Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“H ey, grumpy ass. What gives?”
Sophie scowled at Stephanie as she placed dirty glasses on the bar. “Nothing.”
Stephanie poured a beer from the tap, looking as annoyed as Sophie felt. “Don’t say ‘nothing’. You’ve been walking around here like a bitch from hell for well over two weeks. I’m PMSing and in no mood to watch you slamming drinks around for another night.”
Sophie wanted to be angry, but Steph’s assessment was spot-on. She’d been a bear for weeks. She sank onto one of the barstools and sighed. “I fucked up.”
Jayne, who’d been setting up a new window display of books, came over and took the stool next to her. Eavesdropping was the number one form of entertainment on slow days at the store. “Fucked up how?”
“With Marc.”
“Marc Garrett?” Stephanie asked.
Sophie nodded. She hadn’t said much to her friends about the attorney who’d been twisting her in knots for weeks. For one, there wasn’t much to say. She hadn’t laid eyes on the man since their little tête-à-tête in his office nearly three weeks earlier.
“Wait a second. I need to do something.” Stephanie grabbed her phone and began texting.
“What?” Sophie asked.
“I’m telling Jordan to get her ass down here. We’ve all been worried about you, but we didn’t know what was bugging you. Sounds like we’re about to get the goods.”
Sophie tried to be annoyed, but she couldn’t summon the emotion. Obviously it had done no good, telling herself to forget Marc. Maybe it was time to call in the recruits and ask for help. She glanced around the bar. Apart from a couple of young guys chilling out with beers at a table near the front and a woman perusing the magazines in the corner of the bookstore, there was no one else in the place to bother them.
Jordan appeared at the bottom of the stairs in record time. “Thank God you’re finally talking. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
Sophie smirked, unable to resist teasing her friend. “If you’ve had time to think about me , then clearly Gabe and Casey suck in the sack. Maybe you need to reconsider this threesome setup.”
Jordan flushed. “Don’t worry about my guys. They do just fine in bed.”
Stephanie laughed. “God. That deal is going to take some getting used to. When our Jordan decides to jump back into the dating scene, she fucking dives in headfirst.”
Jordan bit her lip and asked the same question she had almost daily since she, Casey and Gabriel had entered a ménage affair. “You guys are sure this is okay? I mean?—”
“It’s fine!” Jayne, Stephanie and Sophie repeated in unison.
Jayne grasped Jordan’s hand. “You’re still happy, right?”
Jordan nodded.
“Then that’s all that matters.” Jayne’s philosophy on life. No matter what the world threw at them, Jayne’s main concern was always that they walk the path that would lead them to happiness.
It was a good idea…in theory. In reality, Sophie was struggling to figure out what might make her happy. In her career, her family issues and her relationships, she never seemed able to grasp that elusive happiness. It was frustrating as hell.
“Well, we’re not here to talk about me, are we? What’s going on, Soph? You’re always so upbeat and energetic. It’s not like you to be down for so long.”
Stephanie placed a Heineken in front of her. “She said she fucked up with Marc Garrett.”
“The attorney?” Jordan asked.
Sophie was grateful for the liquid courage. She took a long drink of the ice-cold beer. “Yeah. We were hanging out quite a bit a few weeks ago and I sort of thought things were heading in a good direction, but now I’m thinking I threw us off course.”
“Is there a reason why you’re speaking in generalizations? I thought you hated the guy. You called him an asshole…repeatedly. Stop screwing around and give us specific details.” Stephanie poured herself half a beer from the tap.
Sophie groaned. Stephanie was the queen of no-nonsense. “I lied about the asshole part. Truth is I really like him. A lot.”
Jayne pulled a bowl of peanuts closer and began cracking the shell on one. “Did I miss something? You two have never even gone out on a date, have you?”
Sophie picked at the label on her beer. “No. No dates. I mean, we talked when he came by here that one night. We sat next to each other at Patricia Butt–Bitch’s party and had a good time. Then we sort of made out in the coat closet at the Crawford Inn.”
