15. Anne
15
ANNE
“ H ow was the wedding?” Rina asks, entering the break room.
“Tell us everything,” Natalie purrs, walking in behind her.
They make themselves comfortable, or as comfortable as they can on the small white plastic chairs, staring at me intently.
“It was… good,” I respond, swallowing a bite of my leftover chicken stir-fry.
“Good? It was your ex’s wedding where you brought a fake date. How can good even be an option?” Natalie’s deep brown eyes regard me with suspicion, and my ears start burning.
I won’t tell them about what happened between Lennox and me. I can’t. They would have a field day with it, and I don’t want their jokes to taint the memory. The perfectly preserved memory that I’ll probably be thinking of on my deathbed.
It’s my precious and I’m not letting it go.
Clearing my throat, I elaborate, “By good I mean better than expected. First it got much worse, but by the end it was good.”
“Why did it get much worse?” Rina inquires, opening the homemade quinoa salad Connor prepared for her. Both Matt and Connor make delicious lunches for their wives every day. My stomach twists, reminding me how far I am from having someone take care of me.
“Kaitlyn and Brad were there.”
“No way.” Rina’s eyes pop open.
“Yup. I guess they didn’t really mind Bryce dumping me.”
“Unbelievable.” Natalie was never a fan of Kaitlyn’s. I felt the need to defend my sister’s actions in front of my friends a few times, but not anymore. She deserves all they have to say.
“Good thing you had Lennox there,” Rina adds.
“Yeah, he was really helpful. And a real thorn in Kaitlyn’s side.”
Rina glances at me with a glint in her eyes while Natalie asks, “What do you mean?”
“She was furious about me dating someone like him. She called him a delinquent.” I whisper the last word, but laughter bubbles out.
“And you found her scrutinizing you funny ?” Natalie’s face scrunches. Usually, it’s hard for me to deal with her judgment on my life.
“I mean, have you seen Lennox? Who can honestly look at that man and find a flaw?” As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I regret it.
Rina’s lips turn up while Natalie’s eyes expand. “Oh, you have the hots for him,” she states.
“I don’t…” I start to say.
“It’s perfectly understandable.” She raises her palm. “We’ve all seen him.” Rina, still smiling, nods in agreement.
“So, what’s the plan for the ski trip?” I change the subject.
“Oh, Connor and I will be driving back on Friday to leave Eric with his grandparents, so we can pick you up on the way back.”
“Sure. Thank you.”
“I think Matt said Noah and Alex will drive with us. Which only leaves Lennox?” Natalie turns to Rina.
“Don’t ask me. But I’m guessing he’ll probably drive alone; I don’t see him as a road trip guy really.”
I don’t offer my thoughts. He does seem like a guy that prefers to be on his own, but our time together so far has been great. He wasn’t stuck up, and I haven’t felt like he would rather be alone.
Though after one relationship fiasco after the other, maybe my judgment isn’t to be trusted.
I log the last book I read on my reading app before entering a shabby chic styled coffee shop near the office to meet with one of our volunteers. We’re on track to move our office from the current building to the new, beautiful one Connor built for us at the end of April.
I wonder how it would feel to be loved so much that someone builds you an entire building?
“Hey, Tom. Good to see you.” Tom shakes my hand with a wide smile. His glasses frame his nicely shaped face, his dark hair neatly styled. He’s wearing a beige cardigan with a violin key pin on it, which makes me smile.
“Nice pin.”
“Thanks, Anne. You know I always have to represent.” He does a mock cool pose, eliciting a chuckle out of me. Tom’s been volunteering as a music teacher with our kids for years now and we’ve always gotten along great.
“So, you know we’ll soon be moving offices.” He dips his head, his hand closing around a cup of coffee. “And I’m excited to tell you we’ll have a fully equipped music room for you to use.”
His lips turn up, surprise flickering in his eyes. “Come on, Anne. What are you, my genie in a bottle?” His gaze sizes me up, my skin prickling with the unexpected flirting.
“Guess so.” I return his smile awkwardly. I was never good at flirting, but Tom is cute and I’m single and in need of some practice. “But really, you’re going to love the new space.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Maybe I’ll even be able to work in some more students.”
“That would be great. I’m sure we’ll have more kids interested.” Though not as popular as our sports programs, more and more kids are interested in the music program, which is amazing. “So, how have you’ve been?” This is what I’m supposed to do, isn’t it? Ask questions?
“Pretty good. Doing a new play with the kids at the school so you know—busy, busy.” He chuckles and I join in. “You? I haven’t seen you in so long.”
“Uhm, actually, Bryce and I broke up since the last time we spoke. So that’s new.” I smile, playing it off. “Just adjusting to the single life, I guess.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. How long has it been?”
“Just about two months. But I’m doing okay, really.” And I am. I don’t really miss him much. But the breakup triggered a whole lot of other problems, like the fact that my family are a bunch of a-holes.
“Glad to hear it.” His warm brown eyes soften.
“It was nice seeing you,” I say, as we say our goodbyes in front of the coffee shop.
“You too. And if you ever wish to meet, regardless of the BYC, I would love to take you out.” His eyes are hopeful, expecting my response.
“Oh. I-I don’t think I’m ready yet,” I stutter. “It’s still too soon.”
“I completely understand.” He nods. “Have a nice rest of the day.” I’m left staring at his retreating form, doubt creeping in.
