Pinkie Promises (A Promises Novella #1)

by Renea Porter

  “You know what? I’m going to go along with this charade just because I’m a good sportsman. Now I need a drink,” I state as we walk out of the building.

  Jace grins and pulls into the nearest bar, Charlie’s Place. It’s a hole in the wall type place. He pulls the door open, motioning for me to enter first. I head straight to the bar to order a jack and coke.

  Shaking his head at the bartender, Jace decides to ruin my buzz. “We’ll just have two Stella’s please.”

  With a nod, the bartender passes us each a beer.

  “I don’t even know why you’re sulking. I’m your best friend; you act like the thought of us pretending to be a couple is repulsive. If that’s what you think, you can just forget about it. It’s just a dumb bet, anyway.”

  Great. Now he’s mad at me. “I don’t think you’re repulsive. God, Jace. It’s not even about you. I’ve managed to avoid seeing your brother for nearly a year. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it.”

  He takes a swig of his beer. “Good. We’ll have a good time. I promise.”

  “Pinkie promise?”

  “I pinky promise.” He chuckles, and, in return, I smile. “And I’ll RSVP for both of us.”

  I continue drinking my beer and nursing my wounds, but say nothing.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  JACE: Age 7

  It was the first time Simone was riding her big girl bike. I had already gotten my bike three months ago, so I had more experience. Watching Simone, I could tell she was nervous; afraid she’d fall and get hurt, so I kept my eye on her as we were riding around our neighborhood.

  I could tell Simone was feeling more confident after a while, but the moment her tire hit a rock, she went flying off, banging her knee on the ground.

  Dumping my bike on the ground, I rushed over to her as fast as I could and saw tears building up in her eyes. She held her knee to her chest as she sat on the ground. Her knee was a little bloody, and I think that freaked her out more as she started to cry.

  I bent down to get a better look at it. “It’s just a scrape,” I said, blowing on her knee. “Think you can stand?”

  She wiped the tears from her face. “Yeah.” I know she was just trying to be tough like my friends and I. “Ouch,” she said, limping.

  “It’s okay. Your house isn’t far.” I knelt down. “Here; jump on my back.”

  “You can’t carry me on your back.”

  I looked over my shoulder. “Just do it, Simone.”

  She gently climbed on my back, and I carried her the rest of the way home.

  “What about the bikes?” she asked.

  “I’ll go get them once we have your mom bandage that knee.”

  Inside the house, I sat with her while her mom cleaned the wound and put a big band-aid on it.

  “You okay now?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’m okay.”

  “You promise?” I asked.

  “I pinkie promise,” she said, hooking her pinkie with mine.

  CHAPTER SIX

  PRESENT: SIMONE

  Jace and I arrive at my mom’s for Sunday dinner. We hadn’t done much over the weekend besides rock climbing, and somehow, he got me hooked on a Game of Thrones marathon.

  But Sundays are always dedicated to spending it with Mom. We lost dad a few years ago to a heart attack. Losing a loved one brought us closer. James, my ex, handled Dad’s will and was overseeing the financials to the businesses Dad ran. So he is a part of my life whether I like it or not. But avoiding him has been easier than I thought. I shake the thoughts from my head.

  Jace sets the table for the three of us while Mom and I bring the food to the table. She made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn, as well as rolls. It is a favorite meal of mine. Mom sits across from me, while Jace sits to my right.

  “So, what have you two been up to?” Mom asks, placing a cloth napkin on her lap.

  Jace decides to chime in. “Well, Simone has agreed to be my girlfriend.” He is more than happy announcing this news.

  I choke on my food.

  Mom slaps the table with her hand. “It’s about time. I’m so happy.”

  Jace slides an arm across the back of my chair. I just sit there letting him lie to my mom. I don’t even know why I went along with it. I do know Jace is up to something and I reserve the urge to punch him until later.

  Once dinner is over, I help clear the dishes while Mom packs us leftovers. Kissing Mom, we thank her for dinner and turn to leave. When Jace and I get outside, I reach over and punch his arm.

