by Megan Noelle
“Well at least I didn’t do it in front of your house.” Fuck—she saw the very heated kiss between Corey and I.
“Next time tell me.,” I said before I walked back to the living room.
Ollie looked bored in my absence and Grandpa had no problem pretending Ollie wasn’t there as he munched on the bacon wrapped-whatevers. I picked one up and popped it into my mouth. Ollie’s arms reached up to grab hold of my waist and pulled me down onto the couch next to him.
“I’ve missed you, Dee. I hoped by now you’d have some free time and would be looking for someone to help you fill it up.”
I flashed Ollie my sweetest smile. “I’m sorry, we have a wedding coming up in just a couple weeks. There is so much still to do for it.” Lie. “Things will slow down really soon though, I’m sure.” Hope not.
The first half of the evening I thought I endured just fine, and was beyond relieved when Gram called us in to dinner. Gram and Grandpa took their seats at the ends of the table, while Ollie and I sat across from one another.
The conversation was taken over by Oliver and Gram—which was completely fine in my mind. Every now and then I would try and add something to the conversation but my Gram always cast me a dirty look; apparently never pleased with the answer I gave.
Gramps would pitch in with questions, solely directed to me, which made me feel more at ease. Since talking about my personal life would inevitably lead to questions about Corey, I stuck to things I knew would interest them. Not only was Inn talk always welcome, but when I brought up Emily’s wedding, it was enjoyable. We talked about the flowers we’d ordered, the decorations and theme she wanted, and the entertainment. Gramps took a genuine interest in all I had to say, but Gram seemed irritated that I didn’t dive into a more personal topic. Ollie took an interest as well; doing his best to ask follow-up questions to the things I mentioned. All the while, staring at me under hooded lids in what I believed was a blatant effort to turn me on.
The moments I wasn’t talking, I counted the seconds that ticked by—willing it to be time to go. Gram on the other hand had a different plan for the night. This consisted of dragging out every course for as long as humanly possible. Dinner lasted two hours and while helping clear the table I shot a quick text to Corey.
Get here ASAP! I need to get out of here! Save me!!
If that didn’t send his rear end into gear—I had no idea what would. “Well, guys this was a wonderful dinner, but sadly it is time for me to go,” I announced nice and loud so all in the house could hear me.
“Good night, Dolly.” Grandpa said, squeezing me tightly to his side, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
“Good night, Gram,” I managed, as sweetly as possible. Although I did have a problem keeping the daggers from shooting out of my eyes at her.
“I’ll talk to you later, Ollie.” I waved goodbye and stepped out front to wait for Corey’s Jeep to rescue me.
The front door opened again and Ollie walked out with his jacket on ready to go. His expression still beamed as he looked at me.
“Sorry you got dragged into a dinner.” I felt a little guilty about making my getaway.
“Dani, I was happy they invited me. It gave me a chance to see you again.” The back of his knuckles grazed against my cheek.
“It is always fun to catch up. I promise to call you this week and set something up.” I said, hoping he’d took that as a ‘goodbye’ and leave. It wasn’t that I wanted to be mean to him or brush him off but I just knew that if Corey pulled up with Ollie still there—it wasn’t going to be good.
“Where’s your car?” He asked.
“Oh a friend is picking me up.”
Ollie tilted his head with a frown. “You didn’t need to have a friend pick you up; I would have been more than happy to drive you home.”
I smiled, my eyes darted to the road again searching for the Jeep. “I didn’t know if you’d have plans or not, besides—they offered.”
“Alright.”
Before I had a chance to react, he reached out and pulled me snugly into his chest. The last time I was wrapped up in Oliver’s body I felt something so strong I could hardly breathe. The way his warmth and strength held me was a feeling I usually wanted to get lost in. Right now though, I tried to keep my distance, but the hold he had around my waist was difficult to break away from. To appease him, I gave a swift squeeze back. When he finally let go, he leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth. Making his lips curve up into a half smile.
