by Sierra Hill
Be Patient - The Waiting Game
An Escaping the Friend Zone novella
Sierra Hill
To my husband
At 16, you teased me unmercifully.
At 18, you asked me out.
At 19, you told me you loved me.
At 24, you promised me forever.
And 30 years later, you’re still my best friend and you make me laugh every day.
Thanks for escaping the friend zone for me.
Contents
Other Books by Sierra Hill
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
More Escaping the Friend Zone novellas
About the Author
Copyright © 2019 Sierra Hill
Published by Ten28 Publishing
Cover Design: More Than Words Graphic Design
All rights reserved.
Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without prior written permission by the author, except where permitted by law. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected].
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or used factiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, business establishments, or educational systems is entirely coincidental.
All products and/or brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holders/companies/institutions.
Created with Vellum
Other Books by Sierra Hill
Physical Touch
More Than Physical
Physical Distraction
Physical Connection
Standalones and Short Stories
One More Minute With You
The Reunion
Character Flaws
His Fairytale Princess
Whipped: A Second Helpings Story
Resolution: Road Trip (A Resolution Pact Story)
The Sweetest Thing series
Sweet Girl
Sweet Summer Love
Sweet Disaster
Sweet Little Lies
Reckless – The Smoky Mountain Trio serial
Reckless Youth
Reckless Abandon
Reckless Hearts
Reckless – The Smoky Mountain trio boxset
Chapter 1
Ellie
If I had to describe my life in one simple sentence, it would be ‘hurry up and wait.’
Graduating college two years ago, I thought I’d be on my way and full speed ahead toward a promising career and future. I’d started a job as a marketing analyst for a tech start-up in Portland, shared a great apartment with my roommate and was still going strong with my boyfriend of two years.
And then it all took a severe nose dive and went to hell in a handbasket.
So here I am back in my hometown of Hillside Cliffs with no job, living with my parents again (which no twenty-four-year old ever wants to do) and in search of a new job in hopes of getting back on track to that future I’d envisioned.
My mother, of course, was thrilled at the prospect of having me back home, offering me positive words of encouragement, like, “Life takes time. It’ll come to you, Ellie.” Or something along the lines of, “All good things come to those who wait. Just keep your chin up and that beautiful smile on your face.”
That smile, however, quickly vanishes when you feel your sense of worth has been stomped on like a grape. So here I sit, in the coffee shop in town, wallowing in my ineptitude over a breakfast sandwich while I wait for my buddy, Deacon Powell, to show up for our morning coffee date.
“Morning, Ellie Belly-full-of-Jelly.”
My eyes pop up from my iPad, blurry from scanning the job listings for too long to find Deacon’s amused face. He dips his head and kisses me on the top of my head before grabbing the coffee out of my hand and taking a gigantic swig.
“Hey,” I grouse, seizing it back from his moocher grip. “Get your own. I’m poor and unemployed.”
His lumberjack-built body stands tall at around six-foot-two, hovering over the table in front of me where I’ve been parked the last hour, sipping coffee and waiting for something good to pop up.
Deacon pulls out the chair and plunks down, stretching out his long legs before crossing one over the other with relaxed ease.
Rolling my eyes at the stupid nickname he gave me in high school and the one he continues to use just to rile me up, I ignore his comment and sip my coffee.
I’ve known Deacon since high school, when he was dating my best friend, Kari, and we were on the swim team together. He was a year ahead of us and after he went off to college, he and Kari broke up. At the time I was saddened by that prospect and the loss of our trio because I thought someday, they’d get married and start a family like they’d always planned.
Funny thing about plans, though. They can change at the drop of a hat. Kari ended up going to college in Seattle and over time, we lost touch. Last thing I heard was that she married her yoga instructor and they moved back to his home in India.
Deacon and I, however, stayed friends throughout college. We’d get together whenever our schedules would allow, both of us attending school in Portland. We also constantly texted each other and hung out when we were home over the holidays or summers.
The one difference between us was our interest in moving back to Hillside Cliffs after graduation. I’d always planned on living in the big city, whereas Deacon came back to manage his dad’s outdoor recreational store. Powell’s Surf Shop & Sports was the only rental shop in town where tourists could rent boats and kayaks, fishing equipment, camping paraphernalia, etc.
Deacon is happy living back in our small seaside town. He loves the ocean and the outdoors, and the friendliness you encounter in a town like this. I, on the other hand, hate the slow pace after getting a taste of Big city life. All I’ve done is bitch and complain since I’ve been back and scour the boards the last two-weeks.
