Austen Box Set

by Hart, Staci

  “So,” I started, fishing for more information, “you talked to Tyler today?”

  “Just for work. I sort of asked him to come out, but he said he had plans to be here. After last night, I thought we hit it off, and he seems like a great guy.”

  “The best,” I said with a smile as I leaned on the bar.

  “And he doesn’t have a girlfriend, right?”

  “Nope, no girlfriend.” I smirked. “Looking to fill the spot?”

  Her lips were red, curling into a smile. “I think I am. The thing is, I’m a Type A kind of girl — I’m not afraid to go after what I want, you know? People play dating games: wait three days to call or text, don’t look desperate, blah, blah, blah.” She waved her hand as if to wipe the construct away. “But I don’t play games. I want to get to know him better, so that’s what I’m going to try to do. Hopefully I don’t come on too strong — that’s a problem for me sometimes,” she said with a chuckle.

  Sarah laughed too. “I call her the Badass Honey Badger.”

  “I can relate,” I said, amused. “Well, you came to the right place. I’m his gatekeeper.”

  She chuckled. “So is this an interview to see if I’m the keymaster?”

  I snickered. “Well, you just won major points for a Ghostbusters reference, so you’re well on your way to securing the job. This is your second interview, by the way — the first was last night.”

  “And how’d I do?”

  I smiled, admiring her for so many reasons. “Real well.”

  “Well, hit me with your best shot,” she said as she leaned on the bar.

  “All right.” My smile faded into seriousness. “Grape or strawberry jelly?”

  She laughed. “Strawberry.”

  I nodded. “Good choice. Unicorns — yes or no?”

  “I’m a believer.” She raised her glass.

  “Whiskey or vodka?”

  “Depends on what night of the week it is,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.

  I snickered. “Last long-term relationship.”

  She swallowed, voice a little tighter when she answered. “David. We dated for three years, broke up because he was fucking someone else.”

  “Cold. So, no stranger to heartbreak, huh?”

  She shrugged. “What doesn’t kill us, right?”

  I watched her for a moment, wondering if I could have crafted a more ideal girl for Tyler. “I like you, Adrienne.”

  She smiled in a way that made me believe, all the way down deep to my gut, that she was genuine. “I like you too, Cam.”

  “If you hurt him, I’ll rip your face off, even though you could probably crush me with your thighs. Just know I’m a fast runner.”

  Adrienne chuckled. “I won’t hurt him. I promise. I don’t play games, remember?”

  “I believe you.”

  Greg flagged me from the other end of the bar, nodding to the crowd of chicks who had lined up in front of him.

  “Be back when I can. Keep an eye out for Tyler for me. And Adrienne?”

  “Yeah?”

  I smiled. “Congratulations. You’re in.”

  She laughed as I walked away, feeling as sure of myself as I did uneasy.

  CHRIST ON A BIKE

  Tyler

  I didn’t feel any less confused as I made my way to Wasted Words, still sifting through my thoughts for answers. I’d turned down a date with Adrienne for Cam, if I was being honest with myself, and then Cam pressured me to come to the bar with the intent to convince me to ask Adrienne out.

  I shook my head as I crossed the street, having opted to walk again to give me more time alone. Nothing made sense, not my feelings about Cam or my feelings about Cam trying to set me up with someone else. But she’d made it clear once more that she wasn’t interested in me at all. I just hated that it bothered me so much.

  When I walked into the bar, I spotted Adrienne and Sarah, sitting across from Cam. When Cam looked up and saw me, her content smile spoke to my heart — it was a smile that knew me. And then Adrienne turned and smiled — hers was a smile that wanted me.

  I only wished her smile had been on Cam’s face instead.

  I took a deep breath, putting on a smile of my own as I greeted the women and took a seat in the empty seat next to Adrienne. Cam didn’t ask what I wanted, just poured me a beer and set it in front of me, sending me an encouraging smile before walking away to keep Sarah company.

