Love Actually (Love By Design Book 5)

by M. C. Cerny

  I still loved the two of them, though. I’d never understand them, but I’d love them.

  As promised, I went to the bar and ordered us a round of drinks. Gemma got a Sex on the Beach, Tommy got a craft beer called Witch’s Tit, and I went with a Dark and Stormy. It was good to have a buzz going, music playing, and a bar full of people watching to do.

  Gemma found a passably decent looking guy to dance with while Tommy hung out with me at a high top table in the corner.

  “That girl is trouble.” Tommy reference Gemma watching her dance in a big brotherly way as he sipped his beer.

  “So Francesca?” I asked diving right in.

  “Come on, Lou.”

  It was easy to tell when my brother didn’t want to talk about something. I’d have to wait him out until he ready, but something was definitely going on.

  “Hey, no judgement.” I held up hands. “I’m curious that’s all.”

  “I like her, but it’s complicated.”

  “More complicated than that out there?” My eyes drifted to Gemma who was enthusiastically rubbing her body against not one but two guys on the dance floor. The good thing was having Tommy as our designated driver tonight, though I couldn’t recall Gemma ever going home with a guy which in some ways was a huge relief.

  “It might surprise you to know this, but Gemma and I aren’t like that.” Tommy said. I didn’t need the clarification, but I did enjoy teasing them.

  “Okay.” I drawled out. The tension between them vacillated between high and low the way an out of control fire burned.

  Tommy sipped his beer again, eyes on the dancefloor. “Pretty sure that ship, if it had been in harbor sailed a long time ago.”

  I shrugged. “Alright. I believe you.”

  “Liar.” Tommy chuffed.

  I poked his arm, my finger barely penetrating his hard bicep. Tonight he wore a black fitted Henley, and jeans which covered the tattoos that covered him from his neck to his knees. “I’m still leaving the door open on the Francesca conversation.”

  “You know her boyfriend of like eight years dumped her once he made partner.” He peeled the label on his beer giving his deft fingers something to do. I imagined Tommy, who was a great defender of women in general had some dark thoughts on this ex.

  “Damn. Ice cold.”

  “Yeah. Then he found a girl barely out of college, knocked her up real quick after telling Frankie they had all the time in the world for kids.”

  “What the hell is it with shit bag men.” I muttered.

  “I’m sorry, dick in the house.” Tommy chugged his beer finishing it and I scaled back my anger.

  “Not you Tommy. I just meant in general. Is everyone a cheating ho-bag these days?”

  “No, I just think it happens. It’s like the law of attraction or something and then it’s all you hear about for a while. Think about how many people we know hooking up or getting married. That’s good news.” Tommy had a point. Think about a car and that’s the only car that seems to pop up in your face. Probably another reason for me to block out my ex. She was the last thing I needed to pop up.

  “True. Taylor and Hunter. I bet his cousin is going to date, marry, or kill Kristen someday.” If we should feel sorry for anyone, it should have been Damien Hart for chasing after Kristen all these years with little to no success.

  “Right. Our favorite lumberjack too. Hey, isn’t that the girl who came in looking like a hot mess and left looking like a pinup girl the other day?” Tommy points his beer bottle across the bar and I see my dream girl smiling, laughing, and dancing in the arms of my old prom date, Noah Pettigrew.

  “Chrissake.” I growl ducking my head down. What are the chances, the statistical odds of my fantasy girl hooking up with my best friend? Clearly, I pissed off the hair karma gods at some point.

  “I’ll go grab the second round.” Tommy got up and left me to my misery. Not enough alcohol to tackle this problem. The last thing I wanted to do was sit here and watch. I certainly wasn’t going over to say hello, but damn it, my brother was.

  If I could have hidden under the table, I would have considered it. Noah turned in my direction and gave a half wave. I forced myself to return the gesture and luckily they didn’t come over.

  Awesome.

  Small town strikes again.

  I hadn’t expected to see Noah so soon after last night. I couldn’t identify what it was about the night that bothered me more. Seeing him out with Carmen, or having not made the move to ask Carmen out myself when clearly she gave off mixed signals which she was within her rights to do.

