by Parker, Ali
His eyes searched mine before his chest deflated on a low sigh. “I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you feel that way, but just promise me you’ll be careful. You’re a rich guy and everyone knows it, just make sure she’s not after you for your money. I don’t want you hurt by some gold digger.”
“Thanks, man, but she’s not after me for my money. She couldn’t care less about it. That’s one of the ways in which she’s so different. She’s not a social-climbing gold digger who’s only after money and status. She doesn’t even know that world, and I like that about her.”
“Okay.” He grinned, tapping his fingers against his heart. “Just guard what’s in here until you know her a little better.”
I laughed, setting down my coffee so it wouldn’t spill everywhere. “I said I liked her, not that I was in love with her or thinking about popping the question. My heart isn’t in play, but thanks for the warning.”
He inclined his head, but that knowing look never left his eyes. I wouldn’t let it bother me, though. I was too happy after spending so much time with Valerie and ecstatic that I’d helped her find her passion.
Elliot fiddled in his desk for a moment, and I heard keys jingling before he extracted something from his drawer. “In that case, I’ll leave you to it with her. On a more relevant note, I have that security footage you asked for from the robbery.”
“I have to take it with me.” I sighed, struck by just how much I wanted to keep talking about Valerie instead of work. This isn’t normal.
It was like I had to force myself to focus on what I’d come here to do, but I didn’t have a choice.
Elliot stretched out his hand and gave me the flash drive he’d just taken from the drawer. “I thought you might, so I had it all copied onto this. Good luck, Fulton. I don’t know what you’re still reviewing all this footage for, but I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”
Chapter 24
Valerie
“Honey, I’m home.” I smiled and threw my arms out to my sides when Olive walked into the living room after work, striking a pose complete with jazz fingers and all. “I’ve missed you.”
She dropped her purse on the floor, taking a step toward me. “Come here, you goofball. I’m glad you’re back in one piece. I was worried about you.”
Dropping my pose, I went to give my friend a hug and squeezed her tight. “I know, but I was fine. I promise. I wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t think I could trust him.”
“I know.” She released a deep breath when we let each other go. “But you know I worry about you and Heidi. Always have, always will.”
“We love you too, Mom.” I waggled my eyebrows, laughing when she made an exasperated noise. “You know we only call you that because we love you and we appreciate that you’re always taking care of us.”
“And you know I hate it, so you also just like annoying me.” Her voice was thick with laughter she was only just managing to hold back. “I need a break on the beach. You want to head down there with me? You can tell me all about your trip while we soak up some sun.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I gave her another quick squeeze before we headed up to our rooms to change. We kept most of the supplies we needed like towels and sunscreen in a cupboard near the back door, so after I’d changed into a bright-pink bikini and a cover-up, I was done.
Olive came downstairs only a few minutes after me, already looking relaxed now that she’d literally let her hair down and shucked her uniform. We grabbed what we needed from the cupboard, then stepped out into the hot afternoon.
Once we were settled in our spots on the soft sand right in front of the house, we lathered on our sunscreen and lay down beside each other on our towels. “We forgot to bring anything to drink.”
Olive lifted a hand and waved it dismissively. “We can always go grab some water when we get thirsty. I’m fine for now and the house is right there, so we go get a drink anytime. Tell me about your trip first. How was it?”
The contented noise that came from my chest was totally unintentional. “It was so amazing, Olive. I love Seattle, you would have loved it too. It’s got this vibe that’s totally different from New York and Florida. I could almost hear the creative juices flowing in me while I was there.”
She laughed, turning her head on her towel so she was facing me. Her eyes were hidden behind her mirrored sunglasses, but I saw the soft smile on her lips. “I’m willing to bet those weren’t the only juices that were flowing.”
I barked out a surprised laugh, reaching out to punch Olive’s leg lightly. “Was that a dirty joke by our resident virgin?”
“It was a sexual reference, not a joke.” She mock-pouted, turning her face back to the sky. “Just because I’m a virgin doesn’t mean I’m naive about these things. You can’t tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”
“I did,” I admitted quietly, knowing that she was going to understand the significance of what I was about to add on to that sentence. “I slept with him too.”
Olive pushed up on her elbows and twisted to face me, dropping her chin to look at me over the tops of her sunglasses. “You’re kidding me? You actually slept next to him, like off-to-dreamland, no-more-funny-business sleeping?”
“There was plenty of funny business whenever we woke up.” I lifted my sunglasses for a second so she could see the amused, yet pointed look I was giving her, then dropped them back down. “But yeah. We actually slept next to each other.”
“How was it?” Her tone was gentle now, curious but not prodding. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It was really good, if I’m being honest. Best sleep I’ve gotten in a long damn time.” I rolled onto my side, not even caring that it probably wasn’t a good position to be sunbathing in. “He held me all night and spent time with me all day, except for the first day when he had some work he had to do. He’s smart and funny and so sexy. Half the time we spend together, I’m trying to work out how I can jump him in public without getting either of us arrested.”
