Status Update (Second Chances)

by Carr, Mari

  Laura admired Bryan’s strength, his courage. There was a sadness in his eyes when he spoke about his wife that told her he hadn’t had an easy go of it these last few years. “My kids wouldn’t have let me move to their college towns, period, but considering they were twins and they attended universities on opposite sides of the state, it’s pretty safe to say that set-up wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

  “Attended?”

  “They graduated a year ago. I’m very pleased to say my children are both presently employed in their chosen professions and have started paying their debt to society. Kevin is a medical technician at a hospital near Roslyn and Katie teaches kindergarten here in town.”

  Bryan gestured toward the bar. “The band is finishing up this set and then they’re going to take a break. I promised to bring Trina a glass of water. You have a few minutes to hang out? I’d love to introduce you to her.”

  “Sure.” Laura followed Bryan to the bar, waiting as the bartender made Bryan a gin and tonic and poured Trina a glass of water.

  “You sure you don’t want something?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Better not. I’ve already overindulged on lemon shooters.”

  Bryan feigned a wince. “Ouch. Tomorrow could be painful.”

  “Sadly, I’m aware of that. I’m hoping to curtail some of the agony with Advil and water tonight before bed.”

  “So what about you?” Bryan asked as they dodged dancers, working their way toward the stage. “What are you up to these days?”

  “I’m a secretary in a high school.”

  “And your husband?”

  Laura paused. That question still took her unaware as she wondered if people would judge her harshly for giving up on a twenty-three-year marriage. “I’m divorced.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.”

  Laura shrugged. “It’s okay. I initiated the split.”

  “I see. Are you happy?”

  Laura didn’t know how to reply. When she’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask Mason for a divorce, happiness had been her goal. She’d spent years in a relationship with a man who had no capacity for joy. Laura suspected he was bipolar—or perhaps suffering from depression—but Mason insisted he was fine, refused to go to the doctor and blamed her for his inherent unhappiness. For years, his misery took its toll. She’d left Mason because she wanted to be happy again. But was she?

  Bryan interrupted her thoughts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a hard question.”

  “Let’s just say I’m searching for my happiness.”

  “Is that why you’re here tonight? Forgive me for saying it, but this doesn’t seem like it would be your normal environment.”

  Laura laughed. “It’s not. At all. My friends dragged me along. And yeah, I think this is part of my quest to rediscover the Laura I used to be. The one who laughed and danced and enjoyed life.”

  Bryan studied her face. “Is it working?”

  Laura’s face hurt from smiling. She was tipsy, relaxed and she’d laughed more tonight than in the entire previous year. Running into Bryan after so many years apart was the cherry on top of an excellent evening. “Yeah. It is.”

  “Good.”

  The band announced they were taking a short break. Trina walked over to join them. “Hey, Dad. Thanks,” she said as Bryan handed her the glass of water. “What did you think of that set?”

  “Best one of the night.”

  Trina beamed at her father’s praise. “Wait ’til you hear the last set.”

  Bryan turned toward her. “Trina, I’d like you to meet my best friend from high school. This is Laura Riley.”

  “Sanders.” Laura corrected him softly. She was still torn over whether or not to take her maiden name back. With her kids grown and out of school, she couldn’t think of a reason not to, but given Katie’s unhappiness over the divorce, Laura hadn’t wanted to add yet another upset to an injury that wasn’t healing very fast.

  “Sanders,” Bryan corrected.

  “You’re an incredible musician, Trina. Your music has blown me away. My daughter would absolutely love that song you played a little bit earlier. Was it called ‘Soul’?”

  “’My Soul’,” Trina said. “I wrote that.”

  “No way! That was my favorite song of the night.”

  Trina smiled. “We’re getting ready to cut our first CD in a couple weeks and I wasn’t sure if I should push for that song to be included. Now I think I will.”

  “I’d buy your CD for that song.”

  “Wow. Thanks, Ms. Sanders.”

