Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Roxy
“His passport is still there,” Hutch announces as we exit the stairwell.
“Say what? I thought he was abroad, like in Sweden or Italy or something,” Drew says. I walk through the door and find everyone looking toward us with their mouths gaping. Even Al looks a little surprised.
Gray comes up behind me. I feel the heat of his body against my back, and for reasons I can’t explain, goose bumps form on my arms. I rub them and step to the side, not wanting to explore why I was loving him there.
“First off, Drew, those aren’t even near each other. Secondly, Al, I thought you said he was abroad for his contract work,” Gray states, his arm brushing mine. I feel like a schoolgirl with a crush. I want him to touch me. Fuck, I’m being ridiculous. Gray is just my neighbor and my fake boyfriend . Nothing more is going to come of that.
“That’s it. We need a s’mores night. I’m texting Kasen again,” Gray adds as he walks over to the bar. I follow him, leaning toward Hutch as I walk. Ava cheers and Cam gives her a high five.
“What’s a s’mores night?” I whisper.
Hutch chuckles and wraps a giant arm around my shoulder. “Well, some nights, our happy hour goes a little late. We turn on the fire pit and make s’mores. If you’re lucky, we can get Gray to play us some music.”
“I’ll get out the s’mores stuff,” Al says.
“I’ll grab my cello,” Gray offers as he turns back toward the door.
“Wow, live music and chocolate. This place is way better than Al described,” I joke.
Cam smiles. “It’s the best.”
“I’ll get the fire going. Anyone want the hot tub tonight?” Troy asks as he walks over to the fire pit.
“Me!” Ava squeals.
“Ava, you can make one s’more. But then we have to go to bed. You have school tomorrow. Remember?” Carly says.
“But, Mom!” Ava protests as everyone chuckles.
Carly sighs.
“How about you and me and your mom have another s’more night this weekend?” Brayden asks.
“Really?” Ava replies. “You promise!”
“Pinky promise,” he says with a grin and holds up his pinky finger. She wraps her little pinky around his and her smile radiates up at him like he’s the center of her universe.
“Don’t forget about us. We’ll come up here for more hot tub time too,” Margie calls out from the chairs where she sits with Jessa and Cornelia.
Everyone chuckles.
Al comes back with the s’mores supplies and Grayson follows a few minutes later with his cello. The sky is darkening and Cam and Drew sink into the jacuzzi while having a debate about Kasen’s whereabouts. A few others chime in with ideas. Hutch pats the seat next to him and we each put a marshmallow on sticks. I twirl mine until it’s golden brown.
Grayson sits on a bench and begins to play a classical piece of music. I think it’s Beethoven or Mozart. I’m not sure, but it’s beautiful. A calm quiet descends on everyone as we listen to the melody. I study Gray as he plays. His eyes close and his body seems as in tune to the instrument as his mind. His fingers press down on the strings and draw the bow back and forth over them. He sways a little with each note as if he feels it in his soul. It’s mesmerizing to watch. I make my s’more, keeping my eyes on him. I groan a little as I taste the chocolate and Gray’s eyes open, meeting mine. He watches me intently as I lick some chocolate from my finger. I make way more of a show of licking it off than I should because, for some reason, I want to tease this man.
His gaze seems to penetrate mine, and I notice him smirking. Jackass. He knows exactly what I’m doing.
I look away, ending our little battle of staring.
“OK, last s’more, kiddo. Say good night to everyone,” Carly says to Ava as Ava finishes her creation which includes sprinkles that Al had up at the bar. Ava called them unicorn desserts, which made everyone laugh.
“’Night,” she says on a yawn.
“I got her,” Brayden says as he picks up a very sleepy Ava. Carly trails behind them giving everyone a wave.
I lean over to Drew because I feel like Drew and Cam know all the building gossip. “Is there something between Carly and Brayden?”
Drew laughs. “Uh, no. Those two are oblivious to the chemistry between them. They’ve been thick as thieves since Carly moved in here a few years ago. And I’ve never seen either one make a move for the other.” He shrugs.
“Hey, Gray, play the theme song from Titanic !” Cam shouts out.
Gray groans. “Seriously, Cam? You always request that.”
“It sounds so good on the cello, please?” she asks, drawing out the last word.
He rolls his eyes but complies. She claps her hands excitedly and leans over Drew. “He’s so good, right?”
I nod. Because he is good. He mentioned that he studied music in college, but worked in his family business until two years ago. I wonder what made him decide to do music full-time. The thought nags at me as I continue to listen.
Gray finishes and sets down his instrument. “Hand me a marshmallow,” he asks Hutch. Hutch tosses him the bag.
I watch as he burns a marshmallow to a crisp and makes a s’more. “Is there anything left of that marshmallow besides char?” I tease.
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” he retorts as he takes a bite.
I put one last marshmallow on my stick and carefully rotate it. I place it on the graham cracker over exactly four squares of chocolate and then finish with a second graham cracker half. I take a bite and close my eyes as I relish the taste of the warmed chocolate.
