Blowing out a breath of resignation, she took the inventory sheet that Dana had placed on her desk earlier and decided to go ahead and put next week’s order together before she left. There was no reason to rush home now.
She had no idea how long she’d been sitting at her desk when she heard a knock on the door. Figuring it was one of the nighttime servers with a question, she called out, “Come in.” Her eyes widened with shock when she saw Josh standing there smiling at her. He’d become somewhat of a regular in the shop since she and Dylan had been officially dating. And even though he always said the right things, something about him still made her uncomfortable. She could tell that Dylan wasn’t really thrilled about his friend coming in that often either, and had asked her to let him know if he said anything out of line. So far that hadn’t been the case. “Um . . . Josh, what are you doing here?” she asked in confusion. Suddenly on alert, she sat forward. “Is Dylan okay?”
Waving a hand casually around, Josh gave her a smile that looked almost predatory. “Oh, sure, he’s fine, Zoe. We’ve had plans to grab a drink a few times, but he’s had to bail on me. I guess work is taking over his life even more than usual right now. I probably don’t need to tell you that, though.”
Grimacing, she shook her head in commiseration. “No, I figured that out on my own. It’ll get better, though, when this expansion is finished. Until then, this is his life.”
Zoe shifted uncomfortably when Josh moved from the doorway and took one of the chairs in front of her desk. She might see him more now than she ever had before, but in her mind, that didn’t make them friends. And her office wasn’t exactly roomy. She felt as if he was invading her space, but she was clueless as to what to do about it. She should have made a point to say that she was busy before he took a seat. “So how’ve you been doing?”
“Er . . . good,” she replied as she prayed that one of her employees would interrupt her. It went against her nature to be rude, but this whole situation was beginning to feel awkward. It wasn’t necessarily what he said; it was the way he was looking at her as if he could see through her clothes. You’re just imagining it. This is one of Dylan’s best friends. He wouldn’t violate the whole bro-code, right?
Good manners had her asking, “And you?”
He shrugged, then shot her a grin. “Can’t complain. Of course, if I had a woman like you, I sure wouldn’t leave her hanging to sit in an office all night. That little assistant of his might be a hot number, but she’s got nothing on you, sweetheart. She’s also a rude bitch.”
Zoe’s mouth dropped open at his harsh words about Lisa. Dylan’s assistant stopped in most mornings for coffee and Zoe had always liked her. She also knew that Lisa was a hard worker who didn’t take any shit from her boss, something that Dylan respected a lot. “Josh,” she said firmly. “I don’t think this is appropriate—”
Before she could finish, he cut her off. “You’re a nice girl and I know you don’t want to insult anyone. That’s one thing I like about you. I’ve never been with anyone who didn’t have an agenda. You’re beautiful. I mentioned that, right?”
Holy shit, what is going on with him? This was officially the weirdest conversation that she’d had lately and that was saying something. This whole encounter didn’t feel right. He’d said some stuff that was out of line, but it was his behavior that was bothering her the most. He almost appeared to be high. His feet were drumming against her floor and he’d been fidgeting in his seat the entire time. There was a restless energy emitting from him that was putting her on edge. She wanted him gone—now. Zoe was in the process of getting to her feet when her barista Jill walked in. “Hey, Zoe. Oops, I didn’t know you had company.”
“No!” she shrilled out, before lowering her voice. “I mean, that’s fine. What did you need?”
Jill looked at her strangely before saying, “The cooler where we store the juice and whipped cream is making a loud noise. Thought you should know about it.”
Zoe was around her desk in seconds. “I’ll check it right now. We don’t want to lose everything in it if it goes out overnight.” She glanced at Josh, then looked quickly away when she found him staring at her. “I’ve got to get back to work, Josh.”
She waited impatiently for him to get to his feet, then found herself once again as the recipient of an unwanted hug. This time she made no pretense of returning the embrace. She didn’t want to encourage him. He pulled away and said, “I’ll see you soon, Zoe.”
