“What are you delivering today?” I asked, deciding that changing the subject was my only way out of the conversation.
Nick sighed and spun around to the dolly he’d left outside my office. “We’ve got a couple paintings and a couple sculptures. Where do you want ‘em?”
I walked over and peeked at the labels, but they didn’t tell me much. I’d have to unpack everything to see what it was before I figured out where I wanted it to go. And I was running out of time.
The new show was opening in about two weeks and we’d barely gotten half of it installed. It didn’t help that the senior director was out with emergency gallbladder surgery, but that couldn’t be helped. I needed to pull it together on my own because it had to get done. There was no other option.
Opening night loomed in the distance, serving to not only remind me that I was behind schedule, but that I’d invited someone I had no intention of seeing again.
How I was going to accomplish that while living just one floor below him wasn’t exactly clear to me. But I knew it was necessary.
That night with Remy two weeks ago had been amazing. I don’t think I’d ever come harder in my life and that was the only explanation I could come up with for my lapse in judgement.
I’d never slept over at a guy’s house.
Never.
I didn’t do snuggling. I didn’t do pillow talk. I hooked up, and I left. Period.
So, when I woke up warm and content in Remy’s arms in the middle of the night, I’d panicked. After carefully extricating myself from his solid embrace, I’d dashed around the room rounding up my clothes and got the hell out of there.
I felt like a shit for ditching him like that, but I hadn’t had a choice. I’d broken my rules for him and if he’d opened those big chocolate brown eyes of his and pointed them my way, I might have done something even stupider. Like staying till morning.
Even now the thought of that made me shudder.
“You okay?” Nick asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I turned to him and pulled my lips into a smile. “Sure. It’s just a little cold in here. I’ll have to remember to bring a sweater tomorrow.”
He didn’t look like he believed me, but, thankfully, dropped it. Once he’d unloaded all the packages he’d brought, he shot me one more flirty smile before finally leaving. When I was alone in my gallery again, I took a deep breath and tried to let it calm me.
Thoughts of Remy tended to do the opposite. Believe me, I’d worked my ass off to put that man in my rearview mirror, but for the first time in my life, that was proving difficult.
My thoughts often strayed to that night. To the conversations we’d had and how easy it was to talk to him. Not to mention the amazing sex. All of it combined made him hard to forget. Now, add in the fact that he lived in the same building and was related to my best friend’s fiancé, and the pile of shit I was in just kept growing larger.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, thankful to have something else to think about.
Bailey: Girls night tonight?
Me: Fuck. Yes.
Bailey: Yay! I’ll bring the wine. Text me when you’re home.
I shoved my phone back in my pocket with a smile on my face. Bailey and I didn’t have girls’ nights as often as we used to, and I missed my friend. In fact, I hadn’t seen much of her since she got engaged. It would be nice to have some time with her and, hopefully, she’d help keep my mind off Remy.
Ugh. Even thinking his name made the butterflies in my stomach sit up and take notice.
I kept myself as busy as possible for the remainder of the day and when I was finally satisfied with my progress, I packed up for the night. After I ordered an Uber, I shot Bailey a quick text as I waited for it to arrive.
Me: What did you want for dinner?
Bailey: Pizza. Duh.
I smiled and shook my head. Pizza was our weakness but like a couple of junkies, we couldn’t stay away.
Me: I’m waiting for my Uber. I’ll order a veggie lovers now and it should be there by the time I get home.
Bailey: Sounds perfect. I’ll see you in a little while!
I pocketed my phone as a bright red Toyota pulled up in front of the gallery. Once I’d locked up and greeted the driver, I put in our pizza order on my phone and used the rest of the drive to try to decompress.
This upcoming show was seriously stressing me out, and I was not into premature wrinkles. Doing it all by myself without the senior director was more difficult than I’d imagined. Pair that with a set of new artists we were working with and I was barely keeping my head above water.
I knew I needed to do whatever it took to nail this, though. If I wanted to be the senior director someday, I needed to prove I could get shit done no matter what the circumstances were. There was too much riding on this show for me to not pull this off. The reputation of the gallery, the almost one hundred people who’d already RSVP’d, the artist’s livelihoods, all rested on my shoulders.
Good thing I was stubborn as shit and refused to fail.
The Uber pulled up to my building, and I almost kissed him. Except that would have been weird and probably illegal, so I settled for a thank you and have a nice night.
I hurried inside and greeted my overexcited Jack Russell Terrier before immediately stripping off my clothes. I didn’t even wait to be in my bedroom before shucking the confining skirt I’d had on. Next went the blouse and the bra. I scooped up the discarded garments and chucked them in my laundry hamper before pulling out a set of comfy clothes. Baggy sweatpants and tank tops were like my after-hours uniform.
I was just pulling the last pin out of my face-lift-inducing bun when there was a knock on the exterior door. As usual, Charlotte went wild barking, and I pulled her into my arms. I answered the door and accepted the pizza box from the harried-looking driver who eyed Charlotte like she was a Rottweiler and not a fifteen-pound terrier.