“I knew it!” Jordan piped in. “I knew something had happened that night, but I couldn’t figure out what.”
“He cornered me.”
“Good kisser?” Stephanie asked.
“An amazing kisser. My car battery died that night, so Marc drove me home.”
Stephanie leaned closer and rubbed her hands together. “Something tells me we’re getting to the good part.”
Sophie shook her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but he just gave me a foot massage and left that night. It was actually a few days later, in his office, when things got hot and heavy.”
Stephanie put down the beer she’d just lifted. “ How hot and how heavy? Spare no expense in the description.”
Sophie laughed. She loved her friends. They always listened, never judged. She’d been an idiot to try to deal with her anxiety alone these past few weeks. “We made out.”
Stephanie made a sound like a buzzer. “Errr! Lame answer. Try again.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Fine. He went down on me and I gave him a blowjob. Detailed enough for you?”
“Better. So that was what? Two, three weeks ago?” Stephanie asked.
Now they were getting to the heart of the matter. “Almost three. And yeah. Since then…nothing.”
Jayne, the most compassionate of the group, reached over and took Sophie’s hand. “What happened?”
Sophie shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve called him a few times but whenever I suggest we get together, he always has an excuse why he can’t.”
Jordan frowned. “What sort of excuses?”
“Apparently he’s defending a man who’s been accused of murder. The trial’s going on a lot longer than he’d anticipated. Then last weekend he had to make a quick trip back home to DC for some family emergency, and he’s also working to find a loophole that may buy the community center more time to raise the funds needed for repairs.”
Jordan’s face cleared. “Those sound like pretty good reasons to me. He’s just been busy.”
“I know, Jordan. They’re all valid, even noble reasons.” Sophie tried to tell herself she was being a petty, selfish bitch, but she couldn’t shake the idea that karma was teaching her a lesson. How many times in the past had she played the “I’m too busy” card as a way to avoid an interested suitor? Hell, she was a master at the game. “Do you think I made a mistake with the blowjob? We’d only known each other a week or so. I’m afraid maybe I came off as slutty.”
Stephanie slapped her hand against the bar. “Holy shit. Really, Soph? That’s what you think went wrong? I thought you said he went down on you too.”
“He did.”
“Fine. Then if you’re a slut, so is he. Goddamn double standards piss me off. I highly doubt that’s why he’s not calling you, but if it is, then you’re better off without the judgmental prick.”
Sophie felt her face flushing despite the fact she should be used to Stephanie’s brutal honesty. Plus, hearing her friend’s assertions made her realize how stupid her concern was. “I actually don’t really think that’s why he’s avoiding me.”
Jordan grinned. “If he’s a straight guy, I’m one hundred percent sure that’s not the problem. I don’t know any man who dumps a girl for giving him a blowjob.”
They all laughed, but Sophie was forced to admit she’d been building mountains out of molehills, spending the last few weeks grasping at any excuse simply to avoid admitting the truth.
“I think it all boils down to the fact he’s just not interested in me. I should’ve seen it when he volunteered to be auctioned off.”
Jayne squeezed her hand gently. “Then it’s his loss.”
She nodded, wishing there weren’t tears forming in her eyes. “Yeah. Problem is, I really liked him. I thought we clicked. It’s stupid to let this get me down. We never even went out on a date. It’s just…” Her words faded away.
Stephanie was first to break the silence. “I knew Jared was the guy for me the first night we met. It took me a while to admit it, but I get what you’re saying. You can tell when you connect with someone pretty early in the game.”
Jordan stepped closer and put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “I understand that feeling too. While Gabe and I have been friends forever, Casey and I are just at the beginning of our relationship. Even so, I feel like I’ve known him for years.”
Sophie smiled and swiped away the tears. They really did understand. “So what do I do now?”
Jayne released her hand and stood up. “You take it a day at a time. Luckily the next few days are going to be too busy for you to be sad. It’s T-minus seven days and counting on this big bachelor auction, and we’ve got a gazillion things to do between now and then to get this place ready.”
