by Hayleigh Sol
“It’s great that things are going so well for you and the hunky architect, babe, but are you sure you want to be tying yourself down to one man? Especially after chucking your evil bastard ex. You should be out celebrating your freedom, playing the field like guys do.”
Maya laughed and rolled her eyes. “You only think all guys are like that because that’s the type of guy you look for, the only type you’re willing to spend time with. However limited that may be.”
Not exactly true of late.
When I’d spent the night with Garrett last weekend, we’d done more than give each other orgasms and sleep. Despite the late hour, we’d stayed up talking until after two in the morning. I blamed my stupid female physiology for the release of oxytocin that made me feel all unguarded and affectionate toward the man I’d had sex with.
“She has a point, you know, Bay. There are dudes out there who actually prefer ‘shipping to one–night stands.” Emma was juggling four tennis balls—a great drill for hand–eye coordination, she’d told us a hundred times—and still managed to add her two cents. “Heck, some guys are ready to put a ring on it from the first date.”
“Is your mom still setting you up with the desperate sons of her karaoke friends?” Lisette chuckled at Em’s eyeroll response.
Holly, who was packing for her next adventure at the same time I was, waved a hand at the screen. “Hold up. Bailey, I wanna know what was up with Maya’s text about this guy you’ve been getting down with. It was implied that you might actually liiike him.”
Simone and Emma snickered at Holly’s inflection, which sounded exactly as she had back in high school when seventy percent of our conversations revolved around boys.
“Lies. Vicious lies, I say. Oh, and Maya darling, loose texties sink besties.”
“Ha! So you do like him.” Emma pounced on that nugget so fast she dropped a ball.
Maya, totally unrepentant for spreading misinformation among the group, grinned. “You guys, she actually wanted me to talk her out of hooking up with him a few weeks ago.”
Simone’s eyes widened. “Whaa…? Is this the end of days?”
“Why do I still talk to you jerkfaces again?”
“Hey now, we’re not all jerkfaces. Seriously, though, tell us all about your new boooyfriend.” Lisette mimicked Holly’s singsong obnoxiousness perfectly.
I flipped off the screen of my tablet.
God, I missed these beetches.
“Wait, wait. Bailey, have you taken this guy to bed…more than once?” The shock in Emma’s question might’ve sounded like she was making fun like the other brats, but she looked genuinely interested.
So I surprised myself and answered honestly. “Yes. And we’ve even had a couple of sleepovers.”
Simone gasped, though she, too, seemed to have dropped the gang–up–on–Bailey evil grin. “You don’t do sleepovers. Who is this guy?”
I sighed, then surprised myself again by telling them about Garrett. Still watching for giggles from the peanut gallery, of course. “He’s the best man, the brother of the bride whose wedding I’m in at the end of November. Although, we met before that in a Starbucks, of all places.” I told my best friends about the walk in the park and our get–to–know–you game. How I’d accused him of being the cheating–douchebag groom and how I’d discovered he could volley the snark I dished out. The dinner he’d made for us, planning the upcoming weekend together, the concert Tracie had entrapped us into last Friday.
After a few minutes of uninterrupted monologue, I realized I was doing the thing I hadn’t done with my besties since I was…holy crap, sixteen. I’d been gushing. Over a boy. My mouth snapped shut.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Didn’t mean to go on like that. I must be…tired or something.”
“Or something,” Maya said with a wide smile. “Tell the ladies what you said about him breaking records in the sexual Olympics.”
Embarrassed now, I shrugged. “Yeah, he’s, um…very good.”
Lisette groaned. “Aw, c’mon, don’t hold out on those of us who’ve been dick–deprived for way too long. If you’ve broken your one–night–only rule, he must be a sex god.”
“Bailey’s slept with a few guys more than once. Right, Bay?” Emma’s defensiveness was sweet, but my friends knew me well enough to know how rare it was for me to find a guy interesting—or skilled enough between the sheets—to invite a repeat.
“Let’s just say Garrett knows his way around a woman’s erogenous zones.” This woman’s zones, anyway. “Honestly, it’s like he took notes from that old Friends episode.” My eyes lost focus as I couldn’t help but recall some of Garrett’s highlights reel.
Simone’s sigh—looked like her latest boyfriend wasn’t getting the job done—was accompanied by another groan from Lisette.
“I wish I hadn’t asked. But I guess I’m happy for you and your sexy chef.”
“He’s not my sexy anything, you guys. It’s just a fun fling with a hot guy that’s, maybe, lasting a little longer than my typical. Because he has a very special set of skills.”
“Are you boning him or rescuing his abducted daughter?”
“Oo, nice Taken reference, Holls.” Simone smiled and did a little dance in her chair.
“That one was for you, babe. I know you still love Liam Neeson, no matter how old he gets.” Holly shook her head.
“It’s the accent, gets me every time. But, back on topic: Bailey, does Garrett’s sister know you two are spending time together?”
“Uhh, she’s been trying to play matchmaker but, no, I don’t think she knows we’re already hooking up. Why?”
Simone’s expression was thoughtful. “Well, if she thinks her brother’s a decent enough guy to try to set him up with her friend—one she thinks highly enough of to make her maid of honor—maybe this could be more than a fun fling.”
