by Scott, Lisa
She wrapped a hand behind his head and brought him back for a longer, more passionate kiss, one with tongue and teeth.
“Wow,” he said, when they stopped for air.
She smiled as their noses touched. “Wow is right. It must be all those years on the trumpet. They left you with some talented lips.”
He laughed. “My mother always said playing an instrument would pay off.”
“And my mother always said I was wasting my time on a guy like Peter Schmidt. Our mothers were both right.”
“So is this the part where I have to go punch Peter?” He grimaced.
“No, but I would like to tell him goodbye. He’s no longer part of my fantasies.”
“If there’s an opening, I’m available,” Danny offered.
“You’ve got the job.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to Peter’s room.”
“Can I come with you?” Danny asked.
“I don’t think I’ll need protecting.”
“No, I want to be there when he sees you picked me over him. That’s a huge boost for any guy’s ego.”
Cathy laughed. “Come on.” Cathy and Danny walked hand in hand through the lobby to the elevators and pressed the button for the fifth floor. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Blowing off the lust of her life and exploring something new with a guy she’d always considered a friend.
When they got to his door, Cathy steeled herself and knocked. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to say. She laughed to herself. She’d spent so much time rehearsing how to tell him she wanted him, now here she was trying to figure out how to say “So long.”
“It’s open,” she heard Peter say from inside.
She turned the knob and took just one step inside.
Peter was lying on his bed in his boxers, watching Sports Center. “Hey, I’ve been waiting.” He looked over at her and did a double take. “Who’s with you? I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’m not into that kind of action.”
She rolled her eyes. “This is Danny Patel. And I’m going home with him tonight.”
“You mean after me?” Peter shrugged. “That’s cool.”
She felt herself about to growl. “No, I mean instead of you.”
He sat up, his smug smile gone. “What happened to all that shit about you wanting me since high school?”
“Change of heart. ’Cause I’m not so sure you have one.”
Peter swore and slid off the bed. He pulled his pants back on. “Are the Janson triplets still at the party?”
“Goodbye, Peter.” Cathy slammed the door and blinked a few times. “Wow. I can’t believe I said all that. I’ve wanted him since freshman year.”
“I know the feeling.”. Danny beamed at her like he’d just unwrapped an amazing Christmas present.
Cathy felt a wicked little smile rip across her face. “Remind me which room you’re in?”
Danny stepped back from her. “I can’t tell you. I don’t want to screw things up by moving too fast. I’m not looking for just one night with you, Cathy.”
“You’re right. Neither am I.”
His eyes were wide and sincere. “Well, we missed dinner. And there’s this little restaurant in the North End I always wanted to take you to.” He held out his hand. “Shall we?”
Cathy took his hand. “Only if you promise me another poem.”
“Roses are red, violets are blue, I can’t believe I’m finally with you.” He laughed. “Clearly I didn’t take any creative writing classes in college.”
“No, that was perfect.”
My Best Friend’s Girlfriend
Tate Ramsey took off his apron at a quarter to ten after a long night cooking in the kitchen. The restaurant was always packed, keeping him busy, but the night seemed to drag. He’d been desperate to get to his ten-year high school reunion. Luckily, it wasn’t far away from where he was working in the North End. He downed a quick drink and then he gathered his things. Ten years. Hard to believe so much time had passed. A lot of things had changed, but some hadn’t. Like the fact he was still in love with a woman he couldn’t have. And right now, she was at the reunion and her ex was probably there, too. Tate knew she could use a friendly face. That’s all he’d ever been to her. But he couldn’t burden her with his feelings. She had her own problems to deal with.
He popped out into the dining room to see how busy they still were. He hated leaving the crew hanging, but it had slowed down enough that they should be able to handle it. He spotted a couple in the back of the restaurant who looked an awful lot like some people he’d gone to school with. Had they ducked out of the reunion? But he didn’t want to stop and chat. He wanted to get to Alyssa. It had been a few months since he’d last spoken to her. Hopefully she was doing all right. He stepped outside with the familiar sense of delight and dread he always got when he knew he’d be seeing her.
