by Evelyn Sola
I delete the text and slide the phone back in my pocket.
Not today, Natalie. Never again. This roller-coaster ride has finally come to a complete stop. Putting all thoughts of her out of mind, I take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator this morning.
I make the five flights in record time and burst through the doors of the business office. All three women look up at me at the same time, but I only have time for one. We stare for several seconds, but when her eyes leave mine, I stand still and let her get her fill of my body. The spell is broken when Mellie clears her throat.
“What brings you here, big brother?” she asks.
“I thought I’d bring you ladies a snack.” I take out a box with the Beantown Café logo on it. “Thought you might enjoy some muffins.”
Mellie will eat anything, and I don’t know or care about Ananda’s preferences, but I do know that Alex will grab a muffin whenever she doesn’t sit down for a full breakfast.
I’m rewarded with a smile, her first since the day we bumped into each other. I walk over and plop the box on Alex’s desk. She surprises me when she doesn’t take the chocolate one that’s right on top. She looks around and takes the lemon poppy seed.
“Thanks, big bro,” Mellie says as she grabs the chocolate.
“Yeah, thanks. Nothing like processed flour. It’s not like I need any extra ass.” Ananda, despite her words, takes two muffins and walks back to her desk.
“So, Dr. Dupree,” Alex says. “Do you know Dr. John Doyle?”
Surprised by her question, I turn my head toward her. She picks a piece of muffin and sucks it from between her thumb and index finger.
“I do,” I say, watching as she continues to eat.
“He’s only twenty-five but in his last year of residency. He’s been described as a genius. Graduated from Columbia when he was just sixteen. Harvard Medical School.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” I retort, not sure where she’s going with this. “Is there a reason why I should be interested in Dr. Doyle’s biography?”
She puts the muffin down and locks her eyes with mine. “You missed my point. The point is, I’m interested in Dr. Doyle.” As if I didn’t hear, she says, “I’m interested.”
My phone buzzes again, and because I’ve been here longer than I intended, I look at the message. It’s from the same number as earlier.
I’m coming to Boston. I need to see you, JD. This is important.
I stare at the words, not the least bit surprised by her audacity, but still irritated by her. I look back at Alex, and she’s staring at the phone, craning her neck to get a look.
I put the phone in my pocket and clear my throat.
“Dr. Doyle. Got it. I don’t see him here, though,” I say, making a show at looking around the office. “But good for you. You two will be a great match.” I turn my back on her and walk out of the office. “I’ll see you at home, Mellie.” Without another look back, I leave the office, never intending to look back.
“Jase, the one bad thing about this is that it brought that bitch back into your life. I hate her. She better not bring her ass to Boston or I’m going to kick her bony butt all the way back to New Jersey!” Mellie follows her speech by slamming her palm on the kitchen table.
“She’s not coming here.”
“Don’t be too sure. That woman has a set of balls on her, I’ll give her that much. I’ve never met a more self-absorbed, narcissistic bitch before in my life.”
“Mellie, enough. I don’t want to talk about Natalie.” The truth is, I don’t want to deal with the guilt of what happened the last time I saw her. It was an impromptu weekend, put together by one of our mutual friends from high school. Dinner, drinks, and laughs were shared in a restaurant. When it was time to leave, Natalie was tipsy and asked for a ride home. I knew I shouldn’t have gone inside. I told myself I was doing the right thing by seeing her in safely. It was the same house that I was not allowed inside when we were teenagers. I should have resisted, but I didn’t.
“I don’t want to talk about women. What are you cooking?” I ask, changing the subject. I sniff the air. “And how come it’s not burning. Burnt food is your specialty.”
“Used to be my specialty. Fix yourself a drink and sit down. Forget Natalie. Now, Alex—”
“Nope,” I say, grabbing a bottled water. “Not going there. I don’t want to talk about her either. For a second, I thought there could be something, but she told me point-blank she’s interested in someone else. Someone I work with. I’m not about to become second choice again. I’m done. Fuck Natalie and fuck Alex, too.”