God, I hope not, Zoe thought as she followed Jill behind the counter. Maybe she was on edge because she was tired and disappointed that her date was canceled. But something just didn’t seem right with Josh, and she vowed to avoid him if at all possible in the future. She’d mention it to Dylan as well. She knew he wouldn’t be happy about his friend’s comments concerning his assistant. She pushed the incident from her mind as she called the repairman and helped Jill and Meg with the evening crowd. By the time she was home, she’d managed to convince herself that it hadn’t been nearly as strange as she’d thought it was at the time.
• • •
Dylan rolled his eyes at Ash across the table as Hal, the contractor for their expansion project, droned on and on. He’d been forced to cancel his evening with Zoe to deal with yet another crisis. And now that the issue had been resolved, he was ready to go home. Fuck, was an early night occasionally too much to ask?
He wanted to get up and applaud when Ash released a long sigh and snapped out, “Hal, man, is there a point to this story or not? Because I’m about to fall face-first in my dessert plate over here.”
The other man paused before roaring with laughter. “Damned if I know.” He shook his head before slapping Dylan on the back. “I guess I better get out of here anyway. The wife will be pissed that I’m getting home so late again. You know how that goes.”
“Not really.” Ash shrugged before raising his hand and signaling the nearby server for their check. “We’ll take care of this, Hal. Why don’t you head on out before you get in trouble?”
They all shook hands before agreeing to meet at the office the next afternoon to look over the new blueprints. “Thanks, brother,” Dylan muttered as Ash signed the credit card slip in front of him. “I didn’t think he was ever going to shut up.”
Ash gave him a knowing grin before saying, “You’re just cranky because you had to miss your date. I could have handled this tonight. Hell, it didn’t turn out to be anything major anyway.”
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Dylan said, “It’s my job. Yeah, it sucks that I’m constantly breaking plans with my girlfriend, but surely things will settle down once this expansion is finished.”
“It’ll be like it always is,” Ash began. “Things will be smooth for a few days, then something will happen. If Zoe can’t deal with that, then you’ve got a problem. These resorts have always been our girlfriends, wives, and children. We give them everything we’ve got and sometimes there’s damn little left over for anything else.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Dylan snapped. “I’ve been on the front lines for as long as you have. And Zoe never complains about my schedule. Hell, I think I’d feel better if she did because I know I’m a shitty boyfriend most of the time.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t do complications,” Ash pointed out. “Expectations and disappointments are a bitch to deal with. Give a woman an hour of bliss and she’ll thank you. Put a pretty title on it and bail on dinner, then see what happens.” When Dylan only stared at him, Ash sighed. “Listen, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I know you care about her. Hell, I believe I pointed it out while you still had your head in your ass over the whole thing. I’m not saying that you need to dump her. Just cut yourself some slack. She knows you better than most anyone else. It’s not as if your life is some big mystery to her. She’s accustomed to the hours you work. Yes, it’s worse than ever right now, but the dust will settle a bit after we’re finished with the expansion. Until then, shit like tonight is gon
na happen. She’s a big girl, and if she reaches her limit, she’ll tell you. Otherwise, do the best you can and stop acting like such a chick all the time.”
Dylan collapsed back in his chair and started laughing. “I’m not sure why I talk to you about anything. You really are a dick.”
“Absolutely,” Ash agreed. “But I’m not eating Rolaids like candy and crying for my mommy.” They both shuddered at the mention of their parental figure. “Um . . . forget I added that last part.”
“Agreed,” Dylan nodded. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go sleep beside my girlfriend for a few hours until we start all over again.”
“That’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard,” Ash deadpanned. “Sleep has no place in the bedroom.”
Dylan shook his head as they left the restaurant. Secretly, he had to agree. One of these nights he’d actually make it home while Zoe was still awake. Fuck my life.
