by Lane Hart
Maybe I’m reading too much into the conversation, but I’m guessing this is the cheater and that he’s hoping to be near her again. What a dick.
I clear my throat to remind them both that I’m still standing there.
Josie jumps like she had forgotten I was behind her, and then steps to the side of me. “Bryan, this is Lawson Andrews. Lawson this is Bryan Davis.”
The fucker offers me a hand to shake, but I just stand there and wait patiently. Wanting her to say I’m the guy she’s dating or boyfriend or some fucking thing to elude to the fact that her mouth’s been on my cock and mine’s been on her pussy. When it doesn’t come, I reluctantly take the guy’s hand, squeezing with all my might. He returns the same amount of pressure. Asshat.
“Nice to meet you,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Yeah,” I reply, refusing to say the same words, even if they’re a lie.
“So, what are your plans for dinner?” the dick asks, his gaze flickering over to me an instant before it goes back to Josie. “Can I take you out so we can catch up?”
“We –” I start to let him down easy, when Josie shocks the fuck out of me by saying, “Sure. I just need to finish up a few things inside.”
What the hell is going on right now?
Did I walk into some alternate universe?
She’s gonna leave me standing on the sidewalk and blow off our plans to fuck all night to go on a date with this asshole? An asshole that, if I had to guess, blew his chance with her by cheating on her. Who would cheat on this beautiful woman?
“Josie?” I ask in bewilderment.
“Oh, Lawson, thanks for bringing over my car. And fixing it, of course,” she says, practically dismissing me with her palm held out to me, silently asking for her keys. So, what do I do?
I want to ram my fist into this fucker’s face so hard I can’t stand it. Then I want to haul her back to my garage over my shoulder and fuck some sense into her.
But I don’t do either.
Instead, I place the keys in her waiting hand, and then I walk away without another word.
…
Josie
“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.” The words are on repeat like a broken record as I slip into the women’s bathroom in our office and call Reagan.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?” she asks.
“Reagan! You’ll never believe who’s back in town and just asked me out,” I tell her in a frantic rush of words.
“What the –”
“Bryan! Bryan is here, and we’re going to dinner. The love potion worked!”
“Hold the fucking phone,” she says. “You’re going out with Bryan, the dickwad that cheated on you? You can’t be serious, Josie.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, slumping against the wall.
“What about Lawson? I thought you were head over heels for him.”
Lawson. God, he’s so hot. And last night was a-freaking-mazing.
“Josie?” she asks.
“Oh, well, um, Lawson’s great, but Bryan is the one. I’ve always known he was my soulmate, and now he’s back…”
“Stop, stop, stop,” Reagan says. “Am I gonna have to come smack the shit out of you?”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re being stupid, Josie.”
“No, I’m not. People make mistakes. Remember how Bryan begged me to forgive him, but I was too stubborn to accept it? Then he left for law school, and I haven’t seen him in three years! Three! This is what Madam Tess meant. That I had to stop being so stubborn to find love, and now we have a second chance.”
“Where are you? I need to find you and knee that dick in his ball sack,” Reagan says in a huff. “He’s gonna hurt you again, and then it’ll be too late!”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve only got two days to sleep with Lawson and pass on the potion. After that, time’s up and you’ll be shit out of luck. Or have you already slept with Lawson?”
“No, I haven’t. We were going to tonight, but…”
“But your head found its way into your ass, and now you’ve turned delusional enough to go out with the man who hurt you so bad you haven’t dated in three long years!”
“I haven’t dated because no one could replace him or what we had…”
“His affairs? Yes, most people could not give you that because they’re not jackasses!” she exclaims.
“Why are you upset? I thought you would be happy for me. After Bryan and I…you know, seal the deal tonight, then you can drink the potion, and all will be perfect.”
“No,” she says curtly.
“No what?” I ask.
“I’m not drinking the potion if you choose him over Lawson.”
