by Codi Gary
“About…about wanting to kiss me?”
He’d opened his locker, blocking his face with the door. “Honestly, Kel, we had been spending a lot of time together and I think I just…got caught up in the moment. Ray loves you and you love him. You two belong together.”
Was that relief or disappointment flipping her stomach over? Sixteen years later, she still couldn’t say for sure. “You didn’t mean it, then?”
He’d closed his locker, and looked her right in the eye. “No, I didn’t mean it.”
She’d turned and walked away, feeling like an idiot for obsessing about it all weekend. She’d gotten back together with Ray, and things had gone back to the way they’d always been.
Now, she stared down at Chris’s sleeping form and wondered why in the heck he’d brought that up tonight? What had made him even think of it?
She set the pills and water down on the end table, and left the room, so many questions left unanswered.
Maybe it’s better that way. In the morning, I’ll pretend he never asked, unless he brings it up. And even then, what’s the point in wondering what might have been? Things are great now.
No sense in spoiling a good thing.
Chapter 6
Kelly woke up Sunday morning with a nasty, cottonmouth sensation and an ice pick headache stabbing sharply along the right side of her skull. God, it was as though she had the hangover, and she hadn’t had a thing to drink.
She climbed out of her bed gradually, rubbing her stinging eyes as she stood with a wince. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, thinking about Chris and what the heck he’d meant about if she ever wondered. Wondered what? What would have happened if Ray hadn’t been waiting for her? If she had wanted to kiss Chris too?
Ugh, her head hurt.
She used the bathroom and splashed her face with warm water. After she brushed her teeth and slipped a warm, comfy sweater over her short-sleeved pajama top, she padded barefoot down the stairs. The smell of bacon drifted from the kitchen, and she could hear Chris humming to himself as things sizzled.
How could he be so cheerful after how much he’d had to drink?
She stopped in the entryway and watched him flip a pancake over with a spatula. Wearing his jeans and T-shirt from last night, he looked rumpled and delicious.
Delicious? Where in the world had that come from?
Okay, she could admit that Chris was beautiful. He had broad shoulders and muscular arms that weren’t overdone. His jeans hung low on his hips and she knew that his legs were sculpted and strong.
This was not something new. She’d always been aware that Chris was good-looking, but for some reason, she’d never really stopped to appreciate it. He was just…Chris. Not a slab of man meat to be ogled and drooled over, like Chris Evans.
He spun around, using the spatula as a microphone as he belted out the words to a Three Doors Down song, only to choke in mid lyric when he saw her.
“Hey, you’re up!”
“You’re perceptive,” she said, dryly. “And you’re chipper. Got any coffee made?”
“Already on my second cup, which is why I am feeling good.” He came close and kissed the side of her head with a loud smack. “Plus, my amazing best friend left me medicine and water to cure my hangover.”
“You must have a gut made of steel. I’d be puking until noon if I imbibed as much as you did.”
“You’re also smaller than me.”
“I guess.” She pulled away from him to grab a mug from the cupboard, silently cursing the unfairness.
Pepper sat off to the side, watching the stove as though he was waiting for Chris to drop something tasty for him. His black tail, tipped with white, swished across the off-white tile floor. His golden eyes didn’t even flick her way when she said good morning.
“Have you been feeding him again?” Kelly asked, coming up alongside Chris.
“Not today.”
Kelly presented him with her fiercest scowl. “You’re contributing to the begging of a feline. This is a punishable offense.”
Chris glanced over his shoulder at Pepper. “Sorry, tubs, but your mommy is being a tyrant.”
Pepper’s attention diverted to her, as if he understood that she was the barrier between him and delicious, fatty meat.
“Don’t give me that look, it’s for your own good.”
The tuxedo cat simply sniffed at her and left the room, his tail swishing regally in the air.
“Nice, now he’s mad at me.”
Chris laughed. “It’s a cat. He doesn’t actually understand the words coming out of my mouth.”
“Oh, he knows that I’m the reason he was denied table scraps and he’ll be seeking revenge. Just watch, I’m going to find a massive hairball on my bed later.”
Chris’s golden skin turned green. “Woman, I am cooking! You’re going to make me lose my appetite.”
“You? Not possible.” She noticed his hair was wet and breathed in. There was a clean scent of soap beneath the bacon. “Did you shower?”
“Yeah, why? I smelled rancid.” He seemed defensive as he turned her way. “It’s not like I used your thirty-dollar girly soap. I always keep stuff here for when I crash.”
Kelly wasn’t staring at him because she was worried he’d used her stuff. The image of naked, soapy Chris under a spray of hot water had popped unbidden into her head, rendering her momentarily speechless.
She shivered, trying to collect herself.
“I know. I just thought you might be worn out today and be grumpy.”
“Actually, not at all. I’m pumped. And I can’t wait to play with the new iPad my wonderful, generous best friend gave me.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Kelly poured some black coffee into her cup and realized her hand was shaking. She tried to tell herself it was the lack of sleep affecting her motor skills and not the flashing image of her best friend naked in the shower that had rocked her nerves, but then she’d be a liar. Could her hormones be in overdrive due to the sexual starvation she’d been in for almost eleven years? Did her body just wake up like, “Hello, all males in the vicinity, I am ready for mating!”