“Don’t you have a store to manage or something, instead of bothering me?” He knows I’m kidding, since I stick my tongue out at him like a brat.
Deacon glances at his sports watch and lifts a broad shoulder with indifference. “Nah. I’ve still got an hour before the store opens. And you know I love bothering you. It’s the highlight of my day. How’s the job hunt going?”
Without giving me a chance to respond, he reaches for my laptop and swings it around so he can get a look. I shift back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest with a snarl.
“Feel free to have a look,” I grumble, gesturing toward the screen. “Maybe you’ll have more luck than me. There’s nothing out here, Deac. I’m either over qualified for the entry-level positions or I don’t possess the experience they’re looking for.”
I wrinkle my nose and grimace, earning the sympathetic puppy dog eyes that only a good friend would give.
Sin
ce I’ve been back, I’ve gotten that look a lot from people around town when they see me. The one that says, “Oh, that poor girl. I hear she lost her job and couldn’t make it on her own in the big city. Bless her heart.”
Deacon unfolds his legs and leans forward, placing his forearms on the table and reaching for my hand. Clasping them gently in his palms, he runs a thumb over my knuckles. Strange and unwanted tingles skirt up my arm and down my spine.
“Elle, I’ve already told you, I have a spot at the store for you. It’s yours if you want it. Why are you being so stubborn about this? Why won’t you come work for me?”
Yanking my hand from his, I shake my head in frustration.
Taking handouts from your friend is beyond humiliating.
“Deacon, you don’t understand. I need to do this for myself. I need to prove I can do something on my own and not rely on someone else to get me out of this mess. I feel like a failure.”
I know Deacon wants to help me and would do anything for me. He’s just that kind of guy and under any other circumstances, I would take anything he has to offer. But a pity job doesn’t sit well with me.
He scoots in closer and places his palms on my knees, looking into my eyes earnestly.
Deacon has the most beautiful, soulful brown eyes of anyone I’ve ever known. They express compassion, kindness, friendship and trustworthiness. When the day comes and he meets the girl of his dreams, she’ll be the luckiest woman alive.
“Ellie, you are not a failure. Look at what you’ve already accomplished. You worked yourself through school. You lived on your own in Portland. You bought yourself a car. You’ve taken care of your parents when they’ve needed your help. And you are a great friend. How in the hell is that being a failure?”
“You’re just saying all that because you’re my friend and it’s a requirement.”
He chuckles half-heartedly. “How long have you known me, Elle?”
I pretend to count off the years on my fingers. “Ten years, give or take.”
He nods. “Right, and in all that time have I ever lied to you?”
I spit out a sarcastic laugh. “There was that one time in tenth grade when you told me I didn’t look that bad after I got elbowed in gym class, even though my face was as swollen as a blowfish. That was a total lie.”
We both laugh at the memory. That’s something Deacon did to spare my feelings and to make sure I didn’t get hurt. He protected me at all costs.
“Touché. I did say that to make you feel better. But I’m not sugarcoating anything this time. You are amazingly smart and a hard worker and any employer would be lucky to have you. That’s why I would hire you in a heartbeat. So, what do you say? Come work for me. You know we make a great team.”
Deacon cocks his head to the side and gives me a cheesy grin. I’m helpless to refuse him.
I flop my head down against the table and admit defeat. “Fine,” I grit through my teeth before popping back up. “But on one condition. I’m not going to stop looking for a permanent job and if I find it, there’s no hard feelings if I resign. Got it?”
He shakes his head enthusiastically. “Deal.”
“Oh, and another thing. You can’t treat me any differently than your other employees.”
Deacon salutes with a boyish grin, the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling in delight.
“You got it. No treating you differently. I promise.”
Chapter 2
Deacon
I lied.
I told Ellie I’d never lie to her, but I did.
And to make matters worse, I’ve been lying to her for years.
The thing is, I can’t help but treat Ellie Green differently. Not because she’s my friend or because we’ve known each other half our lives.
The reason is that I’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember.
When she told me she was moving back home, even though her situation sucked, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to see her on a daily basis and be back in the same town with her. I’d missed her so much over the past three years while she was still in school and working in Portland and I was back here.
Although I dated her friend Kari in high school, it was Ellie’s friendship that I hung on to. And then everything changed after we went to college. It was as if I’d been blindfolded for years and suddenly my eyes were open, and I started seeing Ellie as the woman she’d become, not the girl I used to know.
