by Blake Wilder
I started to pull away from him, but Alex tightened his grip.
“You’ve just opened one hell of a can of worms,” I warned.
While I’d been very aware of our surroundings and the fact everyone was watching us, I got a sense Alex had actually been oblivious to it until I spoke. He looked around, then grinned.
“Score this touchdown or I’ll take you over my knee tonight and spank your ass.”
I slapped him playfully on the cheek. “If that’s meant to be an incentive, it sucks. I thought you wanted to win.”
Alex released my hand, only so he could grasp my waist to pull me even closer. I’d pointed out our audience, so I had to surmise he didn’t mind letting his family—or mine—see us like this.
“Fine. Score this touchdown and I’ll take you over my knee tonight and spank that cute ass of yours.”
The budding hope I’d been trying to keep a lid on, escaped, and suddenly, I didn’t just have a rose, I had a whole damn bouquet.
Alex released me, and as I turned away, he slapped my ass, true teammate style. “Let’s do this,” he called out to the rest of our team.
The ball was snapped and I darted toward the end of the yard designated as our end zone. Reggie was hot on my heels, but I was younger and faster. I turned just as Alex threw the ball. Reggie managed to get his fingertips on it, the football wobbling precariously. For a second, I thought he might intercept it, but I was able to grab it before he could.
“Woooooooo!” I yelled, spiking the football. Josh and Mr. Stone reached me in seconds, high-fiving me and each other, hooting loudly.
Alex sprinted across the yard, picked me up and spun me around until I was dizzy.
“Put me down, you crazy lunatic,” I said, laughing.
“Not sure why you’re celebrating,” Reggie, the sore loser, grumbled. “Said right from the start the teams were uneven. You and Charley should never be on the same team. It’s not fair.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Not sure what you’re bitching about. We took Josh. If that’s not a handicap…”
Josh lifted his hands out and shot Alex a WTF look. “Um. I’m standing right here.”
I laughed. Bella had dated Josh for nearly a year, and what the guy lacked in athletic ability, he definitely made up for in personality. Bella’s family loved him, though it was clear that given their druthers, they would have added another “teammate” to the clan rather than a comedian.
“We’re doing a rematch after dinner. And this time,” Reggie pointed at me, “Charley’s on my team.”
Alex shook his head, wrapping his arm around my shoulders in a proprietary way. “Arm wrestle you for her.”
Reggie scoffed, then muttered, “Competitive fucker,” as he walked away.
Everyone else ambled away as well, heading for the cooler to grab either a beer or bottle of water.
I started to follow, but Alex tightened his grip on me, holding me in place.
“I feel like I’m not getting enough credit for that stellar throw. Couldn’t help but notice all the cheers were for you.”
Alex had ego to spare and I’d made it my mission back in elementary school to never feed the beast. “Excuse me? Your brother almost picked it off. The only reason we won was because I saved us from your shitty toss.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Alex said, turning me in his arms until we were pressed breast to chest. “You are going to pay for that.”
“Might be a good time to let you know that the only way you could hurt me is to withhold sex. And we both know you won’t go that far.”
Alex laughed loudly, then started tickling me. “Dammit. I’m getting tired of losing to you.”
I tried to escape him, but my feet got tangled up in his and I started to fall backwards. Alex reached out, going down with me, twisting at the last minute, so that I fell on top of him. Going vertical to horizontal didn’t impact his attack. Instead, it seemed to reenergize him and he drove his wicked fingers into my side, as I laughed uncontrollably and tried to fight him off.
“Get a room!” Reggie yelled from the picnic table.
“Alex,” I protested.
“Say uncle,” Alex demanded.
I refused the relent, so he doubled his efforts, until I was gasping for air through my laughter.
“Uncle,” he insisted.
I held on a few seconds more, but it was obvious escape was impossible.
“Uncle,” I murmured before adding, “Asshole,” just to make myself feel better.
Alex stopped tickling me, grinning. “You’re adorable.”
After nearly a week with Alex, I was getting used to and spoiled by his compliments. Adorable was not a word that had ever been used in regards to me—I’d come out of the womb too tall, too gangly, too rough.
I shook my head, even as I smiled, pleased. “God, I love you.”
The words fell out unbidden and I instantly regretted them when Alex’s face—his whole body—froze.
Shit. One second became five, then ten.
“I…” I started, uncertain how to mitigate the damage I’d just done.
Before either of us could find our voices, Bella plopped down in the grass next to us. “Reggie is piiiiiiiissed. Determined for a rematch.”
Alex sat, helping me up as well.
“Hey, Alex!” Josh yelled across the yard. “Help me grab some more beer from the garage and ice it down.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah. Back in a minute.”
Maybe it was just in my head—because panic was seriously taking over—but his voice sounded wooden to me. Forced.
Bella had been oblivious to my state until Alex was gone and I let out a long, shaky breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just told Alex I loved him.”
Bella’s expression told me I wasn’t wrong to be upset. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Fucking oh. What’s wrong with me? Why would I say that?”
Bella gave me a sympathetic smile. “Because you feel it?”
I glared at her. “Not helpful.”