  “Morning Lou.” Noah sat down in my chair and we both stared at each other in the mirror.

  “Didn’t think you got your hair cut here.” I said reaching for my clippers turning them on. As a cop he kept his hair cut short, but he didn’t need me for that when there was a perfectly good barber on the other side of town.

  “We going to talk about last night or are you going to take out your angst on what’s left of my hair.” Noah joked. He could think he was funny all he wanted. I wouldn’t screw up his hair because I wasn’t that kind of person, but he didn’t need to know that.

  I shrugged my shoulders getting closer with the clippers. “I could always give you lightning bolts on the side.”

  “I don’t think the Chief would find the humor in it so why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Nothing is wrong.” I said brushing him off.

  “Sure about that, sunshine.”

  “Fine.”

  “Oooh, the deadly words from every woman I know. Come on Lou, we’ve known each forever and bumping into each other last night I could tell something was up. You didn’t even come over to meet the girl I was with.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Can you not make things awkward, just once.” I winced.

  “I should have introduced you two.” He winked in that Noah way of his, suggestive, a little pervy, but still acceptable.

  “I already knew her from the shop. I did her hair.” I mumbled.

  Noah shrugged but continued, “It’s not every day I learn that the girl I’m attracted to is attracted to another woman.”

  “Stop it.” I playfully punched his rock solid shoulder. He’s been my best friend for years. We’ve known each other biblically as well as intimately in the way only best friends do even setting each other up on dates, but I’m not sure I want his help on this one.

  “Oh wait, this is the second time, Louisa Cox, former prom date.” Noah mimics my voice purposefully taunting me.

  “Shut up.” I clowned with him, but his face in the mirror said differently. “Wait, are you saying your date last night shot you down?” Could he be telling me something I had only hoped to confirm?

  Noah scoffed.

  “Now you shut up and cut my hair.”

  “Oh come on, at least I put out after prom.” I joked with him getting a smile and finding myself wanting to know more about his night out with my client.

  “Yeah, I just wish I’d been worthy of a repeat.”

  “Noah Pettigrew, you were every virgin girl’s dream. I just expanded my horizons.”

  Noah snorted. “Okay, Lou. Don’t act like it wasn’t my first time either.”

  “Shut the front door. Is this like virgin confessions.” Gemma dropped her purse. She sat down in the chair next to us eating a handful of grapes one by one acting completely engrossed in our story.

  Tommy followed in joining our conversation. Both Noah and I exchanged an embarrassed look in the mirror. I hadn’t told them, he hadn’t told them, so how the hell did they find out about prom?

  “Dude, I’m going to have to beat a cops ass. I’m totally going to jail. You are officially the worst sister ever, and worst best friend.” Tommy helped himself to the other empty chair and stole Gemma’s grapes eying Noah with a brotherly glaze that said he’d take care of this later.

  “Tommy.” I warned him.

  “Louisa.” He said back i
n the same tone.

  “Hey, I’d like to point out, I’m oh for two here.” Noah said good naturedly and I chuckled.

  Tommy smirked and added, “I’d offer to set you up with someone but…”

  “No thanks, I’ll go back to swiping right thank you very much.” Noah grumbled making Gemma and Tommy laugh before leaving us alone again.

  I sighed. This is what best friends and family were for. “He’s not going to beat your ass.”

  “Of course not, but that little assistant of yours is like a rabid puppy. We good here, Ms. Cox?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine.” I clapped his back and went back to running my hands in his hair testing out the length before cutting it. His eyes rolled in his head and I gave a chunk of hair a good yank reminding him to quit being a perv.

  “Hmmm.” I looked back at Gemma who was giving Noah a gesture in the mirror that suggested she would do something sinister. I waved her away. She was kidding and it was kind of funny.

  “Seriously, Lou, I had no idea. I went to her bakery, thought she was hot and asked her out. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

  “Noah, it’s not like we were together. She’s maybe bi and I’m not and that’s okay. People are free to love who they want.”