Should I have said yes?
He is, after all, a guy I would normally go for. Sweet, polite, more on the nerdy side. But I’m not ready to date.
The books I read are by far the wildest thing about me. And not a lot of people know about them. Natalie is always on my case about the things I read and exploring them in real life, but I’ve assured her it it’s not something I wanted.
Fiction doesn’t translate well to reality.
The way Lennox commanded my body wasn’t something I’ve experienced before. The way I played with my nipples while he licked me wasn’t something I’ve done before, either. Nope.
I was always too mild, too timid for anything similar, preferring missionary with the lights off so I wouldn’t have to stress about how my body looks. But, shoot, nothing has ever felt like this.
Which is why I need to get to know myself first before risking losing myself in another relationship. Judging from that night, there’s a lot about me I don’t know.
By the time I’m done with work and back home, I’m still hot and bothered thinking about it. My hand itches to slip into my panties but it’s not something I often do. Sometimes, when reading my books, my fingers find their way to my core, but afterward there’s a bitter taste left in my mouth. Like what I did was shameful, undignified.
Sighing, I give up on the idea, grabbing one of my books instead. It’s a sweet, fluffy romance, not one of the spicier ones. There’s no need to make matters worse.
Rina and Connor pick me up after work on Friday.
“What’s the cabin like? Did you hit the slopes?” I ask them as soon as I enter the car.
Honestly, I’m excited for the weekend getaway. It’s weird that I was supposed to be there with Bryce, but after the wedding, he doesn’t occupy much of my mind’s real estate.
“The cabin’s gorgeous, you’ll see.” Rina smiles from the front seat. “And the ski runs are great, much better than last year’s. Though I only cheered them on from the sidelines this year.”
The thought of her not being able to ski hasn’t even occurred to me. “Right. Guess this isn’t the best ski year for you.”
“No, it’s been great. I’ve enjoyed the snow and the fresh air. Also, I caught up on a ton of rest while the two of them were skiing.”
Connor taught her and Eric to ski just two years ago. I, on the other hand, have been doing it ever since I can remember. My family frequented all the fancy ski resorts, but those trips were less about the sport and more about business networking. Me and my sister were typically left with an instructor while my parents hit the slopes until we were old enough to be included in the schmoozing.
I return Rina’s smile before turning to Connor.
“How’s the BYC baby coming up?” The new office Connor is building for us was named our baby since we found out about it, but there’s a real baby in play now, so it got demoted.
“It’s good. Everything should be going as scheduled. Though in construction, it’s a daily surprise, finding out if we still on schedule or if something came up that will set us back months. ” He chuckles.
“Oof, sounds fun,” I reply sarcastically.
“It will be when it’s done.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” I practically squeal.
“We should be able to visit in a week or two,” Rina responds, turning a loving gaze to Connor. A pang of envy hits me. Both of my best friends found perfect men, men like the ones I read about, who are romantic and loving and devastatingly handsome. And my last date was a fake one.
“I look forward to it.” My gaze turns to the side, watching the scenery as we drive to Stevens Pass.
The snow gets deeper the longer we drive, the tall forest growing denser, and flutters of excitement appear in my belly. I can’t wait to hit the slopes. To feel the freedom of rushing down a mountain, leaving snow dust behind.
We chat some more, and soon, Connor pulls up in front of the cabin. I exit the car, breathing in a deep, freezing breath.
“Wow, this is amazing.” The cabin is magazine worthy. It’s huge and modern, but the A-frame and the wood siding give it a rustic look.
Connor grabs my stuff and takes Rina’s elbow to carefully guide her to the wooden front door.
“Be careful, Anne. I cleaned it up this morning, but I guess a few more inches of snow fell in the meantime.”
The stairs to the door are frozen and covered in snow, so I grab the railing with all my might, willing my clumsiness away.
Thankfully, I manage to get in the house without falling. The inside is even more breathtaking than the outside. The open floor space centers around a huge fireplace where the fire quietly crackles, and Connor rushes to put more logs in.
“When is everyone else arriving?”
“Matt’s car should be here in twenty minutes or so, and Lennox won’t be arriving until tomorrow,” Rina responds.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he had some things to deal with around the house.” Connor shrugs. A knot forms in my belly as I battle a rush of disappointment. I was hoping to hang out with him. After all, everyone else is coupled up here.
I walk up to the wall covered in windows with a breathtaking terrace beyond it. A huge hot tub adorns the terrace, overlooking the snowy mountains. It’s breathtaking. And more romantic than my single heart can take.
“I’ll take my stuff upstairs,” I say. “Which room is mine?”
“Oh, ours is first one to the left and you’re free to choose from the others since you’re the first one here.” Rina’s lips turn up. I grab my suitcase, declining Connor’s offer to help.
At the top of the staircase sits a hallway with four doors. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t check out each of the rooms. Turns out there are four bedrooms here that look pretty much the same, each with an adjoining bathroom.
I pick the one on the far right and lay on the huge, wooden framed bed. Four bedrooms. Meaning Lennox and I will have to share a bedroom. Again.
My cheeks heat up as excitement battles the embarrassment within me. The excited part of me vividly remembers the last time we shared a room, while the embarrassed part feels like I’m trapping the poor man, forcing him to spend time in a confined space with me. Which he probably isn’t interested in.
But it’s not like I planned it. It’s just a coincidence that we’re forced to share a room again.