by Layla Hagen
Even though I’ll regret it, and quite possibly end up with more gray hairs from the experience, I say, “Sure, why not? I’ll do it.”
Under the table, I stomp on Blake’s foot lightly. He winces, setting his jaw.
“Can you guarantee I won’t die?” Blake asks. A pit forms in my stomach. That even Blake has such fears gives me heartburn.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Daniel volleys back. “Where’s your spirit of adventure?”
“There’s a difference between adventure and danger,” Mom comments. She and Dad have tried to be supportive about Daniel’s venture, but every now and then their worry for him comes through. I don’t blame them. I get heartburn every time he tells us what he’s up to.
“Who’s ready for dessert?” I ask loudly, wanting to switch topics. After a unanimous “me,” I let the kitchen know we’re ready for the sugar overload. After the last bite of dessert is gone, we all return to the bar area where Blake and I prepare some much-needed digestives. Drink in hand, everyone scatters to the seats in the room, except for Sebastian, who is still waiting for his.
“Great job, you two,” Sebastian says. “We’re really proud of you—”
“Hold it,” Blake cuts in, finishing our oldest brother’s drink. “When it comes to praise, I don’t want to miss one word.”
Seconds later Blake places Sebastian’s mojito in front of him, watching with rapt attention.
“I’m listening now, and wouldn’t mind if you lay it on thick,” Blake says. “At the very least I’m expecting praise for investing the income from my dividends so well.” Back when Sebastian started Bennett Enterprises, he made everyone in the family a shareholder. I don’t think it’s fair because it’s his work, and Logan’s and Pippa’s. Christopher and Max also work there but the rest of us don’t. Changing my brother’s mind is like trying to move a mountain though, so I’ve given up.
“You both have,” Sebastian says.
Blake frowns, holding up one finger. “Correction. Alice hasn’t. Her share of the investment came from profits of her two other locations and a loan.”
Damn Blake and his big mouth. Granted, I never specifically told him not to share this piece of information with our oldest brother, but….
“Why aren’t you using the shares money for expansion?” Sebastian asks.
“Because I didn’t need it. I’ve been donating that money for years.”
“All of it?”
“Yeah.”
Sebastian seems too stunned to speak for a moment. Blake correctly weighs the situation and moves a few steps away, giving us privacy.
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did for all of us,” I say quickly. “What you’re still doing, as a matter of fact. But you never wanted to accept the shares back—”
“I didn’t give them to you expecting you to return them,” he says gently.
“So you’re not upset?”
Sebastian has known for years that I’m donating a big chunk of the money I receive as a shareholder of Bennett Enterprises, but I never owned up to giving away all of it.
“Of course not. It’s your money, and you can do with it whatever you want to. It’s very commendable on your part.”
I let out a relieved breath.
“Alice,” he says gently, “you don’t have to prove anything to me, or to any of us. You’ve always wanted to do things on your own, and you succeeded.”
“Only because I had a safety net. I’m not a hypocrite. I wouldn’t have ventured out to do all of this if I didn’t know I’d be okay even if I failed. It’s a fantastic certainty to live with, and I will always be thankful for it.” Pressing my lips together, I search for the right words. “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone other than myself.”
“I understand.” Sebastian nods thoughtfully, and the twinkle of pride in his eyes makes my heart double in size.
***
When I step inside the lobby of my building many hours later, Sam, the doorman, smiles, eyeing the small take-out box in my hand.
“I have your favorite bagels here, Sam.”
“Your food is bad for my figure, Ms. Bennett.” Despite the protest, he opens the box, immediately digging in.
“I know, but it’s so good for the soul.”
“Have a nice evening.”
“You too.”
Yawning, I head to the elevators. I’m bone-tired but also happy that tonight went so well. When I reach the door to my apartment, I stumble over something. Glancing down, I notice a small gift bag. Energy zips through me, instantly pushing thoughts of sleep away. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I lift it up, barely making it inside my apartment before opening it. Inside is a delicate flask of lavender essential oil and a card.
