by J. Lea
“Unfortunately,” she explains. “But I’ll be back soon.”
“I can take them,” I jump into conversation before thinking. Besides, I could use some fresh air, the bar isn’t that far, I can walk there.
“Oh, hi, Everly, I didn’t even see you,” Dolores says surprised.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just headed to the kitchen and I overheard you talking.”
“It’s fine, there’s nothing to apologize for. Would you really be willing to take the papers to Connor?”
I nod. I have a free afternoon, and I need to keep my mind busy so I don’t start thinking about my past. A walk would be a welcome distraction, and I’d help Dolores at the same time.
“Thank you!” Standing up, she heads upstairs, beckoning for me to follow her. “Connor said the folder with the paperwork is in his desk, wanna help me find it?”
I hesitate before answering. I haven’t been to Connor’s room yet. I don’t want to intrude on his privacy. But Dolores is waiting for me halfway up the stairs, so I force myself to start moving.
“I don’t like going through other people’s stuff so I hope we find them where he said he left them,” she says.
His bedroom is a mirror copy of mine with different furniture. A guitar case sits in the corner, a desk against the far wall, notebooks on it. Beside the king-sized bed there’s a wastebasket, crumpled up papers scattered around it. It looks like he’s been aiming at it, but missed some shots. A double floor to ceiling closet with sliding doors takes up the majority of one wall, and there’s a flat screen TV on the dresser opposite the bed. A few framed photos adorn the wall, nothing else. There’s also a framed picture on the nightstand by the bed, three people grinning at me. Taking the frame in my hands, I recognize a younger Connor, sitting on the beach, his hand around a beautiful woman, and Ava’s standing beside them.
“I think I found it.” Dolores lifts a blue folder. “Oh,” she breathes when she sees what I’m holding. “I haven’t seen this picture in a long time.” She smiles sadly.
“I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to snoop around.” I place the photograph back in its place.
“It’s fine.”
“This is your daughter, right?” Pointing my finger at the stunning woman in Connor’s arms, kissing his cheek. “Yes. Wasn’t she beautiful?” Dolores asks wistfully.
Anabel had long, dark, thick, curly hair. I’d kill to have golden skin like her, she is glowing with happiness.
“I’m very sorry for your loss, Dolores.”
“Thanks, sweetie. We miss her still, every day. We always will.” Taking a deep breath, she pulls herself together. “I’m so grateful you offered to take the documents to Connor, thank you so much.”
“It’s no problem, really.”
I haven’t been to Mi Vida yet so my eyes take everything in as I step inside and head toward the bar, looking curiously around the place. There’s a woman behind the bar, putting glasses in the dishwasher. A man is sitting at the bar, drinking coffee.
“Hi,” I greet the bartender. “I’m looking for Connor Meadows. I brought him the paperwork he needs.” I wave the folder in front of her.
“He’s over there.” Her long finger points to the table in the far end of the club. At first, I only see a group of women, talking animatedly and laughing. Then one of them moves, and my eyes land on him. God, he is handsome. No wonder he is surrounded by so many women.
“Thanks.” I give the bartender a small smile and head to the group, who appear to be celebrating something because they clink their glasses together. Connor stops in the middle of drinking and blinks with surprise.
“Everly.” Putting his glass on the table, he leaves his friends. He approaches me with a confident grin plastered on his face. “What are you doing here?”
I raise the folder. “I brought you the papers.” His gaze is fixed on me as if he wants to read me, but he doesn’t say anything. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your friends.” I gesture my hand to the group of loud, laughing women and start to turn around. But he grabs my hand.
“Please, stay,” he says firmly.
“I don’t know …” I don’t want to be the fifth wheel.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to Phoenix. I’d really like you to meet him,” he insists.
“Fine, but I’m not staying long,” I relent.
