by Jenna Reed
The waitress returned with our drinks and disappeared just as quickly, but her arrival broke us out of our reminiscent thoughts. “Now,” Sophia said, her tone and expression suddenly serious, “what the hell was going on with Rhett during the wedding?”
I choked on my tea and started coughing violently. Reaching across the table, Sophia gave my back a few hard pats, then eyed me even more suspiciously when I calmed back down.
“What happened?” she demanded.
“What do you mean?” I hedged.
Her eyes narrowed. “Just because I was in a cloud of wedding day chaos and bliss doesn’t mean I was also blind. I doubt anyone missed the two of you flirting like teenagers, or how many times his hand ended up on your ass during pictures or on the dance floor.”
“So what if we were flirting?” I argued. “He’s always flirting. With everyone.” I’d witnessed it for myself more than once.
“Sure, but you’re not like that. In fact,” Sophia said, “I can’t remember the last time I saw you flirt that much, or that diligently.”
“Diligently?”
She nodded. “Like you wanted something to come of it.”
Red flooded my face, and I knew there was no hiding it.
Sophia gasped and threw her napkin at me. “Oh my god! You slept with Rhett!”
My mouth popped open to try to defend myself, but Sophia beat me to it.
“Don’t you dare try to deny it! It’s written all over your face!” She shook her head in amazement and didn’t seem to know how to respond. “What on earth were you thinking?”
All I could do was shrug. “He wasn’t there with a date, and he’s insanely hot and I was…curious.”
Sophia’s face scrunched in disgust. “Curious?”
“If he weren’t your brother-in-law, you’d be curious too,” I argued.
That gave her a moment’s pause. Eventually, she shrugged one shoulder. “Okay, true, but really? You know how he is. Different girl every week.”
“Of course I know,” I said. “That’s exactly why I flirted back.”
Sophia frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m twenty-three, struggling through my first professional job, and attempting to save money for a trip to Europe next summer. I don’t have time for, or want, a boyfriend.” I leaned back in my chair. “I just wanted to have a little fun and…”
“Get laid?” Sophia finished.
Laughing, I held my hands up to fend her off. “Is there something wrong with that?”
Her little huff of annoyance was muted. “No. It’s just…why Rhett?”
“Why not?” I countered.
My best friend shook her head, but looked ready to throw in the towel. Almost. “So…how was it?” The corner of her mouth twitched. “Did he live up to the stories?”
A slow smile spread across my lips, one I couldn’t have held back even if I’d tried. “And then some,” I smirked, remembering the three mind blowing orgasms he gave me that night.
“Well,” Sophia said, “he is a Banks man, after all.”
I burst into laughter at that. I remembered all too well when Cody and Sophia got together and all she could talk about was how fantastic he was in bed. Eventually sex became secondary to falling in love with him, but neither sex nor love had faltered for them. It made me happy to know they’d found each other and truly appreciated what they had together. Someday, I hoped I was as lucky.
“You know he won’t call, right?” Sophia said gently.
I looked over at her, surprised by the concern in her voice. “I’m counting on it,” I said. For more than one reason. I did not want to discuss the no-condom issue with him. Ever. I’d followed through on my promise to my brother and visited my doctor. Everything had checked out and that was the end of it.
“You just looked…wistful, for a second there,” Sophia said.
“Not for him,” I said emphatically. When her brow rose in question, I sighed. “Not that I wouldn’t mind another round of mind-blowing sex,” I admitted, “but that’s all it would ever be with him.”
“How can you be sure?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Because Rhett and I will never want the same things out of life.”
“Which are?”
“For me,” I said, “eventually marriage and family. I want someone I can count on, when I’m ready, and who will love me as much as you and Cody love each other.” I shook my head. “Rhett already has the life he wants, and I have no delusions of that changing.”
Nodding, Sophia agreed with everything I’d said. For some reason, though, I got the impression she didn’t quite see things the same way. Whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself and moved on to telling me about the island and snorkeling and sailing. I listened to every detail, pushing any thoughts of Rhett and the future firmly out of my mind.
6
Rhett
It wasn’t unusual for Sophia and Cody to invite me over for dinner. We usually had dinner a couple times a month. I was surprised when I got Cody’s text so soon after they’d gotten home from their honeymoon. I’d figured they would want some time to settle into married life first. Shrugging it off, I texted back that I’d be there. Sophia and Cody were both excellent cooks and it was rare that I’d pass up a chance for dinner with them.
Good food would have to wait, though. My boss had been breathing down my neck about this project and I was eager to get it done and off my plate and into the beta testers queue. The app the client wanted had seemed straightforward, at first. Every few days, they wanted to add something or change a feature. I’d lost count of how many times I’d rewritten the code. My patience was quickly reaching its end.
So was my boss’s.
A sharp knock on my door was followed by my boss’s head poking into my office. “How’s it coming?”
“Debugging that newest change.” I tried not to let my frustration slip into my voice, both at the project and his constant micromanaging.
“I want it in the hands of the betas before you leave today.”