When I open my eyes again, I find Gray watching me.
“What?” I manage after I swallow my bite.
“You have a little chocolate…” He trails off but motions by my lower lip.
I wipe it and he shakes his head. Reaching over he swipes a finger along my lip before he pulls it away and licks the chocolate from his skin.
Our eyes stay locked. Why do I feel like that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen?
Al comes around with hot chocolates and various alcohols to put in them. I take Baileys in mine.
Leaning back, I look up at the stars. I can’t see many here with all the city lights, but I can see some.
“Do you ever miss seeing them?” I ask no one in particular.
“Seeing what?” Gray questions. I glance over at him. He’s sitting on the outdoor sectional perpendicular to the part I’m on. I scoot into the corner and point to the sky.
“The stars,” I say.
“Good night, we’re off to bed,” Jessa and Troy say in unison, interrupting various conversations.
“Us too,” Margie and Cornelia chime in together.
One by one, folks begin to say goodbyes until it’s just Gray, Cam, Drew, Hutch, Al, and me. Cam and Drew are back to their discussion about Kasen’s whereabouts. Hutch and Al are discussing the local football team while attempting to chime in on Kasen, but it’s clear Al isn’t worried and Hutch isn’t sure what to think. And Gray and I are left alone in the corner of the sectional.
We’re quiet for a few minutes.
“I do miss them,” Gray finally answers the question. “My family has a lake house and my sister and I would sit out on our dock and look at the stars for hours.”
“You have a sister?” I ask, turning my head to look at his profile. He keeps his gaze above us.
“I do. Younger by four years,” he states. “You?”
“I have an older sister, a younger brother, and a younger sister.”
He turns his head. “That’s a lot of kids.”
Giggling, I keep my gaze on his. “It’s only four, not fourteen. Plus, Isla was a bit of a surprise.”
He grins. “She’s the one that was helping you at your store, right?”
I nod, impressed he remembered that.
“They must be proud of you,” he says as he searches my eyes.
“I guess so. I mean, they are all really successful, so…I’m not sure opening a bookstore falls into the impressive category.”
“What? Why not?” he asks, turning more toward me.
“Well, my older sister, Cybil, lives in New York City and is a professor of law. My brother, Jasper, is in IT and owns his own company. And Isla is in grad school for psychology. They are all overachievers, and then, there’s me,” I explain.
“You’re what, twenty-something. And you’re opening a bookstore. How is that not impressive?” he questions.
Shrugging, I answer, “Because it’s just a bookstore and I only can afford to do it because I inherited money when our grandmother passed away. It’s not like I worked for it. I’m not curing cancer of something important.”
Gray gets a look that I can’t quite decipher, anger, annoyance. I can’t tell. “It’s impressive, Roxy. Very impressive.”
He reaches over and gently lifts a lock of hair away from my eye. I freeze. We’re so close I can smell the hot chocolate on his breath and feel the heat of his skin. I start to lean forward toward his lips. He doesn’t turn away. Just as I’m an inch away, Drew yawns loudly.
“I need sleep, people,” he says loudly and stands. I jump back from Gray who has an amused look on his face. What the fuck? What is that about?
I stand abruptly because I need to get away from Gray. That was clearly some weird reaction to alcohol. I should go before I try to seduce my fake boyfriend.
“I’m going to head down. Al, you need help cleaning up?”
Al waves a hand at me. “Nah, it’s Hutch’s turn to clean up.”
I giggle as Hutch groans.
“I’ll walk you down,” Gray says as Cam follows Drew to the door.
I follow Gray, and when we reach his apartment, I stop.
“I got it from here. I’ll see you Tuesday,” I state.
“I want to know you got inside,” he says not budging. I glare at him. I don’t know why his chivalry is annoying me, but it is. He sighs and waves a hand.
“Come here. There’s a back way,” he explains.
I frown but follow him. He takes me past the mail slots on the first floor, into the back hallway that leads out to our courtyard and driveway into the garage under the building. There’s a little fence separating my back entrance from the garden. He pushes on it and a gate swings open.
“Huh. Al didn’t show me that,” I say with a frown, wondering how I haven’t discovered that yet. I guess I’ve been too preoccupied.
“Well, he probably forgot. Good night,” he says as he watches me unlock my door. “Roxy?”
I pause as I push the door open. “Yes?”
“I had fun tonight. Thanks for agreeing to fake date me,” he says quietly.
I smile into the darkness of my studio. “You’re welcome. Good night,” I say, and I walk into my apartment and shut the door. I pull my shirt up against my nose, realizing it smells like Gray’s cologne from where I was leaning my shoulder against his. Fuck, why does my fake boyfriend have to smell so damn good? And why did I almost kiss him tonight? I need to improve my fake-girlfriend skills. I absolutely cannot go falling for a man who doesn’t want a real relationship. That’s the last thing I need right now. Geez, I’m going to suck at being a fake girlfriend.