by Erika Rose
Emmaline nodded and started pushing a large floral print sofa from one wall to another.
Rose knew it wouldn’t help to ask Emmaline to sit down, she would just continue moving the sofa anyway.
Instead she took the other side and started pulling anyway. “Anyway, just as I wanted to chuck the bag it tore and spilled its contents all over the sidewalk.”
“Such a shame. Just a little bit more dear, then I can see the sun rise with my morning coffee.” They pushed it against the wall viewing the east window and both sat down to assess the view.
Rose turned to Emmaline. “Anyway so here I am picking up peels and rubbish when an attractive man starts helping me.”
Emmaline turned to Rose at the mention of a man, completely forgetting about the view. “What man?”
“Cole Matthewson.”
Both women raised their eyebrows before Emmaline asked. “Really, he’s back? He hasn’t been here since last summer and it’s already fall.”
Rose shrugged as she got up and moved the side table adjacent to the couch. “He’s in town for a family reunion or something.”
“That’s right. I heard the Mathewson’s were having a family reunion this weekend.” When Rose cocked her eyebrows Emmaline shrugged, got up and started pulling the coffee table in front of the sofa. “Actually I have an invite here somewhere.”
“An invite to a family reunion?” Rose asked confused.
“Honey, it’s the Hamptons. Every event is a bit of show and tell. Besides, a lady in my knitting group is Cole’s mother’s cousin. She asked me to come.”
“Oh right.” Rose smirked. “Of course you would know someone who knows the Mathewson’s personally.”
Emmaline smiled smugly as she patted Rose’s shoulder. “One day dear you’ll have lived long enough in one place to know mostly everyone.”
Rose laughed. “Oh please, I lived in Detroit all my life and I never knew half the people in our neighborhood.”
Emmaline sat down in the wingback chair, testing its location. “That’s different, that’s city. This is small town Hamptons.”
“I guess you’re right.” Emmaline cocked her brow questioning if the wingback chair’s position was satisfactory. Emmaline nodded. Rose walked over to the other wingback chair and started pulling it into the other corner.
After all the furniture was set in its new location for fall, Emmaline put the kettle on for some tea. “So what did you think of Cole?” Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
“I thought it was nice of him to help.” Rose said tightlipped.
“Oh come on Rose, you’re young and healthy. You must’ve thought something else. Besides you haven’t been with a man for almost a year, you must be itching in certain places?”
Rose gasped at Emmaline’s casual tone of voice. Hopefully one day she would be old enough and bold enough to talk about that ‘itch’ with such casualness. “Not that I’m itching, but he is quite attractive in a rugged Paul Walker kind of way.”
“He was so attractive, that young man. Such a shame. Anyway did he ask you on a date?” Emmaline said as she poured the tea into two cups.
“No, but he did ask if I wanted to join him for a beer on his porch.”
“Why didn’t you?” Emmaline frowned as she tasted her tea and added another spoon of sugar.
“Because I said I’d come and help you.” Rose answered confused.
“Oh Pooh! I could’ve done this on my own, have been until you moved in last year.” Emmaline took her cup and sat down in her new spot facing the east window.
Rose followed and sat down on a wingback chair placing her cup on the coffee table. She sighed deeply before looking at Emmaline. “Probably but maybe it’s because I’m not ready to date yet?”
“Why not?” Emmaline demanded without preamble.
Rose loved the way Emmaline didn’t dance around anything but rather called it by its name, but found it intimidating when she was the one being called out. “Sam only moved out eight months ago, I haven’t sold the house yet and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him.” She picked up her cup and took a sip. “I think I’m still angry.”
Emmaline nodded and thought for a moment before speaking. “Honey I think you’re going to be mad at Sam for a long time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see other men. If you like Cole, you should see him.”
The wisdom of old age made it sound so simple, Rose thought. “I don’t know Emmaline, besides he’s just here for the weekend.”