Though I’d seen Bella a few times since our return from Vegas, the two of us hadn’t been alone once—Alex always present.
“I was hoping to steal a few minutes with you today, just so I could ask you what the hell is going on between you two. While Alex is the king of hookups, you’re not. Of course, my big brother also isn’t known for six-night stands, so I’ll admit I’ve been confused. Guess I know now.”
“I’m the world’s biggest idiot. I mean…Jesus…if it wasn’t bad enough my boyfriend of three years cheats on me, then dumps me, I manage to go one further by falling for a man who’ll never love me back. What’s wrong with me?”
Bella reached out and took my hand. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Just the guys.”
“You realize one of those guys is your brother.”
She glanced toward her family. Her oldest two brothers appeared to be engaged in a chugging contest, belching loudly and crushing the cans once they were done. “I stand by what I said.”
Leave it to Bella to find a way to make me laugh, to make me feel better. That was something she and Alex seemed to have in common. Neither one of them held back on the humor or the sweet words.
Unless, of course, it was the L word from Alex.
Then it was radio silence.
“I made a huge mess of this.”
Bella shook her head. “No, you didn’t. It might take several hundred gallons of ice cream and a dozen or so cases of wine, but I’m going to get you through this. And once you reach the other side, we commence with the original plan. Operation Perfect Guy.”
I’d forgotten about that plan. Forgotten about all those characteristics I’d listed for my ideal man. Then I considered Alex.
He loved it whenever I snorted, watched hockey with the same insane fervor I did, told me my nickname suited me, matched me shot for shot when it came to tequila and never gave me shit for my foul mouth.
Hell, he’d even spont
aneously eloped in Vegas with me.
He’d nailed it all.
Truth was…apart from the commitment issues and the lack of dog…Alex was the perfect guy.
Wow. And I seriously thought I couldn’t feel worse.
All I’d had to do was keep the love word out of our conversations. It should have been so damn simple.
Then I would have…would have been in exactly this same boat, only a week from now instead of today.
Broken-hearted.
Alone.
The only—biggest—difference was if I’d kept my mouth shut, Alex would never have known about the misery he was about to leave in his wake.
Now, I felt very much like the pity date he took to the wedding. Only more pathetic.
And I hadn’t just ruined the temporary relationship. I’d most likely destroyed the friendship too.
“He goes back to Baltimore tomorrow. Just grin and bear it tonight and I promise, tomorrow I’ll come armed with Ben and Jerry’s and Chardonnay.” Bella stood, then offered me a hand. “Dinner is ready.”
I didn’t mention to Bella that up until ten minutes ago, I’d been planning to travel to Baltimore with Alex. So much for that extra week of sex, hockey, and champagne.
Josh and Alex finished loading the cooler, then he sat next to me. Being surrounded by our families helped alleviate the awkwardness of what had just happened.
Alex acted normal—on the surface—but I was convinced now that I wasn’t imagining his uneasiness. It almost felt like he was starting to treat me with kid gloves.
No doubt he was trying to figure out how to un-invite me to Baltimore.
Miraculously, the entire situation resolved itself when my publisher called to ask if I’d be willing to travel to Milwaukee to do a last-minute appearance.
I hastily agreed, delighted to be able to provide an out for Alex, since I wasn’t sure if he’d maintain the current plan, grinning and bearing it, or if he’d come up with some lame excuse to cancel, even though both of us would know the truth.
“Bad news,” I said after I hung up. “I’m going to have to postpone my trip to Baltimore. Another one of the children’s book authors with my publisher had to cancel an appearance at a librarian’s conference this weekend due to health concerns. My publisher asked me to fill in.”
“You couldn’t say no?” Alex asked.
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Of course, I could have. I thought Alex would be relieved, but instead he looked…angry? Disappointed?
“This is my job,” I said, trying to find a way to explain that he could relate to. “This is a state-wide conference. Hundreds of librarians. It’s a big opportunity for me to get Tomboy Tess in libraries all over the state.”
Alex’s expression softened. “Yeah. You’re right. So how long is the conference?”
“I fly out tomorrow and I’ll get back here Monday morning. I know you already bought my ticket to Baltimore, but don’t worry. I’ll reimburse you for the fa—”
“Reimburse me? I can get the ticket changed. I’m afraid I still have to fly home tomorrow—got an interview with ESPN scheduled Sunday morning. You can just follow me next week when you get back.”
“But—”
“I still need a date for the exhibition game and the party.”
Damn. Alex really was the perfect guy. Even though this affair was coming to a screeching halt, he was still taking me to the party. Maybe the friendship wouldn’t be lost after all.
“That would be great,” I said. “I really was looking forward to meeting some of the players on your team.”
Alex chuckled. He was amused by my serious fan-girl status when it came to his team. “Of course you were.”
“And we still have to sign and file the paperwork for,” I lowered my voice so no one could hear, “the annulment.”
Alex nodded. I’d expected to see some sort of relief on his face, but the frown was back.
Was he angry with me for ruining our fun times by professing my love?
The rest of the night only got worse. Alex bailed on the flag football rematch, claiming he had to be up early for his flight home.