I set the dog down and walked back into my room to grab my phone and text Bailey, when there was another knock on the door, this time, the interior one. When I opened it, my best friend was standing there with two bottles of wine and a smile on her face.
“I heard your alarm system,” Bailey said with a nod at Charlotte.
Bailey bent down to greet her as I chuckled. Charlotte was technically hers, but when she moved upstairs with Ryder and Remy, she felt awkward bringing her, so she left the little dog with me. I liked it this way though. It would have sucked to lose two roommates at the same time.
I moved aside and Bailey waltzed in like she still lived here. She wasted no time grabbing two wine glasses while I got us some plates and the box of pizza. We settled in the living room like we still did this every night. It was comforting knowing some things never changed.
I turned on the TV, but we spent more time talking than watching as we got caught up.
“Let me see your ring again,” I said.
Bailey smiled and held out her left hand, the diamond on her finger sparkling in the light. “I wouldn’t expect Ms. Anti-Relationships to be so enamored by an engagement ring.”
I shot her a look. “A diamond is a diamond, bitch.”
She laughed and shook her head before pulling her hand back into her lap. That was where she started to fidget, and I knew she had something to get off her chest.
“What is it?”
She turned to me with a frown. “What’s what?”
I raised a brow and pointed to her hands that were still twitching. “I know you’ve got something to say, so just spit it out.”
She gave me a sheepish smile and shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I just wanted to run something by you.”
I sat back against the couch cushion and took a long sip of wine. “Okay, what’s up?”
“Did you hear Remy’s moving out?”
My heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second at hearing his name. What were the odds that the man I couldn’t get off my mind would be the topic of conversation
tonight? Granted, we both knew him and were connected to him in various ways, but we never talked about him.
I cleared my throat and tried to act casual. “No, I hadn’t heard. But I don’t talk to him, so how would I know that?” I was just barely able to bite my tongue before more words spewed out of my mouth. I tended to get gabby when I was nervous, and I knew Bailey of all people would pick up on that.
Thankfully, she was busy being all sorts of nervous on her own and wasn’t paying attention to me.
“Yeah. He says it’s time he got his own place. We offered to move instead, but he won’t let us. Says the rent is cheap here and with Ryder just starting a new job, we shouldn’t have to worry about an added expense like moving.”
“That makes sense.”
There. That was short and sweet. Exactly like I needed to keep all my responses from here on out.
Inside, though, I was freaking out.
I couldn’t believe Remy was moving. Was that a good thing for me? It had to be, right? That meant my goal of never having to see him again was that much more attainable.
“Yeah, problem is, the apartment he found won’t be ready for another couple of months. He’s planning on staying at a hotel until then.”
I frowned and turned to face her fully. “Why would he do that?”
Bailey’s cheeks turned a really pretty shade of pink, and suddenly her glass of wine seemed to be the most interesting thing in the room. “Well, I guess he was sick of walking in on us… you know…”
My lips twitched, and I tried to hold it back, I really did, but a laugh shot out of me anyway. “Way to be an exhibitionist, Bay.”
She shot me a glare, her cheeks now a rosy red. “Shut it, Belle.”
I laughed again and shook my head. “So, you and Ryder can’t keep it in your respective pants and Remy’s sick of being sexiled. Can’t say I blame the man.”
Bailey sighed and looked down at her glass again. “I feel awful. It’s going to cost him a ton of money to rent a hotel room for two months and it’s all because he feels uncomfortable with us.”
“Is that what he said?”
“No, but I know that’s the reason.”
I shrugged and took another sip of wine before answering. “It seems like his mind’s made up, Bay. Besides, he’s got a good job. He can afford it.”
I stilled for a second as I realized what I’d just let slip. I’d only found out what he did for a living that night we spent together two weeks ago. Before that, I’d had no idea. Would Bailey realize I shouldn’t know about his job? Or would she assume she’d leaked this information at some point?
She sighed again, her shoulders drooping as she leaned back on the couch cushion. “I just feel like I need to do something. It’s bad enough he’s moving because of us. I don’t want to cost him any extra money or put him out any more than we already have.”
I tried to keep my relief hidden as I realized she didn’t suspect anything.
Clearing my throat, I said, “So, what are you going to do? What can you do?”
Bailey sat up straighter and pinned me with the look, and I knew I was going to hate what came out of her mouth next.
“Well, I was actually thinking you could help me out there.”
Damn it.
“Help out how?” I deadpanned.
She smiled at me so sweetly that my stomach instantly twisted into a knot. “I was hoping you’d let Remy stay here for the next two months. You’ve got my bedroom that you don’t use, right? Honestly, you’ll hardly ever see him because he works long hours and then spends tons of time with his grandpa. You probably won’t even notice he’s here.”
I paused again, every organ in my body freezing in place. She couldn’t be asking me this. There was no way my best friend was asking me to room with a man who was supposed to be a one-night stand. A man I’d left in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye to. A man who was sure to be irritated with me.
Wait.
That’s it.
I swallowed harshly and played the one card I had. “Are you sure Remy’s okay with this?”
