Unexpectedly Yours

by Shea, Rebecca

  “What’s up?” I ask, curious what this could be about.

  “Need to ask a favor.”

  “What kind of favor?” I sip the hot coffee, diverting my gaze from him and down the hall to see Gracie close the bedroom door behind her. I’m glad she’s going to rest. If she’s not feeling better by Monday, she’s going to the doctor.

  “I need the name of your realtor.”

  My head snaps back. “Why?”

  “To get a place, dumbass.” Now he lifts his mug of coffee and takes a long sip. “On the plane, I started thinking about whether I should get an apartment or buy a place. It’s a buyer’s market right now, and I was hoping to put down some roots here…now that—”

  “Janet. I’ll get you her number,” I tell him.

  He looks at me, curious about my reaction. I’m not sure what to call it. I’m not excited, but I’m also not upset. He’s weaseled his way back into my life, and Gracie seems to like him enough.

  “Thanks.” He sets the mug down and looks at me. “I figure if I decide New York isn’t for me, I can rent it out. Dad always said real estate was a good investment.”

  I nod my head in agreement and lean back in my chair. So many things have come between us—my dad, the business, Melissa. It almost seems surreal that we’re sitting at my kitchen table, having a normal conversation like brothers do. There’s something to be said for time healing old wounds and maturity. Not that it’s perfect, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

  * * *

  “Dude, are you going to wake her up?” Aaron asks from the other side of the sectional where he’s all stretched out. “It’s almost three o’clock.” Gracie has been asleep since she left the kitchen this morning. Aaron and I ate the oatmeal she made and have been on the couch, watching college football all afternoon. He’s doing his best to power through and stay awake so he can sleep tonight—old trick of the trade to avoid the jetlag—and I’m just enjoying a few hours not glued to my phone.

  “No, I’m going to let her sleep. Sleep is the best thing for your body when you’re sick.” We’ve been going non-stop since we moved into this place and her body hasn’t had time to just rest. I’m thankful for a quiet Saturday where she can sleep and I can spend time with my brother.

  “I hear Mom is smitten.” One side of his mouth tips up. “She called me after you two left. Said Gracie is the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

  I glance over at him before averting my eyes back to the football game. “You know how Mom is,” I start. “She was convinced I’d sworn off women—” I stop, realizing I’m headed back into Melissa territory.

  Aaron picks up on where I was going and turns the conversation back to Gracie. “She said to me,” and he brings his voice up a few octaves, doing his best Mom impression, “this is the one he’s going to marry, Aaron. I can see it. They’re meant for each other.” Aaron laughs. “I mean, you two did get pretty serious, pretty fast.” He looks at me pointedly, and I don’t fight him on it. He’s right.

  “When you know, you just know,” I say, keeping my attention focused on the game. I’m still not comfortable talking about my relationship with anyone, especially Aaron. It’s still new, still sacred, still mine. I could care less about anyone’s thoughts, judgments, or opinions.

  “I like her,” he says with sincerity.

  I glance at him out of the corner of my eye.

  He even looks serious. “She’s good for you. She’s humble, and beautiful, and fucking hilarious. And she doesn’t put up with your shit.”

  Right again. I can feel the sides of my mouth turning up.

  “I hope I find my own Gracie someday,” he says quietly. It’s the most honest I’ve ever heard Aaron.

  “Thought you loved the bachelor lifestyle.”

  “Gets old.” He props his arms under his head, trying to hide the loneliness I was all too familiar with. Before Gracie.

  Now I feel complete, content. Like I have a future worth looking forward to. I’m fucking done with all the lonely nights. Losing myself in strange women, women I never wanted to see again.

  “You’ll find her,” I tell him. And I mean it.

  I see him nod, but he doesn’t respond.

  * * *

  It’s after six when Gracie saunters out into the living room in a pair of pajama pants and tank top. Aaron and I finally caved and ordered pizza. The side tables each have empty beer bottles scattered across them and Aaron screams at the TV when the wide receiver for Notre Dame drops the ball.

