“Yeah? You think they bought it?” I asked.
“For sure they bought it. They were talking about him all weekend. Well done, Mags. I gotta admit, I was worried about how it would all work out, but you pulled it off.”
“I guess I did.”
“Listen, I’m really sorry I got you involved with a guy like that. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s fine, Justin. It worked, it’s over, we can all go on with our lives.”
Justin smiled and squeezed my shoulder. Then he leaned in and gave me a closer look.
“Did that motherfucker touch you?”
“Justin, shut up.”
Before I could say another word, my brother was pacing the floor of my kitchen, mumbling under his breath about all the murderous acts he was about to commit.
“Justin! Stop! Nothing that happened was his fault. Stop it!”
He came to a stop right in front of me, inches from my face.
“So something did happen?”
I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again. I counted silently to ten while he stood there, glaring at me.
“I am a grown woman. I can make my own decisions. Whether something happened or not is none of your business. I think you just need to calm down.”
I could see the steam escaping his ears as he listened to me, but I held my ground, not breaking eye contact. Finally, he relented. He let out a long breath and walked over to the front door.
“This isn’t the end of this conversation. We will pick this up again.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Liam
Judging by the fact that Justin didn’t seem to give a fuck about the rather large knife in my hand as he stormed across the kitchen and grabbed me by the collar, I had to assume he was in a blind rage.
“Did you sleep with my sister?” he roared.
Adam and Toni discreetly disappeared. It had been two weeks since that horrible morning at Maggie’s house.
“No,” I said, standing stock still.
“But you fucking touched her. I told you not to touch her.”
I pried his hand off my collar and took a step back. I was easily twice his strength.
“It’s not what you think. Besides, she’s a grown woman. She makes her own decisions.”
Justin ran his hands through his hair and paced the kitchen floor.
“I want to fucking kill you, man,” he said.
“I get it. I’m not too pleased with myself either.”
“I spent two weeks trying to cool my jets, and then I get an email from my folks asking how Maggie’s wonderful boyfriend is. She’s my goddamn sister.”
I put the knife down on the counter and sat down on the stool. Justin stopped pacing, picked up another stool, and brought it over to join me.
“What the fuck happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I just wanted to do what you said, and things got a little out of hand.”
“A little?” he asked, incredulous.
“Fine. A lot. Look, I don’t know what she told you, but I’ve got nothing but respect for your sister, man. She’s one of a kind. She’s a good girl.”
“Damn straight. Too good for you.”
“I know that, man. I promise you, I’m not looking to mess around with her.”
He gave me one last look and then disappeared as quickly as he’d shown up. Once he was gone, Toni slid back into the kitchen and walked up beside me.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“It’s fine. I wish everyone would just leave me the fuck alone.”
The truth was, ever since Maggie had told me about her experience growing up, I’d felt like shit. Here was a great woman cursed with low self-esteem, and I basically screwed around with her then walked out. I couldn’t have been a bigger shit if I’d tried. And I still couldn’t work out why I cared so much.
*
I spent the next couple of weeks trying to get my groove back. It wasn’t lost on me that it was taking me a month to get over a five-day…whatever. That last lunch together kept replaying in my mind. It was the first time we’d been real with each other. We exposed ourselves in a non-physical way, yet it felt ten times more intimate. I’d never told any woman about myself before, but with Maggie, it felt right. It felt natural.
The summer season was in full swing and the tourists and cottagers were everywhere. I spent the next two weeks working hard and then going out for a drink or two after work to wind down. Always with a crowd, but I always went home alone. It was never my intention—it just happened to work out that way.
One night I was taking off early after dinner and Adam stopped me, asking if I’d mind driving a case of cilantro out to Elena’s, the Mexican joint on Highway 4.
“We’re not going to use it, it’ll go bad, and I owe her a favour. Do you mind?” he asked.
“Not at all. I’ve got nowhere else to be.”
I took the case from him, threw it in the car, and headed out of town. It was a good plan. A new bar, fresh faces. Maybe tonight I’d turn things around.
It was close to ten when I pulled in outside the restaurant. The parking lot was full, which wasn’t unusual for a Tuesday night in the summer months. Music was streaming out of the open door as people spilled out and others made their way inside. I drove around back and parked, making my way in through the kitchen door.
Elena saw me immediately and came over to relieve me of the case. She passed it off to the kitchen staff and pulled me into a hug.
“Liam, so good to see you. I hope you’ll have a drink?” she asked.
“Absolutely. I’ll find my way to the bar.”
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked through the kitchen, greeting various acquaintances, and exited into the packed dining room. I made my way over to the bar and ordered a scotch. Within seconds, the empty stool on my right was taken by a tall blond holding an empty glass. She smiled at me and I signalled for the bartender.
“What are you drinking?” I asked her.
“Gin and tonic,” she purred.
