“You do?” I asked, crouching down next to him and trying not to breathe in his scent, a combination of pepperoni pizza, garlic bread, and stale beer. Ugh.
“‘Getting wasted isn’t the answer,’” he said with air quotes. “But you know what, sis? Sometimes it is the answer.”
I noticed tears welling in his eyes and it got me, right in the heart. Ryan was my older brother, I don’t remember the last time I saw him cry. He had always been strong and stoical, his life under control, with him in the driver’s seat. Not . . . this.
Despite his stench, I hugged him in close. “Maybe you’re right,” I said softly, wishing I could take his hurt away for him.
I found a box of tissues, obscured by a banana peel (really?), and handed him a wad. He took them and wiped his eyes in the way guys do, like they’re angry with their face. Women dab, men scrape. On this score, I was more than happy to be a woman.
“Did something happen?” I asked once he was more composed. Ryan had been more than a little maudlin since he arrived, but he hadn’t been hitting the bottle—or bottles, as was the case tonight.
He studied his hands for a long time, then glanced up at me, and back down again. “Amelia’s seeing someone else.”
“What?” I screeched. Clearing my throat, I said in a calmer voice, “I mean, so soon? She’s not hanging around.” Ryan and Amelia had only broken up a matter of about a month ago. For her to have moved on this quickly seemed more than a little suspicious to me. Maybe she’d developed feelings for someone else while she was still with Ryan? Or, worse yet, maybe she’d even had an affair.
“Yeah,” he replied glumly.
“Are you sure? I mean, how do you know?”
“Greg saw her with some guy last night at a bar.”
“He might have been a work colleague?” I suggested.
“They were kissing.”
“Ah.” Not a work colleague, then. Or at least, not the type of work colleague I had.
I rubbed his forearm. “I’m sorry, Ryan. That really sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Anyway, enough about me and my crap life. How was your date?”
I thought of Nash, and I couldn’t help a smile spreading across my face. “It was nice.”
“This was with the dog guy, right?”
“Nash, yes. But he’s more than just ‘the dog guy.’ He’s smart and kind and fun. He did this picnic for us, and it was so romantic.” I let out a contented sigh.
“Sounds like someone’s smitten.”
I shrugged, a few butterflies batting their wings inside at the thought. “Maybe.” I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “And I know what you’re going to say: ‘it’ll end in heartbreak.’ But I’ve decided to give it a shot anyway.”
And I had. For better or for worse, as the saying goes.
“Good for you.”
“What? No ‘love is for wimps,’ no ‘it’s doomed from the start,’ no ‘it’s all a waste of time’?” I replied, quoting a few of Ryan’s favorite current sayings.
Really, he’d been a wonderful roommate to have around.
Ryan managed a short-lived smile as he knitted his eyebrows together. “It’s love, is it?”
I could feel a blush form on my cheeks as my heart beat in my ears. Love? Was he certifiably insane? “Oh, it’s far too early to say. This was only our third date.”
“Well, that’s two more dates with the same guy than you usually manage,” he replied, pushing himself up off the sofa to a standing position. “Woah,” he muttered, grabbing onto the arm of the chair. “Make the room stop spinning, would you?”
I took him by the arm and led him to the bathroom. “Go, wash up. I’ll get the sofa bed ready for you. And a large glass of water.”
He leaned up against the bathroom door frame. “You know it’s doomed.”
“Yeah, sure.” I smiled at him.
I waited until he was in the bathroom and had closed the door before I set about getting my living room back to the way it should look and making up Ryan’s bed for him. My big brother may be bitter and twisted, but I had a new-found seed of hope inside of me.
I was beginning to believe in love again, and this time, I wanted my happily ever after.
* * *
Monday morning rolled around and I was sitting at our usual table by the window at the Cozy Cottage Café with Cassie, when Bailey arrived to deliver our morning treats.
“A slice of flourless raspberry and chocolate cake for you,” Bailey said, placing the cake in front of Cassie, “and a slice of orange and almond syrup cake for you.”
