“But you’ll consider it?”
She inhaled and slowly released the breath. “I don’t know. That’s huge. To strike out on my own with my pitch and hope someone picks it up.”
“I have faith in you. And if you fall on your face and become homeless, I’ll let you bunk with me.”
Laughter bubbled up in her chest. Leave it to Owen to piss her off and then cheer her up in the same five-minute conversation. “Thanks, but I have savings. I’m not quite headed to the poorhouse.”
“It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”
Had she? The thoughts circled her brain, sounding better with each pass. “I’m thinking.”
“I’m here if you need to bounce ideas off me.”
“I need to take a serious look at my life. And although you’re a part of that, this is something I have to figure out for myself.”
“Okay. Talk tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
They disconnected. She drained her abandoned glass of wine and refilled it. Then she opened her laptop to come up with a plan.
…
Owen spent the day getting ready for his brother’s wedding weekend. He’d tried calling Evelyn when he got off work, but she didn’t answer. He didn’t like the way they’d left things. He hated seeing the way her job tore her apart. When they’d first met, she was still new to producing Trent Talks. Back then she’d been excited. Over the years, he’d watched that enthusiasm slip away. He’d probably chosen the wrong words yesterday, but he’d meant them.
He wished that just once, she’d stand up for herself at work. She was always bending over backward to make things easier for someone else. He didn’t get it.
After dropping Probie off at the kennel, he drove to Evelyn’s. They had a night flight and had agreed to get a car from her place. When he parked, he was surprised to see her car in its spot. It was only four in the afternoon. She hadn’t said anything about leaving work early, although knowing her, she probably still wasn’t packed.
He rode the elevator up and used his key to get in. As he closed the door, he called, “Evelyn?”
“Here,” she said.
He stepped forward and saw her huddled over her small dining table tucked in the corner between the kitchen and the living room. She didn’t look like she’d left all day. He neared her, kissed the top of her head, and said, “Hey.”
“Hey,” she said without looking up from her laptop.
She reached over, picked up a few sheets of paper, scanned them, held them near her screen, and then put them back down.
“What’s going on?”
She blinked rapidly and looked up at him. “I quit.”
“What?” He slid the chair out next to her and sat.
“I emailed Harry this morning and told him that I stand by the episode I did. That I’d be doing a disservice to the teachers and students if I made them get in front of the cameras again.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me to take the weekend away to think about it.”
He waited.
Her eyes got big and she smiled. “I told him I wouldn’t change my mind, and if that meant I was fired, so be it.”
Oh shit. He hadn’t expected to her jump ship like that. Stand up for herself, yeah, but not just quit.
She laughed. “You look like I should.” Taking his hand, she said, “This is good. I haven’t felt this relieved in a long time.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Well, I have to wait until it’s official and I get the actual letter of termination, but I’ve started making a list of who to pitch to. I’ve been researching better numbers to use to explain why this is a good show for right now. People need a break from the heavy politics and misery out in the world. They need feel-good. Now I have the numbers to back it up.”
He listened and tried to process what she said. But it didn’t matter what the words were—she was happy. “You’re okay with this decision?”
“I’m not gonna lie. When I first hit send, I almost threw up. But the more I thought about it, the easier it got. I’m a good producer. I can make this happen. I just need to find a home for the show.”
“They’d be stupid not to hire you.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. He briefly wondered when he’d stop being shocked when this happened. Their relationship was the same as always—the casual touches, meaningful conversation—and then they’d kiss and every time, it felt almost like a dream.
When she sat back in her chair, he asked, “Are you packed?”
“Oh my God!” she said with wide eyes.
He shook his head. The woman was always late. “Come on. I’ll help.”
In the bedroom, he almost tripped over a suitcase.
“Gotcha!” she said, and stepped into his space.
“Is that your idea of a joke?”
“Nope. I wanted to lure you into my room so I could have my way with you before we had to go hang out with your family.”
He held her hips, pulling her close. “What’s wrong with my family?”
“Nothing. Just that, you know…I’ve known them for a long time and we were just friends. Now things are different. What does that look like? How do we act around them?”
“If you’re asking if I’m going to have sex with you in front of my family, the answer is no.”
She shoved his shoulder. “You know what I mean. We’ve been doing this for a couple weeks, but we haven’t told anyone.”
“Uh…”
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
“My brother knows. When I canceled my room, he called me because he thought it was a glitch. I told him I did it. Then he asked if you were supposed to have two double beds instead of the king. When I said no, he got the picture.”
Evelyn thunked her head on his shoulder. “If Dave knows, that means your mom knows.”
He lowered his mouth and kissed the side of her neck. “If you do the math, that means everyone knows.”
“Oh God,” she complained.
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll have you saying that again in a totally different tone.”
“I’m being serious. This is gonna be weird.”
“Why?” he asked, continuing to kiss her ear, her neck, her shoulder.
“They’ll look at me differently. They’ll know we had sex.”
