One More Kiss (A Too Many Men Romantic Comedy / Chick Lit Novel)

by Stephanie Rowe

  Jessamee grabbed the notepad and wrote. Then she signed her name with a flourish and handed it back. "Now what?"

  "I'll get back to you."

  "When?"

  I shot her my most hostile look. "When I do." Yes, sweet Auntie Shannon wasn't exactly fulfilling job requirements right now, was she?

  "Fine."

  "Fine." I sat back down and turned to my computer, dismissing her.

  She waited for a moment, then she stomped out.

  I typed for another three minutes, and then I dropped my face into my hands. I can't deal with this anymore.

  "Shannon?"

  I snapped upright and smiled at Hildy. "Hi."

  "Are you free for lunch?"

  I groaned. Not in the mood for entertaining. I needed lunch away from the firm. "Um..."

  "My husband wants to interview you for law school."

  I sat up. "Seriously?"

  She grinned. "Yep. Meet him at the deli on the corner at eleven. He'll be waiting by the door. His name is Frank Miller."

  I nodded. Given my morning, the lure of law school was pulling strong. "I'll be there."

  The prospect of my lunch date kept a smile on my face the rest of the morning, even after I had to practically promise my soul to Kathy Michaels to get her to hand me some of Otto's work for Jessamee. Misgivings were running rampant when I gave Jessamee the assignment, but I had no choice.

  Besides, Jessamee was tough. If anyone could survive Otto, it was her. Who knew? Maybe she'd survive and become the next female partner.

  Yet when I walked away, I couldn't help but think I'd finally crossed the line and had failed in my job.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Frank Miller spotted me instantly when I walked into the deli. "Shannon McCormick? Frank Miller."

  "Hi, Frank." He pumped my hand with enthusiasm, and I felt cheered by the warmth in his gaze. What did I expect? He was married to Hildy, wasn't he?

  "Thanks for meeting me." He led the way to a corner table and slid into his seat, his ruddy complexion and bald head making him seem even more approachable and chipper. "So, obviously, there's a bit of a problem because you haven't taken the LSAT."

  "Yes, I understand that. I can postpone my application until next year—"

  "No, no. That's not necessary." He opened his briefcase and laid my transcript from undergrad on the table. "I like this. Good stuff."

  "Thanks." I had done well in undergrad. I was proud of those grades.

  He folded his arms across the table. "So, why do you want to go to law school?"

  Great question. I didn't suppose having the authority to crush Jessamee would count, huh? "My parents are both lawyers, as are two of my brothers. It's a family thing." No need to elaborate that those reasons were exactly why I didn't want to become an attorney.

  He nodded and jotted down some notes. "Any reason why you didn't go straight into law school?"

  "Because I wanted to make sure I was doing it for the right reason, and not merely because it's in my genes."

  "What's your right reason, then? I assume you've found one, given that you're here."

  "Because..." Um... "I'm interested in the law."

  "What part?"

  What was up with the interrogation? Shouldn't I be read my Miranda rights? "It's challenging. I like to use my brain."

  "Lots of jobs are challenging. What is it specifically about law?"

  There was sweat dripping down my back. "I think law is interesting. I like reading cases. I like the power."

  "Power? What kind of power?"

  Power to trounce people who previously looked down on you. "The power of knowledge." Good ad lib. I rocked. "The power to help protect the rights that America was founded upon."

  He nodded and wrote something down.

  I got a nod. Sweet. I was going to survive this interview.

  Ten days later, I woke up on my birthday morning in a bad mood.

  Since the interview, life had settled into a bit of a routine. Dave and Phoebe shared Emma's room every night, and Emma had met me for lunch four times. It was good to have my friends around again, and I began to understand the bond Dave and Phoebe had. Not that I agreed with what they'd done, but I did understand.

  Which scared the crap out of me. I didn't want to make that same mistake of getting committed to the wrong person.

  Jessamee had been giving me the cold shoulder and had given me minimal response when I asked how it was going with Otto. Several attorneys had pulled me aside privately to question my assignment of Jessamee to work with Otto, and I could tell that my reputation was getting murky.