I ordered another round of drinks for both of us and we settled into easy conversation. Krissy grew up in Three Mountains, then left to go to school. She returned home a few summers ago and ended up working in a dress shop in Rocky Heights. Managing, she kept saying. She had aspirations of becoming a designer, so I wasn’t sure what she was doing living outside of a major city, but I kept my mouth shut and enjoyed her company.
We were a few drinks in when Joe Jackson’s A Slow Song came on. Krissy turned to me with a smile.
“Dance with me?” she said.
I got off the stool and took her hand as she slid off hers. I turned to the makeshift dance floor and saw Maggie, eyes closed, dancing with some skinny dude. I swallowed, a little unprepared for the conflicting thoughts going through my brain.
“What’s the matter?” Krissy asked. “Let’s go.”
I turned to her.
“Second thought, why don’t we take this dance outside?” I said.
She wrapped her arm around my waist and I steered her towards the side door, out into the parking lot. As soon as we were outside, she pulled me towards her and kissed me. I couldn’t believe how long it had been since I’d kissed a woman, Maggie included. I’d been celibate for the past month. I hadn’t gone that long without sex in over a decade. I was wired. And yet...
When Krissy kissed me, I felt nothing. I kissed her back, taking a handful of her hair in my fist and running my hand down the side of her neck. She moaned into my mouth, pressing herself up against me. Nothing. I wasn’t sure what to do. That was a first. I always knew what to do.
Krissy, on the other hand, had zero qualms about what was going on. She was all in, running her hands under my shirt, up my back, scraping her nails across my skin. I couldn’t even get it up. There was nothing there. Well, not nothing. Actually—
“Oh, shit!” I pulled away from Krissy and turned to the left before puking out the contents of t
he evening.
Krissy screeched and jumped back, putting out her hands as if to shield herself from the back spray. Thankfully, there was none.
“Fuck. Dude. Seriously?”
She straightened her skirt and adjusted the spaghetti straps of her dress.
“I’m sorry. Really. I guess I just had too much too drink,” I offered weakly.
“Yeah. Whatever.”
She turned and walked back into the bar. I just stood there, staring at the door after it shut behind her.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Maggie
Tammy and I were having lunch in the square outside the hotel. We’d gotten closer over the past few weeks, and it was nice to have a friend to hang out with. Spending that week with Liam around made me realize how lonely I’d been since moving to Mountain Valley. I was craving human companionship. As if reading my mind, Tammy looked up from her sandwich and considered me.
“What are you doing tonight? Writing?” she asked.
“Nope. Sent the manuscript off to publishers. Now it’s a waiting game,” I said.
“Perfect. Come out with me tonight. I’ve got a date, but I’m sure he can rustle up a friend.”
I thought about it for less than a minute. Why not? I’d spent enough time over the past few weeks doing nothing. Liam was out of my life, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t go in search of other research candidates, so to speak. I smiled.
“I’m in.”
*
Sure enough, Tammy’s date, Eric, found a willing friend. Shane was tall with curly blond hair and a slight frame. He was cute and had an amazing smile.
We met at the Mexican place on Highway 4. I’d never been before, but both their margaritas and their jukebox were legendary. I put on a summer dress for the occasion, blue with tiny white polka dots and spaghetti straps. I couldn’t bring myself to wear heels, but I did put on a little makeup.
We sat at a table for four and ordered pitchers of margaritas and a plate of tacos. It was noisy, but we were still able to carry on a decent conversation. Shane worked at the local bookstore, which explained why he’d looked familiar when we were introduced.
“I recognized you right away,” he said, smiling at me. “Romance section. Two to four books a week.”
I laughed, delighted. Tammy shot me a knowing look and then dragged Eric onto the makeshift dance floor. Shane and I sat silently for a few minutes, drinking and watching people dance.
“So what do you do?” he asked.
“Well, by day I work with Tammy at The Elway, but at night I have a secret identity as a romance writer.”
“Ah,” he said. “That explains all the novels. Research, huh?”
The smile dropped from my face at the word research. For the first time that evening, I thought of Liam. I closed my eyes and took a breath, but all I could see was his hand, moving up my thigh. My eyes flew open, only to find Shane studying me with an odd expression.
“You okay? I say something wrong?”
“Not at all,” I assured him.
I took a sip of my drink, trying to remember if this was my second or third. I was certainly feeling no pain, and I was proud of myself for going out, making friends, and finally letting loose. Joe Jackson’s A Slow Song came on the jukebox.
“I love this song,” I said.
Shane stood up and reached out his hand.
“Then let’s dance.”
I took his hand and followed him to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I draped mine over his shoulders. My first thought was he was so much skinnier than Liam, and my second thought was he wasn’t Liam. It made me irrationally sad. Why was I even still thinking about him? I blamed it on the alcohol and closed my eyes. I leaned my head against his shoulder and as we swayed to the music, I tried to let myself enjoy the moment for what it was.
When the song ended, I pulled away and looked up at him to thank him for the dance. Before I could say anything, he leaned down to kiss me. It was a soft, gentle kiss. It was fine. But there was zero magic. I pulled away, running my thumb over my bottom lip.
