Six
The list of stupid decisions was getting infinitely longer as the day went on. Sitting down at Will’s table, not telling the truth, pretending she was with Will, leaving work early—she hadn’t even cashed out and now her pay would be docked a couple of hours—agreeing to go out with a man who was far too sexy for her to make smart decisions around. And now she was here. Lexi stared at the bottle of wine she rested against the steering wheel. She couldn’t show up with nothing even if Will brought something. Especially if he brought something. She’d bought the most expensive cheap bottle she could find. And was seriously contemplating taking a swig. When was the last time she’d even been to a party?
Flashbacks of high school flitted through her head. She didn’t want to be a Bruce Springsteen song but she truly felt like her glory days were long gone. Life had passed at a molasses-like pace for a while after her dad died. She’d slipped under the surface of her own life only to drown in the depths of her dad’s debt—which her mom had known nothing about—and her mother’s profound sadness. By the time Lexi emerged from the weight of all of that, someone had pushed the fast-forward button. Everything spiraled at an alarming speed and most days, Lexi was still trying to catch up. She’d tried to keep the company going at first but when it became clear she couldn’t, one of her dad’s employees agreed to pay off the business debt in exchange for the business. She’d had no choice, and it meant they’d kept the house.
Which means you’re entitled to some slips and slides.
The path was clearing, there was an actual chance of her becoming her own person again. But not tonight. Tonight, she’d do what she did best: pretend everything was okay. That she was okay.
Her lips pursed, moved back and forth. No one would notice if she opened the bottle. She didn’t usually need liquid courage but she wasn’t sure she had it in her to put on another show. This afternoon’s had drained her. Would they have even invited her if they’d realized she was their waitress? Would they have had the same level of excitement? If she walked through that door tonight, she had to keep up with a charade she shouldn’t have started. Lexi just wanted to be herself. Or at least, figure out who her self was now.
Her phone buzzed, making her jump.
The Man You Share Everything With
Are you contemplating life or opening that bottle of wine?
Her head snapped up, her gaze locking with Will’s. Mortification swamped her. Had he seen her talking to herself?
He stood at her driver’s-side door, knees bent, grinning at her. That little dimple in his left cheek popped and his dark eyes sparkled with mischief. God. He was gorgeous. Or maybe his smile was just so great, it transformed him. No escaping now. Unless she told him to jump in and drove them up to the bluff where she’d hung out with Jackie and Becca when they were younger. She and Will could polish off the wine under the stars. Sounds almost romantic.
She didn’t particularly need romance. Definitely didn’t need the happily-ever-after her mom craved from her books, the kind she’d lost with no warning. No, Lexi didn’t know who the hell she’d turned out to be but she knew she didn’t want to love someone so much it would tear her apart if something happened. Stop worrying about the past and the future. He’s gorgeous, funny, sweet, and could be anywhere else he wanted tonight but he chose to be with you. Maybe pretending wouldn’t be so bad if she got to laugh and have fun with Will. No strings. Just a break from regularly scheduled programing.
Tugging her purse over her head, shoving her phone inside, she gripped the neck of the bottle in one hand, keys in the other, and got out of the car.
She leaned against the door, shivering in the night air, drinking him in. Spending time with him, despite the circumstances, would not be a hardship. Will stared at her. He’d dressed in seemingly ironed jeans—a sight she’d never seen before—and a gray buttondown that somehow looked casual, sophisticated, and sexy AF. Yes, she’d said AF in her head. His thin leather bomber jacket looked soft and expensive. Judging from the neighborhood, he’d fit right in at the party.
“Hi,” he said. Just that, paired with his half smile, amused gaze, and that damn shirt, was enough to make her wonder what she was really getting herself into.
“Hi.”
“That is an excellent bottle of wine,” he said, gesturing with a chin nod.
She glanced down at it, tilted it to see the label. “Really?” Wine wasn’t her thing but maybe she was better at choosing than she thought.
“Not at all but it’ll get you nice and drunk if that’s what you’re after.”
Despite the bouncy-ball feeling in her stomach, he’d made her laugh. Again. And that felt good. She didn’t do a whole lot of it these days and it was strange to realize she missed it. She met his gaze. “Maybe I’ll hang on to it and see how the night goes.”
“Good plan. You should have brought a bigger purse. Stashed it inside.” He shook his head with a mock frown, like she’d let him down by not thinking ahead.
“I clearly didn’t think that all the way through,” she said, falling into step beside him as they crossed the quiet street. Both sides were lined with elegant, new-looking family homes. No fixer-uppers here. The house was a two-story Colonial with more windows along the front than Lexi’s whole house had.
“You look really good,” he said.
His emphasis on the word really made her heart and stomach spasm in tandem. So did the way his eyes roamed over the high-waisted black jeans that she’d paired with a slightly bulky, off-the-shoulder dark-green sweater. She didn’t run the way she used to but she kept in shape, and thanks to yoga her arms and shoulders were sleek. Will’s obvious appreciation made her happy she hadn’t bothered with a jacket even with the bite in the air.
