by Laura Lee
“I’m going to change in the bathroom so I can rinse this out.”
“I’d be happy to throw it in the washer,” she offers.
I shake my head. “It’ll be fine if I can just run some water over it for now. I’m sure you have enough laundry on your hands with that little guy.”
She chuckles. “This is true.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I step into the hall and head over to the bathroom across the way. Once the door is closed, I widen the neck of my blouse as I lift it over my head, so I don’t get chunky breastmilk in my hair. Sadly, I get a lot of practice doing this at work. Labor & Delivery is messy business, folks.
The spit up is a force to be reckoned with, as a simple rinse does not do the job. I wind up scrubbing with some hand soap and a good amount of elbow grease before I feel confident that the stain won’t set before I get home.
“Holy fuck!” a deep voice shouts.
I jump and make a feeble attempt to cover my breasts with my arms. “What the hell?”
Standing in the doorway is none other than Mr. Viagra from the ER.
“What the hell?” he repeats. “What’s happening right now? What are the symptoms of a stroke, again? I’m pretty sure I’m having a stroke right now. Or maybe I died. I came in here to take a piss and the next thing I know, I’m looking at the most perfect pair of tits known to man. If there’s a heaven, those tits are definitely in it.”
He’s practically staring holes through my boobs.
“Yep, I’ve gotta be dead. Or maybe I passed out and this is a dream. A really good fucking dream.”
What is this idiot blabbering on about?
I grab the black t-shirt off the counter and hold it against me. “Turn around!”
He holds his hands up in surrender and turns away. “I’m not imagining this, right? The hot nurse that I’ve been fantasizing about all week is standing two feet away from me in a see-through bra?”
I glance down at my chest before pulling the shirt over my head. Damn it, of course I’m wearing a bra that leaves nothing to the imagination.
Did he say he’s been fantasizing about me?
“Not anymore,” I huff. “I’m fully dressed again.”
He turns around with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face. “I prefer you with the shirt off, but this will do, I suppose.”
I give him the nastiest glare I can manage. “Have you ever heard of knocking?”
“Have you ever heard of locking a door?” he counters.
I roll my eyes. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“This is my friend’s place. What are you doing here?”
“The same,” I reply.
I’d say it was impossible, but his grin is even bigger now. “Well, what are the odds?”
“The odds about what?”
“I’m guessing you’re here visiting Devyn and the baby. Am I right?”
I lean against the vanity and cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah...and?”
“So am I. My buddy, Drew, wanted me to meet his new nephew.”
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!
I wave him into the bathroom, so I can leave. “Well, by all means, take care of your business and get to it. I was just leaving.”
He blocks my exit and closes the door. “You know what this means, don’t you, Rainey?”
I splay my hand against his torso to put some space between us. “What does it mean, Brody?”
I bite my lip, hoping that didn’t come out as breathy as I think it did.
Brody is now fixated on said lips. “The fact that you remember my name tells me that I made an impression on you, too.”
“Will you get to the point?” I blurt. “And don’t flatter yourself with the name thing. Most of my patients are women, so of course I’m going to remember the guy with the boner that wouldn’t quit.”
He laughs. “My point, is that we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other...and I won’t be your patient. Now you have to consider going out with me.”
“I don’t have to consider anything,” I argue.
“Damn, I really wish I didn’t have to fly back to Boston tomorrow.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Boston?”
“Yeah. I’m in grad school.”
Thank God; he doesn’t even live here. As if he’s reading my mind he adds, “But don’t worry, beautiful; I’ll be back. I’m coming home after I graduate next year.”
“Home is Seattle?”
He steps back slightly to regard me. “Technically, I grew up about twenty miles south of the city, but this is where I plan on being if all goes well on the job front. I’m going into Aerospace Engineering. Convenient that one of the largest plants in the world is right here, don’t you think?”
I eye him skeptically. “You’re going to design planes for a living?”
He puffs his chest out. “I sure am. Are you impressed?”
“Meh, not really.”
Okay, total bullshit right there. Smart guys are extra hot in my opinion, but there’s no way I’m telling him that.
He leans in to whisper, “You’re sexy when you lie, do you know that?”
I roll my eyes as I push him off me. “What makes you think I’m single?”
“Oh, you’re single,” he says confidently. “Or if you’re taken, you’re not with a guy that can hold your interest. You wouldn’t look at me the way you do if you were.”
“Last time I checked, being repulsed by someone looks entirely different than wanting to do the dirty with them.” I wiggle the fingers on my left hand in front of his face. “For your information, I am taken, and he holds my interest just fine.”
He stares at my shiny new ring. “You’re married? You weren’t wearing a ring when we first met. Trust me, I checked.”
“I’m engaged, actually. I don’t wear the ring at work because it would tear through my exam gloves.”
His frown quickly morphs into a smirk. “You can pretend all you want, Rainey. Ring or no ring, you and I both know I make your panties wet.”
“Wow, somebody sure is full of himself,” I scoff. “Can your ego get any bigger?”