That pulled him out of the moment as he laughed. “So what? I know my parents have sex. I just don’t think about it. I promise, no one is thinking about us getting it on. Except me.” He pulled her toward the bed. “I think we have an hour since we don’t have to get your bag packed.”
“I don’t take that long to get ready.”
He laughed again as they fell onto the bed. “Next time, I’ll set a stopwatch.”
She slipped her hand into his jeans and stroked him, and he forgot everything he was going to say.
Chapter Six
Evelyn had been around Owen’s family plenty over the years. Birthday parties, backyard barbecues, weddings. She’d been his date often. Probably a little too often, given the previous status of their relationship. Everyone had always considered them a couple, and they’d just shaken their heads.
After years of convincing everyone they were just friends, they were now a couple. She didn’t want to explain to people the how, when, and why of it. Would they ask? Or would they just see them and accept it?
Owen’s hand slipped into hers as they walked to the rental car. “You’re overthinking this. My family already loves you.”
“That’s when was I was your friend.”
“You’re still my best friend. That hasn’t changed.”
Even though her heart swelled at his acknowledgment, she said, “You keep telling yourself that. Your mom is going to want to interrogate me. That’s what families like yours do.”
He opened the passenger door for her and put their bags in the trunk. Then he got behind the wheel. “What do you mean, families like mine?
”
“You’re like a TV sitcom family. You’re all friends and you like one another. If you had a sister, I bet anything that your dad would want to sit down with her date and vet him. So it doesn’t matter that they’ve known me for years. Things are different, and they’re going to treat me differently.” In truth, she had no idea what to expect. Growing up, it had been her and her mother. She pretty much had done whatever she wanted. She’d been on her own.
“We’ll see.” He interlocked her fingers with his, raised their hands, and kissed hers. “Try not to panic. You can hold your own with anyone from my family.”
He drove them to the hotel, and Evelyn gave herself a silent pep talk. He was right. She’d known his family for a long time. They’d always treated her like one of them. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad. She liked the concept of belonging.
When they got to the hotel, Owen grabbed their bags, and she went to check them in. He followed and asked, “Do you want to hide out in the room or go find my family?”
Evelyn signed for the room and looked down at herself.
He sighed. “You look fine.”
“You always say that, but it doesn’t make it true.” She accepted the cards from the clerk. “Would you hate me if I said I’d rather wait until tomorrow?”
“I could never hate you.”
The look in his eyes made her believe every syllable.
“You can go hang out with your brother or whatever. You don’t need to babysit me.”
“Crawling into bed with you and relaxing sounds like a great way to spend the rest of my night.”
He led the way to the elevators, hefting both of their bags. When the elevator arrived, the doors swished open, and Owen’s mom stepped out. Her face brightened and she spread her arms wide. “You’re here!”
She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. Because his hands were occupied with luggage, it was a one-sided hug.
Other people pushed around them and got on the elevator. The doors swooshed shut, taking Evelyn’s escape with them.
After releasing Owen, Carol turned to Evelyn. She wrapped her in the same kind of hug she’d given her son. “I’m so glad you came.”
Evelyn returned the embrace. When Carol stepped back she pointed between Evelyn and Owen. “So this is real, right? David wasn’t pulling my leg?”
Owen sighed and rolled his eyes. “No joke. Evelyn and I are a couple.”
The woman clapped like a giddy cheerleader. “It’s about time.” She grabbed Evelyn’s hand. “I’ve been telling Owen for years that you were perfect for him. He’s so slow to move, you know? Always has to make sure that he’s looked at everything from every angle before committing.”
Evelyn sneaked a look at Owen from the corner of her eye. “I’m glad all my angles are approved.”
Looping her arm through Evelyn’s, Carol said, “Go put your bags in your room and meet us in the bar. Everyone is there.”
Evelyn wasn’t ready to face the whole family, but now she was feeling cornered.
“Actually, Mom, we were headed upstairs for the night. I was on duty yesterday and Evelyn has a lot going on at work. We’re gonna turn in.”
“Bah,” she said, waving a hand. “You’re half my age and I’m still up.”
Evelyn patted her hand. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m really beat.” She looked to Owen for help. She didn’t know what else to say to convince Carol to let her go.
Suddenly her arm was free. With a chuckle, Carol said, “I get it now. Tired. Sure. You could’ve just said you were going to your room to boink.”
Boink? Evelyn swallowed a giggle.
Owen rolled his eyes again. “Thanks, Mom.”
She went on tiptoe and kissed Owen’s cheek. “I’m old, not dead. Have a good night.”
As Carol walked toward the bar, Owen jabbed at the elevator button. He stood stock-still, and Evelyn made it about a minute before she lost it and fell into a fit of laughter.
“Not funny.”
“Sure it is. Who the hell uses the word ‘boink’?”
“Apparently, my mother.”
The doors opened and they stepped in, Evelyn still laughing. “And I was worried about being scrutinized. Had I known that having sex with you would lead to your mother making you uncomfortable, I would’ve done it a long time ago.”
