Only in Dreams (Road Trip Romance Book 9)

by A. K. Evans

  What was the best way to get over someone who didn’t want you?

  Pretend to be unaffected and move on.

  So, I shot the guy a smile. He moved quickly and closed the distance between us. Then he slid his arms around my waist and said, “I’m Mitch.”

  “Samantha,” I returned.

  Before I could stop it from happening, Mitch’s mouth was descending on mine. And because I was so caught up in making myself feel better about the fact that Cal didn’t want me, I pressed up on my toes and accepted what Mitch wanted to give.

  I allowed him to kiss me.

  It wasn’t bad. I just didn’t feel anything for him. It meant nothing.

  Even still, I didn’t stop, and I didn’t push him away.

  When he finally pulled his mouth from mine, he said, “It’s very nice to meet you, Samantha.”

  I offered a friendly smile and returned, “Likewise.”

  From that point forward, the rest of the night passed in a blur. There was dancing and drinks. Mitch stuck by my side, and on the several occasions when I sought out Cal with my eyes, he was nowhere to be found.

  To say I was hurt would have been an understatement.

  Eventually, I decided I just needed to come home. So, I said goodbye to Demi, who had managed to find a guy who was interested in dancing with her. I knew it wasn’t anything serious for her, but I was glad she was having a good time.

  Turning toward Mitch, I said, “I’m just going to say goodbye to Cal. Can you give me a minute?”

  “Sure. I’ll wait by the door.”

  Then I asked one of Cal’s employees, Billy, if he knew where Cal was.

  “I think he’s back in the office,” Billy said. “I can grab him for you if you’d like.”

  “Would you, please?”

  Billy nodded and took off to get Cal. A couple minutes later, Cal emerged.

  “Hey, Sam,” he mumbled.

  I swallowed hard. Whatever happened with him and that woman wasn’t good because he went from being so happy when he was with her to being the complete opposite.

  “I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye,” I told him, feeling the ache in my chest growing more painful by the minute.

  His eyes left mine and scanned the bar. They landed momentarily somewhere behind me and settled there for a bit before he returned his attention to me and said, “Right. I hope you had a good time tonight.”

  Nodding, I confirmed, “Yeah. I did. Thank you so much for getting me a cake. It was delicious and very thoughtful.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I held his gaze a moment and just felt like something was off. The last thing I wanted was to know who that woman was, but Cal was my friend, so I couldn’t just walk away knowing he was upset.

  “Cal?”

  “Yeah?” he answered a bit absentmindedly.

  I hesitated briefly before I asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I offered.

  His sad eyes looked at mine in a way I felt like he had been trying to communicate without saying anything. Unfortunately, I had no idea what he was trying to tell me.

  “No, it’s okay,” he answered. “Do you… do you need a ride home?”

  My eyes widened. Never. Cal had never offered to give me a ride home from the bar. Of course, most days, I had only stopped in after work for an hour or two, or I was with Demi, and we were leaving together.

  Why now?

  I looked back at the entrance and saw Mitch was still there waiting for me. When I returned my attention to Cal, I said, “Um, well, I, do you see the guy over by the door? He’s the one that’s looking over here at me.”

  Cal’s jaw clenched. “Yeah?”

  “He offered to take me home, and I already turned him down. I think it might be mean of me to accept a ride from you,” I told him.

  Something washed over his face, and he seemed to relax. “Right. Okay.”

  Before I could say anything else, Cal moved closer, gave me a hug, and said, “Happy birthday, Sam.”

  I hugged him back and replied, “Thanks, Cal.”

  With that, he let me go.

  Then I left.

  And now I was here, curled up on my couch, wondering why I had to fall in love with a man who didn’t want me. Mitch had said he’d call me, but I couldn’t even begin to think about that. There was this awful feeling, nagging at me, telling me that something happened tonight with Cal. Something changed. I just didn’t know what it was.

  Feeling more confused than ever, I pulled my knees tighter into my chest, wishing it had been Cal holding me instead, and didn’t move from that spot until the next morning.

  And when I woke up, I hated that I had a missed call waiting from Mitch.

  Five

  Calvin

  Four days later

  I’d just hung up the phone and was itching to make another call.

  I had good news, and there was one person in particular with whom I wanted to share it.

  But since Sam and I hadn’t spoken to each other since she left Granite on Saturday night, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Normally, I wouldn’t have hesitated. It’s just that things were a bit awkward when we were last in each other’s presence, and I wasn’t quite sure how it would go down between us after she left that night.

  That tension between us was my own fault. I was sulking and being moody because I hadn’t liked what happened. It hurt to see her kissing someone who wasn’t me, mainly because I knew what I’d be feeling if I had been lucky enough to kiss her. I’d have wanted nothing more than to take her somewhere private, where we’d be able to allow that kissing to lead to something else. So, to say that I’d been relieved to know she hadn’t gone home with that guy was an understatement. It wasn’t until she confirmed she wasn’t leaving with him that I found myself relaxing.

