by Carina Adams
She chuckled. “And yet here I am, still waiting.”
My brother said something I couldn’t make out in the background and she laughed harder. I grinned. I missed them. “What are you two doing up so early? Everything okay?”
“Well,” she started slowly, “it’s your last homecoming. Every year I tell you I’ll come down, but then I have to work. Hunter’s never been to a college game, so I thought we’d drive down and surprise you.”
I sat up. “What?”
“I didn’t want to call at all. I thought it would be a much better surprise to show up on your doorstep. Hunter insisted we call. It doesn’t have the same effect.”
“Oh. Trust me, I’m surprised.”
Shit. I started to panic as I thought about all the things I needed to do. I slid out of bed and snatched a bra off my floor. “When are you leaving?”
“We’re already on our way. We should be there in an hour.”
Holy fuck. I gripped my hair as I looked around the messy room. I was screwed.
“Okay,” I tried to keep my voice level and calm. “You remember how to get to my apartment?” It was a valid question. She’d only been there a handful of times.
“Yep. We’ll see you soon.”
As soon as she hung up, I glanced at the time. I was supposed to work in a few hours. I didn’t know how in the hell I was going to get out of it. Taking what I hoped would be a calming breath, I dialed Rome.
It rang twice and went to voice mail. Annoyed that he’d ignored me, I dialed again. This time it went straight to his messages. “Roman,” I paused, closed my eyes, and tried not to let my agitation come out in my voice. “I really need to talk to you. Please call me back.”
I tossed the phone on the bed and dressed as quickly as I could and started to tidy my room. When he still hadn’t called me back five minutes later, I knew what I had to do. I slid on flip-flops, grabbed my keys and phone.
I stepped into the hall and froze. Someone was crying. I leaned forward, and listened. I knew that sniffle. My plans changed immediately, my responsibilities to Rome forgotten, as I flew towards my best friend.
Frankie rarely cried. Sometimes when she was really angry, she’d tear up. There had been times when she’d broken down in pain and heartbreak, but they were few and far between.
She and Liv were in the kitchen on opposite sides of the island. Tears streamed down Frankie’s cheeks and she looked utterly devastated. Livie looked sad, too, but not nearly as broken. They stopped talking as soon as I walked in.
I didn’t know if Livie had finally admitted her indiscretion or not, but that was the first place my mind went. I wanted to kick her out. To tell her to stay away from my best friend. I hated it wasn’t my decision.
Frankie swiped at her cheeks with open palms to wipe away all the evidence. “Hey,” her voice was thick with emotion. “I didn’t know you were home.”
I wanted to go to her and hug her, but she crossed her arms over her chest in silent warning. She didn’t want comfort from me. At least not right then.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
It wasn’t nothing or she wouldn’t be standing in our kitchen, sobbing, first thing on a Saturday morning when she should have been at work. Work. I couldn’t bring myself to ask why she was home. She needed to be the one to tell me.
I gave her the mom look. The one that said, ‘I know you don’t want to tell me, but you really need to talk about it and I’m the only one around, so just tell me anyway.’ She caved.
“In a cruel twist of fate,” she started as her eyes filled with tears, “I got fired.”
Frankie had started volunteering for the UCM Crisis Intervention Hotline freshman year. She’d been hired to screen calls by the end of our sophomore year and worked her way up to an actual hotline worker. “What? Why?”
She cleared her throat. “Cutbacks. We lost a grant but the campus was going to fund the hotline until the end of the year while we tried to raise money and applied for more federal help. We found out last night that they’ve pulled their support.”
“They can’t pull their support,” I raged. “Don’t they realize how many people use the hotline?”
“They do and the administrators were very apologetic. We’re a public university and they didn’t have the money in the budget. My boss had no choice. He had to let half the staff go.”
I was speechless. And felt horrible. I’d been so involved in my own life I hadn’t known what she was dealing with. I moved around her to get a glass, filled it with water, and held it in her direction. “What can I do?”
“Nothing. I have money in savings.”
“Baby, I told you,” Livie objected, “I can give you whatever you need. I—,”
“Not necessary,” I assured them both as I cut her off. “I’ll cover us.”
“No.” Frankie shook her head. “I’m not taking your money Cady.”
I waved her away. “Don’t be silly. I’ve got you until you’re back on your feet.”
“I’ll find something else soon, I promise.”
“I know,” I told her with a smile. “Until then, I’ve got you.”
“Why don’t we go get drinks?”
I snorted at Liv’s suggestion, the déjà vu of the situation comical. Then I remembered where I’d been heading to begin with. “Shit, I can’t.” I tugged my phone from my back pocket. I was almost out of time. “Nana and Hunter are on their way. They wanted to surprise me and are coming to the football game.”
Livie frowned. “Aren’t you working tonight?”
Part of me wanted to ignore her. One day the truth would come out and she’d be the reason Frankie cried. Until then, I had to do my best to tolerate her. “I’m supposed to be.” I turned my attention back to my friend. “I’m sorry. We’ll figure this out. I promise. But I have to go find Roman.”