Jayne was right. Sophie had been working on a to-do list earlier this morning. After listing twenty time-consuming tasks that needed to happen to make the auction a success, she’d stopped adding to the list. In her current down-in-the-dumps state of mind, it had all seemed too daunting and overwhelming. Now it was the answer to a prayer. Keeping busy was just the trick to setting aside her sadness over Marc’s disinterest.
“Good plan. I’ll start with the stage setup. My cousin is letting me borrow a makeshift one he uses for his garage band. It has spotlights and everything. He’s also loaning me sound equipment. He sent me specs and it should all fit in here fine. We’ll just have to clear out the tables on that side of the bar.” Sophie pointed to her right.
The original plan had always been to hold the auction at Books and Brew. Sophie had thought it would be good PR for the store, and the initial intent was for a more intimate event. However, now that the charity had changed and the need to make lots of money for the center was hanging over Sophie’s head, she regretted offering up the smaller space. Unfortunately there wasn’t time to find a larger venue, given the short time frame.
Her friends—God bless them—had agreed they’d clear out as much space as needed, vowing they’d make the auction a success.
“Is this the cousin who lives in Seattle?” Jayne asked.
Sophie nodded. “Yep. I’m taking a little road trip tomorrow. Borrowing Casey’s truck to pick up all the stuff. I’ll be gone most of the day. Actually, between now and the auction, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be around the bar.”
Stephanie threw her a quick wave of the hand. “We can cover for you. We’re closing the day before and of the auction anyway to set stuff up. If the cleanup looks too daunting, we’ll close the day after too, so don’t worry about it. We’re good to go on this.”
Jordan agreed. “Yep. No problem. I’ve been meaning to tell you how great I think it is that you’re working so hard to save the community center. I love that place. It would be hard to picture this city without it.”
“I think you’re brave to stand up to your dad,” Jayne chimed in.
“Brave nothing,” Stephanie said with a big grin. “Our social butterfly is turning into queen of the ball-busters. I have to admit I prefer this new you.”
“Yeah right. Well, don’t be too impressed. Inside, I’m a nervous wreck. What if we don’t make enough money?”
Jordan glanced over when one of the two male customers waved for their attention. “You will. Gabe was talking about it last night. He said if anyone could do it, you could.” Jordan walked over to grab the men’s empty glasses and nodded when they asked for another round.
Sophie took a deep breath and smiled.
Positive thinking. That was all she needed. A little positive thinking.
The auction would be a success.
They’d raise the needed money for the center.
She’d show her father that personal is always better than business.
And she’d forget all about Marc Garrett.
Hopefully.
* * *
The night of the auction arrived far too quickly for Sophie. Marc had called exactly twice since the last time they’d seen each other, both times to check in about the progress on the fundraiser. His tone had been casual and friendly, but he’d made no mention of seeing her. Instead, he’d talked about how busy he was with the trial and how sorry he was he couldn’t help more as she planned the event. It was like listening to herself whenever a guy failed to get the hint that she wasn’t interested.
Fuck him was becoming her standard line. Anytime she felt depressed about his rejection, she just took a deep breath and said, “Fuck him.”
“Who are we fucking?” Jordan asked.
Sophie grinned. “No one. Unfortunately.”
“Speak for yourself.” Jordan was the current poster child for sexually-active-and-loving-every-second-of-it women everywhere. It made Sophie want to scratch her drowsy, I-was-up-all-night-screwing-two-hot-guys eyes out.
“Bitch.”
Jordan laughed and continued arranging the chairs in rows.
Sophie had just finished stringing a line of lights around the stage when Marc walked in. As one of the night’s eligible bachelors, he was dressed to the nines in a tuxedo. Sophie tried to ignore the parts of her body that stood up and took notice of how fucking hot he looked.
More than once, she’d wondered if he was putting distance between them as a way of keeping his options open for tonight. “Asshole,” she muttered, praying she could summon the strength to play it cool.
