“She has book club tonight.”
“She’s in a book club?”
“Yep, every other week.”
“Fun! We should join, Mare.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Maren said, placing her hand on my bicep and squeezing softly. “This is nice too, though.”
“Ugh, you two are nauseating.” She studied her menu and spoke softly to herself. “What do I want? What do I want? What do—”
“Oh for God’s sake, really?” Dev interrupted. “I mean, it’s not rocket science. Just pick something.”
Lyra slapped her menu shut and glowered at Dev, who polished off his beer and mirrored her actions, slamming it to the wood.
“Why don’t you go hit on a waitress or something?”
“Why don’t you go bang a professor? I’m sure we could track one down for you.”
Lyra rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You know what?”
“What, Your Majesty?”
“You could have just answered my text weeks ago and saved yourself a lot of embarrassment. Saved all of us, actually.”
“I’m not embarrassed.”
“You should be.”
“Whatever, Princess.”
“Stop calling me that! I tried to be nice to you, and guess what—I’m not trying anymore! I’m done!”
“Good!”
“Good!”
Silence fell over the table, and Scott, Maren, and I exchanged furtive glances as Dev and Lyra fumed. Dev’s chest heaved, and Lyra pursed her lips into a thin line, her arms still crossed as she pretended to watch the game. But Maren and I both knew she had zero interest in football. She just couldn’t stand to look at Dev.
“Hey there.” A petite waitress approached. “What can I get ya?”
“How about an escape hatch?” Dev joked.
“Screw you,” Lyra hissed.
“Can you give us a minute?” I asked, gritting my teeth.
“Nice job,” Dev taunted Lyra, who hopped off her barstool and grabbed her coat. “I’m outta here. Sorry, Mare… Sorry, Peter. I tried, but I just can’t.”
“Wait, Lyra,” Maren followed her out of the restaurant.
I leaned my elbows on the table, staring at Dev in disbelief. “Really, man? Was that necessary?”
Dev shrugged before leaning his elbows on the table. “She’s a drama queen, Peter. What did you expect?”
“She tried, Dev. You didn’t have to embarrass her like that.”
“Whatever, man. You’re just trying to impress your girlfriend. Why did you bring them anyway? This is our thing. Just the guys.”
“I mean, he’s kinda right,” Scott said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You probably should’ve asked us first, man. I’ve never let Allison come.”
“Wait,” Dev laughed, “say that again.”
Scott shook his head as Dev slapped his forearm and broke out in hysterics. “Poor girl better buy a vibrator.”
“Shut it, Dev. I’m about to turn on you too. Soon you’ll have no one left.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I went to yoga with Maren and Lyra and I thought it would be cool if they joined us. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal. And I did text you.”
“Right, you told me they were coming… You didn’t ask if it was all right.”
I paused, then nodded. “All right, I get it. Won’t happen again.”
“This,” Dev said, moving his hands back and forth among the three of us, “is sacred, man. I like your girl and everything, but don’t force her on us….and for the love of God, keep the other one away from me.”
“Look, I won’t bring her to Monday Night football again, but you’ve gotta get used to Maren being around. And with Maren comes Lyra… They’re a package deal. They’re best friends.”
“Fine, whatever, just….give me notice next time. I need to mentally prepare for that mess of a human.” Dev glanced down at his watch just as the waitress returned with appetizers.
“Late for something?”
“Nah, man…” He looked guilty as he grabbed his phone and typed furiously on the screen.
“Hot date?”
He shook his head, looking sheepish. “No.”
“You know…” Scott leaned back in his seat. “I haven’t seen you swiping right lately. Could it be that our boy Dev has found someone to hook up with more than once?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dev said, shoving his phone back in his jeans. “I was swiping two minutes ago, fool. Hell, I was swiping while I was arguing with the princess. I swipe so fast you never see it coming.”
