“Wait,” Kate directs at me, halting me in my steps by the firmness in her tone. “You don’t get to go around and advertise to the whole world that you saw my tits and bare pussy without the favor being returned.”
This girl has balls. Of steel.
“Jesus, Kate,” Natalee blushes as she holds a hand to her chest. “And since when am I the whole world?”
“You know what I mean.” She scowls, looking directly at me. “Go on, tell them.” She cocks her head, a devilish smile spreading on her face.
I clear my throat, deciding to take the high road. “Fine. You saw me naked.” I sit back down, placing my plate back on the bar. “Big deal.” I try to sound casual, hoping this topic of conversation dies.
“Well, he’s right about one thing,” Kate gloats. “It sure wasn’t a big deal.” I can hear the smirk in her tone and my own lips form a grin. Now I know she’s trying to rattle me. And it’s working.
Natalee tries to conceal her laughter with a cough. “Well, I’m going to tell Trace we’re leaving soon.” She turns and walks out of the kitchen, leaving Kate and me alone.
Bad fucking idea.
“Not a big deal, huh?” I inquire, brow arched, needing to hear her take the words back.
“Not that I saw,” she responds casually, finishing off her bowl of fruit.
“That really wasn’t an accurate view, you know? I was caught off guard…and cold.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she mocks.
“I don’t really care how it makes you feel. But if you’re going to go announcing it to the whole world that my jewels are small, at least get the facts straight.”
“Why is it no one can say cock around here?” she asks, clearly amused, making my dick pulse at the sound of her voice saying cock. “If it bothers you that much, then prove me wrong,” she says flatly, turning to face me. She’s trying to hold eye contact, but she’s blinking obsessively.
“What is this—show and tell?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “Basically. You want people to know you aren’t shriveled and small—prove it.”
“That’s ridiculous. I don’t care what people think.”
A wide grin spreads over face. “Good.”
She stands up and puts her bowl in the sink. I watch as she begins to walk out, but something inside me stops her.
“You’re a real a pain in the ass, you know that?”
She looks over her shoulder—only to purse her lips together in a fucking grin. “It’s an ass you’re going to see all week. Better get used to it.”
I can only shake my head at her response. I finish my breakfast and immediately go on the hunt for Trace. I need to get this girl’s backstory before I have any more inappropriate thoughts about her or her ass.
“So we have most of the morning and afternoon to ourselves,” Trace informs me. “What do you want to do?”
“Natalee didn’t give you a list of things we’re allowed to do?” I only half-tease.
“Well…” He shrugs, grinning. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
We end up at some local brewery where everyone knows Trace and each other apparently. It’s very homey, a bit different from my lifestyle in Boston.
“So we’ve haven’t talked much since…” He pauses a moment, contemplating his words.
“The funeral,” I fill in for him.
He takes a swig of his beer. “Right. How have you been doing since then? You kind of just…disappeared after.”
“Yeah…I wasn’t really in a social mood, ya know?” I say, hoping to not offend him. “I just needed time,” I clarify.
“I understand, man. You were Sophia’s whole world. I can’t even imagine.” He looks at me with genuine concern, knowing it’s a hard topic to discuss even after all this time.
“Yeah…I hope you never do,” I say sincerely. “Just taking it day by day.”
“It’s good, man. It’s all you can do.” He clinks the neck of his beer against mine. “I’m glad you’re here now, though.”
I take a swig of my own beer, hoping to loosen up a bit. “Same here. I needed to get out of Boston for a bit. Away from work, too.”
“Been busy?”
“Yeah, but mainly I’ve worked day and night to stay busy. This is definitely a change of pace.” I grin. There’s no way I’d be in a bar in the middle of the day otherwise. I work for my dad at his marketing firm, since I graduated college five years ago, but these past ten months I’ve worked myself endlessly to numb the pain and bury the memories.
“Just don’t burn yourself out. You still have a life. It’s okay to live it,” he reassures me. I know he means well, but he has no idea the bitterness and rage I carry inside me.
“I know…” I sigh, ready for a new topic. “So why don’t you tell me about Natalee’s cousin. She’s a spitfire.”
“Kate? I don’t know, really. She hasn’t been around the last few months. She and Natalee were best friends growing up. They were really close as teenagers, when Natalee’s parents died. Practically glued at the hip. Then, Kate’s grandmother got sick and died. Three years later, same thing happened to her mother.”
“Shit. Really?”
“Yeah, I remember Natalee crying for weeks. Kate was real close to both of them and within five years, she watched them both die. It was bad.”
“What about her dad?” I ask, curiosity eating at me.
“Bastard bailed after her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. He watched what it did to her mom and said he couldn’t go through it again. She’d spend weeks at a time at the hospital and her mother’s house, ‘neglecting’ her husband. And then when Kate’s grandmother passed away, her mom went into a deep depression. She’d been so focused on taking care of her that she didn’t take care of herself and get checked out when she hadn’t been feeling right. By the time she found out, it was really too late.”
“What happened?”
“They did surgery, but it had spread too far. She fought to the end, though. Natalee said she’d never seen such determination before, but she also knew she was hanging on for Kate’s sake—knowing she didn’t have anyone left.”