Bailey looked away for a second and I smelled victory. But then she turned back to me with a determined set to her chin and I watched my short-lived triumph slither away. “I haven’t talked to him about it yet. I thought I’d ask you first, but I’m sure he’ll agree. Who would want to stay in a hotel for two months, anyway?”
Me, as of this moment.
I picked up my wine glass and drained the contents before answering her, needing all the time I could get to think through my options.
Which were depressingly few.
I couldn’t tell her no, could I? She’d ask why and I didn’t have a good enough reason without spilling the beans that I’d slept with him and I was not doing that. No one knew about that little transgression and that was how it was going to stay.
But I couldn’t tell her yes either. I couldn’t spend two months living in the same damn apartment as Remy MacAlister. I’d lose my fucking mind. It was bad enough that I thought about him as often as I did now. If we lived together, I’d never be able to get over that night. I’d never be able to get him out of my head. Fuck, I’d have to smell his sexy-ass cologne every day.
All of that sucked ass, but I could admit none of it. Which left me with just one last move to make. “If Remy’s okay with it, I’m okay with it.”
Bailey’s smile was big as she launched herself across the couch to pull me into her arms. I hugged her back as I chanted the same phrase in my head over and over again.
Please say no.
Please say no.
Please say no.
Chapter 8
Remy
“Hey, Rem. You got a second?”
I lifted my head, but my eyes remained on the page I was reading until I finished the paragraph. When I finally tore my gaze away, I found Ryder and Bailey standing a few feet away
It was times like these I wished I’d sprung for a desk in my room. The only reason I hadn’t was because I thought it would discourage me from bringing work home. Of course, it hadn’t, so instead of being able to get things done in the privacy and quiet of my room, I had to use the kitchen table.
But it was my brother, and I’d always make time for him. Besides, my eyes were beginning to cross, and a break sounded like a good idea right about then.
“What’s up, guys?”
Ryder pulled out a chair for Bailey and then took the one beside her. I sat up straighter, feeling like I needed to be better prepared for this conversation.
“So, first, I feel like I need to try one more time. Is there anything we can say to get you to stay here? We don’t want you to feel like you have to leave.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Listen, bro. It’s fine. Honestly. You two need your privacy and I need to see way less of your bare ass.”
Bailey sounded like she was choking while Ryder just smirked and rested an arm on the back of his chair. “As long as you’re looking at mine and not hers, I don’t care.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips were twitching with a smile. He was such an idiot sometimes. “I don’t want to see either of your asses. No offense, Bailey.”
Her face was bright red, and she could barely meet my eyes. “None taken,” she murmured.
The smile fell off Ryder’s face as he sat up straight again. “So, you’re really set on leaving?”
“I think it’s time, man. I’ve got my suitcases packed, and a room booked at the Marriott downtown for tomorrow night. My apartment should be ready soon and I’ll be all set.”
Ryder looked troubled as his eyes glanced back and forth between mine. “Well, we might have a temporary solution to the hotel issue.”
“The hotel’s not an issue.”
“It is for me. That’s gonna cost you a fortune. It’s bad enough you’re having to rent a new place because of us, we don’t want to cost you any more money when it’s not necessary.”
I reache
d up and rubbed at my temples, feeling a headache forming. I knew Ryder and Bailey were coming from a good place, but this had been almost non-stop for the past two weeks. Ever since I told them I was moving out, they’d both tried every argument in the book to get me to stay.
They blamed themselves, and although I felt like a shit for it, I let them believe they were the reason for my move, but that wasn’t entirely the truth. The main reason I needed to get out of this apartment lay at the feet of the gorgeous honey-eyed brunette downstairs.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Belle. She infiltrated my thoughts at work, at Gramps’, at the gym, everywhere. It was especially bad at night as I lay in the bed I’d had her in. Even though I’d washed my sheets twice, I could still smell her in there. Like her scent had permeated the wood floors or plaster walls. I couldn’t get rid of it and so I needed to go.
And I was burning that damn mattress.
But I couldn’t tell them that. It was clear Belle hadn’t mentioned it to Bailey because I knew my brother’s fiancé wouldn’t have been able to keep something like that to herself. I could have told Ryder a dozen times, but always held my tongue.
Maybe I was embarrassed that she’d run off like a thief in the night. Maybe I didn’t want the complications of my little brother knowing about Belle and me. Or maybe it was because I wanted to keep that night all for myself. If no one else knew about it, they could never taint it. Never add their two cents and make it something that it wasn’t.
Because it remained one of the best nights of my life, despite how it ended.
“Really, Ryder. It’s fine. It’s only a couple months. And besides, living in a hotel means I get someone to make my bed for me every morning.”
Ryder didn’t look impressed and Bailey looked even more upset.
Honestly, I appreciated their concern, but it was misplaced. Sure, two months in a Marriott wasn’t cheap, but I could afford it. I made plenty of money and hardly spent any of it. This wouldn’t set me back at all and I wished they’d just let it go. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get my wish though.
Beyond Beautiful (Love in Providence Book 2) Page 6