***
Alyssa White sat at the registration table and glanced at the clock one more time. The second night of the reunion was rocking—literally, they were on a yacht and all the partying had the boat swaying ever so slightly. Everybody had been whooping it up except for her. Oh, she’d been faking a good time of course, smiling and nodding through the wonderful five-course dinner and gushing over old friends. But her stomach had been in knots since she arrived, wondering when her ex would show up. Earlier in the day, she’d spent hours at the salon, getting a manicure, fresh highlights, and a fancy updo. By now, her hair was slipping out of place and her feet were killing her in her new sandals—a few inches higher than she was used to. It had been her idea to get the divorce, so why did it matter to her so much how she looked?
But maybe all that fussing had been for nothing. It was ten o’clock; Kevin probably wasn’t coming. Maybe she could finally exhale. He hadn’t shown up the night before either, so she probably wouldn’t have to face him. Hell, maybe he was ditching the reunion because he didn’t want to see her.
She took a sip of her wine and then spotted a familiar face walking through the entrance onto the ship. Tate Ramsey had been Kevin’s best friend in high school. He was the best man at their wedding. Once upon a time, the three of them had been inseparable. Alyssa and Tate had remained friendly, even after the divorce, the few times they’d seen each other.
Tate spotted her and waved. At six foot five, he’d been one of the tallest guys in their class. “And probably the tallest in the history of Jefferson High not to play basketball,” he liked to joke. He was built more like a fullback, but Tate hadn’t played sports in high school. He’d been the friendly guy everyone liked. He still had that killer smile, dimples, and huge blue eyes. She stood up and Tate came right over and wrapped his arms around her. “Alyssa, how are you? It’s been way too long.”
She snuggled into him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I know. I miss you. Why are you so late?”
“Just finished up at the restaurant.” His fingers curled around her shoulders. “How are you doing? Handling things okay?”
She stepped back from their embrace and nodded. “It’s been almost a year. I’m trying to move on.” Luckily, she and Kevin hadn’t had kids or pets or even plants. Just a condo that had been sold and the furniture, books, and music collection that had been sorted and divided. Eleven years together—seven of them married—dissolved as easily as that.
Her fingers toyed with the tails of the ribbon tied around her waist. Her friend Brandi had assured her the lacy silver dress she’d bought was a nice contrast to her hair. Alyssa glanced at the door. “Do you know if Kevin’s coming?”
“He said so, but if he’s not here yet, maybe he changed his mind.” Tate paused. “He’s dating someone, you know.”
Her stomach tightened. “Oh? Well, that’s good. It’s good to move on.” She went for a swig of wine, but her glass was empty. A waiter was passing by with late-night goodies, and she grabbed three big cocktail shrimp even though champagne would’ve been more welcome. She put a dollop of cockt
ail sauce on her plate and dunked one of the shrimp.
“Still eat when you’re nervous, huh?” Tate smirked.
“What? I’m not nervous. I’m the opposite of nervous. I can finally relax and enjoy myself now that I know he’s probably not coming,” she said, taking a big bite of a shrimp. Tension tightened the space between her shoulders. Who was she kidding? She’d be nervous until the reunion was over.
“You here alone?” Tate asked.
“Yes.” Ugh. It was going to take a long time getting used to being single. She’d been with Kevin since she was seventeen. “You, too?”
“Single white male seeking imaginary girl he can’t seem to find. Likes good food, walks along the beach.”
She laughed. “I’m sure that imaginary girl is out there.” It was hard to believe a guy as great at Tate hadn’t been snatched up. She stole another glance at the door and ate one more shrimp.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Tate asked. He rubbed his chin and Alyssa admired his five-o’clock shadow. Made him look even more rugged.
She shook her head and swallowed. “No. I haven’t even gone on a date since it happened.”
He raised his thick eyebrows so that they disappeared under his mop of curly blond hair. “Seriously?”
She shrugged. “I suppose it’s like getting banged up in a serious car crash. You’re scared to get back behind the wheel.”
Tate crossed his arms. “You’ve got to drive again sometime.”