“Wow…” My head is spinning. This girl’s been through the fucking wringer. Twice.
“Yeah, I mean, you two have some things in common. Maybe you could talk. Could be therapeutic,” he offers.
A huffed laugh escapes my throat at spilling my guts to a girl like Kate. “I doubt she’s the talking type,” I say confidently. “I’m pretty sure she hates my guts.”
“Nah, man. She’s just hurting. Natalee said she and her boyfriend broke up just a few months ago. Don’t know details, but you know girls—hiding their true feelings to cover up the pain. It’s likely she’s in a similar situation.”
He’s referring to Sophia—the way I hide my feelings to ignore the pain. Except I’m not interested in talking about her. To anyone. Those memories are mine, and I’m not ready to share them.
We walk down Main Street, Trace telling me about how he planned the perfect proposal for Natalee. It sounds wonderful, but I’m not really interested. I don’t plan on settling down or even have an interest in something semi-serious. I’m not sure my heart has it in me anymore.
Track 4: Set Fire to the Rain
Kate
“I look like a 1920s whore,” I groan, starring at myself in the full-length mirror.
“You do not, Kate.”
“Exactly what type of wedding is this?” I raise a brow at the flapper dress I’m being forced to wear.
“It’s a themed wedding—The Great Gatsby,” she explains. “Which means, flapper dresses and feather headbands for the ladies and suspenders and fedora hats for the men.”
“Themed wedding?” People still do that?
“Yes. It’s totally in.”
I stay silent as the seamstress works on the dress. I keep reminding myself, this is for Natalee….this is for Natalee. At this point, I’m willing to do anything
to make her happy, knowing what’s to come.
“And these shoes.” She displays a set of black heels. Totally not in style. “Don’t give me that look, Kate.” She’s trying to hide the grin behind her scowl. “These are t-strap heels. Very popular.”
“A hundred years ago,” I mutter.
“You look very charming, Katie Bear.”
“Just what every single girl wants to hear,” I mumble.
She places the shoes back in the box and looks up at me. “You want to talk about it?” she asks. I raise an eyebrow in question. “About Kyle,” she clarifies.
I shrug casually. “There’s really nothing to talk about. We were headed in different directions. I didn’t see a future with us, so I ended it.”
“You loved him,” she says matter-of-factly. My heart aches at the way she’s sympathizing for me, but it doesn’t matter anymore. He’s better off getting over me now before it’s too late.
“I did. But, I think I loved the idea of us more than actually being in love with him.” That’s a lie, but I’ve told myself that every night for the past three months. Sooner or later, I’ll start to believe it.
“Well, there will be plenty of available bachelors this weekend.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “We’ll be gone Saturday and Sunday night, so feel free to take home a… party favor back with you.” She giggles to herself, making me giggle right back with her. Natalee is usually so proper and ladylike, but I know she can be a ball of fun.
“What about Gabe?” I ask, surprising myself that I actually have the nerve to bring him up. “Is he an available bachelor?”
She narrows her brows at me, suspiciously. “Gabe?” She’s thinking to herself. “He’s single, if that’s what you mean. Not so much on the available part.”
“What do you mean?”
“Emotionally. He checked out months ago. This is the first time Trace has seen him in months.”
A hundred questions are spinning in my mind. “Why?”
“A few years ago—”
“All done,” the seamstress cuts her off. “I need you to slowly slip the dress off without pushing any of the pins out.”
I shimmy the dress down my shoulders and body, letting it collect to my feet. I slowly step out of it and hand it off.
“I’ll have the dress ready by tomorrow,” she informs Natalee. She nods and both of us say goodbye before heading out.
“Oh, you want to catch some lunch before we head back? I’m sure the guys are still busy doing their thing. It’ll be nice to catch up.” She smiles excitedly at me. It’s too hard to deny that look, so I agree.
“Sure.”
“There’s a quaint little place near the shore. You’ll love it.”
All the stores are close together downtown, so we end up walking. It’s about a quarter-mile before we reach it.
“This is adorable.”
“Trace and I love coming here. It’s not much from the outside, but the food is to die for.”
I keep quiet for most of our lunch. I let Natalee ramble on and on about the wedding. My heart both aches and screams every time she talks about their future and how one day her kids will call me Auntie Katie. I wish I could just tell her, but I promised myself I wouldn’t. I want to give her this time with me, untainted by reality.
* * *
I finally get to soak in the clawfoot tub, remembering to lock both doors this time. My joints are sore from walking, although it wasn’t really that much. The pain hasn’t really been too bad lately, but it’s something I’m constantly monitoring. The doctor warned me it would come and go.
A part of me was glad I didn’t get Gabe’s background after all. Once we left the seamstress’s shop and went to lunch, I reminded myself that this would not, could not turn into anything more. The less I knew about him, the better.
I have twenty-four things I want to accomplish—one for every year I’ve been alive. It seems fitting. I’ve barely done any of them, so I needed a new outlook on life to ensure I do everything before it’s too late.
Natalee texts me after my bath letting me know her and Trace are going to their last dance class. It’s almost seven, so I decide I’ll head down to the living room and find a movie to watch.
