Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1)

by Jackie Wang

  “Get in loser, we're late,” Terri called, her loose blond hair twisting in the breeze.

  I locked up the front door and made my way to the car. “When does the ferry leave?”

  Terri checked her watch. “In an hour. If we don't hit a traffic jam, we should get there fifteen minutes early. But you never know. It's the weekend.”

  I slid in beside Jeremy and said hi to him and his girl. I'd known the two of them since high school, and they'd been dating for just as long. It was inspiring, actually.

  “My man,” Jeremy said. “Spending the weekend solo?”

  “Not if I meet a hot chick there,” I shot back.

  “Are you over that Vicky chick yet?” Mike, my paralegal and the designated driver, asked from up front. “What happened to her?”

  He didn't know any of the specifics. None of them did. I suddenly realized Sierra was the only one who knew the truth about the fake engagement.

  I shrugged. “That's old news already. I moved on a while back.”

  “You seemed pretty hung up on her,” Jeremy pointed out.

  “Will you guys quit the interrogation? You're ruining the weekend, and it's just getting started.” I clicked in my seatbelt and looked out the window.

  They stopped asking questions and focused on the weekend of fun that lay ahead of us. Mike and Jeremy talked about their favorite brews. The girls chatted about celebrity gossip and work. Terri was a massage therapist, and Rose was a TV show producer.

  I tried to join the guys' conversation, but it was too awkward to talk over their girlfriends. After a while, I just shut up.

  I wondered who Cam would bring to the fest. He hadn't mentioned anything about dating someone new. But knowing him, he had girls drooling over him day and night. Perks of being a bartender. A very rich, successful bartender who ran a booming bar business. The fact that he was easy on the eyes and spoke with an accent helped too.

  Mike pulled into the ferry terminal with twelve minutes to spare. We drove straight into the parking lot situated in the bowels of the ferry, purchased a parking pass and then headed up to join Cameron and his date. Apparently, they’d been half an hour early. Eager beavers.

  “Have any of you guys met Cam's date?” I asked.

  Everyone shook their head.

  “I think he met her at the bar,” Mike said.

  “Doesn't he always?” Jeremy added.

  “Probably another gold-digger looking for a free weekend getaway,” I said. They were a dime a dozen and I was used to seeing them flit around Cam like mosquitoes. Bloodsuckers.

  We all turned and saw Cam in the distance, waving at us. Standing beside him was a lithe, toned blonde...

  Jeremy whistled. “Wowza.”

  Rose pinched him hard in the arm. Jeremy batted his eyelashes and kissed her on the cheek. “You're way hotter, though, babe.”

  Mike was speechless as well, but smart enough not to comment.

  I squinted harder and nearly walked into a pole.

  We were coming up closer now, and I'd recognize those fawn eyes anywhere. Wide as saucers. Staring straight at me.

  “Sierra?” I cried.

  She was stunned and stood paralyzed, her eyes unblinking.

  “Do you know each other?” Mike asked.

  “Obviously,” Terri pointed out. “Look at Asher's face.”

  I swallowed hard. “I live with her.”

  Everyone shot me a 'WTF' look.

  “She's my landlady. She lives downstairs,” I explained, neglecting to mention the fact I was infatuated with her.

  “Wow, what are the chances?” Terri said.

  We were close now. Cam gave me a confused look. “Do you know Sierra?”

  “Yeah, she's my landlady. We live in the same house,” I repeated. I didn't want to look at her. I really didn't. I felt betrayed even though I had no right to feel this way. It wasn't as if there was anything going on between us. But the sharp stabbing feeling still struck hard in my chest. Sierra and my best friend.

  Seriously, God?

  “Asher...” Sierra said, her voice trailing off. I didn't know if her tone was surprised, guilty, annoyed, or despondent.

  “How do you know Cameron?” I asked her.

  Sierra looked at Cam and then back at me. “My friend Callista and I go to Mahoney's all the time. I can't believe—This is such a weird coincidence.”