  Adrienne shifted in her seat next to me, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked amazing, as Cam had said — a denim shirt unbuttoned low, tight black jeans, and suede flats. Her lips were red, lashes long as she looked up at me.

  “I feel like I shouldn’t have surprised you like this.”

  I smiled, not wanting her to feel unsure of herself. It was almost unsettling that someone so strong could be so nervous. “I love a good surprise.”

  “Not me. I actually hate surprises. Once, I actually punched my ex-boyfriend when he walked me into a surprise party.”

  A laugh burst out of me. “Wow, I bet nobody saw that coming.”

  “He definitely didn’t. It was just my first reaction. Wham, right in the cheek. It hurt like a son of a bitch, too.”

  “Did the party end up happening?”

  “Yeah. I felt better once I had a drink, and Dave was fine too, other than being a spectacular baby about it, whining and looking at it in the mirror for days,” she said and took a drink.

  I laughed again, comfortably amused.

  Adrienne turned to angle herself toward me as she leaned a little on the bar. “Really, though. I hope it’s not weird that I came. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you after last night, and I wanted to get to know you a little better. See if there’s more to it, if you were interested.”

  She was so forward, and in a way that would have normally caught me off guard, but there was something so honest about the admission that I found myself charmed. But I didn’t answer right away, glancing at Cam, who gave me a reassuring smile.

  Adrienne was still watching me, smiling. “You can say no, Tyler. I sprung this on you pretty hard, even after getting shot down this afternoon.”

  I chuckled. “Hey, I didn’t shoot you down. I just had plans, that’s all.”

  She picked up her drink, hanging it between her fingers. “If you say so. Felt kind of like a shoot-down, but I’m nothing if not persistent. How do you think I beat out three of the best reps in the business for my job?”

  I turned to her, mirroring her, leaning on the bar. “Persistence is an admirable quality. Being determined is how you get what you want out of life.”

  Her face softened. “Football lesson?”

  I nodded. “But it’s relevant to all of life, I’ve found. Just as important as knowing when to let go.” I took a drink. “So what did Cam say about me before I got here?”

  “Oh, well, she interviewed me.”

  I smirked, shaking my head. “Of course she did. Did she give you too hard of a time?”

  “Not at all. She had some very important questions for me, like if I was a grape or strawberry jelly kind of girl.”

  “How’d you answer?”

  “Strawberry. Anything else is blasphemy.”

  I laughed, in part because Cam really was that good in the matchmaking department — strawberry was my favorite to win the great jelly debate too.

  Adrienne watched me, smiling with her lips sealed and eyes bright. “Go on a date with me, Tyler Knight.”

  “I thought I was supposed to be asking you out?” I smiled, though discomfort had settled in.

  She shrugged. “I’m a girl who knows what I want, and I want to have dinner with you.”

  She watched me with big, brown eyes, waiting for an answer with her long, dark fingers around her drink. After a second, her red lips curled into a smile.

  “Come on, Knight. Do I have to beg? I’m not above it.”

  But my eyes darted to Cam who stood at the tap, pouring a beer in jean shorts and a f
lannel, smiling across the bar at a girl she was pouring for.

  “What do you have to lose?”

  Nothing. Everything. I looked back to Adrienne. She was sexy and fun, and I actually did like her, a lot. But I didn’t want her like I felt like I should.

  On the other hand, I trusted Cam to know what I didn’t, what I couldn’t. She saw something there, and Adrienne seemed like a great girl.

  What’s the worst that could happen?

  Maybe I’d have a great time, get my head back in the game. It was just a date, one that Cam sanctioned. Maybe her intuition would serve us well. Maybe some magic would happen like it did for so many of the matches Cam made.

  So I took a breath and made a decision with a smile. “I’d love to take you to dinner, Adrienne. Just say when.”

  And her smile widened even more, face glowing when she answered, “When.”