“I already can’t wait to see you again.” Oliver gave my arm one final squeeze then retreated towards his car. A sigh was about to escape when my eyes darted up and saw Corey, parked just 20 feet away from where I was rooted to the spot. His arrival, had completely escaped my attention; meaning he more than likely saw the whole embrace and almost kiss. Awesome. Before Corey could react and jump from his car and attack (which was exactly what the expression on his face looked ready for) I ran down the steps and took my spot in his car. Corey’s piercing glare was focused on Ollie as he watched him get into his vehicle and drive away.
I needed to defuse the situation as fast as possible; the tension in the car was already suffocating. My hand quickly reached out, letting my fingers intertwine with his, Corey seemed startled at the touch. My lips pressed delicately against the back of his hand; he looked at me and sighed.
“Who’s that?”
“Oliver.” I braced for his reaction.
“Figured.” He spat out. I felt his grip tense against mine, but I refused to let go. He threw the car into gear and took off toward my house. Though the silence killed me, I remained quiet and allowed him to work through whatever it was that brewed about in his mind. All the while my thumb traced slow, lazy circles on his hand to smooth out the tension in whatever way I could. As we approached my house I felt him relax; he lifted our intertwined hands to his lips and kissed the back, just as I had done.
The fact that he was calming down was a complete relief to me. Corey was not only one of the closest friends I’d ever had, but he meant more to me than I was able to admit. Hurting him was the furthest thing from my mind and I was sure the scene he witnessed did just that.
We pulled up to my house and Corey released me to climb out of the car. Instead of walking towards my house, he moved around to the trunk door. When I joined him at the back end of his vehicle my mouth hung open when I spotted a brand new tire sitting in on his back deck. Corey hoisted the tire out and carried it to my flat. After leaning it against the car, he returned to his to grab the necessary tools to finish the job. The whole time I watched in awe, hardly believing that he went through all this trouble for me.
“You bought me a tire?” Corey shrugged; setting the tools down on the ground. Before he sat down to work, I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. It took him a moment to register what was happening, but eventually he tightened his hold on me.
“Thank you.” I backed away and cupped his face in my hands. My eye contact was unfaltering, as I needed him to truly hear me. “I didn’t know he was going to be there tonight. My Gram thought it would be wise to surprise me.” I stood on my toes to brush my lips against his; the tension in his jaw softened under my touch. I released him and sat on the ground to watch him work. He slid the jack under the car and I got a pretty fantastic show of watching his muscles stretch and flex as he pumped the handle to lift my car. I discretely wiped the corners of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling.
“How did Violet even know to invite him?” His words were supposed to seem passive, but I heard the edge behind them.
I sighed. “Oliver told his grandparents he took me out and they told my Gram. So she took it upon herself to invite him over.”
Corey nodded and continued to work, trying his hardest to look unaffected by my explanation.
“If it makes you feel better, Gram saw our kiss when you dropped me off.” Corey let out a laugh, an easy smile reached his eyes as he continued working.
&n
bsp; “Oh yeah, what’d she say about that?”
“She used her clever tactics to get me to confess to a relationship. I don’t buy into my grandmother’s tricks though, which is why she probably dragged on the dinner. Pure torture.”
“So you didn’t like having him there tonight?” His eyes cast a glance at me.
“No, if I was going to have anyone there with me—it would have been you. Don’t forget, I asked you to join me for dinner. I had no hand in inviting Oliver.”
Corey finished replacing the tire and stood to face me. “You know when he hugged you goodbye that fool looked over at me with this smug ass grin on his face.”
“Oh.” What exactly did that mean? Was this just a game for Ollie—or was he trying to prove to Corey he had some kind of hold on me? Whatever the reason—I wasn’t happy.
