Pawliday Love

Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

CHELSEA

E ight Years Ago

I sigh when Vivian walks up to the counter with her mile-long coffee order. I’d considered her my best friend in college until our husbands died in the same accident and she acted like it was somehow my fault. She’d always been on the snooty side, but she turned into a downright snob when she married Montgomery Walsh a year later.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, falling into the dutiful friend role out of habit when I notice her puffy eyes.

“Oh, Chelsea!” she wails before looking around as she lowers her voice. “Jenny is pregnant.”

I gasp in mock horror. Honestly, I’m not really surprised that her daughter is pregnant at sixteen. Jenny’s been rebellious since Vivian remarried and started referring to her new husband as Jenny’s father.

“It’s just so…embarrassing.” Vivian tilts her chin up like she can force the shame away if her nose is high enough in the air. “Especially with her father just receiving his tenure at the University.”

When I mention that I didn’t know Jenny had a boyfriend, Vivian scoffs. “It was that Campbell boy, Maddox. Ian is devastated that his best friend took advantage of his sister that way.”

Stepsister, I correct her in my head as she continues her rant. “You should be glad that the other Campbell’s moved away. I know that Tracey was close with their boy. She could have ended up the same way. I mean…they moved to Colorado to grow Marijuana for God’s sake.”

She sneers the word “Marijuana” like she didn’t used to smoke it at every party we went to in college and I’m over her haughty attitude.

“There are worse ways to earn a livin’.” My southern accent comes out with my anger. “And Tracey is devastated that Joey moved away. So, you’d better not be bad mouthin’ them in front of her. Some mothers actually care about what their children are goin’ through.”

“I care ,” she huffs. “I’m worried about Jenny’s education. She’s talking about getting a job instead of finishing high school and she’s not entertaining college at all.”

Vivian doesn’t seem to remember that education doesn’t pay the bills or feed a baby. But I remember what it’s like to be a single mom. So, I offer to give Jenny a job here where she can work around her schedule.

I smile when Tony walks in with a takeout container just as the lunch rush ends. I won’t lie, my panties still get wet every time he’s around. Since meeting him, my neglected libido has been off the charts.

After Ted died, the grief was too raw to imagine him—not that our sex life was ever that great anyway—and I was never attracted to anyone else. So, I went ten years without any sex drive whatsoever.

“I see you, Hellsy ,” Tony whispers as he leans across the counter.

Tony

I smirk as I take in Chelsea’s hungry expression.

“Stop it.” Chelsea rolls her eyes. “I was just imagining a Margarita to go with my burger.”

When she tells me about her argument with Vivian Walsh, I whistle through my teeth. I’m a pretty easy-going guy, but I’ve found it difficult not to put that woman in her place several times.

I tell Chelsea to close the shop and come with me like she does on a rare occasion when she’s having a rough day. She still won’t drink at the bar, but she’ll sit in my apartment with her food and Margarita while my cat circles her ankles. Then, she’ll pull him into her lap and let the rest of her stress go while we argue over who is Mistletoe’s favorite human.

“I can’t.” She sighs. “I told Vivan to bring Jenny in for a job interview.”

“You offered her kid a job after she pissed you off?”

“It’s not Jenny’s fault that her mom is a bitch.” Chelsea slaps her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I said that.”

I shrug before telling her it’s nothing but the truth. “You know you don’t have to fake it with me, Hellsy .” I jump back when she swats at me. “Come over after you close tonight. The new bartender can handle a weeknight by himself.”

Chelsea nods and it’s all I can do not to fist pump the air as I walk out just as Vivian walks in with her daughter.

“Just stay here. I’ll sleep on the couch,” I offer when Chelsea mentions calling a cab after her second Margarita.

“I can’t. I have… things to do at home.” Her face blushes as she squeezes her thighs together.

“Oh, feel free to do those things here.” I bounce by eyebrows before letting out an “oof” when she smacks my chest.

“I should do it here,” she huffs. “It’s all your fault I have those… needs .” She waves her hand. “I was perfectly fine for ten years…until you gave me two orgasms in one night. I think you broke me. I bought a toy and everything, but it’s not the same.”

I groan as I shift in my seat. “What do you need that you can’t give yourself?” I know I’m just torturing myself with this conversation, but this is the first time she’s acknowledged the night we met out loud.

“You!” she shouts. “Your hands on my body. Your beard scratching my thighs. Your dirty words in my ear. Everything you did that night.”

“I also told you that night to take what you want from me,” I remind her as I scoot closer to her and cup her cheek.

“I can’t.” She leans into my touch despite her words. “We’re…friends.”

“Friends with benefits is a thing, you know?” I kiss her neck before I whisper, “I don’t mind being your dirty little secret.”

“I don’t want you to feel that way,” she says. “I don’t want to use you.”

“I see you, Hellsy. So, by all means, fucking use me.” Before she can respond, I pull her into my lap and kiss her.