“What did he say?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. He barely reacted at all. It was like he was on board if we stayed together, but wasn’t creepy enough to sleep with me and walk away from his kid.”
“Okay, I might have to revise my opinion,” Carrie said. “I’d watch him, but aside from his weirdness about his job, he sounds like a decent guy. Drew seems to like him, too.”
“Is Drew okay with us dating?”
Carrie nodded. “He was happy to know you’d found someone you want to date. He said he walked in on you guys kissing last week, but thought he just read something into it since I had my period last week and he wasn’t getting any.”
“Jeez, seriously? I didn’t need to know that. I thought you two had sex in his office when you brought lunch.”
“Nah,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I just gave him a blow-job.”
“Gah!”
The others laughed at my expense as I plugged my ears. I did not want to hear about their office antics, but maybe one day I’d have my own to add to the conversation. Especially if I did more work at the studio.
Hmm, maybe there was something to this office romance thing.
Chapter 9
I rushed out of work Thursday to meet Olivia for lunch. I was late, having lost track of time. I felt bad because she was always in a rush to get back to work.
When I pushed through the doors of Thai This, I scanned the restaurant. Olivia wasn’t there. I checked my phone and saw a text saying she’d be late and grinned.
“One today?” the hostess asked.
I shook my head and slid my phone away. “No, my friend is on her way. Two please.”
She grabbed a second menu and said, “Follow me, please.”
The spicy kick of the Thai food lit up my senses as I followed the hostess to a table. Olivia and I both loved Thai food, but her kids and Peyton weren’t fans so we rarely went. It was one of the many similarities we discovered after spending time together.
The waitress filled our water glasses and took my drink order before Olivia showed up.
“Hey,” she said, sounding out of breath. “Sorry. Were you here a while?”
I shook my head. “Just got here.”
“Oh, good. This morning was crazy. Wyatt is already getting started on the winter festival. It’s going to be huge.”
“Seriously? He’s going all out for these things.”
Olivia nodded and sipped her water. “He is. He said he really wants the town to come together. The Fourth of July fireworks and parade were easy by comparison. I didn’t have to worry about vendors or really much of anything. The police department had a really good handle on everything for the parade, and the fire department worked with the company that did the fireworks. It was easy for me. This one, though? I might need another honeymoon after just to relax.”
I laughed as Olivia sighed. She mentioned a few times that Wyatt was considering hiring someone else, but as employees of the town, it wasn’t that easy. It had to be approved by the town council and budgeted. Best case scenario, it would be a year before Olivia would have full time help.
“Can you hire someone to manage these things? An event planner or something?”
She shrugged and flipped her menu closed. “We’ve talked about it. I actually enjoy it, but it makes it hard to get everything else done. Right now we’re just planning everything, but that takes the most out of me. Wyatt wants to have it all done before I leave for our honeymoon.”
“I thought you were just taking a long weekend?”
She nodded. “We are. But I’m taking the first week of school off. We’re going to have our own honeymoon at home so we aren’t away from the kids too long.”
“Let me guess… that was Ethan’s idea, wasn’t it?”
Olivia beamed. “It was. He’s really sweet when it comes to the kids. He actually tried to talk me into a family honeymoon to someplace they would enjoy, but I wanted a few days alone.”
“There needs to be a few more of him around for the rest of us.”
She shot me a look that said I’d walked right into something. “You have a man. Why do you need an Ethan-clone?”
I shrugged. “Just in general.”
“Are things not going well with Hunter?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s good. I like him. You just never know how someone is going to be after a while.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Okay, listen. You told me to get my head out of my backside when I needed to hear it, so I feel I owe you the same. You need to stop looking for reasons things won’t work and just hope they will. I know you’ve been burned,” she continued before I could interrupt, “but not every guy is going to be a jerk. Hunter sounds like he has his own set of issues, but being a workaholic isn’t one of them. Have fun. If nothing else, you said he’s a great kisser.”
“Oh, yeah.”
She grinned. “Then enjoy a few dozen amazing kisses, and stop looking for trouble.”
I sighed. “You’re right. I need to just trust that he’s as good as he seems. It bothers me that he freaked out when I found out he was an artist though.”
“I bet it has something to do with wanting you to think he was a business guy instead. Ethan has some of the same insecurities. He won’t let me pay for anything because he has money. He paid off my house as soon as I put him on the mortgage, even though that wasn’t what we talked about. Guys are weird with money. It’s like they think they have to take care of us. It’s nice, but it feels like Ethan worries I’ll think less of him if he lets me pay. I’ve stopped arguing with him about it.”
What Olivia said made sense. I didn’t know Hunter well, and it was possible he had issues with money. He insisted on paying for everything on our first date. It didn’t phase me until Olivia said Ethan wouldn’t let her pay for anything. I was all for women taking care of themselves, but I knew not all men were willing to be taken care of.
And I was okay with that. I was woman enough to admit that I liked the idea of someone being there for me and easing some of the stress I was constantly under.