“Fine, I’ll get one of the girls here to drink it.”
“That’ll be tough to do when you don’t have the potion.”
“What the…you little bitch!” I exclaim in understanding.
“Ditch the dick and go get some of Lawson’s, Josie, or you’re gonna regret it for the rest of your life!”
“You’re wrong,” I say. “Why else would Bryan be back in my life at the perfect time unless he’s the one?”
“Coincidence. What’s not a coincidence is you losing your car door and finding Lawson!”
“Okay. I’m hanging up now,” I warn her. “I’ll call you after I seal the deal so you can drink the potion.”
“Not gonna happen,” she says, but we’ll just see about that.
…
After I finish up on the last of the letters to our clients about John’s retirement that he insisted be finished today, I head out the front and find Bryan waiting for me in the passenger seat of my car.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Sure,” I say. But then when I reach for my door handle, I see the dings of missing paint from the day it was ripped off the hinges; and I can’t help but think about Lawson. There’s a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach that accompanies it, like I’m cheating on him. Which is nuts, right? Since we weren’t really together. Were we?
“You okay?” Bryan asks as I sit down in the driver seat.
“Yeah, just a long day,” I tell him, cranking my baby and merging into the street. “My boss is retiring. So if I don’t find a job soon, I may end up back in Roanoke.”
“Really?” he says, his brown eyes, the identical color of his hair, wide and excited when I glance over at him. “We could be living in the same city again?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I answer on an exhale, because the idea of leaving Greensboro is depressing. I’ve lived here since I started college seven years ago. It’s my home now, and the thought of returning to the city where I grew up, the one where the town is small, everyone gossips about everyone else’s business and the women are all two-faced, jealous bitches, never crossed my mind.
“So where do you want to eat?” I ask Bryan as we come to a stop in afternoon traffic.
“How about Bonefish Grill?” he suggests, and I try to repress my instant cringe at the mention of fish. We dated for over two years. How does he not remember that I despise seafood, not just fish, but all of it? A seed of doubt plants itself inside my hungry, empty stomach, and I just know that if I were with Lawson, he and I would agree on dinner without argument.
“How about Mexican instead?” I ask, glancing over at Bryan. The wide, muscular man shivers like a child in response.
“Sorry, Josie, but I haven’t overcome food poisoning on undercooked chicken fajitas from a few years ago.”
Fuck. I knew it. Less than five minutes and we already can’t agree on dinner. What the hell am I doing with him right now? I glance over at Bryan again and see a mildly attractive young man in a nice gray suit. Three years ago he was the hottest man I’d ever seen. Now, he hasn’t changed much, but I must have, because the ugliness of him hurting me worse than anyone else in the world makes him hideous, especially when I think about Lawson. A beautiful, sweet man, who has my same goofy sense of humor
and who…gets me. There’s no way to know if Lawson will end up hurting me or cheating on me, but deep down in my heart I know he wouldn’t.
“Do you like South Park?” I ask Bryan.
“Huh?” he asks. “That stupid cartoon with the foul-mouthed kids?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“God, no. Only morons find that show entertaining,” he answers with a frown.
The light we’ve been sitting at for what feels like forever turns green, and I put on my right turn signal, swerving cautiously across the other two lanes of traffic.
“What are you doing? You still drive like a maniac,” he says with contempt.
“Where’s your car?” I ask.
“In the Greene Street parking deck, why?” he asks.
“Because I’m taking you to it. I had a moment of temporary insanity, but I’m all better now,” I tell him, hoping that Lawson forgives me for blowing him off. If not, I know a few tricks to convince him.
“What do you mean? I thought we were going to dinner,” Bryan whines, reminding me of just how annoying he is, even when he’s not cheating on me.
I pull up to the curb outside the parking deck, not bothering to ride around and around the levels looking for his car. One that’s probably brand new because he doesn’t appreciate the classics like me and Lawson.
