“It’s not like that…”
“Right. The two of you keep tripping and locking lips by accident.” Jen’s dry tone made Selena laugh. “Look, I can’t make you call him; all I can do is encourage you.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I can’t promise that I won’t prompt him if he calls with an update.”
“Do what you have to do,” Selena challenged.
“Don’t tempt me.”
Selena shrugged and sat down on the sofa with her glass of orange juice. “Well, keep me posted on whether you hear anything, and I can be flexible. Wherever you need me to be, that’s where I’ll be.” She hugged Jen and wished her a good day.
Alone in the suite, Selena realized it was too early to get ready for her lunch plans and decided to check on business back in North Carolina, to make sure all was well there. Her assistant, Kate, was a godsend—an hour later, Selena was completely caught up with everything she needed. There was a certain peace to knowing everything was under control back home, but it also left her with nothing to do.
It was just a little after nine, and she felt restless. Pacing the suite, she thought about going to the gym but didn’t have the ambition, then she thought about ordering breakfast but found she wasn’t particularly hungry. Her mind wandered to yesterday and seeing James. Maybe Jen was right. Maybe she needed to take that step and try to talk with him.
She’d done it before; she could do it again.
* * *
There was no way she was going to wait weeks to see him again. After school, Selena took a detour by the house where she and Jen had dropped James off earlier. She had no idea if he’d still be there, but she just knew she had to see him again.
She slowed as she approached the house. As if he could sense that she was there, James stopped what he was doing and turned around. He put his hand above his brow to shade his eyes.
The car came to a stop just as he reached the curb.
“Hi,” they both said in unison.
“So, um, I just wanted to stop and say thank you for lunch today,” she said, trying to think of a reason for being there. “I realized that I never said it earlier so…thank you. I’ll pay you back. Promise.”
Silence. He just stared at her with a lazy grin. It was then she realized that she must be interrupting his work and decided that stopping by was probably a foolish thing to do. Before she made an even bigger fool of herself, she gave a tight smile. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your work. So—”
“Why aren’t you at practice right now?”
“What?”
“Practice. Don’t you normally have cheer or dance practice or something after school?”
“Oh, I…um…I didn’t feel like it today,” she said honestly.
“Uh-huh.” He continued to watch her with that grin, and she could only hope James didn’t notice her squirm in her seat.
“Well, I don’t want to keep you from your—”
“You said that already,” he said teasingly.
“You keep interrupting me,” she teased right back.
“Actually, I’m done for the day, so you’re not keeping me from anything. I was just looking over what I’d done. Want to come and see it?”
“Sure.” It was no more than a whisper.
“You can pull into the driveway.”
She pulled in where he had indicated and was surprised, again, when he appeared next to her and opened her car door. The look on her face caused him to smile. Without breaking eye contact, he held out a hand to her.
“I won’t bite,” he said when she didn’t move.
She couldn’t respond; she could only take his hand, climb out, and return his smile. They walked around the yard, still holding hands, as he explained about all of the different plants they had put in and why they were placed where they were and any other interesting facts he could think of.
“What’s this one?” she asked as she examined and smelled the fragrant plant. “The purple flowers are beautiful.”
“That’s a butterfly bush.”
“No, seriously. What’s it called?”
“Seriously, it’s called a butterfly bush.” When she still looked at him with disbelief, he caved. “Okay, butterfly bush or Buddleja davidii is a favorite shrub of mine because of its colorful flowers and ability to attract a variety of beneficial insects. It’s native to China, but it adapted to most regions of the southeast. It can be killed during a harsh winter, though. We tried to talk the homeowner out of using it, since we get some really extreme winters up here, but they were insistent. The wife saw it while on vacation, and she couldn’t be swayed.”
“Won’t she be mad when it dies after one winter?”
James shrugged. “Probably, but we explained the risks. It’s a shame it’s not sturdier. In the right climate, on a sunny day, it’s not unusual to find one of these with dozens of butterflies hovering around.” He pictured Selena surrounded by flowers and butterflies. “Beautiful,” he murmured.
“I’m sure it is,” she said with a wistful sigh. “The yard looks amazing.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“Well, thanks for showing me around. It was interesting; I didn’t realize that so much went in to landscaping.” She turned to walk away, but he gently placed a hand on her arm.
“Hey, since you’re here, could you maybe give me a ride?” James asked. Selena stared at him quizzically. “I, um, I don’t have a car. Normally I walk home or my boss picks me up, but it’s looking pretty gray right now, and I don’t look forward to walking…”
“Oh, yeah. Of course,” she stammered as they headed back toward her car. Selena was secretly thrilled to have some extra time with him. “You’ll have to tell me where you live.”
It wasn’t a long drive—far too short for her liking. She had forgotten that he was living with Kent and his family and was embarrassed when she realized she had already known the way there. When they pulled up just a few short minutes later, she searched her brain for something to say to extend their time together. “So, how are you and Kent related?”
