Undeniable Rush

by Stephens, S. C.

  Hayden grinned at me, then shook his head. “Lightweight.”

  I gently socked him in the stomach, then we followed Antonia upstairs. I froze when we got to the kitchen. Izzy was there, dolling out fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Hookup was there, too, leaning against the counter, drinking a beer. And Rodney and Felicia were there…picking through a tray of cheese and crackers. It hadn’t occurred to me that they’d be here tonight, but of course they would be. It was Christmas, and Hookup and Izzy were Felicia’s family, same as they were Hayden’s.

  Rodney spotted us before Felicia. “Hayden! Kenzie! Glad you could finally make it.” He grabbed a bottle of beer from the counter and handed it to Hayden. “Catch up,” he told him. “We’ve been here a while.”

  Hayden took the bottle, but he seemed tentative about taking it. Looking at me, he said, “Do you want something?” That was what his mouth said, but his eyes were clearly telling me Say the word and we’re gone.

  I smiled and answered his asked and unasked question. “No, I’m good, thank you.”

  Hayden gave me a minute to change my mind, then opened his beer. “Thanks, man,” he told Rodney.

  Felicia had been intent on the cheese tray, waiting to see how everything turned out. When it seemed we weren’t fleeing, she looked up at us. “Hi,” she said, addressing us both.

  Feeling odd and out of place, I raised my hand. “Hey…” Would being around her ever not feel weird?

  Tension started building in the room, and I hated that for the second time today, things were awkward. I looked around the kitchen, debating what we could possibly talk about. Hayden started digging through the cheeses. Felicia cleared her throat and sipped on her wine, while Hookup chugged his beer. Izzy just kept offering people rosettes. Rodney was the only one who looked unaffected. Rodney and Antonia.

  “Why does everyone look so glum?” Antonia asked. “Is it because we haven’t done presents yet? I’ve already opened mine, but you could do yours?” She innocently pointed at Rodney and Felica, and Hayden and me, and the weird feeling in the room tripled. Hayden, feeling impatient, had already given Antonia and Izzy their presents, and the two of us had exchanged between ourselves this morning. It hadn’t occurred to me to get Rodney and Felicia gifts…and I really hoped it hadn’t occurred to Hayden either. Maybe Rodney…but not Felicia. That crossed a line.

  Letting out an awkward chuckle, Izzy said, “No, sweetie, adults don’t really do that.”

  “Oh,” she said, a confused expression on her face. “Then what’s the matter?”

  “Nothing, Bookworm,” Hayden said. “Maybe we should all play a game. Your choice.”

  Antonia brightened as she thought. “Let’s play Spoons!”

  Hayden cringed, but nodded. “Sounds great, I’ll get some cards.”

  As he left, I whispered to Izzy, “What’s Spoons?”

  Felicia, hearing me, answered instead. “You set a group of spoons on the table, one less than the number of people playing. Then the lead person starts going through the deck. When someone gets four of a kind, they grab a spoon. Then everyone else is free to grab a spoon. The person who doesn’t get one is out. It’s kind of…organized chaos.”

  Antonia clapped her hands. “It’s so much fun! Uncle Hayden nearly broke the table last time.”

  Izzy sighed and shook her head. “He better not break this one, it’s brand new.”

  Antonia…and Rodney…looked really eager to play. I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t want to be the wet blanket of the party, so I sucked it up and took a spot next to Hayden. The game was exceedingly simple, but I was shocked at how quickly the anticipation built up. I found myself watching the spoons more than I was watching my cards, and when Hookup slyly reached out and grabbed one—doing his best to go unnoticed—I practically leapt on the table to get mine. I even accidently elbowed Hayden in the ribs. Maybe that was why he was a split-second too late in grabbing the last spoon.

  “Oh my God,” he said, looking at me. “You knocked me out.”

  “I did not… Rodney grabbed the last one.” Rodney then proceeded to wave the spoon back and forth, taunting Hayden. Antonia laughed, and I did my best to not join in with her.

  Hayden gave me a look of mock indignation, then he glanced at Antonia. “You better win this, small fry. I’m counting on you.”