  By the following day, I was even more relieved to receive a text message from her thanking me again for being part of her birthday celebration. I could admit I had been all about her and celebrating with her for the first half of the night, but after I saw her with that guy, I couldn’t stay out there. I only came out of my office occasionally throughout the evening to check in with my staff. So, seeing that text, I knew she was letting go of whatever awkwardness there had been between us, and I was grateful she was willing to move forward.

  Now, it had been days since she reached out. It was my turn to take the lead. I found her name in my phone and tapped on it.

  “Hey, Cal,” she greeted me after two rings.

  “Hey. I have some really exciting news for you,” I told her.

  There was no mistaking the genuine curiosity in her tone when she replied, “Oh? What’s that?”

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I teased.

  “You’re killing me right now. Please tell me what’s going on,” she begged.

  I smiled, loving that our conversation wasn’t plagued by any of the same awkwardness of a couple nights ago. “Well, I have just secured Granite’s very first live band.”

  “What?!” she shrieked.

  Letting out a laugh at her reaction, I confirmed, “Yep. I know I slacked a bit on making this happen, but now I have something officially locked down.”

  “That’s fantastic news!” Sam bubbled. “Who is it? Have I heard of them before?”

  “Probably not,” I answered. “I reached out to a childhood friend, a guy I went to high school with, who was always really into music. I wasn’t sure if he was still doing it, but as it turns out, he’s got a band now, and they play whenever they can. They’re only a cover band, but I think it’s a good start.”

  “It’s a great start. I’m so excited for you, Cal. I think everyone is going to love this, and it’s really going to take Granite to the next level.”

  I hesitated a moment, unsure if I should tell her what I was thinking. Then I realized I’d held too much back for too long, and she deserved to know the tr
uth. “It never would have happened if it hadn’t been for you,” I confessed.

  That statement was met with silence. It went on for so long, I started to wonder if we’d gotten disconnected. Just as I was about to call her name, Sam said, “Next to Demi, you’re my best friend, Cal. I want to see you succeed. And I know you’re already doing a great job with that as it is. I just think this is going to be huge for you.”

  “Yeah, I think so, too,” I agreed. In the back of my mind, I couldn’t stop myself from focusing on the words she said. I was her best friend. Was that all she ever wanted us to be? I knew I looked at her as my best friend, too, but that wasn’t all I wanted her to be. I couldn’t be sure where her mind was with that, and I was too afraid to ask, especially when I wasn’t even remotely prepared to experience ever again what we did when she was about to leave Granite on her birthday.

  “So, when’s the big day?” Sam asked.

  “Saturday. Halloween weekend.”

  “S… Saturday?” Sam repeated.

  “Yeah.”

  There was silence again that stretched on for too long for me to feel assured that nothing was wrong.

  “Oh, no,” Sam murmured eventually. “I have to work that night.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. And it sucks because, for once, I am actually looking forward to work on a Saturday evening. Someone is having a Halloween-themed wedding reception. While it’s not something I’d ever do personally, I was looking forward to being a witness to one,” she shared.

  I didn’t even know that a Halloween-themed wedding was a thing. “Wait. Are you telling me that the bridal party is dressing up in costumes?”

  Sam let out a laugh. “From my understanding, the bride and groom will be dressed as such,” she began. “I’m told the bridal party has particular costumes, but I’m not sure yet what they are. It’s a big secret, apparently. That’s not all, though. The wedding guests are encouraged to dress in costumes as well.”

  “Are you serious?” I asked.

  “Completely. But I’m so bummed because now I’m going to miss out on being there for your first live band night.”

  I couldn’t say I didn’t feel the same. This was all happening because she’d given me the idea. I hated that she wouldn’t be there.

  “I can try to change it,” I told her.

  “No!” she cried. “Don’t do that. This is too huge to risk ruining it for me. I’ll catch the next one.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Positive.”

  With that, Sam and I spoke for a few more minutes before we disconnected. As much as I wanted to talk to her about how I acted the night of her birthday, I didn’t want to do it over the phone.

  The truth was, my plan was to talk to her about it the next time I saw her, and then I’d explain everything.

  If there was one thing her birthday had taught me, it was that I couldn’t wait to go after what I wanted. Because next time, I might not get so lucky.

  One month later

  Sam: Question.

  It was late morning on Thursday, two days before the first live band performance, and I was just about to get ready to go into work. But at the sight of the text, I sat down on the couch with a smile on my face.

  Things were back to normal.

  Truth be told, they really hadn’t gotten that far out of whack. With the exception of that one night, we seemed to fall right back into being who we’d always been with each other.

  Of course, that constantly led me to thinking about the fact that being what we’d always been meant that Sam and I weren’t together in a way I really wanted.

  For the last month, I’d tried to get together with her on several occasions. But when I was free, she was working. And when she was free, I was working. The simple fact of me working was never the issue, as I was more than prepared to stop to talk to her.

  Sam had stopped in to the bar a handful of times over the last couple of weeks, but every time she came, Demi was with her. It would have been far too awkward to have the conversation I wanted to have with Sam while Demi was there.

