Bryce

Chapter 12

Samantha pulled her jazz shoes off and tossed them into her bag. For a moment, she wished she could get out of there without putting shoes on. It had been a few weeks, but getting used to the rehearsal schedule just wasn’t happening. The rehearsals were nothing in comparison to small, community theater.

She’d made plans to meet Meka but was already regretting it. It felt like forever since she’d seen her friend, but she wished she had set aside time for herself. Every time she made plans, she felt instant regret, even though everything was always fine once she got there.

Samantha walked through the doors of the dive bar around the corner from her building. At least she was close to home. It wasn’t a place she would have picked, but it wasn’t bad once she was inside. She immediately spotted her friend sitting at a table in the corner. Meka stood and waved excitedly.

“Sam!” she greeted. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. What are you drinking?”

Samantha hung her bag on the back of the chair. “Hey, girl. I’m on a health kick. One glass of red wine a week max is my limit.”

Meka flagged down a server. “Two glasses of Zin and a basket of fried zucchini, please.”

The server nodded before he disappeared. Samantha took a moment to look around. The bar was much nicer on the inside than she thought it would be. There were several high tables across from the bar and decorative lights everywhere she looked.

“Now catch me up. How are rehearsals? How is Bryce? How’s life?”

Samantha had hoped her friend would take a moment before cutting to the chase. “Good. Everything is good.”

Meka rested her chin on her closed fist and smiled. “How’s that rehearsal schedule? I know it must be crazy.”

“Girl. I am beat. I know this is all I ever wanted, but I’m so tired.”

Meka’s smile somehow grew larger. “You’ll get used to it. Now tell me about Bryce.”

“How do you know there’s anything to tell?”

“Listen. I could feel the chemistry between you two. And don’t think I forgot about the hot bathtub kiss. Have you seen him lately?”

Samantha couldn’t decide how honest she wanted to be with her friend. She did need an unbiased opinion. She had been mostly talking to Rayelle, who would certainly be biased.

“We had sex.”

Samantha watched as her friend nearly knocked her drink over in surprise. Her expression went from shock to pure curiosity. “How was it?”

Samamtha’s face split into a grin. “It was amazing. I wasn’t going to tell you, but it was amazing. I almost can’t even describe it. It was hot as hell, but he was so careful with me. I would have done anything he asked me to do.”

Meka raised her glass in a toast. Samantha had a hard time not going into detail. She really would have done anything he asked. Things weren’t awkward or clumsy. He said all the right things and touched all the right places. The only snag had been when she came into the kitchen to find him cooking breakfast. Her stupid brain had gone straight to one of the last interactions she had with Brandon. Even knowing Bryce wasn’t the same man, she had a hard time shaking the memories of Brandon taking what she hadn’t been willing to give.

“From the look on your face, I’ll assume it was better than amazing,” Meka said with a grin.

Samantha’s face heated with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious. “Anyway, what’s new with you? I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”

“Nothing is new with me. The Nook is still the same and my daughter still gives me gray hairs. Now, back to Bryce. You can’t just tell me you had amazing sex and then change the subject. Start from the beginning.”

Samantha shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was beyond out of practice with that kind of girl talk. Once again, she had to remind herself that Bryce was not Brandon, so she didn’t have to worry about everything she said. She could be herself and talk about what she wanted to talk about.

“The beginning, huh?” She paused while the server placed their food on the table. “It sounds really bad if I break it down.”

Meka took a bite of zucchini and then gestured with the remainder of it still in her hand. “You’re too hard on yourself. I’m not the bedroom police. Who am I to judge anyone?”

“Well, there isn’t much to say. Last time I saw you I was freaking out because we kissed. Then the next time I saw him we got down and dirty. That really does sound terrible.”

Meka pushed the basket in front of Samantha, encouraging her to eat. “It’s a veggie and veggies are healthy so eat up. And stop beating yourself up. I can’t tell you how many men I’ve slept with within the first couple dates. I would if I could remember though.”

