Four Last First Dates

by Kate O'Keeffe

  I tried not to laugh, but it was a truly terrible accent.

  “Honey, what was that?” Josh’s eyes danced, his grin broad.

  “It sounded Irish and Kiwi and somehow almost like you were from New York,’ Ryan said.

  “I was being English.” Paige looked affronted.

  “Lady Crawley from Downton Abbey, right?” I said, and she nodded. “You men wouldn’t get it.”

  “Chick show?” Ryan asked.

  I cocked my head. “Both men and women have enjoyed Downton Abbey, thank you, Ryan.” I was pretending to be offended, although I was pretty sure the TV show’s primary audience was more than likely female.

  “Is it set somewhere between New York, New Zealand, and Ireland?” Josh had a cheeky glint in his eye.

  When Paige crossed her arms, clearly not enjoying where the conversation had gone, he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Paige, you have so many qualities. It wouldn’t be fair on the rest of us if you could do great accents, too.”

  That seemed to do the trick, and Paige loosened up immediately.

  See? Uncomplicated love.

  “Anyway, Paige and I are meeting this Eddie Smith guy at The Royal on Monday after we close up the Cozy Cottage for the day,” I said, naming one of the swankier hotels in Auckland.

  “The Royal is very appropriate for the Queen,” Ryan said. “Just be careful, okay? You’ve got no idea who this guy is. And if he really has been targeting you, things could get tricky once he sees you.”

  I smiled at him. Although it felt good to have a man looking out for me once more, I couldn’t shake this feeling. This feeling that something was wrong.

  This feeling that I shouldn’t be with Ryan.

  “More drinks?” I needed a breather, to try to get my head together. I knew Ryan was a great guy, and we’d had so much fun together over the last few weeks. I’d started to develop some real feelings toward him, feelings beyond simply being attracted to his Thor-like good looks and flirty charm.

  Real feelings, deep feelings.

  This thing between us was going somewhere, somewhere big. I couldn’t let my sense of disloyalty toward Dan stop me from finding happiness.

  Paige, Ryan, and Josh gave me their orders, and I walked over to the bar. I’d only just ordered the drinks when I felt a hand on my arm. I turned and smiled at Josh.

  “I thought you could use some help.”

  “It’s only three drinks. I’m pretty sure this waitress can handle it.” I pointed my thumb at myself.

  “Yeah, I know you can. I guess I just wanted to talk to you, just you. I know Mom came to see you.”

  My hairs lifted on the back of my neck at the mention of Meredith. “Yes, she did.”

  “I’m really glad. She cares for you a lot, you know.”

  I nodded, trying not to think of the look on her face, the way in which her words were at odds with her pained expression.

  “We both think it’s awesome you’ve met someone new. Ryan’s a good guy.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  The bartender placed the drinks on the bar in front of us, and I handed over some cash. “Can you bring the last one?” I nodded at Ryan’s bottle of beer.

  “See? You did need me.” Josh winked at me and we returned to the table.

  No sooner had we sat down, when Nash, Marissa’s boyfriend, came over and stood at our table, grinning at us. “Hey there, party people.”

  “Hey, Nash,” I said as everyone else greeted him. “Are you here with Marissa?”

  “I sure am. We’re having a drink before dinner with some of her work colleagues.”

  “Do you want to join us?” Josh offered. “If you’re happy hanging out with your kid sister on a Saturday night, that is,” he added, looking at Ryan.

  “I’ve done it too many times to be bothered by it now.” Ryan shrugged.

  “Cool. Be right back.”

  I glanced over at the bar where Nash joined Marissa, who was ordering their drinks. I could see Nash talking with her, and she turned then smiled and waved at us.

  I waved back. The last time I’d seen Marissa, she was warning me off her brother once more. I wondered how she’d react to seeing us together tonight?

  Josh and Ryan pulled up a couple more chairs, and a moment later, Marissa and Nash joined us.