  So I crossed my fingers and hoped that Hildy's husband came through. Maybe I'd even go to the day program and cut out of my job early. I called him and left him a message to that effect. He didn't call back.

  My mom hadn't even called since the party. Neither had Ray.

  I wasn't sure what I thought of that. My mom had never given me the silent treatment before. Had I finally crossed the invisible line by compromising Noah?

  Not even a call from Emma saying she was taking me to dinner for my birthday could fix my mood. By the time she came by my office at five o'clock—Emma didn't allow me to work late on my birthday—I was more in the mood to go home and sulk.

  My own mom hadn't even called to wish me a happy birthday. Or Dad. Or Noah. Or Ray. Travis had called, but I was so mad at him for refusing to marry April that it hadn't exactly been a warm and fuzzy conversation.

  Emma bounded into my office, wearing a hot pink mini and a black tank top. "Ready?"

  "Can we skip?"

  Blaine appeared behind Emma. "Nope. Birthdays are for celebrating."

  I stared. "You're coming too?"

  Emma nodded. "It's time that the two most important people in my life became friends."

  I gave Blaine a half-smile. "Great." I supposed Emma was right. She didn't seem to be tiring of him.

  He gave me a relaxed smile back. "Well, come on, birthday girl. We have plans."

  Birthday girl? Never thought Blaine was the type to call anyone a birthday girl. Emma must have seriously loosened him up.

  Emma tossed me some clothes. "You can't go out for your birthday in a suit. I brought some clothes."

  Ugh. "You didn't bring the black tank top I put through the garbage disposal, did you?"

  She grinned as I reached into the bag and held it up. "You're kidding?"

  "There's a blouse to wear over it. It's too classic not to wear. With all those holes in it, it's positively obscene. You have to go for it." She shoved Blaine out of the office. "Give us five minutes to change, sweetie."

  She shut the door behind her and wiggled her eyebrows. "You ready for a makeover?"

  "Definitely not." But I couldn't help but grin. How could I not be amused at the thought of wearing that tank top from hell?

  She held up a makeup kit. "Too bad. Let's go!"

  Fifteen minutes later, I was laughing. I was wearing the black tank top under a see-through blouse that Emma had bought for me. It was fairly transparent, yet modest enough that you couldn't quite tell that I had massive quantities of flesh showing through my tank top. It was quite hysterical, and looked kinda cool, actually. I was impressed, as I was with Emma's makeup job. Combined with my platform heels and my tight jeans, I was feeling pretty good. Not as slutty as the bar night with Blaine, but definitely sexy.

  And fun. I was having fun.

  Blaine winked when we opened the door. "Nice." No sarcasm there at all.

  I grinned. "Thanks."

  Emma held up a blindfold. "Ready?"

  "You can't blindfold me."

  "Of course we can. It's a surprise. Come on." She fastened the blindfold around my eyes, then each of them took an arm. "Trust us."

  "Do I have a choice?"

  "Nope. But don't worry. This will be your best birthday ever." Emma whispered. "Lots of hot sex."

  "Emma!" But I couldn't help the swirl of excitement in my belly. Ha
d she gotten Noah to come?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  There were cars rushing by, and I could hear the chatter of commuters as they rushed past, heading home for the day.

  "Watch your head." A hand pressed on the top of my head as I climbed into a car.

  Emma helped me with my seatbelt, and then she and Blaine settled on either side of me.

  "Where are we going?"

  "It's a surprise." Emma shifted. "So, what's going on with Van? He's pretty cute. Dave and Phoebe said he came over the other night."

  I let my head flop back. "He is cute."

  "And?"

  "And what?"

  "Any interest there?"

  "On his part or mine?"

  "Yours." Emma jerked, and it felt like she'd kicked something. Maybe Blaine?

  "I think I could totally go for him, but he's not interested because of my baggage with Noah. Plus he has some major secret that he's not telling me, so I'm not into that." I rubbed my chin. "I guess the answer is, I have no idea. It doesn't matter anyway. He hasn't called me."