Marc waved to her from the front door then made a beeline for the bar.
Great. On top of being an asshole, he was a coward, maybe even a drunk. She adjusted the microphone, doing a quick sound check while composing a list of unflattering descriptions for the attorney in her head.
Arrogant. Cocky. Annoying. Liar. Attractive. Funny. Smart.
Shit.
Stupid list.
She stepped off the stage as Marc approached. She took a deep breath and girded her loins, as Jayne—the romance-reading queen—liked to say.
“Here.” Marc handed her a drink.
She took the glass without thinking. “What’s this?”
“Some concoction Stephanie whipped up for me at the bar. It’s called Bachelor’s Bait.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.
“In case you failed to remember, I’m running this shindig tonight. I can’t do that if I’m half-lit.”
“Take a drink, princess. I can tell you’re uptight. It might relax you a bit.”
She narrowed her eyes. He had some nerve trying to tell her to do anything. He’d avoided her for almost a month. Gotten a freaking blowjob and then blown her off. “Listen, Marc, I don’t appreciate?—”
He kissed her before she could finish properly eviscerating him. “I’m sorry, Soph. More sorry than I can say.”
“For what?”
“I’ve picked up the phone at least twenty times a day these past few weeks to call you, but every time I started to dial I got interrupted. My life has been a living hell—constant work and family issues. I spent four nights sleeping at the desk in my office.”
“I thought you quit your job at the big law firm to avoid the all-work-and-no-play lifestyle.”
Marc nodded. “I did. And for the most part, the move worked. Occasionally though, major things hit at the same time and I end up paying for it for a few weeks before they settle back down. Figures my work life would go to hell just as my personal life is starting to look up.”
“Oh?” She tried to play coy. “What’s going on in your personal life that’s so special?”
He gripped her waist, pulling her closer. She stiffened, refusing to lean into him, regardless of how good he smelled. “You. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and it’s driving me nuts. I told myself I wouldn’t call you again until I had time to see you, be with you, strip off all your clothes and have sex with you all night long.”
She was weakening and it pissed her off. She wanted to stay mad, continue to play the indignant card. Rather than acknowledge his apology, she lifted the drink and took a big swig without thinking. The foul taste hit her hard.
Slapping her hand over her mouth, she forced herself to swallow before handing him the glass. “Holy. Crap. What the hell is in that?”
Marc shrugged. “I don’t know. Something with gin. Looked like egg whites, maybe.”
“Raw egg? Gross!”
Marc chuckled, taking the glass from her and putting it on the edge of the stage. He took her hand and she started to slap it away before realizing he wasn’t trying to hold it—he was giving her something.
She looked down as he placed a huge wad of cash into her hand.
“What’s that for?”
“It’s five hundred dollars. I want you to bid on me.”
She frowned. While his apology had gone a long way toward alleviating some of her anxieties and soothing a small part of her wounded pride, she wasn’t quite ready to let him off the hook. “What if I don’t want to bid on you? I happen to know there’s a very hot optometrist coming tonight. I can totally see myself with him.”
“No pun intended, I’m sure.” Marc lifted her hand, closing her fingers over the money she was trying to return to him. “Bid on me, Sophie. Give me a chance to make things up to you. You won’t be sorry. I promise.”
She continued to hold his money out, but Marc shoved his hands in his pockets, refusing to accept it. “Even if I were to bid—and I’m not saying I’ll bid on you—I have my own money to spend.”
“I want to contribute to the charity, but obviously I don’t plan to buy a bachelor to do it. Throw my money in with whatever you’d intended to spend on me. I’m worth every penny.” He gave her a cocky wink.
“Ugh. You are so annoying. I have work to do.”
She started to walk away, but Marc pulled her back. Her traitorous body moved toward him, eyes drifting closed as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. Moving away an infinitesimal degree, he whispered to her, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. “Put the high bid on me and our date starts tonight. I’m taking you back to my place. I’m going to unzip that sexy dress you’re wearing and watch it fall to the floor. I’ve spent too many nights imagining how good it’s going to feel to bury myself inside you. Once I get there, I’m not sure I’ll ever want to leave again.”
