by Claire Adams
“I'm happy with my life here. We both stayed when Mom and Dad left.” I sipped the soda that sat between us. “Look, I have good memories of Austin. We had a lot of fun in high school, Kim. I liked him a lot, probably more than I wanted to admit at the time, but the past is the past. We’ve both moved on, and it would be foolish to harbor feelings for him. Sure, he’s grown up into a gorgeous man, but he’s a man whore now, like all those guys in your books. I don’t want to be the girl he sleeps with over the holiday break. I don’t want to be another notch on his bedpost.”
“Those guys are fantastic in bed, Becs.” Kim grinned at me.
“Yeah, and some author writes that as they see fit. Do you think that they have explosive sex lives?” I challenged her, watching her giggle. Yep, she did.
Austin tried hard to make my first time good. It was after his junior prom at a local motel. He was sweet and gentle with me, soothing me through the pain of a first encounter with soft words and kisses. I knew that I loved him in that high school way a girl felt, and every time we slept together, it only got better. Sure, we had to find creative ways to have sex, but when we did, it was good. Austin was motivated to excel in every part of his life, and he always made me feel good. I saw that all his focus was on leaving when he ended things with me, and that I was a clear part of his past.
That was that. There was no point in thinking about the what ifs because there were none.
“Want to come over for some wine?” I asked Kim. She grinned and nodded.
We lived a few houses away from each other, and we did this often. We got the rest of our dinner into the bag, and I shut off all the lights. Then I started the diffuser for the night. I didn’t want anyone to walk in here in the morning smelling day-old deli sandwiches.
I locked the door, and we went to our separate cars to go to my house. It was decorated like Mom left it, with a few touches of my own. Kim walked in after she unlocked the door and headed to the small bistro table that I set up in the kitchen overlooking the backyard. It wasn’t as pretty as when Mom lived here since I wasn’t as much of a green thumb as she was, but I still felt a sense of peace when I sat here in the morning or evening.
I went to get the bottle of wine from the fridge and two glasses from the cupboard. Kim grinned as I filled them and set my sandwich in front of me. I returned to eating it, waiting for her remaining questions. Along with being sisters, we were best friends and confided everything to one another. Kim took a few bites before she scrunched her nose at me. “Are you sure that Austin being back for a while doesn’t mean anything to you?”
“I was shocked to see him,” I admitted. “It was his first day back, and he was a walk in, so I was surprised. That’s to be expected after over ten years, Kim. I didn’t want to fall to my knees and ask him to take me back though. I’ve made a life for myself here, and he clearly wants to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. He isn’t happy about being back. Why would he want anything to do with me?”
“You’re an amazing person, and you were back then as well. I know the women who he’s been with are superficially pretty, but I’ll bet that they have no soul.” Kim raised her glass, and I clinked mine to it with a giggle. “They all want him for his cash. You liked him for who he was and is.”
“I don’t know him anymore. I liked him then, though.” I sipped the wine and set it on the table before taking another bite. High school relationships broke up all the time when one or the other went to college. I knew that sometimes there was a second chance at romance, but I believed that mostly happened in books. Not so much in real life.
I was happy with my simple life working for the salon in North Reed. I was happy with the friends I had and the time we spent together when I wasn’t working. It didn’t end up being much more than dinner or maybe a movie, but we talked a lot. Places like New York seemed like they were so busy and nobody really knew one another. Did Austin even have any real friends, or were they just people looking for a handout?
“He is only here for a few weeks, Rebecca. I don’t know if he’ll be back for another visit, based on what you’ve said and how long it’s been since he left.” Kim gave me a long look. “Make sure that you have everything tied up inside when he leaves, because that might be it. I know how you felt about him before, Becs. Don’t let this chance slip away.”
“He’s not looking for a second chance at anything, Kim. Not here. Austin is here physically, but he can’t wait to go home. That was obvious to me. Case closed.”
“I hope that you tell me the same thing when it’s January and he’s back home.” She sipped her wine again and slipped a piece of salami that fell out of her sandwich into her mouth. “Life is too short, Becs.”
“Life here is just fine, sis. I’m happy.” I smiled as I spoke, but who was I trying to convince? Me or her?
I’d go on to work in the salon, talking to my regular customers and working towards becoming a manager. I had my friends and my sister. I had a great life, and when it was time for love to be a part of it, it would be.
Chapter Five
Austin
I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel that Preston was staying at. He’d rented a car of his own, though it was just a regular sedan. The hotel was simplistic compared to any place I stayed at, but the Travelodge was the best that North Reed offered. I shook my head and got out of the car to go to room 220, taking the stairs briskly. I had to ask him about our current project since there had been some time since we had any contact. I rapped on the door, and he answered.
I laughed. “What the hell is that, Preston?”
My wiry assistant wore a large cowboy hat with his gray suit and black tie, grinning broadly. “Do I fit in? I saw this at a store when I went to get some sunglasses.”
