21. Noah
Chapter 21
Noah
B eing Vic’s fake boyfriend was the easiest job I’d ever had. Mostly, it consisted of hanging out like we had been and going about our lives normally. Most mornings, Tess and I would walk to the Caffeinated Moose. We’d pick up a latte for Vic or wait for her to meet us after she’d gotten cleaned up after our run, and I’d inevitably be trapped for at least five minutes while people gushed about us.
One thing was clear: everyone I encountered adored Vic. They respected how hard she worked for the community. I’d never thought to stop and appreciate the way Lovewell valued character and hard work before.
I’d lived in many remote places, but nothing compared to the unforgiving terrain up here. The harsh winters, steamy summers, endless mosquitos, and wild storms that made the people here band together and take care of one another.
Now I saw it clearly. Day in and day out. The way people helped one another. Leaned on each other. And Vic was an important piece of this community puzzle.
Tess and I let ourselves into Vic’s apartment to deliver her coffee. It had become our tradition on the mornings we didn’t run together.
“Ick-Ick,” Tess called out happily, squirming in my arm.
The moment I set her on the floor, she dropped to her knees and crawled at a high rate of speed toward Vic’s bedroom door.
When it opened, I almost fainted.
My fake girlfriend stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a bathing suit.
And not a normal bathing suit.
This one had all kinds of cutouts in the torso. Technically it was probably considered a one-piece, but it covered less skin than a bikini. The sides were cut up high, exposing her hips and just barely covering her ass.
I shuffled sideways and splayed a hand on the table to steady myself.
In the suit that left nothing to the imagination and her hair down like that, she looked like a goddess. The scrap of fabric was a deep chocolate brown and dipped low in front, barely covering each of her round breasts.
My mouth went dry, and I lost the ability to form a sentence.
Then she leaned down to scoop up Tess, and all blood flow to my brain ceased.
She sauntered over, mostly naked, with my kid on her hip, and took the coffee cup off the table. With a small smile, she brought it to her lips and took a long sip.
“Thanks. I need this today.”
Words.
I should speak words.
Yes, brain. Good plan.
“Wow.”
Fuck. It was like I’d never seen a pretty girl in a bathing suit before.
Scratch that. I’d seen lots of pretty girls.
But I’d never seen a woman so sexy. Her proximity made it hard to breathe.
“It’s gonna be hot today,” I said. “You should turn the AC on.”
The month of June in Maine was like one extreme mood swing after another. The temperature could be anywhere between thirty and ninety degrees. We’d had a frost a couple of weeks ago, but today was already stifling.
Though it could be because there wasn’t enough oxygen in this apartment.
With a nod, she took another sip of coffee.
“You look…”
Words. Need words.
Good words.
“Very beachy.”
Beachy? I wanted to slam my head into the wall.
“My parents are hosting a party at their lake house today.” She sighed, holding her cup to one side so Tess couldn’t reach it. “Or compound, as my mother insists on calling it.” Hip jutted out, she rolled her eyes. “I didn’t plan on going, but then I remembered that I bought this cute swimsuit when my annual bout of winter depression was at its peak.”
She put Tess on the rug and dragged over the basket of toys she’d collected.
Sweet mercy. I could tell the suit cut high on her backside, but the sight of her full ass on display was enough to cause a guy to stroke out. The ass I’d always thought was quite nice, I suddenly discovered, was so much greater than that.
“What do you think? Too much? I’m probably way too old to pull this off.”
“It’s sexy,” I blurted out, sweat suddenly beading at my temples. “You look confident and beautiful.” I tore my hat from my head and wiped at my brow with the back of my wrist.
Her neck and chest flushed. Damn. I’d never get tired of seeing her skin go pink in response to my compliments.
“Thanks.” She lowered her head and focused on her feet, as if she could hide the reaction from me. “So,” she said, her shoulders deflating. “I wasn’t going to ask. But…” She covered her face with her hands. “Can you come with me? You know, as my doting boyfriend?”
“Yes,” I rushed out without a moment to think it through. “I’d love to.”
I’d do anything she asked if it meant seeing her in that bathing suit again.
I may need to take a very long shower first.
“It’s okay if you—”
“No.” I held up a hand. “We planned to swing by my mom’s for a play date with Thor. I’ll text her. I’m sure she’d love to hang out with Tess for a few hours.”
She nodded. “It was a last-minute invite. It will probably be awful, so I’ll apologize in advance.”
I took a step toward her, eliminating the space between us. With my chest so close to hers they’d probably touch if either of us inhaled deeply, I put my hand on her bare shoulder. For a moment, I got lost in the sweep of her neck and the idea of kissing my way across her collarbones.
“I told you I’d do whatever you needed. As your boyfriend, I have to be there.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her ragged breaths caressing the skin of my neck and her heat radiating through me.