“They’re coming here?” Frankie’s eyes darted around our apartment. “Are they staying?”
I didn’t know.
She practically pushed me toward the door. “Go. We’ll clean up.”
“Thank you.” I ran down the stairs and to my car as fast as I could.
I called Rome four more times, but got voice mail every time. At the last minute I pulled onto Water Street. It was early, and I’d gone home much earlier than others the night before, but I wanted to double check the studio before I drove to Reid’s.
I pumped my fist in the air when I saw Roman’s truck. I parked next to him and ran inside, desperate to figure out what to do before my family showed up. If I hadn’t been so focused on my mission, I might have seen the lights were all off and realized there was no music playing.
I hurried down the hall towards his office. He did paperwork at the most random times so it made sense for him to be there. I didn’t knock, in too much of a to bother with manners. However, he wasn’t at his desk or anywhere in the room.
I checked the locker rooms and then Randy’s costume room. I was just about to give up and drive to Reid’s when I heard voices in the studio. I rushed back down the hall, ready to burst into the room and interrupt when the words being said seeped into my brain.
“… the damn thing.” Roman’s anger was clear.
“Because I didn’t want to be the reason we said no.” Myra didn’t sound angry, just annoyed.
“But you’ll be the reason we lose the contract?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. You know that’s not going to happen. You have plenty of time to replace me.”
“What happened last night?”
“I had an epiphany. I’m twenty-seven. I want to get married and have kids. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but not all of us want to dance forever.”
Any other time I would have walked away and let them have their privacy, but I had less than a half hour before my family arrived. I knocked as loudly as I could and went in. Both of them turned to me so I raised my hands as I stepped into the room.
; “I have an emergency.” I didn’t give either of them a chance to respond. “My gram is coming. Never seen the game. Supposed to leave at two, it won’t be over. Can we leave later? What should I do?”
Roman squinted as he tried to decipher the words that had been a jumbled mess.
Myra understood, though, and put her hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got a party tonight?” She shot Rome a nasty look. “I’ll go instead. You spend time with your family, enjoy your weekend.”
“Really?” I squealed, both in happiness and relief. “Thank you” I threw my arms around her and then turned toward Rome. “Is that okay?”
He narrowed his eyes at the two of us. “Yeah.”
“Thank you so much.” I didn’t wait for anything else. I spun and hurried for the door.
“Consider this my two weeks.” Myra’s voice left no room for argument.
“This is so lit,” my little brother said for the fiftieth time since we’d started our tour of the UCM campus.
Little was a bit of a stretch. It’d only been two weeks since I’d seen him, but he’d grown at least an inch. He’d towered over me for years, but now I had to tip my head all the way back to see him.
He was so adorable it was almost hard to see. It hurt my heart when I thought about the underweight, doe-eyed, bullied little boy he’d once been. Now, at over six-feet and pushing two-hundred pounds, I doubted anyone would be foolish enough to torment him. I missed my little buddy, though, and fought the urge to grab him and hug him tight.
His large size, dark hair, and dimples were traits from his biological dad, I was sure. Although, from what I could remember about the man my mom had dated before Hunter came along, my brother should have been short and balding by twenty. I’d always assumed my own father was short and stocky, but maybe he wasn’t.
I nudged my gram with my shoulder. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
She shook her head. “Hell if I know.”
“How many people go here?”
“You mean students?” I asked Hunter. “Ten-thousand undergrads. A few thousand more with graduate students.”
“It’s like a city.”
I fought a smile. Compared to the tiny town we’d grown up in, it did seem huge. “It is.”
“It’s so big. How do you get to class on time?”
“We just walked the whole thing,” I pointed out. “It only takes fifteen or twenty minutes to get across.” I looped my arms through his. “Why all the questions? You thinking about applying?”
He gave me an indecisive shrug. I didn’t care where he went as long as he got out of Dodge. I wanted him to go to college, chase his dreams, and be happy.
The excitement around campus grew as we got closer to the stadium. The Alumni Association had gone all out and planned activities to keep the entire family entertained while we waited for the big game to start. We ate lunch at the picnic while we watched the parade, played games in the make-shift carnival, and I dragged Hunter into the petting zoo before we headed for the stadium.
We were just about to head up the bleachers to the seats when Hunter ran smack-dab into someone. I spun around, ready to apologize for my brother’s clumsiness, when a pair of arctic blue eyes met mine. Roman was the last person I’d expected to see. I thought he’d be in Boston with Myra.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see the soccer game,” he smirked down at me. “Let me guess. You’re here for the guys in tights?”
I chuckled at his joke, but Nana cleared her throat before I could respond. I rolled my eyes.
“Roman, this is my nana and my little brother Hunter. And this,” I motioned to the brat next to me, “is my boss, Roman.”
I realized what I’d said as soon as the words were out. I turned to him, eyes wide. “Oh, my god,” I mouthed. “I’m so sorry.”
He ignored me and held out his hand, “Mrs. Knowlton. Hunter. I’ve heard delightful things.”