“Out,” I say, gesturing with my hand that he should go. That one word feels so good to say, like I’m finally getting the closure I’ve needed for three years. After he cheated on me, I wouldn’t see him or answer his calls. I ignored him until he went back to his home in Virginia and I was left here. All this time, maybe this is what I needed, to find an incredible man like Lawson to show me what a dick Bryan is once and for all, so I can forget about him and move on. Now, I’m actually happy that he cheated on me, because I found someone even better.
“Come on, Josie,” Bryan, who still hasn’t budged from the passenger seat, pleads. “I’ve missed you and want to catch up. I thought that’s what you wanted too just seconds ago.”
“I did, or I thought I did, but Reagan is right. There were a few screws loose in my head, but it’s all good now. So, get out, and good riddance.”
“Josie, wait,” he says, and when I turn to yell at him more sternly, he catches me off guard, hitting me with a slobbery kiss. I’m all pursed lips, trying to prevent his wet tongue from breaching the gates, while my hands push with all my might against his chest. Getting the hint, he eventually pulls away. And when he does, I slap the shit out of his face with a very loud, satisfying smack that leaves my hand stinging but was so worth it.
“Get out of my car!” I yell.
With a curse, he opens the door and steps out. The door barely closes again before I gun the accelerator to Lawson’s garage. When I see his blue truck still sitting out front, I do a happy dance and park in front of it.
Unfortunately, the front door of the shop is locked. Refusing to give up, I bang on the wood with both fists.
“Lawson?” I yell in between knocks. “Lawson!”
The door pulls open so swiftly that I nearly topple forward on my face, but then Lawson’s there in the door frame, catching me. His arms go around my waist, pulling me against the safety of his hard body, and it feels so right and perfect. I can’t believe I ever doubted him for a second.
“Quick, what do you want for dinner?” I look up and ask, holding my breath.
“Um,” he says in thought, an adorable crease forming between his eyebrows. “I could really go for a steak burrito from Moe’s.”
“Yes!” I shout with a slap to his chest, like he just proposed. “Yes, yes, yes!” My arms wind around his neck as I hug him, thankful that he’s so damn perfect.
“Keep that up, and I’ll be eating you for dinner,” he murmurs against my ear as one of his hands move down to grab my ass. “Who was that dick in the suit?” he asks so seriously that I slide down his body and pull away to explain.
“That was Bryan, my ex-boyfriend,” I say.
“The one who cheated on you?”
“Yeah,” I answer on a sigh. “He was an asshole, but this naïve part of me always thought that we belonged together for some stupid reason. Within five minutes of being near him, I realized how wrong I was and couldn’t get rid of him fast enough.”
“Good,” Lawson says, leaning in for a kiss to my cheek. “I didn’t like seeing you with him.”
“So, does that mean that you don’t want me to date anyone else?” I bat my lashes and ask with a coy smile.
“Yes,” is his instant response.
“And you’re not gonna see anyone else?” I clarify.
“No, just me and you, okay?” he asks, his expression so sincere that I believe him.
“I guess I can agree to those terms,” I reply before he kisses my lips again.
“Good, now can we call in an order and get our food to go so I can take you home?”
“Yes,” I quickly agree. “Make it two steak burritos, no pico on mine and don’t forget the queso.”
“Done. You wanna go home and get your things while I go grab the food?” he asks.
“Sure,” I say, my tummy doing backflips at the thought of finally being with him. I’m nervous and worried it’ll be awkward like most first times, trying to figure out how he likes it, fast or slow, on top or bottom. The possibilities are endless, and now I’m freaking out even more.
“Hey, you okay?” Lawson asks, reaching for my hand to give it a squeeze. “You know it’s gonna be really good, right?”
My eyes lift to his, trying to figure out if he’s referring to what I think he is. But of course he is; he’s a mind reader.
“What if it’s not?” I ask.
“You’re right,” he says on an exhale. “It probably won’t be good. It’s gonna be fucking amazing, because I’m not capable of anything less.”
