King of the Friend Zone (Power of the Matchmaker)

by Pratt, Sheralyn

  Grace seemed to look at Esme’s parents to see if they would bail her out, but all she found was everyone looking at her and waiting for a response.

  “It’s nothing,” she said quickly. “It’s simply a personality difference.”

  “What is?” Esme pressed.

  Grace gave a little shrug, pink rising a bit in her cheeks. “I wonder sometimes if so much predictability isn’t a little boring. I’m Latina, babe. I need fire. I need my man to throw sparks. I need conflict and friction to hold my interest.”

  “You’re right,” Esme said with a smile. “That is a personality thing. With my job, the last thing I need in my life is more conflict.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” her mother said, and they all raised their glasses for another toast. “To compatibility.”

  Chapter 6

  After several hours of ripping out carpet, Hunter decided it was time for a break. Sitting against a window sill in the barren townhouse, he popped the tab on a beer and looked up to see if Luke would be joining him.

  His friend kept working like the machine he was, but he did glance up and speak for the first time since the sun went down.

  “If you’re done for the day, feel free to clock out, loser.”

  Hunter arched a brow. “Loser?”

  “It’s Saturday night and you’re here with me,” Luke said as he measured and marked a cut line. “Loser.”

  “Hey, I’m not the only one without a date.”

  “But you are the only one here who hasn’t been on a date in the past week.”

  “Ah, yes,” Hunter said with feigned sincerity. “How was your fake date anyway?”

  “Fine. A Giants game. But yesterday you said you were going out tonight and weren’t going to show up. I wasn’t counting on you. What changed?”

  Hunter shrugged. “Why go out to a bar when I can get free beers here?”

  “Who said they were free?” Luke said before his table saw whined to life, making quick cuts.

  Hunter didn’t reply. He just drank and watched as his friend cut moulding.

  “What’s Esme up to tonight?” Luke asked as the saw died down.

  “Esme’s engaged.”

  Luke glanced up at him, eyebrow arched. “Already? That was fast.”

  “Yep.”

  Luke took out his tape measure and walked over to the farthest wall to get the measurement. “Did she ask you to be her maid of honor?”

  “You’re hilarious.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a fair question. As far as she’s concerned you’re a freakin’ Ken doll downstairs. It’s not a huge step to slap a dress on you.”

  “At least I won’t build the canopy she gets married under,” Hunter shot back.

  “I was eighteen and stupid. What’s your excuse?”

  Hunter didn’t have a response for that. At least not one he wanted to say out loud.

  Luke pointed to the tools. “I don’t care if you work or mope, but you can only do one of those things here with me. So there’s the tools or there’s the door. You choose.”

  Hunter let out a laugh before draining the can. “You’re going to call me out for moping? Isn’t that a little too much pot-and-kettle for me to take seriously?”

  “I’m not moping. I’m working.”

  “Dude. You’ve been moping after Ali since you were fifteen years old.”

  “And you’ve been pining after Esme since you were two,” Luke said, writing a measurement on the wall. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is that you brood like 99.9% of the time, so maybe you can lay off on the critiques for one night. I just found out Esme is engaged.”

  Luke shrugged. “But you always knew that was coming, so why the temper tantrum?”

  “I’m allowed to be pissed,” Hunter snapped. “She’s engaged to marry some guy I’ve never met. I mean, what’s that about? Who is this guy? And if she likes him so much, why haven’t we met?”

  “If she loves him, you mean?”

  Hunter scowled at his friend and grabbed another drink. “Whatever, dude.”

  Luke started measuring out the last wall in the room. Hunter watched him, annoyed at himself for being so transparent. Even still, if anyone could understand how he was feeling it was definitely Luke.

  “You suck at sympathy, you know that?” Hunter said, scowling at his friend.

  “Empathy,” Luke corrected. “You forget that I know exactly what you’re feeling.”

  “How could I forget?” Hunter shook his head. “As sucky as this is, I have to tell myself that at least I’m not the guy who’s in love with his cousin’s wife.”

