If Love was Fair

by Savannah Stewart

  “There you go with those wonderful what ifs again.” Emily rolled her eyes.

  “I don’t know…I can’t risk this big of a client for my own personal needs.”

  “I would.”

  “You would?”

  “Hell yes, I would.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Sexual attraction, epic romance, potential disaster, I’ll take whatever comes my way if it’s worthwhile at some point.”

  I threw the pillow at her head. “You’re an epic mess is more like it.”

  We erupted with laughter.

  “But seriously, I wouldn’t blame you if you did give it a try. There are tons of clients out there that we could grab if things fall through with Evergreen.”

  I rolled off the couch into the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Emily had a point, but she was a walking sex fiend most of the time. Was she really someone I wanted to take advice like this from? Don’t get me wrong. I trust her with my life, but the potential outcome wouldn’t affect her, it would affect me.

  What had I gotten myself into?

  I padded into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I needed some orange juice in my life, and I was hoping that Emily hadn’t downed the remainder of it without letting me know. She was good at that. The only reason it got on my last nerve at times was because we literally liked the same exact things grocery wise.

  “Score,” I whispered and pulled the carton off the shelf and filled my glass.

  The tangy taste soothed me. Always had as a child, and always would in my adult life. The clock above the stove read quarter ‘til four. I knew it wasn’t time to roll out of bed, but my mind had gotten the best of me since I’d laid down. Rest wasn’t happening, thanks to Everett.

  Emily’s creaking door interrupted my pity party.

  “Couldn’t sleep either?” I turned and sloshed orange juice all over myself.

  “I’m so sorry!” An almost naked man in a pair of boxers sitting low on his defined hips quickly came to my rescue. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He grabbed a towel from the counter and began rubbing my boob area where the majority of the orange juice had landed.

  “Give me that.” I yanked it from his hands and tossed it on the counter so I could cover myself. “Who the hell are you?”

  Emily’s laughter broke up our spat and we both turned to find her leaning against the doorframe of her room watching us with amusement.

  “Lonnie, meet Arbor, and Arbor, meet Lonnie.”

  He extended his hand for me to shake.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake!” I swatted his hand and headed down the hall.

  “Down kitty.” Emily held her hands up.

  “Don’t down kitty me!” I huffed, glancing back at an almost naked Lonnie standing in our kitchen. “He scared the living daylights out of me. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to have someone over?”

  “It was a spur of the moment thing.” She shrugged. “I figured you were already sleeping so I didn’t bother. I told you I needed someone to jump my bones after that story you told me.”

  “Stop your rambling.”

  “I’m just saying…” She grinned. “He definitely jumped my bones all right.”

  “What am I going to do with you?” I sighed.

  “I know what the three of us could do,” naked Lonnie butted in.

  “Oh. Hell. No.” I scoffed. “I’m going back to bed!” I tossed my hands in the air, forgetting I was wearing a men’s t-shirt that barely covered my ass.

  “That’s one mighty fine tush.” Emily smacked my backside.

  “You need your hormones checked!” I groaned as I slammed my door behind me.

  Their muffled laughter had me laughing at just how carefree Emily was in some aspects of her life. I envied that about her. I guess you could say at times I was the same way, but once I got into my head and began overthinking a situation, it was downhill from there.

  I unplugged my phone from its charger and swiped the screen. No new messages on any of my apps. “How boring.”

  My finger hovered over the new text icon as I debated on sending Everett one or not. I nibbled my lip and my heart raced as I took the dive and pushed the icon. I quickly typed his name and clicked his contact before I could talk myself out of it.

  “What to say...”

  A split second passed and my fingers flew over the keyboard as I spoke aloud what I was typing.

  “I know it’s late, but I just wanted to say thank you for being a gentleman. Even if I was more like a harlot.”

  As soon as I hit send, I regretted the second part of the message. Hopefully he would get my humor in it and not think I was simply calling myself a prostitute. I tried to convince myself that it was too late for a reply as I sat there watching the screen like a teen wishing her crush would contact her back. What almost thirty-year-old woman acted like that?

  “An immature one.” I huffed and placed my phone on the nightstand.

  I flipped onto my side, facing away from where my phone sat and closed my eyes. Thankfully the walls were thick enough in our place so I couldn’t hear Emily and her sexual escapades across the hall. Since the laughter had died down, I knew they weren’t simply sleeping over there. Was I jealous? I’d be lying if I said no. My heart and soul changed the day I’d left Jonesborough, at the time I hadn’t realized just how much so. But I couldn’t keep going back to everything I’d endured over the years. It was way past time for me to pick up the pieces and live my life how it should be lived. To enjoy the time I have, and make the most out of every day. I hadn’t been doing that for the most part. Yeah, I had my dream job, a best friend, and my health, but so much was still missing from my puzzle. Figuring out where to start was the hardest part.

  Ding.

  My eyes shot open and I hesitated to roll over, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me.

  “No freaking way.” I paused, knowing if I’d actually gotten a message my phone would alert again in a couple minutes.

