"Isaac? Nope, don't know anybody by that name. I'd be more than happy to help you with whatever needs you might have, though."
"Drew," I growled.
My nephew turned to shoot me a smirk. Him moving had offered me a look at the woman he was talking to. Laurel stood anxiously on the front porch, looking poised to bolt. My temper threatened to flare, but I forced it down for her sake.
"Room, now," I told him, making sure my rough tone brokered no arguments.
He offered me a sarcastic salute before disappearing. Having him leave didn't seem to relax Laurel at all. If anything, it only made her look more on edge. She shifted from foot-to-foot, which struck me as an entirely un-Laurel-like thing for her to do.
"Can I come in?" she asked when I didn't extend an invitation.
"Shit. Yeah, sorry. Of course, come in." I sounded nervous as hell. Pulling the door open wider, I gave her a once over as she entered. In my excitement, I shut the door harder than I'd meant to. The slamming sound it made caused her to jump slightly. "Sorry," I mumbled.
Seeing her back in my house felt completely unreal. Her hair was bundled up in a loose knot on top of her head. White cotton shorts showed the expanse of her legs all the way up to her upper thighs. Had I ever even seen her in shorts before? She looked beautiful, as if she stepped straight out of my fantasies to come spend the day with me.
"I need a favor," she blurted.
My head snapped back on my neck. Apparently, I'd gotten more than a little ahead of myself. "What sort of favor?"
She crossed her arms in front of her. I struggled not to stare at the way it highlighted her cleavage in the green v-neck she was wearing. I knew she was self-conscious about her breasts. Had she purposely worn the top for my benefit? The other times I ran into her the tops she wore were still relatively conservative to hide her sizable bust.
"Could I have some water?" Laurel deflected.
"Sure." I nodded for her to follow me to the kitchen. She trailed several feet behind, but at least she followed.
I went through the motions of fixing her a glass of water the way I knew she liked. Half a cup of ice. Filtered water from the pitcher I bought specifically for her and kept even though I didn't know if she would ever step foot in my house again. She thanked me quietly when I slid the glass across the island counter to her. She gulped it down as if she was parched, avoiding eye contact with me.
"You know you can ask me for anything, right?" She still wasn't looking at me. "There really isn't anything I wouldn't do when you're the one asking."
After what felt like forever, her eyes hesitantly met mine.
"I'm organizing a fundraiser for Razor Hall. It's a themed art show we're doing on campus at the beginning of October. It's a big event. We want to use it as a jump-off point for finding new donors and re-branding the school as a place young artists can experiment." It was obvious her pitch was well-prepared, though I wasn't sure how I was involved. "We need more people involved to get things off the ground." Warmth spread through me as I realized she was asking for me to help her. I opened my mouth to agree. "It would really mean a lot if we could get your sister to help us."
I closed my mouth. I wasn't sure why I was so stupid as to let myself get my hopes up even though she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me.
Most people didn't know my sister Jocelyn's work. It was edgy, normally laced with despair. Her art hung in galleries all over the world, but she didn't draw much attention. While she'd been building her own personal art empire, her priorities were always about being one hell of a mother to Drew. She was the only parent he had after his dad died when he was young.
Normally, I never asked Jocelyn for favors. She was busy enough as it was. The last thing she needed was for me to make demands on her time when she was already stretched so thin. For Laurel, though? I wasn't kidding when I said I would do anything she asked.
Laurel eyed me as if she fully expected me to be an asshole about her request. I slid my phone out of my pocket, dialed, set the call to speakerphone, and set it on the counter between us. Her eyes widened. I mentally patted myself on the back for catching her off-guard.
"Hi."
"Hey, Joc." I trained my eyes on the phone, trying not to smile as I noticed Laurel creeping closer. "Are you busy?"
"Just fooling around in my studio. What's up? Everything okay with Andrew?"
"Yeah, Drew's fine. Listen, I actually have a favor to ask."
"I'm listening."
