by Emma Hart
“Is it working?”
“Are you a cup of coffee?”
“No. But I am capable of another kind of wake-up if you want to piss your mom off a little more.” I grinned.
She fought a smile. “Normally, I’d be all over that. Today, however, I’m going to try to keep the peace.”
“Right.” I ran a bit of wax through my damp hair. “Let me wash my hair and we’ll get coffee to attempt that peace-keeping thing.”
“You don’t think I can be nice for an entire day?”
“I know you can’t.” I dried my hands on a towel and grabbed my phone and the room key. “Come on, Red, let’s make you semi-human again.”
***
It was amazing, really.
Just twenty minutes ago she’d been rabid. Kill-you-with-my-eyes angry. Nobody-touch-me pissed off.
And now? Now, she was fucking smiling.
It was her second cup of coffee and she did have a mimosa—at my order—so maybe that was why.
“Stop looking at me like I’m a weirdo you can’t make sense of.” She grabbed a croissant and tore it in two.
“You are a weirdo I can’t make sense of,” I replied, hugging my cup of coffee with my hands. “It’s not my fault if you just went from one hundred to zero on the bad mood scale.”
“I was woken up when I was having a very nice dream, thank you very much. It’s not every day Chris Hemsworth comes into my dreams and wants to have sex with me.”
“Nice. So you were in bed with me having dirty dreams about Thor.”
She paused, cheeks turning pink. “Pretty much.”
“Now say it without blushing,” I smirked. “And I’ll believe it was about Thor.”
She opened her mouth, then clamped her jaw tight shut.
“I wasn’t asleep. You said my name.” I shrugged a shoulder.
Now, she blushed like hell.
I was lying through my teeth, but boy, this was fun.
“Just admit it, Red. You were dreaming about having sex with me. That’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m flattered, actually.”
“I have the right to remain silent.” She sipped her mimosa.
“You do. But your cheeks give you away.” I grinned.
“I hate you,” she muttered, going back to picking at her pastry.
I laughed. “Fine lines and all that. You’ll love me later when—”
“When what?” Her mom’s voice cut into what I was going to say.
Which would not be mom-approved.
“I’m there to help her practice her speech for the reception,” I said without missing a beat. I stood up and kissed her cheek. “Good morning, Miranda.”
Poppy rolled her eyes.
“It most certainly is not. Poppy,” she said, turning to her as she stuffed croissant into her mouth. “You were supposed to find me immediately.”
“Mom. You woke me up. I needed to eat something.” Poppy waved the croissant.
“You can eat later.”
“No, I can’t. You’ll be on at me all morning to do this and do that and do the hokey cokey for the guests,” she replied. “So I’m eating now. The napkins will still be there in half an hour.”
“Mmm.” Miranda’s calculating gaze swept the table. “Mimosa? Poppy.”
This time, she didn’t hide her irritation. “Mom, if you want me to be a nice person today, I’m having a mimosa.”
“You’re never a nice person.”
“All right, so if you want me to pretend to be a nice person today, I’m having a mimosa.” Poppy shrugged.
“Why isn’t Adam eating?”
“I can’t eat this early,” I interjected. Jesus, this was hard work. “I usually get up and work out before I eat. I’m just here to make sure the devil’s minion doesn’t murder anyone.”
Poppy glared at me, shaking her head.
I grinned.
Miranda looked between us and blinked. “I don’t understand you two.”
“Neither do I,” I replied.
Poppy kicked me under the table.
I jumped, and Miranda looked at me funny. “Cramp,” I said, pretending to be in pain and reaching down. “Stretched it wrong.”
Poppy grabbed another croissant and stuffed more in her mouth to hide her laugh.
“His pain is funny to you?” Miranda asked her.
“Yes,” she replied with a mouth full of food.
Another look between us and Miranda threw up her hands. “Poppy, find me when you’re ready to be reasonable and help.” And then she left.