“Fake boyfriend,” she whispered.
“Right.” My heart pounded in my ears. Fuck, she smelled so good. “Fake boyfriend.”
“But my real friend.”
That word was a bucket of cold water over my head. I took a step back and sucked in air that didn’t smell like her.
Friend. Just friends. Friend zone. Zone of friendship.
This interaction had fried my synapses. I’d momentarily lost my sanity. This was Vic. The best person I knew. And she’d been very clear that she was not interested.
Day after day, as she became a bigger part of my life and Tess’s, my resolve to do whatever it took to keep her around grew.
I couldn’t lose her. Tess couldn’t lose her.
No matter how badly I ached to touch her and kiss her, it couldn’t happen.
“When do we have to be there?”
“Noon.”
With surprising ease, I shifted into dad mode and scooped my little girl up. “Okay. Let me feed Tess, call my mom, and get organized.” I kissed her on the nose, eliciting a baby giggle. “Wanna go play at Grandma’s today?”
She vigorously rubbed her chest, signing “please” over and over, the giggling turning into a delighted squeal.
“I guess we’ve got a plan.”
Vic’s mom had been right. This place was a compound.
The mile-long driveway wound through dense forest. Along the way, we passed a handful of small buildings, and when we reached a perfectly manicured field, what looked like a horse stable sat on the far side of it.
The main house had a massive circular drive with a fountain in the middle.
A fucking fountain.
The white-brick structure with massive columns was totally out of place in Northern Maine. It looked like it belonged on the French Riviera.
Champagne and flowers in hand, we made our way past several cars and headed to the front entrance. “How many people did they invite?”
Vic shrugged. “With my mother, you never know.”
The home hugged the shoreline, with large wings extending on each side.
“Shit,” Vic hissed as we stepped into the massive foyer. “I didn’t realize houses like this existed in Lovewell.”
Head tipped back, I blinked at the cavernous space. I’d known there were a few big estates on the lakefront, but nothing like this. Everything, from the massive crystal chandeliers to the large ornate vases, screamed money.
My flip-flops slapped on the marble floor as we headed for the back of the house.
Miranda, looking only mildly annoyed to see us, greeted us near the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the back of the house. The view of the lake was incredible.
“The pool is over there.” She gestured to the elevated area surrounding the massive swimming pool and hot tub. It was dotted with blue-and-white-striped umbrellas and stark white reclining chairs. “We’ve got two bars. The caterers are setting up now.”
She wore a floral caftan and a large diamond necklace that glinted in the sun as she surveyed the patio and her guests. I wasn’t sure it was wise to tempt fate by wearing several carats’ worth of diamonds so close to the deep lake, but she didn’t seem concerned.
With the warmest expression I could muster, I held out the bouquet. “Your home is beautiful.”
She gave me a forced smile. “Thank you. It was a steal. We’d been looking on the coast, but everything up here in the sticks is so cheap. It was hard to pass up.”
Vic winced next to me, as if she, like me, was steeling herself for a painful afternoon.
Outside, a somewhat snoozy party was in full swing. Kids were splashing in the pool while adults chatted over cocktails.
Miranda, the trained hostess she was, I was certain, showed us around, introducing us to various guests. Several people I knew from town were here, while others, including some of Vic’s aunt and uncles, had come to visit from Downeast.
“This is Victoria’s boyfriend. She married a bond trader, but now she’s dating a firefighter.” She infused so much disgust in the word firefighter , one would think I was a petty criminal or cleaned port-a-potties for a living.
“Don’t worry, Mommy.” Alexandra, clad in a ruffled bikini, sidled up next to her mom. “I married the bond trader.”
The circle of older ladies sipping prosecco laughed like it was the funniest joke they’d ever heard while Miranda beamed at Alexandra, who was rubbing her belly. It had grown a little since the wedding, though now it looked like she’d eaten one too many cheeseburgers. Though I doubted the woman would deign to eat such pedestrian food.
My gut sank. Were these people for real? Beside me, Vic had pasted on a strange smile. I wanted to shake her, to scream at everyone here, and then, with my hand in hers, jump into the lake and make a swim for our freedom.
Instead, I steered her over to a pair of lounge chairs. My timing was impeccable too. The moment our backs were turned, Alexandra had pulled up ultrasound photos of the baby she and Graham—her sister’s asshole ex-husband —had created.
I guided Vic to sit, then snagged two bottles of water from a server passing by before I joined her.
For a moment, I let her sit in the quiet. But when she hadn’t moved an inch for more than a minute, I scooted my chair closer to hers and squeezed her hand.
Sunglasses lowered, she looked at me, her eyes rimmed red.
“Thank you,” she mouthed. With that, she slid them back up and rested against the back of her chair, never letting go of my hand.
