“Why do you do that?” She was growing more flustered by the moment. Molly wasn’t sure what she wanted to do more, tell him to go screw off or screw his brains out.
Owen shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, doll.” Then he did it again—a sly and sexy grin, accompanied with another wink.
* * * *
“Oh, Moll, come on. You need to quit fighting with him. Quit fighting it.” Tiffany was dressed in black leggings, hot pink designer running shoes and an oversized black tank layered with another.
They were running along the shore at one of their favorite little best-kept secrets, Carkeek Beach. It was connected to a fantastic park for families to play with their toddlers or host birthday parties on a sunny afternoon. Very family friendly, but it also was quiet in the early mornings and evenings, which made it perfect for jogging. The serene and simple landscape made the workout almost bearable—almost. Again, not exactly an activity that Molly was fond of, but she could stand to tone up, especially if she did want Owen to see her naked. She wanted that very much. There was no question. Going slowly and cautiously was good, but it was also frustrating.
“Fighting it? Fighting what, exactly?” Molly huffed, trying to catch her breath and keep up with Tiffany.
“You are fighting this whole relationship thing. You keep trying to sabotage it. Knock that shit off.” Tiffany stopped suddenly and bent down to tie her shoelace. Molly welcomed the brief pause and stretched. Tiffany looked up at her and said, “Remember your whole mantra, ‘just go with it’? Um, you are kinda sucking at it.”
“I have been trying,” Molly feebly attempted to defend herself, knowing full well she hadn’t been really putting in the effort she could be.
Tiffany glared at her. “Seriously?”
“Okay, fine. I was good about Mackenzie bringing her sister’s ashes to Friendship Friday,” Molly pointed out. “You aren’t exactly rockin’ the dating circuit.”
“We were at her house. Besides, I don’t think that really counts. This is more about you and Owen—and you and relationships in general.” Tiffany pulled her legs behind her one at a time. “This isn’t about me.”
“I know.”
“I thought you were going to try more with him?”
“I am,” Molly said, as she adjusted her ponytail that was coming undone. The wind was beginning to pick up, the waves slamming hard onto the sand as a storm started to creep in. Only moments earlier, the evening sun had been out, beating down on them. Now the clouds had snatched it away—typical Seattle weather. “I seem to always mess things up.”
“You need to let it go, or let us decide,” Tiffany suggested.
“What do you mean?”
“I think we should have Owen over for dinner. We need to get to know this guy a bit. Let’s see if he’s worth all this trouble.” Tiffany set off in a sprint, leaving Molly behind in the sand.
Molly stood there alone with only her thoughts for a second, staring out at the water before setting off to catch up to Tiffany. Could Owen handle her crazy friends? She could only imagine what kind of third degree Mackenzie would put him through. Tiffany, she wasn’t so much worried about, though this was her idea. That meant anything was possible to come out of her mouth. That girl lacked a filter when it was most needed. Crap. Now Molly felt a little bad for the poor guy. But if he really wanted to be with her, it was best that he get to know her besties. They were a package deal. She couldn’t help but smile at the challenge he was about to face.
God help him.
* * * *
“You really up for this?” Molly touched the sleeve of his shirt. It was a little late to be asking him, considering they were standing just outside Mackenzie’s door and had already knocked.
“Stop worrying.” Owen kissed the top of her head. His hands were full with gifts of pure bribery—flowers, wine and even some gourmet eclairs. Yeah, he’s fully stocked with ammunition.
“It’ll be fun,” he assured her.
Famous last words.
Mackenzie opened the door, a cautious and polite smile plastered on her face. “Come on in, you guys.”
“Wow, it smells great in here,” Owen complimented. He was right. It did smell amazing.
“Thank you.” Mackenzie closed the door behind them. There was no turning back.
Owen stood near the opening to the kitchen. Mackenzie came up to him. “I brought some goodies.”
“I see that.” Mackenzie laughed. Suddenly Tiffany appeared.
“I heard someone brought goodies.” Tiffany giggled as she offered her hand to Owen. Mackenzie took the flowers, wine and the pink box that was filled with delicious eclairs. Owen scooped Tiffany up, dismissing her offer of a handshake.