He’d said a long goodbye to his family, hugging and promising he’d try to squeeze in another trip before the holidays.
We didn’t talk much on the drive home, the awkwardness between us growing with each silent minute that passed.
I wracked my brain for something to say, but nothing came. I felt stupid, sad, and depressed. I thought I should find some way to brush away my comment, but bringing it up again felt dumber than the fact that I’d said it in the first place.
We stood next to each other at the bathroom sink, just as we had every night this week, and brushed our teeth. I was used to Alex smiling more, but tonight, he looked too serious, too pensive.
My heart was racing when we climbed into bed. Typically, we both slept naked and tangled up in each other’s arms, but tonight I pulled on a T-shirt and I noticed he kept his boxers on.
He rolled toward me, and even though the room was dark, the streetlights outside made it possible for me to see his face.
I thought for a second he was going to say something, but in the end, he just gave me one of his affable, easygoing Alex smiles, kissed me—way too platonically—and said good night.
Then he turned away and went to sleep. Something that completely eluded me until the alarm on his phone sounded the same time dawn erupted.
It seemed like he was gone minutes after waking. His bag packed and loaded in the Uber. He kissed me goodbye—this one longer, but still lacking the passion I’d grown so accustomed to.
“See you in a few days,” he said as he climbed into the back of the car.
I nodded and waved, certain I would never make that trip to Baltimore.
Thirteen
Alex
“Damn. You’ve been a barrel of laughs tonight.”
I glanced across the table at Glen, my lawyer and best friend, and sighed. He was right. A corpse would be more fun than me right now.
I’d gotten back to Baltimore Saturday, done the ESPN interview yesterday morning, then stewed ever since. This afternoon, I’d had enough of my own company, and I’d called Glen to see if he was free for dinner. The idea of spending another night alone in my empty house had been too miserable to consider.
Charley was supposed to be there, and while I understood her commitment to her career, the selfish part of me was pissed she’d chosen a bunch of librarians over me.
And if that was all that had gone wrong between us, I wouldn’t be stuck in this unshakable, black mood.
But the truth was…her job had nothing to do with this distance between us. Charley had driven that point home a few hours earlier when she texted to say she wasn’t going to make it until the weekend. She was stalling, avoiding me.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
Glen frowned, concern in his eyes. “Shit, man. What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet ever since we sat down. I thought you were still brooding over the loss, on missing out on the Stanley Cup Finals. But…it’s something else, isn’t it?”
I snorted, realizing I hadn’t felt bad about that last game of the playoffs since the night of the wedding. Charley had erased that depression within minutes.
“I’ve forgotten about the game.”
Glen’s eyes widened. “Now I’m really starting to worry.”
“You know I traveled to Vegas for my friend’s wedding,” I started.
Glen nodded.
“I eloped.”
Glen closed his eyes and shook his head. “Fuck. Are you serious right now? How many goddamn times have I told you not to take one step inside a wedding chapel without a prenup. How bad is it?” Then he blanched. “Jesus. Tell me you didn’t marry a stripper. Or a hooker.”
I scowled. “Give me some credit, asshole. Of course not. I married Charley.”
Glen didn’t move for a full minute and I was confused by his sudden silence until he
said, “A man?”
Despite my misery, I laughed. “No. Not a man. Charley is a nickname for Charlotte. She’s been my kid sister’s best friend since birth.”
Glen leaned back and blew out a long, relieved breath. “Thank God. I mean…not that there’s anything wrong with you marrying a guy. It’s just…I started thinking I was the worst best friend in history not to, well, know which way you were swinging.”
I rolled my eyes. “Your best friend status is fine. Her name is Charley Matthews and I—”
“Wait. You married the author of Tomboy Tess?”
“How the hell do you know about those books?” I asked, shocked.
“My nieces are crazy about them. I got them the whole series for Christmas this year. Hey, do you think Charley would sign them for the girls?”
“I’m sure she—” I stopped abruptly, annoyed. “I take it back. You’re a shitty best friend. Can we talk about my problem right now, then schedule your author signing?”
Glen grinned. “Damn. You really are out of sorts. Fine. Take it easy. Let the lawyer sort this out. Here’s the deal. There are two types of marriages. A void one and a voidable one. Void means the marriage was never valid to begin with. I assume you had a marriage license?”
I’d brought it with me because I knew I needed Glen’s advice on what to do next. I pulled it out of my jacket pocket and handed it to him.
He studied it. “This is legit. So…it’s a valid marriage. Were either of you under duress when you said I do?”
I shook my head, then gave him a sheepish grin. “Does drunk count?”
“Actually it does. Falls under the heading of temporary lack of capacity and we could use that as grounds for filing for an annulment, but we’re going to have to move fast though. How difficult is Charley going to make this?”
“Difficult?” I asked.
“Is she as anxious to get out of the marriage as you or are we going to have to come up with some sort of settlement to buy her off?”
I frowned, Glen’s comment pissing me off. “Charley isn’t like that. She’s not a gold digger.”
My response came out too heated, too angry.
Glen leaned back in his chair, studying my face too closely for my comfort. The silence at the table lingered until Glen suddenly sat up. “Wait a minute. Do you want an annulment?”
