The NYCE Girls!

by Raquel Belle

  “Oh, sleeping with the boss! Scandalous!”

  “You’d think so, but no. They were a couple for years and didn’t realize it. She didn’t even spill all the details about it at first. Things got pretty crazy with them for a while.”

  “Poor Grace! I bet keeping their romance a secret was tough on her emotionally. I can’t imagine being around someone I was totally crazy about and not being able to just…jump on them and kiss them.”

  “I guess so,” I say, trying to sound as casual as possible while I feel my insides churning with guilt. “So how are Mom and Dad? When did you last see them?” I have to move on to a new topic of conversation or I’m going to scream. I’m already on edge…all day, every time we passed a construction site, I flinched and looked away, fearing Jason might be there.

  “They’re good! Happy to be out of the city. I haven’t seen much of them since they’ve been so busy remodeling the new house out in the suburbs. It’s been a couple months.”

  “It will be really good to have the whole family together again.”

  “Definitely.” Laura takes a last sip of her iced coffee and rattles the cup of ice cubes at me. “You all set? I think we’re good for the day and I want to get in a gym session before dinner or I’ll be in danger of not fitting into my wedding dress.”

  “Especially after all that cake,” I can’t help but tease her. Laura is super svelte. While I’ve got some curves, Laura barely has a single ounce of fat on her. I have no doubt she will fit into her gown–and look like an angel.

  “Wait until you see the dress,” she says, her smile growing. “It’s so lovely. Specially tailored. Not off the rack.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Let’s go, I’ll give you a ride to your hotel. Hopefully this time next year, you can stay with me and Jared in our new house. For now we’re still crammed into his former bachelor pad but once the wedding mayhem has subsided...”

  “You’ll move on to house shopping?”

  “Yep,” she nods and then adds with a grin, “I can’t wait to get out of his old apartment. I can’t help but think of the ghosts of girlfriends past who haunt it.”

  We break down in giggles as we walk to the car. It feels good, laughing with my little sister like this and talking about “adult” stuff. Sort of surreal but good. I hang on to that warm and cozy feeling the entire ride back to the hotel and squeeze her extra hard when we say goodbye.

  After my busy day with Laura, I’m starving but too lazy to go out in search of dinner. I should have at least gotten a snack at the coffee shop. Maybe I’ll treat myself to room service later. Rolling into bed with some food and binge-watching a favorite show on Netflix with my tablet—that sounds perfect right about now. And some comfort television is just what I need to try and erase the lingering thoughts of Jason from my mind.

  I’m walking through the hotel lobby, contemplating what to watch, when a familiar, deep voice jerks me out of my machinations.

  “Cara! Hey, wait up!”

  Turning, I see none other than Jason striding towards me. He’s carrying a large cardboard cake box and is casually dressed in cargo shorts and a short-sleeved polo shirt—similar to what his Dad was wearing this morning, I realize with an unwelcome jolt. This fact also makes me smile though. Like father, like son. When it dawns on me that I’m grinning like an idiot, I suppress the smile and turn a stern eye on Jason.

  “What are you doing here?” I hiss at him in a stage whisper.

  “I thought you might be hungry after a busy day with your maid-of-honor duties. And I have just the treat to satiate your appetite.” He flips open the box as he’s talking, revealing a selection of perfectly crafted cake samples—red velvet, a white butter-cream frosting, lemon meringue…and even a delectable looking chocolate cupcake… My mouth starts watering at the sight of the sweets. But…

  “You can’t be here,” I tell him firmly, gritting my teeth.

  “Oh, come on. Nobody will see us here.”

  “No? Laura just dropped me off. What if she had decided to come up to my room—or just walked into the lobby alongside me?”

  “I would have stayed out of sight.”

  “You’re freaking six-foot-I-don’t-know-how-much,” I splutter, “you’re a freaking giant. There’s no hiding you.” In my excitement, the tenor of my voice rises well above a stage whisper. I spot the concierge behind his desk casting a wary eye towards us. We briefly make eye contact and he raises an eyebrow as if to ask if everything is okay. I give a brief nod to him and then grab Jason firmly by the arm.

