“I hope you know what you’re doing, buddy.”
Whatever. “Thanks for your concern, Collin, but you don’t have to worry so much about me.” My response is borderline arrogant. I know I shouldn’t be this short with a friend, but I can’t help it. I like Miranda far more than I thought I would. I know it’s fucked up that I would change my habits since being with her, but she makes it such that I don’t want another pussy right now.
All three of us sit in silence, focusing our attention on our empty mugs. It’s as if we’re trying to read our future through the coffee grounds stuck to the bottom of the cup. I look up and Collin holds my gaze. I bounce my eyes to Shane and it’s clear he’s still rehashing what I’ve just shared in his mind. Suddenly his face goes from passive to inquisitive again.
Shane pulls his brows together. “Hmph.” It’s never good when someone starts a sentence like that. “Miranda is rather exquisite, Hunter. A few weeks with you will seriously boost her confidence.”
“I hope I’ll have done right by her.”
“The next guy to have her will be a lucky bastard. He’ll have to send you cigars and cognac to thank you. She’ll be the full package and she’ll be even more irresistible than she already is now.”
I’m not sure he realizes the impact of his words, unless it’s his way of getting a reaction from me, but Shane’s words irk me to no end. “Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind that I’m grooming her for an idiot who won’t be able to fully appreciate her.”
His eyes widen and his mouth gapes. He furtively glances at his brother before bringing his attention back to me. “If that’s the first thought that pops into your head when I say that then maybe this isn’t as casual as you think.”
I look away, not replying. Don’t I know it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Miranda
I peer my eyes open and I’m surprised the sun is already setting. What time is it? I roll to my side and extend my hand to grab my iPhone resting on the nightstand. I press on the touch ID and I gasp when I notice it’s already eight o’clock at night. I’ve been napping for nearly two hours? How is that even possible? I sit up on the bed, wondering if Jessica also fell asleep, but when I hear soft music seeping through the door that’s still ajar and take a whiff of the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, I have my answer immediately.
Kevin has been working on a movie set since seven this morning and he’s not due back home until midnight. It’s another one of those insanely long Hollywood working days. Jess is quite bummed about it, but it was perfect timing considering we had to be ready at five o’clock this morning for our big climb with our hiking group.
Considering Hunter dropped me off at one o’clock this morning, I had little time to restore my energy. When you combine my lack of a good night’s sleep with seven hours of active hiking on a hot day, it’s no wonder I passed out when we got back. The bus dropped Jessica and I at her place at six o’clock and after a quick shower, I lay on the bed hoping I might rest for a few minutes, but obviously my body had different plans.
I stretch, jump to my feet and stroll to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face to wake me up. Once I’m alive again, I run down the stairs to go help Jess with dinner.
“How in the world do you have enough energy to cook?”
She looks up at me and smiles. “We burned like eight thousand calories today, we have to replenish.”
“What’s on the menu?”
“Nothing much. I marinated some chicken last night and it’s on the barbecue. I have some rosemary and garlic potatoes roasting in the oven. I’m putting that kale mix salad you can’t get enough of in a bowl. I just have to cut some bread and we’re set to eat. We can start with the spinach artichoke dip. It’s this new recipe I found on Pinterest. You make it in the slow cooker. Can you believe that? I’m warning you, you’re my guinea pig and I can’t wait to taste it to see how it turned out.”
“Wow. Didn’t you take a nap or have you been slaving in this kitchen since we got back?” I walk to the granite island and pull out a stool to sit on.
“I did. I was so freaking tired I couldn’t even remember my own name. I slept for an hour, but I’ve been up for the past forty-five minutes. I was so starved when I woke up, I had a light snack and figured you’d wake up famished as well.”
“You’re a good friend.” I barely have time to thank her before my stomach growls.
We both laugh.
“I’m still baffled by the fact we reached our goal,” Jess says, looking up at me.
“I know exactly what you mean. If you had told me a year ago that we’d end up climbing Mount San Antonio Loop via Devil’s Backbone, I would’ve laughed my head off. No wonder Brian kept insisting that this day trip was for experienced hikers only.”
“Yeah, now I know why he kept harping on the fact that it was a highly strenuous climb. I nearly died when we stopped for lunch. I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it back down again. I was certain you were going to have to drag my exhausted body all the way down the mountain.” She giggles.
“I hear you. If I were still working at Lola’s Paradise, I’d have to call in sick. There’s no way I’d be able to stand on my legs for a full shift. Thank God I work sitting down at Food TV.”
“And to think we’ve been preparing for this day for the last six months.”
Jess is right. “The way I feel now, it’s as if I’ve never exercised a day in my life.” I exhale, resting my chin against my hands. My elbows are against the counter and I’m balancing my weight against my folded arms.
“Well, we did it, girlfriend. Seven hours of hiking and we’re still alive.”
“We surely did, Jess. We have a lot to be proud of.”
“Hell, yeah.”
“So do you think we should conquer Mount Kilimanjaro next?” I ask, already anticipating her reaction.
“Over my dead body. Miranda, you’re completely out of your mind.”
“Never say never.” I wink.