Emmaline clapped her hands together. “Then it’s even better. You don’t have to wonder if he’s going to call and where it’ll lead. It’ll just be a one night stand.”
“A one night stand?” Rose exclaimed. “I don’t do one night stands! Where’s the dignity in that?”
Emmaline smirked behind her cup of tea. “The most fun I’ve had usually didn’t have much dignity, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.”
Rose wanted to be horrified, instead she was delighted. Quite often Emmaline hinted at her wild younger years, but she had never told Rose about it. It was only small statements that gave Rose a glimpse into the life the older woman had led. “I’m not sure; I’ve never done anything like it before.”
“Never?” It was Emmaline’s turn to sound horrified. When Rose shook her head Emmaline put her cup down and looked at Rose with determination. “Every woman has to have at least one one night stand. Do you know how freeing it is? No explanations, expectations. You don’t have to worry what he thinks about your body, because he’s only seeing it once. You can be whoever you want to be and in the morning it’s only a distant memory because you never have to see him again.”
Rose thought for a moment. “When you put it like that it does sound like fun.”
Emmaline smiled and cocked her brows twice. “With the right man, it’s lots of fun.”
Rose laughed. “I’ll think about it. Besides his hands seemed quite adequate and his smile was charming.”
“Hands and smile, seems like a great combination to me.” Emmaline winked as she took both their cups to the sink.
As Rose pulled back the covers and climbed into bed she thought of Emmaline’s words, with the right man it can be a lot of fun. Maybe she should consider it the next time Cole invited her for a beer, besides there was that itch she’d been ignoring for the past few months.
She and Sam had been together for four years; although she was young when they met it had been love at first sight. He was this charming young man with big dreams that had pursued her at a time when she hadn’t felt worthy. She had struggled with her weight for most of her life and even though she had won the battle right before prom, she had never fully regained her confidence.
When he came into her life she had just turned twenty two and was still a virgin and naive. Sam had given her confidence and love; a combination lethal enough to entice a girl cross country. Add to that some big dreams and promises of a life together…she didn’t think twice when she handed in her resignation to the firm where she worked in Detroit.
Sam had always referred to her as cute, and it didn’t bother her because she knew she wasn’t beautiful, but ever since their break up the old niggling doubts had returned. She would never be taller and her breasts and hips would always be in the more generous department.
Would another man be interested? Would they remain faithful? Was it her fault that Sam had strayed? Was it because she didn’t satisfy him?
A familiar tear slid down her cheek onto the pillow. She briskly brushed it off and said to herself. “If he can’t see the real me then he isn’t worth my time.”
She repeated those words until her mind went fuzzy and sleep drifted in.
CHAPTER 3
Cole sat back with his beer on the perfectly manicured lawn of the Matthewson Estate. It hasn’t even been an hour since he arrived at the family reunion and already he remembered all the reasons why he moved to New York.
He couldn’t help but hide a grin behind his beer as his geriatric Aunt Primrose slipped Cayden her number. He had begged Cayden to come, if only for the guarantee of sane conversation, but now he couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting the wrath of the Mathewson’s loose on Cayden.
From the corner of his eye he noticed his mother’s wine spritzer’s had started to kick in, she was re-telling the same old stories with a high pitched voice and glittering eyes.
Cole saw his cousin Jason approach and couldn’t help but sigh. He swallowed the rest of his beer as Jason started talking.
“Hello Cole! Haven’t seen you in a long time, you moved back from the city?” Jason was the epitome of a rich spoilt brat. Not that Cole wasn’t, but Jason was different. Jason looked down on anyone that didn’t have a trust fund or who didn’t come from old money.
“Hi Jason. No, just back for the reunion, mom said I should come.”
“That’s right when mommy calls little Cole still keeps running.” Cole could hear Jason’s words were slurring together, the punch bowl was probably spiked again. He’d tell his mother to have a talk with her sister’s teenager daughter who spiked the bunch bowl at every family event.