Samantha laughed. Hearing that tidbit made her relax. She was being hard on herself. Avoiding Meka because she thought she would judge her was ridiculous. Of all the things they’d talked about over the years, her friend never once looked at her any differently.

“Okay, I guess it isn’t so bad if we pretend we’re just two single people.”

“Samantha. You are just two single people. You didn’t know each other as in-laws. Allow yourself to be happy. Even if you did know each other before, you aren’t doing anything wrong. Am I the reason you aren’t with him right this second? I know how busy you are and would not be offended if you want to cut this night short for some more amazing sex.”

Samantha tilted her head back and laughed. Laughing freely felt amazing. She needed it after everything she had gone through.

“He’s out of town working. And I wouldn’t ditch you for sex. I never get to see you as it is.”

“You should, though. Specifically, because you never have time. Don’t waste time being upright when you can be on your back forgetting your own name.”

Once again, Samantha found herself laughing. “I must be really tired because your crazy advice makes sense. I’m glad we did this.”

“Same. I really needed this, too. You look about ready to drop, and you didn’t even finish your wine. How long is he going to be out of town? Maybe we can do Sunday brunch next week,” Meka suggested.

She wasn’t a hundred percent sure when he was getting back. Clingy was not her usual style. Even when things had been good during her marriage, she’d craved her own space. When Bryce told her he would be out of town for a few weeks, it took everything in her not to ask if he could get out of it. Things were new. She knew they didn’t need to be around each other constantly.

“Brunch sounds amazing. Hopefully, I won’t be dead on my feet if I sleep in.”

She placed a few bills on the table, then linked arms with Meka as they left the bar. It was a much-needed night out with her friend. She tended to spiral when tired, and Meka’s perspective helped ground her.

Bryce hated being out of town. He downplayed things for Samantha, but he was miserable. Sleep didn’t come easy in a strange bed. The only thing that made his situation any better was Asher. Instead of booking a hotel, he was able to find a pet-friendly townhouse. Things also didn’t seem quite as dismal since Delaware was within driving distance of his house, and Samantha. Three hours was too long to commute but close enough to get home if he had to.

He opened the door to find Asher waiting patiently on the other side. He had crated him the first few days, but Asher did fine roaming free. The dog sat with his tail wagging so hard his body shook.

“Hey, boy. Up up,” he said, patting his thigh.

Asher put his front paws on Bryce’s thigh and licked his face when he leaned down. Bryce knew it wasn’t the best habit to teach, but he didn’t care. Asher only jumped up when invited. He had better manners than plenty of adults, including the property owner’s daughter. She seemed to find any excuse to touch Bryce, and it was beyond old. He and Samantha hadn’t put an official label on what they were, but he would be pissed if any other man had his hands on her. Especially someone she had a history with.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, so he pulled it out as he made his way to the small living room. Samantha’s name showed across the screen as if she had heard him thinking about her.

“Hey you,” he answered.

“Hey. How’s the beach?”

“Cold. And too far away. How are rehearsals?”

“Long. And too far away,” she answered with a long sigh.

He sat down on the couch and the dog hopped up next to him. “Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“I’m just tired. And I haven’t been feeling great. Probably the fast food I ate for breakfast since I was running late. You know I haven’t really been eating junk food all that much.”

He noticed how tired she’d been. The rehearsal schedule had to be a big change from working in a bookstore. “Need me to come take care of you?”

“Don’t tease me. There’s nothing I want more, but I’d rather you just do whatever you need to do so you can come back for good. You won’t be back this weekend by any chance, will you?”

It was Bryce’s turn to sigh. Things were moving more slowly than he’d hoped. It was beginning to look like it would be several weeks before the job was at the point where he could walk away and only return to check on things. Aside from missing Samantha, he hated the idea of being around that woman for any extra time. He probably should have told Samantha that he was unexpectedly working around someone he briefly dated, but it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have from so far away.

“Not for good. I am thinking about coming back for the weekend, though. Nothing has been going right, so I’m not sure how long before I can come back for more than a day or so.”

