Drake stood politely for a second when I got to the table. I tried to smile at his chivalry, but my trembling lips betrayed me. When he spoke, his deep voice hit me like a sledgehammer.
“Where’s Dane?”
“He left,” I said. All eyes were on me, and I felt like a heel. “I’m sorry. I should have been the one to go. You haven’t seen him for a while.”
Gretchen placed her hand on my arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”
When I glanced at Drake, he took the hint and said, “Lucy, can you catch a ride home with Gretchen? I think I’m going to head out and give you ladies some girl time.”
Lucy nodded as he gave her a swift kiss, and when he left, she and Gretchen turned expectant eyes on me.
What could I say to these women? Yes, we’d become fast friends in the last few weeks, but we were talking about their brother and future brother-in-law. They were family, and I was nothing to them.
Gretchen broke the ice. “Is my brother okay?” When I said nothing but shrugged, she said, “Are you?”
My chest hitched, and I dug into my purse for a tissue. “Dane will be fine.”
“But will you?” Lucy’s soft voice brought tears to my eyes.
“In time, I will be. Maybe. I don’t know.” I blotted my eyes. “It’s just hard right now, but if you both don’t want to hang out with me anymore, I understand.” My words were shaky as I did my best not to completely come unglued.
Gretchen patted my arm. “My brother is an amazing man. He’s not perfect, but no one is. Yes, I’m his family, but you’re my friend and I enjoy your company. If being with me,” she nodded toward Lucy, “with us doesn’t bother you, then I want to remain friends.”
When Lucy echoed her sentiment, a long whoosh of air came out of me.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry to be a killjoy.”
Wanting them to understand, I explained about my childhood and the anxiety that followed it. Lucy knew Jeanette, the busybody I worked with who snickered every time she saw me, and how much that bothered me. Yes, I was a confident woman most of the time, but the amount of confidence I’d need to be Dane’s girlfriend was enormous. I’d hoped I was ready for that, but I obviously wasn’t.
Finishing up, I said, “Bottom line is, he deserves better. As much as I want to be the strong woman he needs right now, I can’t be. I thought I was, and when I was on my own, it felt that way. But when it comes to being confident enough to withstand matters of the heart? I don’t know. Maybe one day, but not today. It would just be better for him if I let him go. He doesn’t need an insecure girlfriend.”
“You’re in love with him.”
Lucy’s statement wasn’t a question, so I didn’t bother to dispute it. Maybe I was, but did it matter?
• • •
Three weeks went by without a word from Dane. Lucy told me he’d been busy working with his new sponsor and was shooting a commercial today. Work for me had been going well, but even though I had papers to grade, my nights and weekends were filled with loneliness.
I decided it was time to get back into volunteering. The Genesee Street Shelter and Soup Kitchen was definitely the place, a facility that catered to broken families. Every day, new parents would come in with their children. My heart broke for them. I started a clothing drive at the school to provide winter clothing for those in need, which was almost everyone who walked in.
One little girl, Katie, tugged at my heartstrings. She didn’t have parents to care for her, but thankfully she had a grandmother who did. The little girl was a spitfire, making me wonder if that was what Gretchen had been like as a child. I was sure Dane would have gotten a kick out of her. Maybe one day, they’d meet.
Aside from going to work and volunteering, I’d become a homebody. There was something about curling up with a blanket, my favorite pajamas, a cozy pair of fuzzy socks, a bottle—I mean, a glass of wine—and the sappy romance movies on the Hallmark Channel. Oh, and a box of tissues next to me, because I’d apparently turned into an oversensitive blob of estrogen. Movie after movie evoked tears and laughter, but mostly tears.
After volunteering one day, I decided I needed to snap out of this funk, so I grabbed my phone and called Lucy to see if she wanted to meet for a drink. Thankfully she was free, so we decided to meet at Juno’s. She offered to go somewhere else, but I was still getting my bearings and decided Juno’s was fine.