  “Call me Laura.”

  Someone called Trina’s name and she turned toward the stage. “I have to get back up there. We’re trying to figure out which song to finish with.” Trina gave Bryan a quick kiss on the cheek. “Nice to meet you, Laura.”

  “You too.”

  While the band was on a break, a canned recording of dance music blared through the speakers. Will Smith’s “Switch” came on.

  “Oh my God, I love this song.”

  Bryan grinned and pointed to the dance floor. “Should we show these young kids how it’s done?”

  Laura raised her hand to refuse. “Hell no. I’ve been told my dancing is out of style.”

  “Screw ’em.” Bryan took her hand, dragging her into the throng of bodies. He grasped her waist, pulling her close. They began to move in time to the music, their gazes connected. Laura laughed when he spun her, mimicking the other dancers around them with the same bumping and grinding moves. Funny how the same too-close contact with the man-child Kevin had squicked her out, but with Bryan it was awakening all sorts of dirty desires.

  Laura let the alcohol, the music, the flashing lights and the heat take over as she moved sinuously against Bryan. Her libido kicked in with a vengeance, taking her unaware. His hands on her waist reminded her of a time when sex was exciting, fun, something she looked forward to. How long had it been since she felt this way?

  She twisted, wrapping her arms around Bryan’s shoulders, laughing when he placed a firm hand on her lower back and pushed her into a dip that was so sexual and hot, Laura couldn’t believe they weren’t setting off the smoke detectors.

  “You look beautiful, Laura. How the hell did I miss this in high school? If I hadn’t been such a blind fool, I’d have been on you like white on rice.”

  She rolled her eyes, grinning at his compliment. “We became friends when both of us were in the awkward middle school stage. Somehow I don’t think we ever managed to overlook that. You look incredible too, by the way.”

  He was sexy as sin. She wondered how he’d respond if she ran her hand along his chest, maybe letting it drift even lower until she found his cock. Would he enjoy such an inappropriate touch? Would he accept an invitation to come back to her place for more?

  Shit. She was starting to sound like Josie who’d developed a must-have-sex-soon obsession lately. Time to rein in the hormones.

  Laura hadn’t lied about their geeky looks in school. She’d gone through a very unattractive Dorothy Hamill hairstyle phase, complete with braces, while Bryan had sported a crew cut and thick glasses. Neither of them had managed to outgrow that unattractiveness until sophomore year. By then, the friendship was solid, and neither of them was interested in messing with the status quo.

  She was tempted now. Holy crap, was she tempted.

  Bryan’s hands slid along her waist, finding the tiny bit of skin revealed by her lifted arms. Was she imagining the sensual stroke of his fingers?

  Wishful thinking?

  He pulled her closer, their faces only inches apart. Heat coursed through her. Sure, the room was warm from so many gyrating bodies in a small space, but she didn’t think it was the exercise or crowd that was leaving her so hot and bothered.

  She ran her fingers through Bryan’s shaggy salt and pepper hair. He’d lost the crew cut and embraced the waves he’d cursed during their younger years. His face had matured, as he’d shed the clean-cut boy-next-door look. His ja
w was rough with a five o’clock shadow and there were laugh lines around his eyes that gave his face character. In a word, he was handsome.

  And she was completely attracted to him.

  She wasn’t sure where those feelings were coming from. She’d sworn with her divorce that she was finished with men. Laura had had enough male moodiness and so-so sex to last her a lifetime. She’d declared good riddance and hadn’t questioned that decision.

  Until now. Her sex drive had reemerged, screaming out loud and clear that it wasn’t finished yet.

  Bryan’s hand slipped beneath her blouse, touching her bare back, using his strength to guide them in the dance.

  It was sex to music, just as Georgie said. Laura pressed her hips closer, unsurprised to feel Bryan’s hard cock. He studied her face, then winked.

  Her smile grew. “You always were a shameless flirt.”