“I don’t think a legitimate Texan would even wear that,” I told him wryly as I walked inside of the small room. “It this okay for you?” I preferred suites with multiple rooms, and this was just a bed, bathroom, and the other basics. “I couldn’t get anything else close that was better.”
“This is fine, Austin. All I need it for is sleeping, and there’s a bed.” He closed the door behind me. He’d already unpacked some, and his MacBook was open on the table.
“I suppose,” I conceded. I sat down at the table.
“I don’t think your parents live in a fancy house. I know that you’ve never given them any money for anything for a large purchase. This is fine, Austin.” Preston sat across from me and adjusted his hat.
“You got that right. It’s the same house I was raised in. I want them to get something newer, bigger. I don’t know why they won’t let me do that for them.” I shook my head and glanced at the screen, taking in the numbers. “I know I trash their life here, but they’re great people. I mean, you’ve met them. They were the best parents they could be, and even my friends always wanted to be over at the house. Dad worked his ass off at the same company for years, and Mom always welcomed us with open arms. She made cookies every day for my friends and drove us anywhere we needed to go. They gave me everything, and I just want to give back to them, Preston. I’d never have been this successful if it weren’t for them, and I don’t know how to convey that.”
Preston took the hat off and tossed it onto the bed. “Just tell them. Your parents are not the people in New York, Austin. They know the real you, however deep he is buried. Just talk to them.”
“Yeah. I got into it with them at dinner the first night I was here. It felt so strained when I am just trying to relax with them. I am supposed to be here on vacation for the holiday, but I am almost tenser than I am at home.” I shook my head. “How’s the Singapore deal going?”
I’d been working toward getting a controlling interest in an electronics company over there for two goddamn years. It would be huge for me, and almost worth relocating to the area to oversee things.
“Very well. They are close to accepting the offer. Looking for a reason to leave already?” Preston teased me.
I shrugged. I was still thinking about Rebecca, and her face flashed through my mind.
“I will do what I have to,” I said. “There are a lot of people vying for this company. If I get it, I’ll be ahead of all of them. Are the women hot over there?” That was more of a quip since I’d been thinking a lot about Rebecca.
“You’ll get the fairest of them all,” Preston assured me with a grin.
I laughed. He’d be coming along with me, and he did just fine with the ladies, especially with his accent. My own mother was in love with it and teased Dad about ditching him for Preston. I also knew the staff liked his observant whiskey eyes and dark, messy hair. They always claimed he was the direct opposite of me, and we were Yin and Yang or some such shit. I didn’t usually try to make out what women were trying to say because I didn’t have to. My fortune spoke volumes, and I knew how to play the game with them.
I thought about my family again and glanced at him. “Is the press still on the Bahamas story?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. I’d let it leak that I was going to a very private resort for some peace and quiet, choosing not to drop the name. There were several of them over there.
“They are, but there are questions about why Mia is still in New York. Everyone wants to know why she isn’t with you since you made up recently.” His expression was grim.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Mia started that rumor herself after trashing me to the media for the last couple of months, claiming how I mistreated her. So far, she hadn’t filed any criminal charges against me, but she smeared my name around the city. I was glad that Mom took my advice about staying off Google when it came to me.
“Why the fuck would she want my name attached to her after the shit she said?” I asked in an even tone. I closed my eyes.
“She’s vindictive,” Preston said. “You left her first, or so she says.” Preston checked his phone. “She’s claiming you’re in therapy in the Bahamas. She is trying to sound like the supportive, yet jilted, ex-lover.”
“She’s a bitch. Why did I ever date her to begin with?” I remembered the night we met at a club. It was a mutual friend’s birthday. I ended up buying Mia a drink and going home with her that night. Her fame and well-practiced charm won me over, and the sex was incredible in the beginning.
It didn’t last, and everything crashed around me.
I thought back to high school and the easy times with Rebecca. We were always laughing back then. We knew every inch of this small town and spent hours together, just talking and laughing at the simplest things. More than that, she encouraged all my dreams because of the simple fact they were things that I wanted.
Me.
Rebecca was never about herself. She had her goals, and she reached them, to the best of my knowledge. Back when we were together, she just went about her life quietly and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I knew there were times I was a shit boyfriend and that I let her fade into the background. Of course, I knew that.
Rebecca just did her thing when our lives got caught up in other stuff. She had her friends, her family, and she was very well-liked.
“Just take this time and figure it all out,” Preston suggested. “Maybe think about a few changes?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Changes?”
“Let’s start with no more women like Mia,” he said, lightening his tone. I nodded in agreement. “Do what you do best. Business.”
“Yeah, that is what I do best,” I agreed. I played through the month here in my mind. “I think we’ll both be busy for the next few weeks. There is so much going on, and Mom will want you at all of it. You’re like a pet or something.” My nose wrinkled at the idea, and I laughed. “I hope you like parties and parades. This is small town America, Preston. I wish they’d agreed to New York again this year. I really do.”
