11. Been There. Done That
11
Roxy
“He let you drive his Jeep?”
I nod at Tessa as she works on a coffee order for another customer. One of her baristas called in sick, so she’s needed behind the bar. We’ve been chatting as she works, and I’m telling her all about my trip to River Springs with Miles yesterday.
“Yeah,” I say. “It was awesome. You know I’ve always wanted one, and I told Miles that. He said I should know how the vehicle handles before I decide to buy.”
“But he let you drive his Jeep?” Tessa reiterates like she’s saying the moon just crash-landed in the Pacific Ocean.
“Yes,” I say, losing patience. “Why are you looking at me like you just swallowed some worms, or something?”
She shakes her head with a quiet laugh. “Sorry. It’s just…Miles just bought that Jeep a couple of months ago and treats it like a baby. He gets mad if someone breathes on it wrong.”
“Yeah, I can tell he’s a little obsessed with it,” I say with a chuckle.
“And he let you drive.”
She shakes her head, and I follow her to the other end of the counter and wait while she delivers a steaming paper cup to the customer. After the man wanders away toward a table in the back, Tessa returns her attention to me.
“He said he trusts me,” I say, feeling a bit defensive.
“He trusts you,” she replies, her eyes unfocused as she nods.
“What are you? A parrot? Why do you keep repeating everything like that?”
She pins me with those bright blue eyes. “He trusts you with his car when he hasn’t even let Riggs, his best friend, drive it. He takes you on a day-date to an amusement park––”
“It wasn’t a date,” I interject.
“––and he agrees to joint custody of a teddy bear,” she goes on like I didn’t speak.
When I told her all about Herman, she had her poker face on, but now? Now she’s staring at me with mischief in her eyes. And an extremely smug smile.
“You sure you guys are just friends?” she asks, cocking her head to study me.
“Yes, Tessa, I’m sure,” I say, my voice deepening with frustration. “Friends hang out. Friends go to amusement parks together and draw up fake custody agreements for stuffed toys. And friends let other friends drive their cars. It’s no big deal.”
“We need Skye and Hadley’s opinions on this,” she says, pulling her phone from her apron pocket and tapping at the screen.
“What are you doing?” I ask just before my own phone chimes in my pocket.
I pull it out and open the texting app to see a message in our group chat from Tessa.
Tessa: Emergency girls’ night out. My place, tonight at seven.
“Emergency?” I ask, lifting my gaze to meet Tessa’s.
“Oh, it’s an emergency, all right. You, my friend, need an intervention.”
“For what? Having a guy as a friend?” I scoff.
“For insisting friendship is what you want when it clearly is not.”
“To life’s pleasures.”
I smile at Hadley, then look at Tessa as she says her part. “To life’s joys.”
“To lots of sex,” I add.
“With big, strong boys!” Skye finishes, and we clink our glasses together before lifting them to our lips.
Skye sets her glass down with a frown.
“What’s with you?” I ask, nudging her shoulder.
“It’s not fair. Tessa’s the only one of us getting all the sex with her very own big, strong boy.”
“And that’s why we’re here,” Tessa says.
“Uh, sorry, girl, but I’m suffering through a serious drought right now. I don’t need a play by play of your sexploits with Riggs,” Skye says with a groan.
“Not me,” Tessa says. “Roxy.”
“What? I’m not having sex with anyone,” I say, pressing a hand to my chest.
“But you could be,” Tessa shoots back with a smug smile.
I roll my eyes dramatically. I don’t know what I thought. Maybe that Tessa would forget she called this so-called emergency intervention? Fat chance.
“Oh, are we talking about Miles and Roxy’s ridiculous attempt to hold him at an arm’s length?” Hadley asks, and I narrow my eyes at her.
Pointing a finger, I say, “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
She holds up her hands in submission, shooting me a wink.
“We’re all on your side, Rox,” Tessa says, her voice gentling. “Tell them about yesterday.”
I heave a sigh, which gets me zero sympathy from my friends. So, I do as Tessa asked and tell them about my day with Miles. The text messages, the day at the park, Herman and our silly custody arrangement, and finally, his offer to let me drive his Jeep.
“We’re friends. Like I told that bitch this morning,” I say throwing up a hand to stab a finger in Tessa’s direction, “friends hang out. It was…fun.”
“Well, if Roxy says they’re just friends, then that’s what they are,” Hadley says quietly. “I think it’s sweet.”
“Thank you, Hadley,” I say, giving her a firm nod.
She always has my back against the other two.
“Bullshit!” Skye shouts, slamming her glass down onto the table. “You like him.”
“Friends do tend to like each other,” I deadpan.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it, hooker,” Skye says. “You do know you can bang him and not fall into a relationship, right? Casual sex is a real thing.”
“She’s right,” Tessa says. “I know you’re only pushing away what you really want because you’re scared of some big, catastrophic fallout should things go bad. You’re protecting me from having to choose sides when it happens, but Roxy, it doesn’t have to end like that.”
“But it could,” I say, feeling some of what little resolve I have left slipping away. “It could happen, and I would feel awful about it.”
“Or you could have some fun for a while, no strings attached, then go back to being just friends when and if it fizzles out,” Skye offers.
“Is that even possible?” I ask, flinching at the sliver of hope I feel pulsing in my chest.
“Of course, it is. This isn’t high school. You’re both adults, and you can handle things the way you choose to handle them. It wouldn’t have to end in disaster,” Tessa says.
“What say you?” I ask Hadley. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
She shrugs. “I don’t have any relationship experience to compare this to. I’ll just have your back, whatever you decide.”
I give her a soft smile. In a group of big personalities that are, at times, extremely volatile, Hadley is the pumice stone that softens our edges. She knows when to interject and when to sit back and offer solid support.
“And why haven’t you been in any relationships?” I ask, tilting my head to study her. “You’re hot as fuck and sweet as sugar. Why hasn’t a lucky guy scooped you up yet?”
“No. Nuh-uh,” Skye says, pulling my attention away from Hadley. “No changing the subject. This is your intervention, not hers.”
“Nice try, though,” Tessa adds with a grin when I slump back into my chair.
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved with Miles,” I groan.
“You’re already involved with him,” Tessa says, then rolls her eyes and adds, “as friends.”
“Exactly, so why rock the boat?” I ask.
“Because you obviously need your boat rocked by all six-foot-four-inches of him,” Skye says as if my question was the stupidest thing she’s ever heard.
“Been there. Done that,” I quip, but it rings false to even my ears.
“I know you think you’re protecting my happiness, and I love you for it,” Tessa says. “But I’m a big girl, and I can handle myself. And I want you to be happy, too, Roxy. We all do.”
Hadley reaches over and takes my hand, smiling as she gives it a hard squeeze. I look at the other two, who are staring at me expectantly. I heave out a long breath and frown.
“Fine,” I say. “I’ll think about it.”
“Yay!” Tessa cheers, lifting her glass toward the center of the table. When we all clink ours against hers, she adds, “To lots of sex with big strong boys!”
I roll my eyes––again––but smile behind my glass as I take a long drink of my cocktail.
Could they be right? Could I really have my cake and eat it, too? Or will my dire predictions come true?
I don’t know the answer to that, but I can’t deny the giddy feeling blooming in my stomach.
I need to come up with a plan that protects everyone while still getting me exactly what I want––Miles Blake in my bed.