  “And you were always ready to take a walk on the wild side.”

  Laura turned her face away, staring at the dancers without seeing them. She couldn’t remember being that person, but as Bryan’s hands roamed over her skin, she wanted to escape the bonds of practicality. She longed to be uninhibited, carefree…wild.

  “Hey, Laura!”

  Laura caught sight of Kristen approaching her, shoving her way through the crowd.

  “We’re getting ready to go. Georgie overindulged on the shots and I’m afraid it’s not going to end well. Jason and Nick offered to drive us home. Okay?”

  Laura stepped away from Bryan. “Sure. Give me a minute?”

  Kristen took a long look at Bryan, then gave her a surprised, but approving, smile. “I’ll give you two if you make sure to get his phone number.”

  Bryan chuckled at Kristen’s matchmaking as she walked away. “Exchanging phone numbers sounds like a good idea to me.”

  Bryan led Laura back to where her friends were waiting. Georgie was definitely past the point of no return as Nick held her up. Kristen and Jason were settling the tab. “Looks like we better roll. Will you really join Facebook? There are quite a few of our friends from school on there and…” She paused, wondering if she was being too forward.

  “And?” he prompted.

  “I can send you my phone number through a private message.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll join. Might be fun to see what some of the gang is up to. And I’d like to see you again. Catch up.”

  “Laura?” Kristen said. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.” Laura pointed her finger, making a circle around her face. “I’ll Facebook you.”

  He laughed at her silly gesture, then put his pinky and thumb to his mouth and ear, mimicking a phone. “I’ll call you.”

  Chapter Two

  Laura Sanders

  I would totally take $125 an hour to fill a seat at the Oscars. That sort of ranks up there as best part-time job ever. How do I apply?!

  Laura placed the last plate of goodies on the coffee table and reached for a blanket, getting ready to settle in for a day of complete and utter laziness. A month had passed since she’d reconnected with Bryan at Blue Moon. Though she hadn’t seen him again, they’d talked nearly every single day, either through texting or Facebook.

  Georgie had been right. Seeking out her friends from high school had been a great idea. It was fun to reminisce about the old days. She was remembering things about herself that she’d forgotten and her old friends treated her like the girl she had been, rather than the woman she’d become. Laura enjoyed rediscovering little pieces of herself she’d lost.

  Looking at the food, she allowed herself one moment of melancholy. She’d invited Katie to spend the day with her, but at the last minute her daughter backed out, claiming she had too many papers to grade and declaring she was behind on her lesson plans. Laura accepted the excuses, though deep down inside, she questioned the truth of them.

  Prior to the divorce, she and her daughter had been as close as best friends. There was very little Katie didn’t tell her, and they’d spent hours discussing boys, shopping, watching romantic comedy movies together. All of that stopped when Laura left Mason. Always a daddy’s girl, Katie had taken her father’s side, tossing her anger and bitterness over the split solely on Laura’s doorstep. No amount of explaining would sway her daughter’s opinion, so Laura accepted the blame because ultimately she had been the one to walk away from the marriage.

  The distance between them these days sliced through Laura like a knife. Kristen insisted Katie just needed time, but that was a hard thing to give. She missed her daughter. Desperately.

  “Enough,” she muttered. Today was meant to be fun. A chance for her to revive some of the Laura she’d left at the altar when she said, “I do.”

  Her cell phone rang. She smiled when she spotted Bryan’s name on the screen.

  “Hey, stranger. How was the business trip? You back in town?” she asked.

  Bryan’s work had sent him to oversee the beginning of a new project in a city nearly three hours south of Harrisburg two weeks earlier.

  “Yep. I’m back. Got in late last night. I’m out running a few errands today. Are you at home?”

  “I sure am. Why?”

  “I’m in the neighborhood and wanted to drop something off. You up for a bit of company?”