After we found a table, we ordered nachos and margaritas. The crowd was a bit more casual tonight, but then again, it was a Saturday.
“I’m so glad you called. I’ve missed you.” Lucy beamed as she took a sip of her drink once the waitress placed them in front of us.
“Me too. I hope I didn’t take you away from a hot date.” I laughed, knowing full well that she had hot dates almost every night. Drake was always after her for something.
“Nope. No hot date tonight. Drake is with his brothers tonight. There was a game on or something. I don’t know; they’re at Jack’s house.”
“That’s nice. How is everyone?”
Lucy cocked her head to the side and gave me a small smile. “They’re good. Do you want to know how Dane is doing?”
“No, it’s none of my business. Plus, that’s not why I wanted to see you. I’m friends with you for you, not for what information you can pass on to me. Really, it’s all good.”
When the waiter brought our nachos, the aroma of melted cheddar and jalapenos practically sent me into a swoon.
Lucy told me about working for Jack while I talked about school. She said she didn’t miss teaching a bit, but she did miss her friend Mason. Apparently they were the best of friends, but he’d moved to California.
“I wish he’d come back here,” she said. “To let you in on a little secret, I’d hoped he’d get together with Gretchen. I swear I saw sparks between them, just like between you and D—” Her cheeks reddened. “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t thinking.”
I popped a chip in my mouth, trying to play it off. “It’s fine. We had sparks, believe me. I felt them every single time we were together.”
“Why don’t you give him a chance? I know you don’t want to know what’s happening with him, but I’m going to tell you anyway.” She took a sip of her cocktail, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “He’s miserable. The only places he goes is to meetings, to play golf, and to see his family. He’s not dating, in case you’re wondering.”
Pressure built behind my eyes, but I sucked it up and lied, “I’m not.”
God, I sound like a horrible person.
When Lucy cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, I gave in. “Fine, I may have wondered a time or two. But he should be dating.”
Lucy shook her head. “Yes, he should be. He should be dating you! Please, Beverly, just think about it.”
Little did she know, that was all I thought about.
CHAPTER 27
~ Dane ~
“Dane, you need to take a break,” Josh said as he set a pair of hand weights down on the gym floor.
“No can do, bro. I need to expel some of this energy.” After I cranked up the speed on the treadmill, I wiped my face and neck with a towel. “Another couple of miles and I’ll stop.”
He glanced at the digital display. “You’re up to eight miles.”
“I’ll stop at ten.” My legs were burning, but it felt great.
When I started my cooldown, Josh smiled and lifted his chin, pointing. “Two hot babes at ten o’clock.”
“Not interested.”
“Wow, who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
I let out a breath as we both stepped off our machines. “I’m right here, but those women don’t hold a candle to Beverly.” No one does.
“Fine, I get it. You miss her, but have you even talked to her? It’s been weeks. Maybe she’s seeing someone.”
When warning daggers flew from my eyes at him, he threw his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying, you never know. You could be hol
ding out while she’s putting out.”
If he weren’t my brother, I swear I would have punched him square in the mouth. As it was, my hands curled into fists before I deliberately relaxed them.
“Don’t, Josh. You really don’t think that, do you?” Insecurity wasn’t an emotion I was used to and neither was jealousy, but right now I was pushing back a little of both. “Lucy has been feeding me info.”
Josh sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, but I’m starting to worry about you.”
As we walked across the gym that smelled like old socks and into the locker room, I said, “There’s no need to worry. I have a plan.”
“Care to clue me in?”
After I explained what I wanted to do, I asked, “Do you think it’ll work?” When Josh just looked at me blankly, I said, “It has to work. I’m done with not having her with me.”
His eyes widened. “You love her, don’t you.”
“Love? I don’t know. Maybe.” Yeah, I loved her. But I’d be damned if Josh would be the first person I admitted that to. The first to hear that from my lips would be Beverly.