  I felt more than saw the tension in Cam's shoulders. He was probably just as uncomfortable as I was. I needed to show my friend that I wasn't a threat. After all, Sierra made her choice clear. She’d decided to spend the weekend as Cam's date and not mine.

  So that's what she meant by “plans this weekend”.

  Fuck me.

  Cameron pointed to Mike, Terri, Jeremy, and Rose, introducing them each in turn. They all exchanged some pleasantries. Meanwhile, I was going crazy trying to keep my cool. Doing everything I could to not fan the flames in my stomach.

  “Let's go grab some breakfast,” Terri said to Mike. She dragged him by the arm and the two soon disappeared inside.

  Rose and Jeremy wanted to check out the gift shop.

  Which left me with Sierra and Cam.

  An awkward, unwanted third wheel.

  “We have about half an hour to kill. What do you want to do?” Cam asked Sierra, ignoring me.

  Was he trying to shut me out?

  Sierra shrugged. “I'm not really hungry. I guess we can check out the view from the bow. It's a nice day.”

  “Sure, sounds good,” Cam said. He didn't touch her, but it looked like he wanted to put his arms around her shoulder just to claim her as his.

  Fuck that shit. I had dibs on her first. He just didn't know that.

  Unless...

  How long had Sierra known Cam? What exactly was going on between them? It couldn't be that serious if she'd sent me all those flirty texts and kissed me. But knowing that she was dating Cam at the same time suddenly made her seem cheap. After all, she could've at least mentioned she was playing the field.

  Cam did not invite me to join them, and I didn't want to impose, so I said, “I think I'll go grab a bagel. Catch you guys later.”

  Then I disappeared to go find Terri and Mike.

  This was going to be one long fucking weekend.

  When I found the lovebirds, they were sharing a smoothie by the snack bar.

  “Mind if I join?” I asked, setting down my coffee and bagel.

  “What's the matter, the others didn't want you?” Mike teased.

  “Ha. Ha.” I gestured to my food. “I was hungry.”

  Terri asked, “What's the deal between you and Sierra? You looked like you'd seen a ghost.”

  “Nothing. I was just surprised that's all.”

  “How come you never mentioned you had a landlady living downstairs? She seems too young to be a homeowner,” Mike said. “What is she, like twenty?”

  I suddenly realized I didn't even know. I shrugged. “She just moved in last weekend. Her grandmother, my previous landlady, passed away and left her the house.”

  “Why'd she move in with you? Couldn't she live somewhere else?” Mike continued. “It's not like you need a roomie to afford rent.”

  I swallowed my coffee. “I was the one who suggested it, actually. She had nowhere else to go, and the basement was vacant.”

  A bemused smile lit up Terri's face. “Is there something you're not telling us?”

  I was never one to kiss and tell so I just shrugged again. “She's not interested in me if that's what you mean.”

  As if it wasn't obvious from the fact that she was on this trip with Cam.

  Mike studied me. “Are you... jealous? Of Cam?”

  “No! Of course not,” I lied, biting into my bagel so they couldn't see how nervous I felt.

  “You've got the hots for Cam's girl,” Mike said.

  “This weekend's going to be very interesting,” Terri remarked, tearing into her muffin. “I can't wait to see how this plays out.”

&
nbsp; “Nothing is going to happen,” I reassured both of them. “Trust me.”

  CHAPTER 10

  SIERRA

  ASHER MORGAN WAS FRIENDS with Cameron? Could the Fates be any more twisted? Not only that, but he'd actually invited me to the same event. An invitation I turned down because Cam had approached me first.

  Had I known they were both referring to the same beer fest...Well, even if that were the case, I might've picked Cam over Asher.

  Maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to give the hotshot lawyer a taste of his own medicine. He made me feel like shit when I discovered he'd been engaged. Real or not, he'd had feelings for that girl and never even mentioned her. Not that he was obligated to, but still.

  My turn to play.

  Even though Cameron and I were just acquaintances, I could tell by the look on Asher's face he thought we were more serious than that.

  Let him think that. Someone had to bring him down a few pegs.