“What about the trial?”
“It ended today.”
“Family drama?”
“Also resolved. Cancer scare with my mom. She got the all clear on the biopsy two days ago.”
Sophie officially felt like shit for every bad thought she’d had about Marc. “Thank God for that.”
“I’m going to keep you in my bed for days, weeks, maybe months.”
She released a short, breathless laugh. “Big words. Sure you’re up for it?”
He pressed their bodies closer together, letting her feel just how up he was. His erection brushed against her stomach, and she fought to restrain a groan. Her pussy was wet, throbbing, tired of being empty.
“I’m going to take you hard and fast the first time. I need you that much. We’ll be damn lucky if we make it to my bedroom. Hell, my house might be too far away.”
Sophie’s eyes remained closed, soaking in each sexy word. She’d wasted far too many hours fantasizing over him as well. She wanted every single thing he promised, but still, self-preservation held her aloof. “So that’s my big date if I win? You’re going to show me the inside of your bedroom?”
“Christ. I’ll wine and dine you if you want. Buy you a fur coat, a condo, a kitten, anything. Just bid on me, Sophia. Put me out of my misery.”
She expected to see more arrogance on his face. Instead, she saw pure, genuine need. Unable to resist, she closed the distance between them, initiating the kiss. She wasn’t in the mood for gentle caresses. He’d lit a flame inside her in his office. Since then it had smoldered and grown. Tonight, an inferno raged.
His fingers tightened on her hips as she forced his lips apart with hers, dipping her tongue inside his mouth. Obviously he hadn’t tried the vile drink Stephanie had made. He tasted like Scotch. It was delicious, sweet, heady.
“Ahem,” came a voice next to them. “I think it’s bad form to steal a bachelor before the auction.”
Sophie and Marc parted. Stephanie stood next to them, gesturing toward the door. Several women were gathering outside, waiting to come in.
Marc’s hand still rested on Sophie’s waist. He stroked her with his thumb, drawing small circles that turned her on as much as his kisses. “I’ll head upstairs to wait with the other bachelors. See you later, princess.”
She heard the double meaning behind his farewell. There was no doubt in her mind exactly how much of each other they’d be seeing. She glanced at his ass as he left.
Oh yeah. She intended to see it all.
“Don’t make me throw a bucket of cold water on you,” Stephanie threatened.
Sophie grinned, certain she looked like a lovesick fool. Shit, she felt like one.
“Thought you were mad at the asshole for not calling.”
“He apologized.”
Stephanie nodded slowly. “Sophie, I’m a little worried about you with this guy. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so…”
“Interested?” God knew she’d never spared a second glance for any of the men her father had deemed worthy of her time.
Stephanie shrugged. “I guess that works. I was sort of thinking you’ve fallen ass over tit for him.”
Sophie laughed. “Christ, Steph. Only you could take a romantic phrase like head over heels and make it raunchy. And for your information, I’m not falling. I’m horny. Marc’s offered the most promising proposition I’ve had for sex in a long time.”
“Liar, liar, thong on fire. Pretend it’s just sex if you want, but…” Stephanie paused. Her friend was never at a loss for words. “Just…be careful. Okay?”
Sophie appreciated the advice, praying she wasn’t making a fool of herself. “I will.”
“Soph,” Jayne called out from across the bar. “Can I open the doors? The natives are getting restless.”
She looked at the growing pack of women standing outside Books and Brew. Patricia had done an amazing job spreading the word. The event was certain to be standing room only. The bachelors had baited their hooks and now they just had to reel in the dough.
Sophie considered her own plans for one particular handsome bachelor. She’d prepared for this event for weeks. Now it was here and she wished it were over.
Her hand tightened on the money Marc had handed her, and she smiled.
Let the bidding begin.