Yup. Definitely drunk. It’s hard to believe he’s related to Gerry and Kayla.
“I’ve been working with Gerry on the new website for this restaurant. Did you know he’s having it completely revamped?”
“Nope. He controls the restaurant.” He swigs his beer again.
We all look at him blankly.
“Anyway, we found out at the taste testing Matt and Kayla had weeks ago that Gerry is Kayla’s cousin. I ate something I was allergic to, and my lips swelled up like a balloon.”
Alexa and I crack up. It wasn’t funny then, but it’s funny now.
“I don’t live here, so I never know these things. Where’s the damn server? We need some drinks,” he barks and smacks the table.
“Chill out,” I snap. “It’s packed tonight. You don’t need to make a scene.”
We remain quiet as Alexa tries to get a server’s attention.
“So, Tyler, when did you arrive?” Lisa asks.
“This afternoon. A bunch of my frat buddies from Jackson College met me here for a couple of drinks. I haven’t seen them in years. They left just before you got here.”
My pulse spikes. Jackson College…frat brothers. Images of the game flash in my head. There are a lot of fraternities at that college. It couldn’t possibly be the same one. But Cori taps my leg with her foot under the table. I eye her and notice both she and Larissa are staring at me.
Lisa bumps my arm. “Hey, Tina, Cori, and Larissa went to New Jersey Tech. It’s not too far from your college. Right?”
He burps loudly, then nods. I’m floored he’s related to Gerry.
“Which fraternity?” I say, already regretting I opened my mouth.
“Alpha Phi Delta. Do you know it? I was the president while I was there.”
My stomach sours. This isn’t happening.
“No. I’m not familiar with that one. I didn’t hang out at fraternities.” I’ve been good lately, but it’s time to yank on my necklace.
“Gerry visited me there a couple of times. He was always shocked about the frat parties. We could tell you some really crazy stories. Did he ever tell you how he came up with the blindfolded taste-test idea?”
Alexa coughs and Larissa elbows me. I’m two seconds away from puking under the table. They know where this is going—like I do.
“I’ve always wondered how he came up with something so interesting,” Lisa says, completely oblivious.
I don’t want to hear this. It can’t be true, but I’m fooling myself. I know it is. Number One was from Europe and the cousin of the fraternity president.
Gerry.
My face burns like fire, and I want to kick some major ass right now.
“He played some fucking drinking game. An easy drunk girl was blindfolded and had to kiss three or four different guys who were also blindfolded. I thought he was nuts when he told me. Why would he want to kiss a trashy girl who just had her tongue down other guys’ throats? Typical frat chick,” he tells us with disgust dripping from his tongue.
I gasp.
“You guys don’t have drinks yet,” Gerry interrupts. “Didn’t a server take your orders?”
Tyler gestures to us. “I was just telling them how you came up with the blindfold idea. That stupid game you played before you went off to culinary school. She must’ve been one experienced kisser to inspire you like that. She was his muse.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Lord knows, he needs a new muse to get him back in the fucking kitchen.”
Gerry’s face turns a red-purple color. “Shut up, Tyler.” He growls.
He knows who I am.
Alexa shoots a look to me and then to Gerry.
He’s known all along. He fooled me. This was all a joke. I told him this story the other night, and he didn’t say a word.
My breathing increases as I stand up quickly. I’m pretty sure flames shoot out my eyes at Gerry.
Lisa pulls on my arm. “Tina, what’s the matter? You look like you want to punch Gerry in the face.”
“That’s because I fucking do.” I swing my leg over the bench to get out. “Why don’t you ask Gerry? He knows exactly why.” I grab my bag. “I’m leaving.”
Chapter 23
Gerry
“What’s her problem?” Tyler snaps. He shakes his head. “You chicks are all the same.”
“You’re drunk and being an asshole, so shut your mouth,” I shoot back, my hands pumping at my sides.
“Go after her, Gerry,” Alexa demands as Tina barges through the garden toward the exit.