  * * *

  Cam

  I didn’t have much time to hang out once Tyler showed up, and I counted it as a blessing, not wanting to get in the way. They chatted for a long while before Sarah and Adrienne left, but it was late by that time, and Tyler was dead in his seat from his long day without a full night’s sleep. I tried to send him home, but he wouldn’t leave without me, which meant he kept drinking to keep himself occupied. So once the rush died down and Beau and Greg could handle the end of the night, I clocked out and grabbed him by the arm to get him into bed.

  We stepped out into the cool night, and I zipped up my hoodie, stepping to the curb to look for a cab, but Tyler stopped me.

  “Let’s walk. It’s so nice tonight.” He smiled crookedly at me, his lids a little heavy.

  I laughed. “It’s cold and you’re drunk. Let’s just grab a cab.”

  “I’m not that drunk. You want my sweatshirt?” he asked earnestly and started stripping.

  “No, I don’t want you to be cold,” I chuckled and stopped him.

  “Come on. It’s only twenty minutes. Let’s just walk. Please?” He made a puppy dog face and begged.

  I sighed, unable to deny him. “All right.”

  He had this big goofy grin on his face as we started walking down Broadway toward our building, and I couldn’t help but smile too, content and happy with him. I didn’t want to talk about Adrienne, even though I knew I should, and I struggled with the thought that something I’d normally be dying to hear all the gory details about was the last thing I wanted to bring up.

  A guy who looked like Jesus rode by on a bike, both man and machine covered in blinking Christmas lights, and we watched him, waving.

  He didn’t wave back.

  “New York is weird,” Tyler said.

  “So weird and awesome. We just saw Christ on a bike. You don’t get that kind of entertainment in Walnut.”

  He laughed. “I mean, maybe at a college party in Lincoln, but not just walking home for sure.”

  “How much do you miss home?”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes worse than others. I mean, I could take or leave Lincoln itself, but I miss my sisters, my parents more than anything.”

  “I wish I’d had a big family like you. Being an only child was kind of boring. I had to make my own fun.”

  “Having three little sisters was mostly a pain. There was a lot of squabbling over important things like hair brushes and who was sitting where in the car. But man, I miss them. They’ve mellowed out some now that they’re older. Like, I never thought Meg and I would be as close as we are. Before high school, my parents had the hopeless job of making sure we didn’t murder each other.”

  I laughed and stuffed my hands in my hoodie pockets.

  “Dad always made pancakes on Sundays. Of course, you cook for me now, and you’re a way better cook than he is.” We stepped off the curb and crossed the empty street.

  “Hey, you cook for me too.”

  “Eggs don’t count as cooking.” He sighed. “I dunno. My family and I just used to spend a lot of time together, and it’s weird sometimes that I’m not a part of that like I used to be. But I couldn’t stay there, and not just because Jack offered me a job. Too many memories I can’t shake live in that town.”

  His words were somber, and I hooked my arm in his, squeezing it in lieu of a real hug.

  “Anyway,” he continued, perking up a little, “it’ll be good to go home next weekend and see everybody. Get my fill of Dad’s pancakes. What are you gonna do when I’m gone?”

  “Oh, I dunno. Probably mope around, contemplate how I could ever survive without you.”

  He looked down at me, grinning again as he booped my nose. “It’s true. You can’t live without me.”

  I ignored the flush in my cheeks and laughed. “It’s true, but neither could you. Do you even remember how to make coffee?”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes. “It’s not rocket science, Cam.”

  “No, but you’d be late every day if you had to make it yourself.”

  “That’s probably true,” he conceded. “How’s it going with Greg and Bayleigh?”

  I caught a hint of disdain in his voice. “Fine. He walked her home last night and told me all about it.”

  “He kiss her?” Tyler asked skeptically.

  “Not yet.”

  “So, no.” He was smirking again.

  I made a face at him, and he laughed.

  “You look like a cartoon character.”

  “Bullwinkle?”