  But this text was going to be the perfect opportunity for me to hit back with one of my own questions. Before I got to that, though, I was going to entertain her.

  Me: Shoot.

  Sam: Haunted houses or scary movies?

  Me: Oh, that’s tough. I like both. Can I say both?

  Sam: You have to choose.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. No matter how many times she’d done things like this, I always tried to see if I could get away with not giving her a straight answer. She never let it happen.

  Me: Okay, fine. I’m going to say scary movies then. Only because sometimes haunted houses aren’t so scary.

  Sam: What about crappy movies?

  She had a point.

  Me: Point made. This is what happens when you make me choose. There’s a downside either way.

  Sam: Ha ha!! I was thinking about the wedding reception I have this weekend, and I’ve been wondering if the guests are actually going to dress up. What if people have bad costumes? It’s all going to be in this couple’s pictures and memories for the rest of their lives.

  Me: Yikes. I wonder if they considered that.

  Sam: I don’t know, but I’m so excited to see it.

  This was my opportunity.

  Me: I want to hear all about it. We should get together on Sunday so you can fill me in on all things Hallo-wedding, and I can tell you all about the band’s performance.

  For the first time since we started texting, there was a delay. The bubble with the three dots didn’t immediately pop up. Figuring she must have gotten interrupted at work, I got up off the couch and walked to my bedroom so I could get changed for work. As soon as I walked in, my phone buzzed in my hand.

  Sam: Get together? Where?

  Me: I can come by and pick you up. I’ll take you out for a late breakfast.

  Sam: You mean, brunch?

  Me: Whatever. Does that work for you? 10:30am?

  Sam: Sure.

  Finally. It was finally going to happen.

  Me: See you then. Enjoy the reception!

  Sam: Good luck on Saturday.

  This was it.

  After all this time, I was going to tell Sam the truth. I couldn’t wait.

  Nothing was going to wipe the smile off my face.

  Unbelievable.

  When I decided to follow through on Sam’s suggestion to get a live band, I never could have imagined just how incredible the turnout would be. It had been beyond my wildest imagination.

  We started spreading the word about the live show almost immediately after I’d locked in the date with the band. Not only did we put a ton of flyers up around Granite for our regulars to see, but we also took to social media to spread the word.

  And the result had been overwhelmingly positive. Even in the weeks leading up to tonight, I’d seen a substantial increase in business. More and more people were coming to check out Granite.

  Tonight had been our best night ever. By far.

  The only thing that could have possibly made it any better would have been if Sam had been here. I wished she would have been because it was all thanks to her that this night had even happened.

  When my friend, Elijah, and the rest of his bandmates had finished their set, I made my way over to them.

  “Eli, man, thanks so much for agreeing to do this,” I told him.

  “Are you kidding?” he retorted. “Cal, we had a blast. Thanks for asking us.”

  “If you’re up for it, we can talk about putting you on a regular rotation here,” I said. “This is the first live performance we’ve had here, but I’m hoping it won’t be the last. Seeing how much people enjoyed it, I’m definitely going to be putting a lot of extra effort into finding a couple more gigs.”

  “Yeah, we’d definitely be down for doing regular performances,” Eli said. “We’ve all got day jobs, but we love doing this. It’d be really cool
to be able to play for a live audience regularly.”

  “Cool, man. Then, I’ll reach out to you sometime during the week, and we’ll talk scheduling,” I promised.

  “Awesome,” he replied.

  “I’ll let you guys do your thing with your set here, but when you’re done, stop up at the bar and grab a drink on the house,” I urged.

  “Will do.”

  With that, I took off back toward the bar. Once I was there, I found Demi was in her usual spot. The only thing missing was Sam sitting next to her.

  “This was spectacular, Cal,” she raved.

  “Yeah, I should have done this so much sooner,” I responded. “It was a lot of work, though.”

  “I can imagine. You know, if you are ever looking for any help here, I’d be happy to do whatever you need,” Demi offered.

  Her statement caught me off guard. “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I’m just saying… it’s not like I’m working a job that brings me much joy,” she started. “I don’t want to be working as a hotel manager for the rest of my life. I never thought I’d see the things I do working there, so I’m actively searching for something else to do.”

  “I’ll be honest, I loved the end result of what tonight did for us here at Granite, but I didn’t exactly enjoy all of the logistics of promoting it,” I admitted.

  Nodding her head, Demi replied, “Well, like I said, I’m happy to help. I could use the change of scenery if you think you could utilize me. It’d be great, too, from a scheduling standpoint because once Sam’s T-shirt business takes off, she’s going to need help. I’ve already offered to help her out when that time comes.”

  “I hope that happens for her,” I said. “She really deserves it. Tonight never would have happened if she hadn’t suggested the band. I just hope she sees the same success.”

  Demi smiled at me.

  I continued, “I’m just looking forward to seeing her tomorrow so I can tell her all about it. And I know she wants to share how the Hallo-wedding went.”