“I don’t know. We can ask.”
“I would love to have both my girls there.”
“I’ll work on her, okay?” Brenda was always the peacemaker between them. “Now let me get back to work. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you.”
“Mwah. Love you, too.”
Brenda hung up the phone slowly and stared at it for a few moments.
If Basil made her mother happy, did it matter that he had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel? Did it matter they barely knew each other? If they made each other happy, who was Brenda to judge or stand in their way?
Chapter Ten
She could get through the night. At least that’s what Brenda told herself.
Freshly showered and clad in a terry cloth robe, she rummaged through the drawers of her dresser to find the right outfit. She hadn’t seen Jay since after the wine bar. Nick was back in town and insisted they all get together before he flew home to Chicago. Fortunately, Sophie was also in town, and she would join them at the restaurant and promised not to bail at the last minute.
Brenda decided on an off-white long-sleeved blouse with an elastic waistband, cuffs, and neckline. The gauzy material made for a relaxed fit over snug-fitting jeans. She added a couple of bracelets and small earrings, and completed the look with a bejeweled forehead band.
Nick chose the Red Lion Restaurant and Bar, a newly open upscale establishment that boasted a lounge with low tables and white leather sofas. Located on the second floor of a building on Peachtree Street, they offered a menu of contemporary American cuisine and California wines. She and Sophie ran into each other in the parking lot and searched for Jay and Nick inside.
“There they are,” Sophie said, pointing.
Jay and Nick sat at the bar, but Brenda’s eyes gravitated to Jay. He sat hunched over the bar, cradling a beverage and nodding at a comment Nick made.
“Damn, they look good, don’t they?” Sophie said. “Especially Jay. We’re lucky women tonight.”
Brenda tossed her friend an annoyed glance. “You’re in a relationship,” she reminded Sophie.
Sophie arched a brow. “Doesn’t mean I’m dead. I can look.”
“You’re only saying that because you’re mad at Keith. Again.”
Sophie shrugged, and they walked up to the men.
“Hello, fellas!” Sophie said with exuberance. She flung her arms around Jay first and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Brenda glared at her friend. Her behavior was part of the bizarre relationship she had with Keith, which included outrageous flirting whenever they had an argument or took one of their “breaks.” Right now, she was looking at Jay like he was the last piece of shrimp at a shrimp fest.
Nick grinned. “The ladies are finally here.” He pulled Brenda into a hug and squeezed.
“Glad you made it back safely,” she murmured.
When she withdrew from him, Jay’s gaze flicked over her. “How are you, Brenda?”
No hug for her.
“Great, and you?” The other two were too busy hugging and joking to notice the tension between them.
“I’ve been better,” he said.
His face did look a little drawn, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well.
“Let’s go, let’s go.” Nick herded them toward the hostess stand with outstretched arms. “I’m ready to eat and find out what’s been going on with all of you.”
Jay pulled up the rear and bristled when he saw Nick place a hand to the lower part of Brenda’s spine. He rolled his neck to relieve the tension.
“You look great,” Nick said to her.
She did look great. Better than great, in fact. Her eyes had held uncertainty when she and Sophie walked up. She was unsure how to act, and he understood because he sure as hell was, too.
Nick and Brenda sat beside each other on one of the white leather couches in the lounge, and he and Sophie sat beside each other on the one across from them, separated by a square wooden table. It was almost as if they’d paired up.
He wished he hadn’t come and hoped the time passed quickly, but no such luck. The evening dragged, during which he had the displeasure of watching Nick lean close and talk into Brenda’s ear, as if it was so damn loud in there. The entire situation irked him, but he couldn’t make himself leave.
For her part, Sophie mostly talked about her so-called boyfriend. Since she didn’t ask Jay any questions, he faked his way through the conversation. Every so often he nodded and judiciously sprinkled noncommittal comments into the one-sided discussion so as not to let on he wasn’t paying attention. But he wasn’t.
