“That’s a bummer,” Keira said.
“Do your parents know you’re here?” Alex asked. He didn’t know a lot about Kat’s parents but he assumed that they were going to worry if Keira didn’t show up at their place.
“Relax. My flight landed at JFK two hours ago. Nobody knows I’m back. And they don’t need to know until tomorrow.” Keira stretched her legs over, leaving dusty prints on the red velvet upholstery. His annoyance meter spiked by five points.
“Where’re you gonna stay until tomorrow?”
“Here. Where else?” She said it like it was a foregone conclusion.
Millennials and their sense of entitlement.
“You’re not staying here.” Alex used his firmest tone.
Keira’s cheeks, which were a lot chubbier than Kat’s, twisted into a questioning pose. “Why not? You have a lot of extra space and nobody’s around.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you use the space.”
“You’re already letting me use your space.” She pointed at herself sitting in his living room.
Since Alex knew he’d lose an argument with a teen, he took another route.
“I’ll call Kat. You can stay over at her place.” Stern-faced, he crossed his arms in front of his chest to let her know that he wasn’t open to compromise.
“Yeah? Call her, then. Let’s see if she comes and gets me.”
Without sparing another moment, Alex picked up the phone that he’d set on the ottoman and tapped contacts.
Worry and anxiety caught up to Keira. “Wait… I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go on my own. I’ll go… as soon as I catch up on Scandal first. I’ve missed this show so much. It’s only thirty minutes long. Please?”
Her puppy eyes came out in full force. Alex balked, then relented, pressing himself into the opposite end of the couch. Stick a sad girl in his face and he couldn’t help but feel bad and want to remedy the situation. Kat was right about his savior complex.
“Okay. But you’re leaving in thirty minutes.”
“Scout’s promise.” Keira put a palm over her heart.
Alex wasn’t a sitcom-watcher but the show drew him in within the first five minutes. It wasn’t even a sitcom, really. It was a drama. With an intriguing plot.
When the show took its first break, Keira yawned, picked granola out of her brown hair and looked to him.
“By the way, we sorta skimped on the etiquette earlier. I’m Keira Cullen.”
“Alex.” Alex held out his hand for a handshake, but Keira jumped the gun and coiled around him in a bone-crushing hug.
She patted his back in approval. “Strong shoulders. You’ll be good at doing housework. I can tell. Well, that’s one problem sorted.”
Alex wasn’t sure how to respond. But he didn’t have to, because she continued to babble.
“You’re slightly older than I thought, so I was concerned about your physical vitality, but you’re sturdy. I read in Seventeen that most relationships end because of poor sex. You and Kat don’t have a problem in that department, do you?” Folding her legs in front of her, Keira regarded him over her knees.
“Uh…” Alex was speechless. He could feel heat snaking up to his face. Air conditioning hummed in the background, but the air wasn’t cold enough to freeze his embarrassment.
Was she seriously asking him about his sex life?
His mind groped for a response that was age-appropriate and curt at the same time, but before he had a chance to respond, she’d hopped onto the next thing.
This girl needed to get herself checked for ADHD.
“You’re watching CNN Newsroom? That’s what Kat watches everyday, too.” The click of her tongue let him know she didn’t think that was a good thing.
“Kat and I have a lot in common,” Alex said, dryly.
“Like?”
“We both sing Little Big Town songs in the shower.”
“Wow, you sing songs in the shower with her?” Her knees grazed her chin “And here I thought you guys weren’t serious.”
Alex brought his hands to his hips. “Then what was that about being my sister-in-law earlier?”
“It was a joke.” Sticking her tongue out playfully, Keira winked. “But it could be serious, depending on what you do in the future.”
The return of Scandal on the screen jerked his gaze away from Keira. Alex was slightly embarrassed by how quickly he was getting addicted to this show.
The clock ticked away, advancing menacingly, as temporary stillness and ads buzzing on TV filled his ears.