  “You have to get out of here. Now.”

  “Come on, Cara, I think we need to have a quick chat at least.”

  “No, we don’t.” All I can think about is getting him out of the hotel lobby and with my grip still on his arm, I start trying to walk him towards the exit. Of course, he just stays put and doesn’t budge.

  “What are you doing? Trying to hustle me out of here like some kind of bouncer?” He’s looking down at me with a quizzical smile, his eyes warm and laughing.

  “Oh, damn it!” I exclaim—and then just start laughing, letting out one of my big, embarrassing belly laughs. It’s all so ridiculous. What was I thinking? That I’d actually be able to bully him out the door? Now the concierge is really staring at us, his lips pursed in a thin line. “Okay, fine, come up. But just because I’m starving and that cake looks amazing.”

  ***

  Minutes later, we’re up in the room, safe from prying eyes.

  “You can set the cakes down there,” I gesture to the table—where just this morning we were sipping coffee together—and settle onto the couch in front of it.

  “As you wish, miss.” He sets the box down with a bow. I don’t waste any time and go straight for the chocolate cupcake.

  “That your favorite?” He asks with amusement, eyeing me as I eat.

  “Let’s see. I guess I’ll try them all.” Given the fact that I can never sleep with Jason again, I don’t even care about him seeing me pig out like this.

  “Let me try.” He sits next to me on the couch and puts his hand out, palm up. The sight of it reminds me of how he asked to see my manicure at dinner, cupping my small hand gently in his… I shake the memory out of my head and unceremoniously plop the remaining bit of chocolate cupcake into his hand.

  “Enjoy.”

  “Mm, that is delicious. Good choice. So how was your day with Laura?”

  “Good! It was really nice to spend some quality time with her. It was a busy day though. She’s holding up well but I can tell she’s really stressed about the wedding, even if she’s trying not to show it.”

  “Understandable. Jared told me they’re expecting about 200 people.”

  “Yep. We just updated the guest list today.”

  “How about a piece of the red velvet cake?” Jason is rummaging in the cake box in front of us and carefully pulls out a piece of the rich, red-tinged cake, looking moist and delicious.

  “I might as well. This is technically my dinner.”

  “A girl who eats cake for dinner. I like that. This one’s pretty messy though...”

  “I’ll manage.” I take the small cake sample and shove it into my mouth whole, almost choking in the process.

  “Jeez, you really must be hungry.” He grins. “You just, uh, didn’t quite manage to get the whole thing.” He’s turned to face me on the couch and brings his hand up to my face, carefully wiping away stray crumbs from the side of my mouth. He takes the crumb and brings it to his own mouth, taking a taste. “Not bad,” he says, leveling his gaze at me.

  “Thanks for bringing that by,” I say hurriedly. The spaces of silence between us make me nervous. There seems to be only one of two ways to fill them and while I would prefer talking…

  With his hand again hovering by my face from where he brushed away the crumb, Jason leans forward and, taking my chin in his hands, pulls me slightly towards him—and gently kisses me. It’s not like last night’s hungr
y kissing, but there is something sweet, long, sultry, and soft about it. The one thing that’s the same is the wanting.

  I immediately respond to the sensation, pressing my lips back against his…and I feel a shock wave of heat pass over my body. But then my brain steps in. Stop now, if you let this go on any longer, you won’t be able to stop yourself. So stop. It. Now.

  I pull back. “We have to stop,” I say softly, feeling a pang of sadness shoot through me as I release the words from my lips. The pang of sadness only worsens when I read the disappointment on his face.

  “Are you sure?” He pulls back too, studying my face carefully.

  “Yes. What I said this morning still holds true. Even more so. Now that I’ve seen Laura, I really know how stressed she is, how much this day means to her and how much she needs my help right now. The last thing I want is to add to her worries. And this,” I gesture helplessly at Jason, me, the cake box… “This will not help.”