  “What the hell?”

  “Why did you lie to my mom like that? Telling her we’re dating…” I shake my head.

  “We have to make it look real. We can’t just show up to the wedding and all of a sudden be dating. People need to believe it.”

  “I guess you’re right. I need to go dress shopping. I’m calling your sister to go with me.”

  While Jace drives us to our respective apartments, I call Jane to meet me at my place. Once we get home, I have enough time to put the leftovers away and to freshen up, then there is a knock at the door.

  She squeals the moment the door swings open. Reaching out to hug me, she wraps her arms around me. “Gosh. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. Still gorgeous as ever.”

  “I love your hair short like that,” I tell her.

  “Thank you. With a husband and three kids, there isn’t much time to mess with hair.” I laugh as we load into her SUV. “Excuse the mess,” she says. Once we are buckled in our seats, Jane pulls onto the main highway. “So dress shopping, huh?”

  “Yeah;, for your brother’s wedding.” I start to talk really fast. “Somehow, Jace won a bet to get me to go. Everyone is supposed to think we are dating. He wants to play like we are a couple to annoy James.”

  Jane laughs loudly. “What the heck?”

  “Exactly what I said. I think Jace has lost his damn mind. Anyway, we went rock climbing and he beat me to the top, so I have to escort him to the wedding and play girlfriend for the whole shindig. You know Jace and his competiveness.”

  Jane could not contain her excitement through the squeals that were making my ears bleed. “James is going to freak.”

  “I doubt it. He’s marrying another woman,” I tell her.

  “That’s the thing. He’ll be pissed just because Jace is our little brother.”

  “Maybe. Don’t you say a word to anyone. Jace is adamant on everyone believing us.”

  She raises her hand up to her mouth. “My lips are sealed.”

  The drive to Kennedy’s Boutique is short. Stepping out of her vehicle, we make our way inside and start to look around. “So what’s new with you?” I ask.

  “Nothing, really. The kids keep me busy, and Roger wants to have sex five nights a week. And I’m just too exhausted. I thought three nights a week was a good compromise.”

  My eyes widen. “That’s a lot of sex.”

  “Got to keep your man happy. Plus, he helps me out with the kids so I can’t really complain.”

  I pick up a dress and hold it up. “How’s this?”

  “Too long. You need something short to show off those legs. Lord knows they won’t look like that forever.”

  I laugh at her comment. Did I mention Jane dresses some of the top actresses in New York? It’s one of the reasons she can afford to live in the city. I could have easily gone through the stash of designer clothes she keeps on hand. But I would never expect that from her. Having her here, I know she will tell me what works and what doesn’t. So if she says go short, you go short.

  “I have something in mind if I can find it,” Jane says, scanning the racks.

  When the sales consultant comes over, Jane explains what she’s looking for. The only thing I understand out of the conversation is the words short, flirty, preferably in off-white.

  The sales lady leads us to another rack toward the back of the store. She locates the piece and holds it up. “I think you are looking for this.”


  Jane takes and hands it over to me. “Go try this on.”

  I do as she requests, heading to the changing rooms. I strip out of my clothes and pull on the off-white number. It’s fitted at the top with a cinched waist, and flares out to give it that flirty look. It barely comes to mid-thigh. The fabric has an intricate design on it. Almost like a lace overlay. Pushing the dressing room door open, I suck in a breath while I wait for Jane’s reaction.

  She steps back to get a better look at me. Her jaw drops. “That dress looks amazing. And those legs! Girl, that’s the dress,” she declares.

  “If I bend in any way, my ass will show.”

  “Don’t bend down or over. And I have shoes in the car for you.”

  Of course she does. After changing, I make my purchase. The dress puts me back four freaking hundred dollars. Jane sure has expensive taste. But I’m sure it’s worth it. When I hand over my credit card, I look over to Jane. “Hey. At least you don’t have to buy shoes,” she says.

  “I should have just raided your designer rack,” I say, shaking my head.

