  “No,” she sat down and placed a napkin on her lap. “But this Chicken French, from Le Gourmet Kitchen around the corner, is to die for. I hope you like it.”

  Jude chuckled. “Aside from the dry cleaners, that restaurant is my biggest weekly expense.” Brae snarled at him, but his peck on her cheek placated her. He poured us all a glass of wine and held his glass in the air. “Thank you both for coming here to celebrate the promotion of my new Executive Vice President. Congratulations, Luca.”

  We all gently tapped our glasses together. When I turned toward Cassie, she beamed, “Congratulations. I didn’t know you got a promotion today, that’s fantastic!”

  I was a bit confused because even though I never had the chance to call her, I figured when Brae invited her she would have told her. “Why did you think you were coming to dinner?”

  She cut her eyes to Brae who gawked at us as though she just discovered electricity. “Oh, no way. I know what you’re thinking, missy, and we are going to nip this in the bud right now.” Jude set his fork down and gave Cassie warning eyes. “Nope, you can get that look off your face, Jude. Your wife is one of my best friends, but enough is enough.”

  “But, Cass,” Brae smiled sweetly at her. “You two are so cute together, why not?”

  My best move was to keep my mouth shut and keep eating. Cassie, however, didn’t feel the same way. “Because, although Luca is a wonderful man…”

  I leaned over. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She refocused on Brae, lifting a brow to emphasize her point. “He is not the man for me. We are friends that’s it—if you must know, we did make-out once and there weren’t any sparks. Remember when Jude kissed you on stage when you first met and your body got all fluttery?”

  “You got fluttery?” Pride shone all over Jude’s face.

  Brae rolled her eyes at her husband while Cassie continued, “Well, when I kissed Luca I didn’t feel anything remotely close to a flutter.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Jude let out a laugh, and now Cassie was the one rolling her eyes. “Oh, shut it. And why aren’t you agreeing with me?”

  I cleared my throat, “Everything she said is true. There wasn’t an a-ha moment or anything remotely close to it. We’re just good friends, that’s it.”

  “Brae.” Cassie had a tenderness to her voice that I imagined she perfected in her classroom. “It was like kissing my brother or a cousin. Not that I go around getting naked and kissing my family, but do you understand?”

  “Wait—” Brae thrusted her hand palm up. “You guys were naked?”

  Cassie brushed it off. “That’s not the point. The point is, not everyone needs or should be a couple.”

  “I know. I just want all my friends happy, that’s all.”

  Jude kissed his wife on the cheek. “Sparky, they are happy. Let it go.” She nodded and the conversation was dropped.

  Dinner was fantastic, and we all agreed to hang out at our favorite bar, Dispatch, on Friday night. Cassie and I shared a cab home, and when we arrived at her apartment building, I walked her to the door to make sure she got in safely before heading to my place.

  “I’ll talk to you soon, be sure to lock the door when you get into your apartment.”

  She kissed my cheek, “Yes, sir. Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Cassie was a great woman, and it was a shame we didn’t have that fluttery feeling, as she called it, because she’d make the perfect girlfriend. But, she was turning into one of my best friends… and to me that was better.

  Chapter 5

  Luca

  Friday couldn’t come soon enough. Thanks to my new job title, my workload was a bit heavier than normal. Mostly due to all the meetings I needed to attend. Jude handled the majority on his own, and even though I walked six weeks in his shoes when he was away, it was different now. I was the one in charge of several projects.

  It was a good thing we were going out tonight because I needed to relax. Kyle and Vanessa were back in town from California. I missed my pal, and it had been way too long since we hung out.

  Before going to the bar, I went home to change out of my suit and tie and into a pair of jeans and T-shirt. I grabbed my leather jacket and hopped into my car rather than take a cab. Even though traffic was a bitch, and horns were blaring, this was my quiet time.

  Dispatch started offering valet parking on Friday and Saturday nights, for which I was thankful. When the young man greeted me at the curb with a massive grin on his face, I handed him the key and a fifty dollar bill. “Park her somewhere nice and there’s another one of these in it for you later.” He nodded and slowly pulled away. I watched until my black car turned the corner and the taillights were out
of sight.

  Kyle had sent me a text letting me know they had a table in the back of the bar and left of the dancefloor. The place was packed with the usual Friday crowd. Couples, singles, and business people winding down filled the room. I waved to a few familiar faces and headed toward my friends.