I wrap my hair up into a wet knot, not bothering to brush it out, and pull on some yoga shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt before heading down the stairs.
I grab a can of Dr. Pepper from the fridge and go in search of my favorite snack. Red Vines. I pop it through my can like a straw and head into the living room.
I’m surprised when I see Gabe in the corner chair, reading a book. He doesn’t come off as the reading type, but what’s even more surprising are his reading glasses. Not the ugly, old man reading glasses either. These are hot. Nerdy hot.
I suck in a sharp breath as I look at him. He barely flinches, but I notice the corner of his mouth curls up slightly.
“Yes?” he asks, keeping his eyes on his book.
“You’re reading,” I say as a statement, but it comes out more as a question.
“Yes.” He drops the book in his lap and looks up at me. “I did go to college.”
My body relaxes, my head tilting as I scowl back at him. “You just don’t look like the reading type, that’s all.”
“And you don’t look like the dancer type.”
I furrow my brows at him. “What’s that mean?”
“Hair on top of your head, short shorts. It’s very…”
“I’m not a stripper,” I say sharply, quickly cutting him off. I’m going to kill Natalee for even mentioning that.
He puts both hands up, a sly smile forming on his face. “I said dancer. Sounded more respectful.”
“Well, either way…” I groan. “I’m not. Either of those. So you just wipe that smug little smile off your stupid face.” I jab my finger at him.
I begin walking to the couch and grab the remote off the coffee table.
“You don’t mean that.” He catches me off guard when I feel the weight of the couch dip behind me.
I begin flipping through channels, keeping my eyes strictly on the television screen. “Mean what?”
“You don’t think my face is stupid.” I can see him grinning out of the corner of my eye. God, this guy is so smug.
“What’s it matter what I think anyway? I’m sure you don’t need me feeding your ego.” I roll my eyes. “It’s plenty big.” I regret the words the second I spit them out. “Your ego, I mean,” I clarify.
He laughs casually, making his way around the couch and dropping down next to me. My body stiffens, wondering if I should move away from him or not. Now that we’re alone and his mouth is close enough to kiss, I’m starting to second-guess myself. I was never that girl—the one with nerves of steel. I dated Kyle for years. We were comfortable, content. But before him, I only had casual dates. Nothing serious.
Be spontaneous.
I lean back against the couch, grabbing the pillow next to me for comfort. Having him this close to me is making my mind spin out of control. He’s attractive and I hate that I’m attracted to him because that only means one thing—complications. I wasn’t planning to settle for an unattractive one-night stand, but one where I’d be too drunk to even care. This is so not what I had planned.
“You don’t have to sit here and babysit me, you know.”
“Who says I’m babysitting you? I was down here first.”
It’s childish, I know, but I can’t help it. “You were down here reading. I just want to watch a good chick flick. Something I’m sure you have no interest in,” I say matter-of-factly, all lightness out of my tone. Flirting with him can’t happen anymore. He’s too close and the closer he gets, the harder it’s going to be to stick to my original plan. They’ll be plenty of opportunities to find single men at the wedding, I remind myself.
“You have no idea what I’m interested in.”
“Well, I doubt it’s Sex in the City reruns.”
“Actually, I find it fascinating
.”
“Oh…” I laugh to myself, nodding. “I get it now.”
“Get what?” He narrows his brows.
“You’re into men,” I say, even though I know it’s not true.
“What?” he gasps.
“That’s why you barged into the bathroom, not caring about a naked girl. That’s why you didn’t care if I saw you naked.” I point my hand toward the TV. “Sex and the City? And…” I grab the book out of his hand to read the title. “Whatever the hell that is.” He looks at me in surprise, a slight grin overtaking his lips. “It’s okay…I’m not judging. But I’m guessing Trace doesn’t know.”
“Are you done yet?” he asks, clearly not amused.
“What?” I ask, waiting for his argument.
“I’m not into men,” he insists, setting the book down. He noticeably eyes my body up and down. “Definitely not.”
I tilt my head in his direction, ready to rebuttal. “You don’t have to lie. I won’t tell them.” I keep the seriousness in my tone, knowing it’s only pissing him off more.
“Do I look like I’m into men or something?”
“Well…not in an obvious way, but now that I’m thinking about it…it’s the only explanation. I mean, you dress nice. Like really nice. You have those black things in your ears, which could certainly go either way. Your hair is a bit too perfect, like exceptionally crafted, and put together.”
He looks at me oddly, his piercing bright eyes burning into mine.
“Well, that’s discouraging,” he finally says.
“You aren’t into men?” I pretend to be surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Am I sure?” He laughs. “I’m going to guess you aren’t a people person.”
“What’s that mean?” I ask, offended. “I’m social,” I try and defend, but even I can hear the insecurity in my tone.
“Okay, wait. Back up. First off: I’m not into men. I’m one-hundred and twenty percent into women.” I lean back, slightly amused by how rattled up he’s getting. “Second, It’s kind of a confidence downer when a hot chick thinks you’re gay.”
Alphas & Millionaires Starter Set Page 54