Nana shook his hand, but waggled her eyebrows at me. “Really? That’s a surprise. Especially since she’s never mentioned you. Or how attractive you are.”
“That hurts, Cady,” his eyes twinkled in my direction before they moved back to Nana. “She gets sick of me. We spend way too much time together.”
“Is that right?” Nana asked in her sickly sweet voice. “Are you here alone?”
“I’m sure he’s meeting his friends, Nan,” I butted in.
“Actually, no. I had plans tonight, but they fell through.”
“Sit with us,” my grandmother insisted.
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at his back while Roman and my grandmother chatted all the way up the stairs as they searched for the perfect spot.
“Hey, is that Frankie?” Hunter elbowed me and pointed. Before I could answer, he hollered her name and started waving his arms. Everyone in the rows around us turned to look.
Livie spotted us, waved back, and dragged Frankie and a group of their friends up the stairs to us. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more awkward, Nana reached for my best friend’s hand and pulled her down the row to sit next to her while Roman sat on her other side.
I forced myself to block them out. I didn’t want to eavesdrop. Then I realized the girls in the row in front of us kept turning to look at me and whisper amongst themselves. For a moment, I assumed they’d recognized me from the night before. I glanced over at Frankie, to see if she saw it, too, but it was Roman’s eyes I met. I turned away, quickly.
“They’re looking at your brother,” Livie told me quietly with a wink. “Not you.”
I shifted my attention to Hunter. He was oblivious, his phone in hand. I had to chuckle because girls weren’t even on his radar yet.
I remembered a time when life was much more simple. Back before I cared about the opposite sex. I relaxed a little once the game started, but it was short lived.
“Cady never told you about Lucky Chance?” Livie asked my Nana loud enough for everyone in the five surrounding rows to hear. “She says they’re weren’t, but they were totally a thing.”
I closed my eyes and wished it was all a bad dream.
“You know, I think Hunter and I should head home now.”
I glanced up from my menu, shocked. Not a half-hour before she’d convinced Roman to join us for dinner. “Nana,” I chastised, “don’t be rude. We’ve already been seated.”
“Which is why you two should stay and eat.”
“Nana!”
She stood and wrapped her scarf around her neck. “Don’t argue. I’m old. I tire easily.”
No, she didn’t. The old bat could work double at the bakery all week and then still go strong all weekend. Her blatant attempts were completely obvious.
Hunter swiped another roll from the basket and bit off a giant chunk. “You coming home tomorrow?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” I cringed at my sharp tone. Mothering him was a habit I couldn’t break. I stood up and reached for a hug. “I want to. The warning light is back on in my car. I’ll see how it runs in the morning.”
“What warning light?”
“Her check engine light. It flashes red and then her car starts to vibrate.”
“I’ll check it,” Roman promised him.
“Well, if you can, we’d love to see you,” Nana pulled me in for a hug. “He’s quite handsome. You could do worse.”
I kissed her cheek. “Love you. Thanks for coming. I had fun.”
As soon as they’d gone, I gave Roman a shy smile. “Sorry. We don’t have to stay.
“Why wouldn’t we?” He sipped his water.
“You don’t have anything better to do on a Saturday night than to have dinner with me?”
“No. And I can’t think of a better way to spend an unplanned night off.” He gave me the grin that made my knees weak, the one that made me want to kiss him again.
I fidgeted with my napkin. “Why aren’t you working?”
“Because you’re not. I
work exclusively with you.”
I had no idea what to say. Thankfully, the waitress showed up and rescued me. As he handed her the the extra menus and explained we’d lost two guests, he slid his phone onto the table. It started to vibrate while he was ordering, and Livie’s name flashed across the screen.
All at once I remembered why I’d been so frustrated with him. He’d said that sleeping with her was a mistake, but he didn’t say how many times they’d made it. For all I knew they were still making it. The thought made me sick to my stomach.
“Cady?”
I looked up from the napkin I’d been shredding.
“They weren’t weird.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. “Who weren’t?”
His lopsided grin was sexy as sin. “Your family.”
It took a second but I remembered the conversation. “They’re pretty weird.” I motioned to the restaurant. “I mean, come on, she did insist we come here to eat.”
He glanced around the room. “What’s wrong with eating here?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve lived here for three years and had no idea this place even existed.”
“Now you do.”
“Look around. We’re the youngest people here by at least three decades.” I leaned forward to whisper, “and that includes the wait staff.”
He smirked. “On the plus side, they have meatloaf on special.”
“I can’t believe you ordered the meatloaf,” I laughed. “It could be disgusting.”
“It could also be the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I like being surprised.”
“No, you don’t. You hate surprises.”
“I do hate surprises,” he agreed. He chewed his lip in thought. “I like being proven wrong.”
I groaned. “Really? You think you’re always right.”
He chuckled. “I am always right. But, it’s nice to be wrong once in a while.”
I rolled my eyes and thought about throwing a roll at his head. He was so annoying. “Wait, are you, the perfect Roman MacGregor, admitting you’ve been wrong?”
He ignored me. “So, you and Lucky Chance, huh?”