“Great.” His lips widen into a grin. “Phoenix is waiting for me at the office to bring him these papers. Order anything you want and put it on my tab. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I take this time to look around. The place isn’t crowded, half the tables are filled with people sitting and chatting. I immediately recognize Anabel’s paintings Connor mentioned, but I’m too far away to see what they’re depicting. A modern bar is set in the middle, glass shelves lit up with LED lights allowing me to see on the other side of the club. Massive looking tables and chairs are scattered around the bar, leaving the dance floor wide open, booths on one side of the wall.
I order coffee and sit down at a nearby table. I pull a book out of my bag to help me pass the time.
“Everly.” I raise my gaze to see Dana standing in front of me. Her sugary sweet greeting is as fake as her nails. Connor and another man are beside her.
“Dana,” I say in an equally obnoxious, sweet voice. I really can’t see what Connor sees in her. Yes, she’s beautiful, I can’t argue with that, everything on her looks perfect. But her personality is another thing. The way she’s clutching Connor’s elbow is her method of telling me he’s taken. I’m well aware of that. And I’d never want to split them apart. That’s not who I am. Yes, he is handsome as hell, but I’m not looking for boyfriend. I’m not looking for a relationship or even a booty call.
“Everly, let me introduce you to Phoenix Black, my partner in crime, my wingman,” Connor says, wriggling his arm from Dana’s grip. “And you already know Dana.”
“Partner in crime, huh?” I raise my eyebrow, smiling. His longs fingers grip mine, as we shake hands.
Phoenix is very tall and big, built like a quarterback. He’s dressed in a designer suit and expensive shoes. His hand runs through his dark brown hair, short on the sides and longer on top. He’s clean-shaven. A complete opposite of Connor. He directs his grey eyes at me, returning the smile.
“What can I say,” Phoenix says with a shrug, “except it’s all true. So you’re the Everly he keeps talking about?” He gives a sideways glance at Connor with a raised brow before focusing on me again. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“At least now I know why he keeps taking about you.” Phoenix winks, turning the chair and sitting on it backwards. “I don’t know why he forgot to mention how gorgeous you are.” Connor levels Phoenix with a stare.
Behind us Dana coughs, undoubtedly annoyed by not being in the center of attention. Leaning into Connor, she hangs off his arm. “Connor, darlin’,” she says in her annoying voice, “we’re still on for tonight, right?” She runs a hand down his chest, looking at me.
“Yes, I’ll pick you up.”
“Good.” She gives him a peck on his cheek. “Well, I have to go, have fun!” And with a ‘ciao’ and an air kiss, she’s gone.
Phoenix rolls his eyes. “Remind me, why do I need to put up with her?” I’m relieved I’m not the only one who doesn’t like her.
“She’s not that bad,” Connor responds. “That’s Dana. You get used to her after a while.”
“You’re kidding me, right? I’ve been around her for what? Two years now? I still haven’t gotten used to her annoying voice.” Phoenix shakes his head. “If she weren’t working for us I wouldn’t even look her way.”
“Hey, Connor, can you come here for a second?” Connor’s needed at the bar, so he leaves me with Phoenix.
She’s working for them? I thought she only helps Connor occasionally. “So Dana works here?”
“Yeah, she’s handling our books
. She’s our accountant,” Phoenix explains.
“I didn’t know that.” Their relationship must be serious then; they’re not only dating, they’re also working together.
“She’s so fucking in love with him it’s making me sick. I admit, she’s good at her job, but other than that she’s just an annoyance.”
My brows draw together. “How does Connor feel about you hating his girlfriend?” I’m sure he’s not too happy about it, considering she must be around often.
Phoenix almost falls off his chair. “Girlfriend?” He slaps his thigh, shaking with laughter. “She is definitely not his girlfriend. She wants to be, yeah, but he doesn’t think about her in that way. He only thinks of her as a part of our staff.”
“Oh, Dana told me—”
He lifts his hand. “Don’t believe a thing that comes out of her mouth. It’s usually a bunch of shit.”
“Then why do you keep her around if you don’t like her?”