  Laura’s heart started to race. She’d had a full month’s worth of dirty, dirty fantasies about Bryan since their dance at the bar. They’d become so overwhelming, she’d actually spent an evening shopping on the internet with Georgie, letting her friend help her find a vibrator to order. It had arrived a few days earlier, but Laura had been too nervous to try the thing out.

  “I’d love to see you, but I should warn you. I’m in my casual Sunday attire, not my Friday night barhopping clothes.”

  Bryan chuckled. “I’ll consider myself warned. I’m about ten minutes away. See you in a few.”

  Laura disconnected the phone and hopped up from the couch. She briefly considered carrying all the food she’d just set out back to the kitchen lest Bryan thought she was insane, then she dismissed the thought. She’d spent too many years of her life trying to fit a mold, to be the wife she thought her husband expected, to be the perfect mother. She was tired of hiding who she really was. Bryan was either going to have to accept her eccentricities or move on because she wasn’t playing games this time around.

  This time around? Shit.

  Time to practice restraint.

  No relationships. No relationships. No relationships.

  She couldn’t sort out her own messed-up life. She definitely shouldn’t drag someone else into her murky future. She’d started this year determined to figure out who she was…and that would be a hell of a lot easier without a man.

  Even so…she dashed upstairs to brush her teeth, fluff her hair and swipe on some mascara and lipstick. While she wasn’t going to hide her personality and she was going to attempt to keep her association with Bryan strictly in the just friends category, her vanity wouldn’t let her look like a complete slouch in front of him.

  She’d just come back downstairs when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to discover she hadn’t imagined Bryan’s unbelievable hotness. Today, in broad daylight, he was even more handsome than she’d remembered.

  He wore faded jeans and a simple blue T-shirt that looked soft and comfortable, but still outlined his muscular arms. Gone was the tall, gangly boy from school. This Bryan was broad shouldered, solid and filled out in all the right places.

  “Hiya, stranger.” She stepped away from the door stoop and gestured for him to come in.

  She expected him to walk by her, so she was surprised when he stepped in, closed the door, then took her in his arms and offered her a kiss so potent it would have blown her shoes off if she’d been wearing any.

  Laura stood stock still for several seconds, too stunned to respond. Then her body took over from her dim-witted brain. She lifted her arms to his shoulders, opening her lips and stealing a taste. Bryan’s tongue stroked hers as he
pushed her against the wall. Neither of them bothered to come up for air. Instead the seconds ticked by, turning to long, luscious minutes, as they explored each other’s mouth.

  Eventually, nearly four hundred years later, Laura’s brain engaged and she pulled away. “Bryan?”

  He smiled, looking completely unrepentant over his unexpected embrace. “I’ve dreamed about doing that since I saw you at Blue Moon.”

  Laura laughed. That was a feeling she could relate to. “How did reality rate against the fantasy?”

  “No comparison. You’ve blown every sex dream I’ve had out of the water.”

  She blushed. He’d been in the house less than ten minutes, kissed her senseless and now had her toying with the idea of giving him a tour of her townhouse—starting and ending with the bedroom.

  No relationships.

  Screw it. Josie had included getting laid on her list. Laura was suddenly seeing the wisdom in that.

  Bryan ran his hand along her face with a soft stroke that had her pussy clenching. “You look beautiful, hotshot.”

  She grinned at his use of her high school nickname. “Thanks.”

  “If I never see the inside of a hotel room again, it’ll be too soon.”

  “You were only gone two weeks.” She was sorry when he released her and continued into the townhouse. He smelled good, like soap and fresh-cut wood. “Why do you smell like wood?”

  Bryan seemed surprised, then lifted his arm to smell himself. “I was helping an elderly neighbor carrying in some firewood before I left the house.”

  “I thought you lived in an apartment.”

  He nodded. “I do. I’m renting the first floor of an older home near Leiceister Street. Nice old neighborhood. The house I’m in is the only one that’s sectioned off as a rental.”

  “Sounds like a good deal. There are beautiful homes on that street.”