Stopping at the start of the cobblestone path leading up to the door, Lexi tipped her head back to look up at him. “So do you. Really good. This is a strange not-date date, isn’t it?”
He nodded, firming up those full, alluring lips. “We don’t have to label it.” His lips twitched. “But should you give me a little background? If we’re supposedly together for the night, they might think we know something about each other.”
She pursed her lips again. An age-old habit she’d shared with her dad. When her dad was sorting through something, he’d always push his lips together, twist them side to side. Her mom would see and pop over to kiss him. Said he was asking for it. Lexi flattened her lips.
“Hmm. Okay. Fast five. I’m twenty-five, a former track star, current waitress slash Dress Hut manager. I’ve worked there since high school so I’ve come a long way, baby. I live in Astrid Park and my favorite color is amaranth.”
“You made that last thing up.”
She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
His brows lowered. How could eyebrows be sexy? “You definitely weren’t a Scout.”
She laughed. “It’s a shade of reddish pink. It’s unique and beautiful. Your turn.”
“Fine. But only because we’ll draw attention if we don’t go in soon. Thirty. Played varsity basketball. I’m the financial officer at my work. Worked my way up since high school so we have that in common. What color would you say Lay’s potato chips are? That’s my favorite color.”
Letting out a snort-laugh embarrassed her but he didn’t seem to mind. “That should cover it. What else could real couples possibly know about each other?”
He grinned before they walked side by side, the backs of their fingers brushing, to the door. “I can’t think of anything.”
His easy acquiescence and humor dulled some of her nerves. Will used the brass knocker, which was nestled in the middle of an oversized wreath with a variety of leaves in different shades of red, yellow, and orange. Little acorns and pinecones were tucked into the foliage. Within seconds, Jackie opened the door. She wore a pale-blue silk top with a strand of pearls around her neck. Her hair was up in an elegant chignon and her linen pants, like Will’s jeans, showed not one wrinkle. This is what perfection looks like.
Before Lexi could dwell too much on that, a tall, dark-haired, dark-skinned man came to Jackie’s side. His eyes were a different brown than Will’s. If she were poetic, she’d call them dreamy. And his smile? Those straight white teeth, the easy curve of his lips, he could be a mouth model. Was that a thing? Great. Not enough that Jackie O was beautiful, well off, and successful, but she was marrying a movie-star-handsome man with shoulders wide enough to block the doorway.
Jackie squealed. “You came!”
Will nudged her forward by touching his hand to the small of her back, and instead of focusing on how all of her nerve endings suddenly moved beneath his palm, she listened to his smooth reply. “Of course. We appreciated the invite.”
Not a slouch in the looks department himself and quick with responses, her not-a-date date surprised her again with his ability to roll with what Lexi threw at him. She wasn’t looking for a picket fence and babies but there was a lot of room to play between whatever tonight was and that destination.
“Honey, this is my high school bestie, Lexi, and her sweet fiancé, Will.”
Will’s and Lexi’s gazes locked. It was a toss-up whose eyes went wider. That escalated quickly. She bit her lip, her brain tumbling with responses. When she shrugged, he mimicked her and increased the pressure of his hand on her back, heightening her awareness of him even as the touch calmed her heart rate. Weird.
“This is my fiancé, Nigel. Please, come in. Lexi, you didn’t have to bring anything.”
They stepped back, revealing a gorgeous curved staircase in the center of the chandelier-lit foyer. Laughter and conversation floated from the back of the house. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla wafted in the air like the music that played softly.
“It’s really nice to meet you both,” Nigel said, shaking Will’s hand then Lexi’s before taking the bottle from her. He didn’t even glance at the label, which was probably a good thing.
A nervous kind of energy vibrated over her skin. She recognized it from her track days. Before meets, her body had buzzed in exhilaration. She loved that feeling. Craved it. Now she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it. How to channel it. Or how to ignore it.
Jackie went to a table nestled into the curve of the stairs, picked up two small envelopes, and brought them over. Before she could give them to Will and Lexi, Will pulled an envelope from his back pocket.
“A little something for the two of you,” he said with the same ease and polish as the man who’d gotten her out of a tricky situation today. He was well practiced and though she had no reason to doubt him, it made her wonder how he’d attained such… skills. CFO of a company. Probably not his first time with “situations” or events.
Lexi noticed the With This Ring logo and her wine suddenly seemed much cheaper. That was a hip boutique in downtown Seattle where only the most hoity of the toity registered. Nigel offered to take Will’s jacket and Lexi’s purse. They did that while Jackie set aside Will’s gift and came back to stand in front of them.
“You didn’t have to bring us anything. That was so generous of you both,” Jackie said, leaning into Nigel’s arm.
“Thanks, man. That’s cool.” He kissed the top of Jackie’s head, careful not to disturb her hair.
Lexi started to say it was from just Will because she didn’t deserve credit but Jackie shook her envelopes.
“We have a little something for each of you.” Jackie passed one to each of them, and sweat started to pool in uncomfortable places on Lexi’s body. She didn’t love spur-of-the-moment surprises.