He pretended to swipe the air again and again, eventually turning it into ridiculous, over-the-top martial arts movements. Scott and I chuckled, glad Dev’s humor had returned. But something was bugging me. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was the look on his face when he typed that text. He was secretive and determined and it felt oddly familiar, but I had no idea why…
“Hey,” Maren said, returning to the table and breaking my train of thought. Instead of taking her seat, she placed her hand on the back of her barstool.
“Is Lyra coming back?” I asked, looking past her for signs of Lyra.
Maren glanced at Dev before meeting my eyes and shaking her head. “Nah, she’s gonna head home. In fact, I’m going with her.”
“Maren, wait.”
“No, no, it’s okay. We’re gonna let you have your guys’ night,” she said, her smile sweet.
“Please don’t go,” I asked, knitting my brow and grabbing her hand.
“Monday Night Football is a guy thing, and I’m thinking that’s how it should stay.”
“Does that mean no more Bikram?” I asked, pressing my lips together in an exaggerated pout.
“We’ll see,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on my lips before grabbing her coat. “I gotta run; Lyra’s hailing a cab.”
“I’ll call you later.”
She turned back and smiled. “You’d better.”
Chapter 25
MAREN
It was Valentine’s Day weekend and I was a bundle of nerves as I opened the door of the shop. Today was the big book signing for Kristen Proby, and since we had hundreds of preordered books and dozens of women already lined up outside the shop, it was going to be a very busy day. My phone pinged with a text from Lyra:
-Got the cookies. They’re absolutely adorable! I’ll be there soon.
-What time is Kristen arriving?
-Oh shit, I forgot to follow up with her!!!
-Lyra, don’t mess with me today. I can’t handle it!
-Sorry, sorry! Of course I followed up—she’ll be at the store in 30 min. I gave her directions to the back door so her readers don’t take her hostage outside.
-Okay, I’m going to open doors so I can start handing out numbers and preordered books.
-Great. Cheryl is on her way, too. She should be there any minute. Gotta go!
-Thanks! What would I do without you?
“Hey” I heard a voice from the back room. Cheryl had arrived. “Put me to work, boss.”
Once our belongings were tucked away, Cheryl opened the doors of the shop and we directed our customers to the counter to pick up their books and numbers. At closing the night before, we’d set up a table for Kristen, as well as a table for the hundreds of cookies we’d ordered from a bakery down the block. Our thank-you to the readers for coming to the event.
When Lyra arrived, she set out platters of thick sugar cookies cut and frosted to look like purses and high-heeled shoes in bright beautiful colors like teal, hot pink, and violet. Each purse had a “K” on it and every shoe a “P.”
“She’s going to love them,” I said when Lyra brought two cookies up to the register to show us. The store was complete mayhem only minutes after opening the doors, and I worried we might break our fire codes. This had the potential of being our biggest event yet.
Right on schedule, we heard the doorbell ring for the back room. “Got it,” Lyra
said. Moments later, she re-emerged with Kristen. I excused myself from the register and walked to her. Her smile was warm and she carried a purse that looked almost just like the cookies we were serving.
“Kristen, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Maren, the owner of the shop.”
“Great to meet you. This is my husband, John.”
A tall man, who I recognized from her Instagram account, walked to join us. “Hey,” he said with a friendly grin. “Nice place you have here. I like it.”
“Thank you,” I said, shaking his hand.
“And I heard you make candles. I love candles. I’ll have to do some sniffing after the signing is over,” Kristen said with a broad smile. “So, where should I get set up? Looks like we’ve got a good crowd.”
“One of the biggest we’ve ever had. They’re pumped for your new release.”
“That’s always good to hear,” Kristen said with a grateful smile as she followed me to her table.
“There’s a microphone here for you in case you’d like to do a reading before you sign. We’re going to snake the line all around the store, so we should be able to have almost everyone inside in the next few minutes, books in hand.”
“Awesome. You’re so on top of this, I love it.”
Just then Valerie appeared. “Oh Kristen, this is the amazing Valerie McTavish.”