“Thank you for the dance,” I said.
His expression fell.
“Just the dance.”
“Hey. I’m having a great time with you tonight. Really.”
He nodded, took my hand, and guided me back to the table. Tammy and Eric had ordered another pitcher and were pouring more drinks. I suddenly felt awkward and out of place. I’d had more to drink than I should’ve and for a few moments, I’d let myself believe I was someone I wasn’t.
I pulled out my phone and checked the black screen.
“Shit,” I murmured.
Tammy looked up.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“It’s Justin. Says it’s an emergency. Listen, I’ve got to run. He’s going to come pick me up. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Tammy jumped up and gave me a quick hug. She pulled me close and whispered in my ear.
“I know exactly what you’re doing.”
I let go of her, told Eric it had been nice to meet him, then turned to Shane.
“Listen—” I started.
He held up his hand.
“If you want, get my number from Tammy.”
I smiled, gave them all a last wave, and headed out to the parking lot, calling a cab on the way.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Liam
I woke up the next morning in my car, still parked in Elena’s lot. I had a raging hangover, my mouth was full of cotton, and a sinking realization settled in my gut. I had a thing for Maggie.
There was no other explanation. My lack of screwing around, my reaction to making out with Krissy, the tenderness I’d felt towards Maggie when she shared her childhood with me, and of course, that feeling of utter despair when I saw her dancing with that fuckhead.
I sat up, hitting my head on the roof of the car. Shit. I was going to pay for that later when full sensation returned to my body. I looked around, but the parking lot was empty. Small mercies. I pulled the seat up into driving position and strapped myself in.
I stopped at the gas station for coffee before hitting the highway. I’d never driven so slowly in my life. By the time I was halfway back to Mountain Valley, I could barely see through the pounding behind my temples. Thankfully, I wasn’t due at the restaurant until eleven, so I had time to get home, shower, and pop some aspirin. I knew it would be another crazy day ahead. At least it would give me a reprieve from my thoughts. Fucking Maggie.
*
I made it to work on time, but I looked even worse than I felt, and I felt pretty crappy. Bree eyed me as I walked past the bar.
“Don’t even ask,” I said and kept walking.
I washed up in the kitchen and tied on my apron, pulling down a copy of the day’s dinner menu to get started on prep while Toni took care of the lunch crowd. We did not have a traditional arrangement in the kitchen, but it worked for us, and everything had been running smoothly since her arrival. She was a godsend. Or rather, a Justin send, as I was so keenly aware these days.
We stayed out of each other’s way until the lunch rush was over, and then Toni came over to give me a hand.
“You look like a piece of shit,” she said.
“Thanks.”
“That my dog stepped in and then dragged across my floor,” she continued.
“Okay. I get the point.”
“Rough night?”
“Not in the way you think. Drank too much and passed out in my car in the parking lot of Elena’s,” I confessed.
“Shit. What’s up, Liam? Talk to me.”
I put down my knife, carefully wrapped the cuts of beef I’d been slicing, and put them away in the walk-in before answering her.
“I think I’m in trouble,” I began.
“Oh crap. What did you do? Did you hit someone? We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.”
“Toni, shit, I didn’t drive drunk. But I think I might…fuck, I can’t believe I�
�m about to say this…I think I might like a woman.”
“Maggie?” she asked, without any trace of a real question.
“Yeah. Shit. That obvious?” I asked.
“Chef, you have not been the same person since that woman walked into your life. First, you came alive like we’d never seen you, then you shut down, then you just went nuts. The three of us feel like we’ve been watching a tornado blow through here for the past month. What happened with you two?”
I told her. I told her the absolute truth. That I’d done this favour for Justin that turned into this super hot research project that just fucking ended. And that somewhere along the way, I’d fallen for the girl.
“And that’s it?” she asked.
“Yeah. We were both pretty clear about the terms of the agreement.”
She rolled her eyes.
“But she enjoyed the sex?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“So what makes you think she’s not interested?”
“Well, I’m not exactly her type. Plus, I tried texting her and she never responded. And then last night—”
“What the hell happened last night?”
I took her through the gory details. After she finished laughing, she gave me crap for not having gone over to talk to Maggie at the bar.
“It really wasn’t appropriate. She was dancing pretty close with the dude. It would’ve been more than awkward.”
“Okay,” she conceded. “Point taken. So? Call her. Ask her out.”
I shook my head.
“She wants nothing to do with me. Transaction complete.”
“Hmm. Normally I’d say to leave it alone then, but I saw the two of you together. There was definitely something there. You just need to find an in.”
“And where do you suppose I do that? Got any suggestions?”
“Let me think on it,” she said. “Right now, I’m outta here. Have fun with the dinner crowd.”
*
We were closed for Canada Day on July 1, and I took the opportunity to sleep until noon. I’d stayed late at the restaurant the night before, nursing a scotch while Adam, Toni, and Bree amused themselves by trying to find solutions to my situation.
A Dash of Romance Page 8