“Our moms are cousins.”
She nodded. “Where is your family?”
“North Carolina.”
“How come you’re—”
She never got the chance to finish. Without a word, James reached out and cupped a hand behind her neck and pulled her close to kiss her. His lips were firm yet gentle, giving her time to either accept his kiss or pull away.
She chose to accept. As his lips moved over hers, Selena realized that she had never been kissed like this before. It was so intimate, so intense, she felt as though she would die if he stopped kissing her. Nothing else mattered except getting closer to James and staying there. He seemed completely on board with her way of thinking.
It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours by the time they reluctantly broke apart. Selena stared up at him, her eyes a little dazed at the intimacy they had just shared. “I probably should have asked you first,” James said softly, his thumb tracing her bottom lip, “but I was afraid you’d say no.”
She smiled. “I think I wanted you to do that since I first met you.”
His gaze turned from slumberous to heat in an instant. “All you had to do was ask.”
“James?” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
“Kiss me.”
He was right. All she had to do was ask.
* * *
Before her nerves got the best of her, Selena opened her laptop and Googled the number for James’s precinct. Once she had it, not giving herself time to think, Selena picked up her phone and called the number. “James Montgomery, please,” she said as soon as the operator answered. It wasn’t long before James picked up.
“Montgomery.”
“James, it’s S
elena.” Silence. “Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” he said curtly. “What can I do for you?”
Well, there was a loaded question if she’d ever heard one. “Um, I was wondering if you had time to meet for coffee today or something.”
“You don’t drink coffee,” he said.
She was momentarily stunned he remembered that about her. “Well, most places don’t serve only coffee,” she said lightly. “I just thought that maybe, considering the events of the last couple of days, we should sit down and…talk.” There. She’d said it and now the ball was in his court.
“I might be able to get away this afternoon for a bit. Where?”
Selena could tell by his tone that he wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of getting together with her. “The hotel has a coffee shop. We can meet there if it’s convenient for you, or I can meet you someplace closer to the station.”
James rattled off the address of a Starbucks in the area of the precinct. “I can meet you there around three.”
“Okay. Thanks.” When Selena hung up, she felt lighter, more hopeful. Maybe this wouldn’t be a bad thing; after all, she’d had ten years to prepare for it. Rising from the sofa, she went about getting ready to meet her friends for lunch. She put a little extra effort into how she looked because she doubted there would be time to come back to the hotel and freshen up.
Finding the balance between casual and professional, she decided on black slacks with a black silk shell, a teal scarf, and a black flyaway sweater. Black leather ankle boots completed the ensemble, and while she wasn’t sure at first about all of the black, the teal scarf and dangly earrings accented it perfectly, along with a big teal purse.
A final glance in the mirror had her pleased with what she saw, and for a brief moment, she tried to imagine how James was going to see her. Would he think that she had dressed for him? Did she look like she was trying too hard to impress? Shaking her head, she realized that paranoia was beginning to overwhelm her. “I look completely normal, exactly the way I would dress when meeting a friend for lunch. Which I am.”
Personal pep talk completed, she walked around the suite and collected all the reunion paperwork she was going to need along with her briefcase and her phone. Glancing around the room and certain that she hadn’t forgotten anything, she stepped out, pulling the door closed behind her.
She rode the elevator down to the lobby and felt confident in what the day held for her. If only the cops could find this Todd guy and ease Jen’s mind, it would be a perfect day.
Chapter 5
He was late.
It was now after four and Selena was beyond furious. She had called the police station and could not get an answer as to where he was. It was more than possible that he had been called away on some sort of police business, but he could have at least let her know. Calling Jen to get his number was a possibility, but Selena thought she’d be damned if she’d chase him down. She had extended the olive branch, and now he was being spiteful. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Well, fine. Let him be spiteful. Another glance at her watch showed it going on four twenty. She’d give him until four thirty and then she’d leave, to hell with closure. Ten years ago she was thrust into a situation beyond her control, and when she had needed James the most, he had bailed. She didn’t need him now. She had lived just fine without him—barely—but now, seeing him for who he really was had opened her eyes. If there had been any lingering—overly romanticized hopes and memories on her part—this little stunt of his had certainly killed them.
Finishing off the hot chocolate she had ordered, Selena meticulously cleared off the table and threw away her trash. She made her way to the door slowly, and once outside, she even stopped to look around just in case he was walking her way. This part of town wasn’t familiar to her, and she wasn’t even sure which direction James’s police precinct was or where he would be coming from. But as she looked around, she felt empty and defeated. Everything she thought she needed had been right within her reach, and James Montgomery had taken it away again—leaving her alone, with nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Again.