"I've got a friend working in Razor Hall—"
"The art program?" Jocelyn interrupted. "Since when are you friends with anyone there?"
Laurel's arm brushing against mine distracted me from the question. Her eyes were glued to the phone. It didn't even look like she noticed she'd gotten close enough that we were touching. She was completely lost in her own little world, impatiently waiting for things to work out the way she wanted them to. And I really wanted to make that happen for her.
"Isaac?" Jocelyn prompted.
"It's a long story. Anyway, the reason I was calling is that they're gonna be doing a fundraiser in October and it would really help them out to have you involved."
The line went quiet for a second. "I think I actually might have gotten an email about something like that the other day. I don't know, Isaac. Flaunting myself around isn't really my thing, you know that."
Laurel's fingers wove their way around the sleeve of my shirt, urging me to press forward. "You should at least consider it, Joc. Besides, it would be a great excuse to drop in on Drew mid-semester."
"Hmm." If nothing else, I knew she had to be curious about why I was so invested. "I'm coming in this weekend to do dinner with Drew. You come along and bring your friend. If the whole thing seems reasonable then I'll consider signing up or whatever it is you want me to do."
I glanced at Laurel, who shook her head wildly. "Joc, that's weird. She's not gonna wanna intrude on a family dinner."
"Then I guess she'll have to find someone else."
Jocelyn wasn't an idiot. Besides that, there was a good chance Drew had already spilled the beans about Laurel—at least what he knew of the situation. Laurel's shoulders sank down as she seemed to give up on the whole idea. I was certain she wasn't going to like what I was about to do.
"Okay, she'll be there," I announced, to Laurel's obvious surprise. Her lips parted as a sound of disbelief made its way up her throat.
My sister chuckled. "I'll text you later about the specifics. See you this weekend, little brother. Tell your friend that I'm looking forward to meeting her as well."
The phone line clicked dead between us.
Laurel seemed to suddenly realize how close she was and quickly moved back to the opposite side of the counter. Her panic was written all over her face. "I can't go to your family dinner."
"To be fair, we'd both be crashing it. Apparently, I wasn't getting an invite on my own, since I didn't even know Jocelyn was coming to town."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," she retorted.
I shrugged as if I didn't care either way. "You don't have to come, but that's the offer on the table. My sister stays busy. She won't make time for something new unless someone gives her a reason to. Feel free to decline the offer, though."
She rested her fingers against her bottom lip, seriously considering my words. "How are you being so cavalier about this right now?" She frowned harshly at me as the accusatory words left her mouth.
"It's just dinner. Is it really that big of a deal?" My eyebrows dipped in confusion.
"The last time she came to town…" She let her words trail off.
The last time my sister was in town was when she brought Drew to move in. Laurel wasn't around then, so I figured that wasn't what she meant. I struggled to remember when Jocelyn's last visit before that had been. Dread washed over me as my mind connected the dots. I'd inadvertently snubbed Laurel the last time Joc was in town. My sister hadn't known anything about the woman I was sleepi
ng with—other than her correctly guessing that there was someone—so I pretended not to know Laurel when I saw her out at the restaurant we were at. Honestly, when Laurel didn't mention it I just assumed she wasn't all that bothered by it at the time. Obviously, that wasn't the case.
"I didn't know what the proper etiquette was, Laurel. We'd both agreed things were casual between us. It wasn't like we were in a place to be meeting each other's families." She was back to not looking at me. "C'mon, Laurel. I'm sorry, okay. If I could go back and do things differently, I would. I should have introduced you."
She blew out a soft sigh. "I probably wouldn't have actually wanted you to." One of her shoulders lifted in a halfhearted shrug. "Are you sure it wouldn't be weird for me to come to dinner?"
"It might be a little weird, but you should come anyway."
She brushed her hand over the smooth marble of my countertop. It was a habit of hers, something she did every time she stood in my kitchen. I kept quiet because I could tell she was deep in thought. I was offering her a chance to get exactly what she asked for, but I didn't want to pressure to accept.