  “There he is.” Kyle got up and gave me a bro-hug. “It’s good to see you.”

  I kissed the girls on the cheek European style, shook Jude’s hand, and took a seat next to Cassie. “Where’s Desiree?”

  “Right here. Sorry, I’m late. I had a meeting that ran over.” A waiter came by and took our drink orders. “So, how is everyone?” Desiree focused on Vanessa, “You look gorgeous. You’re so tan.”

  Vanessa let out a sigh, “I absolutely love California. Even though we were there for work, we were able to enjoy the sun.”

  “My girl is a sun whore.” Kyle laughed. “I’ve created a west coast monster.”

  Vanessa shrugged. “It’s true. Even though it’s just California, experiencing life out there makes me feel worldlier.”

  “Speaking of,” Desiree chimed in. “I have an announcement to make.”

  “What’s up, Des? Is everything okay?” Cassie asked with concern in her voice.

  “Yes, actually, it’s more than okay. I got a promotion.” All three of the girls squealed. “I know! I’m so excited.”

  I threw my arm around her shoulders. “That’s great, congratulations.”

  “Thank you, and I hear congrats are in order for you as well.” The waiter dropped off our drinks, and I clinked my glass to Desiree’s. “So, what is the promotion?”

  All eyes focused on Desiree waiting for her to tell us details. “The firm acquired a new client and I’ve been assigned as his counsel… in London.”

  Did she say London? When I dared to glance at the other ladies, they all stared at her with wide teary eyes.

  “London?” Brae’s voice cracked. “You’re moving to England?”

  “Not permanently, but yes. I’m not sure how long I’ll be there, but this lines me up to become partner. Believe me, I wish I could have talked it over with all of you, but time was of the essence and I couldn’t pass it up.”

  “That’s great, Des, I’m happy for you.” Again, I lifted my glass to tap hers. Cassie glared at me from the corner of her eye. “What?”

  “She’s leaving.” Cassie blinked her eyes a few times. “I’m happy for you, Des. I really am, but we’re going to miss you.”

  Vanessa’s lips curled down, “When do you leave? What about your apartment here?”

  “I leave next week. My company is subletting my place because everything is happening quickly. The time difference isn’t that bad, and we can FaceTime. Not to mention our group chats that Brae loves.” Everyone at the table groaned. We all hated that damn app.

  “Nessa and I will be out to visit you in the fall.” Kyle focused on Vanessa’s face with a smile. “It was going to be a surprise, but I have a trade show to go to in London and planned on scratching off another location on my girl’s bucket list.”

  “Really?” she part squealed, part yelled. His nod caused her to grab his face to initiate a very inappropriate kiss for a public place.

  “Um…” While the two kept making out, Jude raised his glass. “Congratulations. This calls for champagne, right Sparky?” Brae wiped a few tears and nodded.

  “I’ll go get it.” I got up to go to the bar and Cassie hopped up and followed me.

  “I’ll help you.”

  The two of us stood at the bar, ordered champagne and seven glasses. “Are you okay, Cass?”

  She shrugged her shoulder, “I guess. Des was my only single friend left.”

  “Um…”

  “You know what I mean.”

  I did. I knew exactly what she meant since both of my friends were now attached and busy with their significant others. “You’ll always have me. If you don’t mind watching sports and action movies.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted her—Sabrina. She was laughing with another woman who I recognized from the park. Cassie was talking, but I wasn’t paying attention, not until I heard, “So, all you’ll need to do is ride a unicorn down Fifth Avenue while wearing a feather boa.”

  “What?”

  Cassie let out a laugh. “Jeez, where did you go?” She followed my line of sight to see what, or in my case, who distracted me. “Ahh, Sabrina. I wondered why you didn’t ask me about her yesterday.”

  “I’ll ask now. What’s her story? Where’s Mikey’s dad?”

  The sadness on Cassie’s face wasn’t something I’d seen before. “He passed away last year.”

  I whispered, “Shit.” My first thought was divorce. Dealing with a divorcée was much different than a widow. At least when a couple divorced, the bond was broken by one or both of them. A death, the bond was still there even if the other person physically wasn’t.

  “Why don’t you go talk to her?”

  The bartender set our order on the bar. “Maybe later, we need to get back to our friends.”