“Thanks,” we both said, smiling up at her.
“I’ll be right back with your coffees,” Bailey added.
“Then, you can help me quiz Marissa on her third date with Nash,” Cassie said with a smirk.
After I’d informed the girls of my second date success with Nash at Alessandro’s, they made me promise to give them a full debrief after Saturday night’s big date. Although I intended to keep some of the more personal details to myself, I was as eager as a child at Christmas to tell them how it went.
Bailey raised her eyebrows, her eyes wide. “Third? Oh, this I want to hear. Don’t you dare start until I’m back.”
I shook my head, grinning, warmth spreading through my belly. “I won’t, I promise.”
I turned to Cassie. “I guess we’ll have to talk work, then.”
“Actually, I’m interested to know what you think of Antoinette? You know, I can’t say her name without imagining her with her head chopped off.”
I let out a giggle. “Poor girl. You can’t blame her for her name.”
“True. So, how is she?”
“You know, I think she’s all right. She’s eager to learn and really quite sweet. With the right training, she might just shape up to be an asset to the team”
“That’s great to hear. I’ve had my doubts. Are you happy to have her tag along on a few more of your meetings this week?”
Thanks to Nash—who I had been texting up a flirtatious storm with since our last date—I was in a generous mood. “Sure, why not?”
“Did I miss anything?” Bailey said as she placed our cups of coffee in front of us.
“Nothing,” Cassie replied.
“Good, because I only have a few moments and Paige made me promise to report everything back in full.”
I looked over at the counter, where Paige and Sophie were busy serving customers. I caught Paige’s eye and gave her the thumbs-up. She beamed back at me, clearly getting the message my date went well, before returning her attention to the task at hand.
“So?” Bailey led.
My face broke into a smile the size of Texas. “It was perfect.”
“Perfect?” Cassie asked, her eyes huge as Bailey put her hand on her heart and sighed.
I nodded. “Yes. He picked me up, and we went to his house first where I got to meet the most adorable puppies I’ve ever seen.”
“Puppies? I love puppies,” Bailey gushed.
I chuckled. “Who doesn’t?”
“What type were they?”
“Nash said they weren’t one hundred percent sure, but the mother is an abandoned German Shepherd.”
“Were they all squishy and wriggly and lick-y and cute?” Bailey asked.
“Oh, my god, yes! Super, super cute. You’ll have to come see them, Bailey, you would die.”
“Hey, you two,” Cassie said, her hands in the “stop” sign. “Can we focus on the actual date here? I have a meeting shortly, and Marissa has a lot of work to do.”
“Sorry. Okay, as I said, the date started when I met the puppies and it was all good.”
“You’re completely over Slobbergate, then?” Bailey asked.
“I am,” I replied with a smile. “Then, get this, he’d packed a picnic basket with a blanket and pillows and yummy food, and we went to Mission Bay where we sat together, watching the sun set, talking. It was wonderful,” I said wi
th a smile. “Well, other than Nash’s dancing. He dances like Carlton.”
“Carlton?” Cassie questioned.
“You know, from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?”
“Oh. That’s not good,” Cassie replied, shaking her head.
“No, but you know what? In the past, that kind of thing would have had me running for the hills. Literally. But now?” I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I still want to date him.”
Cassie sat back in her seat, sizing me up. “Marissa Jones: all grown up.”
I let out a light laugh. She was right, I had grown up. I wanted to be with Nash—I was going to do my best to make it work.
“You see? Right there. That look on your face. That’s what I want,” Bailey said.
“She’s fallen for him, that’s for sure,” Cassie said, grinning at me.
“Oh, I don’t know about that yet. It’s early days,” I protested, even though I knew it myself. I slid my fork into my cake and took a bite, hoping to deflect attention from me. “Bailey, this is extra good today.”
“It’s because you’re in lurve,” Cassie teased. “Everything seems better.”