“Well, that’ll be some time in the next century,” I grumbled, rubbing my shin.
Poppy pointed the croissant at me. “You’re pissing me off.”
“Surely not,” I drawled.
“You don’t want me to be angry. I’m not nice when I’m angry.”
“Are you telling me this morning was you being a delight?”
“I’m always a delight.”
“I’m gonna buy you a dictionary, Red.”
“Excellent. I can hit you with it when you piss me off.”
I don’t know why I laughed, but I did. It just escaped me, and I covered my eyes with my hand. I knew she’d be glaring at me, but I couldn’t help it. All I could fucking picture was this crazy, angry redhead chasing me with a dictionary, attempting to hurt me.
Poppy’s phone beeped on the table. She picked it up, and for the first time this morning, actually smiled.
“Did the Underworld call your mom back for duty?” I asked.
She snorted. “No. My best friend is finally here. She was supposed to come last night but had to work late. She drove halfway last night and woke up early. She’s checking in now.” Her fingers flew across the touchscreen as she replied. “I told her to come down here and meet us.”
“Is she anything like you?”
“Total opposite, actually. I don’t know how we live together.”
“You live together?”
Poppy looked up with her brown eyes wide. “I didn’t mention that?”
“Not once,” I said.
“Crap. Okay, yeah, I live with Avery. Ever since we went to college. And the thing you should know is that it’s a good thing that she’s here, because my mom adores Aves. Literally wishes she could swap us and have her be her daughter instead.”
“Why is that a good thing?”
“Because she distracts her. She’s like a buffer between us.” She shrugged a shoulder. “It’ll make today way more bearable, that’s for sure.”
“Something has to.”
“What happened to the nice guy from last night?”
“I can go around telling everyone how much I love you, if you want.” I grinned.
She wrinkled her nose. “Stop swearing at me. I’ll never get out of this alive if you tell people you’re in love with me. I’m too prickly to fall in love with.”
“You know, I do sometimes mistake you for a cactus.”
“Ha, ha, funny man.” She stuck her tongue out at me again and sipped from her mimosa.
“Hiiiiiii!”
I turned to see a tired-looking brunette rushing toward our table.
“Aves!” Poppy jumped up and hugged her tight. “I thought you were checking in.”
“I was. The porter is taking my things up because apparently I look like I need coffee.” She shrugged.
“You do.” Poppy sat down. “Avery, this is Adam. Adam, Avery.”
“Hi!” Avery pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling brightly. “So. You’re the boyfriend.”
I glanced at Poppy.
“She’s being a dick,” she said. “She knows what’s going on.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “I am being a dick. She’s always right. What does a girl have to get a coffee around here?”
Poppy pointed at me. “People pay attention to him.”
“I don’t alienate the bartenders by whistling,” I reminded her.
“I did it once.” She held up a finger. “And if peop
le act like dogs, I’ll treat them like ones.”
“Sure. I need a coffee, too, so…” I picked up my empty mug and looked around for the waiter.
Avery tilted her head to the side as I did it, narrowing her eyes. I pretended like I hadn’t noticed as I flagged a waiter down and motioned for two cups.
“How long are you here?” Poppy asked Avery.
“I have to leave early tomorrow,” she replied. “Work starts at two. Amy quit, so we’re all scrambling to cover her shifts.”
“Where do you work?” I asked her.
Poppy raised an eyebrow at me.
“What? Since you live together, don’t you think it’ll be weird if I don’t know anything about her?”
“Shit. I forgot that.” She clicked her tongue.
Avery snorted. “Your master plan wasn’t so smart after all, eh, Pops?”
Poppy rolled her eyes, picking up her coffee, but I caught the tiny smile she sent my way.
So did Avery.
“I work in a bar close to our apartment,” she answered. “It’s basically a restaurant during the day and a bar from dinner onward. We had someone quit last week, then another two days ago, so it’s hectic.” She paused. “I’m sorry, this is really bugging me, but I swear I know you from somewhere.”