  I stared out at the frothy bay waters, churned into a frenzy by the ferry's massive propellers. According to the online forecast, it would be a gorgeous weekend: sunshine and high seventies. I'd have fun and let loose. Enjoy myself for once. It'd be even more fun to flaunt my happiness in front of Asher, the only one who didn't bring a date. A few minutes ago I’d been terrified to see Asher. But now, I realized it couldn't have worked out better.

  “So how long have ye known Asher?” Cameron asked in that sexy accent of his. He didn't look at me. His hands were gripping the railings hard.

  Was he worried?

  “I just met him last week actually. I inherited my grandma's house, and she didn't tell me she'd rented it out to Asher. We had a few misunderstandings, but I needed a place to stay so I moved into the basement.”

  “Hmm.” Cameron looked thoughtful, his thick eyebrows knit together.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothin',” Cameron murmured. “Just enjoying the beautiful view. With a beautiful woman.”

  I smiled. “Well, aren't you lucky? You'll have all weekend to enjoy this beautiful woman.”

  My words came out all wrong, and I blushed something fierce. “I mean, to enjoy looking at this beautiful woman.”

  But Cameron's smooth lips tugged into a charming smile. “I'm loving every second already.”

  I continued, “So where exactly are we staying?”

  “At the Crescent Hill Lodge,” Cameron said. “Don't worry, I booked you your own room.”

  “Thank you, Cameron. By the way, how much do I owe you for all of this? I feel terrible—”

  “—Don't worry about it, Sierra. Just have a good time, that's all I want.”

  “You're too kind, Cam. But really, I'd feel awful if you paid for everything. How can I thank you at least?”

  “How about a dinner date with me tonight?”

  I bit my lower lip. “A...date?” When Cameron first asked me to this beer fest, he’d wanted to bring me as a friend. But somehow, after seeing Asher, Cameron seemed to change his attitude. As if he wanted me all to himself. Was this some sort of territorial, guy thing? “We tried the whole dating thing a few months ago,” I pointed out. “It didn't go so well. Remember?”

  Cameron shot me his sexiest smile. Pearly whites shining and everything. “Love, I made a mistake then. I won't this time. Don't make a man beg, Sierra.”

  God the timbre of his Irish accent drove me just about wild. I loved men with accents: they were my weakness. In fact, his voice was what had drawn me in the first time around. He'd asked me out with that sultry tone, and I'd melted like butter. And that stubble actually made me want to have beard burn.

  “Okay,” I finally agreed. “It's the least I can do.” It was just a dinner date, nothing more, I told myself.

  After the twenty-minute ferry ride, we popped back into Cameron's BMW and pulled up next to Cam's friend Mike's Toyota Highlander.

  Cam lowered his window and said, “Follow my lead to the hotel. Then we can make our way to the festival.”

  Mike nodded.

  Cameron seemed to know the way to the hotel like the back of his hand.

  “Do you go to this festival every year?” I asked.

  Cameron nodded. “It's great fun and I usually recognize a lot of people there, both attendees and local brewers.”

  “I'm actually not a huge fan of beer,” I admitted, “but I'm intrigued. Do they have competitions and stuff?”

  “Aye. There's usually around 1000 different brews to sample, and the judges pick first, second, and third prizes by the end of the weekend. It's a pretty big deal. And don't worry about it, there're other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages too. And great food. The mini donuts are mighty tasty.”

  I giggled at the thought of a burly man like Cam feasting on sugar-crusted mini donuts.

  We talked about the festival for the rest of the drive. He raved about drinks I'd never even heard of, and I just nodded along, completely clueless. I knew Cameron was knowledgeable about alcohol, but our conversation quickly revealed how well-versed he was compared to me. Then again, the man did own a bar.

  The Crescent Hill Lodge was a quaint and rustic building located at the top of a steep hill. Built in 1922, it'd been owned by the Summers family for generations, Cameron told me. Practically a historic monument. The owners were actually his distant cousins. The Great Northbridge Beer Fest, Cameron explained, would be held at the bottom of the hill. I could already see colorful tents being set up in the distance and people lugging heavy kegs around. The festival wasn't open until 5p.m., another six hours away.