“If you think my ego is big, you should see my dick.” He rubs his chin in mock contemplation. “Oh wait...you already have!”
“And on that note, I’m leaving.” I scoot to the side and make my way toward the door.
He grabs my wrist. “Wait. I really think you should give this some thought.”
Pointedly, I eye my wrist, waiting to speak until he releases it. “What planet are you from? How much more obvious can I be? Even if I was single, I’m not interested, Brody!”
In an instant, his expression turns from playful to impassioned. Before I can register what’s happening, he grabs my arm and yanks me into him until my breasts are mashed up against his chest. God, he smells good.
“You’re interested,” he whispers into my ear, making me shiver. “Your nipples are telling me that you’re very interested. Now, I don’t normally make a habit of going after someone else’s girl, but I can’t seem to get you out of my head. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t try, and trust me when I say I can be awfully tenacious.”
I surreptitiously glance down and see that my headlights are on high-beam. Traitorous bitches! This guy’s proximity is making me lose my scruples. Why does he have to be so attractive? For the record, I do not normally react to a man this way. Not since Adam and I started seeing each other anyway. I don’t know why I’m reacting this way. I can’t stand that my body is betraying me like this.
“You’re a jackass,” I say, stepping away from him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think our bathroom rendezvous is officially over.”
I hear the smug bastard laughing as I step into the hallway and close the door.
Chapter Seven
4 Years Ago
BRODY
“Honey, I’m home!”
Charlee rolls her eyes as she holds the door open for me. �
�You’re an idiot.”
I roll my suitcase over the threshold and kiss her on the cheek. “Love you too, sis.”
I somehow managed to convince my older sister to let me crash at her place when I decided to come back for the summer. She has an apartment in the heart of downtown Seattle which puts me right in the middle of the action.
“You know where the guest room is. Go put your stuff away and come out for dinner.”
“Yes, Mother,” I deadpan.
She puts her hands on her hips. “Remind me why you’re not staying with them again? And why are you back so soon? I thought you needed to find a new roommate.”
“Already found one. He moved in earlier this week.”
She raises her eyebrows in surprise. “That was fast.”
“I guess,” I shrug. “My buddy, Riley, needed a roommate too, so it made sense.”
Charlee follows me down the narrow hall as I drop my bags into the guest bedroom. “The same Riley I met?”
I scowl. “Yep.”
“I see. I think I may have to plan a visit sometime soon, little bro.” Her grin is way too big for my liking.
My sister is a huge Bruins fan and came out to watch a live game last January. While she was in town, I brought her to some of my favorite establishments, which is where she met Rye. After a few too many beers, big sis here decided to put the moves on him. He swears he didn’t sleep with her, but I know something happened between them after I left with some chick. I’m choosing to stick my head in the sand on that one.
“Don’t even think about it, Charlotte,” I warn her. “You do not want to push me on this.”
“Ooh, I’m shaking in my boots, Brody.” She holds her hand out to show how much she’s not shaking.
I puff my chest out and stand to my full height, trying to look as intimidating as possible. “You do realize that I’m much bigger than you, right?”
She swings her arm and whacks me in the back of the head.
“Son of a cocksucker!” I rub the spot where her palm met my skull. “What the hell was that for?”
“That was for being a douche,” she replies. “Put your muscles away, Brody. We both know you wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Hey! Plenty of flies have met their demise at my hand,” I argue.
Charlee turns away from me and heads toward the open kitchen on the other side of the apartment. She lifts some foil off the dish sitting atop the stove and begins plating our dinner. Mmm, lasagna.
“Sit your ass down.”
I practically run to take a stool at the counter. Don’t judge me; she may be a tiny woman, but she’s fucking scary when she uses that tone.
I take a huge bite as soon as the dish is set in front of me. “Damn, this is good. Don’t tell Mom, but it’s even better than hers.”
She takes a bite of her own and smiles when she’s done chewing. “It is, isn’t it? I modified Grandma’s recipe a little bit. I roasted the garlic, then added some gruyére and fresh herbs. The sauce is something new I’m working on for the restaurant.”
Charlotte is the head chef at this great little Italian place a few blocks away. She started as a hostess in college and worked her way up through the years. It’s been run by the same family for decades, but when Mama Pistorio got too old to stand on her feet all day, Charlee slid into her spot. Mama P says her sons are a bunch of useless chooches that she can’t trust with her beloved kitchen.
“So why aren’t you staying with the parentals?”
“What? I can’t have some quality time with my favorite sibling?”
“I’m your only sibling, dumbass.”
“Even more of a reason.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Who’s the girl?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I manage through a mouth full of noodles and gooey cheese.
“Brody Jonathan Harris, don’t pull that crap on me.”
“Really? You’re pulling out the middle name?”
“Do I need to call Mom?”
I set my fork down and prepare to face the jury. My sister is like a fucking kitten compared to our mother. Don’t let my blonde hair and blue eyes fool you; I’m half Sicilian, which I got from my mom. Trust me when I say this: You do not want to mess with a Sicilian mama.
“Ugh, fine. There may be a girl I wouldn’t mind seeing while I’m here.”