  “Well, my old prom date is still hot and maybe someday I’ll meet a girl who isn’t claimed or preoccupied, or whatever it is that makes me not what they want.”

  Poor Noah. He really did strike out in the dating department.

  “Okay, mate. You want me to cut your hair or what?”

  He turned his head in the mirror. “Yeah, those barbers are savages.”

  “I could give you a mohawk, see if that improves your dating life.” I added with a wink.

  “Go for it babe. I don’t have anything to lose.”

  We laugh as I clipped the sides of his head leaving a tuft of short soft hair on the top. “Oh this looks sexy now.”

  “Come on, take it off.” His brow furrowed. He was genuinely not okay with the mohawk.

  “Oh no, you asked for it.”

  “Alright, but seriously, I need you to know that whatever you do, if it doesn’t end well, you call me.” I adored his warning.

  I scoffed as I clipped the top off giving him a short crew cut.

  Noah reached for me, his hand circling my wrist gently. “I feel terrible I wasn’t working that night Syd went off the rails.”

  A vision of my cute little house torn apart, cushions ripped, food smashed against walls.

  “It’s not your fault.” I shook it off with a false smile that hurt my cheeks.

  “But Warner should have arrested her. She trashed your house, was probably high and pushed you.”

  “Yeah, well not everyone sees the facts the same way.” I cleaned up his cut trying to not recall that night. I knew Syd was a little wild and could go off the rails, but I hadn’t expected her to go nuts thinking I was fooling around and then sleep with someone else in retaliation and steal my money. I didn’t need that level of unstable in my life.

  8

  Carmen

  “Hey, it’s the girl from the salon!” Kristen Calloway slid into the booth next to me as I sat with Taylor and her fiancé Hunter. Another guy I hadn’t met before joined us and we ordered drinks and food as well settled in.

  “Excellent, so ya’ll have sort of met before?” Taylor smiled.

  “Hair crisis.” I pointed at my head as this story was fresh for all of us.

  “Looks good.” Kristen winked and shook out her own mane of gorgeous hair.

  “Tell me again, how do we know each other?” Damien Hart, Hunter’s cousin asked. He was a darker, slightly less broad and muscled version of Taylor’s boyfriend.

  Kristen leaned over and whispered to Damien, “Kissing roommates.” Internally I cringed a little, that wasn’t the story I wanted to be known for. Taylor and I lived together in college for two years before anything had ever happened.

  “She’s designing our wedding cake.” Taylor cut in to diffuse the situation.

  “Wait a minute. How did I not know about this?” Hunter looked at Taylor perplexed, but totally cool. That’s what I liked about him. He asked questions, but he wasn’t judgmental.

  “He means lady pond.” Damien cut in nodding like this was exciting to him. I rolled my eyes.

  “Honey, we don’t call it that.” Taylor patted his chest and he nodded agreeing with her, but still looking utterly confused. I laughed remembering that sort of hot, but lukewarm night with my ex-roommate and close friend. She wasn’t into it like I was, but it was nice while it lasted for the oh two point five seconds I had her lips on mine tasting like cheap strawberry wine coolers.

  Poor Hunter had a lot to learn about his little bride to be, though in fairness it wasn’t anything too exciting beyond a one-time experimentation over clothes and with closed lips that went nowhere quickly.

  “What should I call it?” He said with a seriousness that he needed to assimilate this information.

  “I don’t think it has to be classified as anything.” I shrugged.

  “Tell me there was tongue.” Damien asked looking like he was about to learn some revelation. Now this guy, while he didn’t have a pony in the race probably wouldn’t have minded. He was completely harmless, I had a feeling if anyone else outside this intimate circle said something disrespectful he’d probably start a fight with them.

  “Don’t be an ass. We were very drunk that night…and we sort of fell into each other. I think our lips touched, but that was it.” Taylor shrugged it off and I knew she was as straight as Hunter’s pole so he had nothing to worry about.