  “Don’t cast stones,” Luke said, expression bitter as he lined up an angle cut on the next piece of moulding. “In a few months, you’ll be me. Maybe this doctor guy isn’t your cousin, but he’s going to get your girl and you’re going to be sidelined from the only thing you’ve really ever wanted your entire life, all because you’re too lame to tell Esme how you feel and see if she’ll make a different choice.”

  Hunter laughed outright. “I’m sorry, but have you met Esme?”

  “I have,” Luke said before making the cut. “Remember? I took her to junior prom when a certain someone was too chicken to ask her himself.”

  Hunter flipped him off. “That was a pity date on her part.”

  “I’m still the one who got to slow dance with her.”

  “Only because you were trying to get Ali jealous, which—by the way—totally didn’t work.” The comment was right on the line of aiming too low, but Hunter didn’t care at the moment. The traded barbs felt good.

  Luke’s mouth set into a tense line. “Maybe so. But you’d better get ready, because when Esme finally gets married, I’m going drag you as hard as you’ve been dragging me for the past decade. It’s payback time. You slam me now for being in love with a married woman, but that’s about to be you.” Luke picked up his beer and raised it between them. “Can’t wait to welcome you to the club. We can go on fake dates together and try to trick everyone into believing that we’re not the biggest losers in this city.”

  Hunter let his drink hang at his side. “I hate you, man.”

  “You hate yourself,” Luke said, taking a can from the six-pack. “It’s why you’re here stealing beers and getting zero work done rather that heading over to Esme’s place and telling her to ditch this doctor dude and give you a try instead.”

  The impulse to punch his friend came on strong and faded slowly. “Yeah. Because that would end well.”

  Luke shrugged. “Well, look at me and you’ll see what the alternative looks like. You can make the same choice as me, man, but don’t expect any pity. If you choose to ride in the friend zone so you don’t lose contact with her, then that’s on you. It’s a choice. Make it, or make another one. But don’t show up on my work site, be useless, and drink my beer like you’ve earned it.”

  “You’re a sucky best friend, you know that?”

  “Takes one to know one.”

  He had a point, but it didn’t stop Hunter from pushing away from the wall. “I’m out of here.”

  “Headed to Esme’s?”

  Hunter held up his middle finger in response and started to the front door right as someone knocked. He paused. “Expecting anyone?”

  “Nope,” Luke said before walking past him and opening the door.

  It was Esme. Of course. Beaming like a full moon in a clear night sky.

  “Luke!” she squealed before throwing her arms around him.

  Hunter felt a growl form in the back of his throat as his two friends pressed together, but he swallowed the sound back by taking a drink.

  “Hey, Ez,” Luke said, giving her what Hunter deemed to be an unnecessary squeeze that momentarily tightened their hug. “Hunter told me the news. Congratulations!”

  “Thank you! I tell you, it doesn’t feel real yet.”

  “It probably won’t for a while,” he said, finally pulling away from the hug and putting space
between them. “Gotta say I’m honored you fit me in for a visit. You must have had a busy day.”

  “Definitely,” she said sending a smile Hunter’s way.

  No hug for him, apparently. As quickly as her smile of greeting came his way, it left again and she was back to focusing on Luke.

  And Luke wanted Hunter to throw all his cards on the table and ask Esme to choose him? Yeah, right. That would end well. She didn’t even hug him unless he was the one who offered.

  “I had to see you,” she said, smiling up at Luke. “And we both know that you’re not shy to burn the midnight oil when you’re flipping a property.” Her eyes moved around the space, assessing it. “This is really nice. I can tell it’s going to be elegant by the time you’re done.”

  “That’s the plan,” Luke said. “If I do things right, I should get a minimum of sixty grand in profit out of this.”

  Esme let out a low whistle. “That’s a nice payday for three month’s work.”

  “It is,” Luke agreed. “But forget about this mess. I want to hear all about this man no one’s met.”

  “I know,” she said, pulling a face. “I promise that wasn’t intentional. It’s just how things turned out.”