“So, you’re a hugger?” Tiffany teased.
“Hey, I feel like I know both of you from all the stories Molly has shared with me.”
Owen was good, damn good. Flattery would get him everywhere and Molly watched as he presented Tiffany and Mackenzie with loads of it. This man and his damn charm. He even winked at Molly, causing warmth to rush through her.
“Come sit,” Mackenzie ordered. “Dinner is just about ready.”
“Want some wine, Owen?” Tiffany offered.
“That sounds great.” Owen ushered Molly to the table that had been set up quite beautifully. There was a gorgeous arrangement of flowers in the center. Several small candles were lit and flickering a romantic glow on the dishes.
Pulling out a chair for Molly, Owen waited until Mackenzie and Tiffany arrived back to the table. He also pulled out chairs for them and, like the perfect gentleman, he waited until they were seated to finally sit down.
Both Mackenzie and Tiffany threw Molly a look. It pretty much read, What’s the problem here? Why aren’t you jumping all over this?
“So, Owen, we know a little about you,” Mackenzie started.
Tiffany jumped right in and added, “That you clobbered our poor friend with a giant fish. Shame on you.”
Owen laughed. “I’d do it all again, but maybe with a smaller fish.” He patted Molly’s hand.
“Aww,” Mackenzie and Tiffany both cooed.
Seriously? Are they falling for Owen that easily? She’d expected them to badger the hell out of him, make him prove his undying love, but no. They were already wrapped around his finger.
Owen’s eyes grew stormy as his voice lowered. “Not to dampen this lovely mood, but, Mackenzie, I just wanted to extend my condolences. I am very sorry to hear about your sister.”
Crap. Molly looked over to Mackenzie, expecting some kind of reaction—maybe tears, a scowl, something. Instead, Mackenzie smiled gently at him. “Thank you, Owen. I really appreciate that.” Wow, he is really good.
Dinner carried on beautifully. They laughed as they ate, sharing stories, and finding so many common interests. They realized they knew some of the same people. Even in a big city like Seattle, it was still a small world. Molly couldn’t have asked for the evening to turn out better. As they left, Mackenzie loaded Owen up with leftovers and made him promise to come by again.
Once tucked inside Owen’s car, Molly released a heavy sigh.
“What was that for?” Owen asked as he started the car.
“Nothing,” Molly lied. She couldn’t shake the feelings that were breeding inside her.
“You know, you’re not a very good liar.” Owen backed carefully out of Mackenzie’s driveway and cruised slowly out of the quiet neighborhood.
“It’s nothing, really.”
“Well, it sure didn’t sound like nothing.”
Molly hated how Owen could read her so easily. No guy she’d ever dated had that ability, and perhaps that was what terrified her about Owen.
“Your friends are lovely.” Owen found a freeway on-ramp and started to hit the gas to merge into the light traffic. They were quickly met with a sea of red taillights, causing them to slow to snail’s crawl. “Dinner was fantastic. That was really sweet of Mackenzie to give me some
leftovers.”
“Mac is our mother hen. She’s the best,” Molly commented as she stared out of the window, thankful for the darkness inside the car. Tears started to pool. Why am I so emotional? I should be tickled pink that Owen and my friends got along so well.
“Molly, what’s the matter, babe?” Owen’s voice was soothing and thick with concern.
What is the matter? Molly really didn’t know. The only thought that came into her mind was that Owen might be the one. That was something she hadn’t expected or really been searching for. She wasn’t even sure she wanted it now that she’d found it. A tiny piece of her worried that if he was indeed the guy, the one, that it would somehow change everything. Molly didn’t handle change well. Would he expect her to give up her friends if they got serious? How could she balance her time with Tiffany and Mackenzie and still have enough time for Owen? Too many questions whirled about in her mind.