A giggle escapes without my permission. “Not cocky at all, are you?” I ask.
“It’s not arrogance if I can back it up,” he says with a smile, followed by his lips brushing mine. “Now, stop wasting time.”
“Yes, sir,” I say.
“Meet me at my complex, and then I want you to tell me all about your bad day too, okay?”
“Okay. See you soon,” I tell him before I practically float over to climb into my car, driving home while my hands shake with nervousness.
Chapter Thirteen
Lawson
Food? Check. Condoms? Double check. They were buy one get one half off, so, yeah, lots of those. Am I nervous about fucking Josie for the first time? Maybe a little, and not because I doubt my mad bedroom skills, but because I don’t know how high her expectations are, so I don’t wanna be a letdown. Knowing Josie, though, she’s probably just stressing about if it’ll be good for me or not, which I have no doubts about. Not a single one.
Just seeing her car parked in my complex makes my cock grow heavy in my boxer briefs. It seems like we’ve waited forever even though it’s only been what? A day? Two? Goddamn, this woman makes me lose my mind.
After I climb out of my truck, she gets out of her car and meets me on the front sidewalk.
“Hey,” she says with my approach. Her killer scent, Moroccan My Shine, hits me like a sledgehammer, making my mouth water for a taste.
“Quick shower?” I ask.
“Ah, yeah. How did you know?” she asks.
“Because you smell delicious, and now I want to eat you instead of my burrito,” I tell her.
“Oh, well, you could save the burrito for later,” she suggests.
“Fuck, yeah.” Grabbing her hand, I pull her up the stairs to my apartment, and nearly drop my keys in my haste to unlock the door.
As soon as the door shuts behind her, I toss the bag of food and condoms over to the nearby kitchen counter and attack her. My mouth crashes down on top of hers, and then my hands are on her ass, lifting her up on the door, causing her purse to fall with a thud to the floor…
“Ahem,” a masculine thr
oat clears behind me, followed by, “Uncle Law!”
“Shit,” I mutter against Josie’s lips.
“Language,” my brother’s voice warns.
“Hi,” Josie says in greeting from where she’s still pinned to the door. I lower her legs to the ground and reluctantly let her go to turn around and face my guests.
“You could’ve called or texted to let me know you were still here,” I tell Abe with a huff.
“Ollie wanted to surprise you,” he says with a grin, and then my anger fades when my little nephew is wrapping his arms around my knees.
“Supise!” he says in his cute three-year-old accent as he looks up at me with a grin identical to my brother’s.
“Hey, big man. How’s it going?” I ask, scooping him up in my arms to settle him on my hip.
“Kaboommm,” Josie mutters softly from behind me. “Sorry, my ovaries just exploded.”
“What are ovaries?” Ollie asks.
My brother’s chuckle echoes mine when he stands up from the sofa and heads over to us. “I like her already,” he says, holding out his palm. “Abe Andrews.”
“Josie Carter,” she replies, stepping up beside me to shake his hand.
“And you must be Oliver,” she turns and says to the little guy in my arms, offering him her hand, which he quickly accepts.
“You can just call me Ollie,” he tells Josie, making her laugh.
“Oh my God. He’s too adorable,” she says. I try to ignore the achy warmth in my chest at how glad I am that on a first impression, Josie seems to like my family and vice versa.
Not wanting to dwell on the new sensation, I glance around the apartment to see if all my shit is still here and all of the bitch’s gone. “Everything’s out?” I look up and ask Abe. My brother is about two inches taller than me and twenty pounds heavier. Fucker.
“Looks like it. She was packing up the last of it when we got here. No wonder you never brought her home to meet us. What a…not very nice lady,” he says with a bark of laughter. “She asked if I wanted her number now that she’s single.”
“She didn’t,” I grumble, shaking my head in disgust.
“But then she saw Ollie and said, Ugh, never mind.”