Sorry I couldn’t be there for you tonight. Sleep tight.
Nate
Oh, sweet heavens. This man is turning on the charm all right.
I’m typically still so wound up in my thoughts at night I lie awake for hours, thinking. I keep a bowl of water in my room, where I pour a few drops of lavender essential oil in the evenings because it helps me relax and sleep. I ran out of oil last week and didn’t have time to buy a new one. Which I mentioned in passing to Nate, and he remembered.
Clutching the flask against my chest like it’s a prized diamond, I stroll to my living room, grinning from ear to ear.
I want to call him, but maybe he’s gone to bed. It’s very late. A text message shouldn’t wake him though, right? Gah, if I don’t do anything, I’ll just burst from so much energy and excitement.
Alice: Thank you so much for the lavender oil. Hope I’m not waking you up.
Yeah, sending the message didn’t really do anything to dampen my energy. Smothering Nate with kisses might. Just remembering the way he kissed me in that alley is enough to send my senses into overdrive. I startle when my phone starts ringing. Nate.
“You’re not sleeping,” I say by way of greeting.
“Nah, I’m just now heading home. How did it go?”
“Great. We got helpful feedback.” I rattle on about my evening, finishing with Daniel’s invitation for our family to test out rock climbing trails at Joshua Tree National Park, and how only Blake and I are brave—or stupid—enough to try it out with him.
“Hey! That’s something I could do with my new team. Not extreme rock climbing, don’t think anyone’s into that, but some other team-building activity, like maybe hiking. I’ll give Daniel a call.”
“He’ll try to rope you into rock climbing too.”
“I’ll try it. I’m no coward.”
“Are you implying the rest of my family is?” I tease, curling into my favorite armchair in the living room. “Watch it or I’ll cook up a revenge plan for our date.”
Nate chuckles, but despite his good humor, he sounds tired. I wish I could go over to his place and take care of him, make sure he relaxes and puts the stressful day behind him. Yeah, that wouldn’t send him running for the hills or anything, considering we’re just going on our first date next week. I’ve known him for a long time, and he likes to have his space.
“I buy you lavender oil and offer to put my life on the line for your brother, and all I get is threats?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I sound terrible. Thank you for the lavender oil. Very thoughtful of you. How did you get it on my doorstep? Did the doorman bring it up?”
“No man worth his salt reveals his secrets.”
“Do you have anything secret planned for our date?”
“Ah, that’s no secret. I plan to drive you crazy. You might even forget about your rule of five.”
“You sound a bit too self-assured.”
“I kissed you out of your shoes when we weren’t on a date. I like my chances, Alice.”
Holy hotness and sweet mercy. My name rolls off his tongue in a lower octave than the rest of the sentence, sounding seductive and forbidden. Damn it, he shouldn’t use his bedroom voice on the phone. There should be s
ome rule against it. Does this man have no mercy? I ignore the way my pulse spikes, chastising myself for being so overresponsive to him. Instead, I clasp the lavender flask tighter.
“Game on, Becker.”
Chapter Eleven
Alice
Two evenings before my date with Nate, I rope the girls into a trip to the spa. It’s become our designated activity for a girls’ night out. A few years ago, we usually went to a bar, downed cocktails, and talked about everything under the sun. But since Pippa and then Ava gave birth and breastfed, and now Nadine is pregnant, bars have lost the appeal. And honestly, a few hours of getting pampered at a spa are infinitely more relaxing than cocktails.
Pippa, Ava, and Nadine are already there when I arrive. Victoria and Emilia, Christopher’s and Max’s fiancées, usually join us too, but they’re all gone on a trip.
This place has an incredible vibe. From the moment I step through the front doors, I already feel like I’ve left any stress behind me. Whether this is because of the relaxing music playing in the background, or the sound of water dropping coming from the small waterfall built into the wall behind the reception, I can’t tell, but I love coming here.