Brenda had his attention, and he watched her from the corner of his eye, unable to keep his eyes off of her. Each time she laughed out loud gave him an excuse to look in her direction.
His gaze slid over her. Her hair was parted down the middle, long bangs framing her face. A forehead band sparkled with faux jewels against her deep brown skin. Even from several feet away, he could smell the sweetness of her perfume.
Nick openly flirted with her, and she was either too kind to rebuff him or enjoyed the attention. She chuckled at all his corny jokes and every now and again she’d touch his arm as she laughed. As if his joke was so…Fucking. Funny.
Jay ordered another drink.
“You alright?” Nick asked, eyes filled with amusement.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You’re really tossing back the Scotch tonight.”
The comment took Jay by surprise. He didn’t know Nick had been paying attention. He’d appeared so engrossed in the conversation with Brenda.
A tight smile pulled on his lips. “I’m a grown man and it’s been a long week.”
Nick lifted his hands. “Hey, I’m not giving you a hard time. It’s only an observation.”
Brenda glanced at him before busying herself with munching on a celery stick from the platter of fruit and vegetables on the table. They’d barely said two words to each other, and he was getting tired of her looking at him like that, with those big brown eyes that condemned and pleaded at the same time. Pleaded with him to stop wanting her and condemned him for how much he did.
“Sheesh, am I really that uninteresting?” Sophie asked quietly when Brenda and Nick were engrossed in yet another private conversation. Her gaze slid to Brenda and back to Jay. “Why don’t you go for it?”
“Go for what?” Jay asked.
“Come on, Jay. You haven’t taken your eyes off of her for more than two seconds all night, and a few minutes ago you had a look on your face like you wanted to kill Nick.”
Jay frowned. “Don’t exaggerate.”
“I’m not. It’s the truth.”
“I was distracted. What did you say?”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Nothing important.” She took a sip of her strawberry margarita.
“You were talking about Keith, I’m sure.”
She remained quiet and sucked harder on the straw.
“Now you want to go silent?”
Her eyes met his. “I know you don’t approve. None of you do.”
Her attachment to Keith baffled him. “Because you deserve better. Why do you put up with him?”
She didn’t answer right away, stirring the red liquid in her glass with the straw. “Because he wants me.” A bittersweet smile lifted the corners of her lips, and for the first time in a long time Jay paid close attention to Sophie.
“Plenty of men want you,” he said.
“Not you.”
He shot her a look that said Stop, be serious.
Sophie made a show of straightening the hem of her skirt and then crossed her legs. “He’s the only one who keeps coming back,” she said in a low voice.
Jay placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She stared down into her glass. “Sophie, you’re attractive, and you’re funny. You have a lot to offer, and—”
“And there’s a man out there who will see it. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.”
Jay let his hand fall and leaned close, elbows on knees. “There is, you know. But until then, life is short, and you’re taking up all your time and space with Keith, which means you won’t be open to the right man when he comes along. Take a permanent break from this guy. You don’t have to settle.”
Sophie’s face tightened and her bottom lip trembled for a few seconds and then stopped. She bit her lip and cast a sidelong glance at him. “Since when did you become so sweet and nice?”
“I’ve always been sweet and nice,” he said.
The sheen of tears filled her eyes. “You’re not so bad, Jay.”
It was his turn to share a bittersweet smile. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”
Chapter Eleven
By the time they were ready for dinner, Jay was in a better mood. Rather than sit at a table in the dining area, they stayed in the lounge and opted for the small plate choices. Eventually, the conversation turned to work-related topics.
Nick lounged on the sofa, one hand stretched along the back, which furthered the impression that he and Brenda were a couple.
Sophie dipped a fry in ketchup. “Brenda said DJ Terror will be at the Fulton County Community Center fundraiser. Isn’t he one of your clients, Jay?” She popped the fry in her mouth.
“He is,” Jay said shortly.