“Maybe I’ll hire a chauffeur?”
He laughed. “You’re a good catch. You’ll find someone.”
She looked at him and smiled. He always knew how to cheer her up. “It’d just be nice if I was dating someone, too, right now, in case I bump into him soon. Seems kind of unfair our first post-divorce encounter would be so unbalanced.” She dunked the rest of her shrimp in the cocktail sauce and popped it in her mouth.
Tate looked beyond her and his smile fell. “Well, you’d better get used to the idea real fast, because he just walked in. With his date.”
Her throat clenched and her stomach dropped—not a good feeling now that it was full of shrimp. She gulped down her mouthful of seafood. “What does she look like?”
Tate’s tight lips turned down in a frown. “I’ve met her before. She was a Miss Teen Massachusetts.”
Alyssa whimpered.
“And he told me about some of her talents. I believe she’s a yoga instructor or a Pilates teacher. Some kind of acrobat?” He shrugged. “Something that requires you to put your leg behind your head.”
“Hey!” Alyssa jabbed Tate with her elbow.
“Ow.” He rubbed his arm. “No sense of humor like you, though. And way too skinny.” He scrunched up his nose.
Alyssa looked down at her stomach. She should’ve ramped up the crunches the last few weeks.
Tate reached out for her arm again. “She’s as interesting as stale white bread. And you’re a warm artisan loaf, dripping with butter and honey—irresistible. Be strong.”
Her stomach growled despite the shrimp. Tate was a chef; his food analogies always left her hungry. “Butter and honey, huh?” she asked. Her heart lifted for a moment until she felt someone standing behind her. “Tate. Alyssa.” It was Kevin.
She swallowed hard, forced a smile, and turned around, still holding her plate of shrimp. Seeing him standing there was like facing a downpour without an umbrella. “Hi, Kevin. I didn’t think you’d show up. I didn’t really think reunions were your thing.” She tried not to look at his date, but she was mesmerizing with long, blond hair, big green eyes and the tiniest waist. She had to be at least six feet tall.
Alyssa was a five-foot-three redhead, whose most-often-heard compliment was about her perkiness. Someone had once called her a pixie in high school. The nickname had stuck. Well, with some people anyway. Like Kevin. He usually called her Pix, in a playful, teasing way. Tate knew she hated the name and never used it.
Kevin gestured to his date. “Alyssa, this is Lorena. My girlfriend.”
Well, at least he wasn’t using her nickname. Alyssa held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Kevin’s ex. Feel free to corner me later with any questions or concerns about Kevin. I’m sure you have a few.”
Lorena gave her a strained smile and Kevin laughed. “Ouch.” But then he started staring at her. He was looking at her lips with his head cocked. Was he remembering their last kiss? God, when had they kissed last? How long had it been since they’d made love? She frowned. It hadn’t been love for a long time. Just sex. She felt her face flush. He was still looking at her. Why couldn’t he take his eyes off her?
“Are you bleeding?” he asked, gesturing to her chin. “Is that a zit?”
Her hand flew to her face and she felt the tiniest drop of cocktail sauce below her lip. Mortification flooded through her. “No, not acne. Just hors d’oeuvres.” She forced a laugh.
“Saving a bit for later, huh?” Kevin turned to Tate and clapped him on the arm. “Good to see you, buddy. You’ll keep Alyssa in line for me, won’t you?”
Tate chuckled. “I think she can handle herself just fine.”
“As long as you keep her away from the shrimp.” Kevin smiled just a bit too wide. “Well, we’re off for a drink. Want to join us, Tate?”
Tate looked back and forth between Alyssa and Kevin. “Actually, I was catching up with Alyssa. I’ll find you later.”
Kevin put his hands on his hips. “Whatever, dude. Looks like there are lots of hot chicks here. Don’t spend too much time with Alyssa or you’ll miss out.” Kevin grabbed Lorena by the hand and pulled her to the bar.
Alyssa clenched her teeth. “Was he always that much of an ass and I just didn’t know it?”
“He certainly had his moments,” Tate said.