“I wish I was as smart as Olivia.” Keira sighed, a few minutes later. “Then if my pro tennis career doesn’t pan out, I could at least go to college.”
Alex, feeling the need to counsel, placed a hand on her head. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve only lost one match. As long as you enjoy playing, I think it’s worth sticking to it.”
“Sports is competitive, though. I can’t just turn up and be happy. I have to win. I have to keep winning, or I won’t have a career.” Keira frowned.
“Politics is the same,” Alex gathered granola droppings from the couch. “Unless I win the next election, I don’t have a job.”
“Right? That’s so stressful. I like playing, but the pressure to win every game is too much. I can’t enjoy the match when I’m so stressed about winning.” Tucking a cushion under her chin, Keira tightened her arms around it.
Alex could understand. He felt disillusioned too, on days when it seemed like all that mattered was victory.
“Don’t let the pressure get to you,” he said. “You can only do things at your pace.”
“Yeah.” Keira yawned, her focus now back on Scandal. “Doesn’t Olivia remind you of Kat?”
“In what way?” Alex felt his butt go numb under him. He’d been sitting for too long.
“She has that same sad, single woman vibe about her.”
Alex couldn’t help but defend Kat. “No, she doesn’t.”
Scratching her chin, Keira said, “Not anymore, because she’s not single now, but she used to. And she used to be really disagreeable, too. My mom told me that there was this one time in fifth grade when she got into a fight with a guy because he made fun of her political opinions.” Keira threw her hands up in the air. “Yes, she had political opinions at ten.”
“I’m not surprised.” Alex smiled.
“She also wanted to go to Paris when she was in college. But she was on a tight budget, so she couldn’t. She’s never been to Paris.” Keira crossed her legs and although she wasn’t looking at him, Alex knew she expected an answer.
“Paris,” he echoed, surprised. Recently, he’d been thinking of taking a break to unwind after the chaos of the elections had passed. Perhaps, he could go to Paris with Kat. “That’ll be a great place to visit on Valentine’s day.”
“So I’m asking because I’m curious...” Keira’s eyes glittered with hope. Taking his hands between hers, she closed her eyes. “Are you going to marry my sister?”
Uncurling from the posture he was in, Alex swept his hand over his head. “Your sister doesn’t want to get married.”
“Can’t you change her mind?”
Although he was touched by the earnestness of Keira’s request, his mind was made up. “I don’t want to.”
“Why? You don’t like her? I mean, I know she’s full of faults. She’s critical, has a temper, is too ambitious, but she is… shit, I just realized that I don’t have anything good to say about her.”
Alex finished it for Keira. “But she’s secure, confident, intelligent, caring and I happen to like her temper.”
Keira slapped her cheeks. Her face red, she was bubbling with happiness. “OMG. You’re hopelessly in love with her.”
At the word ‘love’, Alex felt an unwelcome kick of betrayal. That wasn’t a word he’d ever associated with any positivity. Every time he loved, he got hurt. So he didn’t want to ever link it with Kat.
“I’m not in love. I jus
t like being with her.” His heart pounded so violently, he felt the vibration in his skull.
Keira stuck one finger in the air. “That’s the first sign of love. When Coach Gallo met his wife, he told her that he liked being with her. Turns out he liked being with her so much that he wanted to be with her forever.”
Alex’s mind traveled to Kat. Since the very first moment they’d met, he’d wanted to spend more time with her. She was who he thought of before going to sleep and immediately after waking up. He’d never been obsessed with someone this way.
Alex balled his fists, scared. If he wasn’t careful, he’d find himself checking into Heartbreak Hotel again.
Kat was supposed to have been a distraction. Something to take away the stress of the elections and make him feel good. Problem was, she made him feel too good. Everything was more interesting when he did it with her. She made the most mundane things in life seem exciting.
Swallowing hard, Alex was hit by a ton of emotions, all disconcerting. He’d never let himself grow so close to a woman so soon. He didn’t know if he wanted to.
