Stuck With Me: A With Me in Seattle Universe Novel

by Melissa Brown

-Or just watch it with me…

  -But you’ve already watched it!

  -Twice. What’s your point?

  -Wouldn’t you feel like you were wasting your time?

  -Bite your tongue, woman. Look, just saying—if you decide to give it a try, I’ll be your GoT translator. I did it for my sister, I can do it for you.

  -I met her, by the way.

  -Savita?!? For real? What are the chances?

  -Yep! Why didn’t you tell me she goes to my school?

  -I thought you were done with school.

  -I’m a librarian.

  -No shit! I always assumed you were working with little kids, you know? Like kindergarteners.

  -What about me screams kindergarten to you?

  -I mean, you were good with that little Olympian on the bunny hill.

  A laugh escaped my lips, remembering that I had very little interaction with that little boy. Dev talked to him more than I did.

  -Nope, little ones aren’t my thing.

  -Well, that’s a funny coincidence. She looks just like me, doesn’t she?

  -Carbon copy.

  -I know, it drives her nuts!

  -Why?

  -The age difference, makes her feel old I guess. Whatever, I look gooooooood. And I don’t look a day over 22.

  -And so humble, too.

  -LOL You know it, girl.

  I paused for a moment, not sure how I wanted to respond. Before I had a chance to decide, Dev wrote again, taking the pressure off.

  -Okay, gotta bounce. Dinner with family and if I keep my mom waiting, she’ll have my ass on a platter. 8:00 tomorrow. Be there.

  -You got it.

  I plugged my phone in and secretly wondered what it would be like to eat dinner with Dev and his family on a Sunday night. I bet it would be nice. Really nice.

  The following night, I walked into Dev and Peter’s favorite sports bar—Bennet’s. It was downtown, just a couple of blocks from Maren’s shop and it was…fine. It smelled like stale beer; there were peanuts thrown on the floor and blaring TV screens all around the place. And it was loud. Really loud. Not exactly the place I would have chosen, but if Dev was bound and determined to pay for everything, I knew I needed to keep my mouth shut about the location.

  Dev was sitting at the bar talking to a ridiculously attractive bartender when I arrived. He caught sight of me in his peripheral vision and turned, his eyes growing wide as he hopped off the barstool.

  “There she is!” he said, and suddenly the bartender no longer concerned me at all.

  “Morgan, this is Lyra—best friend of the bride.”

  “Ah,” Morgan said, extending her hand as I approached the bar. “Great to meet you. Dev and I were just going over the private party packages.”

  “Morgan handles all the special events here. Can I get you a drink?” Dev asked, walking behind me and helping me take my coat off. He draped it across his arm and patted the barstool in front of me. “Have a seat.” He then walked to the next barstool and gingerly placed my wool coat and scarf on the worn leather seat.

  Nice touch.

  “Scotch on the rocks with a twist, please.”

  Morgan nodded and got right to work on my drink.

  Dev pulled his head back, raising one eyebrow. “Really?”

  “What?”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “It’s just a drink, Dev. Calm down,” I said with a laugh, settling into my barstool.

  “I know, it’s just…most girls I know want the sweet stuff.”

  “I’m full of surprises, I guess.”

  Dev licked his lips, studying my face. “I guess you are.”

  My pulse raced, and I felt naked as his eyes traveled across my skin. When Morgan placed the drink on the bar, it took everything in me not to grab it and gulp it down, just to ease the tension, to get my bearings. Guys usually didn’t make me come unglued like this.

  But Dev did.

  Good lord, I’m in trouble.

  Dev’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, and his brow furrowed. “Sorry, I have to take this. Work.” He walked outside to take the call. And I was grateful for the moment to compose myself, but secretly wondered why he always went outside for work calls.

  Taking a quick sip of my drink, I savored the citrus notes and grabbed the plastic stick with two slices of lemon on the end. I dunked the stick several times in the glass, watching the rind of the fruit glisten as it came to the surface.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, placing his phone back in his pocket. “Where were we?”