Emma piped up before I could talk Simone out of her usual romantic daydreams. “She’s right, Bay. Tracie’s already kind of vetted him for you so you know he’s not the cheating bastard type.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Just because his sister hasn’t observed that side of him doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Even as I said it, though, the pit of my stomach denied that Garrett would ever cheat on someone he was committed to. “Speaking of, I’m a little concerned the groom of this super rushed wedding might be just such a bastard.”
Maya’s brow furrowed. “Oh, no. What makes you think that?”
The group listened with varying levels of skepticism as I relayed Noah’s recent last–minute “business” trip with his very attractive assistant. Maya’s rejection surprised me the most.
“Didn’t you just end a relationship with a guy who was plotting behind your back with one of your employees? They were emailing right under your nose—absolutely no offense to you, babe; those a–holes were super shady—but it took a long time before you suspected anything and, even then, you talked yourself out of it. Maybe Tracie’s missing the signs, or dismissing them like I used to do with Aaron.”
Emma made an impatient noise. “Is that what this is about? You’re still comparing every guy you meet to that douchecanoe?”
“I’m just saying I wish I’d listened to my gut sooner than I did and I’m sure Tracie will feel the same way if it turns out that I’m right. Hell, I bet Maya wishes all the time that she’d discovered the truth about Brad before she almost lost her company.” As my eyes sought Maya’s, I didn’t see the agreement I expected.
Shoot. I’d hoped, with time, she would’ve moved past the self–blame and into well placed anger at her ex. The call was quiet as everyone waited to hear what she had to say about the recent course–altering shift in her life.
Maya shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t really think about him all that much. My business is doing well and so are Luka an
d I. Life is good.
“You know, Brad had this framed saying in his bedroom that always bugged me. Success is the best revenge. I always thought, why does he want revenge and against whom? The guy had a pretty easy life and, even if he hadn’t, who wants to waste their energy and attention on the people who wronged you in the past?”
Her hands lifted expressively and I saw a couple of head nods on the screen. “For me, I think indifference…or, better still, happiness would be the best way to prove you’re over someone and whatever rotten thing they did to you.”
While Maya probably hadn’t directed her comment at me, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said. It was true that I didn’t think of Aaron directly anymore. Not often, anyway. I hadn’t dreamed about revenge or wished early onset baldness and erectile dysfunction on him in years. But he certainly influenced the way I viewed men and relationships. Just like my father.
I’d always thought that was a good thing, that I was being smart and protecting myself from that kind of hurt again. But was Maya right? Had I been wasting my energy, holding onto the pain they’d caused all these years?
Everyone knew I was “the stubborn one” but even I couldn’t ignore all the new information I’d been getting lately.
Case in point.
“Hey, you’ve gotten awfully quiet over there, Bay. How’s that handsome big brother of yours?” In high school, Holly had crushed on Dustin for a while but she’d lost interest soon enough. These days, she liked to ask me about him with an affected eyebrow waggle and wink–wink tone.
“Getting engaged soon, as a matter of fact.” A gaggle of questions ensued, naturally. “Oh, and I found out he didn’t cheat on his girlfriend in college to be with Lindsay, after years of thinking he had. So…yeah, I guess that’s good to know.”
Eyebrows raised, either at the news or my still somewhat befuddled tone. “I did find out that my mom cheated on my dad, though. Talk about a mind–blowing revelation.”
Five sets of eyebrows launched into the stratosphere. Nice to know I wasn’t alone in my shock.
Gathering the scattered pieces of beliefs I’d held for so long about my brother and my mother, I told my best friends about the recent happenings in my dysfunctional family.
“I can’t help but wonder what else I’ve been completely wrong about. Mom even said something about how she didn’t make it easy for Dad to see us after he moved out. Was he not the degenerate father I’ve always thought he was?”
Emma looked at me with sympathy. Her parents may have been strict with her and her sister—they still were, in a lot of ways—but they were devoted to each other and their daughters. Lisette and Simone hadn’t ever questioned their parents’ relationship, either. At least, not as far as I knew.
“Jeez, Bay, you’re dealing with some major stuff right now, huh?” I nodded at Maya’s question. “And all this at the same time you’re trying to expand your business, help a friend get married, and you’ve met a really cool dude.”
I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the way she’d said “met” like Garrett was more than the fling I kept insisting he was.
“Hey, that reminds me, I’ve been wanting to ask Holly and Lisette for ways I can show Tracie what she’ll be missing out on as a married gal. Stupid Noah crashed our last ladies’ night. I swear, if he isn’t a cheater, I’m worried he’s a smotherer.”
Holly laughed. “You’re ridiculous. This guy really got on your bad side, huh?”
Hmm, this was awkward.
“Actually, I have to confess that, aside from the business trip with his assistant”—I took a long breath and swallowed my annoyance over his interrupting my admittedly self–serving plans to show Tracie a fun single–gal night on the town—“he might be a nice guy. He appears to dote on Tracie.”
“Mm, and that reminds you of Aaron when he was on his best behavior. Which you learned you could never really trust.” Emma was being awfully shrewd today.