  “Ha, ha. No, you look like a character in a Pixar movie. Giant eyes, tiny nose, big smile. And you make all these little faces. Like when you’re concentrating, you stick the tip of your tongue out, but always on the right side. Never the left.”

  I laughed, feeling self-conscious. “Must be my critical brain at work.”

  His nose wrinkled. “Wouldn’t that mean it would always stick out the left? That’s the logic side, right?”

  “Yeah, but when information crosses the hemisphere, it reverses sides. That’s why super right-brained people are sometimes left-handed. Or that’s the rumor, at least.”

  “See? And you’re smart, too. You’re so busy matching everyone up, but how come you haven’t found a match for yourself?”

  I took a breath. “Because it’s easier to see everybody else’s connections. Mine’s too muddled by my own perspective.”

  He made a noncommittal noise. “Adrienne’s nice,” he said out of nowhere, and my heart jolted.

  “She is nice. I like her.”

  “She likes you too.” He didn’t elaborate, but I could almost hear him thinking. I took the pause as an opening.

  “You guys looked good together. I told you it was a good match.”

  “You know best.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, so I made light of it so there would be no question. “I do. I’m glad there’s no question on the matter or I’d bust out my list of conquests.”

  He laughed. “So instead of a little black book—”

  “I have a little pink notebook. And scrapbooks with engagement announcements and wedding invitations.”

  “Not to brag.”

  “Who, me? Never.”

  He smiled down at me again as we walked up to the building, though when he reached for the door, his lips stretched in a yawn.

  I sighed and walked in. “You shouldn’t have waited for me tonight.”

  He gave me a look as we headed to the stairs. “Like I was going to let you walk home alone.”

  “I only walked because you insisted, Drunky McTankerson. I would have taken a cab.”

  He chuffed. “Not safe. You need muscle.” He made a tough guy face and flexed.

  “Easy, boy. No need to break out the gun show for little ol’ me.”

  The grin was back as he stripped off his sweatshirt. “Psh, now they’re really getting unfurled.” He stopped on the landing and gnashed his teeth, flexing his arms in front of him like a bodybuilder.

  I laughed until my face was contorted as he hammed it up, changing positions.

  �
��Yeah, you like that?” He shifted, making a show of it. “How about that?” He moved again, and I have to admit, it wasn’t easy to keep my eyes off his biceps. “And a little of this?”

  “I’ve seen this show, beefcake. Remember you walk out of the shower every single day in nothing but a towel?”

  We walked up to the door, and his smile was as sideways as his mental state. “Yeah, I’ve seen you looking. You’re a fan of the gun show. Free admission.”

  “Oh, my God,” I said, giggling and rolling my eyes to play off the flutter in my chest. “You’re so drunk.”

  I swung at his chest playfully, but he grabbed my hand, all of a sudden dead serious, his eyes dark. I didn’t realize how close we were, and I looked up at him, stunned silent.

  “I’m not that drunk, Cam.” The words were barely above a whisper, and I couldn’t breathe.

  He was about to kiss me.

  I laughed awkwardly and way too loud as I took a step back. “Yeah, you are. Super drunk. Open the door, nerd.”

  He smiled, but it took a moment for him to erase the look that had been in his eyes. My heart was still racing from the adrenaline of it as I watched him unlock the door.

  We didn’t say much once we made it inside, just went through our routine of changing and brushing our teeth, joking when we did speak. I didn’t want to be serious, didn’t want to think about what had just happened. He was just drunk, that was all, probably caught up in the fact that I was ogling his bod. He knew I thought he was attractive, it was just the energy of that, nothing more. I was sure of it.

  I poured him a glass of water and grabbed him a couple of ibuprofen, finding him climbing into his bed, shirtless, with a thump.

  I smiled as I approached his bed, handing him the pills and water, and he smiled back gratefully before knocking them back. He set the glass on his nightstand as I fussed with his covers.

  “Maybe I was wrong.”

  “About what?” I asked absently as I pulled his blanket up over him.

  “About you being able to live without me.”