  Marissa took a seat between Paige and me. “This is a cozy double date.” She shot me a look.

  My insides twisted. Marissa had left me a voicemail, asking when we could meet to talk again. I’d meant to get back to her, but seeing Meredith had thrown me, and I’d pushed it to the back of my mind.

  “It’s a triple date, now,” Paige replied.

  “I guess it is.”

  I chewed the inside of my lip, not sure what to do. In the end, Marissa made the decision for me.

  “Can we go talk?” Her voice was quiet enough only I could hear.

  “Sure. Ladies?”

  “Good call.”

  We excused ourselves from the table and headed across the floor. For once, I was thankful women had the reputation of always going in packs to the bathroom.

  Once inside, the door closed behind us, Marissa launched straight into it. “We didn’t get the chance to finish that conversation.”

  “No, I . . . I’ve been busy. And anyway, you’ve already told me Ryan’s too messed up right now. It’s sweet you’re worried about your brother, really it is.”

  Marissa’s mouth twisted. “It’s not him I’m worried about.”

  “It’s not?”

  She shook her head. “It’s you, Bailey.”

  I knitted my brows together. “Why would you be worried about me?”

  She exhaled. “I found out he went to see Amelia, his ex.”

  “He did?”

  “I asked him about it, but he wouldn’t tell me what they talked about. Bailey, I wanted to tell you so you didn’t get hurt. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

  My mind began to whirr. Ryan hadn’t said anything to me about seeing Amelia, and he’d made that speech at the ball about not wanting me to be a rebound girl. It had been convincing, honest. At least I’d thought it had been. We’d been seeing each other for weeks since then.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Of course, him going to see her could be entirely innocent. They could be meeting to get final closure, to decide they could be friends, maybe even to return an old T-shirt or something?

  But then again, it could be less than innocent, too.

  “Bailey, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. I just thought you should know.”

  “No, no. It’s fine. Really.” I pressed my lips together, fighting the sudden and overwhelming urge to cry. Ryan was the first man I’d let myself fall for since Dan, the first man I’d thought I could have a future with. It had been a long time, and I trusted him.

  Or at least, I had.

  “Do. . . do you think they’re going to get back together?” I didn’t know if I wanted to hear the answer.

  Marissa shrugged. “I’ve no idea. All I know is I saw them at that café downtown, Alessandro’s. Do you know it?”

  I nodded.

  “They looked, I don’t know, comfortable together. Amelia was bad news for Ryan. She kinda chewed him up and spat him out. It took him a long time to get over her.”

  “I know.”

  Ryan had told me about how she’d broken up with him, how he had thought she was the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

  I knew first-hand how hard it was to get over a love you’ve had and lost.

  “I asked him about it afterwards, and he told me it was none of my business.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  “I’m sorry.” Marissa rubbed my arm. “You thought he was your Last First Date, didn’t you?”

  I nodded, my chest tightening. “I understand the need to go back. He was deeply in love with her. Believe me, I totally get that.”

  And I knew if I could g
et a second chance with Dan, I’d grab it with both hands, too.

  Chapter 19

  ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, PAIGE and I waited at The Royal Hotel, ready to meet the infamous Eddie Smith. We were wound up, both reminding one another to stick with the story we were Claire Fraser and her friend, Bree, looking for a caterer for a large party.

  Considering my inner turmoil about Ryan, it was a tall order, that was for sure.

  After Marissa’s revelation about Amelia, I’d told everyone I had a headache and went home. Of course, being the gentleman he was—maybe a cheating gentleman still in love with his ex, but a gentleman all the same—Ryan insisted on seeing me home. I made up some story about thinking I may be contagious, so once he’d seen me inside, he left.

  I spent the next thirty-six hours wrestling with not only what Marissa had said about him seeing Amelia, but trying to work out what I wanted, what felt right to me.

  The jury was still out.

  I noticed Paige clenching her hands in her lap.

  “Don’t be nervous. We got this.”