Mellie, for once, stays quiet, but I can tell from the look on her face, her silence is only temporary while she plots. When she pulls out a delicious looking baked chicken from the oven, I forget everything but the food in front of me.
She watches me as we eat, and I pretend not to notice. Still irritated from Alex’s brushoff earlier, and my inability to stop thinking about her, I try to put my focus on my food.
“You know what you need?” Mellie asks. “A housewarming party.” I open my mouth to tell her no, but she holds up her hand.
“You’re too busy. I know. I’ll plan everything. Just give me your credit card.”
“No.”
“Yes!” She practically yells, surprising me. “You have this amazing house, Jase. You’re a freakin’ doctor. And a landlord. At least you will be when people move in. You created this amazing life here with friends and colleagues, but you’re always working. Let’s plan a party and have a little fun.”
I take a deep breath.
“Fine, but I have two conditions. Our parents are not invited, and you don’t go crazy with my credit card.” I pull my wallet out and toss my American Express at her.
CHAPTER 8
ALEX
“I thought she said she wanted us to come over to hang out.” I lean closer to Ananda and continue my loud whispering. “She never mentioned a party. In fact, she made it a point to tell us he was working today.” I look around the first-floor apartment. It’s an older three-family house, but this unit has been renovated with hardwood floors throughout. It’s an open layout, and the kitchen has a large island with granite countertops. The high-end white cabinets complete the look.
Ananda avoids all eye contact with me as she takes an extremely long sip of her beer.
“Did you know about this?”
“Oh my God, Alexandra! It’s a party. Will you relax? It’s not like you had anything else to do today. Let’s get back to work.”
I purse my lips and help her put ice in a huge cooler. Not only did Melanie trick me into coming to her brother’s house for a party, she also recruited my best friend into the deception. Add to the fact that Ananda drove us here, making sure I’m effectively stuck. And to add insult to injury, she’s putting us to work. She left a list of things for us to do while she’s outside fussing with the caterers.
We drag the cooler through the sliding glass door and place it on the side of the deck. The yard is spacious with lush trees blocking the neighbor’s property. You can tell the patio furniture is brand new. I angrily grab the pair of scissors Mellie gave me earlier and cut the tags from the furniture.
“Why is she doing all the work? This is a housewarming and it’s not her house,” I whisper to Ananda, as I finish my task and take the seat next to my lying best friend.
Ananda doesn’t answer. She just shrugs as she leans back into a loveseat, ignoring my question completely.
“I was thinking about the psychic’s words again,” Ananda finally says, changing the subject. She puts down the drink and looks at me. “She said your life will be drastically different by the time the leaves change color. So, whatever’s going to happen, needs to happen now. And remember what they said about his name? A nickname made of initials. Wendy was adamant you hadn’t met him yet. You had already gone out with Dr. Boring and he had already ghosted you. She said there would be confusion. You will mistake him for someo
ne else. She said all of that, but you’re stuck on stupid if you think she was talking about John Doyle.”
This is the part where I would tell Ananda that she doesn’t understand. That Dr. Doyle and I had a moment that night we left the bar. That the two dates we went on were filled with flirting and so much lust, but I don’t. All I say is, “I’m going inside. I saw some hard lemonade in the fridge.”
I stand inside the beautiful kitchen, holding onto the island as if it’s a life raft. I take a deep breath as I think of a plan to get out of here. I tell myself that I want to leave because I hate being manipulated, but the truth is, I don’t want to see Jason. I wanted to be here to get a peek at his home. My plan was to sneak into his bedroom and take a quick glance but having him here changes everything. I can’t think when he’s around.
I finally leave the island in search of alcohol, my knuckles white from the tight grip. Alcohol will help me think. I’ll drink, and I’ll casually walk out and announce to Mellie and Ananda that I’m going home.
As I rummage through the fridge, I hear rapid footsteps approaching.