  Antonia nodded, then gave him a thumbs-up. Unfortunately, she got knocked out the next round. Then Izzy. Then Tony. Then Rodney. When it was just down to Felicia and me, all of the previous tension in the room had completely vanished—everyone was whistling and cheering, and I had no idea which one of us they were cheering for. And I didn’t care. I had to shake my head in amusement. “A year ago, I never would have pictured this moment happening,” I told her.

  She laughed in response. “Me either. Ready?”

  “Let’s do it,” I answered.

  Hayden rubbed my back while Felicia started going through the deck. She had a slight advantage, since she saw the cards first, but there was also a small advantage to me, since I knew which cards she was passing on. With only one spoon left on the table, the adrenaline in the air skyrocketed. Antonia was jumping up and down, causing Sundae to periodically bark at her.

  After only a few minutes into the round, I had three sevens in my hand—I just needed one more. There were multiple decks in the pile Felicia was pawing through, so I knew my odds were good. So long as Felicia didn’t get her four of a kind first.

  And then it happened—a fourth seven. My hand shot out, reaching for the spoon, but Felicia either got her last card at the same time, or was reacting to my movement. Whatever the reason, we both jumped for the spoon at the same time. Neither of us were able to grasp it though, and somehow, we sent it spinning across the table, onto the floor. Antonia snorted with laughter. Felicia and I stared at each other for a split second, then our competitive natures took over, and we both dove for the spoon.

  As I collided with the floor, I heard Izzy saying, “Careful, careful!” And Tony saying, “Twenty on Cox!”

  If I’d had time to say anything, I would have taken him up on that bet, because my fingers curled around the spoon just a split-second before hers. Victory! Felicia was laughing as I yanked the spoon away and held it tight to my body. Rodney and Hayden were laughing too. Then I started laughing. I was going to be sore as hell tomorrow for that harsh landing, but it was so worth it.

  Felicia helped me to my feet, and I again marveled at the fact that I wasn’t trying to murder her. I wasn’t even angry at her. Not really.

  Shaking his head, Hayden wrapped his arms around me in a hug. Over his shoulder, I saw Rodney clutching Felicia in a similar manner. And they both looked just as happy as Hayden and me.

  “Anyone break a bone?” Izzy asked, grinning.

  I started shaking my head, but then I noticed the spoon…it was completely bent in half. “Sorry, Iz…there was one casualty.”

  Antonia started laughing even harder as she grabbed the spoon from me. “Didn’t I tell you this game was fun, Aunt Kenzie?” She looked back at her mom. “Can we play again?”

  Izzy sighed, but nodded. As Hookup grabbed the cards and started shuffling them, Rodney looked over at Hayden. “See, I told you they’d get along great. Let’s plan that double date. What are you guys doing New Year’s Eve?”

  Hayden looked at me. “Uh…we’re hanging out with Nikki and Myles.”

  “Perfect!” Rodney said. “The more the merrier.”

  Oh God. They were going to crash our double date. Shit.

  CHAPTER 8

  These back to back holidays were going to be the death of me. Not only was I eating too much, but I was hardly getting anything done. And it seemed like everyone I needed to talk to was either gone on vacation or their entire business was closed. Who closed up shop just because of a couple of holidays? A lot of people, apparently. It was so frustrating, watching the tiny fires around me turn into much bigger blazes, and not being able to do anything about i
t. The whole thing made me want to pull my hair out.

  But it was almost over. Once this year finally kicked over to the next one, things would return to normal…with me holding everything together with a very thin thread. God, I hoped I got some good news soon.

  My phone chimed with a message, and I reluctantly looked at it. ‘You’re still coming tonight, right? Because I think you need this even more than I do.’ That was from Nikki. She’d hounded me all week about this party. I generally preferred to stay home for New Year’s, but it had been forever since we’d all gone out together, and she was looking forward to it so much… I felt obligated to go.

  ‘Just finishing up work. I’ll be there.’

  Her response was instant. ‘It’s New Year’s Eve. Why the hell are you at work?’

  Because I was hoping I could get some shit done today, but apparently, I can’t. Knowing it sounded bitchy, I didn’t text that to her. Instead, I ignored her message, tucked my phone into my bag and prepared to head home. To change. For a party I wasn’t excited about.