Sixteen
“All dressed up and nowhere to go again, huh?” Dana asked sympathetically.
Zoe gave her a wry smile as she tossed her cell phone back into her purse. “That’s life when you date the big man,” she replied, attempting a feeble joke. In truth, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to her that Dylan stayed so busy. Maybe a part of her had hoped that he’d be able to carve out a little more time in his schedule for her, and she knew that he tried, but there were only so many hours in the day. They’d been together for almost three months now, and other than feeling like ships that passed in the night at times, it had been amazing. They had settled into the relationship as if they’d been born to be partners. On the nights when he worked late, she’d wake up to find that he’d come to her place and crashed beside her at some point. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but just seeing him lying there the next morning made her absurdly grateful that he was trying.
“It still sucks, though,” Dana pointed out. “But luckily for you, I have no plans for the evening, so we’re going out. How about a drink at Breakers? It’s a new place right on the beach. I’ll even buy you one of those cute little umbrella drinks.”
Her first inclination was to refuse the offer and head home, but then she thought why not? She needed to have a life outside of Dylan, and sitting at home watching television for another night didn’t sound appealing. Which was funny considering not long ago that had been her nightly routine. But Dylan had changed that somewhat, and she had no desire to go back to the Zoe of before. So plastering on a bright smile, she said, “You’ve got yourself a date. Let’s lock up and get out of here.”
Dana gave her a high five and they quickly shut off the lights in the shop and left the hotel. Dana volunteered to drive, promising only to have a glass of wine. If that changed, they could always call a taxi later. The new bar was less than five miles from the resort and Zoe had to admit that it had a lot of character. There were tons of smaller tables situated against a solid wall of glass facing the ocean. And if you were in the mood to be outdoors, there was plenty of seating there as well, along with volleyball courts for those who wanted to do more than sit. Obviously the locals and tourists loved it because the place was packed. Eighties rock blared inside as people stood in crowds talking, while some danced to the beat. “Let’s go outside,” Dana yelled out. Normally Zoe would have preferred to stay where there was air-conditioning, but a cool front had passed through a few days earlier, making the humidity almost nonexistent.
They grabbed a table that someone was in the process of vacating and ordered glasses of wine. “This tastes so good,” Zoe moaned as she sipped the merlot. “I owe you for dragging me out tonight. I’ve already caught up on all the Golden Girls reruns, so tonight I’d have been starting Seinfeld.”
Dana pretended to wipe a tear away. “That’s so sad. He may be an ass sometimes, but you’re dating one of the hottest men in the state. You should never even turn your television on, much less be watching marathons of old shows.”
Zoe shrugged. “You know how busy he is. It’s not his fault that I don’t have some hobbies to keep me busy. Plus, I work late most evenings as well so what can I really say about him doing the same?”
“But you always make time for him,” Dana pointed out. “Don’t get me wrong, I know it must be a big job to run a resort like the Oceanix, but it’s never going to get easier. Have you thought about that? Unless Dylan makes some changes, like hiring someone to help him, then this is your life forever. Sure, there’ll be times when he has a break here and there, but understand in the years ahead that he’s going to be an absent husband and father a lot of the time.”
Zoe’s laugh was strained as she attempted to lighten the effect that the other woman’s words were having on her. “We are nowhere close to being married, much less having kids. And of course I know Dylan has a hectic schedule. Remember I’ve been friends with him since we were kids. It’s not exactly a newsflash to me.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t dating him then. I’m not trying to be negative, but even though you’re the happiest I’ve ever seen you, it’s also impossible to miss the way your face falls when he calls or texts to let you know that he’s either held up or can’t make it at all. He’s a good guy and you two are perfect for each other, but I just think you’re making all the sacrifices here, and as long as you’re willing to do that, what incentive does he have to change?”