“I’m not Coach Gallo.” From the corner of his eye, Alex saw the credits roll on the screen. Keira should be going soon. “And it’s time you left. I’ll call you a cab.”
Her face fell.
“Don’t bother. I’ll take the subway.” With slumped shoulders, Keira shook herself to her feet.
“It’s unsafe at this hour. Don’t you know what happened to Kat?”
“I don’t know. What happened?” Worry spanned her face.
Alex decided to skip the details, because he wasn’t sure he wanted to worry Keira. “She got into a lot of trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?”
“Ask her.”
With her deflated level of energy, Keira didn’t dig. “’Kay.”
“Call Kat and let her know when you’re home,” Alex instructed. “And don’t even think about getting off somewhere else.”
She continued to hesitate at the cusp of the entrance. When she finally made up her mind to go, she said, “Even if you call love by different names, and try to pass it off as something else, love is still love. I hope you come to your senses soon.”
And he did come to his senses, as soon as she shut the door.
Ashley twirled in front of the full-length mirror, ensconced in an ivory wedding grown. Layers of tulle billowed out around her, past her knee. The bodice of the satin garment clung to her shapely outline. Leaning towards a darker ivory, the color of the fabric contrasted with her pale complexion.
Nah. Fail, Kat thought to herself but didn’t disclose her feelings.
“Love the Mandarin keyhole back,” Bella said, admiring the elaborate lace detailing and sipping champagne. The tightly pursed lips meant she didn’t like the dress, but she was trying to be nice.
“I’m not sure about the front.” Ashley tugged at the strapless neck and pushed her boobs up. “It makes my chest look flat. What do you think Kat?”
“I think these macaroons are good.” Kat licked the crumbs from her lips.
Kara, the stylist, sniggered. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the Vera Wang shopping experience.”
Bella and she were the only ones enjoying it, though, since the bride-to-be had been getting in and out of cumbersome dresses for the last thirty minutes without as much as a sip of water. The elusive ‘perfect’ dress was still nowhere in sight.
Ashley pinched her eyebrows into a frown. “Be honest. Does it have the X factor?”
Bella sighed. “I’m not digging this gown, Ash. It’s not your style. It’s too sophisticated. I imagine you in something more girly, flowing.”
“I agree,” Kat said. “The color’s perfect, but overall it’s meh.”
Ashley gave the gown one last chance in the mirror to impress her before deciding that it was going to join the two rejects that had gone before it. Tired, she slumped down between Bella and Kat and looped her arms between theirs.
“Am I ever going to find my perfect dress?” She breathed, dispirited.
Ashley’s weariness was understandable. In the last two weeks, Bella, Ashley and she had been to six designers and spent countless hours trying on an array of dresses, none of which had hit the spot. The designs were uninspiring, unoriginal, clichéd, highlighted all the wrong parts of her body, hid her assets, didn’t speak to her heart… Kat had never realized how many boxes a wedding dress had to tick in order to make it to a wedding.
The wedding itself was months away, but Ashley wanted to get her dress before the peak book release season hit and she was drowning in work.
And she was so determined to have the perfect dress this time. With an infinite budget (thanks to Andrew’s millions) and reasonably good figure, Kat wouldn’t have expected her to have such a tough time.
But nothing Ashley saw was up to her super-picky standards.
Ashley sketched something resembling a banana on the paper. “I had my mind on a sequined mermaid gown. But every one I’ve tried so far makes my hips look too big.” Ashley beat her hands on her thighs. “I want something that makes me look and feel like me. Something that is unique and timeless. I did a lot of research on the Vera Wang collection and shortlisted the dresses I loved, but when I try them on, it’s not how I thought it’d be.”
“If I may interrupt.” Kara raised a finger, like she’d dealt with this particular problem before. “What you’re facing is a common problem. Liking a dress is one thing, but it’s important to be aware of your own body shape and the kinds of dresses that would suit it. For example, you’re pear-shaped, so something with fuller skirts and a detailed bodice would generally make your figure look balanced. If you like, I could show you some dresses like that and you could decide whether you want to try them on.”