She puts her elbows on the counter and bats her eyelashes. “I knew it! So...what’s her name? What does she look like? What does she do? Where did you meet her?”
“What is this, a fucking interrogation room?”
“Spill,” she commands.
I sigh. “Fine. Her name is Rainey and she’s hot as fuck. I met her when I came home for Spring break.”
Charlee gasps. “Oh, Brody. Do not tell me she was involved in Erection-gate.”
Yep, I made the mistake of telling her about that, too. What can I say? We’re both fans of the overshare.
“Fine, I won’t tell you.”
“Jesus, Kid. I can’t believe you’re going there again. Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?”
“It’s not what you think,” I say. “She’s a nurse at North Seattle Memorial. She was the one who treated me.”
Charlee starts laughing so hard, tears are spilling out of her eyes. “Oh...my...God.”
“What’s so fucking funny?”
“I can’t...believe...this...is...happening.” Now she’s snort-laughing.
“What the fuck? Why do you find this so amusing?”
“Are you seriously telling me that you’re trying to pick up the nurse who treated your pocket pickle?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
She rolls her eyes. “You really are clueless when it comes to women, aren’t you? I don’t understand how someone can be so smart, yet so dumb.”
“I still don’t see where you’re going with this,” I say and frown.
She laughs. “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough, little bro.”
Chapter Eight
RAINEY
Devyn has been hounding me to bring Adam around so we’re currently walking into Kelly’s Bar & Grill, my favorite place to hangout.
“Nice choice, Rainey,” Adam says as he looks around.
Kelly’s hosts a dozen TV’s, a couple of pool tables, dart boards, decent food, and a fine selection of beer. Born and raised in New York City, Adam is a huge Yankees fan. Kelly’s owner is also a New York transplant, so they feature every one of their games on the biggest screen. Adam’s eyes light up when he sees his beloved stripes on the field.
“Yeah, I really like it. Plus, it helps that it’s only a few blocks away from my house.”
“That would definitely come in handy when you’ve imbibed a little too much.” He grabs my hip and pulls me into him. “Or if you suddenly find yourself in need of some privacy.”
I laugh as he raises his eyebrows suggestively. “Later, hot stuff. You’re here to hang out with my friends, remember?”
Adam brings my hand to his mouth and places a gentle kiss on top. “Lead the way, gorgeous.”
I glance around and find Devyn sitting in the back with her brother. “They’re over there.”
When Devyn sees us approaching, she stands to wrap me in a hug. “Hey, Rainey.” She looks up at Adam and smiles. “Hello, handsome doctor.”
“I don’t know about handsome, but the doctor part is right.” He winks for added effect. “It’s nice to see you again, Devyn.”
Drew grabs a bottle out of the ice bucket and looks over his shoulder. “Dude, you want a beer?”
Adam pulls out my chair and takes one of his own directly across from me. “Sure, thanks.”
“Drew is Devyn’s brother,” I explain. “He’s a Yankees fan too.”
“Nice!” Adam says as the two men bump fists.
I startle when I feel hot breath over my shoulder. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
I twist to find the persistent pain in
my ass standing behind me, smirking. “Where did you come from?”
He nods behind him. “I’ve been here. Just had to take a piss.”
“Thanks for sharing,” I grumble. “Adam, this is Drew’s friend, Brody.”
Adam quirks his head to the side and asks, “Have we met before? You look really familiar.”
I bite my lip to hold back my laughter. HIPPA laws prevent me from saying a word about how they met, but if Brody gives him the info, it’s fair game.
Brody takes the empty seat beside mine. “Hmm, can’t say that we have, Aiden.”
“It’s Adam, actually.”
“Adam. My mistake. So, tell me, how do you know my girl, Rainey?”
I kick him in the shin for acting like they’ve never met and deliberately saying the wrong name. He retaliates by pinching my leg, right above the knee, making me yelp.
Adam clears his throat as he carefully watches our exchange. I’m sure he can sense how much I want to smack someone upside the head right now. And when I say someone, I mean Brody.
“Besides the fact that she’s my fiancée? Rainey and I met at work initially. I’m a physician at North Seattle Memorial.”
“Oh, a doctor, huh?” Brody says. “Fancy.”
Adam narrows his eyes at Brody. “I suppose you could say that.”
“Why are you being such an ass?” I whisper shout.
Brody takes a sip from his longneck and winks at me in reply.
“Okaaay...” Devyn says to defuse the sudden tension. “Adam, do you play pool? We can play doubles—you and Rainey against me and Drew.”
Adam and Brody continue their silent stare down, so I answer for him. “Adam’s great at pool.” I leave my seat and sidle up to him. “He’s great at everything.”
Adam smiles and kisses me softly. Brody is grumbling about something, but I can’t make out the words.
“What about me?” Brody gripes.
I glare at him. “What about you?”
Drew interrupts as he stands from his chair. “Adam, are you up for a friendly wager? Best two out of three?”
Adam takes my hand as the four of us walk to the billiards area. “You’re on.”