Zoe slumped in her seat and gave up defending the man that she loved. It was actually a relief to talk to someone about it. “I feel crappy for complaining, but I miss him. Even when we’re together at night, he’s just a body in the same room with me. And I don’t have the heart to tell him how I feel because he does try really hard to make time for me. With the expansion plans for the resort moving ahead, it’s worse than ever. I can’t imagine how it’s going to be when they actually break ground soon. I went by his office last night to surprise him with dinner and he was asleep on his desk with his cell phone in one hand and a set of blueprints in the other.”
Dana put a hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. “Oh, honey, I knew all this had to be getting to you. And even though I’m usually one to charge ahead and think later, I also understand why you’re hesitant to tell him how this is making you feel, even though you’re dead wrong about it.”
Giving voice to her fears, Zoe admitted, “I’m afraid he’ll say that we should go back to being friends. This isn’t simply a job for him, it’s his family business. He’s not going to walk away from it and I wouldn’t want that. But unfortunately, now that I know how good we are together, I want more. Even a meal or two a week where he’s not spending half of his time on the phone or with his computer sitting on the table while he reviews a proposal.”
“That man loves you, Zoe. You may think that you’re the only one whose heart has been involved over the years, but he’s invested as well. In true guy fashion, it might have taken him longer to realize it, but it’s there. He’s not going to be able to downgrade to a platonic relationship with you, and I know he doesn’t want to lose you. So talk to him. It’s not as if you’re issuing some kind of ultimatum. You’re simply letting him know where you stand and that you want more time together.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Zoe murmured as she stared into her now empty glass. “I don’t want to add more stress to his life. He has enough for ten people already.”
“But you have to be a priority too. I know he isn’t neglecting you intentionally, but he needs to see that this is hard for you both. Just think about it.” Zoe opened her mouth to respond when Dana suddenly whispered, “Incoming.”
“What?” she asked in confusion before feeling a hand on her shoulder.
“Zoe! I thought that was you,” boomed a voice that had become all too familiar. Dana gave her a grimace of distaste as Josh circled around to stand in front of their table. This was the first time she’d seen him since he’d popped into her office unexpectedly a few weeks earlier. She hadn’t mentioned it to Dylan because he stayed so stressed that she didn’t wan
t to upset him if she was making something out of nothing.
“Hey, Josh,” she said uneasily. “I didn’t see you when we came in. It’s so crowded, though, that would have probably been difficult.” Without invitation, he pulled the chair out next to her and lowered himself onto it.
“Yeah, this is the new cool place in town. I was just having a drink with some buddies. You’re both welcome to join us if you’d like.”
“We’re leaving shortly,” Dana tossed out. “We were having a little girl time after work.” If Dana thought Josh would catch the emphasis she put on the “girl” part, she was sadly mistaken.
“That’s cool. I’ll keep you two company until you leave. Don’t want any of those freaks messing with the prettiest women here.” Dana made a gagging motion when he turned his head away that had Zoe biting her lip to keep a straight face. “Hey, where’s Dylan? Still tied up with the new project?”
“He had a meeting with the city zoning board. He’s trying to avoid any delays, but it’s always something,” she added lightly. The last thing she wanted was for Josh to run to Dylan before they talked and tell him she was whining about his work schedule.
Josh studied her carefully—which was more than a little unnerving. Finally, he said, “You and I have known Dylan for a long time. He’s always been a go-getter, even in college. We put him in charge of damn near every event because we knew he’d kick ass until he made it happen. He’s an ambitious SOB—which makes him good at everything he touches. Doesn’t leave much for you, though, does it?”
Don’t let him see he got to you. Zoe wanted to kiss her friend’s feet when Dana stood up, yawning loudly. “Damn, I’m beat. Sorry to be the party pooper, but this girl needs to get home.” Grabbing Zoe’s arm, she pulled her up from the table. “Good to see you again, Jack,” she added, no doubt intentionally messing up his name.
Keeping It Hot (The Breakfast in Bed #1) Page 17