“Maybe,” I grumbled. “I’ll be watching Noah this weekend, that’s for sure. Don’t my fellow relationship–averse friends have any suggestions of things I can say to Trace about how great it is to be single?”
Lisette chuckled. “Hate to break it to you, babe, but I’m mostly single because I work too much to date. Or, when I do, I have no patience for the games.”
Shaking my head at her, I looked to Holly for help.
“I don’t know, hon. If your friend is really in love with him, reminding her of all the different men she could be shagging probably isn’t gonna change her mind.”
“That’s all you’ve got for me? I thought I could count on you two. So much for sisterhood.”
Maya couldn’t resist bringing up my recent bed buddy, so clearly in the honeymoon phase of her own relationship. “You have to admit there’s something to be said for finding someone you can talk and laugh with outside the bedroom.”
“No I don’t.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Alright, you stubborn ass, how about learning what each other likes in bed? That takes time and a certain level of comfort with your partner.”
I refused to tell her that sexy times with Garrett seemed to get better and better every time. I also wasn’t going to admit to any of them—or myself—how much I’d enjoyed the non–sexy times the night of the concert. Or that first afternoon in the park. The evening he tested new menu items on me, our conversations pretty much any time I was around him…
Chapter 17
The loaner private jet we were on was every bit as sumptuous as I’d imagined. Reclining seats with enough leg–room for a player in the NBA, two full–length sofas with plush pillows, and a bathroom, with shower, that rivaled any I’d seen in a quality hotel provided a glimpse into the kind of travel we all wished we could afford. Especially when stuck beside an armrest–hogging, body odor–wafting fifty–year–old man and in front of a seat–kicking, germ–carrying seven–year old separated from his parents, who were across the aisle dealing with his squalling infant sister.
After this trip, and this beautiful aircraft I wanted to marry and make babies with, I’d never fly commercial again.
Too bad my bank account says otherwise.
The plane wasn’t the only luxury this morning. Check–in took all of ten minutes and we didn’t have to stand in the endlessly winding TSA line or suffer through bag–and–body scans. When it was time to take off, we just…took off. No waiting for five other passenger–loaded airbuses to charge down the runway before ours.
After the flight attendant plied us with mimosas and a selection of fresh fruit, I relaxed into my cushy seat and wished, for the first time in my life, that the flight would last longer than the seven hours it would take to reach Massachusetts.
I sighed in utter contentment and my seatmate laughed. “I could get used to this.”
“Amen, sister.”
Ashley squirmed next to me and, glancing over as she pulled discreetly at her wedgie, I sympathized with her discomfort in skinny jeans. Boho–chic wasn’t usually my style—that was more Maya or Holly—but the loose skirt I’d chosen specifically for a flight was comfortable and it wouldn’t have the unfortunate seat–ass spread appearance after hours of sitting. Nor would it strangle my lady bits like poor Ashley.
“If only we could land a couple of rich old geezers to fly us around the world in style, huh?”
“Or spare ourselves the geezers, become independently wealthy, and buy our own private jets.”
She grinned and raised her hand for a fist bump. Ashley may not have been my first choice to sit next to—that would’ve been Tracie, who was sitting with her fiancé as they worked on side–by–side laptops—but I could deal with the overly strong perfume sample coming from the magazine she flipped through.
I could definit
ely deal if it meant I wasn’t sitting next to Garrett. An arrangement I had absolutely orchestrated. Now I just wished he’d stop trying to catch my eye from where he’d ended up – facing his buddy, Noah, and in a diagonal line perfect for staring at me.
Stalker.
Knowing I was acting weird didn’t mean I was prepared to send him a flirtatious smile and pretend everything was fine. He was cool, I was cool, the casual sex we’d been having was cool…actually, that had always been far too hot to ever be confused with cool. As several of my younger clients had taught me, naked time with Garrett was fire.
That was part of the problem. After I’d gotten off the phone with my besties last night, I’d lain awake in bed, unable to stop thinking about my brother, my father, my mom… Then, I’d gone into brooding mode, questioning what some of my friends had said about my ex still dictating my choices, which pissed me off on principle.
I must’ve fallen asleep at some point because I woke up outrageously turned on and reaching for none other but the man across the aisle. The epitome of hot and bothered, I’d tossed and turned for at least an hour before I found a restless sleep.
One that rewarded me with an old nightmare I used to have about finding Aaron in bed with someone and all he could say was how “embarrassing” the situation was. That had been his response when I’d caught him all those years ago. For a fun twist this time, it had been Garrett’s ice–chip eyes that blinked at me from his compromising position in bed.
By the time I crawled out from my tangled sheets to make this morning’s flight, my eyes burned, my stomach was sour, and I swore I’d avoid the best man as much as possible this weekend. My subconscious was obviously telling me I was catching too many feels where Garrett was concerned.
“Ladies.” Speak of the devil. “Mind if I join you for a bit? The tech moguls over there aren’t the best company and Kevin’s half–asleep.”
Ashley threw her magazine into the open satchel on the seat across from her faster than if it had been ablaze. “We don’t mind at all, do we, Bailey?”