The rest of the car ride was quiet. Owen didn’t press any further, which Molly appreciated. This was definitely not one of those times when she was ruled by her new mantra. She was caught up in worry, stupid concerns for something that hadn’t even happened yet. Nope, she wasn’t ‘just going with it’ like she’d promised herself. She was doing exactly what Tiffany had accused her of, fighting it. Why? She had no idea. Maybe she didn’t think she was good enough to land a guy like Owen. He was turning out to be too perfect. And to make matters worse, her friends friggin’ adored him. She couldn’t wait to get that phone call in the morning.
Chapter Nine
Tiffany and Mackenzie stood just outside her studio door, holding precious coffee and wearing enormous grins. She had been waiting for this all day. Even with the Seattle sun making everything bright, Molly was gloomy. She’d woken up in a sour mood. It had stayed with her all day and wasn’t showing any signs of leaving.
“Why are you so cranky?” Tiffany crinkled her nose at Molly as she passed her to come inside.
“I figured you would be all sunshine and roses today, buttercup,” Mackenzie added as she placed the coffees on the large glass table.
Molly rolled her eyes and closed the door. She staggered slowly toward them, shuffling her sock-clad feet on the smooth wooden floor.
“Why so not chipper?” Mackenzie asked as she distributed the coffees.
“I don’t know.” Molly slunk down into the one of the chairs and grabbed a cup.
Mackenzie frowned at her. “The sun is shining. It’s beautiful out there.”
“You’ve just got done shopping. I can tell. You’re simply glowing.” Molly was glad that Mackenzie seemed so upbeat.
“You could have joined us,” Tiffany added, raising her eyebrows at Molly.
“No, I’m good. I don’t like shopping, even for groceries.”
Mackenzie patted Molly’s arm. “Tell us what’s wrong. You fight with that adorable man?”
“So he won you guys over pretty quickly,” Molly snapped. She hadn’t meant for her words to come out so harshly.
“Um, you tasted those eclairs, right?” Tiffany rolled her eyes at Molly. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar,” Mackenzie and Tiffany both said in unison.
“I’m serious…nothing. He dropped me off, I said goodnight, then he went home. End of story.”
“Because you wanted it to end that way?” Mackenzie asked slowly, eyeing Molly suspiciously.
Tiffany took a long sip from her coffee. “You know what we need?”
Mackenzie and Molly shook their heads.
Tiffany smiled. “A girls’ weekend trip.”
Molly felt her mood lift a little. A trip out of the city might be just the cure. “I think that’s a fabulous idea.”
“Really?” Tiffany looked surprised. “I figured you would throw a fit and I would have to hogtie you.”
“Am I that awful?”
“Difficult, yes. Awful, no,” Mackenzie pointed out. “I think a girls’ trip is a fantastic idea. So, where to?”
“Where did you have in mind?”
Tiffany gazed up at the ceiling, thoughtfully. “Like, how far do we feel like traveling? Where have we not gone together yet?”
Their gears moved collectively, each plotting the perfect destination. It couldn’t be too far, but yet had to be far away enough that they felt like they actually weren’t anywhere near Seattle.
“Vegas?” Mackenzie finally suggested.
Leave it to Miss Prim and Proper to choose the wildest and most sinful possible place.
“Hell yeah,” Tiffany agreed. “What do you think, Molly?”
Molly sat quietly, considering Vegas as an option.
Obviously, in hopes to sway her, Mackenzie added, “Imagine the fun we’d have, sun—lots of sun—and cocktails. Maybe you could use a little of both to perk you up.”
“It’s sunny now,” argued Molly.
“Well, you need more, much more, cranky pants. Then there’s the shows, the lights…just the magic of Vegas.” Mackenzie sighed. Her eyes seemed so far away, as though she was already exploring The Strip.
“Vegas is kind of yucky.”
Tiffany scowled at Molly. “Oh, you stop. There is a lot of fun there—gambling and, like Mackenzie said, shows. Tons of entertainment.”
“Yeah, and hookers and strip clubs. Probably tons of homeless people or runaway drug-addicted kids.” Molly pouted as she crossed her arms.
“See? Difficult,” Mackenzie pointed out again.
“Yeah, just be packed. Mackenzie and I will take care of all the travel stuff.”
