by Ella Fox
“Cut that out,” I snapped. “You’re a size freaking eight and you’re hot as hell. If Alec doesn’t see that, he can go pound.”
She shrugged like it didn’t matter, but the fact that she’d said what she had meant something. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way—I was just saying he and I are never going to happen.”
I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when I realized the classic music Olive Garden normally favored was being drowned out by something completely different. I looked across the table and saw Caroline biting her lip to hold in her laughter.
“Who is blasting Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up?” I asked.
Whoever was doing it was Rick-rolling the entire patio. I knew the song would be stuck in my head for days. I grimaced as it got louder. Across the table, Caroline was laughing out loud.
“What the hell?” I mouthed.
Instead of answering, she doubled over and laughed harder. I started to ask her what was so funny but was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I gasped when I turned and found myself looking up into Jackson Howell’s dark blue eyes. My jaw stayed open when I realized he was holding an inflatable microphone and singing along to Rick Astley.
Holy crap—Jackson was Rick-rolling me. What’s more, he was really going for it. He bopped along and executed a white guy shuffle like he’d been studying Rick Astley’s moves for an uncomfortably long time. I was vaguely aware that Alec was standing behind him holding up a small Bluetooth speaker, but I was too focused on Jax to give Alec more than a cursory glance.
I’d just started breathing again when Jackson crouched down and sang the chorus directly to me. My cheeks heated at the way he looked at me, like he was seriously trying to get my attention, and not in his usual I’m-about-to-do-something-that-will-piss-you-off way.
I was sure I was having an out-of-body experience until the song ended and the other diners started applauding. Startled, I looked around and realized the other people on the patio were laughing and smiling, and several had their cell phones out to video it.
The sound of the laughter around us along with the cautious yet hopeful expression on Jax’s face clued me into something I hadn’t noticed before. It was clear he was prepared for me to freak out, but the truth was that I found the Rick-roll funny. Granted before my two years away from Bliss I’d have flounced out of the restaurant in high dudgeon, pissed as hell at Jackson for drawing unwanted attention my way, however, I wasn’t that insecure girl anymore and I felt more comfortable in my own skin. Therefore, I was able to see the humor in it.
It took a few seconds for me to realize that the song was over. Knowing that I needed to do something to show I was okay with being Rick-rolled, I applauded for a few seconds. Jackson smiled with what looked like surprised relief as he pulled out the chair next to me and sat down.
“I thought you went to school for communications,” I joked.
His sensual lips quirked up at either end. “I’m a man of many talents. I majored in communication and minored in smooth moves.”
“Very minor,” I deadpanned.
He tilted his head to the side and studied me for several seconds. “You’re not trying to maim me and you don’t look like you’re about to explode, either. You seem… happy,” he said finally. “Content.”
The way he looked me over made me feel prickly and warm all over.
“I’m happy,” I confirmed, “although I’m a little worried about you. Do you often show up at restaurants to serenade diners?”
“Normally only on the first and third Thursdays of each month,” Alec interjected.
I’d been so tuned in on Jax that I’d forgotten that Alec and Caroline were next to us. When I glanced over at them I noticed that they both looked surprised that he and I were talking without tension. The fact was that Jackson and I knew how to talk without arguing. We’d had no choice but to figure it out since our families were so interconnected. Hell, we took a family vacation together every year through the end of high school. Granted I was a bitch to him whenever our families weren’t around, but I’d surely known how to behave when they were. That said, I’d gone out of my way not to speak to him unless one or all of our parents were watching, so the looks of disbelief on our friends’ faces were understandable.
“Don’t worry,” I directed at them, “there’s not going to be any bloodshed.”
“Well fuck me like you hate me and call me Debbie, I believe we’re witnessing something as important as the change from X-Rated DVD’s to streaming porn,” Alec laughed.
I barked out a laugh of disbelief. “How is this at all relatable to porn?”
Alec grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I’m just saying that the transition to streaming was huge, and so is this.”
“Excuse him, he doesn’t get out a lot,” Jax interjected in a wry voice.
“And now we know that’s because he spends too much time locked in his bedroom streaming porn,” Caroline snickered.
We were still laughing about that as the waitress arrived at our table with the bill. When Jax reached out to take it, I smacked his hand. “Don’t even think about it, buddy.”
He held his hands up in surrender and sat back while Caro and I each chipped in for our portion of the bill as well as a generous tip. No sooner had we closed the leather folio and set it back on the table did Jax speak up.
“What’re you ladies doing for the rest of the night?”
Before I could answer, Caroline did. “Getting shitfaced and running nude up and down Main Street,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice.
Obviously she was joking. I actually had plans, but she probably hadn’t retained where I needed to go. Even as I rolled my eyes and laughed, I didn’t miss the way Alec’s hungry eyes swept over Caroline. I fought back the victorious grin that wanted to spread across my cheeks.
“As fun as that sounds, how about you come out with us for the night?” Jackson offered.