“Jay helped me secure DJ Terror for the fundraiser. I told you that,” Brenda said.
“You know,” Sophie said, stirring her drink with the straw, “you and Brenda should go to the event together. I mean, you’ll both be there.”
What the hell was she doing?
“I don’t know what time I’ll get to the center,” Brenda said quickly.
“Neither do I,” Jay added, voice taut. He was going to strangle Sophie.
Nick’s gaze narrowed and bounced between Jay and Brenda.
“Well, you could coordinate your schedules,” Sophie suggested. She licked salt from the glass. “The two of you are in complementary industries. You’ll probably cross paths a lot, won’t you?”
“Maybe,” Brenda said. She set her plate on the table, having eaten only a corner of her cheeseburger slider.
“If they don’t want to go together, stop pushing it,” Nick said, laughing. He shifted in the chair, his face a little tight.
“I’m not pushing it,” Sophie said. “It was a suggestion. What’s the big deal?”
“It’s not a big deal.” Brenda arranged herself more comfortably in the chair. “But Jay probably has his own schedule with his staff, assuming he’s even going. It’ll be inconvenient for him to pick me up.” She looked at him for agreement.
“In these modern times, maybe you should pick him up,” Sophie quipped. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Oh, she was enjoying her little game.
Jay thought he should play along. What the hell. He didn’t much care for how Brenda chose to speak for him and expected his ready agreement. “It’s not inconvenient,” he said. The look of surprise on her face filled him with a disturbing sense of satisfaction.
“I wouldn’t want to—” she started.
“It’s not a problem. In fact, it’s a great idea. I’ll pick you up. Let me know what time you plan to go to the fundraiser.”
“I’ll call you,” she said. He knew better than to hold his breath and wait by the phone. He’d expire from lack of oxygen.
Nick cleared his throat and sat up. “Anybody talk to Jenna lately?”
They all looked at Jay and he tensed. “Not recently,” he mumbled. The waitress arrived with a fresh glass of Scotch and set it before him. “The boys’ birthday is coming up soon, so I’ll be heading down to Florida to spend the weekend with them.”
“How old are they now?” Nick asked.
“They’ll be eleven in October.”
Nick whistled. “Man, how time flies.”
“It doesn’t fly nearly as fast as it needs to,” Jay said. He picked up his glass and welcomed the burn as he swallowed the drink.
****
Brenda was relieved when they finally exited the restaurant. They embraced each other and said goodbye. She and Jay exchanged a half-hearted hug before the valets arrived with her and Sophie’s vehicles. They left the men, Sophie heading south, she heading east.
Nearing home, Brenda picked up the phone and dialed Sophie’s number. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, what’s up? Miss me already?”
“Hardly,” Brenda said. “Do you have time to talk?”
“Sure. What’s going on? Something wrong?” The inflection in her voice went higher at the end.
“Nothing to panic about, but I…I need to tell you something.”
“Okaaaay.”
Brenda swallowed, apprehension in her stomach. “You have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”
“This sounds serious.”
Brenda flicked the indicator to merge into the left lane between a truck and a sedan. “It is. Do you promise?”
“Of course.”
She took a deep breath and blurted the words. “I have feelings for Jay.”
“Jay who?”
“Jay.”
“Our Jay? As in, Jacopo Santorini who we had drinks with tonight?”
Hearing her use his real name made Brenda laugh, especially since Sophie pronounced it incorrectly, as so many people did. That’s why he preferred to be called Jay.
“It’s Yah-koh-po,” she said. “And yes, that’s who I’m talking about.”
“Back up. What am I missing? Where did this come from all of a sudden?”
“I’m about to tell you something, but it’s complicated. I need to tell someone or I’ll go nuts.” Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Jay and I had a—moment, I guess you could call it—years ago, when he and Jenna were dating. Over the course of our friendship, Jay and I developed feelings for each other. I don’t even know how it happened—gradually, I suppose, but he was with her.”
