by M. L. Spann
I mumbled something incoherent and everything went dark. At some point in the night between the cramps and cold sweats, I found myself wrapped in his arms. My head was against his chest and I spent a few minutes listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. I watched him inhale and exhale slowly in a deep sleep. His lips were slightly parted, silently begging me to kiss them.
Too bad I have vomit breath and haven’t brushed my teeth.
The rubber band holding his hair back was gone, allowing his dark tresses to partially cover his face. The robe he helped me put on was now halfway open, and most of my uncovered body was pressed against his.
This is nice, minus the vomit. I could get used to this.
I shifted around, trying to get more comfortable. Jayce stirred and pulled me in closer to him.
Ummm …
I froze and held my breath, afraid my moving would wake him.
His lips pecked my forehead in a light kiss. “You okay?” he asked groggily.
The kiss took me by surprise and my eyes widened. Maybe he’s too sleepy to realize it’s me next to him and not Vivianne.
“Um … it’s me … Bri,” I mumbled.
He tightened his hold on me and gave a throaty chuckle. “I know. Are you okay? Do you need to throw up again?” he asked.
So he knows it’s me? Am I in some type of special version of the Twilight Zone where stuff happens the way I want it to?
“No, I’m good,” I replied.
“Okay,” he said.
I waited on him to say more or push me over a little, but he went back to sleep instead.
Does this moment mean anything? And if it does … somebody … somewhere needs to tell me what the hell it means. I was too tired to think about it too much, so I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
I woke up groggy with a dry mouth. Jayce was gone but I was left with traces of his cologne on the sheets. The events of last night forced their way to the forefront of my mind.
Do I call him or wait until he mentions our G-rated sleepover first?
I searched for my phone so I could call Kirsten and ask for her opinion. A message from Jayce was on the screen.
Jayce: Sorry for just up and leaving. Issue at the shop. I’ll drop by to check on you later. Stay home and rest.
His thoughtfulness was getting to me. The line between us had already been crossed and he probably didn’t even know it. There was no way I could continue giving him advice about Vivianne. I wanted him for myself. Last night definitely helped me make my decision about him. If he was this great as a friend, I could only imagine what he was like as a boyfriend. I didn’t want to sabotage his relationship, but I couldn’t allow him to end up with her.
Before I had the chance to call Kirsten, she called me first.
“Hey, Bri, are you feeling better?” she asked.
“Yeah, I feel so much better. You’ll never believe who came over to take care of me,” I replied.
“I already know,” she chuckled. “Jayce text me when he left this morning. I would tease you about having a late night, but I’m pretty sure you didn’t have sex with him, not with all of the throwing up you were doing.”
“No, but I wanted to. I can’t keep helping him with Vivianne. He took such good care of me last night, Kirsten. Girl, he saw me in my underwear and I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would. I’m not sure if I should say something about how I feel or wait to see if he says something first,” I said.
“Hmmm,” she replied.
I looked at the phone and frowned. Kirsten didn’t sound like her usual self. Typically she was talking a mile a minute and now she was not saying anything. Clearly she knew something already. “Kirsten, what’s going on?” I asked.
“Well,” she said slowly. “Don’t freak out okay.”
Thanks for the disclaimer. Now I know I’m going to freak out.
“Okay?”
“Jayce and I have been texting … and he seems to really care about you. He didn’t come right out and say it, but I can tell. I think you should wait until he brings up how he feels … just in case. Bri, I have a good feeling about him. I can’t put my finger on it just yet. And guess what? We’re invited to a barbecue at his house this weekend,” she gushed.
Wow.
“What did he say to make you believe he cares about me?” I asked nervously.
“When you dropped the phone and started yakking all over the place the only thing he wanted to know is whether or not you had a spare key outside. What guy does something like that if he doesn’t care? And then he asked for my number just in case you called me back before he got there. Jayce took the lead, no questions asked,” she explained.
“Aww,” I murmured. “He’s truly a selfless person and Vivianne doesn’t appreciate him.”
Kirsten chuckled. “Well let’s take her out of the picture. You know Ricky’s number is on speed dial,” she teased.
I laughed too, although her suggestion did sound tempting. We chatted for a few more minutes before Kirsten had to abandon me to do a bridal makeup trial. My stomach growled, but I didn’t have an appetite. In fact, the very idea of eating something made my stomach start cramping again.
I needed to get out of bed and move around some, so I pulled my robe closed and eased down the stairs. My eyes zeroed in on the couch and I forced my feet forward. Today was going to be long day. I reached for the remote and flipped through the stations before settling on a show about paternity test results. Shows like this made me realize my own life could be a lot worse.
I bet he’s not the father … or him … or him. That guy on the end has the same nose as the baby … but so does the guy next to him.
As the host went down the list of men the guest had slept with, my eyes closed.
I could hear myself snoring, but I was too tired to move. All of the throwing up had left me so drained and weak. As soon as I felt myself going into a deeper sleep, I sensed a presence looming over me. A coolness came over my skin and made me shiver. I was awake and alert, but my eyes remained glued shut. I didn’t hear the front door open or close, but I knew someone was standing over me. The scent registered in my nose and I immediately started snoring again hoping Gram-Gram would go away.