“That isn’t very reassuring.” She paused for a bit, and he could hear rustling in the background. “It’s not for good. I know it will all work out.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Are you trying to reassure yourself or me? And are you in bed?”

He relaxed a little when her chuckle came through loud and clear. “Myself, I think. And yes, I’m in bed. I told you I was tired.”

He looked at his watch. “It’s not even eight o’clock yet.”

“Don’t judge me.”

“I would never,” he responded, slightly offended. “Get some sleep, hun. Call me when you’re on your way to rehearsal in the morning.”

Bryce didn’t move after they said their goodbyes and got off the phone. He really did hate being away from her. And he needed to come up with a solution for the Lizzy situation. He had taken the job before he even met Samantha, but he had no idea it would put him in such close proximity to Lizzy. She had nothing to do with any of Mr. Martin’s other properties. Had he known, he definitely would have turned down the job.

While he took Asher for a quick walk, he tried to think of a way out of his situation. Between tossing and turning every night in a strange bed, and having to fight Lizzy off, the thought of quitting was one of the few things that could put a smile on his face. He couldn’t just quit, of course. He would have to be a grown-up and talk to Lizzy.

Talking to her was the last thing he wanted to do. Just thinking about it put him in a bad mood. Once he got back into the house and organized everything for the following day, he followed Samantha’s lead and went to bed early. Even though sleep wouldn’t come easy, relaxing in bed beat pacing around the house and worrying about things he couldn’t control.

Bryce showed up at the office bright and early on Friday morning. He had successfully avoided Lizzy the past few days instead of toughening up and facing her. He did most of the work from his rental and only showed up briefly during the workday. If he continued the trend, it would only be that much longer before he could put the job behind him.

“You’re here early,” he heard a voice say from behind him. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Bryce felt his shoulders slump when he turned around, and he was unable to stop his natural reaction. “No special occasion. I just wanted to get caught up on work for the week.”

“Well, I’m not complaining. We should do lunch today since you’re here,” Lizzy offered.

“That’s not a good idea. I told you I’m seeing someone. I wouldn’t like it if she had a lunch date with an ex, so I won’t do it to her,” he answered carefully.

“I didn’t realize things were serious between you two. Good thing it won’t be a date. And even better that I hardly count as an ex.”

“Things are serious enough. Anyway, did you get everything forwarded to your dad? I needed him to sign off on a few things before I can move forward.”

“Your girlfriend can’t be upset over a business lunch. I can run and pick up the signed papers and meet you at the Irish Pub for lunch. It’s not a date. It’s work. You said you need those things, and the quickest way to get them is for me to pick them up,” she insisted.

“Lizzy. I appreciate the offer, but I have a lot of work to do. I can’t step away for lunch.”

“Honestly, lunch would have been pushing it anyway. Why don’t we make it dinner? Dad’s in DC, so for me to run that over to him and get back will take longer than a couple of hours, and I have a few things I need to do first. I’ll meet you at Miss Mabel’s at five. I have to work my other job, so I won’t be able to do that run until next week otherwise. But I can leave it all here until my dad comes in next week if you want.”

Bryce hated to be backed into a corner. If circumstances were normal, he would have waited her out. Whenever someone tried to rush him, he did the opposite and took his time. But, circumstances were not normal. He would do whatever he needed to get the job over with.

“Fine. I’ll meet you there. I won’t have time to eat dinner because I have to get back to let my dog out, but we can do appetizers or something quick since we both need to eat,” Bryce agreed warily.

“Perfect! I’ll see you there. I’ll be in my office for a bit if you need me.”

Bryce felt a sense of dread as he watched her walk into her office and shut the door. He knew what she was about. There was nothing innocent about her lunch or dinner invitations. Truth be told, things had never gone far between them because she had always made him feel uncomfortable. She was too pushy for his liking; even when he was single.

Bryce closed himself in his office and caught up on everything besides the paperwork Lizzy held captive. He really had fallen behind by avoiding his office in order to avoid her. Even if he worked until it was time to meet her, he wouldn’t be able to finish everything by the time he had to leave. The realization made his mood even worse. He would have to work through the weekend unless he wanted to start the new week behind schedule. So much for his weekend at home.