She giggled out loud.
“What are you laughing about?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Uh huh. I don’t believe you.”
She turned to face him, and found him watching her with an evil grin. She froze with her coffee cup halfway to her lips. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” he said, innocently.
Kelly placed her mug out of the way. “Whatever you are thinking about doing to get me to talk, do not do it.”
Chris put the pancake he’d been flipping on top of a large stack and set the spatula down. “See, but now you’re challenging my manhood and I have to do it.”
Chris held his arms out, the flour-covered tips wiggling at her, and he contorted his face into a slack-jawed, zombie impersonation.
“No! I hate that, and you know it,” she squealed.
“Gah grr argh.” He started lumbering towards her, making horrific sounds that would have won him a role on The Walking Dead.
And even though she knew it was a game, she ran. Did she love zombie movies? Yes. Did they scare the pants off her? Definitely. She didn’t even like seeing people dressed as zombies on Halloween; she was too afraid any minute they would form a group and start chasing her.
Behind her, Chris closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She shrieked as he buried his face in her neck and pretended he was eating her.
“Stop! Stop! I wasn’t laughing at you, I swear.”
Her scream was tinged with laughter, until Chris stopped growling against the side of her throat. Had his teeth just scraped gently below her ear?
Then, she was very much aware of his warm breath
on her skin. The hard bands of his arms around her. The press of his chest and…
Oh, shit, Chris was turned on. The proof was pressing into her butt.
But it was her reaction to his arousal that was really a punch in the gut. She had this crazy urge to wiggle her ass, and tilt her head, giving him better access to kiss his way up the side of her neck. Maybe reach back to cradle his head as she turned her lips to his.
Chris pulled away from her, ending the fantasy and bringing her back to stone-cold reality. A reality where she had just imagined making out with Chris.
Something. Was. Very. Wrong. With. Her.
She cleared her throat, and turned to face him. Not meeting his gaze, she murmured, “I guess I’ll head up and take a shower.”
A few beats went by before he responded. “All right. I’ll probably be gone when you get out. Got a lot of stuff to do today.”
Why was this so awkward?
“Then I guess we’ll talk later.”
“Yeah. Enjoy your shower.”
Kelly’s gaze snapped up at the husky tone in his voice, but he’d already turned his back on her. He disappeared into the kitchen without a backward glance.
Kelly climbed the stairs, confusion bubbling in her stomach. Once she reached her bedroom, she shut the door and leaned back against it with a deep, shuddering breath.
She needed to start dating. If she didn’t start getting some on a regular basis, she might do something stupid.
Like ruin an eighteen-year-long friendship.
Chapter 7
“Kelly! You’re not listening!”
Kelly jumped in her seat as her assistant, Veronica Torres, very nearly yelled at her.
“Sorry, what?”
“What is going on with you? You have been a space cadet for days!”
It was true, Kelly had been experiencing a rough time concentrating this week. There was just so much on her mind, both professionally and personally.
First, there was the Townsend wedding. She’d been going through everything for Hank’s sister before their meeting on Friday, but the binder was massive. And although it helped that Julia was specific, her ideas were time consuming. For a multi-millionaire model, she was obsessed with do-it-yourself decorations. Every other paper inside was a print out of some craft with the Pinterest logo on the top. With a guest list of over two hundred and fifty people, she was going to have to enlist enough manpower to get the little Mason jar favors done.
On top of that Chris was being unusually quiet. She’d texted him to ask if he was coming over tomorrow for their Wicked Wednesday movie night and he’d told her he was meeting his lawyer friends for drinks instead.
It wasn’t that she begrudged him time out with his colleagues. It just wasn’t like him. Chris had never missed a WWMN, except for that one time he’d gotten the stomach flu, and this week was the one he chose to blow off? After what had happened over the weekend?
She should be understanding. She had other friends too, and they did spend a lot of time together. But there was a dark, niggling thought in the back of her head. A foreboding sense that things were changing between them and she didn’t like it.
And it had all started right after she’d told him she was giving dating a go.
“Kelly!” Veronica cried.
Kelly shook her head. She’d gone and done it again! Veronica could be sharp with other people, but she’d never been anything but respectful to Kelly.
Which was how it should be considering Kelly was her boss.
“You’re right, I drifted off. I guess Tuesday feels like Monday.” Kelly quirked a brow. “Still, I suppose you have a good reason for yelling at the one who signs your paychecks?”
Veronica’s tan cheeks reddened, but her back straightened. Her dark eyes flashed with what Kelly could only imagine was determination. “I have been with you for the last six months as your assistant. You moved Wendy to consultant after three months of being your assistant and I would just like to ask for my chance.”
“You want to be a bridesmaid?” Kelly wasn’t surprised. Veronica was ambitious and hardworking. Bridesmaids pulled in a lot more money than assistants. But Kelly wasn’t sure Veronica had the temperament to handle emotional clients.