“Your stalker,” Valerie said, suppressing a laugh and extending her hand.
“Ah, yes.” Kristen threw her hands up and her laugh rippled through the air as she opened her arms. Valerie embraced her in a brief hug. “So great to finally meet you. Maren, this woman told me how amazing your shop is and I have to say, she was absolutely right.”
“Aww, thank you.” I said, feeling a little overwhelmed to have one of my favorite authors compliment my shop. I turned to look at Valerie. “And thank you, Valerie.”
Valerie waved me away. “It was nothing.”
“I’m going to head back to the desk and make sure everyone has a book in hand. It’ll help the line go quickly.”
“Great,” Kristen said with a nod. “I’ll be ready in five.”
“Let’s do this!”
Three hours later, Kristen was returning from a quick lunch break, and I met her at her table with a couple of cookies for her and her husband. The morning session had gone as smoothly as I’d hoped, and I was hoping the afternoon would follow suit.
“I’ll need to get the baker’s info. These are the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Her name’s Stephanie. She’s incredible—the little details in her work are so unique.”
“I bet they’re delicious too.” Kristen took a bite. “Mmm. Yep, I had a feeling.”
“So, I heard you need to be out of here by five,” I said, clapping my hands softly. I wanted to have my ducks in a row, and the last thing I wanted to do was to let the event run over and mess with any plans she might have for the evening. After all, it was Valentine’s Day.
“Yes, I hope that won’t be a problem. John is surprising me with a special dinner. I have no idea where we’re going.” She beamed at her husband.
“Aww, I love that.”
“And I’m sure you must have plans tonight. Valerie mentioned something about her son… You two have been together a while, huh?”
I clenched my teeth. “ Yes, but we’re actually floating Valentine’s Day until next weekend.”
“Because of this signing? Girl, don’t cancel on my account. Call him and tell him to pick you up at five. We’ll head out together.”
“I wish it was that simple. He’s in San Francisco for work. And he’s super supportive of me and my shop. He knows what a big deal this is.”
“That’s sweet, seriously it is. But I’m sure he’d want to see you this weekend.”
“He did invite me to come along, but this is where I belong. Please don’t give it another thought. Peter and I will just celebrate when he gets back. No big deal.”
“Hmmmm,” Kristen said, pursing her lips, deep in concentration. “I’ve got it! You should surprise him.”
“What? Like send him something?”
“No! Get your tush to the airport and get your man.”
“No, no. We have a big day planned.” I turned, looking around for Lyra. When we made eye contact, she joined us at the table.
“Girl, please. I am all about romantic gestures,” Kristen said with a wave of her hand.
“What romantic gesture?” Lyra asked, joining us at the table.
“I was telling Maren to get herself on a plane and surprise her boyfriend. I hear he’s in San Francisco. It’s a short flight; she can be there by dinnertime.”
Lyra smirked. “I mean…everyone has their books; they have their numbers. Really, we just need crowd control. Cheryl and I can handle that.
“No, no.” I closed my eyes and waved my hands wildly in the air. “This is the biggest event we’ve ever had; my place is here.”
“Maren, I’ve got this. Go on,” Lyra said with a conspiratorial wink, but I felt too guilty to run out on my store during an event I was desperate to have. It just wouldn’t be right.
“Let’s see what my readers think.” Kristen grabbed the microphone and greeted the crowd. “Hi, everyone, thanks so much for coming.”
The crowd erupted in applause and people yelled various greetings to Kristen.
“Before we get started, I just have a quick question that I’m hoping you can help me with. This pretty lady here is Maren, and she owns this beautiful shop. Right now, Maren’s boyfriend is in San Francisco for work and they’ve postponed their Valentine’s Day plans. Now, I’ve told her to get her cute little butt on a plane and get her man. But you know me, I’m a romantic. So, let’s leave it up to all of you—what do you think…should she go?”