“I don’t like him, Danielle. If you want to date others, fine. I promised to do this your way so I’m not going to stop you, but if you find some jackass that doesn’t treat you with the respect you deserve, there’s no way in hell I’m just going to stand back. Whether you’re my girl or not, you’re still my friend. Hell Danielle, you’re my best friend and I won’t let you get walked over by some douche-bag.”
There were no words to say to show my gratitude. I wound my arms under him and held onto his shoulders as I buried my face in his shirt. The intoxicating scent that clung to my clothes and blankets whenever he’d left our bed filled my every sense. He slowly slid one hand up and down my back while the other held me close. I backed away, but only enough to allow our mouths to collide. I opened willingly to his tongue as it caressed mine and a slow tantalizing dance. We stood that way for a few blissful moments and when we pulled away I wanted nothing more than to pull him inside and have my merry way with him.
“I’m going to pay you back for that tire, by the way.” He viscously shook his head back and forth.
“Absolutely not! Dani, I don’t want your money.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he pressed a finger to my lips to silence me.
I backed away enough to speak. “Come in with me then and let me thank you for all you’ve done for me today.” For effect I bit down on my lip and saw by the need in Corey’s eyes he intensely wanted to do just that.
“You are so damn tempting, baby, but I have to go.” My face visibly fell- as did my mood.
“Why?” Corey didn’t look ready to leave, but he did seem happy to see my gloomy expression at him leaving.
“My other closer tonight, Connor, called in sick so I can’t leave Sanders to do it all by himself on a Sunday night.” I nodded, understanding he had responsibilities, but felt a sudden dislike for his job.
“If it’s any consolation, I’d much rather take you up on your offer.” I smiled and felt my sweet side slip away. My mouth found his again as I pressed my hands into his hard, tight muscles. Sucking on his tongue and nipping at it as we broke apart. Corey’s azure eyes bore into mine with the need to whisk me away right here and now.
“Have fun at work,” I replied as sweetly as possible.
“That was just mean.” I winked and stepped past him. A soft yelp escaped me as he reached back around and swatted my tush as I walked away.
“See you later, Sweets.”
With a smile and a wave I retired to my house and got ready for bed. My body was exhausted but I couldn’t help but feel bummed about how suddenly empty my bed felt. Almost every night Corey managed to end up next to me, whether we were at his place or mine. I never thought it was a big deal, but laying here now feeling the cold next to me, made me see just how reliant I was on his strong, comforting arms to hold me while I drifted off.
Interrogation
Monday morning my fingers slowly slid to the side of the bed Corey usually occupied; instead they only grazed a cold empty pillow. Not only was it unusual waking up without him, but something about this just felt…off. There wasn’t much time to contemplate it though; I had to get ready for work. Thankfully getting dressed distracted me from the swarm of emptiness in my chest—but only for a little while. When I went to the kitchen to make breakfast, there was no delicious food waiting for me but worse—no Corey. The playful banter, the lingering glances, the way he knew how to start my day in the perfect way.
I missed every bit of it.
The coffee maker was the only thing making a sound. I was frustrated with how lonely I felt, especially when I have spent many years doing this very thing—completely alone. Corey’s words slowly played through my mind—I was his best friend.
Boyfriend was a title I was far too terrified to bestow on anyone. Best friend though, that was something I felt too. I missed him when he wasn’t around; I found myself wishing he would pop in, even for a moment. When he was around it was rare to find me without a smile or him, for that matter.
After I finished my breakfast and headed into work, I did all I could to convince myself even as a best friend, Corey wouldn’t be around every day. So why is it that I wanted him around so much? I appreciated the distraction, when Bailey was already waiting at the reception desk for me; following behind as I headed off to my office.
“You have clients here, waiting for a wedding consultation.” She said in a rushed single breath, just as I was about to sit.
“What! It’s ten o’clock in the morning! I had nothing like that scheduled for today.”
Bailey’s eyes were empathetic; she has realized fairly quickly when working alongside me, just how much I rely on order and structure.