“Brianna!” she shouted, shaking my shoulder. “Get up, girl, it’s the middle of the day and you’re lounging around like a lizard.”
I sighed and cracked open one eye. She stood over me with her arms folded across her chest. “Shawn called Gladys this morning and told her you were kidnapped. He said he looked up and you had disappeared into thin air. Brianna Marie Davis, I can’t believe you walked out on him like that,” she hissed.
Both of my eyes popped open as I sat straight up on the couch. “Kidnapped?” I asked, sleepily.
Gram-Gram sat down in a huff and cut her eyes at me. If looks could kill, we would both be dead, because I was returning the hard glare right back at her.
“Clearly Shawn wasn’t all that concerned about my wellbeing because he hasn’t called or text to make sure I’m okay. But that’s beside the point, because everything you told me about him was absolutely wrong.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that young man. You keep expecting Prince Charming to swoop in on a white horse and that’s not going to happen,” she grumbled.
“I may not be a princess, but I know I didn’t deserve the toad you set me up with last night,” I muttered. “Gram-Gram, he plays video games for a living and he took me to an arcade in the seedy part of town,” I explained. “And I got food poisoning too.”
I don’t care what you say … nothing can justify last night’s disaster.
Instead of chastising me even more, she reached over and put her ice cold hands on my forehead. “You need some seltzer water and crackers,” she said, getting up from the couch.
Now I know I’m sick … this isn’t the Gram-Gram I know at all.
She came back with the water and crackers and passed them over to me. “Here, take thi
s stuff and turn the TV over to channel two. My stories are about to come on,” she said.
Gram-Gram sat down in the recliner next to the couch and put her feet up.
“Can we watch something else? I don’t really like watching those soap operas. There’s too many storylines going on for me to keep up with,” I complained.
The expression on her face was one for the record books. Her eyebrows went up in surprise and her lips puckered. “You’re sick, and you don’t need to watch TV anyway. Close your eyes and go to sleep,” she ordered. I rolled my eyes and changed the station for her.
I hope this keeps her occupied and quiet.
I reached up and grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and got comfortable. Gram-Gram tried to fill me in and explain the show, but it was pointless. I attempted to keep up with who was sleeping with who, but it seemed like everyone was sleeping together. Somebody was supposed to be dead, but they were not, and they took another person’s baby. This was enough drama to give someone a migraine. I thought I was in the clear when the first show went off, but unfortunately for me, a different one came on right after. A knock on the door interrupted everything and Gram-Gram jumped to her feet to answer it.
“Pause that,” she ordered.
“We don’t have that function with our TV package,” I explained, craning my neck around to see who was at the door.
“Hello, ma’am, my name is Jayce, and I’m here to check on Bri.”
His eyes connected with mine over Gram-Gram’s head as she whipped around like she’d seen a ghost. She stepped back to let him in and gave him a complete once over from head to toe.
“Bri,” she said, closing the door behind him, “you didn’t tell me you had a new gentleman caller.”
“He’s not a gentleman caller, he’s my boss,” I replied with a tight smile.
“Your boss?” she questioned. Her eyes glared at us over the rim of her glasses. “Mmmhmm.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m her boss and her friend. I own Drip Drop Coffee Hut down the street,” he explained, taking a seat next to me.
“You’re working at a coffee place?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.
Before I had the chance to explain, Jayce jumped in and answered for me. “She’s the account manager there and I would be lost without her,” he said with a smile. He reached over and playfully grabbed my foot.
“And you say you’re just her boss? Mmmhmm, it doesn’t look like it to me,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Gram-Gram!” I hissed. This was awkward enough and she was about to make it worse.
“Are you hungry, young man?” she asked, ignoring me.
“Um no, ma’am, I’m fine,” he replied.
She nodded and headed to the kitchen anyway. “I’ll just fix you a little something.”
Jayce took it all in stride and simply smiled again. “Thank you,” he said politely.
I mouthed an apology to him and sat up. “Did you take care of the issue at the shop?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I’m training my cousin to help out and then Vivianne called me, wanting to talk.”
My heart raced and I my stomach knotted up. I wasn’t sure if it was because he mentioned Vivianne, or if I was still feeling the last remnants of the food poisoning.
“How did everything go?” I asked.
“Well, Keon, that’s my cousin, jammed one of the machines and had hot water spewing everywhere. It took us some time to get it fixed and the floor mopped,” he explained.
I don’t care about that. What did Barbie want?
“I’m glad you got it fixed. I haven’t met Keon yet have I?” I asked, trying to appear interested.
“No, he just came into town and needed a job to help him get on his feet,” he said. “That reminds me … did Kirsten tell you about the get-together at my house this weekend? I want to introduce Keon to everybody and make him feel welcomed.”
“Yeah she told me this morning,” I replied. “What happened with Vivianne?”
Oh my goodness Jayce, get on with it.