  “Noooooo!” He throws one of the throw pillows from the couch onto the ground.

  Gracie starts collecting the empty bottles and I reach out to stop her. “Leave them. I’ll get them in a minute.”

  She smiles and leans in, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Let me just get these.” She holds up three bottles in each hand. I hear her put the glass bottles in the recycling bin before she joins us on the couch.

  “How are you feeling?” I pull her closer into me and wrap a protective arm around her shoulders.

  She sighs. “Like a new woman. I can’t believe I slept all day.” She yawns and kicks her feet up onto the ottoman before resting her head on my shoulder. “Oh, Jamie is stopping by. She sent me a text while I was sleeping. She wants to check out the place, so I told her to come over.”

  Aaron twists his head and looks at Gracie at the mention of Jamie’s name, but he doesn’t say anything. “You remember Jamie, right, Aaron?” Gracie asks.

  He smiles at her before looking at me. “I remember everyone in the office, but yeah, Jamie is pretty unforgettable.”

  I eye him, sensing something from him when she mentioned Jamie’s name and how he reacted. I quirk an eyebrow at him.

  “What?” He throws his hands up. “You want to tell me not to dip the pen in company ink? Too late for that since you’ve already done that, huh?” he chides.

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not going to tell you what to do,” I begin, “but you better not do anything that is going to put our reputation on the line.”

  “Yes, sir.” He salutes.

  “Such a fucking smartass sometimes,” I say. “No wonder I’m Mom’s favorite.”

  I finish my beer. These conversations are never easy, especially when it’s with Aaron. However, I feel like we’ve got a newfound respect for each other. He knows my professional boundaries are to protect the company, even when I look like a hypocrite because of my relationship with Grace.

  A few minutes later, we get a call from the lobby, announcing that Jamie is on her way up. Gracie jumps up from the couch to meet her at the door, and I hear the two women talking in hushed tones before they enter the living room.

  “Mr. McPherson,” Jamie calls me with a smirk on her face.

  I roll my eyes. “Drew, Jamie. Call me Drew.”

  She snickers and Aaron laughs.

  “And you know Aaron,” Gracie says, not introducing Aaron.

  “What’s up?” Aaron asks with a chin lift.

  “Oh, nothing much, just coming to see my friend that your brother has kidnapped out of my life,” Jamie jokes. Gracie elbows her before they both start laughing. “Show me around this place,” she tells Gracie and they take off down the hallway.

  If those two weren’t polar opposite in appearance, I’d swear they were related. Same sense of humor, same wit. I now understand why they get along so well.

  “She’s fucking hot,” Aaron says, adjusting his crotch like a Neanderthal.

  “Aaron,” I warn.

  “I’m just sayin’.”

  We turn our attention back to the football game, but I don’t like when there’s tension between us. “You staying here tonight?”

  He shrugs. “If you’re cool with it, it’d be nice.”

  I chew on it for a moment. “You’re always welcome here.” I’m surprised that I actually mean it.

  Twenty-Two

  “This place is fucking insane,” Jamie shrieks when I take her out to the terra
ce. “I can’t believe you live here.”

  I can’t believe it either, and while it’s technically not my home, I really do feel at home here with Drew. I feel like it’s our home. We’ve fallen into domestic routines like an old married couple, and on one hand, it’s comforting, and on the other, it’s scary.

  “It is,” I remark, and we sit down on the chaise together, the same one I share with Drew when we’re out here.

  Jamie loops her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder. “If anyone deserves this, it’s you.”

  “Stop it,” I tell her.

  “No. Gracie, you deserve the best this world has to offer. I’ve never had a best friend, hell, I’ve never even had a friend as loyal as you. You have my back, you support my crazy-ass ideas, and I trust you like a sister.”

  This makes me tear up. I never had a sibling, and Jamie is a sister to me as well.

  “Jamie,” I whisper, my voice breaking.