What on earth could they have for them? It’d been a while since she went to a party, but she didn’t remember gifts for showing up being a thing.
“It’s a game. We wrote the names of famous and influential people, alive and dead, on labels inside. Put them on each other’s back but don’t look at your own. Everyone gives clues until you figure out who you are.”
She said it so excitedly that Lexi felt bad for her internal groan. Couldn’t they just gossip over cheese dip? The last game she’d played was Trash with Bitsy and her friends during a slow spell at the dress shop. She’d lost. Dramatically. Those women took their cards, regardless of the game, seriously.
Nigel must have mistaken her silence for misunderstanding. “You’ll see once you get out to the party. It’s an icebreaker. Get in there. Have fun. There’s a great spread of food, music playing, and lots of wine.”
Jackie’s smile was contagious even if her enthusiasm for guessing games wasn’t. Jackie gave a bouncy wave before she and Nigel mingled into the crowd. Will moved around Lexi, lifting her hair off the nape of her neck. His fingertips brushed her skin and she shivered involuntarily. The little hum in the back of her throat almost made an escape. She swallowed it down.
“I’ll put it below your hair so it can be seen,” he said, leaning down so his breath traveled over her ear.
Okay. Her not-date date was hot. Never mind forever and always. How about some here and now? It’d been a long time since she’d felt anything like the sensations Will caused with just a touch, a look, or a glance. She bit her bottom lip, hoping she wasn’t sweating through her shirt.
When he smoothed the label over her back, she did her best to ignore the tingles spreading down her legs and turned to do the same for him.
His back was wide and muscular beneath her fingers. She may have lingered over smoothing out his shirt before unsticking the label and pressing it to his back. It said MICHELLE OBAMA , which made Lexi smile even as she spent more time than needed making sure it was secure.
When he turned to face her, he was grinning. “It’s been a long time since I went to a party with games.”
“We used to do game nights when I was younger but it’s been a while for me, too.” She cleared her throat when her mind wandered. “Are you a sore winner or sore loser?”
Will took her hand as they walked down a somewhat narrow hallway where people didn’t seem to mind stopping and chatting, essentially creating a maze of bodies. Clearly, his hold was to keep them from being separated, so she didn’t pull away but she was definitely very aware. When they reached the end of the hallway, he dropped her hand, but her awareness lingered. “Both. You?”
For a minute she’d forgotten what they were talking about because she was struck by how nice it’d felt to have his hand surrounding hers and the heat between their palms. There wasn’t a lot of hand holding in casual hookups. Not that she’d had one in a long time. And not that this was one. Which was why it felt strange. It’d felt comfortable and a little too enjoyable.
“The only game I really play is Trash. It’s a card game and I’m positive my boss, Bitsy, cheats. She’s old enough to be my grandmother and if you call her on it, she gives you puppy eyes. It’s like saying no to an aging hound dog.”
When Will laughed, it felt, oddly, like a win of its own. She glanced his way. His gaze met hers and he smiled. A boyish grin that made her forget she hadn’t wanted to come. One that made her pulse speed up.
The hallway opened to a gleaming white and stainless-steel kitchen. There were dozens of people, each with a sticker on their back. Will and Lexi were surrounded by all of history. Everyone from Cleopatra to Elton John was either in the kitchen or spilling out onto the lantern-lit patio. She didn’t recognize some of the names and she recognized none of the faces. The table was filled with food and a gorgeous centerpiece that looked similar to the wreath on the door. Leaves and foliage were interwoven with the dishes along the ivory-colored table runner as well as artfully placed wide, low candles.
Will stepped closer, and Lexi told herself that the way her breath and heart both hiccuped when he was close enough to smell his faint cologne was just science. Yup. Even though you’ve felt attraction before and it’s never felt quite like this, it’s just basic science. Science and something a little woodsy and warm. Something you wouldn’t mind leaning into and inhaling deeply. Nothing to worry about. Lust wasn’t a concern. It was just love she planned to avoid.
“This is interesting,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.
“So much for showing up and being myself,” she muttered.
He laughed. “Look at it this way, now you can be whoever you want.”
That definitely held some appeal. She looked up at him. “Who am I?”
Will shook his head. “No way. I’m not spoiling the fun. But I will tell you that you’re very neighborly.”
She scrunched her brows. “What?”
He chuckled, then stepped closer when someone passed behind him.
Heat flushed over her skin. She wanted to press into him and forget about everything else. When he dipped his head, she lost her breath. Not a date. Not a date. Not a date. But oh…
“And you pull off a cardigan like no other.”
Now, why did that sound sexy? Will. She’d bet that Will saying anything—describing the weather, reading a grocery list, citing facts—would be sexy.
She poked him in the chest. “Two can play at this game. I can tell you , you’re an incredible woman.”
He frowned. “I’m a woman? That’s it? That’s not a clue.”
Lexi smirked. “An incredible woman who impacted the world for a lot more than eight years.”
“Hmm. Maybe this is harder than I thought,” he said, facing the patio doors.
Lexi couldn’t help but stare at his profile thinking the exact opposite.