“Watch it. The bar isn’t open all night. I can invite them all back to our room.”
The thought sobered her quickly, but she liked the sound of our room. Maybe this wouldn’t be as stressful as she thought.
As soon as they made it upstairs, his phone lit up with texts. His brother wanted him to come down for a drink. He declined, even though Evelyn told him to go.
She tried to convince him to enjoy the time with his family. “I’m really just going to shower and get in bed. I want to do some more research while I have the downtime. There’s a networking thing next week that I want to score an invite to. I have to figure out who can get me in.”
“You think I’m going to have a beer with Dave instead of taking a shower with you? You don’t know me at all.”
“I didn’t invite you into my shower.”
“You owe me.”
“Owe you for what?” she asked, pulling her shirt over her head, walking backward into the bathroom.
His eyes widened, and he continued to stalk toward her. “For getting you off the hook with my mom. I suffered humiliation for you.”
“Hmm…I don’t know if that’s enough to share my hot water.” Down went her pants. She kicked them to the side. The cold tile of the floor battled the heat of her skin caused by his stare.
“I can definitely make it worth your while.”
Lust fluttered low in her belly. Then he did the one-handed T-shirt yank that only guys did. Does he know how sexy that is? Or is he simply being efficient? Her mouth watered at the movement, watching his abs bunch and flatten.
“Hey, babe. My eyes are up here.” He moved his fingers from his chest to his face.
“You’re one to talk. You were totally staring at my boobs a couple minutes ago.”
“Got me.” He moved forward again, closing in on her, trapping her between him and the sink.
As he pressed his body against hers, she felt his hard-on prodding her. He kissed her, his lips coaxing hers open. He reached around her and flicked her bra clasp. Without leaving her mouth, he slid her bra away and then held her close. Her nipples hardened as they rubbed against the hair on his chest.
She pulled back a couple inches and whispered, “You’re interrupting my shower.”
“I’m making sure you need a shower.” He lowered his mouth to her neck. His hand moved from her hip down the front of her panties and he stroked her.
She gripped his shoulders. “Keep that up and I won’t have the strength to stand up in the shower.”
He leaned over and started the water. While it warmed, he continued to play with her body. “Then I’ll hold you up.”
She had no doubt he would.
…
Early the next morning, Owen slipped out of bed quietly so he wouldn’t wake Evelyn. She never did get back to her research, but they’d been up pretty late. He wanted to get a run in before his family took every minute of his time for the rest of the weekend. He took his clothes and running shoes into the bathroom to get ready.
When he left the room, Evelyn was still sprawled on the bed, hair spread wildly across the pillows. Pulling the door shut behind him, he tried to put the image out of his head or he wouldn’t be able to run. He spent a few minutes stretching out in the parking lot of the hotel and then started off at a slow jog. He normally used this time to clear his head, but for the first time in a while, he was happy with his life.
The sun was out, and the temperature was on its way up to blistering, but Owen enjoyed the sights as he ran. The streets were filled with tourists getting ready for a day of sightseeing and gambling. He missed the relative quiet of his residential neighborhood. At
home, he occasionally passed a dog walker or another jogger. Within a couple of blocks here, he was dodging people left and right.
He only ran a mile and gave up. As he headed back to the hotel, his phone bleeped. A text from Evelyn asking where he was. Shit. He should’ve left her a note. He texted her that he was out for a run and would be back soon. Then he reminded her that they had breakfast with the family.
She sent him a string of emojis that he didn’t have time to decipher. He picked up his pace and managed to at least work up a decent sweat. Back at the hotel, he walked into the room but didn’t see Evelyn. The bed was still a mess, but no sign of her. “Evelyn?”
No answer. He stripped and tossed his clothes in the corner of the bathroom to deal with later. He jumped in the shower and cleaned up. As he shampooed, a knock sounded on the bathroom door.
“Hey, I got coffee.”
He stuck his head past the curtain. “There’s a maker on the counter.”
Her face scrunched. “Ew. I need my morning coffee, but I’m not that desperate.”
Sliding back under the water to rinse, he said, “You’re a coffee snob.”
“Yep. And don’t you forget it. Plying me with crappy coffee will get you nowhere.”
He opened his eyes and caught her peeking behind the curtain. “Did you want to come in?” he asked with a grin.
“I’m already dressed for breakfast.”
He took in what she was wearing. A black skirt, silky-looking purple top, and sexy-as-fuck heels.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you want to strip me.”
“You’re the one staring at me in the shower.”
“I’m enjoying the view.”
“So was I.” He twisted the knob to turn off the water. He yanked back the curtain and stepped out.
She handed him a towel. “I’ll wait outside.”
“Don’t trust yourself?”
“Yeah, that’s it,” she said with a chuckle.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed the coffee she left on the counter. In the room, he looked around for his bag. “Where are my clothes?”
She gave him a look like maybe he was a little dumb. “In the closet.”
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