“Whatever. Instead of fantasizing about things that’ll never happen, why don’t we talk about a more important topic?”
“What?”
“Wine?”
I grin. “You’re hilarious. Yes, please.”
“White?”
“Always.”
“Good. I’ve been waiting for you.” Jess heads to the fridge, opens it and pulls out a bottle of Chardonnay. “I didn’t want to start without you because I think you deserve a toast. I have a feeling there’s a lot to celebrate.”
“You mean about our epic climb?”
Jess waggles her eyebrows knowingly. “We both know what I’m talking about.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Don’t play coy with me, Miranda Olivia Reddick. You’ve been a bad, bad girl.”
I’m confused. “What did I do?”
“You haven’t told me yet, but since you spent most of the day with a ridiculously happy grin on your face—and don’t try to fool either of us by telling me you were elated by the fresh air of the mountains—I can only assume you had an amazing time with Hunter yesterday at the pool party his celebrity friends were having. And since you’ve only sent me a few lackluster text messages that did nothing to feed my twisted mind about your Friday night, again, I can only go by the dirty stories I’ve created in my head on how well your lesson went.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, I know, but you love me that way. I know we were surrounded with people all day and you couldn’t spill your guts, but guess what?” I roll my eyes. “Time’s up,” Jess says. “I want to hear all of the salacious details.”
“I’m going to need some wine before I say anything.” I point with my chin at the bottle she’s cradling.
Jess widens her eyes in surprise. “That much?”
“Yup.”
“Are we talking about Friday night or the pool party?”
“Well, Friday night was as X-rated as can be,
and I’m not even trying to be dramatic. And for the record, Saturday wasn’t just another pool party in LA, it was a full day in the sun at a kickass vacation retreat on Santa Catalina Island.”
“You’re so shitting me right now.” Jess’ eyes widen.
“Nope. It’s God’s honest truth,” I say, crossing my heart like a Girl Scout.
I’m still grinning from ear to ear, but my expression quickly changes when Jessica turns pale as a ghost. Jess drops the bottle on the counter and starts barking orders at me. “You. Uncork the wine, grab the dip and the bread. I’m going to run outside to quickly check on the chicken.” Before she even finishes throwing her instructions, Jessica is already running out to the backyard. She comes back in a flash, slams the door shut behind her, presses her back against it, brings her right hand up to the left side of her body and clutches her chest as if she’s having a heart attack while hyperventilating like crazy.
I jump to my feet, concerned. “Is everything all right? Are you sick?” She shakes her head. “Is the chicken burning?”
It takes her a few seconds to catch her breath before answering. “The food is fine.” Frantic, she runs to the oven to check on the potatoes before turning to face me again. “Sit down and start talking.”
I tilt my head back, roaring. I laugh hard for a solid minute and soon Jess joins me in my hysteria. Of all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her react this dramatically to anything I’ve ever said about a guy. “You kill me. You’re that eager to hear this story?”
“First off, it’s not a story, it’s history in the making and second off, fuck yeah, I want to hear it all.”
One delicious meal later, after washing it all down with a bottle of wine, I pretty much tell Jessica everything. It’s only when recounting the details of my naughty adventures that I realize how hot and heavy it’s been with Hunter. When I finally catch my breath, I realize just like last time, Jess is staring at me with a stunned look on her face. I know this is so out of character for me.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“I don’t even know where to begin, Miranda.”
“I know it’s a lot to process. Trust me, I’m the one living it and I still have to pinch myself to believe this is actually happening to me. Half the time, I think I’m watching someone else’s life unfold.”
“Miranda, that’s amazing. He sounds like an Adonis cowboy god.”
“He is. It’s so easy being with Hunter. It’s never been like this with anyone else I’ve been with. Every time we’re together, it’s like a tiny taste of something decadent and utterly mind-blowing I want to keep eating until I explode. It’s wicked, self-indulgent, slightly perverted and I just can’t get enough of it… or of him.”
Just thinking of Hunter in that way makes my stomach twist and a engulfing heat spreads from my chest and down between my legs, awakening my pussy.
“Damn, girl, you’re making me envious and I have nothing to complain about because Kevin is a sex god in his own right. Imagine if it’s this sizzling now how it’s going to be when…” She tilts her head to side, leans in towards me and nearly whispers, as if there are other people within earshot. “You know, when you finally get to feel his big cock inside you.”
A smile spreads unconsciously across my face. And even though I struggle, I just can’t contain it. It’s not just a smile, we’re talking about a huge grin like I’ve just been offered a giant slice of moist, rich and super-chocolatey three-layer cake frosted with rich and buttery frosting with the promise of not gaining a pound. “It’s been a recurrent fantasy of mine. I think I’ll die the day it happens. I was so ready for more yesterday, but he didn’t want us to do it at someone else’s place. He wants us to do it at his place. Hunter is so protective of me. I like that a lot.” I giggle. Jess raises her left eyebrow and purses her lips. Not the reaction I expected. “What did I say?”
“It’s great that he doesn’t want to bang you at a stranger’s house. I’m happy he respects you in that way…” She pauses and purses her lips again. It’s as if she has this big thing to say, but she’s holding back.