I squeezed her hand three times and looked out at the water. The lake was pristine and the forest surrounding it thick. The only signs of civilization were a few mansions and the town marina on the far end. The rest of the expanse appeared untouched, wild. Katahdin and the Appalachian Trail created a serene backdrop. It was the perfect reminder that no matter how fancy the house, we were still in Maine.
We’d spent our childhoods in this lake, jumping off tree limbs, skinny dipping, and all kinds of other stupid stuff. It made me strangely happy to be here with Vic.
Elizabeth wandered over, along with a little boy wearing Bluey swim trunks who darted straight to Vic and looped his arms around her waist.
“Look how grown up you are,” she said as she stood and ruffled his hair.
Head tipped back, he launched into a monologue about what he was learning in kindergarten, bouncing on his toes the whole time.
While I watched, not even bothering to hide a chuckle at his excitement, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I inhaled and stood as well, bracing myself for a conversation I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
Instead of being met with scrutiny, I found Elizabeth smiling widely. “So good of you to come.”
“It’s a lovely home,” I replied, letting my shoulders fall a fraction.
“Can I get you anything?”
I shook my head.
She stood there smiling at me, the moment getting more awkward by the second. Eventually, blessedly, her son led her away.
Vic sat and adjusted her chair so she was reclined fully, giving me an eyeful of her swimsuit.
The lake view was amazing, but nothing compared to the sight of my fake girlfriend.
Thank fuck I’d worn sunglasses. It meant I could ogle Vic without looking like a total perv. Though now that I was studying her, I could see the tension radiating off her.
I flagged down a server and took two more bottles of water before I sat. With the backs of my knuckles, I brushed her jawline, then used my thumb and forefinger to tip her chin up so she met my eye.
Vic leaned over, sliding her sunglasses down her nose. “I’m sorry.”
I laced my fingers behind my head and leaned back in the chair. “Don’t be. I’m having fun. It’s not every day I get to hang out in a fancy mansion with a gorgeous date. The rest of the company may be lacking, but I could happily sit and talk to you for days.”
She huffed, lowering her focus to where she was wringing her hands. “My mother is such a snob. What she said about firefighters?” Another huff, her shoulders drooping. “Then there’s Elizabeth. I have no idea what’s come over her. She keeps awkwardly staring at you like a piece of meat. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey.”
I cupped her jaw, noticing then that her sister, who was now across the pool, was watching intently. Since we had an audience, I figured I’d put on a show, so I pulled Vic into a lingering kiss. It was chaste enough for public, but possessive enough to ensure everyone here knew who she belonged to.
I pulled back slowly, and the smile that spread across her face lit me up inside. I wanted to properly kiss her. To take my time savoring the taste of her and the feel of her curves under my hands.
“I’m not a piece of meat.” I brushed a kiss against her knuckles. “I’m your piece of meat.”
She giggled, her cheeks going pink. “They’re just jealous because you’re so hot.”
I shook my head, relishing the way my lips ghosted over her fingers while I kept them close. “Nah, they’re jealous because you’re so hot.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and glared. At least I thought she glared. It was hard to tell when she wore sunglasses. “Don’t do that. I don’t need you to lie to me to make me feel better. I’m a cow compared to them.” She looked down. “My hips are huge, I’ve got cellulite,I—”
I squeezed her hand firmly to shut her up. “Are you drunk? You are the most gorgeous creature in this county, maybe the state.”
She sat up and crossed her arms, which made her breasts press against the skimpy fabric.
“That”—I nodded, allowing myself the briefest of peeks at her cleavage—“is not helping your case.”
“Elizabeth is a former ballerina”. She said it as though the title was some kind of indication of her worth.
Sure, Elizabeth was tall and was so thin that in the skimpy bikini she wore, anyone within twenty feet count every one of her vertebrae. The task was only made easier by her perfect posture. She had been civil to me and seemed like an engaged parent, so I couldn’t fault her.
Compared to her sisters, Vic looked like a Renaissance painting. All creamy skin and delicious curves. Long legs, curvy waist, and pouty smile.
I would never understand why women were always comparing themselves and finding so many faults in their own bodies. Beauty came in many forms. So did desirability.
Standing, I pulled her up with me. Then I placed my hands on her shoulders and angled in until my lips skated over her earlobe.
“When I saw you in that bathing suit this morning, I was dangerously close to popping a boner while holding my child. You’re a goddess, Victoria.”
She let out a little gasp, and the sound went straight to my dick. I wanted to unleash a tirade of every filthy fantasy I’d ever had about her, but I’d already crossed the line. I couldn’t light the match and watch it burn.
Instead, I pulled her close and gently kissed her forehead.
“And more importantly, you’re my friend. I won’t let you talk shit about my friend.”