  But the anticipation was killing me so I flipped over and snatched my phone up from the nightstand. I quickly pressed my thumb to the home key to unlock, denied. I hated when it done that, and it always seemed to be at the worst of times.

  I pressed it again, denied for a second time.

  “Are you kidding me?” I shouted louder than I’d anticipated.

  Instead of trying it again, I bypassed the stupid thumb indicator and typed in my passcode. The screen came to life and the little number one shined brightly beside my text messaging icon.

  “Why am I so nervous?” I shook my hand out before tapping the icon.

  It opened directly into his message since I hadn’t closed out after sending. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and toss the phone across the room, pretending that he hadn’t responded. But instead of doing that, I forced myself to read his response.

  Harlot, I think not. More like a Siren who underestimates her own power.

  When I say I felt my body flush, I seriously mean it. My entire body warmed from his words. That man wasn’t your average man. He had a way with his words, in text and vocally. My response was lacking with each tap of the screen. I deleted probably five responses before his three little typing bubbles popped up. My heart was galloping like a wild stallion. The anticipation of what he was going to say caused me to stop trying to respond all together.

  I enjoyed the night with you. Even if it was a bit sporadic and wild. I wanted you to know that.

  Gah!

  I had to respond. I couldn’t simply open Pandora’s box and pretend nothing came out of it. So, I took a deep, steady breath, let it out slowly, and began to type.

  Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words? I enjoyed myself too. Now that I’ve had a chance to decompress from the craziness of the night, I look forward to seeing you Monday.

  “I look forward to seeing you on Monday?” I scoffed as I reread what I’d sent. “Who the hell says that in response to something like that?” I slapped my hand on the screen where
he’d sent those two swoon-worthy replies.

  I was a fool, a horrible romancer and a flat out fool.

  You’ve decompressed? I wish I’d been so lucky. Monday can’t get here soon enough.

  If you looked up grinning like a fool in the dictionary, or via Google, you’d find a picture of me lying in bed staring at messages from Everett. That was a given. How can you meet someone, have one dinner, almost have sex, and feel like you’ve known them for years? Was that even possible? Or were my hormones taking the lead yet again?

  Rolling onto my back, I kicked my covers off and sat my phone on the nightstand. There was nothing else I could muster up to say in response to him that wouldn’t be straight up naughty. Which I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, but we’d agreed to be professional, even though we were both failing miserably.

  “So much for getting some sleep.” I got out of bed and sat down in front of my computer. I hadn’t checked emails since before dinner with Everett, so I knew there was plenty of work to be done most likely. My mind needed a distraction, and work was the best one to give it.

  A loud thud and the turn of the doorknob to my room interrupted my new mindset. I quickly spun in the chair and found a completely naked Lonnie standing in the doorway. Dick swinging freely, messy blond hair, and ripped abs on full display, I couldn’t look away.

  “Even though I’m sure she’s enjoying the view, I have my own bathroom, dipshit!” Emily hollered across the hall.

  “My bad.” He crookedly grinned and cupped his junk.

  “Oh, by all means,” I sarcastically replied.

  He turned and walked back into Emily’s room, leaving the door wide open to both rooms.

  She stepped into my doorway with her comforter wrapped around her.

  “Sorry. He’s not that bright.” She chuckled. “But his nice ass-sets make up for it.”

  “If you say so.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “I saw you ogling his perfect ass. Don’t even act like you weren’t.”

  “Hey, if it’s on display, I’m gonna look.” I held my hands up. “Just saying.”

  We both laughed.

  “I am sorry he interrupted whatever you’re doing. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  “It’s fine. Not like I’m getting any sleep anyway.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Catching up on emails and a few small jobs.”

  I wasn’t going to divulge the information regarding my conversation with Everett. She’d never leave my room and bring Naked Lonnie with her for the gossip.

  “At this hour?”

  “Yeah.”

  She sighed, “You really need to get laid.”

  “I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

  She shook her head and walked back into her room.

  “Give Everett a call. You’ll feel much better after he tunes up that body of yours.”

  She shut the door before I could respond, but left mine wide open.

  “Thanks for shutting my door, hussie!”

  “You’re welcome!” she shouted back which was cut short by a long moan.

  There was no way I wanted to hear their party in the sheets so I rolled myself close enough to the door to kick it shut and turned on some music. Tunes and work would be my saving grace for the remainder of the night, or shall I say morning.

  Eleven

  The ticking of a clock usually would drive me bat shit crazy, but for some reason I was finding it rather soothing.

  Most of the weekend was spent running on little sleep, due to my mind getting the best of me after everything that unfolded with Everett. Talk about being a recipe for disaster. That’s what I seemed to be anymore. But you can’t help what the heart wants, can you?

  He was due to be at the office some time throughout the day, but little ole me didn’t bother to schedule an actual time. So my day was going to be spent thinking every knock on the door and every buzz from Stacey would be to let me know that Everett had arrived.

  I stretched my arms above my head and leaned back in the chair. Spending extra money on one that didn’t hurt your back was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I could seriously take a nap in the thing and wake up feeling better than if I’d slept eight hours in my own bed, and a nap was beckoning me at the moment.