  “Don’t go getting all emotional on me.” She turns to look at me just as I swipe a stray tear from the corner of my eye and take a deep breath. She frowns, her eyes concerned. “What’s going on?”

  I sniffle. “Everything is happening really fast. Him moving me in here, all the new clients at work, us. It’s been the craziest month of my life.”

  Jaime sighs. “Life doesn’t always happen at a snail’s pace. Sometimes things happen fast and furiously. Don’t let a timeline dictate how it should happen.” She squeezes my arm supportively. “Gracie, that man loves you like you deserve to be loved. I can see it. It’s hard to believe it, someone like him and you’ve only known each other for this short amount of time, but he’s the real deal.” Her voice turns soft. “Let him care for you. Let him love you.”

  I smile, because dammit, Jamie is always right. “It’s scary,” I admit.

  “The best things always are.” She winks at me.

  I sigh and let it go for now, then I fill her in on the California trip. Even though we’ve been back for a week, I dove headfirst into those client pitches and we never really got the chance to catch up. I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent with Drew, but tonight, spending time with Jamie has been good for my soul. I need her, and I need to be better about making sure I get time alone with her. There is nothing more important than genuine female friendships.

  We occasionally hear the guys inside yelling at the TV and we both giggle at their latest outburst.

  “What is it about dudes and football?” Jamie asks before breaking out into another fit of laughter and before her tone turns more serious. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course, anything.”

  “I know you mentioned you were sick in California…”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  She hesitates before looking at me. “Have you seen a doctor yet?”

  I scoff, “I don’t even have a doctor.”

  “Grace—”

  “I know. I have an OB/GYN, but I don’t have a primary care doctor. I’ve always hit the Minute Clinic if I needed anything.”

  She swallows hard. “I’m worried about you…you know, with your mom’s history and all.”

  That hits me hard for a second. My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer at such a young age, and I shared my concerns with Jamie that maybe I was susceptible to cancer at an early age.

  But it can’t be.

  “I don’t have cancer.” I smile at her. “I’m positive it’s the flu or some lingering virus—”

  “Gracie,” she warns, ignoring my nonchalance.

  “I mean it,” I promise. “I slept all day and I feel so much better already. I think I just wore myself down. Everything has been on high speed since the day I met Drew. We dove headlong into it, then work has been insane, and the long hours…” I pause. “I think I just haven’t been taking care of myself. But it’s a priority now. I promise. Sleep, eating better, and maybe even exercise.”

  Jamie laughs. She knows my aversion to exercise.

  “What?” I shrug. “I mean, there’s a gym right here in the building and I don’t even have to pay for it.” Now we both laugh. Because there could be a gym in this damn apartment and I’d probably just look at it and never actually use it.

  She nudges me with her elbow. “Come to yoga with me. It’s exercise, but I promise it won’t kill you. It’ll be our date night.” She grins.

  I make a face. “How much is it?”

  “Gracie…” She sounds exasperated.

  I smirk. “I have to ask.”

  “It’s cheap. I promise.”

  She’s lying, but I need my time with her, so I will make this work. “It’s a date.”

  * * *

  Aaron and Drew join us on the terrace when they’ve finally had enough football. “What are you two doing out here?” Drew asks, taking a seat on the plush outdoor couch next to the chaise.

  “Girl talk,” Jamie answers with sass. “And you don’t have a vagina, so you’re not invited.”

  “Whoa!” Aaron exclaims as he approaches. “I heard the word vagina and I’m a big fan of those. Whose are we talking about?”

  “Jesus,” Drew growls.

  I laugh while Jamie rolls her eyes exaggeratedly at Aaron, who sits down next to Drew on the couch.

  “Done watching those cavemen beat each other up?” Jamie asks, and Aaron rolls his eyes back at her.

  These two act like toddlers around each other. Maybe they should date. That would be interesting. The thought makes me chuckle.

  “I’d be hesitant to call them cavemen,” Aaron starts and rolls his eyes.