  “Jace is going to die when he sees you in that. He may even fall in love with you right then and there if he isn’t already,” she notes.

  I laugh. “Jace can’t even keep a girl for five minutes.”

  “That’s because he’s in love with you.”

  “Ha. Yeah right.”

  She makes a hmmm sound, and I choose to ignore her comment because she is crazy. Like, on loco level.

  “Thanks for taking me shopping. I needed the girl time.” I lean over and hug her as she pulls up to my place.

  “Anytime. The shoes are in the back, in the black box. You can keep them. They are last season, anyway.”

  “Thank you!” I tell her when I grab the box and shut the trunk. I wave as I make my way to the door and she pulls away.

  Before going inside, I notice a strange car parked next to Jace’s car. He has a guest, and if I recall, payback is a bitch. Inside my apartment, I set the dress and the shoe box down. Taking the spare key I have for safe keeping, I walk over to Jace’s place.

  Sticking the key inside the knob, I realize this is either going to be the best idea or the worst. My heart kicks up a few notches, hoping not to catch him in ‘the act’. Cause that would be gross. But after hearing the woman’s laughter, I know they haven’t gotten far. I spot Jace and a blonde chick on the sofa.

  “Hey, Jace,” I greet. “Who do you have here?”

  There’s a look of confusion on his face. “This is, uh, Michelle. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh. Well, since you asked me to be your girlfriend, your little slut friend should leave,” I spout.

  Michelle’s hand meets Jace’s cheek as she stands to leave. Then the door slams shut behind her.

  “Oops,” I say, covering my mouth.

  “What the hell, Simone?”

  “What the hell, Jace? You promised. Since when are our pinkie promises not sacred?”

  I can’t believe how mad I actually am. Jace going back on a promise is like him committing a crime. Maybe he thought it was childish, but that is and has always been our thing. Perhaps I think more of our friendship than he does. I’ve never known him to go back on a promise.

  Storming out of his place, I enter my apartment and get ready for bed. I am still mad about the whole situation. After turning on a rerun of Friends, sleep comes fairly quick.

  ***

  A knock on the door, forces me to get out of bed. My hair piled high on my head, I answer the door. Jace is presenting a vase full of flowers of every kind. “I’m sorry. I’m an ass,” he says.

  I take the flowers from him. “Fine. As long as you promise not to do that again.”

  He holds out his pinkie. “I pinkie promise.”

  Hooking mine with his, we agree. “Thanks for the flowers. At least you know how to apologize.”

  “I should after twenty some years, right? Now how about some coffee?”

  I pour each of us a mug of coffee. Filling the vase with water, I adjust the carnations, roses and other flowers into a sporadic, yet organized display.

  “So, we’re good?” Jace asks.

  “Yeah. We’re good. You know I could never stay mad at you,” I admit.

  “Well, I just came by to give you those. And the coffee, of course. I’ll let you go so you can get ready for work then.”

  “Jace,” I call when he turns to leave.

  He turns back to me. “Yeah?”

  “Do you think it’s childish we still pinkie promise?”

  He shakes his head. “No. I just had a moment of weakness, and you came barging in like you owned the place. It was a good one, Simone.” He laughs. “We’ve done that since we we’re kids. It’s our thing.”

  I smile. “Okay. Good.”

  I admire the flowers while I drink the last bit of coffee. Usually, Jace would flash a cheesy grin and I’d laugh and all would be forgiven.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SIMONE: Age 8

  I was in bed asleep when I heard a noise against my window. Opening it, I looked down and saw Jace. He motioned for me to come down. Everyone in the house was asleep, and it was dark as I made my way down to him.

  When I met him, he told me, “Come and look at the stars with me.” He took my hand and pulled me down so we were lying on the wooden patio. “Do you know how many stars are in the sky?”

  “A lot,” I replied.

  “One hundred billion.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot of stars,” I said.

  Then he pointed to one of the stars. “We’ll call that the Simone star. And then the one right next to it …we’ll call that the Jace star. So we are always together.”