“Yes, so much.”
Kelly sat forward and put her folded hands on top of her desk. “I’m not going to lie to you. The reason I haven’t thrown you into the game is because you can sometimes be a little too honest.”
“Oh, believe me. I know that tact isn’t my strong suit, but I am creative and detail-oriented. You know this.”
“I do. But a big part of the business is pacifying difficult clients.”
“Come on, have you had any complaints that I am anything but professional?”
“Well, he didn’t complain, but the way you handled Hank Townsend wasn’t great.”
“The guy showed up in a stupid mask. I knew who it was, but he acted as though just the sight of his face was going to make all women in the vicinity swoon. Please.” Veronica laughed.
Kelly put her boss face on and levelled Veronica with a stare. “And if he had been easily offended, he would have taken his money elsewhere.”
All the sass went out of Veronica’s sails and her laughter rang a little bitter. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Man, this is not how I wanted this conversation to go.”
“Lucky for you, I’m all for giving second and third chances. What else do you bring to the table as a wedding consultant?”
Veronica’s face lit up with hope. “I think quickly on my feet. I’ll even bring a client on, as my test run.”
“And who is that?”
“My cousin, Teresa Valdez.”
Kelly’s heart tangoed with excitement. “Teresa Valdez from Mi Loca Familia?”
Veronica smiled as though she knew Kelly was already hooked. “Yes.”
Kelly sat back in her chair, steepling her fingers like a supervillain. Teresa Valdez had been a new face in Hollywood three years ago and had broken out with the lead in the hit telenovela show, winning several awards that first year, and raking them in ever since. She was very much in demand, getting roles in two blockbuster hits this year. The girl would be a feather in Something Borrowed’s cap and Veronica knew it.
Clever girl.
“I didn’t know she was getting married.”
Veronica danced in her chair excitedly. “They wanted to wait until after the season finale. They’re keeping it under wraps.”
“Who is the groom?” Kelly asked.
“Alejandro Garcia.”
Kelly burst out laughing. “The guy who plays her brother on the show?”
“Thus, the secrecy.”
“Yeah, I imagine that the studio heads won’t like it.”
“Well, there’s more. Teresa is about six weeks pregnant, and if my very traditional aunt and uncle find out, they are going to flip their lid.”
Kelly lost her smile. “So…this is literally a shotgun wedding?”
“Pretty much, except Teresa is holding the shotgun instead of her parents.” Veronica pulled something up on her phone and turned it to show Kelly. It was a Pinterest board filled with beautiful wedding pictures of cakes, dresses, and decorations. “They want to have a large, traditional wedding in a Catholic church…before she starts showing.”
Kelly scrolled through the pins. The cakes were tiered with bright colored flowers cascading over the fondant. A bride and groom wrapped together in a rope. Beautiful dresses with lace and ruffles.
She handed Veronica back her phone. “So, what’s your plan?”
Veronica’s eyes widened. “You’re going to let me?”
“I haven’t said so yet, but I’m asking…with about six weeks to plan, what are your ideas for accomplishing the details? How big of a wedding are we talking? How many people?”<
br />
“About three hundred.”
Kelly almost winced, but held her expression passive. “Bridesmaids?”
“Seven, including me.”
Kelly hated rushed affairs, especially giant ones. Something always went wrong. Last summer it had been her top consultant, Marley, falling in love with the best man of a wedding she was working. The bride also turned out to be unstable, and the whole thing had been called off anyway. However, Kelly had learned to look at the situation more closely and not just the zeros on the checks.
At least letting Veronica take the lead on her cousin’s wedding was a good jumping off point to how she’d be in the field. Kelly just needed to lay down the rules. “I’ll agree to taking your cousin on, if you come to me with a detailed plan by the end of the week.”
“Oh, my God, thank you—”
“I’m not finished,” Kelly said firmly. The excitement in Veronica’s eyes dimmed as she continued, “I do not care if you two are family, you will treat her as though she were a client you had never met before. That means with the utmost respect and patience.”
Kelly could tell by the expression on Veronica’s face she was holding her annoyance with Kelly in check, but that was good. It meant she was learning. “Of course.”
“I would also like to meet her before I agree to take her on as a client.”
“Deal.” Veronica held her hand out to Kelly, who took it in a firm shake. “She’s actually here.”
Kelly arched one perfectly manicured brow at her. “Like, here in town or in the building?”
“She’s sitting out at my desk. I knew you didn’t have any meetings this morning, so I thought if this went well, we could squeeze her in.”
Kelly had to hand it to her; she’d played her hand well. “You’re diabolical, Ms. Torres. Show her in, please.”
When Veronica jumped up, her floral skirt and loose black top seeming to spin with her as she practically floated for the door.
Kelly held up a halting hand. “And Veronica?” Her assistant froze with her hand on the knob. “You’re going to need to put an ad out for a new assistant for me. If you’re planning this wedding, you won’t have time to handle my schedule too.”