With a sense of determination, she walked back to her car with her head held high—just in case he was lurking around and watching her. That’s when her phone rang. Certain that it was James calling with an apology, she was disappointed to see Jen’s face appear on the screen. “Hey!” Selena answered, forcing herself to sound cheery when she felt like screaming. “How was your day? Where are you?”
“Exhausting as usual,” Jen replied. “I talked to Mike, and there’s still no sign of Todd, but…I think I’m going to sleep at home tonight. I know you paid for the hotel, and it’s not that I don’t appreciate it, and if you want to stay with me tonight, that’s fine…”
“But…” Selena prompted.
“But…I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed with everything, and I kind of wanted some time alone. I know I hounded you about coming home and spending time with me, and here I am all but throwing you out…”
“Jen, Jen,” Selena interrupted. “It’s okay. I completely understand. To be honest, today was a little exhausting for me too.” She knew it wasn’t fair to dump any more drama on Jen, but that’s what friends were for, right?
“How did the lunch go?” Jen asked.
Selena told her about the fun she’d had with the girls and all of the plans they had confirmed, and then told her about James standing her up. “I’m not gonna lie to you, I’m kind of pissed.”
“I don’t believe he did it on purpose,” Jen said, coming to James’s defense. “I’m sure he just got busy and didn’t have your number.”
“Maybe,” Selena said begrudgingly. “It still pisses me off.” That was an understatement if she had ever uttered one.
“Rightfully so. So what are you going to do? Are you going to call him again?”
“I’m not going to do a damn thing. If he wants to talk to me, he can call me, and maybe I’ll try to fit him into my schedule.”
“Selena…” Jen warned. “Enough is enough. It’s not going to do you any good to play at being spiteful. If he calls, promise me you’ll hear him out.”
“I was ready to hear him out this afternoon, if you recall.” Selena sighed loudly. “I’m a grown woman, and he still has the ability to make me feel like I’m still in high school. It’s pretty damn annoying.” And humiliating.
“Look, I’m not going to pretend to understand all that’s going on in your head right now. I just think you need to keep in mind that there are two sides to every story,” Jen said.
It was hard to argue with that kind of logic. “Fine. If he calls, and I’m doubting that he will, I will hear him out.” Maybe. “But I’m still pissed that he didn’t show and I’m not going to pretend I’m not.”
“Okay, okay… I guess I can understand that. So are you just going to go back to the hotel and hang out, or do you still want to meet for dinner or something?”
“No, you go on home and enjoy being there,” Selena said. “I think I’m going to head back to the hotel now, order some room service, take a nice long soak in the tub, and just relax.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I was thinking of visiting my grandmother. I know you’re not on board with me surprising her, but this week is going to fly by, and if I don’t make time now, I may not get a chance to see her. By Thursday, I’m going to be super busy overseeing all the final preps for the reunion.”
“When am I going to see you, then?”
“Whenever you want,” Selena said with a laugh. “Go have a quiet night at home and call me when you get done with work tomorrow, and we’ll take it from there. I seriously don’t mind staying at the hotel so you can have some quiet time to yourself. It’s been a wild couple of days.”
“That’s putting it mildl
y. Are you sure you’re not mad?”
“I’m positive, Jen. This is like a mini-vacation for me, and I never allow myself to take a vacation. It’s kind of nice. I may book another massage.”
“You’re just saying that to make me jealous.”
“And room service for two. They don’t need to know you went home.”
“Well, don’t forget that we have little black dresses to get into this weekend, so no more cheeseburgers and milk shakes for dinner.”
“Oh, you’re no fun!” They hung up, and for the first time in several hours, Selena actually felt better. “The hell with James Montgomery,” she said as she climbed into her car. “Clearly there’s a reason we didn’t work out then and why we wouldn’t work out today.”
Once back at the hotel, she did exactly what she had described to Jen—soaked in the tub, ordered room service (grilled chicken and a Greek salad), and turned off her phone before settling down to watch a little TV. It didn’t take long for her to realize she was more tired than she had thought, and by eight o’clock, Selena could barely keep her eyes open. She stood and stretched and headed toward her bedroom. “I can go to bed anytime I want,” she said around a big yawn. “And no set time to get up. I am living the dream.” She crawled into bed, turned off the bedside lamp, and fell immediately to sleep.
* * *
Selena had never been so happy in her entire life. It was a month after graduation, and she and James were celebrating their eight-month anniversary at the beach. They had been talking about their future, and while Selena knew her family was not going to be on board with her plans, she couldn’t be happier about them.
“I can’t believe there are no crowds here today,” she said as she cleaned up their picnic. “I would have thought we’d be hard-pressed to find a spot.”
“It’s late in the day. The crowds are all sunburned and on their way home.” He kissed her arm. “We’ll have to take care and not let you get burned with all this fair skin.” He was kissing his way upward. “How about I just lie on top of you and keep you covered?” he suggested with an impish grin while waggling his eyebrows.
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