“Well, Vivianne called to tell me about a surprise trip she has planned for us. We leave tomorrow, and I wanted to give you the head’s up. My cousin will need your help running the shop until I get back in town,” he said. His face wasn’t showing any type of emotion at all. I thought he’d be happy about spending time with her.
“Oh, sounds like fun! Bring me back a T-shirt,” I replied jokingly.
“Yeah,” he said.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. The response was so dry I nearly asked if he wanted a glass of water.
Go on and say you love me and don’t want to go. I know it’s wishful thinking … but still.
“Nothing,” he muttered. “I just don’t know where this is going. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vivianne and will do anything for her, but I shouldn’t have to work this hard just to get back the love we used to share. It would be different if I’d cheated on her and broke her trust or something. We used to have so much fun together, but now everything is so strained.”
Kick her ass to the curb. I’m fun … I’m tons of fun.
“It sounds like you’re holding on to the hollow shell of who she used to be. People grow and change all the time,” I said.
“Growing and changing are fine, but completely changing the foundation of who you are is something totally different,” he grumbled. “But I have to give her credit, this is the first time she’s taken the initiative to plan anything on her own.”
“Well hopefully it works out,” I lied. “Listen, I haven’t showered yet, and I really need to. I’m not putting you out or anything, just giving you an excuse to use so you can leave before my grandmother comes back to harass you.”
Jayce smiled and leaned back with his hands behind his head. “I’ll wait until you finish,” he replied.
Just then, Gram-Gram returned with a tray full of food. “Here you go, young man,” she said sweetly, putting the tray down in front of him.
“Go on,” he said, turning to me. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
I slowly walked up the stairs completely terrified to leave Gram-Gram alone with Jayce. There was no telling what would come out of her mouth. It was too easy to get information out of her, because she readily and eagerly volunteered to give away your secrets. By the time I come back I was positive Jayce would know every agonizing detail about my life, including the time I went commando underneath my skirt and the wind made it fly up, revealing my bare naked ass to everyone and I do mean everyone.
To my surprise, they were laughing and talking when I come back down the stairs. Gram-Gram looked excited to have someone to talk to about something she enjoyed.
“Bri!” she exclaimed. “You need to bring this young man around more often. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.”
Jayce glanced up at me with a satisfied look on his face. I’m surprised he didn’t run out of the house screaming after being left alone with her.
“I like your hair,” he said.
I reached up and self-consciously touched the giant puff on my head. “Yeah,” I said. “It’s naturally curly. I usually have it straight, but when I get it wet, it curls up.”
“It looks really nice,” he murmured.
Gram-Gram grinned from ear to ear as if he was talking to her.
“Well, ladies, I do need to leave. Thanks, Mrs. Carter, for the lunch and interesting conversation,” he said, cutting his eyes at me.
Shit. Should I be embarrassed or no?
“Let me walk you out,” I said, moving toward the front door.
Jayce leaned down and hugged Gram-Gram. She smiled and gently patted him on the back. I liked how comfortable he was around her.
“Make sure you come back to see me,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied as he walked over to the door.
I stepped outside and watched as he closed the door behind him. “You should get some rest,” he said.
“I’m planning o
n it. I feel a lot better now, so I plan to be a work tomorrow.”
“Okay,” he said. He pulled me over to him and gave me a big bear hug before whispering in my ear. “Just make sure you don’t wear a skirt, I hear it’s supposed to be windy tomorrow,” he teased.
He laughed and got into his car as I stood there with my mouth wide open and my eyes bucked. Gram-Gram had the biggest mouth ever.
Chapter Eighteen
Even though Gram-Gram embarrassed the hell out of me, I was glad she came over yesterday. She cleaned up a little while I took another nap, and I definitely appreciated that. I got dressed in a hurry and headed down to the coffee shop. Keon … or at least I assumed it was Keon, was leaning against the counter looking down at his phone.
“Bri?” he asked, glancing up from the screen.
“Yes,” I replied, sticking my hand out toward him.
He looked at my palm like it had acid on it, and quickly pushed it aside before wrapping his arms around me.
“You’re family,” he said playfully. “I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m happy to be able to put a name with a face.”
I smiled and stepped back. “I get nervous when people say they’ve heard things about me,” I said.
“Don’t worry, it was good stuff,” he replied. “I just know I need to keep you away from the salt and sugar.”
We laughed and started the usual prepping before the morning rush came in. Keon was definitely handsome and I could see the family resemblance. His dark hair was cropped short and he had a smile that brightened his entire face just like Jayce. I discreetly took a peek at his ass when he bent over to get some coffee filters and it was nice too.
Damn their family has good genes.
The morning rush hit, and it hit hard, but I was proud of our accomplishments. We burned one pot of coffee and managed to only mess up a handful of orders. I’m still not sure how we managed to burn the coffee, but it definitely tasted scorched.
“You do this every day?” Keon asked.
“I’m usually in the back working with the different accounts. We learned the hard way my place is not out front taking orders, but I’m proud of today. The shop is still standing so I think we’ll be okay,” I said. “Did Jayce mention how long he’ll be out of town?”