Two years ago, Ellie graduated college and invited me to her graduation party. I drove the two hours to Portland to hang out with her and her friends at a small pub that night. While we spent the night drinking, dancing and laughing together, I began to feel this itch – this prickling sensation - over my skin and limbs every time I heard Ellie’s bright, infectious laughter.
As the night had progressed, Ellie began talking to some grabby-hands douchebag and my blood began to boil with possessiveness. Mr.Douchewad was hanging all over her that night and it was then that the first inklings of jealousy creeped through my veins and clenched in the pit of my stomach.
That’s when I pulled her out onto the dance floor and didn’t let her out of my sight the rest of the night.
And fuck me, I’d wanted to kiss her so bad.
At one point, I almost did. We were swaying together to a slow country tune, her head against my chest, staring up at me with the most wistful expression. One that begged me to kiss her. I was just about to do just that, lean down and brush my lips against hers, when some sloppy drunk jackhole bumped into us and ruined the moment.
And that was that.
Her friend Sarina grabbed her by the elbow and shouted that we were all going out for pizza and I lost my chance. We stayed out ‘til four a.m. that night and soon the weekend was over, I drove back home, she remained in Portland, and then she began dating a guy named Tom.
For two years I’ve patiently waited for another chance to make my feelings known. I wouldn’t say I’ve been a celibate monk, or anything, but I’ve never gotten serious with a girl. I’ve had a few dalliances with woman who come into town to vacation, including a local girl named Bethany. But she knew the score. My time was dedicated to my business and she was just a summer renter.
So here I am, two years later, hoping the girl I’ve fallen in love with will finally see me as something more than a friend and shoulder to lean on. Maybe this is my chance to prove to her how good we’d be together.
“Hey boss, where do you want this new shipment of life vests?”
I look up from my paperwork at the sound Cody’s voice jarring me from my thoughts.
Cody stands on the other side of the front counter with a cardboard shipping box in hand, looking typically disheveled. He’s a great kid. He just finished his freshman year in college and has been working for me part-time during the summers over the last several years. He’s been a great help as I’ve been getting ready for the peak summer season and purchasing new equipment, slowly but surely replacing all the old stuff my dad has been using for years.
I wave my hand toward the supply room. “Just put them back there until we can reorganize and throw out the old stuff later. Oh, and by the way, I have a new employee starting tomorrow that I’d like your help training. She’s a friend of mine.”
Being the nineteen-year-old horny kid that he is, Cody inevitably gives me an interested cock of the eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Is she hot?”
I glower at him. “Dude, she’s too old for you.”
He cackles with mischief. “A hot cougar? Nothing wrong with older women, bro.”
For some reason, this gets my hackles up and my protective instincts kick in. Although I know Cody’s only half joking, I have too many jumbled feelings when it comes to Ellie. Of course, she’s my friend, first and foremost, and I want the best for her.
However, I also want my chance with her. Come hell-or-high water, this time around will be the make-it-or-break-it for me. I won’t let this chance pass me by without admitting to her how I feel.
In the meantime, there’s this little dilemma of her becoming my employee and her request that I not treat her differently from Cody.
I scoff as he ambles past me in that lackadaisical meander he has, carrying the boxes in hand.
“Don’t even think about it,” I grumble, hoping he won’t hear the jealousy in my tone. My head pops up again. “Wait, weren’t you seeing someone? What happened to what’s-her-name? Mia? Mila?”
“Mira.” He chuckles, shaking his head at my denseness. “We broke up. She was way too fucking possessive. I just couldn’t deal.”
I give him a head nod, knowing exactly what he’s referring to. My college ex, Shayla, fit that description to a T. We were together six months and the moment we slept together she started getting clingy and jealous. Especially over my friendship with Ellie.
I guess I can’t blame her. The writing was always on the wall, and somehow Shayla’s instincts latched on to that fact. Maybe a part of me has always saved a portion of my heart for Ellie.
Stuffing the paperwork in my filing system – a term I use very loosely, because it is a disaster - I close and lock the drawer.
“Sorry to hear that, man. Guess you’ll have more time to work now and maybe be on time more often.”
Cody’s already in the back with the door open so I can hear his laughter. We both know that won’t happen. He’s notoriously late for everything. I’ve found it’s in my best interest to schedule him fifteen minutes before I actually need his shift to start. But that isn’t always a foolproof plan either.