Temptation

by Kris Bryant

  I raised my arms high and stared straight ahead until we heard the click. Then when she moved her hands from my thigh, I sagged in my seat.

  “Thank you. Hey, I really like your sister-in-law.”

  “She liked you, too. My whole family did.”

  “Do you think they knew I’d been drinking?” I held my hands out on the dashboard to steady myself as Brook twisted and turned through the streets to drive home. I didn’t want to further embarrass myself by puking in her car. Being drunk on wine was a horrible feeling, and my stomach often revolted when I imbibed too much.

  “Probably. My family’s pretty smart.”

  “It’s nice to see you chill for a change. And you’re so pretty. You should wear your hair like that more. And I really want to call you Brookie.” My confessions didn’t sound real. I heard them but felt like I was in a dream and none of this was happening.

  “Brookie might be pushing it,” she said.

  I knew she wasn’t driving fast, but it felt like it. I held the handle. “Are we almost home? We should stop and pick up some ice cream.”

  “We should really get you home and into bed.”

  I grinned at her, the sexy grin I reserved for women I was trying to charm. “Oh yeah? Just like that?”

  “Not like that. You. Alone.”

  I frowned. “Fun sucker.”

  “Fun sucker? Really?”

  She didn’t sound upset. I looked over and stared at her profile. She was perfect. Smooth skin from her forehead down to her neck and full lips she licked out of habit when she was deep in thought. Even in the dark, I could see her light-blue eyes. They fascinated me.

  “Not really fun sucker. I know you’re capable of fun. I just wish you were fun with me. I’m fun.”

  “Without a doubt you’re fun. You are really good with Noah, and he already loves you.”

  I sighed with relief when we pulled up to the gate and hummed the Jeopardy song while we waited for it to open. Brook giggled.

  “Did you just giggle? Is my voice that bad?”

  “If nothing else, at least you’re a fun drunk.” She parked the car and looked over at me. “Are you ready?”

  I pointed to the seat belt. “This fucker isn’t working again.”

  Another laugh and a loud click. “There. You’re free.”

  I opened the door and stumbled out, catching myself on the Range Rover. “Hello, beautiful. I’ll see you Monday.”

  “Are you talking to the car?”

  I turned around, swayed, and denied everything that she might have just heard.

  “Come on. I’ll help you up the stairs.” She was so close I could feel her body heat even though we were both wearing coats. I licked my lips and leaned forward. “Your eyes are so blue. The bluest I’ve ever seen. I thought maybe they were tinted contacts, but then I met your equally gorgeous mom, and she has the same eyes.”

  “Nope. All mine. All real.”

  She helped me up the stairs, both of us wobbling and holding on to one another for different reasons.

  She guided me to the door and asked me to punch in the code. After three times of missing the buttons, she asked me for the code and gently pushed my hands away from the pad.

  “You told me not to give it to you. Will I have to change it again?”

  “I’m not going to break in. I’ll forget the number as soon as I use it. Then you won’t have to change it. Fair?”

  That sounded logical. “Okay. Five, five, five, five, five.”

  “That’s your code? Do you realize how easy that is?” She shook her head at me and steered me inside after I refused to budge when the door opened. “Sit on the couch.”

  I gasped when she knelt in front of me and put her hands on my knees. I reached out and gently touched a strand of her hair. She didn’t stop me. I felt her fingers on my calf searching for the zipper. I didn’t tell her they were pull-on boots. I liked her hands on me. “Do you watch Game of Thrones?”

  She stopped and leaned back on her heels. “Not you, too.”

  “Wait. You get that a lot?”

  “Let’s just say I’m known as the mother of dragons at work, and even though people tell me it’s because I look like a character, I know it’s because I’m a hard-ass.” She figured out I didn’t have a zipper on the boots and tugged on them instead.

  I fell back against the couch and sighed. “You’re not a hard-ass. When I first met you, I knew you weren’t the ice queen everybody thinks you are. I saw you with Noah. You’re so sweet with him. But your ex? I don’t like her. One day we’ll have to sit down, and you’ll have to tell me what went down there.”

  “I barely know myself.” She found a blanket in the closet and instructed me to lie down.

  “Can you stay and talk to me? I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

  “I know you will, but Noah will be here soon. Don’t worry about your car. It’ll be safe at the restaurant. We’ll pick it up tomorrow. Sleep well.” She closed the door softly, not giving me a chance to respond.

  I closed my eyes and replayed the night to the best of my knowledge. Bits and pieces floated in my mind, and I couldn’t distinguish between reality and fantasy. Did I tell Brook I thought she was attractive? Shit, I think I touched her hair. Or did I just want to do that? I fell asleep not really knowing what happened and hoped that in the morning, I would wake up and not remember any of it.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Go away.” I rolled over on the couch. The loud, incessant knocking pissed me off in record time.

  “Cassie, I thought maybe you’d like to get your car. Noah and I are leaving this afternoon, and now is the only time I can drop you off.”

  I sat up when I heard Brook’s low voice on the other side of the door. My head started pounding. Wine hangovers were the worst. “Uh, can you give me a few minutes? I need to put some clothes on.” I looked down at yesterday’s outfit wrapped and wrinkled around me and wondered how I was able to sleep.