“Will do,” I said as I moved my gaze back to the computer screen.
I heard the door click shut a moment later. Taking a few seconds to breathe and shake off the remaining aggravation, I got back to work. Two hours later, the lines of code were all blurring together. It wasn’t my best work, and I knew it would get kicked back for fine tuning and fixing whatever issues the beta testers found, but I was done for now. I saved the program and sent it off ten minutes before my day was scheduled to end.
After shutting down my computer, I grabbed my messenger bag and keys and called it a week. Joseph could go to hell if he wanted any more out of me this week. I’d been there late every night for close to three weeks and was ready to explode if I didn’t get a break. Dinner at Cody and Sophia’s was exactly what I needed.
Sneaking out of my office, I made for the elevator and pushed the door close button as soon as I got inside. I didn’t relax until I was sitting in my SUV with the key turning in the ignition. Once I heard the engine purr to life, my shoulders lost their tension and a smile crept onto my lips. Time to relax and have a little fun.
Half an hour later, I was knocking on their door. Cody yelled for me to come in and I pushed into the house and breathed in the scent of a home cooked meal. Following the music and happy chatter coming from the kitchen, I walked in and watched them dancing together and laughing. They reminded me of my own parents, always in love and always determined to enjoy every day, even the bad ones. I marveled that Cody had found someone who fit him so well.
“We having dinner or dance lessons?” I asked when the music paused.
The newlyweds broke apart and Cody turned toward me. “Glad you made it, man. Wasn’t sure you’d be able to come last minute.”
“I was glad to have a reason to get out of there on time for once.” I gave my little brother a clap on the back and slung an arm over his shoulder. “How was the island?”
He grinned shamelessly
. “Everything you promised it would be.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. He hadn’t believed me when I said I could get him the perfect honeymoon location for a reasonable price. The owner, one of the few women I kept in contact with and revisited every so often, liked to tease that she’d like to steal me away to her private island if I were willing to give up any other women. She was fun, but not worth settling down with long term. She’d been happy to rent the island, in exchange for a date. Cody and I both ended up making out well with that arrangement.
“You finish that app that’s been making your life hell lately?” Cody asked.
“Finally.”
He shook his head. “You’re a talented guy, brother. You should be doing this for yourself, not that dickhead you work for.”
“I don’t want to start my own business, Cody,” I reminded him. “That’s your thing. Yours and Sophia’s. I don’t need any more stress than I already have.”
Cody shrugged, but I knew he’d bring it up again at some point. He always did.
Stepping away from my brother, I met Sophia when she turned around and picked her up in a hug that left her feet dangling. “How’s married life?” I asked as I put her back down.
“About the same as engaged life,” she said, her toned clipped.
I glanced back at Cody, but he only shrugged. Turning back to Sophia, I asked, “Everything okay?”
“For me it is,” she said. “How about you?”
Confused, I hesitated before answering. “Fine. Same as always, I guess. Why?”
She eyed me and held a serving spoon in front of her as though she were contemplating whacking me with it. “Same as always? You guess?” She stepped toward me. Her five-foot-five frame wasn’t intimidating. Her expression made up for her slight stature. “Nothing new going on? Nothing you want to mention?”
Taking a step back from her, I leaned against the counter. “Did I do something wrong?”
Sophia tossed the big spoon into the sink and launched her fist into my shoulder. “You slept with my best friend, you bastard!”
While I was too stunned to react, Cody burst into laughter. “Dude! I warned you.”
Sophia spun on him. “You knew about this?”
My brother flung his hands up in defense. “He asked if she was single and I told him you’d have his balls if he left her anything but completely satisfied.”
Cold settled in my gut. Had Erica told Sophia about us forgetting to use a condom? Had she told her anything else? “Is Erica okay?” I asked, unable to keep a hint of panic from my voice.
“Okay?” Sophia barked. “Why wouldn’t she be okay?”
Her response calmed my fears slightly. “I don’t know. Why are you so mad?”
“I’m mad because you slept with my best friend!” She slapped at my arm again and looked like she wished she could do worse.
“What did Erica say?” I asked.
“About what?” Sophia snapped.
Now I was the one eyeing her. “About sleeping with me. Was she upset or said she regretted it?”
Sophia’s expression screwed up in irritation. “No.”
“Then okay,” I said.
“What?” she demanded.
“What?” I threw up my hands. “What else do you want me to say? We had sex. We parted ways happy. The end.”
Her eyes narrowed again. “The end? Really?”
Unsure of what she wanted me to say, I shrugged.
“I know there are a few women you keep…on hand.”
“So?”
Sophia huffed. “Erica’s not going to be one of them?”
“No,” I said. Then I reconsidered my answer. “Unless she wants to be.”
A mixture of emotions flashed across my sister-in-law’s face. I didn’t have a prayer of unscrambling them, but I wondered. “Did Erica say something about that?”
“What?” Sophia asked. She turned away and picked up a towel.
“Phi,” I said slowly, reaching out and turning her back to face me. “What did she say?”