“I like it. Everything here is so accessible as opposed to New York. Every person I’ve met since I landed has been so warm. They’re only nice to me in the city because I am your assistant.” That was a harsh truth. “I got a car upgrade because she liked my accent, and they promised me the best room that they had for my stay.”
I thought about both as I looked around the room that had two king sized beds. This was top notch for a single guy? “That isn’t saying too much, Preston.”
“You need to see things as they are, my friend.” Preston leaned back. “This reminds me of some of the smaller places back home in some ways. Everyone knows everybody, which everyone says is a bad thing. Look closely at that though. I see it more as people caring for others without a second thought because they’re all family, in the end.”
I nodded. That was true. Every kid in town was treated the same, as if each parent adopted all the other kids. I could go to any friend’s house, and Mom knew them. There was some network between parents that made it possible to handle anything that came up with a phone call.
The kids in New York had nannies. I saw it everywhere I went. My mom noticed as well and wasn’t shy in expressing her disappointment in the entire system. What parent had children only to send them off with a slightly older child the entire day? She thought the kids must be closer to the nannies than their own family. From what I knew about my friends with kids, this was certainly the case.
“When you live here, the gossip gets out of control,” I said, trying to focus on the bad aspects of living in a small town.
“Need I remind you that you live in one of the busiest cities in the world and always seem to be in the news for one thing or another?” Preston asked. “Here, it’s people talking and no press, unless it is a crime or something along those lines. I think it comes more from a deep sense of caring than one of being malicious.”
He had a point and a strong one at that. It just used to get under my skin how much Rebecca would get hurt over one of my idiot friends talking about some girl who made a comment about me. She didn’t make it obvious, but those beautiful eyes of hers were a dead giveaway.
There was also all the talk among the women about how I was sure to propose to Rebecca once we graduated. That was never meant to be since we had different dreams. I think that hurt us both a little, though. I just didn’t see it when I was younger. I was too busy looking toward the future to be aware of the present.
“I’m going to soak all this up during my visit and take some of it back to New York with me,” Preston said, bringing me back to reality. “I think you might want to consider that as well.”
“I have to get back to the house. Mom wants to take us to breakfast tomorrow, though. Eight or so?” I wanted to laugh at Texas time. Most everyone here ran late. Usually because they got to talking to someone.
“I’ll be ready,” Preston said with a smile.
“You’ll regret not having a hotel with a gym within a week,” I said as I rose to my feet. “We’re making cookies tonight, like when I was a kid, and you’ll get some. The portions here are fucking ridiculous, too.”
“I can go for a nice run around town. I am sure there is a good place to get some tea in the morning.” Preston spoke in a positive tone that made me want to punch him for a fleeting second, but I settled for an eye roll.
“I will see you tomorrow morning. Text me if anything comes up. I do mean anything.” I shot him a serious look before I headed back to the parking lot. I needed to distract myself with work while I was here. That was my life now; my focus.
Chapter Six
Rebecca
It was so dark and overcast. The weather the newscaster mentioned was on the way. I shivered in the nearly nonexistent heat that this car provided me. I just wanted to be home where I could build a fire.
I noticed the car drove unevenly just as it began to rain, and dread filled my body. “No, no, no.” I pulled over on the muddy shoulder and pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt. Then I stepped out to assess the situation. My rear driver side tire was flat, and from what I could see, it was a lost cause to patch anything. Terry at the tire shop warned me about this, but I cou
ld be so stubborn.
I’d have to get the spare on and go for a new tire with my tail between my legs. The rain was freezing by now, and all I had was this thin sweatshirt. I was just walking to the trunk when a fancy car pulled up behind me. I narrowed my eyes to see through the heavy drops that soaked me.
“Need some help?” A man hopped out, and I recognized Austin a beat before he realized who I was. “Rebecca?”
“Yep. It’s me. I think I need to get my spare on. This tire is dead.”
He walked over to look. “You should have had that replaced a long time ago. See that tread?” I raised an eyebrow at his judgmental gaze. “Is everything in the trunk? I’ll take care of this for you.”
“You know how to do that?” My voice was hard, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “When is the last time you did anything like this? Don’t you have a staff for that now?”
“I’ve changed plenty of tires in my life. I haven’t forgotten how, Rebecca.” Austin sounded resigned as he walked over to his car. He reached inside to the back seat and handed me a massive umbrella. “I see you don’t prepare yourself for weather. Some things never change.”
“I was rushing home from the salon to try to beat the rain.” I looked at the handle and figured out how to open it just before he was reaching forward to help me. “Got it.”
The dark, heavy material seemed to surround me. I looked down to see nearly my entire body protected from the rain. This was nothing like the collection of Dollar General umbrellas piled up at home, instead of in my car where they should be. I watched as Austin slipped a raincoat over his own body, even though he was soaked. He pushed the hood over his head and made his way to my car, giving me flashes of the old Austin for a brief moment.
He got the jack and secured it under the old car before cranking it up to lift it. “This is a different car than high school, isn’t it?” he asked.