Olive laughed, but the sound was muted and almost forced. “I’m glad you had fun.”
I felt a line forming between my brows and squinted at one of the two friends I considered to be my sisters. “What’s bothering you? That wasn’t a real happy-Olive laugh. Something’s bugging you, spit it out.”
Her chest rose on a deep breath, but she didn’t reply immediately. She held up a finger to show me she needed a minute. Eventually, she took another breath and then rolled onto her side to mirror my position. “It sounds like you’re falling in love with this Fulton guy. I’m just worried about that because as super awesome and amazing as he might be, he doesn’t live here. You’re going to get hurt, and I don’t want that to happen.”
“I’m not falling in love with him.” I scoffed, but my heart did the weirdest little turn when I denied her accusation so vehemently. “We’re just having a bit of fun. I know he’s going to have to leave eventually, don’t worry. My vagina and I might mope around for a couple of days after he’s gone to mourn the loss of a good guy who delivers fantastic orgasms, but then I’ll be fine again.”
“Are you sure?” It was obvious she didn’t believe me. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I believed me. Logically I knew that was how it should go once he was gone, but I didn’t know if that was the way it going to turn out anymore.
I didn’t want Olive to worry about it, though, and Fulton was only one reason why the trip had been so amazing anyway. If the second reason panned out, I wouldn’t have time to wallow in self-pity.
“Yeah, I’m going to be too busy to be longing for a guy who lives upward of a thousand miles away.”
Olive arched her brows so high they came out from behind the sunglasses. “What are you going to be so busy with?”
Excitement rippled through me, making my skin rise in little bumps. “I’m going to sell art. Fulton has been taking me to all these galleries and museums. We even went to see this incredible mural created by a guy who started out i
n a homeless shelter. I’ve realized I have a real passion for art, which is probably why I’ve been decorating my own skin in a form of it for so long. I just didn’t realize art was something I could make a living out of.”
Olive’s teeth sank into her lower lip, a nervous habit of hers. “Okay.”
“Okay what?” Her nerves seemed to be seeping from her and right into me. My heart rate sped up and my palms were suddenly sweaty—and it had nothing to do with the hot sun. “What’s wrong now?”
“It just might not be as easy as you think to become an art seller. I don’t know what Fulton has told you, and I’m really excited that you’ve finally found something that you’re passionate about and that you can pour your near-limitless energy into. But it’s not as easy as deciding that you want to do or be something. It can take years to get into it, and in the meantime, you don’t have a job.”
Moisture was suddenly pushing at the backs of my eyes, but I took a breath and blinked until the tears were no longer threatening to fall.
I wasn’t used to feeling my emotions as intensely as I had been since I met Fulton. It was like he’d unleashed this passion in me and now everything was more real to me, feelings included. Like my senses had been dulled before and everything was in technicolor now.
Olive was already regretting speaking her mind, murmuring about how she was sorry if she sounded like a bitch. “You’re not a bitch, Olive. You’re a true, loyal friend and you’re worried. I get it. Getting my foot in the door is going to be the hardest part, no doubt.”
“You still don’t sound worried about it.” Her teeth started gnawing on her lip again.
“I don’t sound worried because I’m not worried. It will only take one interview and I’ll be able to talk my way into the position. No problem.”
Olive pulled her sunglasses off and sat up, blue eyes dark and worried on mine. “I’ve always believed that both you and Heidi can do anything you set your minds to. You guys might goof around a lot, and you’ve got all these hang-ups about living in the moment and being the bad girl and whatever, but you’re both smart and resourceful.”
“Thanks?” I considered sitting up, too, but I had a feeling I might want to lie down for the blow she was about to deliver. This was serious, worried Olive in action, and though I knew how to deflect and deny when it came to her, she was way too observant. Most of the time, she got things spot on.
She sighed, drawing her eyebrows together in concern. “There’s a lot of change happening in your life right now, and I’m really happy about that. It might not pan out the way you think or as easily and quickly as you think. You need to be prepared for that. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high, okay?”
Chapter 25
Fulton
“Did you still want to do something together tonight?” Valerie asked when I answered my phone. I got up from the desk in my home office, walking over to the window and tried to ignore how happy it made me to hear from her.
“Sure. I was going to call you in a couple of hours to see what you felt like doing, I’m just finishing up some work.” It had been a damn long day for a Saturday.
I’d woken up at the butt-crack of dawn and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. When I finally surrendered and got up, I hit the gym and went into my office after I’d showered. I hadn’t left it since.
My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t even surfaced for long enough to grab something to eat. Rubbing it, I padded over to the kitchen to go search for something to eat while I spoke to her.
“It’s a good thing you called. I haven’t taken a break all day, and I think I may have ended up fainting from hunger if I didn’t get some food in me soon.”
Her answering laugh warmed my chest, bringing a smile to my lips. “Poor baby. Want me to come over there and take care of you?”