  “Bar packages, I think?”

  “Yeah, we’re going with the gold,” Dev said, grabbing his drink, which I assumed was Tito’s and seltzer. “Naturally.”

  “And what is that?”

  Morgan slid a piece of cardstock toward me. “Open bar, including well drinks, beer, and wine.”

  “Top shelf, of course,” Dev added with a playful wink.

  “It also includes a buffet of appetizers to the left of the bar, here. We’ll have an attendant checking bracelets to make sure only your guests can take part.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Do you have a date in mind?”

  I opened my mouth and looked to Dev, who clenched his teeth. “I’m free whenever.”

  I cleared my throat, trying to hold back my usual attitude. Normally this was when I’d give him a hard time, but I knew I needed to be a little softer with him during this process.

  “We should probably make sure the bride and groom are free,” I said, making sure not to sound too judgmental.

  “Ah, yes, that’s important,” Morgan added. “Well, I can tell you we have one Saturday free next month—February twentieth. Other than that, we’re booked until late March.”

  “I’ll text Pete. See if that date works.”

  “Can you pencil us in without a deposit?”

  “Sure, but if someone is willing to make a deposit, you’ll be bumped, so it’s best to get it set in stone as soon as you can.”

  “Got it,” I said, gulping down the rest of my drink. “Can I get another?”

  Morgan nodded, fixing me a second drink as Dev typed furiously on his phone.

  “Mare’s crying,” Dev said with a grin.

  “Oh my God, why?” I asked, confused that he’d be excited to learn that.

  “She’s really happy, I guess.”

  Just then my phone buzzed with a text from Maren.

  -Oh my God, thank you! And you guys are planning it together?!?!?! Hello, Mr. Darcy!

  -You’re welcome and OMG SHUT UP!

  A stupid grin covered my face.

  “Is that her?” Dev asked, leaning over. With a slight jump, I stuffed my phone back in my purse.

  “Yeah, she’s, um, she’s really happy,” I said, smoothing the hair that had jumped to cover my face. Dev didn’t seem to notice me rushing to get my phone out of view.

  “Pete too! They’re gonna love it. And I’ll add that Maren loves that we chose this place, so I’ll take that apology whenever you’re ready.”

  My cheeks turned hot. I wanted to argue, but with Morgan standing right in front of us, leaning her elbows on the bar, I held back. The last thing I wanted to do was piss her off. I was embarrassed enough already just at his mention of us disagreeing on the right location.

  “Don’t hold your breath,” I muttered, holding my drink near my lips, taking a quick sip before giving him a flirty wink.

  He opened his mouth, narrowing his eyes and shifting toward me in his seat. It was a subtle movement, but it wasn’t lost on me.

  “So, what else do we need to cover tonight?” I asked, steering us back to the task at hand.

  “Just the deposit,” Morgan said. “Three hundred to reserve the night. The rest is due the night of the party.”

  Dev nodded, shifting in his seat and reaching into his back pocket. “Got it.”

  I leaned in closer to Dev. “Listen, I know you said you would
bankroll this whole thing, but I’ve been thinking about it, and I’d really like to help. Maren’s my best friend, and I can’t let you take care of everything.”

  Dev shook his head. “Nope, sorry. I got this.”

  “Dev, c’mon!”

  “Look, I’m not being a male pig or anything. I just… Let me do this for Pete, okay? He deserves it. He put up with a lot of my shit a couple years ago—”

  “Still does,” I said, tapping his leg with my foot.

  Dev chuckled. “Right. But seriously, let me do this. If you really want to help, you can buy the decorations or something.”

  “Done!” I said, extending my hand.

  “Really? We need to shake on it?”

  “Why not make it official?” I asked, taking a sip of my drink as I waited for him to shake my hand.

  “Fine,” he said, taking my hand in his. He shook it, but then he didn’t let go. He held my hand, lowering both of our arms against the wood of the bar. His finger danced across my skin, the heat of his touch warmed every inch of my skin. I took in a deep breath.