I run behind Tina and grab her elbow in front of the customers.
She turns to me. “Get your hand off me. And this time I mean it,” she says, loud enough so everybody hears. Her snake eyes bore a hole through my head. “You don’t want anybody to record this and put it on the internet.”
I drop her arm instantly, like I touched a hot plate. “Please let me explain.”
“Gerry, there’s a problem in the—”
I cut off the busboy. “Have Joel deal with it.”
I follow quickly behind her as she storms out the door into a crowd of people on the sidewalk, Tyler and the rest trailing behind us.
“Please, Tina. Let’s talk about this. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“What’s there to talk about?” She hesitates. “Oh. Wait. I know. How about how you purposely didn’t tell me how you came up with the blindfold idea? There was always a convenient distraction when I asked you. Or that you were one of the guys I kissed at Tyler’s frat party years ago and that I poured my heart out to you the other night? Telling you things I’ve never told a living soul.” She counts on her fingers.
“How long have you known? And don’t try to claim it was when I told you last weekend. Tell me! You weren’t supposed to know since you weren’t allowed to see me.”
“I knew it was you the first time we met again. I’d recognize your face anywhere.”
“Oh, please. Don’t give me your bullshit.” She crosses her arms.
“Fine.” I roll my shoulders. “Remember how we saw each other from across the living room during the party? We connected. I remember it like it was yesterday. It wasn’t the first time I saw you that night. The first time was when you were dancing with your friends. It was like a beam of light shined down on you. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. I watched you for the rest of the night. I memorized every detail of your face. Your long, wavy brown hair and porcelain skin. The beauty mark above your lip. You wore a purple shirt and white pants.
“I saw you and your friends go into a room. Cori and…” I snap my fingers a few times. “Carissa…Alyssa…”
“Cori and Larissa,” she snaps.
“Hi, Gerry.” Cori waves.
Tina gives her the look of death. She backs away.
I point to her friends. “They came out and were sneaking around, asking guys to play a drinking game with a beautiful girl. I knew it was you. It was the craziest thing I ever heard, but I knew I had to be one of them. I had to know what it’d feel like to kiss you before I left for France the next day to start culinary school. If I had spoken even one word to you, I would’ve never left.”
She aims her chin up. “It doesn’t matter. I should’ve never agreed to do that stupid game.” She turns to walk away again.
“You think it didn’t affect me?” I call after her. My chest heaving.
She halts.
“That one kiss blew me away. It has never left my memory. The one kiss that ruined all chances for other women. Is that what you want to hear?” I yell. “I’ll say it again. Not one woman has ever come close to how I feel about you. Not one! And the day you walked into this restaurant wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate. We’re meant to be together.”
“Hey, guys,” Matt says as he barges through the crowd. “What’s going on? Why are you all outside?”
Kayla and James appear from behind him with the rest of their clan. I glance his way and put my hand up to stop him from coming near us. He freezes, and
his face drops.
Tina pulls on her hair and groans. “I can’t believe this. Matt, you knew about this too?”
Kayla looks between them. She pulls Matt’s arm and whispers something.
Tina’s head whips back to me. “Who else knows?” She shakes her head. “You know what? It doesn’t fucking matter.”
“It does matter. Your body against mine was indescribable. I can still remember how you tasted and smelled all those years ago.”
Heads from the crowd are shifting from me to Tina like in a tennis match. This is the one time the city is silent.
She gets up in my face. “It wasn’t real. It was only because of that fucking blindfold. I’ll regret that night for the rest of my life. I trusted you. Thought we had something special. And here I spilled my guts out to you, and…and you knew,” she shouts. “You knew all along!” Her eyes glisten from tears.
“I can’t believe that for one second, Tina. Look how hard it is for us to keep our hands off each other every time we’re together. You feel it. I know you do.” I move closer to her, my heart pounding out of my chest.