Cole loved his parents, even though they could be ostentatious, but his extended family was another affair. His uncle had been married five times, each wife younger than the previous one. His Aunt Primrose was a self-proclaimed unsuccessful cougar.
But his cousin Jason had been his best friend until middle school when Jason had started looking down on everyone and became the school bully. Ever since Cole had given him some of his own medicine they didn’t have much to talk about.
Cole placed the empty beer glass on the table and nodded at Jason. “Jason, pleasure as always.” He said through gritted teeth before heading for Cayden.
Cayden met him with a shocked expression. “Cole I think your Aunt just propositioned to me?”
“I saw, I hope you’re not taking her up on it.” Cole grunted as he pulled Cayden towards his parents.
Cayden burst out laughing. “She’s old enough to be my mother, no.. make that my grand-mother.”
When Cole just kept walking Cayden nudged him before speaking. “Although I must say she’s quite fit for her age, maybe she could teach me a few tricks.”
That stopped Cole dead in his tracks; he turned to Cayden with daggers shooting from his eyes.
Cayden laughed holding his hands up in surrender. “Dude that was a joke!”
“Come on, let’s get out of here. I just want to greet my parents before I leave.” Cole said stiffly before walking to his mother.
“Cole, perfect timing. I’d like to introduce you to Emmaline. I believe she’s your neighbor.” Cole’s mother urged him towards an older lady sipping on a martini.
“Emmaline, this is my son Cole I told you about.”
Cole vaguely recognized her from across the road, and realized this was the neighbor Rose had spoken about. Amidst a sea of pastels and beiges Emmaline wore a bright orange dress with a royal blue scarf. Cole couldn’t help but smile at her boldness. “Pleased to meet you. I believe you live across the road from me?”
“That’s right dear.” Emmaline answered surveying him up and down. “Good to finally put a face to the house.”
Cole smiled at Emmaline before turning to his mother. “Cayden needs to get back to Rosa’s mom, so we’re going to head off. Thanks for inviting me.”
“I appreciate you coming out honey. Hopefully it won’t be another year before you come out again.” She proceeded to hug him before turning to Cayden. “I still can’t believe you’ve made such a success of Rosa’s Cayden. It was good seeing you.”
“Good seeing you too Mrs. Matthewson.”
Cayden and Cole dodged anymore family members by following the path alongside the house instead of walking through it.
As soon as they were both seated in the car Cayden burst out laughing. “I need to get back to Rosa’s? You’re a very good liar.”
Cole shrugged as he gunned the engine. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Want to go for a drink?”
Cayden secured his safety belt before turning to Cole. “Stupid question! Let’s go to that new place on the beach, I hear the talent there is as good as the drinks.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Cole said before speeding out of the estate.
Cayden had heard right, Cole thought as they walked into the bar. Although it was early fall and most of the summer visitors had left, the bar was teeming with people. More than half of them young and beautiful women.
Cayden slapped him on the back. “What did I tell you?”
Cole surveyed the talent and grinned at Cayden. “What do you say we get some drinks while we decide who we’re going to buy the next round for?”
It was Saturday night and the bar was packed. Cole and Cayden pushed through the crowd until they reached the front. The music was loud; Cole recognized his friend Seth’s girlfriend Faye’s voice thumping through the speakers.
“Beer?” Cayden shouted as he reached the bar first.
Cole nodded and moved outside to find an empty table. As soon as he sat down a couple of blondes at the adjacent table waved. They were both beautiful with platinum blonde hair. The one licked her lips as Cole lifted a hand in acknowledgement, giving him an open invitation.
He waited for the thrill of the chase to kick in, but it didn’t. These were exactly the type of women he usually dated and yet as he watched them, he found himself uninterested.
“Who crapped on your porch?” Cayden said setting the beer down in front of him.
“No one.” Cole said as he took a sip of beer, reminding himself after this one he needed to switch to soda since he was driving.