  “I also have this list of appetizers you guys can take a look at,” Morgan said, pulling me out of my Dev-induced fog. She didn’t seem to notice our entwined hands sitting on the bar or the tension that hung between us above said bar. “For the gold package, you get to choose six different ones. I highly recommend the bacon-wrapped dates. They’re stuffed with bleu cheese, and they’re just incredible. Chef’s special.”

  Morgan brought us back to reality, and we glanced down at the appetizer menu. “Thanks, that sounds great,” Dev said with a polite smile as he slowly released my hand, giving it the tiniest squeeze before letting go.

  “Lots of great choices,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear as I tried to concentrate enough to read the list. Over and over again I tried, but all I could think about was our hands pressed together and the way a simple touch from Dev could get me more excited than I’d been in years. I couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to kiss him. But I wanted to know. I wanted to know badly.

  “Stuffed mushrooms?” Dev asked.

  “Sure.”

  “And we gotta have poppers,” he added. Clearly he was having an easier time concentrating on the menu options than I was.

  Get it together, Lyra!

  “Okay, that’s three if we count the dates. So we need three more. You choose something, Lyra.”

  “What about…” I said, taking in a deep breath. “Grilled cheese dippers. Maren loves grilled cheese.”

  “Good choice.”

  “Pigs in a blanket. We have to have those.”

  “Obviously,” Dev said with a smile. “Okay, last one. Let’s make it count.”

  “Mini sliders? We need to give everyone some protein,” I said.

  “Perfect. Okay, Morgan, those are our choices. Cool?” Dev polished off the rest of his drink. “Want another drink before we call it a night?”

  “Sure.”

  “So, I’ve been dying to ask. What’d you and Savita talk about? I mean, how did you know she was my sister?”

  “Aside from the resemblance?”

  “Obviously, yeah.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just introduced myself and she recognized my name. It’s not a common one after all.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “What’d you tell her about me?” I asked, leaning toward him as I felt the two previous whiskey sours kick in. I was buzzed and tingly and enjoying every minute spent with my former enemy.

  “I mean, she knows we got into a fight. And she knows… She knows some things, okay?” Looking uncomfortable, he ran his fingers through his silky black hair while he let out a nervous laugh, and I realized I was dying to do that—to run my fingers through his hair while his lips pressed to mine. I was dying to touch him, to feel him, to finally explore the chemistry between us in a physical way. And the cocktails were only making that desire more intense.

  “Some things,” I said, letting the words linger. “That’s fair.”

  “You’re not going to push me? Most girls would. I mean Trupti definitely would have.”

  “I guess I’m different then.”

  “You’re definitely different, Lyra.”

  “Is that an insult or a compliment?”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  Playfully, I smacked his arm but didn’t want to pursue that any further. I didn’t want to fight and worried if I pushed, that was exactly what might happen. “I do like Savita, though. She seems like a sweet girl.”

  “She is, for the most part. She’s pissed to be there…at the school. No offense.”

  “None taken. But why is she upset?”

  “She expected to go away to school, but her grades were absolute shit. Sometimes Savita can be a little entitled, so when my parents sat her down halfway through high school and told her to get her shit together, she blew them off. Then when it was time to apply to schools, they told her it wasn’t going to happen.”

  “Good for them.”

  “She doesn’t see it that way. She even applied to Northwestern in Chicago. I love my sister, but that girl is clueless. You don’t get into Northwestern on a C average.” He shook his head and laughed.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t think so. She seems to be taking things seriously now, though. She was already working on her semester project on the first day of the semester. That’s pretty rare. I’m used to seeing them the week it’s due.”

  “Yeah, she’s kicking ass. Straight As, so she’ll probably end up going wherever she wants now. She’s started applying, and she’ll even get her associate’s.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Any siblings?”

  “Nah, just me. But I grew up with lots and lots of cousins.”

  “Do you see them a lot?”

  “Most of them are in California. I grew up in Los Angeles.”

  “What was that like?”