“I’ll see how things go with Hunter. He has a brand new Mercedes SUV that I know he couldn’t get without either a lot of cash or a hell of a payment. Maybe I should try to pay for dinner this weekend.”
Olivia laughed conspiratorially. “Yeah, try it. I want to know what he says. Ethan would flip if I tried to pay. The wedding is the worst.”
“I still can’t believe he bought our dresses,” I complained. When we went dress shopping with Olivia, we discovered he called ahead and told them not to accept payment from any of us and to put everything on his card. It was awesome, but totally unnecessary.
“I gave him heck about that. He said he didn’t care. He didn’t want anyone to have trouble because we asked you guys to stand up for us.”
“Did he do the same with the guys?” I asked, curious.
Our lunch arrived. We thanked the waitress and dove into lunch and the conversation together.
“No. He tried, but they all supposedly threatened to walk if he didn’t let them pay.”
“That’s sneaky.”
Olivia grinned. “Abby warned Graham before they went to try on their tuxes. He talked to Brady and Sawyer and the three of them were united against him before they even walked in the door.”
I laughed. “They’re smart! If we’d known, we would have done the same. Of course, he wasn’t there so we couldn’t argue in person.”
“And I was no help.”
“Yeah,” I said with a laugh, “you were just as shocked as we were.”
She nodded. “That fiancé of mine is tough when he has his mind set on something. He’s been so particular about every aspect of the wedding.”
I gave her a sympathetic look. Olivia didn’t want the lavish affair Ethan demanded, but she wanted him to be happy so she agreed to the expensive wedding he wanted.
“I don’t know if I could spend so much on a wedding. It’s g
oing to be amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I’d feel-”
“Wasteful?” Olivia provided.
I flashed a sheepish grin, wishing I hadn’t said anything. “Maybe?”
She nodded. “Trust me, I feel the same. Ethan keeps saying it’s no big deal, but to me it is. Once he came up with the idea to donate the equivalent balance, I think he started going even more overboard. The only thing that feels like it’s under any kind of control is the guest list.”
“How many people have you heard from?”
“About three quarters. So far we’ve only had a handful of no’s. We’re at 78 total.”
“That’s not too bad.”
She nodded. “Even if everyone else comes, we’ll be just barely over 100.”
“Considering he wanted to invite everyone he ever knew, I think that’s pretty good,” I teased.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I get it, you know. His childhood was so bad that he wants to throw his money around a little. He said having a big wedding was always a sign of wealth when he was growing up. He promised himself three things when he started earning money. He’d have a nice car, a nice house, and a fancy wedding.”
“I can understand that.” I laughed softly. “I only wonder what he’s going to do after all this. Before you know it, he’ll have your house listed and a mansion commissioned at the edge of town.”
“He knows I’d kill him,” Olivia said with a straight face. “I don’t want the kids to have to leave their school, or their home. We’ve lived there for so long that I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable somewhere else.”
“Did you ever think of moving before? Since you lived there with your ex?”
Olivia shrugged. She wiped her lips and set her napkin aside, pushing her empty bowl back a few inches. “I thought about it for a long time. When Bill left, I was pissed off and wanted to get rid of everything that reminded me of him, including the house. It wasn’t an option then, but after a few years, it became home. I no longer saw Bill in the house, but saw my kids’ first steps. Their first scraped knees. The place they had birthday parties and sleepovers. It’s not big or expensive, but I’d have a really hard time if Ethan wanted to leave.”
“That makes perfect sense. When my parents sold the house we grew up in, I was crushed. It worked for them because they didn’t want to deal with the yard or the pool, but I hated knowing it wouldn’t be our house anymore.”
“Did you go through the house with them?” Olivia asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. It was hard.”
“That’s what I always think about. I’m sure there are leftover Cheerios in the couch, lost hair ties under the bathroom sink, and a car or two behind Kevin’s bed. And then there’s the old puzzles that I have in a box somewhere in the basement. And the stacks of artwork they’ve done over the years. I was even that mom who recorded their height on the wall in the laundry room. I hate to lose stuff like that.”
Feeling misty over the possibilities of a family, I sighed. “I want a family. I want those memories. I love Peyton, but I want kids. Of course, if I end up a single mom, which is what it looks like, I should probably bring Peyton in on my plans sooner instead of later.”
Olivia patted my hand. “It’ll happen when you least expect it.”
I snorted. “Everyone says that. I get it, but man, I just want it to happen.”
“Do you think Hunter could be the guy you’re looking for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s a great guy, but I don’t know.”
“He’s better than all the other dates you’ve had in the last few months.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely! He’s the only one I’ve kissed, or wanted to see more than once. It’s just hard to imagine we’d last.”
“Why is that?”
“I had to fight with myself not to sleep with him after our first date. I’m worried that once we have sex, it’ll just be over. There won’t be anything else to get excited about.”
“You’re joking, right?”
I shook my head.