“Then go get her back.”
“What about you?” I snorted. “Those women weren’t just looking at me. Your tattoos and piercings were getting attention. Don’t let me slow you down hitting on a chick because I’m holding out. They were staring at your chest. By the way, when did you get your nipples pierced?” Looking down at his chest, I pretended to shudder.
Josh laughed. “The ladies love them.”
“Dude, that had to hurt like a son of a bitch. You hated titty twisters when we were kids, remember? You’d scream like a girl.” I laughed at the memory, but Josh scowled.
“Getting them pierced was nothing in comparison to . . .” He glanced down and waggled his eyebrows.
“TMI, dude. Enough sharing for today.”
My balls seized in my shorts, and my dick was cowering in fear. Silently, I told my cock not to worry about it; he was safe. No piercings were in my future.
“Josh, have you ever thought of having a serious relationship?”
“Nope. Don’t have the time. Running the restaurant takes all of it. Plus, I don’t want to settle down. I’m too young, and it fucks with your head. Look at you and Drake. He was a mess when he thought he was going to lose Lucy, and now you’re a disaster. Why would I want that?” He frowned at me. “You never did, and it’s not as if I’m going without. Granted, I’m not a complete manwhore, but more than one night? How does someone commit to that without giving up who they are?”
Nodding, I realized that on some level, everything Josh said made sense. “You know, I didn’t think I would ever want to be tied down to one woman. But when you meet the one you know you can’t live without, things change.”
Josh shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. But so does everything else. Look at Drake—his entire life changed. And who knows what the hell Gretchen is going to do with her asshole of a boyfriend.”
At just the mention of that douchebag, my fists clenched. Again. Damn, I need to get a grip.
“No,” he went on, “I think I’m just fine the way I am. Plus, if we’re being honest here, it’s hard to meet someone like Lucy or Beverly. The women who come into the restaurant are generally with a date or their husband, and I’m too focused on the business for a relationship. Shit, I don’t even date. By the time I close up for the night, it’s after midnight and I’m exhausted. Sunday nights are the only time I’ll even consider socializing because the restaurant’s closed.”
Jeez, we sounded like chicks, but I hadn’t talked to Josh like this in a long time. It was nice to have someone to use as a sounding board. And if you couldn’t trust family to keep your secrets and give it to you straight, who could you trust?
I pushed the door open, and when we stepped onto the sidewalk, I said, “Maybe Jack will be next.”
Chuckling, Josh said, “He doesn’t do serious girlfriends. He’s too worried about money-hungry women who only want him for his bank account.”
I tossed my things into my trunk. “Can’t blame him there.”
“You’ll need to worry about that too, soon enough. Have you thought about that? You need to protect yourself.”
“I’ll worry about that when the time comes, but I’ll share everything with Beverly once I get her back. Hey, are you hungry?”
We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a fast-food joint since neither of us looked or smelled our best at the moment. There, I shared more of my plan with Josh.
Drake and Lucy were in on the plan, and I couldn’t wait to put it in play. At Beverly’s request, I’d backed off and given her space, but it had been over three weeks since I’d last spoken to her.
Emmy and I had kept in touch since we’d reconnected in Tampa. It was nice having someone to talk to, and when I told her what had happened when I got home, she felt horrible. She even offered to call Beverly and assure her we were just friends, but I declined her offer. It wasn’t necessary. Beverly knew I wasn’t lying, so there was no need to revisit that subject.
When I got home, I stood in my shower, washing off the grime and sweat from today’s workout. Even running for miles didn’t solve my problem. Cool tiles met my back as I leaned against the wall, letting the hot water pound against my skin. As I soaped up my body, I grabbed my dick. Images of Beverly flashed in my head like a slideshow.