“These past weeks were a lie. Nothing was real. You aren’t real. You played me like a fool the entire time. And I fell for it. I thought you were different. You should’ve told me,” she cries out as she wipes away tears.
She never cries.
“You want to know what’s real?” I grab her and smash my lips against hers. I transfer all my angst, regret, and passion into this kiss. She tries to push me away, but slowly her soft, plump lips relax into mine. Her hands wrap around my neck, pulling me closer as our kiss grows deeper. The explosive chemistry we had years ago is off the charts now.
I pull away and take her face in my hands. “This is real. I know you feel it. And this is without a blindfold. I don’t need a damn blindfold to know how I feel about you,” I say as our lips caress each other’s again. “You can’t deny it.” Whistles play from the audience around us.
She shoves me away. “I won’t deny it, but that’s all you’re going to get. From now on our relationship is strictly business. You can forget about everything else. Go find yourself another stupid muse, or should I say trashy frat chick.” She storms off.
“Please don’t go. Not like this.” My voice chases her in desperation.
She looks over her right shoulder. “Do you know what the international phrase fuck off means? Don’t try to contact me unless it’s for business.” She pushes through the crowd.
Lisa stomps my way, James stuck to her side. “What the hell did you do to her? She never cries, and I’ve never seen her so angry.”
“Show’s over, guys,” Matt says to the crowd behind Lisa and James. I notice some have their phones out like they are filming us.
Alexa pulls on Lisa’s arm and says, “Go to her. We’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
“Are you sure? I still don’t understand what just happened.” She glares at me. “Why were you both talking about blindfolds?”
Alexa huffs in annoyance. “We’ll explain it to you later. Go find her,” she says firmly while pushing her away. “James, go with her.” She nudges his shoulder.
Lisa storms off with James following her.
I fold my hands behind my head as adrenaline pumps through my body.
Matt lays his hand on my shoulder. “That was one hell of a show. You can tell me later what happened.”
Kayla looks at us like he spoke German to me.
Alexa steps forward. “I can tell you exactly what happened.” She points at Tyler. “Kayla’s drunk brother over here blurted out how Gerry came up with the blindfold idea and how it involved a girl. It was obvious he let the cat out of the bag.”
“Gerry, you told us it was from a drinking game you played, but you never said it involved a girl,” Kayla says.
“Only Matt and Tyler knew the true story.”
Kayla looks at Matt in surprise.
“It’s nothing major, but I didn’t think it was right to talk about the girl, which happened to be Tina. I asked Matt and Tyler to never say anything.”
Cori speaks up. “Amazing. After all these years. It’s you with less hair and bigger muscles, but I remember the scar you have above your eyebrow.”
“We convinced her to play that ridiculous drinking game. Now I totally regret suggesting it in the first place. Who would’ve known it’d come back to bite her in the ass?” Larissa exclaims.
“She told me all about it and how horrible she felt after,” Alexa throws in with venom in her voice. She glares at me and then at Tyler. “Was this a joke to you both? Did you know who she was, Tyler?”
Tyler raises his hands in surrender. “I had no clue. Gerry never said anything to me about meeting up with her again. It was only a coincidence, so back off, blondie!”
“You’re such a dick. Does she look like a trashy frat chick to you? I’m sure you were soooo innocent back then as the president of a fraternity. I’m sure you had more than one ‘frat chick’ and probably more than one at the same time.”
She points her finger at me like a knife. “What about you, Gerry? Was this all a game to you?”
I recoil. “Absolutely not.” I’m afraid of Alexa right now. “I really care about her. I’d never do anything to hurt her. This has been the hardest couple of weeks for me. I wanted to tell her, but I knew she wouldn’t be happy about it. As we all witnessed, she wasn’t.”
“Well, what do you expect? She’s angry, hurt, and embarrassed, and she has every right to be. She trusted you, and you screwed up big time. You’d better think of something really incredible for her to forgive you, or you’ll lose her completely. If you haven’t already.”
She looks at Larissa and Cori. “Let’s go.”
They scurry away from us.