"Do you think we—" She coughed softly. "We could be friends, right?"
I nodded with a serious lack of enthusiasm. "Friends. Yeah."
"Can you text me when you have the details?" she asked, already shuffling back in the direction of the front door.
"That depends," I mused. She paused, curious to hear me out. "Are you gonna unblock my number?"
Her face flushed. I seriously doubted she was used to getting called out for things.
"Guess it's my turn to be sorry, huh?" She grabbed for her phone and fooled around with it. "There. All fixed."
A small grin slipped onto my face. She could still screen my calls the normal way if she wanted to, but having my number no longer blocked felt like a huge step in the right decision. Maybe things between us weren't such a lost cause after all.
"I'll walk you to the door," I offered. I really wanted to offer her a cup of coffee and a spot curled up next to me on the couch but… baby steps.
We made our way back to the door, her eyes roaming the space of my house though it hadn't changed much since her last visit. At the door, she turned and flung her arms around me. Surprise knocked the breath right out of me, but I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed. Too soon, she was pulling away again.
"Thank you for help, seriously."
"It was my pleasure," I managed to say despite still feeling like I couldn't quite catch a full breath.
A genuine smile on her face for the first time in my presence since being reunited, she stepped out the door and out onto the sidewalk in the direction towards campus. A steady ache built in my chest at the too-familiar scene of her walking away from me as I stood out on the porch watching her go. I searched frantically for a distraction, and my fingers landed on the phone I slid back into my pocket.
I yanked it out and touched the name still listed in my Favorites section. The line rang only twice before Laurel froze on the sidewalk. She turned and glanced back at the house, her phone raised in front of her. When she saw me standing there with my own phone pressed against my ear, she answered the call.
"Uh, hello?"
"Just making sure." I chuckled, pleased to hear her laughing alongside me. "I'll talk to you later, Laurel."
"Talk to you later," she echoed softly.
Laurel
Rows of university buildings passed in a blur outside the passenger window. "Will you be able to pick me up?" I asked Ivy, turning in my seat so I could face her.
"Nope." She raised a blue eyebrow at me. Earlier in the day, I was roped into helping her dye both her hair and brows the same vibrant color. It actually suited her. "I'm still holding out hope that Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sexy will bring you home. His home. Where you'll promptly tussle around his bedroom." She smirked.
The back of my head thumped against the window. I regretted giving in and telling her about my situation with Isaac. I caved after she wouldn't shut up about how cute Derek and I were as a couple. There was no way I wasn't going to clear up that misunderstanding. Besides, telling her I was having dinner with Professor Gilmore and his family sent her practically foaming at the mouth for details.
"You not wanting to resume sexy times with that fine piece of man meat really makes me reconsider how much progress you made this summer." Ivy tsked me.
"That ship has sailed." I sighed. "I'd like to believe I learned my lesson this time around, thanks."
Pulling up at a stop light, she nudged her sunglasses down her nose so she could glare at me over the top of them. "Laurel, sweetie, unless that lesson is 'always go back for seconds' then I'm done with your bitching."
I let out a muted groan and leaned further into the car door. Since I didn't leave campus often, I didn't have my own car. As insufferable as Ivy was being, I was half-tempted to ask her to pull over at the nearest used car lot. My slim paycheck reminded me that it was out of the question.
"Is this it?" Ivy let out an impressed whistle. "Fancy."
I gave the oversized building a once-over. The dark glass kept onlookers from seeing in, rising up in a monument for wealthy diners. The restaurant's exterior was unlike anything I saw growing up in the suburbs. I could only assume the inside would be as nerve-wracking. Staring down at my black high-heeled booties, I reconsidered going in.
"Uh, Laurel? Are you getting out?"
With a deep breath, I answered, "Yeah. I'm doing this." The future of Razor Hall depended on it. Advertising Jocelyn's involvement would be sure to bring an uptick in interest from the art community for the fall fundraiser.