  Without notice, my office door began to open and my sleepy self all but jumped to sit upright in the chair. My heart was racing as my visitor stepped into the room pushing a cart and whistling to whatever was blasting through the headphones resting in his ears. He removed one and gave me a small wave.

  “Hello, Ms. Kenton. Got a few deliveries for ya today.”

  Our mailman, Jude, was one of the nicest twenty-year-old guys I’d ever met. I’d love to give his mother a giant hug and let her know that she’d raised him right. He always seemed to brighten my day when he came by, even if he was bringing bills and junk mail most of the time.

  “Jude! How’s the day treating you?”

  “Oh, you know. Living the dream.”

  I chuckled.

  Every day it was the same response, which always came across as a happy one. I’d never know if he was having a bad day, if he actually had bad days, because a genuine smile was the only expression I’d ever seen him wear.

  “How’s school going?”

  Jude was a couple years into his journey of becoming an attorney. Ever since the day he spilled those beans to me, I’d constantly pushed him toward corporate law. It was a money bag in big cities.

  “Wonderfully. Thank you for suggesting corporate law courses. It’s been a bit of a different route than the regular ones. I’m really enjoying it.”

  “Well, you know, when you graduate I could possibly pull some strings to hire you here.” I crossed my arms over my chest and grinned. “That is if you want to swim with the small fish starting out.”

  Jude tossed his head back and cackled.

  “I’d be honored to work for Level. If the company would have me.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” I gave him a wink. “So what’cha got me for today? More lingerie catalogs I never signed up for, or a stack of invoices I get to review and thankfully pass along to accounting?”

  “A little bit of each. Plus an invitation from Tennessee it looks like.”

  I choked on my spit.

  “What?”

  I quickly took the stack of mail from him and rummaged through it until I found the letter he spoke of. Sure enough, in elegant script my name and office address were written across the front of the burgundy envelope, with nothing but a return address in the top left corner.

  “Looks pretty important, huh?”

  Jude knew a little bit of my back story, but not much. He had been told, like most of my co-workers, that I’d jumped ship and hauled ass out of my hometown in hopes of finding a new life and path. Thankfully I had, but not without a price.

  “Yeah, it does.” I tossed it in the wire basket on the edge of my desk and leaned back in the chair.

  “Well, I hope it isn’t anything too hectic. Have a great day, Ms. Kenton.”

  “Jude, call me Arbor, please.”

  “Okay, Arbor.”

  I smiled.

  “Have a great day yourself, and kick ass in those classes tonight.”

  He gave me a salute as he reached the door.

  “Always do.”

  The door clicked closed, and I was left staring at an envelope I didn’t want to open. Who tracked me down in Indianapolis? I’d left town without so much as a goodbye to ninety-nine percent of the people that knew me. So receiving mail from an unnamed someone was a puzzle to me. Probably one I didn’t want to try and solve, either. I lifted the envelope and felt the thickness of it.

  “This came from someone who has money to blow on expensive envelopes, solid-colored ones without personality at that.”

  I narrowed my eyes and flipped it over in my hands. The only thing that decorated the back was a small elegant M at the tip of the closur
e. Almost instantly I knew who it was from. But what the hell did she want? Neither of our birthdays were close, and I hadn’t spoken to her since way before I left town. Why would she be sending me something?

  Curiosity was killing me so I ripped the envelope open, slashing through her elegant M and all the bullshit that she’d caused me over the years. Floral, extra-thick cardstock peaked at me so I slipped it from the envelope and erupted with laughter at the first sentence printed on the thing.

  You’re cordially invited.

  “Cordially, my ass,” I scoffed.

  But what I thought was an invitation to some fancy ass wedding wasn’t the case. As I continued to read, my mouth fell open and my palms began to sweat. She had sent me an invitation via the post office to be a bridesmaid in her damn wedding.

  Hysterical laughter bubbled up my throat. The kind of laughter where you can’t control it and no matter how unfunny something is, you continue to laugh because you really don’t want to cry. I’d hit that delirium state.

  My cousin Libby Mack was a vile person. She’d never treated me like family, let alone a friend. But she had enough nerve to mail me an invitation to be a bridesmaid in her wedding? Had the girl gone mad?

  Who mails bridesmaid invitations anyway?

  I guess she had to since she doesn’t have my phone number.

  My office phone startled me with unexpected ringing; I nearly fell out of my chair.

  “Sweet Jesus, get a hold of yourself, Arbor.” I rubbed my face with my hands and quickly answered Stacey’s call.

  “Arbor, a Mr. Green is here to see you.”

  “Who?”

  “A Mr. Green.” She nervously paused. “Said you told him to stop by today to sign some paperwork.”

  “Oh, Stacey, I’m sorry. My mind’s somewhere else. I’ll come out and get him.”

  “I can bring him to you if you’d like.”

  “No, it’s fine. Let him know I’ll be right there.”

  My office was two floors above where Stacey was located. So the time it would take for me to go to her was needed to clear my head a bit. Everett had shown up at the worst of times, but hopefully the encounter would be easier than that damn invitation I’d read.