Of course. If Poppy hadn’t known who I was, there was no reason Avery would.
Poppy was delayed from replying thanks to the arrival of our coffees. No sooner had I told the guy we were good for anything else right now than Avery gave a tiny gasp.
“You play for the Storms,” she said in a hushed voice.
“What?” Poppy’s jaw dropped. “You know who he is? Am I the only one who didn’t?”
“You didn’t know who he was?” Avery asked, then turned to me. “She didn’t know who you were?”
I grinned. “And that’s my cue to let you two catch up and go up to the gym.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin and slid my coffee over to Poppy. “Here,” I said, getting up. I walked around the table and grabbed the back of her chair. “You’re gonna need that.”
I straightened and caught sight of her dad, Mark, Celia, and Rory coming in the door.
Poppy caught my gaze and looked over. “Oh no.”
I tapped her shoulder, then when she turned, bent down to kiss her. I cupped the side of her face and kissed her firmly, going back for one last one before I pulled away. She blushed, and Avery raised her eyebrows, lips tugging up.
“Morning,” I said to her family. “You doing all right, Mark?”
“Not really sure,” he answered with a laugh.
“Adam!” Rory ran around the table and barreled into my legs.
“Ooft!” I pretended to stagger back a few steps. “Have you been working out? You’re stronger than yesterday!”
He nodded, pulling back. He lifted his sleeve and flexed his tiny muscles at me. “I did five press-ups this morning!”
“Five? Woah. Good job!” I held up one hand for a high-five, and he obliged, hitting my hand with great enthusiasm.
“Are you leaving?” Poppy’s dad asked.
“Yeah. Avery just got here so I thought I’d leave them to it. I was gonna go work out.”
Mark looked at the food on the table and wrinkled his face. “Mind if I grab a drink and meet you up there? I could use a workout.”
“Sounds good to me. Always better with a friend.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Pops, I’ll text you when I’m done, all right?”
“Huh?” She looked over her shoulder at me, cheeks still pink.
I fought a smile. “I’ll text you when we’re done to see where you are. All right?”
“Oh. Yes. All right.”
Avery snorted, and I winked.
She was losing her mind over this, and it was so fun.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – POPPY
Napkins and Nonsense
Avery slammed the door to her room shut and stared at me. “You slept with Adam Winters and didn’t know who he was?”
“I—well—you saw him in the bar and didn’t tell me!”
Really. That was my argument? My god, I was lame.
“I didn’t see him that clearly! You told me you were going home with him and I jumped in an Uber.”
“So much for making sure I was safe.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’d been talking to his friend all night. I knew he was safe. But stop deflecting! How the hell did you get away with that in your hockey-mad family?”
I told her what happened on Friday night. “So, yeah. Rosie saved my ass,” I finished.
“Adam didn’t think it was a good idea to tell you just in case?”
“No. He thought it was funny.”
“He’d met your mom, right?”
“And she loves him,” I muttered, dropping onto her bed. “This whole weekend is a hot mess, Aves. My family is obsessed with him—now personally, too—and soon, I’m going to have to break up with my fake boyfriend who happens to be the only boyfriend my family has ever liked.”
“Well, you do run that risk,” she said unhelpfully. “Without being that person, I told you this was a bad idea.”
“I know. It was a bad idea. It is a bad idea.” I fell backward and covered my eyes as I bounced on the mattress.
The bed dipped as she lay down next to me. “He seems nice, though. Very convincing.”
I groaned rolling over onto my front and almost lying on top of her. “He is. He’s lovely and perfect.”
“Uh-oh,” Avery said, shifting to sit up. She leaned against the headboard and tossed her shoes on the floor. “Lovely and perfect?”
Another groan and I buried my face into the covers. “Yes. And I hate that I like him.”
“Like him, or like him?”