“The sex is so much better once you get the hang of it. The first time Ethan and I were together was amazing, but I was so horny I’m not sure it would have mattered if he bailed out halfway through. Now, he knows exactly what I need. Soft and sweet, or hard and hot, even in between. He knows when I’m up for something new. He’s so attuned to my emotions and what I need that I don’t even have to say anything.”
“See, that sounds nice. I want that.”
Olivia grinned. “Trust me, I understand.”
Chapter 10
I stopped by Nicolino’s on my way home from work Friday to pick up dinner. When Hunter got there for our date, I had a plan in motion. I just hoped he was up for it.
“Hey,” he said with a quick kiss after I invited him in. “Your house is great.”
“Thanks,” I said over my shoulder, going to the kitchen to get our food. I loaded it into an insulated bag and carried it out into the living room where he stood. “My sister lives here, too. She’s not home from work yet.”
He checked his phone for the time. “Seriously? That’s a late night.”
I nodded. “She’s a fertility specialist. She’s pretty much married to her job.”
“That’s a hard job. Making the impossible possible.”
I smiled, pride in my sister swelling inside me. “She’s amazing. And she’s really good at her job.”
“And you’re really proud of her. How much younger is she?” Hunter asked, reaching to pick up the insulated bag. “Jeez, what’s in here?”
“My sister is older. And that’s our dinner.”
“Dinner? I was going to take you to dinner.”
I shrugged. “I decided to change things up a little. If you’re up for it.”
His eyes glimmered at my challenge. “Bring it on.”
I locked the door behind us and followed him to his SUV. He put the bag on the floor in the backseat then climbed in next to me.
“This is a great vehicle,” I said, admiring the soft leather seats. “If I liked SUV’s, I’d have this.”
Hunter grinned. “Your WRX is nothing to sneeze at.”
I smiled. “Ronnie’s my baby.”
“You named your car?” he asked skeptically.
I scoffed. “You didn’t?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Touché. So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Turn left.”
He laughed and did as I said. I kept giving him directions through town until he slid me a look that said he knew where we were heading. When he pulled into the parking lot without needing more directions, I grinned.
“Why are we at my studio?” he asked with a glance up at the building.
I shrugged. “For dinner.”
He followed me out of the SUV and unlocked the back door for us. I knew the crew was done for the weekend so I didn’t worry about surprising anyone there. Hunter carried the food inside and looked around for a place to set it.
“In here,” I said, stepping into his studio space. I crooked a finger at him, visible through the wall that was still partially studs.
Hunter stepped through the wall, squeezing the large bag in with him. He threw a cautious look at his canvases, but I moved to the other side of the room and pulled a blanket from the oversized purse I brought. I spread the blanket out and patted it for Hunter to sit with me.
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“I tried to.”
He opened the bag and the sweet scent of marinara mixed with the drywall and sawdust smell that filled the entire area. He groaned and inhaled from the bag. “That smells amazing. Where did you get this from?”
“Nicolino’s. It’s one of my favorite places.”
“We could have gone there,” he suggested.
“I know. I wanted to find out more about your studio. I hoped you would show me around a little more.”
He nodded, une
ase sneaking into his eyes. “After we eat?”
I agreed, and he unpacked the large bag. He handed me a plate and eyed the food spread out on the blanket.
“How many people were you planning to feed tonight?”
I laughed at his silly grin. “I didn’t know what you liked so I got a few different things.”
“Well,” he said, picking up the pan of ravioli, “you might have to fight me for this.”
I smiled and picked up the scampi pasta. “Works for me. Because I was afraid I was going to have to fight for this.”
He tried to peek into the container I held away from him. Laughing, I showed him the pasta and he groaned.
“Man, that smells good.”
I nodded. “If you’re really nice, I might give you a bite.”
He raised his eyebrows. “A bite?”
“Maybe two.”
He chuckled and opened the top on the ravioli. He waved it under my nose. “Maybe we could trade?”
I reached for his pan with my fork, but he tugged it away.
“Ah ah ah, no cheating.”
We both laughed and offered the containers to each other. We filled our plates with way too much food and dug in.
“This is so good,” Hunter said after his first bite. “How have I never been there?”
I shrugged. “A friend of mine knows the owner so I’ve gone even more lately. Plus, I’ve met all my dates there. Amy, the owner’s daughter, made sure none of them gave me any trouble.”
“Does that mean you trust me if I wasn’t screened?”
I smiled. “You were screened by my bosses.”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “I guess that’s true. So, are you done with your dates?”
I nodded. “Yeah. For now at least.”
“For now?”
I slid him a grin. “Well, I’m not pregnant or married so I’m not calling this a done deal.”
He nodded, but instead of getting that I was halfway joking, he looked like he was bothered by my statement.
“You really want kids, don’t you?”
“I do,” I said honestly. “Some of my friends have had kids and the more I’m around them, the more I want my own. Not that I want a dozen kids or anything, but one or two would be nice.”
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