“Fuck, yes, I do, but I can’t.” If Valerie came over, there was no way I was getting back to work. There was nothing I’d have liked to do more than to spend the afternoon with her, preferably naked and in bed, but I had too much to catch up on. “If I don’t get this done, I’m just going to keep falling behind. Tonight I’m all yours, though. What do you want to do?”
“That’s why I called. I’m meeting up with my friend Heidi and her boyfriend. Please come with me? We said we’d see each other again tonight, and if you come with me, then I won’t feel like so much of a third wheel. It’s a win-win.”
Why the invitation made my heart beat so much faster, I didn’t know. I couldn’t resist giving her a bit of shit about it, though, even if I was going to say yes. “You’re asking me on a double date? You know it’s going to look like I’m your boyfriend, right?”
The fact that it didn’t scare the shit out of me that her friends would think of me as her boyfriend was worrying, but not so much that I could bring myself to really worry about it. What the fuck is happening to me?
It was like my head knew how I should be feeling about certain things, but my body just wasn’t getting the message. I wasn’t reacting the way I knew I should be, and I didn’t have a single fuck to give about it.
Valerie laughed, a real genuine sound that was so lighthearted it made me forget about all my own shit. “I don’t really care about what it looks like. Just show up, okay? I’ll text you the details.”
“You don’t want me to pick you up?”
“Nah, I’ll get a ride with Heidi and Will. They’re at the house now anyway, so it’s easier that way.”
Damn. I wouldn’t have minded some time alone with her before meeting her friends. Or just some time alone with her, but I knew how important her friends were to her, and I was kind of honored she’d ask me to meet them. “Okay, I’ll meet you there.”
Valerie chatted with me for another couple of minutes while I made a sandwich, but then suddenly squealed with laughter and told me she had to go. I smiled after we hung up. I might not have known her friends, but for some reason, it was comforting for me to know that she had them. To know she would still have them after I had to leave.
The melancholy brought on by the thought lasted through the rest of the afternoon, distracting me as I tried to make it through the rest of my work for the day. When I was finally done, I only had time for a quick shower before I had to meet Valerie and her friends.
They had chosen a quiet Italian restaurant with round plastic tables and checkered tablecloths. Light was provided by dim bulbs and candles surrounded by protective plastic to keep the flames from being blown out by the breeze out on the sidewalk.
Valerie waved when she saw me, standing up from a table where a tatted-up guy with really dark hair was sitting next to a pretty brunette who looked like she was days away from having a baby. Heidi and Will.
They looked exactly like Valerie had described them to me, but I hadn’t been expecting the welcoming smile on Heidi’s lips or the curious, yet protective expression Will wore when I approached them.
“I’m glad you showed up.” Valerie threw her arms around me for a quick hug before stepping back and motioning to her friends. “These two are way too in love to have to spend time with them alone. Half of the time they’re staring at each other with this dopey look on their faces and you just know they’re not listening to you.”
“Have you ever considered that maybe I just look like a dope all the time?” Will deadpanned, then got to his feet to shake my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Fulton. I’d heard absolutely nothing about you before I took Heidi over to their house today to get some of her stuff.”
“I’ve heard plenty about you.” I laughed, returning his handshake and relieved that they seemed like pleasant people. There was nothing worse than meeting the friends of someone you liked—romantically or otherwise—and then realizing that the friends were terrible. It immediately made me question the taste of the person I thought I’d liked.
Will shot Valerie a mocking glare, shaking his head slowly. “What lies have you fed this guy about us?”
He sat back down beside his girlfriend, taking her hand but looking up at me. “Contrary to what she might have told you, I didn’t knock Heidi up just so she would have to move in with me.”
I laughed, lowering myself into the last remaining free chair at the table. My hand itched to take Valerie’s with as much ease as he’d taken Heidi’s, but that suddenly seemed too intimate.
Despite what she’d said about not caring about what our relationship looked like to her friends, last we’d spoken about it, she still didn’t actually want to be in a relationship. As much as we’d held hands while in Seattle, it felt like I couldn’t do it here.
A pang of regret and sadness hit me square in the chest. Regret that I hadn’t held her hand more when I’d had the chance and sadness that the time to do it was over. Returning to Boston and the inevitable end to our whatever relationship we were in had been hanging over my head all afternoon, but I had to forget about it.
Clearing my throat, I managed a grin. “Thank God you set the record straight. She had me convinced that you had orchestrated the whole thing only to steal her friend away from her.”
Valerie leaned over to shove me in the shoulder. “You weren’t supposed to tell them that. It was private.”
Heidi laughed, her emerald green eyes sparkling in amusement. Her free hand was resting on top of her swollen belly, her thumb stroking it absently. “Be serious, Fulton. Val didn’t tell you that, she told you I had gotten myself knocked up just so I could move out, didn’t she?”
I nodded solemnly. “She said you did it on purpose to sink your claws into Will over there for good.”
Will chuckled, bending over to plant a quick, soft kiss on Heidi’s shoulder. “That was totally unnecessary, babe. I would have presented myself to you naked and on a silver platter for you to sink your claws into me, but I’m glad you did it because now this little guy is on the way.”