My stomach fluttered with excitement at the offer. I wasn’t even sure why, really. Jax had asked me to go places with him dozens, or probably hundreds, of times. The difference was that this time I was going to flip the script—if he could accommodate the one commitment I had for the night.
“I have somewhere I need to be at eight o’clock,” I began. As I spoke, Jackson’s expression fell.
“But,” I continued, “you guys can tag along or meet up with us after.”
“We’ll tag along,” Jackson answered without hesitation.
“Cool. Who’s driving?” I asked.
The looks of disbelief on Jax’s, Caroline’s, and Alec’s faces about how easily I’d given in were priceless.
Chapter Three
Jackson
As I pulled into Chloe’s driveway and parked behind her white Jetta, I made a mental note to grab Alec a case of beer the next time I went to the store. He’d been the genius who suggested that I follow her home—ostensibly so that I could say hi to my uncle Leo—while he followed Caroline home and took her back to our apartment complex.
The plan was to meet up in the parking lot of the building Alec and I both rented apartments in, after which I’d drive us wherever we were going. Since that meant I’d have Chloe all to myself on the drive from her house to mine, I was all about it.
I was out of my car and at the door of hers before she was unbuckled. She laughed softly as she unlocked the door so that I could open it for her. “In a hurry?” she asked cheekily.
I shrugged and tried to come off cool. “Your appointment is at eight and it’s twenty after seven. Just want to make sure you’re not late.”
She grinned and gestured toward her house with her chin. “If you say hi to my dad while I change real quick we can be out of here in about five minutes.”
Once she led the way into her house and she called out to say hi to her dad, we separated. I found Uncle Leo was in his office sitting at his desk and doing something on his computer.
I chuckled when he looked up
at me in clear astonishment as I leaned against the doorjamb. “No date tonight?” I asked. Leo had dated a few women here and there over the years but with his priority being Chloe he’d never looked for anything serious. He’d been more open about it for the last few years but since he hadn’t had any luck meeting someone without help, he’d signed up with an online dating service.
“Never mind my dating life,” he chortled, “let’s talk about the fact that you’re here with Chloe and it’s not because there’s a family event taking place. Am I even awake right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re awake, Uncle Leo. We ran into each other at Olive Garden and decided to hang out for the night. We’re meeting Caroline and Alec back at my apartment complex and then we’ll probably head to the Bliss Grill to play pool.”
“And things are… calm?”
“Things are good. I don’t know why you’re so surprised since I’ve been telling you for years that someday we’d work everything out.”
Even though I’d said it dozens of times to Leo and to my parents, I’d said it to myself at least a million. Through every argument and temper tantrum, I’d kept the faith in what Madam Aria had seen in that crystal ball. Was that crazy as hell? Of course it was. But where Chloe was concerned, I did whatever I had to do to keep the faith. Back before Aria had made her predictions, I’d always hoped the day would come that Chloe would look at me without hostility.
“Well your father has been telling me he’s going to win the lottery since we were ten years old and that hasn’t happened yet. You know me, kid. I don’t believe anything until I see it with my own two eyes.”
“See what with your own two eyes?” Chloe asked.
I bit back a curse when she brushed against my side as she bounded past me into Leo’s office.
“You and Jax getting along.”
Chloe made a dismissive noise as she crossed the room and dropped a kiss on Leo’s cheek. She’d changed into a black tank top, white jean shorts, a well-loved pair of black Chucks, and had also put her hair up in a messy bun. I swallowed back a groan as she turned back to me and I took in how damn sexy she looked. It didn’t matter what she wore, either. Had she changed into a chaste dress, she still would have been my walking wet dream.
“Sorry to drop and run but we can’t stay,” she said as she hurried back to where I stood at the door. “I’m leaving my car here because Jax is driving but I’ll be back later.”
Uncle Leo’s eyes ping-ponged between us like he could hardly believe what he was seeing. I was one hundred percent positive he’d be on the phone with my parents before my car pulled out of the driveway.
After saying quick goodbyes, we headed off. Once we were in the driveway I opened the car door for Chloe to get into my passenger seat before I walked around and got into the driver’s seat.
“Nice whip,” she teased.
Turning, I gave her a wry look. “Are you talking shit about the Volvo?”
Her giggle made my heartbeat speed up. Holding her thumb and index finger so that they were barely parted, she grinned. “I’m just saying that it’s crazy that not only have you kept your grandma’s gold station wagon for six years, you’ve also left her furry scented dice hanging from the mirror.”
“They don’t have that weird tropical smell anymore. Plus, she says the dice bring good car luck.”
Chloe didn’t respond for several seconds, and I felt tension building. “Getting lucky in the car is a big thing for you?” she asked in a stiff-sounding voice.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Unless Grandma Birdie was getting frisky in the car with her gentleman callers before she gave it to me, it’s never seen any action. Good car luck means no accidents, Chloe.”
The smile that spread across her face confirmed what I’d long hoped—Chloe cared. A lot.
“Well, I thought for sure you’d trade it in once you knew you got your first real job,” she said, changing the subject.
“You heard about that?”