“They arrived about half hour ago and insisted on waiting.”
“Shit! I’ll go to them now.”
“Wait—don’t you want to know about them?” She reached out to grab my arm to stop me.
“No need, I’ll wing it.” I grabbed my wedding binder and note pad before taking off to find them.
As fast as I could run in my heels, I headed towards the banquet hall. Two women were in the room; one stood by the expansive wall-to-wall windows, talking on her phone. While the other sat drumming her fingernails against the tabletop. Neither looked familiar, but I decided introducing myself to the one seated, was probably the best idea. I only made it a few steps when another woman walked into my peripheral vision.
“Dani!” The approaching woman squealed.
My head whipped to the side and in an instant I recognized her—Karly. The grin on her face brightened her blue eyes—the same way it did on Corey’s face. She walked over to me and threw her arms around my shoulders. As if we had done this a thousand times before.
“What are you….” Realization struck. “You’re my wedding consultation today?” Karly nodded.
“Sorry we didn’t call for an appointment, I am a total improv, drop-of-a-hat, kind of girl—drives Corey nuts.” She said leaning in to whisper it—more for effect—since sadly Corey wasn’t here. I laughed and she grabbed hold of my hand, tugging me over to the girl sitting at the table.
“Dani this is Lainey; Lainey this is Dani.” We reached out and shook each other’s hand with a smile. Then it hit me. Karly, Lainey, Abby—Corey’s sisters. My eyes darted to the woman walking over to us, no longer on the phone.
The woman flipped her shoulder length dark brown hair out of the way and extended her hand out to me.
“Abigail Preston, but you can just call me Abby.”
“Nice to meet you all.” I said; trying to smile and not show the sudden ‘oh shit’ moment I was having. Karly let out a laugh and looked from each of her sisters back to me.
“I didn’t even think about it, but you’ve now officially met us all.”
Abby cocked an eyebrow but Lainey spoke first. “What are you talking about?”
I raked my brain for what Corey told me about her. Not married, no kids, turns 30 very soon and was having a breakdown because of it. Just a quick glance at her and I could tell she was in the middle of some transitional moment in her life. Lainey’s roots were coming in and showed off the same shade of brown as her siblings but her enti
re head was highlighted different shades of blonde. There was a little too much makeup on her face and she looked ridiculously uncomfortable in her too tight outfit.
Poor girl.
Karly’s lips turned up at the corner, in a mischievous grin. “Dani is Corey’s girlfriend.”
“What?!” The other two asked in unison; their eyes turned fixated on where I stood, scanning me from head to toe. Okay, if I had to rate this moment on an “awkward” scale of one to ten…it would easily top the charts. “’Bout time he settled down.” Abby said, taking a seat at the table.
It was obvious that Abby was definitely the strongest and most comfortable of the three. She wore a well-pressed business suit, with not a single thread out of place. Even her perfectly straightened hair didn’t have a single flyaway. Powerful. That was the way Corey made her sound and I could see just from a brief introduction—that was her to a Tee.
“Oh no, sorry, I’m not dating Corey.”
Lainey and Abby looked in Karly’s direction for further clarification. “Fine, they’re sleeping together.”
My face instantly flushed a deep crimson. I had never been ashamed of the terms of our relationship—until now. Basically being called out on our ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement in front of his sisters, was way too much.
Monday’s really do suck.
“Then why would you say they were dating?” Abby inquired; a lawyer she was, indeed, wanted to stick with the facts.
“When I showed up at his place the other night, they were both asleep and he didn’t make her leave— even when he brought me home. Actually, he kept her by his side the whole time, snuggling good and close.” The mischievous charm in her voice was making it all sound so much worse than—I thought—it was.
“That’s about as official as it gets for our brother.” Lainey said. I briefly wondered if my cheeks could be permanently stained red, with the amount of blushing I was doing.
“We’re friends.” I lamely muttered out.