I shot her a look. I turned to Bailey and asked, “Have you ever tried speed dating?”
“Speed dating?” Bailey guffawed. “No!”
“Isn’t that a bit nineties?” Cassie asked.
“I guess. I saw an advertisement for a speed dating night at O’Dowd’s.” I thought back to my date at the bar with Blaze. Wow, that felt so long ago. “I thought of you, now that you’re looking for your Last First Date, too.”
“I’m not sure it’s really my style,” Bailey replied, looking dubious.
“Actually, I think it’s perfect,” Cassie said, leaning forward in her chair. “Think about it, Bailey. That way, you can date any number of guys, all in one evening.”
“Maybe,” she replied noncommittally. “Anyway, now that I have all the date gossip, I think I’d better get back to it. I’m sure Paige and Sophie need my help.” She stood up and slipped her chair under our table. “I’m really happy for you, Marissa. You deserve this.”
I beamed at her. What had started out as a knee-jerk reaction to Eddie’s engagement announcement had turned into something so much more.
And I couldn’t wait to see where it went.
Chapter 10
The rest of my week was spent either with customers or working on projects for my customers, with Antoinette shadowing my every move. She was a fast learner and kept quiet during meetings, allowing me to get on with my job. If I had to have someone with me, I couldn’t have hoped for anyone better.
“I loved the way you handled that complaint back there,” Antoinette said as we were walking through the city on our way back from a meeting. “You were ‘firm but fair,’ as my aunt would say.”
I smiled at her, knowing full well she was referring to Laura Carmichael, my boss’s boss—so far up the AGD food chain from me, it gave me a nosebleed. “Well, your aunt knows what she’s talking about.”
“Oh, she sure does. She’s amazing. She’s my role model, well, one of them, that is.” She looked at me through her lashes.
“It’s great to have role models. Something to aspire to,” I replied.
“Don’t you want to know who the other one is?”
“Sure.” I knew she was going to tell me regardless.
“You, silly!” she said with a slap to my arm.
“Oh! That’s so sweet of you, thank you,” I said with genuine surprise. Although I had spent a lot of time training Antoinette, it didn’t occur to me for a moment she would see me as a role model. I was just doing the job Cassie had asked me to do.
“Of course. I want to be just like you. You’re so in control and poised and nothing seems to rattle you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say nothing rattles—”
“And everyone on the team respects you,” she continued, cutting me off, “especially Cassie. And the guys listen to what you have to say in meetings. You’re such a role model, I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”
“I’ve enjoyed having you work with me this week, Antoinette.” The unadulterated praise was making me a little uncomfortable. “Hey, do you feel like grabbing a take-out coffee?” As it happened, we were only a block or so away from the Cozy Cottage and I could do with a caffeine fix. “I know a great place just a block that way.” I pointed up the street.
“Sure! I’d love that. Yes!” She punched the air in a cutesy way, much like many of the female tennis pros did when they won a game.
I shot her a sideways look. I’d give her one thing, she was enthusiastic.
We took the short stroll, Antoinette continuing to stroke my ego, telling me how much she admired the way I’d handled certain issues with one customer, the way in which I had pitched a solution upgrade to another customer. It felt nice but a little too much, like I was the best thing since ice cream.
We arrived at the Cozy Cottage and walked past the café patrons, enjoying their coffee in the warm afternoon sun, and through the open front door. I spotted Bailey at the counter, handing some change over to a customer. When she saw me, her face lit up into her habitual smile.
“Marissa! What a lovely surprise.”
I greeted Bailey and introduced her to Antoinette. In her figure-hugging clothing with heavy makeup and her long platinum blond hair extensions, she looked a little cheap next to Bailey’s classic Italian beauty.
Bailey was her usual affable self, welcoming Antoinette to the café.
“I’ve never been here,” Antoinette said, looking around the café. “It’s so . . . cozy!”
Bailey and I both laughed. “It’s named correctly, then,” Bailey replied.