  Cameron and I rejoined Mike, Jeremy, Asher, Terri, and Rose at the hotel reception desk. They were collecting their room key cards and chatting animatedly.

  When it came to our turn, Cameron checked in and handed me my own keycard. As promised, he'd booked me the room right next to his. He was a complete gentleman, and I was thankful for that.

  Mike and Terri turned to us. “We're going for a swim after lunch, wanna join?” Mike asked.

  Cameron looked at me, as if for permission.

  “Oh, sorry, I didn't bring a swimsuit. I didn't know there was a pool here. But you guys can go ahead. I can hang out on the side. I brought a book,” I said.

  “There's probably a gift shop here,” Cameron said. “You could buy a suit.”

  “Yeah, that's true. I'll take a look.” My stomach rumbled. “Speaking of lunch, when and where? I'm starving.”

  All seven of us decided to have lunch at the hotel restaurant since it was the most convenient.

  Over lunch, I got to know the other girls a bit better. Terri worked as a registered massage therapist, and Rose was actually a bit of a celebrity: she produced CBT's latest hit show: The O'Connells. Compared to them, I felt severely unaccomplished, and that made my self-esteem plummet. Sure, they were older than me, but I doubted I'd be even half as successful by the time I hit thirty. When I told them I was studying to be a fashion designer, they seemed mildly interested but didn't dwell on the subject.

  I was famished by the time my club sandwich came around but disappointed to find out that it was a soggy mess. A puddle of liquid sat at the bottom of the plate and I quickly lost my appetite. Luckily, Cam offered to share his ribs (which were only slightly better but not by much).

  After lunch (Cameron paid for me again, against my wishes), I decided to browse the souvenir shop with Cameron. Sure enough, on the far wall, there hung a rack of vibrant-colored women's swimwear. The colors ranged from stripes and polka dots to psychedelic tie-dye. I finally settled on a conservative black bikini set with little white hearts on it. Unfortunately, the store owner informed me that the only sizes left were small and extra-large. I was a medium, and since I didn't feel like accidentally exposing myself in public, I decided to purchase a size small.

  I quickly realized the error of my ways when I popped out of the pool changing room an hour later with my boobs practically spilling out of my bikini top. The bottoms weren't much
better—they were skin tight and for a few horrendous seconds, I wondered if it would show too much camel-toe or ass crack.

  But no one commented on my swimsuit when I joined them at the pool. Everyone was chatting about a new TV show and some celebrity appearance. None of them even noticed me joining them. Except Asher.

  He looked sullen and pale, and I could've sworn I saw a vein throbbing along his temple.

  I waded into the cool water and snuck up behind Cameron. Would he think I looked too slutty? I already thought I looked too slutty.

  When Cameron turned around and saw me, that heated look in his eyes made me want to run straight back into the changing rooms and cover up.

  “Sierra...” Cameron said, voice low and husky. “You look...”

  “Slutty?” I whispered.

  “I was going to say 'lovely',” Cameron said.

  “They didn't have my size so I had to go one size down,” I explained.

  Terri spoke up to diffuse the tension. “You're giving Cam a boner,” she pointed out.

  I didn't know how to answer that so I didn't say anything. But I did catch a glimpse of Asher. His face was white, his lips almost blue, and he looked pissed as hell. What had gotten into him?

  Before I could think too much about it, Cameron splashed me with a faceful of water. My hair was soaked and stuck down my back. My eyes stung, and I tasted chlorine in the back of my throat. I had to retaliate so I swam after him. “Get back here, you jerk!”

  When I got closer, I dove underwater and tried to grab him by the ankles, but he was faster. He snatched me up by the waist and tickled me until I couldn't breathe. His scruffy jaw rubbed up against my shoulders, and I could feel something hard pressed up against my back.

  No way.

  Was that his—

  I turned around to beg for mercy and caught Cameron studying me. “Truce?” I squeaked out.

  “Only if you give me a kiss,” he said in a low growl. He tapped his lips with his index finger and puckered up.

  Everyone else was staring at us. Including Asher.

  I wanted to make Asher see red and green at the same time.