“Hi, girls,” I greet Pippa, Ava, and Nadine. We’re in for a few hours of treats: sauna, swimming in the heated pool, and we’ll also take turns going in for our mani-pedi, massage, and facial appointments.
The deck has a nice view, with the Golden Gate Bridge looming in the distance. The heated pool is half outside, half inside, perfect for when it’s chilly outside as you can just relax in the indoor area.
As I said, I love this place. Whenever I feel like I’m about to burst from stress, I drop by, even if it's just for a mani-pedi or massage if I need a quick fix.
“Oh, this is so great,” Ava comments. The four of us are in the juice bar adjacent to the pool, relaxing. We’re alone in this space, which I prefer.
“So, who starts sharing news?” Pippa asks, clapping her hands excitedly. She looks at each of us in quick succession, then lingers on me. “Alice, you look like someone who has big news.”
“I agree,” Ava adds. Nadine merely smiles.
Oh yeah. I have no doubt they heard through the Bennett rumor mill about Nate’s permanent job in San Francisco, but I haven’t updated Pippa on the rest. Heck, I haven’t even told her about the kiss, but it was mostly because I wanted to put it out of my mind. Thinking about it got my hopes up. But now things have changed. Now I can hope and dream.
“You agreed so quickly to this spa day just so you could quiz me,” I accuse my sister.
She shakes her head with vehemence.
“That’s not the only reason. But I agree, it was a great incentive.”
“Fine, here’s the short version. Nate asked me out on a date.”
The girls erupt in cheers, with Pippa saying under her breath, “I knew it.”
“We really want the long version though,” Nadine chimes in.
“Don’t leave out any detail,” Ava adds.
They listen with rapt attention while I tell them everything.
“Five dates?” Pippa says, awestruck. “Sister, you have great self-restraint if you can resist him for so long.”
“I’ll do my best,” I assure her. Almost unwillingly, my mind flies to my conversation with Nate about what kind of kissing is proper for a first date.
“Did any of you ever have good wall sex?” I blurt out.
Pippa jerks her head back, and Ava and Nadine seem too stunned or embarrassed for a split second before we all burst out laughing. We talk about mostly anything but carefully avoid the sex topic, since half the girls in the group are actually dating or married to our brothers, and neither Pippa nor I want too many details. I’m sure Nadine and Ava talk about it, but I hope such details never reach my ears. Some conversations you can’t unhear.
Well, now the cat is out of the bag. Anyone else would balk down and switch topics, but not me. The way I see it, I’ve already put my foot in my mouth, so I want my answer. “A yes or no is enough, no need for details.”
A chorus of “yes” greets me, followed by chuckles.
Damn it, Nate.
“So, I predict you won’t make it through three dates,” Pippa says.
“Make that two,” Ava says.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“He’s already got you thinking about wall sex,” Nadine says wisely. “By the way, not to volunteer too much information, but the most important part in wall sex is for the man to be strong enough. I took a good look at Nate. The man is a mountain. He’ll have his way with you any way you can imagine, and do it exceptionally well.”
“True,” my sister adds. “He looks like someone who’ll know how to love you up good.”
I swallow hard, blood rushing to my cheeks. These girls are crazy, but they’re my brand of crazy, and I love them to bits.
“Right, how about switching topics? Who else has news?” My imagination is running amok already.
“Well, mine is less interesting, but my morning sickness finally subsided,” Nadine says. “But I’m still sleepy all the time.”
“Do take advantage of that,” Pippa says. “Sleep is the one thing you won’t get back for a while. Oh, how I miss it.”
“Me too,” Ava says wistfully. She looks as tired as Pippa was in the first year after giving birth, but the dopey grin she has when talking about Will is adorable.
“Oh, I have some fun news,” Pippa says. “Julie has been asked out on a date, and Eric completely freaked out. It was fascinating to watch him in full overprotective dad mode. I managed to reason with him about two days later.”