“As I told you, she’s great with numbers. As long as she’s doing her job, she’ll be around. She knows I hate her, but Connor …” He shakes his head and laughs to himself. “He’s too patient and too fucking polite for his own good.”
“Who’s too polite for his own good?” Connor appears behind me, his hands on my shoulders, squeezing and rubbing them gently. Tingles run down my spine. His touch shouldn’t feel so good.
“We were just talking about Dana. But let’s not waste words on her,” Phoenix says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I wanna know more about you. Tell me, where are you from?”
“Well, I was born and raised in Illinois, but moved a couple of years ago.”
“I used to date a girl from Illinois. She took me to some waterfalls once. I wasn’t really interested in it, my focus was on her ass, her tits and her mouth. We were making out the whole trip.” He chuckles to himself.
“You never dated a girl from Illinois,” Connor interjects.
“Fine.” Phoenix rolls his eyes. “I didn’t date her. We met at a bar, she was hot as hell. I got her number, called her a couple of days later and visited her. She made me do some sightseeing before I could, you know, bang her.”
Connor chuckles. “Yeah, that’s more like the Phoenix I know.”
“She wasn’t that great in bed, so I lost interest after a while.” He casually shrugs.
“Can I get you a drink?” Connor cocks his head to the bar, stopping Phoenix from saying more.
“No, thanks. I should get going.” I reach for my bag. “It was really nice meeting you, Phoenix.”
He winks at me. “The pleasure was all mine. Hope to see you around.”
“Wait,” Connor stops me as I stand. “I’ll drive you. I’m done for the day anyway. Just give me a second to grab my keys.”
“I can walk. Don’t leave because of me.” I don’t want to mess up any plans he might have.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re coming with me.”
“Okay.” There’s no point in arguing with him, I’d never win the fight.
“S o it just slipped your mind? How on Earth could you forget to mention Everly isn’t some old woman who loves to knit?” Phoenix interrogates me while following me to our office.
“Slipped my mind? I don’t think so. I’m sure I mentioned it,” I feign ignorance.
“No, I’d definitely remember that tidbit. How old is she? She can’t be older than we are. I wouldn’t give her more than twenty-seven.”
“She’s thirty-one.”
“At least now I know why you keep talking about her. She’s hot as hell. Have you seen her legs? Damn.”
“Yeah, yeah, she’s not that bad,” I mumble. Phoenix snorts, not believing a word I say. “Don’t even start,” I warn, cutting him off before he can say anything else. He snickers at me, his eyes dancing with amusement.
“What? We’re just making conversation. Besides, I saw the way you were looking at her. And the way she was looking at you. You like each other.”
“You’re delusional.” Where the hell did I put my keys? I shuffle through the pile of random stuff on my desk.
“Or maybe I’m right, and you won’t admit it to yourself. Seriously, how long has it been? Three, four years? Isn’t it time you moved on? To find love again? You flirt with random women every night. You’ve turned into the man you’d once sworn you will never be again. I know how much you loved Anabel, we all did. But Ava needs a woman in her life, and you can’t spend the rest of your life hooking up with random chicks every night. That’s no life, man. At least not for you.”
Phoenix, like all my friends, believes I sleep around. I made sure that’s the version of me they know, but it’s so far from the truth it’s not even funny anymore.
“Mind your own fucking business.” I hold up a finger in warning. “Ava and I are doing just fine on our own. I don’t need advice about love and relationships, especially from a Casanova like yourself. You wouldn’t know what love is if it bit you in the ass. My love life is none of your business, so back off. Besides, I’m not interested in Everly.” There, I said it.
“No?” He shakes his head in disbelief. “So you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out, then?” He raises an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on his lips.
My head snaps up, giving Phoenix a nasty glare. “Leave her alone.” He’s testing me, I know that, but he still hit a nerve. “Everly lives in my house for fuck’s sake. I really don’t want to wipe her tears when you get tired of her, like you always do.”