  While my eyes were still trained on Sabrina, she turned my way catching my stare. A small smile tugged at her lips. Her friend on the other hand, arched her back and stuck her chest out causing Sabrina to blush. I nodded once in acknowledgment before taking the tray of glasses off the bar.

  Back at the table, the girls were huddled together while Kyle and Jude stared at them. Cassie let out a sigh before placing the bottle down.

  After I set the tray down, I began to fill the glasses with bubbly. Since the girls were still in deep conversation over Desiree’s move, a rap of my knuckles on the table got their attention. Jude and Kyle passed each of the ladies a glass. “A toast.” Before I could continue, Cassie took over.

  “To you.” She angled her body toward Desiree. “Even though we may not seem very happy, we are thrilled. There is nothing we want more than for you to… ” She stopped when a small sniffle turned into a full-blown wail.

  Brae took over, adding, “Follow your dreams?” Cassie wiped her face with the back of her hand and nodded. With our glasses still suspended in the air, Brae continued. “Let’s make sure we set a schedule to speak often.” She paused, and Jude brought the champagne to his lips thinking his wife was done. “Jude!” Brae scolded him. “I’m not finished.”

  “Sorry, Sparky.”

  With a huff, she continued. “Anyway. Yoga won’t be the same, nor will our brunches. We’re going to miss you so…so… so… ” She stopped and dragged in a deep breath with a sob. These women were dropping like flies.

  “For the love of Christ.” Vanessa released an exasperated moan and took over. “Des, have fun, meet hot guys, have loads of sex, take London by the balls, and make that city your bitch. Cheers.”

  Just in case, Kyle, Jude and I waited a pause before drinking. Only when we saw the four girls taking a sip did we follow suit. The champagne was long gone well before the sobbing ceased.

  Sabrina

  “Go talk to him.” Becky nudged me with her elbow. “It’s fate. That’s what this is.”

  “It most certainly isn’t fate. It’s coincidence.” I turned and watched Luca and his friends. The guys were deep in conversation, while the women cried. The entire scene didn’t pair well with the champagne.

  “Sabrina, seriously. Look at the man.” We both continued to stare in his direction, and my entire face heated when he caught me. “See, his eyes have been on you all night. Go.” Again she nudged me almost causing my drink to spill out of my martini glass.

  “No, he’s busy. Plus, if he wanted to talk to me, he knows where I am.”

  Becky’s lips quirked to the side, and we both swiveled our stools to face the bar. “Fine, but you don’t get out much. You shouldn’t waste this evening.”

  “I’m not wasting it, I’m with you.”

  “Right, and Mikey is staying over at your parents’ house, so let loose will you?” She snapped her fingers in the air summoning the bartender.
“Two lemon-drop shots please.”

  He nodded and went to make her order. “I hope those are both for you.” I smiled knowing full well what her intentions were.

  The bartender set them down and winked at Becky. “Let me know if you need anything else, beautiful.”

  She batted her eyelashes. “Oh, you know I will, handsome.”

  I laughed at her obvious flirting. “You’re crazy.”

  “Nope, I just know how to have fun. Raise your glass.” I did as she asked. “To the men who kiss like Romeo and fuck like a porn star.” A few men beside us turned and grinned at her. She lifted her glass as a confirmation. “Am I right, gentlemen?”

  “Focus, Becky.” We downed the shot and I swear every taste bud in my mouth contracted. Music started playing just as a loud voice came over the sound system announcing the dance floor was open. To my left, a few women huddled in a circle dancing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  Becky leaned over and yelled a bit louder than necessary into my ear. “You should go ask him to dance.”

  I shook my head. “No, why don’t you go ask him.” With my back still facing Luca’s direction, she craned her head to look behind us. “His friends are hot as fuck too. Damn. Oooh, only one of the two has a wedding band.” She made a move to get off of the stool only to sit right back down. “Nope, he’s also taken.”

  The music changed to a slower song. Luca’s friends occupied a portion of the dancefloor. His one friend held on to his wife as if she were going to escape. Another couple could have starred in the movie, Dirty Dancing. Hell, they were grinding like nobody’s business, and I blushed at the sight of them.

  Then, the other woman from their group started dancing with some guy, leaving Luca and Cassie at the table. A few seconds later, they joined the rest of the crew. The two of them were adorable. While the other couples were in a tight embrace, Luca held her in a proper ballroom frame. Every few beats, he’d twirl her and they’d both laugh. It made me wonder why they weren’t a couple.