  I was still getting ready when Hayden knocked on my door. Setting down my curling iron, I hurried to the door to let him in. He looked fabulous in a pair of black jeans and a Cox Racing T-shirt. I smirked at his shirt and he grinned wider. “What? It seemed like the perfect night to advertise.”

  Shaking my head, I let him inside. “It’s a hell of lot better than that obnoxious Benneti jacket. You burned that thing, right?”

  Closing the door behind him, he nodded. “You bet your sweet ass I did.”

  Laughing, I walked back to my bathroom to finish curling my hair. Hayden watched me with curious eyes. “Can I ask a stupid question?” he said.

  “Of course,” I answered with a smile.

  “Why are you curling your hair? It’s already curly?”

  “It’s wavy and chaotic.” Closing my eyes, I sighed. “I just want something to be in order…”

  He obviously knew I wasn’t talking about my hair anymore and gave me a sympathetic smile. “Well, you look beautiful. More than beautiful. Stunning…breathtaking…”

  I gave him a dry look. “I’m wearing the exact same thing I wore for Christmas.” There just hadn’t been any time to shop for something new and cute.

  Hayden’s smile widened. “I know. I like that dress. You should wear it every day.”

  I rolled my eyes, but I was beaming the entire time I finished getting ready. Once I was as presentable as I was going to be, we got into my truck and headed to Oysters. The nautical-themed bar was making a big to-do out of tonight. Hookup had told Hayden that they’d brought in a DJ and a fog machine. Myles was giddy, because his signature drink was on special tonight. Glenn had taken Nikki’s off the menu, out of respect for her condition. He promised he would bring it back once the baby was born…and then name another drink for the baby.

  The parking lot was packed when we got there, and I had to admit, I was surprised. I’d kind of thought the place was going to be a ghost town. Hayden pointed to a truck a few spaces over. “Rodney’s here.” Which meant Felicia was too. Well, Christmas had ended up entertaining, maybe this would too. Positive thinking was going to get me through tonight.

  Merely smiling at Hayden’s observation, I shut my truck off and climbed out. Hayden was by my side a moment later, hand extended for me. I grabbed his fingers, and we made our way toward the door. The music was booming loud, even from outside, and I could see the swirl of “fog” as people opened the door. It was going to be insane inside, I just knew it. Glenn should stick to seafood.

  When Hayden pulled the door open for us, the deep bass from the music combined with the cacophony of hundreds of voices talking at once hit me in the face like the heat blast from an oven. I even took a step back as my body adjusted. Hayden grinned at me as he pulled me inside.

  Myles was the first person we spotted—once we could see through the haze of the fog. Like he’d been watching the door, he instantly approached us, two bright blue/green drinks in hand. “Hey, guys! Have a Myles.” He thrust the drinks out to us, an eager grin on his boyish face. He loved this.

  “Where’s Nikki?” I asked over the music.

  Myles tilted his head toward the back. “Bathroom. I swear she has to pee every five minutes. Weird, since she’s not drinking. We’ve got a table though.” He started walking, then glanced at us over his shoulder. “The whole gang’s here.”

  I smiled when I saw Eli, Ralph, and Kevin crowded around a circular table, sipping on blue-green drinks. “Hey, guys,” I said, tossing my hand up in a wave.

  They each gave us a greeting, none of them looking at Hayden twice; they’d fully acclimated to an ex-Benneti being on the team. And being my boyfriend. Just as I was thinking the Benneti rivalry was well and truly gone, all four of my employees scowled. Wondering why they were all acting like guard dogs protecting their territory, I glanced behind me. Then I understood. Rodney was heading our way, Felicia in tow.

  “What are they doing?” Myles asked, eyes narrowed.

  Hayden looked apologetic. “They’re, uh, here for us,” he said, indicating me.

  Myles’s eyes widened. “For you?” His gaze swung to me, his dark eyes full of disbelief. While Nikki had been my main confidant during the whole Felica-Hayden-fiasco, Myles had known about it, and he knew I wasn’t fond of her.

  I gave him a tight smile. “Rodney and Hayden are friends, so we invited them out.” Kind of.

  Myles scoffed, then frowned at Hayden. I had a feeling their newfound, friendly relationship had just taken a hit.