“Is that so?” Rubbing his chin, he narrows his eyes. “At least I give them a chance. What about you? You fuck them and toss them aside. Maybe I won’t get tired of her. Maybe I’m finally ready to settle down. Everly looks like girlfriend material.”
Clenching my teeth together, I take a deep breath, not looking at him. “I’m sure she is, but you’re not boyfriend material. So leave her alone.” I finally find my keys and I shove them in my pocket.
“Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to see your reaction. I got my answer,” Phoenix muses.
I flip him the bird. “You’ll never change.”
“You know I’d never do that to you, man. We’re best friends. Besides, I’ve never had a family, remember? You, women, and Mi Vida – that’s all I’ve got. I worry about you.”
I’ve known Phoenix for a long time, and I know he only wants the best for me. We become friends when we were teenagers, caused trouble, chased women, and started a business together later. The only difference between us is that I met Anabel and got married, and he’s still the same womanizer he always was.
“Anabel changed you. She helped you become a better person. I envied you. I wanted what you had, even if only for a moment.” He points his finger at me. “And that Connor is gone. You’re bitter, you bury yourself in work, and your dick in some random chick. But don’t think I haven’t noticed a change in you in the past few weeks. You seem … I don’t know, happier or some shit like that. You like her whether you want to admit that to yourself or not. Your reaction to the thought of me asking her out told me everything. Don’t worry, I’ll stay out of your love life if you want, hell, I don’t even know what love is, so I’ll be happy to oblige. But if you don’t take a chance with her, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life, mark my words. If you’re too stubborn to think about yourself, at least think about Ava.”
I clench my jaw, turning away from him. I know he’s right, but I’ll never tell him that. “Just let it go,” I warn.
Tossing his hands up, he shakes his head. “Okay, man, you obviously have everything figured out.”
We don’t say anything for a while, the music echoing from the club the only sound in the office.
“Will you take care of the fliers then?” Earlier at a meeting, Phoenix and I discussed the idea of open mic nights every other Saturday, some sort of stand-up comedy. It’s a new concept, a fresh idea, and I like it better than karaoke which is too boring and an overused concept.
“Yeah,” Phoenix sa
ys, his head bent down, seemingly examining some documents on my desk.
“Okay, see you.”
“Yep.”
“You seem distracted,” Everly notes as we wait at a red light a few blocks from the house.
“Sorry. I have a lot of things on my mind, that’s all.” I try to lighten the mood by giving her a small smile. Phoenix’s words keep repeating in my mind.
“If there’s anything I can do …”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re already working too much. You know,” I suddenly blurt, “I’ve got an idea.” Instead of driving straight to the house, I take a sharp right turn, tires squeaking. Everly shrieks, clutching her seat.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“But I can’t go somewhere just like that, what if Dolores needs me?” she tries to talk her way out of going anywhere, even though I know fully well it’s her afternoon off.
“Don’t worry, just sit and relax.”
I park the car at the local sports park. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I send Dolores a quick text so she wouldn’t worry and to check up on Ava.
Everly’s blue eyes are focused on me as I slide out of my seat and round the car to open her door. She takes my outstretched hand, threading her fingers with mine as I pull her out. We both need to unwind a little, and rollerblading sounds like a great idea. “I know you know how to rollerblade because you taught Ava. What do you say?”
“Sure, but I don’t have rollerblades.”
“Neither do I. We can rent them here.”
“You’re insane.” Everly is laughing like crazy, as she catches up with me. I suggested we play chase, on rollerblades, of course. The rollerblading trail is quite big, so we’re free to play around as much as we want without being in someone’s way.
“What can I say – I’m still a child at heart.” I wink and let her get ahead of me. The view is way better from this vantage point. She’s showing off her long, lean legs in her shorts, revealing smooth, silky skin I desperately want to explore with my tongue and fingers. And her ass … nothing but perfection. Full, round, and firm. Just as I like it. Yoga does do wonders.