  “Eh, you know…we went to Disneyland a lot,” I said with a laugh, remembering our many visits to see the mouse and how happy it made me when I was young. “And seeing celebrities at the grocery store was no big deal. Other than that, it wasn’t for me. Too… I don’t know, plastic, fake. Temporary.”

  “That’s what I love about Seattle. It’s none of those things.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So, what about your folks? Where are they now?”

  “They still live there. Same house, same street.”

  “I’m sure they miss you.”

  “They do. I’m going home for spring break since I didn’t see them at the holidays. It’ll be good to see my folks, get some sunshine.”

  “I bet you’re tight with your mom.”

  “Yeah, my mom is… Well, let’s just say she makes her presence known.”

  Dev laughed. “Don’t they all? In their own way.”

  I paused for a moment. “You know, I think this is the first conversation we’ve ever had without snide remarks or sarcastic digs.”

  “I mean, if you’re missing that, you know I’m happy to—”

  “No, no.” I waved him away, pressing gently against his forearm. “It’s nice.”

  “Yeah,” he said, looking at my lips. “It kinda is.”

  “Maybe we should do it again sometime.”

  “Yeah.” He nodded with a sexy smirk. “Maybe we should.”

  Chapter 15

  DEV

  I’d been working like a dog. So many meetings, so many conference calls and projects all coming to a head. Every day I came home exhausted, flopped myself on my couch, and texted Lyra. Sometimes it lasted an hour, sometimes only a few minutes. It started in the usual way—something one of us remembered about the party. Tonight, it was Lyra’s turn. By the time I’d gotten my Chinese takeout set up on my coffee table, my phone buzzed.

  Right on time.

  -So, does that bar of yours allow live music? Because I have an idea.

  -They do. What’s the idea? Nothing
lame, I hope.

  -There’s this Better than Ezra cover band…

  -Better than Ezra? WTF? They have like two songs.

  -They’re Maren’s favorite. Like all-time favorite.

  -Seriously? I just lost massive respect for that girl.

  -Ass!

  -I’m just playing! Seriously, though, do they just play their three popular songs on a loop for three hours?

  -I thought you said they had two songs. Which is it?

  -Doesn’t matter. They suck. And they’re…old. Doesn’t she like anything from this century?

  -Dev, stop! The place is for Peter, right? So this can be for Mare. She’ll love it and I’ll take care of their fee.

  -No, I’ll split it with you. I mean, I’m assuming they charge per song? Shouldn’t be too much.

  -I’m not dignifying that with a response.

  -LMAO! Seriously, though, I’ll split it with you and I’ll make sure it’s okay with Morgan. I mean, that’s assuming they’re even free that night…I’m sure their schedule is just packed.

  -What am I gonna do with you?

  I could think of a lot of things I wanted Lyra to do to me, but I wasn’t sure a text thread was the best place to list them…not if I had any shot of them actually happening. But good lord, I wanted to do all kinds of things to Lyra Castillo. Things that would make her Jane Austen characters have a holy heart attack.

  Eat your heart out, Jane.

  -So when are we going shopping for decorations?

  -Oh, you’re coming with me?

  -Is that a problem?

  -No, of course not. But I get final say. Deal?

  -Ugh, fine.

  -And you’re not allowed to open your wallet. Like we agreed, decorations are on me.

  -We’ll see about that. ;)

  -What’s for dinner tonight? Let me guess….Chinese?

  Lyra was well versed in my nightly takeout. And she had a knack for guessing what I would be eating each night. It was like she was keeping a tally or something.

  -How did you know? Are you stalking me or something?

  -LOL You wish!

  -Indeed.

  She started typing and then stopped. I loved when I got Lyra tongue tied; it didn’t happen often, as her sharp wit was usually quicker than my own, but every once in a while I got her. And with one word, I did exactly that. Grabbing my chopsticks, I popped open my Peking duck and dropped a piece of juicy meat into my mouth, all too proud of myself. After I’d eaten a few more bites of my dinner, Lyra finally responded, but she avoided my stalking topic.