“Mellie, what else do you need me to—” I turn around to find Jason Dupree approaching me. He’s wearing a pair of brown cargo shorts with no shirt. The shirt that’s supposed to be covering his body is being held in his hand.
I remember how his chest felt underneath my palms the first day we met, but I was unprepared to see it bare. He’s perfectly chiseled, without a single hair on his chest. I will myself not to lick my lips at the sight, but the throbbing between my legs reminds me how long it’s been since I’ve been with a man intimately.
The bottle of hard lemonade slips from my hand, luckily landing on the plush floor mat beneath my feet.
He’s in front of me in two quick steps, picking up the bottle and examining it for any breaks. Despite the intact condition of the bottle, he tosses it in the trash.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes looking over my entire body. I don’t miss the fact that they stay on my chest a little too long. I look down at my V-neck tee, grateful he can’t see my hard nipples through my shirt.
Instead of answering his question, I simply look at his wide and muscular chest. I involuntarily swallow at the sight. Never has the male form worked me up in a state where I can’t answer a simple question.
He’s taller than I remember, but it must be because I’m wearing flats when I typically wear heels.
“Are you okay?” he asks again. He walks closer, opens the fridge and hands me a new hard lemonade.
“Um, shirt,” I say as I stare at his chest.
“Yes. Shirt.” He waves it in front of my face. “These are shorts.” He speaks slowly as he points at his shorts. When I cross my arms, unamused, he throws his head back and laughs before he covers his body with the shirt.
“Better?” He gives me that devilish smile again. Our eyes lock, and I clear my throat as I take a sip of my drink. “We wouldn’t want Dr. Doyle to catch you admiring my body, would we?”
Luckily for me, I’m saved from having to form a response. There’s a loud knock on the door, followed by a booming voice.
“JD, get your ass over here and open the door. You’re giving me a key before I leave here,” the deep voice says. JD runs to the door and opens it to the man responsible for the voice. Next to him, is a beautiful woman dressed in a pink jumper, leaving her long, toned legs exposed. She has beautiful, flawless brown skin, but it’s the wreath of flowers in her hair that make her stand out. They’re both carrying huge bags. Jason takes the bags from the woman and ushers them inside.
When they set everything on the table, the Jason hugs the man first, then the woman. She laughs when JD lifts her off the ground and spins her around. When he sets her down, he kisses both cheeks. The man playfully pushes him away and slips his arm around the woman’s waist, holding her possessively.
“The place looks great, JD,” the woman says. “Are you going to introduce us to your friend?” She turns her focus on me, smiling. I can’t help but smile back.
“This is Alex, a friend of Mellie’s. You two will meet Mellie soon.” As I approach the group, I can’t help but feel disappointed at how he just introduced me. “Alex, this is my best friend, brother from another mother, Jacob Clark, and his fiancée, Sandra Etienne, but her close friends call her Dee.”
I shake hands with Dee first, but she pulls me into a hug. Her fiancé hugs me next.
“The French toast maker?” I ask before I can think better of it. JD’s friends look at me, shock written on their faces.
I can feel the color creep up on my face, but I’m grateful when no one asks any questions, but the couple look at each other knowingly.
“What’s all this stuff?” JD asks, thankfully changing the subject.
“My mother sent food, and I baked your favorite. Mama’s actually coming over later with Tash and Chris.” She goes on about people I don’t know. I figure out Jacob Clark and Jason were college roommates and have been friends since they were eighteen. In fact, his entire family will be here later for the party.
I can’t take my eyes off the couple. The way she leans into him as if her body and his work in sync. His arm remains around her waist, and the way she lays her head on his shoulder makes me feel hopeful and lonely all at once.
Simultaneously, Jason and I take steps closer to the couple, our bodies almost touching. With his arm still around her waist, they walk to the table and begin to take things out of the bag.