The crowd went wild. Ladies across the store boomed with enthusiastic screams and what could only be described as excited battle cries. Kristen grinned from ear to ear as ladies started chanting, “Get your man! Get your man! Get your man!”
“Holy crap on a cracker,” I said, taking in the mayhem of the room. My cheeks were red hot, burning from embarrassment and exuberance.
“I think the people have spoken,” Kristen exclaimed with a boisterous laugh. “Go on, honey. Get your man!”
I turned to Lyra, my body humming with excitement. “Am I seriously doing this?”
“Abso-freaking-lutely!” Lyra said, slapping me on the butt. “McTavish will never know what hit him!”
Joy bubbled up inside of me, but still I attempted to slow everything down, to get my bearings. “But can I just get on a plane? I mean…this is crazy! What if all the flights are full? What if I end up stuck at the airport all day and could have been here helping you?”
“Stop looking for reasons not to and just do it!”
“Fine, okay…um…get my books signed, okay? Every single one. There’s a box under the table.”
Kristen glanced under the table. “Whoa. Valerie wasn’t kidding. She said you’ve read them all… Now I’m starting to believe her.”
“Guilty as charged.” I shrugged.
“I’ll start on yours now, so I don’t forget, and then we’ll get the line started. Sound good, Lyra?” Kristen asked, and Lyra nodded. I walked around the table and hugged Kristen tightly, every nerve in my body was buzzing.
“Thank you,” I said. “Seriously, thank you! I can’t believe I’m doing this!”
Kristen waved to the crowd and mouthed “get your man!” The crowd erupted again, and soon almost everyone in the store was chanting along.
I shuffled through the crowd to the cabinet where Cheryl was already holding my coat and purse. “Here you go, boss! Go get him!”
And with pulse-pounding certainty, I walked out the door of my shop.
I’m going to get my man.
Five hours later, I found myself climbing out of my Uber after arriving at Peter’s hotel in the heart of San Francisco. After entering the building through it’s revolv
ing door, I crossed through the elegant lobby that smelled like salty sea air. Realizing I had no idea what room he was in, I stopped at the front desk. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I pondered what I was doing. I could only hope that Peter would be as excited to see me as I was to surprise him.
“Checking in?” the woman behind the desk asked with a warm smile.
“Sort of,” I said, clenching my teeth and nervously tapping my fingers against the granite countertop. “My boyfriend is staying here with Ekisaito… I’m here to surprise him…. You know, for Valentine’s Day.”
“Ah, yes, Ekisaito. Well, I can give you his room number, but most likely he’s in the Rose Room. The execs are hosting a cocktail hour for their trainees and it’s,” she glanced down at her watch, “just about over. Most likely, he’s there. What’s his name?”
“Peter McTavish.”
“Ah, I see…Room 809.”
“Got it, thanks so much.” I stepped away from the counter, then stepped right back, my cheeks blushing. “I just realized I have no idea where the Rose Room is.”
“Ah, yes….to your right, take the long hallway past the elevators. You’ll hear the music.”
“Thanks, you’ve been very helpful.”
“Enjoy your stay, ma’am.” I bit my lower lip as I smiled and walked through the lobby to the Rose Room, thinking of all the ways I wanted to enjoy my stay with Peter. I imagined us riding the famous trolley all around the city, visiting the Fisherman’s Wharf and walking hand in hand through a park….or maybe we’d spend all of tomorrow in bed, ordering room service and making love over and over again. I’d brought two sets of lingerie—one black lace in my overnight bag. The other a deep crimson in silky satin that I was wearing underneath my dress. I couldn’t wait for Peter to help me out of it…
My hands trembled as I walked down the long hallway, my heels clicking against the marble floor. Just as the receptionist had advised, I followed the loud music of the Rose Room, which sounded like the hotel’s nightclub. I knew Peter enjoyed spending time with his team, so I was confident that if the Ekisaito employees were enjoying happy hour, then he would be right alongside them.
Melt With Me: A With Me In Seattle Universe Novel Page 23