  “I get it,” Luke said, pulling over the only chair in the entire place for her to sit in. “But now I need to hear all the details, so get comfy. Want a drink?”

  “Sure,” she said, dropping into the chair as Hunter reclined against the wall to listen in. Hopefully Luke would ask all the questions Hunter hadn’t dared to ask earlier.

  “Okay, first things first,” Luke said, popping the top on Esme’s drink and handing it over. “What’s his astrological sign?”

  Hunter pulled a face. What did that have to do with anything?

  Apparently Esme knew, because she threw her head back and laughed. “That’s going to be Ali’s first question, isn’t it?”

  “Quite possibly,” Luke said, leaning against the wall with Hunter.

  Esme rolled her eyes. “It’s so weird how into that she is when, according to astrology, she and Kade are incompatible as they come. But they’re going on how many years now?”

  “Together twelve, married nine,” Luke said without hesitation.

  Esme shook her head. “We’ve looked up their compatibility horoscope on every website possible, and according to astrology they shouldn’t have lasted a month.”

  “Maybe because Kade is less Gemini and more narcissist,” Hunter muttered. “He defies the zodiac.”

  “Amen to that,” Esme said before they both looked at Luke. Everyone knew he was in love with Ali…everyone but Ali. “Allegedly he hasn’t cheated on her for a year now. Think there’s any truth to that?”

  Luke shrugged. “She chooses not to look too hard and to trust him, so I do the same. If I find something out, she doesn’t want me to tell her anyway. History has taught me that.”

  Esme shook her head, obviously biting her tongue. “Well, you can inform Ali that Jon is a highly intelligent Aquarius. I don’t know what that means, but trust me. We’re compatible.”

  To Hunter’s surprise, Luke frowned. “Well, get ready for her to tell you that while Leo and Aquarius may be highly attracted to each other out of the gate, your inability to communicate on the same level will serve as a longterm obstacle.”

  “Not true,” Esme said without hesitation. “Jon and I can communicate almost everything with a glance, and we haven’t fought once yet.”

  Luke held his hands up in surrender. “Don’t convince me. Convince Ali. She’s the one who’s going to give you marriage advice based on a google search of your astrological signs.”

  Esme smiled. “I miss that girl. We need to go on a double date sometime…or triple date if Hunter will actually start dating someone.”

  Hunter shrugged. “You can go without me. My feelings won’t be hurt.”

  Esme shook her head. “We’ve got to work on this guy, Luke. I can’t get married and have a single best friend.” She shifted into a southern drawl. “People will talk.”

  To his surprise, Luke had her back. “I know a few women I could probably set him up with.”

  “Excellent,” Esme hissed. “You should make a portfolio for me to peruse and we shall select his future mate together.”

  How in the world had the conversation drifted this direction? They were supposed to be talking about Jon. Hunter was supposed to be getting the inside scoop, but instead his friends were conspiring to play matchmaker for him.

  No thanks.

  The last thing on the planet Hunter needed was to meet a woman Esme thought was perfect for him. That would be obscenely depressing.

  “I’ve always seen him with a brunette,” Esme said.

  “Really?” Luke said thoughtfully. “I’ve always imagined blonde for him.”

  Hunter sent his friend a warning look.

  “Definitely not,” Esme said. “At least 80% of the women he’s dated have been brunettes.”

  “Hmm,” Luke said, appearing to consider that. “I guess I haven’t paid as close attention as you.”

  Hunter almost elbowed his friend. He knew what Luke was doing. He also knew it was pointless. “Enough about me. What about Jon?”

  To his relief, Luke nodded. “Indeed. What about Aquarius Jon?”

  “Well,” Esme said, smiling up at them. “He’s a doctor, a natural problem solver, and he loves the fine things in life.”

  “Ah, I’m seeing the connection now,” Luke mused.

  “I know,” she laughed. “Not going to lie. We spend half our time eating or exploring art and historical sites. He’s all about experiences, and I can honestly tell you that we’ve never had a boring date. We’re always experiencing some new spot or delicacy.”