  “I’m nervous as all heck. It’s my fault he got our list of contacts, so I’m totally responsible.”

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  “Plus, I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “You mean you’ve never gone undercover to catch a bad guy stealing our customers at a swanky hotel in downtown Auckland?”

  She let out a laugh. “Funnily enough, no. Although I now wish you’d agreed to letting Ryan come along.”

  As I said, Ryan was a gentleman. He didn’t want Paige and me doing what we’re doing now, and he got all manly and protective about it all. I told him we’d put on our big girl panties and manage just fine.

  And here we were, on our own, managing just fine—big girl panties firmly in place.

  “Okay. I’ve been thinking, and here’s how I think we should play it,” I said. “I think we drop the whole pretense of having a party and instead just ask him why he’s been targeting us.”

  “Just come out with it?”

  “Unless you have a better idea?”

  Paige shook her head. “I guess not.” She picked up her tea cup to take a sip, a pensive look on her face.

  “Good.” I glanced at my watch, my own nerves clanging around my body. I wasn’t big on confrontation, preferring instead to smooth things over, to try to find some middle ground everyone could be happy with. But this was about our new business and being held back from even being given a shot at it. We needed to do this.

  Paige lowered her cup with a clank onto her saucer. “Oh, my God.”

  I shot her a look. She’d gone pale, her eyes focused on something across the room behind me.

  “What is it?”

  “You are not going to believe this.”

  “What?” I turned to see what had her jaw dropping. My own followed suit the moment my eyes clapped on him.

  It was Fake Jamie.

  Heading our way.

  I turned back to face Paige, hoping he hadn’t seen us—knowing he probably had.

  My heart banged against my ribs, and I scrunched my eyes shut. In an instant, I was back in the hallway at the Cozy Cottage with Fake Jamie breathing down my neck, his grip firm, painful on my arm. My hands began to sweat.

  “What is he doing here?” Paige hissed.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I can tell you one thing for certain, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind if he comes anywhere near you.”

  “Maybe he hasn’t seen us? Maybe he’s going to walk straight passed us?” My voice was breathless, shaking.

  Paige looked up, and I could sense he’d come to a stop behind me. “Maybe not.”

  “Hello, ladies. Is one of you Claire Fraser?”

  What the …?

  Before I had the chance to pick my jaw up off the floor, Paige pushed herself up. “I am.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m Eddie Smith, from Devour Catering. I understand you wanted to meet me personally.”

  Paige’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “You’re Eddie Smith?”

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

  Just as smarmy and cocky as he was on our speed date.

  I closed my eyes, wishing I were anywhere but here. Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak would come in handy right about now.

  Instead, I forced myself to stand up on trembling legs, turn and face him. I clenched my fists at my side.

  Eddie’s eyes landed on me and recognition breezed across his face. “You.”

  I locked my jaw and glared at him. “Yes, me.”

  “You’re friends with Claire?”

  I shook my head, wishing my glare could pierce him, right where it hurt.

  “Well, Claire and I have got some party planning to do. Five hundred guests, actually.”

  “Ah, no we don’t.” Paige shook her head.

  His eyes darted from Paige to me and back again. Comprehension appeared on his face. “There’s no party, is there?”

  I shook my head.

  His eyes swept over us, appraising us in that creepy way he’d perfected. “Oh, I get it. You two clever little girls thought you could make up some fake party to get me here.” He smiled at me, flicking his Bee Gees hair. “You didn’t have to make something up to see me, you know. I’d be happy to take you out, show you a good time, babe.”

  Seriously, I could have vomited on the spot.

  “I don’t want to go out with you now or at any time. I just wanted to look the person in the eye who’s been taking all our customers, undercutting us at every turn.”

  He didn’t even flinch. “Well, you’ve met him.”

  “Why do it? We’re just a small start-up, trying to get a business off the ground,” Paige said.

  Eddie looked at me, raising his chin. “She knows.”