“Oh, this place is called ‘Cozy’?” Antoinette asked.
“It’s the Cozy Cottage Café. It’s the best café in Auckland,” I replied.
We placed our take-out orders and Antoinette insisted on paying. “It’s the least I can do for you, role model,” she said, her eyes shining. Her phone rang, diverting her attention. “Oh, do you mind? I have to take this.”
I nodded at her. “Sure.” To be fair, I was happy for the break in her veneration. I was beginning to feel like I was some sort of important spiritual leader or something, not just an account manager doing her job.
“She’s perky,” Bailey said with a wry grin.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s like having a team of cheer-leaders trail behind me, cheering my every move.” I glanced at Antoinette, leaning up against the end of the counter.
“And she’s popular,” Bailey added, nodding at a table of two businessmen who were unabashedly watching Antoinette’s every move.
I let out a sigh. “I tried to talk to her about dressing more appropriately.”
Bailey smiled at me. “We all have our own style, and she seems nice.”
That was my friend, Bailey, always so positive and open-minded. She and Paige were cut from the same sweet and kind piece of cloth. No wonder they were perfect business partners, running the Cozy Cottage.
“I almost forgot. A guy came in looking for you earlier. Said his name was Brian, I think?” Bailey said.
“Brian? I don’t know a Brian.”
“I may have got the name wrong. Ryan?”
“Was he stooped over, a bit gray, and otherwise downtrodden looking?”
“Actually, he was, now that you mention it.”
“That’s my brother.”
“Oh.” Bailey pulled a face.
“Bad breakup.”
“Ah.”
“He’s taking it hard.”
“I get that. Poor guy. He seemed nice.”
I looked at her sideways and thought I detected a hint of a flush on her pretty face. “Euw! He’s my brother!”
The color in Bailey’s cheeks deepened a touch. “I didn’t mean anything by that. He was sweet, that’s all.”
“And broken. Totally broken.” I shook my head for emphasis.
She sc
runched up her face. “Poor guy.”
“He’s not a guy. He’s my brother.”
She laughed. “You know what I mean. Anyway, were you meant to meet him here? Only, I didn’t think you all allowed men at the Cozy Cottage?”
“Well, as a rule, we don’t. And no, I wasn’t.”
When we first started coming to the Cozy Cottage Café, Cassie, Paige, and I had decided immediately it was going to be our special place, no men allowed. It was kind of like a sanctuary for us, away from work, families, dating, and all that drama. We had agreed it was too special to share, and we would only ever bring a guy here when we were certain he was The One.
“But, as I said before, Ryan is my brother. He doesn’t count. Plus, he came to find me, technically I didn’t bring him here.” I wondered why Ryan hadn’t just called me. I pulled my phone out of my purse and checked my messages. Nothing from him. I’d call him later.
“Here you go,” Sophie said with a smile, handing me two cups of take-out coffee. “Sugar and sweetener is here,” she added, gesturing to some bowls on the counter. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks, Sophie,” I replied. Sophie was one of those sweet, friendly baristas you often don’t encounter downtown. Here they were usually major hipsters, with their retro clothing, elaborate facial hair—for the men, obviously—and cooler than cool attitudes. Sophie was the perfect addition to the Paige-Bailey partnership: low on pretention and high on great food, good service, and a warm and welcoming attitude.
Antoinette appeared at my side. “Oh, I totally forgot to pay. I’m sorry. Next one’s on me.”
“Sure.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Antoinette began, stirring three packets of sugar (three!) into her coffee, “how would you feel about me helping you do the big pitch to Pukeko Chocolates next week? I think it would be super useful for me and great experience.”
“Oh.” There was too much at stake to allow a new recruit any input on this one. I turned and waved goodbye to Bailey as Antoinette replaced the cap on her coffee cup. We turned to leave. I chose my words carefully. “Look, Antoinette, I think you’re doing so well, and I’m really impressed with your work ethic and commitment to your new job.”
Three Last First Dates Page 10