  “Would it help if I told you that I’m not interested in just some wedding fling? That you’re a woman I can see myself with?”

  “We barely know each other, Jason. Last night was amazing but I can’t take this risk. Even if it were more than a fling, who’s to say it will last? And then if it turns into a mess, it turns into a mess for both of our families.”

  “Or it turns into something absolutely wonderful.” He doesn’t say anything else but he does get up from the couch. My legs feel weak after our exchange and I don’t even bother to walk him to the door. “Have a good night, Cara.” He says. And then I hear the door close behind him. And I think to myself, with a sigh… I guess I got my way.

  Chapter Ten

  Jason

  I wasn’t about to let Cara get her way when it came to squashing any potential romance between the two of us. I completely admire her resolve and the fact that she’s so dedicated to her family. It’s admirable and it shows that she shares my own values when it comes to loved ones and loyalty. That said, I don’t see why we can’t carry on our little romance, under wraps, while we’re in Boston. And once we’re back in New York City…who knows what can happen? I meant it when I told her she was the kind of woman I could see myself with. So yeah…if Miss Cara Conley, Attorney at Law, thinks that she’s won this round, she might be right. But when it comes to the big picture? Let’s see. I have a few weeks to win her over yet.

  I’ve been biding my time since leaving her hotel on Monday. I didn’t try to contact her again after she unceremoniously kicked me out of her room. But today I have an opportunity and I plan to seize it.

  “So what do you think, Jason?” Jared asks. He’s standing in front of me, clad in a black tuxedo, a white suit-shirt, and a black bowtie. A team of two skilled tailors are frantically bustling around him, one pinning up the pant legs and the other dealing with the sleeves.

  “Even I have to admit, you look pretty good, little bro.”

  “Hell yeah, man, you look straight-up like a star,” his friend Thomas cuts in, another groomsman—and one of Jared’s more annoying buddies in my opinion.

  “You look very dapper,” Ryan, a more chilled out college pal of Jared’s, chimes in, tousling his own blonde curly head of hair as he casually surveys the scene.

  “Yeah man, give us a twirl.” Another pal of his, Reuben, pipes up.

  “Will ya hold still so we can get this done, kiddo?” The older of the two tailors, a grey-haired man kneeling at Jared’s feet, flicks Jared lightly in the leg as he speaks.

  “Kiddo?! Frankie, you know I’m getting married, right?” Jared grins. Frankie has known Jared since he was a kid—fitting him for his first tux when Pops and Susan got married…and later for his prom. He’s one of Boston’s oldest tailors.

  “Frankie’s right, hold still. You don’t want one pant leg shorter than the other on the big day,” I note wryly while Reuben and Ryan chuckle. Thomas has turned back to scrolling through his smartphone, probably staring at hot girls on Instagram, and isn’t paying any attention to us.

  This is the crew that will stand alongside Jared on his big day. Me as best man, plus Ryan, Reuben, and Thomas. Oh, and the same crew of guys who will be attending the bachelor party. I’m already determined to keep a close eye on Thomas, who is the one most likely to wreak havoc by getting out of control. I can take a page out of Cara’s book and make sure my little bro doesn’t deal with any undue stress ahead of his big day.

  We’ve assembled today to try on our tuxes. Jared and Laura decided to keep the wedding simple and classic, which I appreciate. A basic black tux is all it should take for a guy to look great, in my opinion. None of this stuff with matching a powder blue pocket square to a blue cummerbund or whatever “stylish” fancy new stuff people are trying these days. Keep it classic. Always.

  “Hey, Jason, when are we going to see you getting married? Okay with your little bro heading to the altar first?” Reuben asks.

  “Ha!” Jared interjects before I can respond. “Jason is busy wooing every pretty girl in New York City with his billions. I don’t see him settling down anytime soon, if ever.”

  “Never say never. I have to say…big city dating life gets tiring after awhile.”

  “Sure, sure. I’ll believe it when I see it.” Jared turns to Ryan, Reuben, and Thomas, and goes on, “You know Jason has never once brought a girl home to Boston to meet Mom and Pops?”