Her husband, Eric, was a widower with a twelve-year-old daughter when Pippa met him. Julie’s a teenager now though, so I predict Eric will go into overprotective dad mode on a regular basis. It’ll be good practice for when their twin girls grow up.
Though judging by the way our dad and brothers react when Summer and I speak about dates, that overprotective gene is deep in their DNA. Once activated, it never dims.
Our chat turns to us reminiscing over the crazy bachelorette parties we threw for Ava, Nadine, and Pippa. I swear to God, each one was crazier than the one before. We didn’t even plan it, but things got out of hand, fast. My mind flies to Nate too, to the way he kissed me after the meeting with the Delicious Dining team, how he was championing me during the meeting. Just knowing he believes in me so much warms my chest, and that is dangerous in more ways than one.
He just asked me out on a date. I need to pace myself, keep my hopes at a reasonable level. Just because I’ve been carrying a torch for him for years doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together, or that we’ll work out. Maybe we’ll discover we’re not compatible after all and this is all just crazy chemistry we need to get out of our systems. My heart stings as I consider that thought, but I have to be prepared for any outcome, keep an open mind and heart.
Even so, my grin grows wider.
***
On the evening of my date with Nate, I stop by Blue Moon just before, bringing in the last of the supplies needed for the official opening tomorrow. The Delicious Dining team called earlier, informing me that the network green-lighted the project, and they’ll film the segment next month. As a result, I’m feeling on top of the world tonight.
Right until I step inside the kitchen, slip on the tiles, and nearly face-plant. Luckily, I grab the nearby counter in time, steadying myself.
Turning on the lights, I inspect the slippery floor. The tiles are wet, as if someone just wiped them. The cleaning crew finished two hours ago though, so they should be dry by now. This can only mean one thing: water is coming from somewhere. Within thirty seconds, I locate the problem. The pipe from under one of the sinks is leaking.
I call the maintenance company but get the answering machine, stating I’m calling outside office hours and the earliest I can contact them is tomorrow morning. Fantastic. Desperate, I start to search online for emergency
plumbers when my screen lights up with an incoming call from Nate.
“Hey! Sorry, I’ll be late. A pipe is leaking at Blue Moon, and I’m trying to find a plumber who’ll come right away.”
“No need. I’ll come and fix it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Is there a toolbox there?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m on my way.”
***
Fifteen minutes later, I’m desperate because the water isn’t leaking anymore—it’s coming in a heavy stream. I place a bucket underneath the pipe, but unable to just stare at the water and do nothing, I sit on my haunches and inspect the pipe closer, hoping the water won’t come anywhere near my dress. I swear loudly.
“Sailors have nothing on you, Bennett.”
I bang my head against the sink as I flinch.
“Jesus,” I exclaim, pulling back and putting my hands on the painful spot above my eye. Nate is just a few steps behind me. “Announce yourself next time.”
“I did.”
“Try knocking at the door first, then saying something like ‘Hot plumber here. At your service, ma’am.’”
“I love how you don’t lose your sense of humor even when you nearly poke your eye out.”
Chuckling, he motions me to step aside. He glances at the toolbox, then lowers himself to his haunches like I did minutes before. While he busies himself under the sink, I call the restaurant where we’re going for our date, informing them we’ll be late. Afterward, I hop on a counter, ogling Nate’s ass. Damn, from this position his backside looks even more perfect than usual. A naughty voice at the back of my mind tells me there are plenty more pipes I could accidentally break around the kitchen.
“Are you ever gonna offer to help?”
“I’d rather stay here and enjoy the view,” I tell him.
A few short minutes later, Nate pulls back, rising to his feet. He turns the sink on, which nearly gives me a panic attack, but what do you know? Not one drop leaks from the pipe.
“All done.”
Hopping off the counter, I check his work for myself, even though it’s not necessary.