I slipped out of the car, waving sarcastically at the rear of Ivy's car as she instantly hit the gas. Walking directly towards the building felt ominous, but I trudged forward. I was steps away from the entrance when Isaac appeared, holding the door open for me.
His grin was boyish. "Hey."
"Hey," I echoed. "Were you waiting for me?"
"I figured I shouldn't throw you to the wolves right off the bat. The least I could do was properly introduce you when you got here."
"Thanks." Gratitude warmed me.
Stepping inside, Isaac ushered me straight past the hostess station and into the main dining room. I recognized Isaac's nephew straightaway from the house. My gaze shifted to the dark-haired woman next to him.
Jocelyn Gilmore.
As if sensing my stare, she turned in her seat and smiled warmly in our direction. Isaac nudged me forward, and only then did I realize I'd paused my step in the middle of the dining room. Butterflies fluttered in the depths of my stomach. I didn't care that the woman was a semi-famous artist. Her being Isaac's sister was what was grating on my nerves.
"Thank you for this," I whispered to Isaac as we neared the table. I glanced up at him under my eyelashes, feeling myself blush slightly at the serious way he studied me.
"Hi, gorgeous," Isaac's nephew said much louder than necessary.
I stood to the side, uncomfortable as the nephew stood and grabbed my hand. The motion was much too familiar considering I met him only once before. I tried gently to extradite myself, but he maintained his grip on my hand.
"Lovely to see you again, Laurel."
He started at me expectantly until I answered, "Right. Uh, you too…" There was no choice but for me to trail off since I couldn't for the life of me remember his name.
"Drew," Isaac supplied. "His name is Drew."
An uncomfortable silence descended upon us as Drew's ego took the hit. He looked utterly offended as he dropped my hand. I shrugged sheepishly. The only time I met him I'd been too busy fighting off his weird advances to remember something as trivial as his name.
Jocelyn snorted, breaking the tension. "Sit down, Casanova," she instructed her son.
Isaac pulled out the chair opposite his sister and gestured for me to sit. I didn't think it was random that he chose to seat me there rather than across from his nephew. Isaac shot him a quic
k warning glare when he didn't think I was looking. Drew smirked in return.
I focused my attention on Jocelyn. "Thank you so much for letting me join you, Ms. Gilmore."
The laugh that shot out of her was more of a cackle. "Good lord, girl. You're here for family dinner. I imagine that means we can skip formalities. Jocelyn or even Joc is fine."
Rather than waiting for a response from me, she turned and struck up a conversation with her son. I politely remained silent. Crashing their family dinner meant I couldn't feel put-off by her prioritizing the time with her family. As a distraction, I studied the menu in front of me. After a few moments, Isaac leaned towards me, his elbow touching mine on the chair's armrest.
"Dr. Wallace always hosts our staff Christmas parties here. Everything is good, so you really can't go wrong ordering anything on the menu."
I turned my head to look at him straight on and immediately regretted it. His face was closer than I anticipated, leaving our lips mere inches apart. My mind involuntarily replayed our alleyway kiss on repeat. Clearing my throat, I remembered where I was and forced my eyes back to the table. Jocelyn, disentangled from the conversation with her son, was watching us with a wolfish grin.
"So, Laurel," Jocelyn began, "Tell me about your relationship with my brother."
Isaac sucked in a sharp breath of air. I could feel my entire body heating with my embarrassment. In the right circumstances, I would have thought the question meant for me to explain how I knew him. Jocelyn's tone made it clear that wasn't what she was asking.
"They banged," Drew helpfully supplied. He didn't stop at that either. He continued, "Then Isaac did something or another to run her off, and then wasted the whole summer moping around, pining after her. Now she's turned back up but I'm pretty sure she's not giving him the time of day. Which is a real shame, because I for one wouldn't mind seeing her around the house more often." He sent a sly smile in my direction.
Before You Go Page 5