Ashley struggled to get up, the monstrous trail of fabric dragging her down, so Bella and Kat had to push her up.
“I’m ready to try anything at this point.” She looked up at Kara, who disappeared and then came back with another woman, pushing a rail of dresses.
“Here are some options for you. We have more downstairs in the store, if you want more options.”
Ashley fingered the dresses one by one. Kat came up and stood by her side.
Everything was pretty and full of bells and whistles. Lace, organza, tulle, appliqués, sashes, bows, ribbons, black, pink, white, sequined, studded… there were so many permutations and combinations of those things.
If it was Kat, she’d never be able to pick just one.
Running her hands over a slip of lace, Ashley murmured, “Pretty.” Then she looked to Kat and widened her eyes, as if asking for her opinion.
The dress had a sparkling beaded bodice with a sweetheart neckline that billowed out into a spray of organza molded to resemble the open petals of a rose. Kat would have bought it in a heartbeat—if she’d had the money or the occasion, both of which she never would. At ten thousand dollars, it cost one-sixth of her annual income.
“It’s perfect,” Kat whispered, creeping up behind Ashley.
“It’d be perfect for you.” Bella was now also feeling the fabric. “It’s so you, Ash.”
From the giddy expression, Ashley felt the same.
“I’ll try it on.” She shot a look at Kara.
Kat sipped some champagne, waiting, and snuck a look at Bella, who was looking at a guy’s photo on Facebook.
“Who’re you stalking now?” Plucking another macaroon, she gave Bella a reproachful glance. “You need to stop being so obsessive about exes.”
“Can you believe it? We broke up only a week ago and he’s already with someone else,” Dismay colored Bella’s voice. Bella’s troubled expression told Kat that she was internally berating herself. “I wonder if he was cheating—”
“Don’t torture yourself.” Kat placed a heavy hand on Bella’s shoulder. “Just think he was faithful to you while you were together. He probably was.”
The anxious manner in which Bella looked at her cu
rvaceous figure in the mirror was another clue to what was going on inside her head.
“I gained a bit of weight on my chest.”
From that tone, Kat gathered that Bella had been scarfing down more than a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s this week. Despite years of seeing a shrink for her binge-eating disorder, the only way Bella coped with heartbreak was food.
“Stop it. You look beautiful, Bell. Do you know women like me have plastic surgery to get boobs like those?” Kat coiled an arm around Bella’s hips.
Bella kneaded the flab on her stomach. “I wish the boobs came without the three rolls of fat underneath.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I’m not being hard on myself. I’m only stating facts.”
“Hey!” Ashley appeared in her new gown, erasing the topic of weight from their minds. “How’s this?”
Kat had been looking at Ashley for years, and she’d seen Ashley in a wedding gown before, but Ashley in this one was just breathtaking.
The first time Ashley had gotten married, right out of college, she’d worn a simplistic, off-the-rack thing, which had been okay, but not spectacular.
This one, however, was not just going to be custom-fitted—it appeared to have been custom-made for her. The sequins added a sparkle to her aquamarine eyes and set off the natural glow of her skin.
Bella squealed in delight and clasped Ashley’s hand. “It’s perfect. So perfect!”
Ashley blushed, and gave a little nod to her reflection in the mirror. “This one, then.”
After two weeks of searching, they finally had a winner.
For her first dinner date with Alex, Kat had expected to go to some place quiet and empty, where they could merge with the darkness. That was the best secret lovers could ask for.
But the restaurant they were at—Amos Steakhouse—was neither.
Loud, attention-grabbing music drifted in the air. The furnishings were riotously bright, demanding attention and as far away from inconspicuousness as could be.
Kat felt her knees shake already.
“Are you sure we won’t be seen here?” Disciplining an unruly curl, she yanked it back, away from the eyelash it was skimming.
In my Arms Tonight (NYC Singles Book 2) Page 15