  My pulse sped up, my body tensing. I could barely believe what he’d just said. “You’re doing this to get back at me because I rejected you?”

  The self-satisfied look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. “Is it working?”

  I gripped the chair that had been my barricade, and pushed it aside, stepping closer to him. “Of all the idiotic, childish, petty reasons to try to hurt someone, that has got to be the lowest.”

  “Calm down, babe. All’s fair in love and war.”

  “Don’t call me that. I’m not your babe.”

  “Everything all right here?” It was a voice from behind me.

  I turned to see Ryan, his eyes focused on me.

  I blinked at him. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  “I see you brought your guard dog,” Eddie spat.

  “Bailey, are you okay?”

  My nostrils flared as my eyes slid from Ryan to Eddie. He shot me another one of his slimy, smug looks, only this time it was tinged with something else. This time, it was tinged with triumph.

  He’d won. And he darn well knew it.

  Ryan’s hand touched mine, sending a jolt of electricity through me, waking me up. I took a sudden step back, bumping into the table, the cups and saucers rattling. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  I ground my teeth. “I’m fine. I just . . . I need to go.”

  I grabbed my purse, my chest tight, my limbs trembling. I needed to get out of here, I needed to get far away. Fake Jamie and his campaign to destroy our business, Ryan turning up here after I’d made it clear I didn’t want him to.

  My guilt over Daniel.

  All of it, all mixed up inside, ready to explode out of me like a volcano on the brink.

  I slung my purse over my shoulder and pushed past Ryan.

  “Bailey, wait!” Paige called out.

  I didn’t stop, I didn’t look back.

  I dashed across the marble floor and pushed my way through the revolving door. I stepped out into the dull, cloudy afternoon light, the sidewalk bustling with people going about their business. I paused, t
rying to remember where I’d left my car, my brain like scrambled eggs.

  “Bailey, what’s going on?”

  I looked up into Ryan’s eyes. He was gazing down at me, a cloud of concern across his face.

  “I can’t do it. I can’t.” I tried to blink back the tears that threatened my eyes, but they slid down my cheeks. I wiped them furiously away with the back of my hand.

  “You can’t do what, exactly? Because if it’s dealing with that jerk in there, I’d happily do it for you.”

  I shook my head, a lump the size of Texas in my throat. “I can’t do this. With you.”

  “Why?” The pain in his voice was clear.

  “You know why. You’re still in love with her. And I . . .”

  What was I? Scared? Confused?

  All of the above?

  “Amelia? Are you insane? I’m not in love with her. Where the hell did you get that idea?”

  I stood my ground. I wasn’t going to be second best to some other woman. Although I knew this was about more than just Amelia. “You went to see her. Admit it. You’re still in love with her.”

  He put his hands on my arms. My body stiffened at his touch. “Bailey, don’t you know I’m in love with you?”

  In an instant, the air was sucked out of my lungs. My hand flew to my chest, as the world began to spin around me.

  I shook my head, my throat dry as I pulled away from him. “No. No, you’re not.”

  Ryan smiled, stepping in closer to me. “I am. Bailey De Luca, I am one hundred percent in love with you.”

  “Don’t say that. Please.” I bit my lip, fresh tears streaming down my face.

  “It’s the truth, pure and simple. How can I not be? Amelia is in the past, over. It’s you, Bailey. It’s you.”

  “No.” I shook my head, panic rising inside.

  And then I turned and ran.

  I almost crashed into a man in a suit in my need to get away. Apologizing, I stumbled past him and dashed down the street, going as fast as my heels could take me.

  I didn’t look back.

  And all I could think about was the last man who said he’d loved me.

  The man I’d lost.

  Chapter 20

  I ARRIVED AT WORK on Monday morning exhausted, the bags under my eyes large enough to carry the belongings of an entire family on vacation to Fiji. Since that fateful day at The Royal Hotel, I’d hardly slept a wink, instead lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of . . . well, everything.