“You three better tell me what’s going on,” Kayla commands.
“Gerry!” Joel yells. “I need you in here.”
I want to snap my fingers and disappear.
“Kayla, I can’t talk right now. I need to work.” I motion to Matt. “He’ll tell you what this is all about. Don’t be mad at him. Be mad at me. I asked him not to say anything. It’s not his fault.”
“Gerry!”
“I’m coming, Joel. Back off.” I need to calm down. This is what got me in trouble last time.
“Everyone, go inside, and I’ll show you your tables.”
As I trail behind them, all I can think about is Tina’s tears.
“Hey, aren’t you that chef from Germany who punched that guy?” someone shouts behind me in German.
I freeze. Then, instead of turning around, I walk into the restaurant without responding.
This isn’t good.
Chapter 24
Tina
I pace back and forth with clenched fists by a streetlight. With my heart pounding, I force them to open and shake my arms a bit, hoping to relax. No matter how explosive that kiss was, I’m humiliated and furious. Why did I trust him? Because I’m a fool, and I’m still being punished.
A crowd treks across the street. I hear Lisa yell, “Tina! Wait!” She and James approach me, obviously concerned.
“Why are you so angry with Gerry? What’s with the blindfolds? Does this have to do with the taste testing?” She blasts me with questions.
I cackle in her face. If it could only be so simple. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can we please go somewhere I can get drunk?” I look over her shoulder. “Where are the others? Did they decide to stay with Kayla’s group?” I don’t care if I spend the night alone. I’m getting drunk either way.
“They’re talking to the guys. They’ll be here in a few minutes,” James responds.
I remain silent as taxis drive by. Two girls giggle as they take a selfie in front of a homeless guy on the street. Bitches! A group of guys stand by, lighting up their cigarettes. I should ask them for one.
Lisa looks around and says, “Here they come.”
I check if Gerry’s with them. My anxiety slig
htly dissolves when he’s nowhere to be seen.
Lisa waits for them to arrive. With gritted teeth, she says, “Since Tina’s not fessing up, I’m going to ask one more time. What just happened?”
I stand behind them and pretend to slit my throat so they don’t say anything. Alexa butts in. “We’ll talk about it later. Tina’s had enough to deal with for the time being.” She looks at everyone and then asks me, “Should we go back to Hoboken?”
“Yes,” I blurt without giving anyone else a chance to answer. “I want to get as far away from here as possible.” I beg with my eyes to Larissa and Cori. “Is that okay? I know we agreed to show you a good time in the city, but you see how things have shifted.”
Without waiting for anyone’s response, Larissa puts her arm over my shoulder. “We’ll go wherever you want. I think you need a drink or two or maybe even ten. We want to see you let loose. It’s our turn to be your mother hens.”
James steps forward and hugs me. “It kills me to see you upset. Should I kick his ass for you? I think I could take him.” He puts up his fists.
I crack a smile for a millisecond.
“I love you, James. But I don’t want you to go to jail.” I give him a hug. Lisa’s so lucky.
“I’ll tell Kayla you’re going back to Hoboken. It’s going to be okay.” He whispers something to Lisa, and she nods.
“Have fun, but be careful, everyone. Lisa, I’ll see you tomorrow. Send me a text message when you get back to their apartment.” He kisses her and runs off.
My body aches, and my head feels like it’s in a vice. I press my hands to my head and painstakingly roll over onto my back. My stomach brews like a volcano. My dried-out contacts feel like glass shards, making it difficult to pry open my eyes. My mouth tastes like garbage.
“How are you feeling?”
I twitch when I hear Lisa’s voice. My bed moves as she sits on the edge.
My head pounds with the slightest bit of noise and movement. “Mmmm.” I groan.
“You had a rough night. You passed out on your bed before we could get you out of your disgusting clothes. I’ve never seen you drink so much. We were scared you might throw up in the middle of the night.”
Dreams Collide: Collide Series Book 2 Page 18