  "What if he did? What if he asked you out on a real date? What if he wanted to kiss you? Would you?"

  "Of course, but that doesn't mean that it's smart or that he would want to."

  Emma tucked her hand through mine. "How about Dave and Phoebe?"

  "They're good. Happy. It's weird for me, but I'm glad for them."

  "And April? How do you feel about April?"

  I frowned. "What's with all the questions?" I then heard a giggle from far away. Oh, crap. She wouldn't have! I yanked my blindfold down and found myself in the back of a huge limousine which was full of people I knew.

  Including Van. Who was sitting directly across from me with an indecipherable look on his face.

  Double damn. I tried to remember what I had said about him. I'd said I would kiss him, hadn't I? Crap.

  "Surprise!" Everyone was laughing hysterically, and someone shoved a glass of champagne into my hand.

  Dave and Phoebe were there, and April (no Travis), my sister Lindsey and her fiancé, Dr. Perfect.

  And Van. Van was there. My heart seemed to kick into overtime at the sight of him, but I tried to stay calm.

  I noticed Noah wasn't here. Or Ray. Or my parents. I bit my lower lip and tried not to notice those who hadn't bothered to show up. At least Emma had gotten the others to come, so that was amazing, right? I needed to focus on that.

  A rousing rendition of Happy Birthday filled the limo, and everyone decided that it had been absolutely hysterical to hear me talk about people in the limo. April kicked Lindsey. "I can't believe you giggled! We could have gone through all of us!"

  Thank God they hadn't. What if I'd said something embarrassing?

  The whole Van thing was bad enough.

  Then he smiled at me, and I felt better. Maybe my birthday was going to be all right after all.

  Emma had reserved a private function room at my favorite Italian restaurant in the North End. Gino Randazzo, the owner, crushed me in a bear hug the moment I walked in, and his whole staff serenaded me.

  I grinned a goofy smile and felt embarrassed. And happy.

  I threw my arm around Emma's shoulders as we walked back to our room. "Thanks."

  She grinned. "Just have fun. And don't worry about the cost. April and Lindsey are paying for the whole thing."

  My smile faltered. "Really?"

  "Yep. They wanted you to have a great birthday and knew that not all of us have a ton of money. That's their gift as family."

  Wow. I didn't know what to say. What about the black sheep thing?

  I sat down in a chair decorated with balloons and streamers, and Van sat down next to me. April grabbed the chair on the other side, and I smiled. How about that, huh? April choosing to sit next to me. Being dismissed by my family had given us a common bond.

  "Happy Birthday."

  I turned to find Van leaning over my shoulder. One hand was across the back of my chair, and he was leaning toward me. He smelled good. Subtle, but so good. "Thanks." I tilted my head. "Where have you been for the last few weeks? I thought you hated me." It had been so weird leaving work at the end of the day and knowing I wasn't going to see Van in the lobby.

  He grinned. "Did you miss me?"

  "Yes."

  His smile faded. "You did?"

  "Of course I did. Obviously, you didn't miss me."

  "I was busy."

  I noticed he didn't deny not missing me. "Doing what?"

  He shrugged and I rolled my eyes. "Give me a break, Van. Don't even tell me it's more of this secret you have."

  "It is."

  How aggravating was that? "You know all about me, and yet you don't trust me with something?" I pushed his arm off my chair. "This is why it would never work between us, even if you were interested. I need total honesty in my relationships, and even my friendships."

  His eyes flashed, and he wrapped his hand around my arm. "We need to talk. Come here." He stood up and pulled me to my feet, ignoring my protests when he dragged me out of the room into a hallway.

  He pushed me back against the wall, flanked my shoulders with his hands, and glared at me. "Listen, Shannon, I think we've developed a pretty strong friendship, haven't we?"

  "Yes." Van was tall, wasn't he? How had I not realized it before?

  "As a friend, I expect you to respect my privacy when I ask for it. I'll tell you what's going on in my life eventually, but not now. Don't dwell on it or take offense."