“Fine. It might actually be fun,” Molly admitted. She wondered what Owen would have to say about her leaving on an adventure and she shooed the worry away. She needed this and maybe not telling him would be for the best. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
“Um, that’s a given. Us and Vegas… Boom!” Tiffany made an explosion sound and they all laughed.
Life had felt like a rollercoaster since she’d met Owen and she longed to have some girl time. A sweet little escape sounded great right now and going with her best friends, even better.
* * * *
Several days later, early morning drizzle covered everything with a cold and slick wetness. Armed with their coffee and rolling luggage, the three friends were standing in the security line at the nearly empty Sea-Tac airport.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Tiffany squealed.
“Tone the excitement down. It’s a little early.” Mackenzie covered her mouth in a yawn. Molly agreed. Her coffee hadn’t kicked in enough yet for Tiffany’s cheeriness.
“Don’t be a party pooper. We’re about to storm Vegas!”
“I’m so napping on the plane,” Molly stated as they moved along in the line, putting their purses into large gray plastic containers to be scanned. Molly was a pro at flying. She knew the routine. She wore sandals to easily remove, if need be. She made sure nothing she wore would set off the machine, unlike Tiffany, who was causing a lot of commotion. Her friend was fussing with her designer mini-boots. Her studded jeans, though fashionably amazing, were making the machine go nuts. Molly winced each time the alarm shrilled. They finally let her through after wanding her, and Molly was more than relieved to be on their way. “Good Lord, woman, next time just wear yoga pants or something. You don’t need to be so cute,” Molly said as they strolled to their gate.
“Um, what if there is a hot guy that could very well be Mr. Right? He’s not going to even look my way if I’m not cute. I don’t have people throwing fish at me,” Tiffany replied. Mackenzie closed her eyes and huffed.
Molly sighed. She was hoping to avoid any talk of Owen. She had been a doing a good job all week hiding from him. She knew it wasn’t fair to him, but she needed some space to wrap her mind around everything.
“You guys suck in the morning, bunch of cranky bitches,” Tiffany complained as they got into another line, this one to check in at their gate.
“No, you are just annoying,�
�� Mackenzie countered, handing the young woman at the counter her ticket information. The woman smiled and started checking in Mackenzie’s ticket.
Molly was next, then Tiffany. Once boarding began, they all started down the carpeted hallway to get on the plane. After stepping inside and finding their row, Mackenzie—being the tall one—stored their suitcases in the overhead compartment.
“You think it’s too early for a cocktail?” Mackenzie asked when she took the window seat.
“Not if we’re going to survive this trip together,” Tiffany whispered.
Molly sat between them to keep them from fighting and was tempted to put her earphones in to drown them out. “Come on, you two. Let’s just get there in one piece, please.”
Molly didn’t like flying. She did it often enough, but she never enjoyed it. Why? One word—turbulence. On second thought, it wasn’t too early for a cocktail. By the time the flight attendants came around after they were in the air, Molly had made her decision. “Can I get a cranberry and vodka, please?”
The woman raised her eyebrows, but smiled politely. Apparently she thought it was too early to be drinking. Well, she wasn’t going to be the one sitting in between Mackenzie and Tiffany for the next two hours.
Mackenzie laughed and ordered a cocktail as well. Tiffany shook her head, but placed her order for one, anyway. She commented sarcastically, “Might as well start this vacation off right.”
Or drunk.
Though she never made ‘drunk’, Molly managed to keep herself buzzed enough to pass the flight time in relative calm. But, as they touched down, the landing was bumpy. The plane bounced onto the runway, causing Molly to grip the arms of her chair tightly. Her stomach jumped around. The welcome relief once the plane taxied around the tarmac filled Molly. Hooray! They hadn’t died in that tin can.
“Yay, we are here,” Tiffany said, unbuckling her seat belt.
Mackenzie opened her eyes. She had napped most of the flight. Molly was eager to get off the plane. Her legs ached and she wanted to stretch. The Nevada heat penetrated the jetway as they exited.
Reeling in Love Page 11