  “No wonder you never fight,” Luke said. “You’re too blissed out.”

  “It’s true,” Esme agreed. “He’s so good about the details. It’s amazing. To tell you the truth, I think it’s going to be fun being married to a perfectionist.”

  Hunter and Luke shared a look of terror.

  “I’ll take Things Only Women Say for $600, Alex,” Hunter muttered and Luke laughed.

  “I’m serious,” Esme said. “He’s so great. I can’t wait for you both to meet him.” Then she stabbed a finger at Hunter. “And I expect you to be nice to him, okay?”

  “Me?” Hunter said, doing his best to appear innocent.

  She narrowed her eyes on him playfully. “Yes, you. He’s not some boyfriend I need you to test or chase away. He’s the man I’m going to marry, and I need you to get on his good side so we can all be friends. Promise me?”

  Hunter pretended to be affronted. “You think I’m going to try to be his enemy?”

  This time it was Esme and Luke that shared the look of disbelief.

  “You have to admit that you don’t have a good track record for meeting my boyfriends.”

  “She’s got you there,” Luke agreed.

  “I can be nice,” Hunter argued.

  “Yes. But will you?” Esme asked before folding her arms and staring him down like only she could.

  “Why do we keep coming back to me?” Hunter complained. “We’re supposed to be talking about Jon.”

  “And we will. But I’m not moving on until you promise you’ll be nice when you meet him,” Esme said. “My future happiness depends on you two getting along, and I’d really prefer it if you didn’t screw that up right out of the gate.”

  “Fine! I’ll be nice, okay? I promise.”

  “Excellent,” Esme smiled. “Now back to Jon. What do you want to know?”

  Hunter and Luke looked at each other, both confused. Hunter was glad when Luke answered for the both of them.

  “We’re guys, Ez. We don’t ask questions about other dudes. You gush while we listen politely. That’s how this works.”

  “Right,” Esme said with a nod. Then she started into it and, as promised, Hunter listened.

  Jon had money. Jon was handsome. Jon like to
eat. Jon appreciated the fine—and refined—things in life. Jon traveled a lot. Jon had a timeshare.

  That was about all Hunter got before he tuned out and came to a troubling conclusion: Few things were certain in life, but Hunter felt fairly certain that there was not a universe in which he and Jon would be friends. But he would do his best to be nice to the man anyway. For Esme, he would try.

  Chapter 7

  The green beacon glowing faintly through the thick sheet of night fog pinpointed the location of the fire. Hunter’s truck was the second on the scene, which meant they could use the light on the first engine to guide them until they were able to see the flaming three-story building they’d been called to.

  This fire was definitely going to need another engine.

  Hunter looked up, seeing nothing but the dim glow of flames through dense fog. Power lines were long past invisible, as was the roofline which was why his team had been called in. Zero visibility made things more complicated.

  “Turn on our fog light and get us in position to ventilate the roof while I find the chief,” Hunter called over his shoulder and his men shouted back their confirmation.

  The truck was still coming to a stop when Hunter stepped out to search for the chief in the fog. He could hear men yelling and fire hoses already aimed at the building, but he couldn’t hear the chief and he couldn’t see a thing.

  “Chief Anders!” he called out, and was reaching for his radio right as another fireman stepped out of the fog and into view.

  “The chief is on crowd control. We have some wackos who won’t get out of the danger zone.”

  “Where?” Hunter asked, and the guy pointed off to Hunter’s left. “Thanks, man.”

  The firefighter nodded and disappeared back into the fog.

  Hunter moved to the sidewalk to find the chief herding hippies. Literally. One of them was even burning sage and waving the smoke at the building.

  “I need everyone to step back!” the chief was yelling as he used his arms to try to usher the group away from the flames.

  They weren’t moving.

  Hunter glanced around as he approached his chief, seeing nothing but fog and flames while feeling the occasional splash of water against his face. “Are there no officers on the scene yet?” he asked the chief.