My grip firmed and I started moving my hand from the base to the tip, feeling my dick harden with every pump of my hand. Fuck, I needed to be inside her. I squeezed my eyes shut and pictured her on her knees, sucking me off, her plump lips wrapped around me instead of my own hand. I could almost feel the heat of her tongue as she ran it down the back of my shaft and then swirled it around the head.
She felt so damn good. Memories of each time we were together, from the first to the last, those were what I used to jerk off to in my shower. Finally, I pictured sinking deep into her warm pussy. Damn, she felt fucking amazing. My hand moved faster and faster until my ass tightened, my balls clenched, and I came hard all over the floor of my shower.
I turned and rested my head against the tile, hitting it with the side of my fist. This was insane. It was then I decided didn’t give a shit if my plan worked or not—I was going to have her with me again. There was no longer a doubt if I was going to get her back; it was simply a matter of when.
As I got ready for bed, I wondered if maybe I was going about this all wrong. Should I have been calling or at least texting her? Nah, she’d been busy. Lucy had told me Beverly was volunteering at a soup kitchen on the weekends, which didn’t surprise me. She loved to help people.
Lying in my bed staring at the ceiling because I wasn’t able to sleep wasn’t helping. Another day was almost over that I didn’t get to talk to Beverly, and I’d had enough. I was done not being able to hear her voice.
Tomorrow. That was it. I was done not having her with me. Just one more day.
The plan was in place. Jack had called in a favor, Drake and Lucy were all set, and now it was up to me to put the plan into motion. It had to work because I was at my wit’s end. You’d think I’d be able to randomly hook up, slide back into my old ways which meant sliding into a random woman, but I didn’t want that. There was only one woman for me, and I’d be damned if she wasn’t mine again.
I rolled over, pounded my pillow, and closed my eyes, certain that tomorrow, my life would change.
• • •
The next day, I put on a pair of jeans and a navy T-shirt, then fucked with my hair a little until I realized I was again acting like a chick. After I let out a deep breath, I looked at my reflection and told myself, “Don’t blow this.”
The drive to the arena was long and tedious. DC traffic was always busy, no matter the time of day, and when there was a game in town, it made matters worse. As I drove, I replayed what I would say to Beverly when I saw her over and over in my head.
Relax, Prescott. That was exactly what I needed to do. I didn’t
want her to think all of my moves were planned out, but I didn’t want to forget anything. Beverly made me lose my mind, and not being able to gauge what her reaction might be was driving me nuts.
My phone rang. Lucy.
“If it isn’t my partner in crime,” I said as I answered.
“Yes, it is. We’re on our way to pick her up. I wanted to assure you she’d be there.”
Shit. That thought had never even crossed my mind. “That’s good to know, since this would be all for nothing if she wasn’t.”
Her tone softening, Lucy said, “I also wanted you to know that I hope this works out. You two are great together, and even though it may not seem like it, I know she misses you too.”
Twenty minutes later, I had parked and followed the stream of people into the arena, which was all abuzz with excited basketball fans. Families, friends, and couples were there to cheer on the hometown team. I handed my ticket to the usher and made my way to my seat with my heart thundering in my chest.
When I heard Beverly’s laugh, I turned and watched as she came down the steps to her seat with Lucy and Drake. My eyes thanked me for taking this chance. They had missed her too.
CHAPTER 28
~ Beverly ~
Considering how Lucy had insisted I go to the game with her and Drake today, I had a feeling Dane might be at the arena. But actually seeing him sitting in my row was something entirely different. The way his tousled hair flopped over his forehead reminded me of how he looked in the morning. He made bedhead look like come-fuck-me hair, and I hated him for that. His shoulders seemed broader and his T-shirt perfectly outlined his torso.
I was in trouble.
There were three seats to Dane’s right, so if I sneaked in first, I could take the furthest away. However, Drake and Lucy, the apparent conspirators in this scenario, had other ideas. Lucy passed in front of me and gingerly slid past the people already seated, who stood a bit to let her by. Naturally, she took the seat furthest away.
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