  Thomas, of all people, puts in his two cents—all while never even looking up from his phone. “Hey, that’s cool man. Stay free. Don’t let some lady tie you down. You’ve got the money and the looks. You don’t need a ball and chain.”

  I just shrug. “The only reason I’m not back in Boston much is work. And as for girls, maybe I haven’t met the right one yet. That’s all. I’d happily get married to the right girl.”

  “Whatever you say, buddy,” Jared replies.

  I keep silent. Now is not the time or place to reveal that I might have found a girl who could rescue me from my eternal bachelorhood. And it’s definitely not the time or place to reveal that that girl is Cara, whose sister Jared is getting ready to marry.

  “You boys want to grab a drink after this?” Thomas looks up from his phone for a moment.

  “Yeah I’m down,” Reuben replies, giving a shrug.

  “Same,” says Ryan.

  “Yeah, just let Frankie get these needles out of me. I feel like a pin cushion,” Jared replies, giving us a wink.

  “No way, I didn’t prick ya once!” Frankie protests, immediately enraged. “But I could!”

  “You better save your jokes until you’re out of Frankie’s clutches, kiddo,” I tell Jared.

  “Yeah, you listen to your big brother.” Frankie gives me a nod of approval.

  “What about you, Jason? Joining for a round with the boys?”

  “I wish I could but I’ve got some work to catch up on. Glad we got this done though. How are the girls doing with their fittings?” I make sure to keep my voice casual as I ask. Jared let it slip earlier that Laura and her bridesmaids were also taking care of this tedious—albeit necessary—task today.

  “Alright, I guess.”

  “Want me to peep in and check on the bride for you?”

  “I thought you said you had work to do?”

  “Hey, I’m just looking out for my little brother. And you’re not allowed to see the dress before the big day, so… I could swing by quickly first.”

  “Sure man,” Jared cracks a smile. “If you don’t mind taking a peek before you go do your work. No spoilers though. Just make sure she looks gorgeous.”

  “She always does, no?”

  “True.” Jared adjusts his bowtie self-importantly as he surveys himself in the mirror. “One of the many reasons I’m marrying her.”

  ***

  Shortly after, I say goodbye to the guys and book it over to Vera’s Bridal Salon across town. The bell on the little boutique door tinkles loudly as I walk in—and immediately, I’ve never felt more out of my element.

  �
�Hello, sir. May I help you with something?” A frail woman, at least eighty, her hair in a grey bun on top of her head, is standing in front of me. She’s wearing a skirt suit of pale pink wool. How she’s surviving that outfit in this summer weather, I don’t know.

  “I’m with Laura Conley’s party,” I tell her, giving her my most disarming grin while also feeling like a criminal under her suspicious gaze.

  “Not the groom, I hope.” She eyes me with disdain, before adding, “You know the groom can’t see the bride’s dress before the big day.”

  “Oh no, ma’am. I’m the best man. His brother. Jason.” I hold out my hand but she only looks at it, then turns and walks to the back of the shop, saying, “Follow me,” over her shoulder. She leads me to a back room. Before I even get there, I can here bits of girlish laughter.

  “Ms. Conley, there’s a gentleman here to see you. He says his name is Jason.” The ice queen who let me in says it like I might have lied to her about my name.

  “Jared’s brother?” I hear Laura’s voice, sounding slightly confused.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Cara’s voice comes through over Laura’s at the same time. I grin. Sounds like Miss Spitfire is ready for battle.

  “Show him in please, Vera,” Laura’s voice comes through again.

  The tiny lady, who must be Vera, shoots me one last steely look before ushering me into the room and turning to head back to the front of the store.

  “Jason! What a lovely surprise. What are you doing here?” Laura comes up to greet me, looking slightly quizzical. Over her shoulder, I see Cara’s blue eyes giving me a death stare.

  “I mean, Jared can’t stop by himself since it’s bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding day, so I thought I’d check in on behalf of my baby brother. And get a little sneak peek at the dress.” I give Laura a wink.