I was surprised since I’d only found out the day before that I’d gotten a job in the communications and social media department at an online-based retail company just outside of Boston. It would be a thirty-minute commute each way, but I was excited to start.
“Of course I heard about it,” she laughed. “Aunt Maddie was practically singing it from the mountain tops. That doesn’t answer my question about why you’re still driving this dad car, though. It completely clashes with your image.”
I chuckled as I put the car into gear and pulled out of her driveway. “Volvos are dependable cars and I don’t want to spend the money on something new until this one is officially on its last leg.”
She laughed. “You have no idea how much shit my dad has given me over the years about how I need to be more like you when it comes to money. Ever since you got your first job the summer we were fourteen, you’ve basically saved every penny you’ve ever earned.”
“Not quite every penny,” I countered, thinking of the heart necklace I’d bought her years before. “It’s true that while I lived at home I didn’t see any reason to use most of what I earned because my parents paid for all my needs. When I moved out at the start of my junior year of college, I had to dip into what I’d saved working for the previous years.”
“Whereas I blew all the money I earned on my car,” she sighed. “Even with Dad matching the funds I had and paying for half, I was still left with almost nothing. In retrospect I realized I should’ve gotten a cheaper car.”
“Nah, with a cheap car you might’ve gotten stuck with a ton of repair bills. Keep it for a few more years and it’ll be well worth what you spent.”
Her sweet laugh filled the car. “If someone told me this morning that I’d be talking to you about cars and finances right now, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“Something has changed,” I said. I was fishing to see what she would say in response.
“Yeah,” she agreed, “it has.”
I waited for her to say what that something was, but she didn’t and I didn’t have time to press her on it since we were pulling into the parking lot of my apartment building. As I neared the spot where Alec’s car was, Chloe and I simultaneously started laughing. This was due to the fact that Alec and Caroline were up against his car making out like they were somewhere private.
“I knew she liked him!”
“That’s good because he more than likes her,” I answered as I pulled my car up behind Alec’s car. The two idiots making out didn’t even notice that we were there.
“I’m glad he likes her because the way she was talking earlier was making me want to go full psycho on him,” she whispered.
I wrinkled my forehead as I turned her way. “Full psycho?”
Chloe slashed her hand through the air. “Full Norman Bates Psycho,” she murmured. “Caroline told me she thought she was too heavy to catch Alec’s eye and that made me want to cut a bitch. Him being the bitch, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I said dryly. “Good news though, you have no reason to. He’s been into her since they started talking a few months ago. I kept telling him to ball up and make a move, but he said she was giving off some weird vibes that made him question if she was even interested.”
Chloe’s expression was contemplative as she nodded. “Some things can’t be rushed. They can only happen on the timeline they’re meant to,” she said.
My head reared back in surprise and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Madam Aria had said nearly the same exact thing to me the year before about Chloe and me.
Before I could say anything else Chloe reached her hand out and pressed my horn. I turned from looking at her just in time to see the tail end of Alec and Caroline springing apart. They then hurriedly got into my back seat like two kids who’d been caught wandering off on a field trip.
“Glad the horn worked because the next step was hosing you off,” Chloe teased.
They told us to shut up in unison, which just made Chloe and
me laugh. It was contagious, and we were all chuckling right up until Chloe yelled out, “Shit, if we don’t get this show on the road we’re going to be late. I’ve heard horror stories about how she reacts to tardiness and I’m so not into that. We’ve got to go, go, go. Slip this baby into drive and head for the high school.”
I nodded and did as she instructed. Pulling out of my parking lot I turned and asked, “Why the high school?”
“Don’t be a dick and start laughing,” she ordered.
“You know saying that guarantees we’re going to laugh?” Alec joked from the back seat.
Chloe turned and gave Alec the finger. “I wouldn’t if I were you. My appointment is with Madam Aria and I won’t hesitate to ask her to cast some kind of spell on you.”
I was so surprised by who her appointment was with that I took my foot off the gas and turned to her in shock.
“I’m taking you to see Aria?”
She shrugged like it was no big deal. “It’s the end-of-year carnival so that’s where she’s seeing people this weekend. I promised her months ago that I’d come see her as soon as I got home. She was the one who gave me a specific time.”
If Aria wanted Chloe there at eight, I’d have her there at eight. Putting my foot back on the gas, I sped up so we could get to our destination quicker.
Chapter Four
Chloe
I’d been to so many carnivals at the high school that I swear in a pinch I could set it up myself. I smiled as I basked in the scents of caramel corn, funnel cake, and cotton candy wafting through the warm summer air. If there were a carnival-scented candle, I’d burn it all the time.
Caroline and Alec immediately split off and went to play some of the carnival games. I thought Jax would go with them, but instead he stayed with me. After so many years of petty arguments (both of us), outlandish pranks (him), and over-the-top tantrums (mine), it would’ve made perfect sense for there to be tension or discomfort between us, but that wasn’t the case at all. For whatever reason, I felt more comfortable and in tune with him than I ever had with anyone.