The blondes waved at Cayden, who eagerly returned their wave. “I pick them.”
“What?” Cole asked confused. For some reason his thoughts had run astray to Rose. His short and curvy neighbor with her chocolate brown hair had been popping up in his mind all day.
“We should buy them the next round. What’s up with you?” Cayden asked, frowning at Cole.
“Nothing.” Cole grunted, wondering what Rose was doing this time on a Saturday night.
“Great, I’m going to invite them over.” Cayden said as he stood up and headed to the blondes.
Cole watched as a few words were exchanged before the girls grabbed their drinks and followed Cayden to their table.
Cayden’s smile was a mile wide as he winked at Cole when they approached the table. “This is Stacy,” he said smiling at the blonde with the brown leather jacket. “And this is Claire.” Claire wore low riding jeans with a lace camisole. From Cayden’s tone it was clear he had earmarked her for himself.
“Hi, I’m Cole. Grab a seat.”
“It’s great to meet you Cole.” Stacy said pulling her chair closer to Cole. “You never know who you’re going to meet when you go out. I must say I’m glad I met you.”
Cole merely smiled at her glib comment. She didn’t even know him and already she was complimenting him. He doubted Rose would be like that. Then again he couldn’t even picture Rose in a bar like this. She seemed more the homebody type. Definitely not Cole’s speed.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Cole forced a smile. Across the table Cayden and Claire were getting to know each other better with lowered voices.
“So do you want to get out of here?” Stacy asked, her tone sweet as sugar.
Wow, that was fast Cole thought. Normally he would jump at the opportunity, but something was off tonight. Even if Stacy was a little too eager for his taste, he doubted it was that.
Something was off because his mind kept running back to Rose.
“I’d love to but I need to get back to the city. Urgent business to attend to.” He shrugged apologetically.
Cole stood up and nudged Cayden. “I’m heading out. Talk to you soon.”
Cayden raised his brows in quest
ion, but knew once Cole decided something there was no arguing. “Okay, drive safe.”
As Cole took the freeway to the city after he collected his bag from home, his thoughts returned to Rose again.
Her windows were all dark except for one when he pulled up to his house, presumably the bedroom. He wanted nothing more than to go and knock on her door and invite her over for that beer she’d declined the day before. Luckily he came to his senses and left before he changed his mind. A girl like Rose didn’t do one night stands, and that was the only thing Cole was interested in.
CHAPTER 4
Rose woke from her afternoon nap curled on the couch like a cat with her book in her lap. It was late Saturday afternoon and the evening chill was just blowing in. She pulled the knitted throw from where it had fallen on the ground over her, and snuggled into the warmth. After spending the whole morning cleaning the house and catching up on some paperwork she had spoiled herself with a good book. She must’ve dozed off right in, as the book was only on page four.
Through the window she caught sight of Cole’s empty driveway and wondered when she would be seeing him again. Probably not soon, she thought. Over the past week Emmaline’s words had haunted her about having a one night stand.
It wasn’t something Rose had ever considered before but her blatant attraction to Cole made her reconsider. His sharp features and jade green eyes looked at her every time she closed her eyes. That familiar flicker of nerves bundled in her tummy as heat pooled to her groin.
Ever since she had kicked Sam out Rose hadn’t even considered dating again, never mind sex. The past year had been spent in anger and pain. She was angry over his consistent cheating. If it wasn’t for a simple mix up with their phones she could’ve been married to him by now. On that fateful day Sam had accidentally taken her phone and left his with her. When it rang mid morning Rose thought nothing of answering it. She was shocked to hear it was a woman wanting to confirm her appointment with Sam that evening. As the reality started to set in the phone had rung again. This time it was a younger sounding voice wanting to find out if her boyfriend was around. Rose had kicked him out the same day; she hadn’t even bothered asking him how many times he had cheated. Once was enough, twice was unforgivable.