  “Do you pinkie promise?” I asked.

  He hooked his pinkie with mine.

  We stared at our stars for a while and he pointed out the other ones he knew the big dipper and the little dipper, among other ones.

  “Maybe you should get back home before your mom notices,” I told Jace.

  “In a minute.”

  I nodded, and went back to looking at the stars. After a minute, Jace stood up and pulled me up with him.

  “Goodnight, Simone.”

  “Goodnight, Jace.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  PRESENT: SIMONE

  “Did you know you’re up for best local catering?” Leah, my assistant, asks.

  “I got the call yesterday. But I don’t want to get my hopes up,” I tell her. “We’ll know by noon whether or not I get it or not. There’s a lot of competition out there.”

  It’s been three long years, busting my tail to make a name for myself. If I got such a prestigious award, it could really put me on the map. I could expand and be more behind the scenes.

  “Still, it’s exciting,” Leah says.

  Four long, excruciating hours later, my phone rings inside my messy smock.

  “Hello?” I say into the receiver.

  “Hi. Is this Simone Rayburn?”

  “This is she.”

  “Hi I’m chairman Grady Biggs, with the restaurant association, and we’d like to offer Taste an award for best catering in the area. Would you be able to attend the awards ceremony and dinner this Saturday?”

  “I would. Thank you so much.”

  “We’ll email you the details. See you soon.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

  When I hang up the phone, Leah notices the smile on my face. “We won, didn’t we?” she asks.

  “We did. I get to accept the award this Saturday. They are going to email me the details, and I’ll forward it to you and Jared so you both can attend. I wouldn’t be here without the two of you,” I say, gratefully.

  Leah’s smile widens. I watch as she makes her way over to Jared to relay the message. They seem genuinely happy about the news. I have half the notion to jump up and down myself. Three years of hard work finally paid off.

  Still clutching my phone, my first call is to Jace.

 
“Hello?” he says.

  “Guess what? I got an award for Taste for best catering in London Falls. I get to accept it this Saturday. There’s an award ceremony and dinner.”

  “Simone, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

  “You are coming with me on Saturday,” I tell him as a matter of fact.

  “As long as I don’t have to wear a freaking suit.”

  “I’ll get back to you on that. They are sending the email out with all the details.”

  “You know I’d never miss it.”

  “Thanks, Jace. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  “Hey. How about I treat you to dinner tonight, to celebrate? Around seven?”

  “That sounds great. I’ll see you later.”

  “See ya.”

  Hanging up the phone, I call my mom and tell her the news. She’s happy for me. The phone call is quick so I can get back to work.

  The rest of the day goes by as we have a little more pep in our step. Finishing for the day, I head home with enough time to shower. The catering business is not a glamourous job. Most jobs require cooking, and that makes me a mess on most days. When you cook all day as your job, the last thing you want to do is go home and cook a meal for yourself. So I’m thankful Jace offered to take me out.

  Just as I step out of the shower to dry off, I hear the front door open. “I’m here!” Jace yells through my apartment.

  “I’ll be out in sec!” I yell back. Pulling my wet hair back, I secure it in a low bun. After lining my eyes with eye liner, I then lather on a thick coat of mascara and add a peach colored blush to my cheeks. In my tiny closet, I pull out a pair of dark colored skinny jeans, and my pink sequins tank top, finishing the look with a pair of heels and then adding lipstick to my full lips. “Is this okay?” I ask, walking out to meet Jace.

  “You look gorgeous, as always. You ready?”

  “Thanks. Yeah. You driving?” He nods, and we head to his truck.

  Ten minutes later, we arrive at Sous Steakhouse. Upon entering I take in the scene, since I’ve never been here before. A waitress seats us in one of the black booths along the window. This place is very modern with silver, black, and red throughout the place. I notice booths line the outer perimeter of the restaurant, while black tables and chairs line the center. The bar lines the back wall which is mirrored giving it a more open feel. The silver bar stools have red leather cushions, and the lights hang low above the booths and tables, giving off a soft glow to the room.