  Nikki returned to the table just in time to see everybody staring at the approaching couple. “Holy shit! Are they coming over here?”

  My smile grew even tighter. “Hey, Nik. It’s fine. It’s all…fine.”

  She seemed to buy that just as much as Myles, but there was nothing they could do—Rodney and Felicia were upon us. “Hey, guys!” Rodney said. “What the hell are you drinking? It’s blue.”

  “It’s The Myles, named after me,” Myles said, his voice flat.

  Rodney raised an eyebrow, then laughed. “Well, it looks like a chick drink, dude. If I were going to have a drink named after me, it would be Scotch. On the rocks.”

  Eli cracked a smile. “Rodney’s Rocks?”

  “Exactly,” Rodney said, snapping his fingers.

  Eli sniggered, but Felicia practically purred as she placed her hand on Rodney’s chest. “I’d order a Rodney’s Rocks.”

  “Or a Hayden’s Rocks,” Nikki said under the music. Thankfully, I was the only one who heard her. I shot her a look, and she cringed in apology.

  Hayden and Rodney started in on a conversation, with Felicia standing next to both of them. They were kind of apart from the group, in their own little trio, a realization that didn’t exactly sit well with me. But neither did butting into their circle. That felt a little too obvious.

  Myles shook his head as he watched the dynamics. “You okay with this, Kenzie? Like, for real okay with this?” He still seemed mystified.

  I wanted to say no. I wanted to say yes. Instead, I shrugged. “I’m okay with Hayden hanging out with his friend.”

  Myles smirked. “Nice job sidestepping the issue.”

  Stepping closer to him, I flicked a glance at Nikki. “I’m not the only one sidestepping issues.”

  His brows drew together, confused. Rolling my eyes, I said, “Nikki told me you two almost kissed at the baby store.”

  He blankly stared at me for a solid ten seconds, then shrugged. “It was nothing. We got caught up in a moment. It happens.”

  “It happens?” I said with a laugh. “Have you and I ever got caught up in a moment?” He suddenly looked disgusted, and I smacked his arm. “Exactly. I don’t think you got caught up in anything, Myles. I think you finally let your guard down. Both of you.”

  Myles rolled his eyes, but then his gaze drifted to Nikki, and he looked…thoughtful. I was just about to tell him to go ask her to dance, when I felt my purse v
ibrating. Worried it was some sort of emergency with the business, I pulled my phone out of my tiny bag and checked the screen. New message from John? He never texted me.

  Unlocking the phone, I checked the text. My jaw dropped after reading it. “What’s wrong?” Myles asked.

  Shaking my head, I looked up at him. “Nothing. He found someone.”

  Myles looked lost, until I reached over and tapped Nikki on the shoulder, interrupting her conversation with Ralph. She looked back at me, and I raised my phone. “John found a mechanic. He’ll be there Monday.”

  All the color faded from Nikki’s cheeks. It happened so quickly, I worried she was about to pass out. “Nik? You okay?”

  She nodded and forced a smile to her face. “Yeah, I’m great. This is…great.” Her eyes, thick with moisture, shifted to Myles. “I have to go to the bathroom.” She spun and left without another word.

  “Damn it, I didn’t mean to upset her. I know she’s freaking out, but this is good news. Really good news.” And I’d been desperately needing some good news. I already felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. But it was quickly replaced with guilt. “I should go talk to her.”

  I started to move away, but Myles stopped me. “Hold up, Kenzie. I think I should be the one to talk to her.” I wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes—the compassion, the warmth—I nodded, and let him go rescue his damsel.

  Once he was gone, I twisted to find my boyfriend. He was laughing with Rodney and Felicia. They looked so damn perfect together, like a trio of best friends. It made a surge of jealousy rush through me, but I forcefully shoved it aside. Best friends were a lot different than lovers. And I could…maybe, somehow, be okay with them all being friends. So long as Rodney was the glue holding them together, and Felicia was just an unavoidable consequence.

  Shaking aside my darker thoughts, I walked over to Hayden. Still laughing with Rodney, he put his arm around me, then leaned over and kissed my head. “Hey, babe.” Then he seemed to realize their threesome had shifted away from the main group, and he suddenly looked very uncomfortable, like he hadn’t meant for that to happen.