By the time he looked at his phone, he had a missed call from Samantha, and it was time for him to head over to meet Lizzy. He wasted no time calling Samantha back so he could break the news about seeing her that weekend. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, but the sooner he canceled, the better.

“Hey,” Samantha answered.

“Bad news.” He was quick and to the point as he climbed into his truck.

“What’s the matter? Did something happen?” Her voice rose with every word.

“Everything is fine,” he reassured her. “Except for the fact that I won’t get to see you this weekend.”

“Seriously?” The disappointment in her voice was nearly palpable.

“Seriously,” he answered with a sigh. “Samantha, I’m so sorry. I was really looking forward to seeing you. In fact, that’s what kept me going all week.”

“I’m sorry too,” she said. “You should at least get the night off.”

“I do have the night off. There’s just so much shit to do, I’ll have to spend most of the day tomorrow getting caught up. And there’s no point making the three-hour drive just to turn around and drive back. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I get it,” she reassured him. “Next weekend. Put it in your calendar. We’ll have the entire weekend together.”

“I’m meeting someone for appetizers on my way to the rental. It’s nothing, but I don’t want you to think I’m hiding anything.”

“Okay?”

“I can cancel if you want me to. In fact, I don’t even want to go,” Bryce rushed on.

The phone was silent for a few moments, and Bryce wondered if she’d hung up, or if he dropped the call. He was pulling into the driveway of Miss Mabel’s when she finally spoke.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” she suggested.

That was a solid plan. Things would only sound worse if he explained in bits and pieces. After a long sigh, he explained his miserable situation.

“I’ve done a few jobs for this property owner. It’s the only reason I agreed to work an out-of-town job. He asked me way in advance so I could get licensed in this state.

“Anyway, his daughter is helping out on this job. I wasn’t expecting her to be here because she’s literally never worked with him on any of the other jobs I’ve done for him. She insisted I meet her for dinner. Trust me, I’d rather be on my way to see you.”

Samantha responded after a pause. “Am I missing something? This doesn’t seem like a big deal. Do I come off as a jealous person? I have no problem with you having business dinners, or business lunches.”

“Well, that’s not all. We have a bit of a history. Lizzy and I went out a few times. Things never went far, I swear. She’s too forward. But she is the one who introduced me to Mr. Martin, so I feel like I’m in a terrible position right now. I don’t like spending time with her, and having you back home makes the whole thing feel even worse.”

“Bryce. It’s okay,” she soothed. “Has she done anything recently? What about her makes you uncomfortable?”

“Just being around her does. It’s bad enough that I’m three hours away from you. Whenever she talks to me, she touches my arm, or my hand. She’s just to—familiar.”

“Why don’t you talk to her? It’s probably a good idea if you guys get together outside of the office. Tell her she’s being too familiar. She might not even realize it bothers you. You’re stuck working with her, so you need to find a way to do it comfortably.”

Bryce was stunned. That definitely wasn’t the reaction he’d been counting on. Considering her history with his brother and the way he behaved during their marriage, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she ended the phone call or started putting up her walls again. But everything that came from her mouth was completely reasonable.

“Bryce?” Her voice broke the silence. “Are you there?”

“Yeah. I just wasn’t expecting that.”

“Expecting what?”

“Your response. I think worrying about how you would handle it is part of the reason I’ve been so on edge. I don’t want to ever give you reason to doubt me,” he explained.

“I know you aren’t your brother. If I had doubts, we wouldn’t be where we are. I trust you. Clear the air with this woman. You’ll feel better. I’ll call you in the morning.”

Bryce sat in the truck for several minutes after the call ended. As he sat there, the tension eased from his shoulders. He always thought it was a figure of speech when people spoke of a weight lifting off their chest, but that was the only way he could describe the feeling. His chest literally felt lighter. He inhaled slowly one more time before releasing his breath and stepping out of the truck to meet Lizzy.