“I don’t know, Aves.” I turned my head to the side and rested my cheek on my arms. “I don’t want to answer the question. Sure, he’s hot as hell and he’s a freaking magician in the bedroom, but we just…get along. It’s so easy, you know? It’s like we’ve known each other for years instead of hours.”
“That’s…I want to say it’s cute, but I don’t think you’ll agree.”
“No. Then last night Ro told me we were doing a really good job of pretending to be into each other, and—”
Avery barked a laugh. “Pretending my ass! That kiss after breakfast near damn turned me on!”
I cough-laughed. “Exactly. I told him it was bugging me and he told me he was into me. Ugh, Aves.”
“So why are you freaking out?”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re totally freaking out.”
I shook my head. “Tomorrow this will all be over, so it doesn’t matter, because—”
“Why does it have to be over?” She crossed her legs and hugged a pillow. “You’re into each other. You both live in Orlando. Why not be honest and see if anything happens?”
“Because we’re different people and our lives aren’t compatible.”
“You’re like that heroine in romance novels who makes people want to throw their Kindles. You know, the ones where you sit and scream and go, ‘HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT? YOU HAVEN’T TRIED!’”
I blinked at her. “In the middle of a book, huh?”
She blew out a long breath. “Angst central. Okay, but still, how do you know your lives aren’t compatible?”
“Because he’s famous and talented and rich and—”
“You’re talented.”
“It doesn’t count. I paint for fun.” I shifted to sit up and glanced away. “You’re the only person who knows I still do that.”
“So that makes it any less important? Pops, you’re working as a waitress with a roommate in a slightly overpriced apartment. That’s how most rich people start out.”
I laughed. “In Hollywood and only if you’re willing to sell your soul to the devil.”
“Then you’re fine, because you were birthed by the devil.” She grinned. “I think you should try.”
“
Hmph. We’ll see. For now, let’s get through today. I’m ready for this wedding to be over and see my sister get married.”
“All right, all right.”
***
“Avery, did I tell you about that time in Amsterdam?” Grandpa said, leaning across the table with his eyes wide.
Avery hesitated. “Which time was that?”
Ding ding, wrong answer.
“The one with the British prostitute with tits like Jupiter.”
“I’ll get more place cards!” I scrambled up and ran to the other side of the room. While Avery may not have heard it, I’d heard it the night before, and I really didn’t want to hear about it again.
He’d picked his topic of conversation for this family gathering, and when my mom found out, she was going to have steam come out of her ears.
Arms slid around my back and lips kissed the side of my jaw. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I said to Adam. “You can let go. Grandpa’s too busy telling Avery about Jupiter to pay attention.”
“Not her again.”
“Yep.”
“Your dad’s probably coming, so I’ll keep hold of you for now,” he muttered. “We got interrogated in the gym by your mom.”
I picked up a stack of name cards for the tables and spun in his arms, tilting back to meet his eyes. “I bet that was fun.”
“Apparently Mark has to make sure all the suits for the groomsmen are correct and your dad needs to be here helping, and hell, since I was there too, I have to help.”
“Ha!” I tapped his nose and passed him the cards. “They have to go in these little stands.” Extracting myself from his arms, I picked up the box that had the cute little stands in.
“This is what she’s got us doing?”
I nodded. “We’ve only done sixty. Not all the cards are cut to perfection, so we have to trim some. Grandpa is supposed to be helping, but…” I cut a look his way.
“He’s drinking a Bloody Mary and telling stories about Amsterdam.”
“Mhmm. We’re hoping he’ll fall asleep soon. We asked them to put an extra shot in this drink.”
“I thought you were keeping him off alcohol.”
“We were. Then we got tasked with this bullshit, so.” I lifted the box with a grimace and headed back for the table.
“And let me tell you.” Grandpa clutched his drink, slightly glassy-eyed. “She could ride a bull like a cowboy, if you know what I mean.”