  “Okay. I’ll just meet you in the garage in five minutes.”

  As soon as I heard Brook descend the steps, I headed for the bathroom. I winced when I turned on the light. Hello, raccoon face. I scrubbed my face, brushed my teeth, and threw a hat on to cover my unkempt hair. I wanted to wear sweats but threw on jeans and a sweater instead and ran down to the garage.

  Brook, refreshed and polished, greeted me with a head nod. I could barely look her in the eye, not after the scattered pieces I remembered from the last time we were together.

  “Thanks for doing this.”

  “No problem. I’m just glad you didn’t drive last night.”

  Guilt trip served. “No way. I would’ve used Lyft. I should have done that today to get my car instead of inconveniencing you.”

  Brook put her hand on my arm. “It’s not a big deal. It’s ten minutes away.” She backed out, and we headed to the restaurant in silence.

  I turned to her “I’m very sorry I lost control last night. I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your family. And I hope that, whatever came out of my drunk mouth, you took with a grain of salt.”

  “You don’t remember? Hmm.” The way she said that made me concentrate all the harder to distinguish fact from fiction. “It’s okay. You and Erica weren’t the only ones drinking. There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m glad you had a good time.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t spend more time with Noah.” I really missed the kid when he wasn’t around.

  “You spend plenty of time with him. I’m sure being around adults was a welcome change.”

  She parked next to my car and waited for me to get my keys out of my purse. “I’ll wait here to make sure your car starts. Just so you know, Noah and I will be away for the rest of the weekend. He’s with my mother right now.”

  I opened the door and thanked her again for giving me a lift. Just before I shut the door, she stopped me.

  “If something comes up, call or text me.”

  “Yes, ma’am. And I pro
mise no more wine for a long time.” Brook lowered the window on the passenger side to say one last thing, and I leaned over to hear her better.

  “Cassie? I know last night was fun, but so we’re clear, don’t ever call me Brookie again.”

  Just when I was about to drop to my knees to apologize profusely for being so forward, she winked and drove away.

  * * *

  “You look like total crap,” Nana said.

  “Thanks. I love you, too.” I sat at the kitchen table and reached for the Uno cards. I really wanted to be at my place, but guilt had driven me here. I shuffled the cards and dealt us the first hand.

  “Did you catch a cold? Are you running a fever?” Nana felt my forehead. I dodged her attempt to squeeze my cheeks. For some reason, she thought that was a viable way to check my temperature if my forehead felt fine.

  “I’m fine. Just had a little too much wine last night.”

  “Did you go out with Lacy after all?”

  “No. I was at the Wellingtons’ party. We were all drinking. And before you get all grandma-judgy on me, everybody had a good time. Erica, Brook’s sister-in-law, and I easily put away two bottles.”

  Nana sat down and tapped my hands. “Was that the smartest thing to do? I know you think people didn’t care, but let me tell you something. Brook cared. People like that don’t like people like us.”

  I pulled away and scowled. “What does that mean? There’s nothing wrong with us. We come from decent money. Hell, Mom and Dad probably go to the same country club as the Wellingtons.”

  “I just mean you should watch yourself. She’s still your boss whether you’re on the clock or not.”

  I wanted to stop talking about last night’s faux pas. “How was dinner?”

  Nana paused and studied me before going along with the change of subject. “We missed you and talked about you a lot.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Somehow I’m sure it was all about the mistakes I’m making or the bad decisions I’ve already made.” I stood and headed for the refrigerator. I needed something in my stomach to settle the churning. I grabbed the almond milk and found a bagel and cream cheese.

  “Are you done whining?”

  I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms in front of me while I waited for the toaster. “For today, yes. For the rest of my life? Not by a long shot. It’s part of your job. Taking care of me and listening to me whine.” I topped off her coffee and offered her half of my bagel, which she promptly waved off.

  “I think the roles are starting to reverse, and it’s my turn.”

  “I think you’re dreaming, old lady.”

  Nana winked at me and reached out for a hug. I welcomed it. I loved this woman and all her spunk. “I’m sorry. You’ve always been my champion. Tell me good things that happened yesterday. Even if it involved my parents.”

  “As you know, I can’t show up empty-handed.”

  Nana launched into the whole dinner from the time my father picked her up until she got home. I detected a sadness to her voice, but she kept the story light for my sake. “Your mom did a great job of decorating the house. And the Elliots from next door brought over a cherry cobbler that was really good. They’re fun people.”

  “Yeah. I remember them growing up. They used to get mad at me for kicking my soccer ball over the fence and into their yard. Mr. Elliot was always nicer than Mrs. Elliot.”

  “That’s still the case. I just think she’s really guarded around your mom. You know how your mom can be around other women.”

  As successful as my mother was, she had very little self-confidence. As unsuccessful as I was, my self-confidence was off the charts. People saw my mother as bitchy, but I considered her cautious. “I don’t even know why. I mean, Mom is attractive, successful, and has everything she could want.”

  “I don’t think your mother has been happy for a long time, and I don’t know why. She does have it all.”