Planting a hand on her hip, she said, “Anything she said to me was spoken in confidence.”
She spun away again, making it clear the conversation was over. If she’d been trying to warn me away from Erica, she’d screwed up big time. My curiosity was piqued. I’d toyed with the idea of meeting up with Erica again. Not thinking about our night together had proven more difficult than I’d anticipated. What had she said to Sophia?
As much as I wanted to press her and dig the answer out of her vault of girlfriend secrets, I knew I’d only succeed in pissing her off. Sophia was not someone you wanted to piss off. I’d have to bide my time until she softened a little. If Erica had been interested in seeing me again, maybe she would bring it up to her again. Asking her for Erica’s number right now would undoubtedly not go well. Maybe in a few weeks I’d have better luck. If nothing else, Cody and Sophia were always throwing parties and organizing get-togethers. Erica and I would cross paths eventually, and I had a feeling she was having as difficult of a time as I was getting that night out of her head.
7
Erica
Three weeks into the school year, and I was still floundering. Fifth graders were nothing like kindergartners or preschoolers. They were anxious to get out of elementary school, thought they knew everything, and didn’t want to be treated like babies anymore. The jump in curriculum was no picnic either. Of course, I’d studied all the elementary levels in college, but every major project I’d done in school had been geared toward younger students. I’d spent half the summer dragging out old textbooks and trying to remind myself of what fifth graders needed to learn, but I was still struggling to keep up.
Sophia had only managed to get me out of my apartment once since the school year started. She’d asked a dozen times at least. Even with having part of the summer to work on lesson plans, which ended up being only part of my never-ending headache. Not only was I teaching more in-depth, I was rotating classes during specials time, trying to figure out the grading standards for this age group—which were vastly different from first grade, and incorporating the state testing requirements into the lesson plans I’d already built.
Needless to say, my free time was nearly nonexistent. I’d been skipping my usual workouts in favor of grading papers, eating whatever was fastest and easiest, and running on too few hours of sleep most days. Going to my parents for dinner the previous Sunday had earned me more than a few comments on how tired I looked. Jackson, being his usual asshole self, had even asked me if I’d gained a few pounds. Mom’s concerned look when I dove into her amazing pork ribs made me even more self-conscious, but I hadn’t had time to cook lately and a home cooked meal was simply too good to resist digging into.
I just needed a few more weeks, maybe a month, to get everything figured out and finally settle in. It had to get easier. I couldn’t handle this pace and frustration for an entire year. I’d made it clear to the principal that I wanted to return to kindergarten or first grade as soon as an availability opened up. He’d made note of my request, but I knew I’d have to keep pushing him. What a mess.
A knock on my open door pulled me out of my misery. A fellow fifth grade teacher, Madeline, stood in the doorway, her rounded belly protruding into the room more than the rest of her. “Losing your mind yet?” she asked with a sympathetic smile.
“I’m pretty sure I lost it the first week we were back.” I slumped into my chair and shut my laptop so I didn’t have to look at the grading software anymore. It was so much more complicated for this grade, taking up endless hours trying to input assignments and grades for every little thing.
Madeline pushed away from the doorjamb and toward me. “Well, if you need a break, my baby shower is this weekend and I’d love for you to come.”
I smiled at the thoughtful gesture. “That sounds great. When are you due again?”
Settling herself on the edge of my desk, she handed over the invitation. Baby duckies floated
on perky blue waves. “Three more weeks,” she said, sounding tired, “but if he decides to come early, I certainly won’t complain.”
“Do you have everything ready?” I asked.
“Pretty much,” Madeline replied. “I’m sure there are little things we’re forgetting, but this is baby number two for us, so we still have all the basics from when Wyatt was born.”
I smiled. I’d met three-year-old Wyatt a few times during the week the teachers were prepping their classrooms and sitting through endless trainings. He was adorable, and a handful. “How long will you be able to stay home with the new baby?”
“Two glorious months.” She chuckled. “Though, I’m sure it won’t be nearly as relaxing as I’d like.”
Last year, I’d bumped into Madeline a few times, but hadn’t known her well. When I was forced to move to fifth grade, we’d become quick friends. Her help with lessons plans and testing requirements had been invaluable, and she somehow managed to always keep her positive attitude through even the worst days.
“You are coming back, right?” I asked. “I don’t think I’ll survive the year if you don’t.”
Laughing, she nodded. “I’ll be back. I love teaching too much to quit, and we need the second income.”
I could certainly understand that. Our school district paid a little better than most, but it was a challenge to afford even my one bedroom apartment on just my income. “I can imagine leaving your little one with daycare isn’t easy, but I’ll be glad to have you back.”
Pushing back up to standing, Madeline patted my shoulder. “This will get easier, I promise. It’s just a steep learning curve, jumping from first to fifth. You’ll get there, though.”
“Thanks, Madeline. For everything.”
She smiled and rubbed her belly. “I better head back before my class gets back from music and thinks I’ve gone into labor.” She waved goodbye and slowly made her way back across the hall to her classroom.