“What’s up, Jess? It’s not like you to hold your tongue.”
“I really don’t want to rain on your parade, but I want to make sure you remember why you got into this in the first place. I don’t want you to lose your way.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This is still strictly sex between you and Hunter. The reason you approached him was because you wanted to become a better lover and be a better position to seduce the guys you’re attracted to as opposed to settling, right? You don’t expect anything more to come out of this, right?”
Oh, shit. Was I gushing too much while sharing my story?
“Of course not. You don’t have to worry about me. I know exactly what this is,” I lie. What else am I to do?
“I’m so relieved to hear you say that.” She exhales. She grabs my hands into hers and stares deep into my eyes. “I don’t want you to think he’s capable of giving you more. You do remember he’s leaving town soon? I don’t want you to get hurt, Miranda.”
I blink away. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. I’m way past that point. There’s no way I can hold her gaze without being completely transparent to her. It’s not as if I can reveal how much I hope with all my heart things will evolve into so much more with Hunter. Not after her cautionary words.
“Everything so far with him has been great learning.” I hope I sound convincing. “In fact, I’ll be able to put it into practice by being this new, confident goddess next weekend.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cynthia Pawley, one of my former colleagues at Lola’s Paradise, is throwing a pre-bachelorette party. Since she’s forced to invite some of her future in-laws, aka her soon-to-be sisters-in-law, a few female cousins on her fiancé’s side and her soon-to-be mother-in-law to her actual bachelorette party, she figured she’d throw a big bash just with her friends to kick off the countdown until she ties the knot. She’ll be forced to have a prim and proper family gathering a few days before her wedding, so this is her real sendoff party. Julian will be there. See, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. That’s good news, then.”
“It is.” I try my best to sound as chipper as possible. “After all, my arrangement with Hunter is to help me catch Julian’s attention, right? For once in my life, I’ll have the guts to go after the hot guy.”
This isn’t entirely true. It’s usually a challenge for Julian to make plans on weekends because he never knows when his band will score a gig. At this point, it’s still not guaranteed he’ll show up at Cynthia’s party, but Jess doesn’t need to know that. The truth is since I started this arrangement with Hunter, I haven’t given the guy I was obsessed with for two straight years much of a thought. If he were to show up, I figured I’d wave at him from across the room, but it was never my intention to go after him.
“Exactly,” Jessica cheers.
“Well, of course, this theory only holds if Julian shows up unaccompanied. Given his lady-killer looks, I’d be surprised if that’ll ever happen. Since most people will be couples,” I say, lifting both hands up in the air and forming quotation marks with my index and middle fingers, “I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll end up being the only single one there.”
“If it’s not going to be Julian, at least find someone who’s local. I know you want to believe you’ll be the only single person at Cynthia’s party, but I highly doubt it.” Jess chuckles.
“Maybe you’re right. There are tons of stories of people connecting at someone else’s wedding. Who knows, maybe it will be my lucky day,” I say, a little deflated. Yeah, I don’t really want anyone else. At the time I thought I had a stroke of genius, but now I wish Hunter didn’t have to leave and go back to Colorado in a few weeks.
“After all, you have the ideal job, perfectly suited for you. I mean most people would kill for
your job. The guy you build something with needs to live in LA. Long-distance relationships never work, not to mention from everything you’ve told me, Hunter doesn’t sound like the kind of guy who’s looking to settle down anytime soon.”
I really didn’t need to hear that.
I’m not exactly sure how to tell Jessica I might’ve gotten in over my head with Hunter. Maybe this party will help me put things in perspective again. Perhaps I should focus my energy on getting Julian, if by a miracle of God he shows up alone, or maybe there will be another guy there who’s as single as I am. Maybe that’s a better plan instead of being delusional about what I think I share with Hunter.
* * *
Although I was pumped up and so sure of myself after my chat with Jess, by Tuesday morning I totally chickened out. There’s no way I have the guts to walk into Cynthia’s party all by myself. I need a wingman. I need Hunter.
Okay, I might not have given Julian a thought since hooking up with the sexy successful businessman-slash-cowboy, but I haven’t seen the musician bad boy since I left my waitressing job. It’s easy to be courageous when you’re not face to face with someone. I’ve always been a bundle of nerves and a blubbering fool around Julian. I’m not sure a few weeks of coaching can undo years of awkwardness and I doubt him having a hot chick hanging from his arm will change that.
Is it too early to call? I have to leave for work in the next forty minutes in order to make it on time and I’ve been pacing around the house for the past fifteen minutes debating if I should call for backup. Hunter is back in San Francisco for the next few days and given our past conversation, I’m pretty sure he’s already up, but I don’t want to be a burden this early in the morning. That said, the longer I wait, the more likely it is he’ll have other plans for Friday night. I can’t just assume that I’ll see him. Just do it. With shaky hands I dial his number. The phone rings and he picks up immediately.
“Morning, beautiful.” Even though I can’t see him I can hear the smile in his words.
“Good morning, Hunter. I hope I’m not disturbing you. Maybe you’re already in the meeting or something?”
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