“Just a good reminder to be glad it’s over,” Alyssa said, her voice wavering.
Tate smoothed his hand over her back in a slow circle. “You’re really upset, aren’t you?”
She nodded, hoping the tears wouldn’t slip. “It’s stupid, right? I did this.” She pressed her hand against her chest. “I ended the marriage. He didn’t cheat, it wasn’t horrible. It just wasn’t… good. So, why am I upset?” She looked down and her hair fell, framing her face.
Tate tucked a strand behind her ear. “You were with him for a long time. It’s hard to see it all come to an end. It seems perfectly normal to be upset.”
She sniffed and lifted her wine glass from the registration table, forgetting it was empty. She set it down. “I just can’t help but wonder where I’d be if we hadn’t gotten married. Would I be with the right guy instead? Will I ever find the right guy?”
He squeezed her shoulder and smiled, but his eyes looked sad. “Everyone plays the What If game. You have to move on to the What’s Next? game.”
She sighed and nodded. “I know what’s next—an enormous drink.” Her eyes darted to Kevin. She nibbled her lip.
Tate bent over to whisper in her ear. “Do you want to leave? I can drive you home.”
“No, that would be too obvious. I can’t give him the satisfaction,” Alyssa said. She was looking around the room nervously when Brandi and Chelsea ran up to her. “I can’t believe he brought that arm candy with him. Are you okay?” Brandi asked.
Alyssa leaned in to Tate again, comforted by his big frame. She always used to joke that they never could’ve dated because she was so little and he was so big. “Don’t worry. Tate’s got my back.”
Brandi shook her head. “You’re standing here looking totally lost. Get out on the dance floor. Don’t let him know you’re upset.” Brandi pulled her away from Tate before she could protest.
“I need a drink first,” Alyssa said.
“You look like you need two,” Chelsea said.
Alyssa shrugged. “You won’t hear me arguing.”
***
Tate watched Alyssa skitter off to the dance floor in the middle of the big covered deck on the ship. He put his hands on his hips. She was cuter than ever a
nd he wanted more than anything to tell her how he felt about her. But she didn’t seem ready to move on from Kevin. It would probably make things worse for her to hear a confession of undying love from him. She needed him as a friend right now. But maybe someday, if he were lucky, it could be more. Tate had been dreaming about Alyssa even before she had started dating Kevin.
It was hot inside, and he thought about going out onto the front deck, but he wanted to be around in case Alyssa needed him. He noticed Kevin glancing Alyssa’s way. Tate really hoped Kevin wasn’t going to give her a hard time.
Tate had grown distant from Kevin over the past few years as both their careers took off and they didn’t have the time to get together as often. Still, could he ever date his buddy’s ex? He needed to start reading some men’s magazines for advice. Or would it be women’s magazines that covered that? He had no idea if that violated any buddy rule or not. But then again, Alyssa hadn’t been interested in him in high school. Why would she be interested in him now?
He went to the bar and ordered a beer. Kevin was standing nearby, his arm around Lorena. He hadn’t been dating her very long. Had Kevin snagged himself a stunning girlfriend just so he could bring her here and show her off? It seemed a rather cruel thing to do to Alyssa.
Of course none of this probably would’ve been happening now if Tate hadn’t been such a chickenshit back in high school. Tate had always thought Alyssa was cute, but the first day back from summer break senior year? Damn, she blew him away. In just a few months, Alyssa had really filled out. She went from being a cutie to a total hottie, but she still had the personality of the girl everyone just wanted to be friends with. She was the total package and she didn’t even know it. When he found out she was in his biology class first semester, he just about died. He’d practically failed that damn class; he was so distracted by her. Of course, he barely even talked to her.
One day at lunch, Kevin caught Tate staring at Alyssa. “Dude, she’s out of your league,” Kevin said.
“She’s gorgeous.” Tate slumped forward, resting his chin on his hand. Alyssa was laughing and talking with her friends. She stood out in any room with her long, dark red hair and dazzling smile. He could pick her voice out of a crowd, it was that sweet and soft.