  “She doesn’t have me,” I said.

  “Well, because of her stubbornness, it’s going to be up to you to extend the olive branch.” She grabbed my hands and squeezed my fingers gently. It was her way of making sure I was listening “Honey, I miss my small family. I love all of you, and Thanksgiving made me realize how much I need everybody together. Can you find it in your heart to at least try? Christmas is coming up.”

  Nana had kind eyes that hypnotized me if I stared at them too long. She was right. I needed to grow up, even more than I already had, and be proud of what I had accomplished, given the rocky start to my independence. I sighed and leaned back.

  “You’re right. Let me really think about it, and maybe we all can do Christmas early. I’m still intending to leave for the ski trip on the twenty-sixth and get back before New Year’s Eve.”

  “This is wonderful news. I’ll talk to your parents and see what works best for them.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Less talking, more playing.” I pointed to the Uno game we’d barely started.

  “You’re so pushy for being so young,” Nana said.

  “You’re so pushy for being so old.”

  * * *

  I spent the rest of the Thanksgiving-holiday break studying. Finals were in a few weeks, and with Noah’s school schedule, Hessick Academy’s holiday play practice, and violin lessons, I knew study time during the week would be scarce. I was expecting all As, maybe one B+, and I was good with that. I had a relatively light load this semester because I’d been aware I would have to work, but now that I had perfected my nanny gig, I had better control of my schedule. I knew how far I could stretch myself and not sacrifice.

  My phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but it looked familiar. For a split second, I thought it was my mother. I wasn’t mentally prepared for that battle. “Hello?”

  To my surprise, it was Natalie, Noah’s music teacher. “How are you, Cassie?”

  I couldn’t help but smile because I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting her call. Ever. “Natalie, hi. I’m good. Just studying. What’s up?”

  “I have a keyboard on a stand that a student surrendered to me, and I wanted to know if you were interested in lessons. I remember you said you wished you would have stayed with music.”

  “That’s super sweet to think of me, but I really don’t have the time right now. You know, finals, the holidays, and I just signed up for classes for next semester and am taking an extra class to catch up.”

  “I understand. If you change your mind, just let me know.”

  She kept the conversation going for about ten minutes. I really liked her. She was always so patient with Noah. Sometimes during his practices, I wanted to storm into the library, grab the bow from his tiny hand, and break it over my knee. I was patient, but she was chill on a Zen level. She invited me to coffee, but I had to decline and study. Five minutes after we hung up, my phone dinged again.

  Noah wants to know what you’re doing.

  Brook sent a photo of Noah baking. Ingredients were scattered all over the counter, his shirt, and the floor. I zoomed in and saw flour handprints on the refrigerator.

  Is any adult supervision happening?

  He wanted to surprise you. Can you come over or are you busy?

  I sat up. This was unusual for Brook. This was personal. And fun.

  Give me about ten. Are you making cookies, and should I bring milk?

  I raced to my closet and pulled out a chunky sweater, leggings, and a pair of Uggs. I needed to look comfortable and not too dressy since Brook knew I was studying. She didn’t need to know I’d been wearing oversized sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt with a stain I didn’t know the origin of. I put on some light makeup and pulled my hair up. Twelve minutes later, I let myself into the kitchen.

  “Hello?” I called out softly, because this didn’t feel real. Did I misread her texts and was breaking into their house?

  “We’re in here.” Brook laughed at something, then I heard, “No, no, no.”

  A loud boom exploded in the kitchen right
when I walked in. Noah had dropped the bag of flour and was absolutely covered. I burst out laughing. Noah seemed in total shock. His face and sweatshirt had received the brunt of the drop. Brook stood there with a look of disbelief on her face. Then she stared at me.

  “That did not just happen,” she said. She rounded the counter and stood there shaking her head at the mess.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” Noah said.

  “It’s okay, honey. It was actually kind of funny.”

  I took the long way around them to the pantry to find the broom and dustpan. Then I dragged the garbage can out and started sweeping around Noah.

  “Cassie, give that to me. I didn’t call you down here to clean up the mess.”

  I kept sweeping. “You brush the flour off his shirt until you can take it off. We don’t want it all over the house.” I handed Brook a dish towel so she could dust off his face and shirt. After most of it had settled on the floor, Brook took off his shirt and picked him up. I took off his shoes, and she put him down away from the pile.

  “If the timer goes off, please take the cookies out of the oven. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “No worries. I’ll just clean up the best I can.”

  She gave me the single nod before disappearing down the hall. “Thank you, Cassie.”

  I swept up most of the flour, wiped down the counter, and mopped the floor before they returned. Noah was fresh from the shower with wet hair and pajamas.

  “The cookies are out of the oven, but I waited for you both before I ate them all.”

  “Cassie, did you eat one?”

  His sweet little face looked so concerned. I squeezed his cheeks but stopped when I realized I was doing exactly what Nana did. Plus, Brook was watching, and for whatever reason, I was nervous when she observed our interactions.

  “Not a single one. Not even a crumb. Not even the dough that I want to eat,” I said and made a big production of smelling it.

  “You can’t eat that. It has raw eggs,” Noah said.