  I patted his chest smiling, dude was rock solid and built like a brick house. “Don’t worry big guy, I wouldn’t have even called it experimenting it was so fleeting.”

  “Uh. Okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck taking this information dump looking at his girl with loving eyes. I’m sure he’d have many questions for later, under the covers once he got her home alone.

  For the moment, Hunter seemed appeased with that answer which was the truth. I knew Taylor had been basically saving herself for her high school crush and I was dancing between the lines while school provided me the perfect cover far away from my uptight family over the state line.

  “So no tongue?” Damien scratched his head like he didn’t think this was at all possible. Now this one, while attractive, he was sometimes dumber than a box of nails he pounded into wood all day long. He should stick to wrenches, plungers, and shitty toilets.

  “No. It wasn’t like that.” Taylor explained. It had taken me ages to work out that I didn’t mind kissing girls even though I wasn’t interested in Taylor that way. We were friends and that was it.

  “So explain to me how…” Damien didn’t know when to quit.

  “No.” All the girls at the table glared at Damien while Hunter shook his shoulders laughing and drank his beer like a good quiet observant boyfriend should. I knew Hunter would ask her about it later, but he wouldn’t be a dick about it like boy genius here who had already imagined everything possible from a Tumblr point of view.

  “You know Damien, you should probably just let this one go. I know it’s hard for you, but try. Otherwise, your girlfriend is likely to kill you in the shower.” I pointed at Kristen who looked shocked.

  “What girlfriend?” She muttered.

  “Why the shower?” He asked.

  “Because it’s less clean up you twit.” As expected, Kristen slapped Damien in the back of the head which must have smarted given that he was now rubbing it frowning and ducking from her follow up playful swats. I couldn’t speak for his intellect and social cues, but at least his pain receptors were still working just fine.

  “I didn’t realize we’d be spending our first real get together hashing out college stuff.” Taylor beamed.

  “We should play truth or dare.” Damien lifted up his drink and Hunter sighed heavily.

  “I wasn’t present so let’s move on.”
Kristen certainly had a way of redirecting the conversation back to her out of friendly jealousy.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Damien slowly slid a drink in front of Taylor to which Hunter picked up and drank in one shot. Yeah, Hunter wasn’t having it.

  Damien full on pouted and ordered another drink from a cute redhead waitress that quickly buzzed around the bar.

  “Always the fun killer, Hunter.”

  “Just doing my job, Demon.” Hunter smiled at his cousin’s lame attempt to get Taylor drunk and we ordered another round of drinks. The bar was full and live music played on the small stage with a local band that was doing a remix of their own music and cover songs. It was fun and laid back which wasn’t something I’d been able to experience of late.

  “How’s the bakery coming along?” Taylor asked and I launched into the cleaning process I started and my slated opening day. I had a health inspection to get through and some painting to spruce up the space.

  Hunter offered some suggestions with a promise to come over and check the place out in case I wanted to move anything around or build some custom shelves in the kitchen for my supplies. It was a generous offer I appreciated. Damien offered to take a look at the plumbing in a non-pervy way which I also appreciated.

  The evening was great until a small group came in sitting practically across from us. I knew all of them. Some more intimately than others and holy hell my face felt like it was on fire. I’d kissed one of them. Had my pants off for another. And two of them were related.

  “Oh my god, it’s my favorite colorist!” Kristen clapped excitedly and got out of the booth to hug Louisa. Her brother was with her, and their assistant, along with Noah who brought up the rear. Seemed like this group was a package deal.

  “What are the odds?” Her brother snickered looking back and forth between the two of us as everyone hugged and made small talk. He was making things purposefully awkward. Gemma winked at me and Noah’s eyes held a longing I hated having put there.

  “I need the ladies room.” I grabbed my clutch and slipped down the hall trying to escape. I’d run from the city trying to escape my past, but the only place left to run was down a dark hallway filled with old pictures and deer antlers depicting history of the last fifty years of life in this town. Somehow I managed to escape two million people successfully. Except that was the thing about small towns. You literally had nowhere to go.