  “Oh, sorry, they’ve evolved since they wear helmets now, right?” She fires back. Jamie is playing with fire going toe-to-toe with Aaron. He’s the king of the comeback. It’s part of his job, always be quick to fire off a response, except this time, he doesn’t. “You know football is rigged, right?” Jamie continues egging him on.

  I see Drew chuckle as he looks at Aaron.

  “Rigged?” Aaron raises a doubting eyebrow. “It’s not rigged.”

  “Bullshit,” Jamie fires back at him. “Those refs are all bought.”

  “Since when did you become an expert in football?” Aaron spits out, eyeing her up and down. “Looks like you spend more time at Nordstrom than on a football field—"

  “All right, guys,” Drew intervenes, cutting Aaron off. “Let’s not argue over football.”

  “I’m not arguing.” Jamie shrugs. “I’m sharing facts.”

  I grin. I’ve always loved how she doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks.

  “Facts, huh?” Aaron scoffs.

  Drew looks at me and his lips contort into a sly grin as Jamie and Aaron now banter back and forth at each other through huffs, eye rolls, and snarky comments under their breath.

  “What time is it?” Jamie finally asks.

  “Time for you to get the hell out of here,” Aaron chimes in. We all know he’s kidding, but I pick up one of the pillows and toss it at his head. The pillow bounces off him and lands at his feet.

  We all laugh and the conversation turns lighter. Nothing makes me happier than spending time with three of my favorite people. There’s something about the comfort and ease I feel with them that makes me content…happy, and Jamie and Aaron are absolutely hysterical together.

  We all talk for at least another hour, thankfully without Jamie and Aaron killing each other. Earlier, Drew brought out blankets for all of us and started the fire to keep us warm. Jamie and I listened to Drew and Aaron tell stories from their childhood and Drew and I listened to Jamie and Aaron take comical digs at each other all night.

  “I need to go,” Jamie finally says, standing up and stretching. “Where’s my phone?” she asks me.

  “Your purse?” I suggest, not even remembering her having her phone with her out here on the terrace.

  “I’m going to call an Uber.”

  “You can’t get into a car with a stranger,” Aaron remarks, like it’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard.

/>   “I do it all the time,” she snaps back at him.

  He scoffs, “And to think I thought you had brains under that—”

  Jamie props both of her hands on her hips. “If you say blonde hair, I’m going to rip your balls off, bring them home, and feed them to my cats.”

  Drew busts out laughing, and Aaron covers his crotch protectively with his hands. “Should have known you were a cat lady,” he grumbles and I double over in laughter.

  “Traitor,” Jamie bumps me with her shoulder. She knows I’ve never liked cats.

  “Where do you live?” Drew asks Jamie.

  “East Village.”

  Aaron pushes himself up off the couch and reaches his hands above his head in an over-exaggerated stretch. The hem of his t-shirt rises, and his muscular abs are on full display. “Being the gentleman that I am, I suppose I’ll escort you home.”

  “Not happening,” Jamie snaps back at him.

  Aaron rolls his neck and cracks his knuckles like he’s about to tackle something difficult. “Shut up, woman. Get your purse so I can deliver you safely to your East Side high-rise in the sky and get you to bed.”

  Jamie scoffs but doesn’t argue and Drew looks at me with a surprised look. I shake my head, a non-verbal sign to keep his mouth shut. What those two do is their business and I’m staying out of it, at least for now.

  “Love you,” I tell Jamie as she pulls me into a hug. “Thank you for coming over.”

  “I love your place,” she says before releasing me and pulling Drew into an awkward hug. This whole mixing business with pleasure has all of us in unchartered territory, but Drew rolls with it and hugs her back.

  “Thanks for coming by. You’re always welcome here,” Drew tells her.

  “Damn right I am.” She smirks at him. “You’re not the only one who gets time with my girl.”

  Drew smiles.

  “Let’s go!” Aaron says impatiently, shooing her off the terrace.

  Jamie waves at us over her shoulder and Drew and I both shake our heads at them.