“Can you get the rest of the stuff from the car, handsome?” she asks him. “I’m going to set up a little dessert table for JD.” He kisses her on the lips. The kiss isn’t inappropriate, but I can tell it’s a kiss filled with promises of what’s to come. Then he slaps her ass and walks out of the house.
I don’t know what food she brought, but it smells incredible. Soon, Jacob returns with another huge bag and he pulls out a huge cupcake stand.
“You have friends?” I tease Jason.
He casually leans down to whisper in my ear, “Quite a few actually. I’m very lovable it would seem.” His warm breath sends electric waves through my body.
“Doubtful. That’s a face only family would find lovable.”
He smiles again before he spins me around and places both hands on my shoulders. “Is that your way of asking to meet my family, Alex?” He leans down again. “You want to meet my mother? Get her approval?” He grabs a piece of my hair and rubs it between his fingers, his eyes never leaving me. “She’d like you.”
“Get over yourself.” I try to swat his hand away, but he blocks it.
“I’d rather have you over me.” His eyes darken, and he lowers his voice. “Wrapped around me, or better yet, under me.”
My body has betrayed me, and despite the cool temperature inside the house, I feel a fire raging inside me.
“You’re even prettier when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing,” I lie. “It’s hot in here.” I make a show of fanning myself with my hand.
I look around the room to find Sandy leaning against a counter, arms crossed and watching us. I move away from Jason and offer to help, but she decides she’s going to put the dessert in the fridge until later. I don’t miss the satisfied smile on her face before, though. Thankfully, Jake returns, and she turns her focus back on him. While they rearrange the fridge, Jason crosses the room and stands next to me, our shoulders now touching. My breath hitches when I feel his fingertips slide along the length of my arm.
As if it didn’t happen, he walks away from me and grabs a beer for himself and his friend. Sandy refuses the beer and makes a pitcher of drinks for non-beer drinkers.
Intrigued by the couple, I watch as they practically do a dance in the kitchen. Anticipating each other’s moves, they work together in sync. When he’s not grabbing something, his hands are touching her or he’s kissing her cheek.
I take a minuscule step closer to Jason. I stop breathing when he hooks his pinky with mine. I turn to lo
ok at him, and our gazes lock. I offer a shy smile, and he reaches over with his free hand to put a piece of my curly hair behind my ear. Because of the humidity, my hair is extra poufy, and the piece of hair refuses to cooperate and stay behind my ear.
“Your hair’s as uncooperative as you are, angel.” This time I do stop breathing at the endearment. I’ve dated before. I’ve had a few boyfriends, but none of them have ever gifted me with an endearment. “Maybe I should say hell’s angel, hm?”
I involuntarily let out a laugh and try to move my pinky from his, but he holds on to me, daring me to pull away. This time, when we look up, we’re the ones being studied. We’re not only caught by the lovebirds, but at that exact same moment, Ananda and Mellie come through the sliding door. I jerk my body away from Jason and walk outside without a word.
I take the empty loveseat and watch from the outside. Mellie hugs them both, then she tugs Sandy away from Jacob and gestures for me to come back inside.
“I was just thinking that Sandy would complete our foursome.”
Jason snorts into his drink.
“Good luck with that,” he says to his sister.
“What foursome?” Jacob asks.
“The brown girls’ version of Sex and the City. Boston instead of New York City. Sandy can be our brown Carrie, because, girl, you are killing it in that outfit.”
“Isn’t that show about single women looking for love? I don’t think my fiancée fits,” Jake says.
“Aw,” Sandy says, smiling, “if I dump him, will you take me?”
Jake pulls his fiancée away from Mellie, puts a gentle finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I don’t think that’s an option,” he says.
“You’re right,” Sandy says, agreeing with her fiancé. She puts her arms around him while she faces us and says, “He’s kind of my everything.” Then she gets on her tippy toes and gives him a gentle kiss on the lips. It’s not the sweet kiss that causes the yearning in my stomach, it’s the way their eyes meet after the kiss. It’s like they are having an entire conversation without any words.