“Are you saying you and Jay…?”
“No, we never had sex.”
“So what happened?”
Brenda decelerated and allowed a car to pull in front of her. “We kissed…and a little more than that.” She wanted to bare her soul but wasn’t ready to give all the details. “To further complicate things, I have a secret to tell you about me and Nick.”
“Oh shit. What?”
“I had sex with Nick.” She winced, waiting for the fallout.
“What? And you never told me?”
“It happened a long time ago.” Brenda shifted in her seat, trying to get more comfortable with her confessions. It actually felt good to finally tell someone. “Nick and I had sex the night Jay and Jenna got married in Italy. It was a beautiful location and romantic and maybe I felt a little broken-hearted.”
“You mean because of Jay? You had feelings for him way back then?” Sophie asked.
“A little.” She sighed. “A lot. In fact, the reason I had sex with Nick was because of my feelings for Jay.”
“You have to explain that.”
Brenda thought for a moment. “When I first met Jay, I was attracted to him immediately. It was completely unexpected. But I convinced myself my attraction to him was no big deal and would eventually go away. Unfortunately, it never went away and only increased the more time I spent around him. Having those feelings had felt like a betrayal of my friendship with Jenna. Then one night, he confessed to having feelings for me, too, and he kissed me. We kissed each other.”
“Wow. Where was I? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell anyone. I felt awful because I enjoyed it so much, and because…you know…Jenna. Plus her father had gotten me that internship at his magazine. How could I betray my friend in that way?”
“So what happened afterward?” Sophie asked gently.
“We pretended it never happened, but of course I never forgot. Then the next thing I knew, he and Jenna were engaged. So…” Her voic
e trailed off as she recalled the pain of seeing her friend wave the large diamond under her nose. The jealousy she’d felt at the time had been almost unmanageable. “I know it’s no excuse, but we were in Italy with wine flowing like water. And when Nick came to my room, he was funny and sweet, and we…I think we were both looking for something that night. We slept together the night of the wedding, after Jay and Jenna left for Paris. I regretted it the next morning, but Nick told me he loved me. I crushed his spirits and told him it was a mistake.”
“Ouch.”
“Believe me, the conversation was awful. He looked devastated.”
“And then what?” Sophie prompted. “What finally happened?”
“He left my room. When we saw each other later, I asked him not to tell anyone. I don’t know why it mattered, but I didn’t want Jay to find out. Silly right? Considering he’d just married Jenna, and I was the maid of honor in the wedding. For about a month afterward, things were awkward between me and Nick. But he eventually called and we went to dinner. He insisted that he didn’t mean to tell me he loved me. He’d gotten caught up in the wedding and the beautiful location.”
“Did you believe him?”
Brenda thought for a moment. “No, but he’d wanted us to go back to the way our relationship had been before, and he’d promised he hadn’t told anyone and wouldn’t.” She’d been relieved. “After the way he was behaving tonight, I’m pretty sure he still has feelings for me.” Brenda pulled into the driveway next to Mrs. Chen’s car but remained in her vehicle. “If I pursue a relationship with Jay—”
“Are you saying you want to?” Sophie asked. “Because I have to be honest, the tension between the two of you was noticeable tonight.”
“You noticed?”
“Yeah. He definitely has feelings for you, too, Brenda.”
She rested the back of her head against the seat. “This is purely hypothetical. If I pursue a relationship with Jay, then there are two people who could get hurt. Or at the very least, it would be an awkward situation.”
“As far as Nick is concerned, he doesn’t have dibs on your vagina because he had sex with you first. Besides, he’s been married three times. Although, now it makes sense why none of his marriages lasted. Sounds like the first one, at least, was a rebound marriage, sort of an I’ll-show-you-I-don’t-love-you marriage, which ended in a disaster.”
An Unexpected Attraction (Love Unexpected Book 3) Page 9