  I lifted my chin. "I've seen what happens when people aren't honest with each other. Things decay. I've been totally honest with you, even when I've shared some things that really don't make me look good. But I trusted you not to judge me. It bothers me that you think I'm so shallow that I'll judge you based on some secret."

  He cursed under his breath. "Shannon, I appreciate your trust in me, and I won't let you down. But our relationship is so new I don't want to push you away."

  "It's not that new! I think we're pretty close actually."

  His eyes flickered. "Not close enough. Yet."

  Something caught in my throat. "What do you mean?"

  "I won't be a second choice. I'll wait until I'm first in line."

  I swallowed and my heart started pounding. All I could think about was the cake-feeding episode. Was that what he was talking about? "First in what line?"

  He ran his thumb over my lower lip. "I think you know what I'm talking about."

  What was up with the trembling in my legs? "You're just trying to take advantage of what I said in the limo."

  "That you'd kiss me if I kissed you?"

  "I didn't say that. I'd never kiss you." I stared at his lips. "At least until you were honest with me."

  "And I won't kiss you until there are no more shadows from other guys around."

  What guys? I couldn't think of anyone but him. "No one else is here tonight. Just you."

  His eyes darkened and his gaze fastened on my lips.

  Oh, wow. Kiss me, Van.

  "What about Noah?"

  "What about him?"

  "If he were here tonight, would you be with him?"

  I would have thought "yes" would be the thought that jumped to my mind, but instead, "I don't know" was what popped in there. Since when did Noah not occupy top place in my life?

  "Too slow." Van's voice was dangerously soft.

  I met his gaze. "I was thinking."

  He lifted a brow. "And?"

  "I was thinking that I was expecting my answer to be that I'd be with Noah, but that wasn't what came to my mind."

  "What came to your mind?" He leaned closer, looming over me like some protective warrior.

  "I don't know."

  "You don't know what came to your mind, or you don't know what you'd do if both of us were here?"

  "The latter."

  "Not enough."

  "Well, until I feel commitment from you, I'm not going to cross that line. Secrets, Van."

  He bent
his head until his lips were only a fraction of an inch from mine. "In due time." And then he brushed his lips across mine. Soft, tender, and fleeting.

  And I wanted more.

  I grabbed the front of his shirt. "Kiss me again."

  His eyes said 'No,' but his lips disobeyed. He kissed each corner of my mouth, then caught my lips in a kiss that made my body quiver. Warm heat imbued my body at the gentle exploration of his tongue, and I clung to his shirt with a desperation I couldn't understand. It was different than Noah. Hot and passionate, but also pure and complete with a sense of rightness that was honest, not built on years.

  "Shannon!" Emma's voice carried from the other room. "Noah's on the phone! He wants to wish you a happy birthday."

  Crap.

  Van stopped kissing me, but he didn't move away. He kept his gaze on my face and sucked my soul from my body with his eyes. I couldn't look away.

  Emma walked around the corner, then stopped. "Whoops. Never mind."

  Van caught her arm as she turned to go back into the other room. "She'll take the call."

  I closed my eyes. Noah had to call me now? When I opened them, Van's face had become shuttered. He touched his thumb to my lips. "My point exactly," he said. "I don't want to play this game."

  Then he left me in the hall with Emma and the phone.

  "Emma..."

  She held up the phone. Right. Noah could hear me. Sighing, I grabbed her phone. "This is Shannon."

  Noah's deep voice filled my ear. "Happy birthday, Shannon."

  "Thanks." Emma started to leave, so I waved her to stay. "Are you coming?" Please say no. Ack! What was I saying? I wanted Noah there...didn't I?

  "I can't. I'm in LA for business. I was hoping to get back tonight, but there's no way. I'm here at least another two days. But I wanted you to know I would be there if I was in town."

  My stomach fluttered. "You would? Did you talk to my family?" Was this it? The moment of commitment?

  "I'm in negotiations with Ray. Gotta deal with him before I hit up your parents."

  Negotiations? What was there to negotiate? I'll sleep with your sister but only on the even days of the month? "Whatever."