THREE
WHEN GEMMA HAD CALLED HAYLEY EARLIER that morning, the word no sat on the tip of her tongue. She loved happy hours, but the idea of being stuck at one with Maddie filled her with dread. The last thing that woman needed was a few cocktails to make her even bolder.
Hayley’s lowball glass had barely hit the high-top table before Gemma started, “So…”
“Can you at least wait until I have a little liquor in my system?” From her best friend’s tone, she already knew where this was going.
Gemma let out a small snort and relented. “Fine, go ahead.”
Hayley barely managed two burning sips before Gemma pressed on.
“Maddie.” She set her own whiskey glass down hard onto the glossy wooden surface, an orange peel clinging to ice.
“What about her?” Hayley asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.
“She gets under your skin. We can all tell.” Gemma hesitated, then leaned in. “But I’m starting to suspect you might like it.”
Like hell I do.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hayley set her drink down with deliberate control, even as her heart began to race.
All the casual warmth drained from Gemma’s face. “Stay away from her, Hay, I mean it. Sleep with any other woman in the city, just not Maddie.”
“She’s the one coming on to me.” Hayley furrowed her brows, confusion flickering across her face before it sharpened into irritation. Why was she the one sitting there being lectured instead of Maddie?
“I know, I know.” Gemma sighed. “But Maddie… well, she doesn’t always make the best choices for herself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hayley tried and failed to keep her defensiveness out of her tone.
“You’ll break her heart.”
For a moment, they locked eyes over their drinks, the words hanging between them.
When Gemma spoke again, her voice was smooth and breezy once more. “Plus, if you scare her off, all our wedding photos will be lopsided. Caitlin would be pissed.”
Hayley was about to reassure Gemma that she was not interested in Maddie when she spotted a flash of turquoise eyes, weaving through the tables toward them.
Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.
And for God’s sake, what was she wearing?
Her black denim shorts were cut so short that Hayley could see most of the front pocket linings hanging below the hem.
She’d paired them with a cropped sandstone muscle tank that dipped low on the sides, calling far too much attention to the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Hayley was staring at the stretch of smooth, exposed skin, wondering if Maddie even owned a bra before realizing she’d missed whatever was just said.
“What was that?”
“I said, buy me a drink first,” Maddie repeated with a wink.
Dammit.
Looking away, Hayley sipped her second scotch and returned to strategizing her exit. With her head tilted back, the liquid sliding into her mouth, she caught Maddie’s gaze following the curve of her neckline before snapping back to her face.
“Gem,” Hayley redirected with a satisfied grin, “when are we going shopping for you?”
“Is there a day you can go this week?” Gemma didn’t loosen her grip around her fiancée as she turned her attention toward Hayley.
At least this task would just be the two of them. Hayley felt like she could handle that, dipping her toe into the icy waters of wedding planning.
“I can move some things around to make Wednesday afternoon work,” Hayley casually offered.
Gemma let out a low whistle. “New York City’s hottest agent taking a half day for me,” she teased. “Mads, if you didn’t know, Hayley’s brokerage has been number one in sales in the state for the last four years.” Her pride for Hayley was clear.
Hayley found it tacky to broadcast her own achievements. Her success spoke for itself. But to hear it from her best friend, and then watch as the praise landed on Maddie’s face, felt infinitely sweeter.
“Well, if I ever find myself in the market for an apartment on the opposite side of the country, I’ll know exactly who to call.” Maddie flashed a smile, wide and entirely too knowing. The sight of it made Hayley’s blood boil.
“You know,” Caitlin hesitantly filled the silence. “We should also get a day on the calendar to go shopping together, all four of us. For your maid-of-honor outfits.”
“Excuse me.” Maddie caught the attention of a nearby server. “May I please get a dirty martini? Extra dirty,” she added, brushing her fingers against the waitress’s arm.
Hayley’s jaw tightened. “I’ll have another too, please.”
Maddie smirked and turned back toward Gemma and Caitlin. “I’m free any day that works for you both.”
Hayley snorted.
“Oh, is something funny?” Maddie questioned. “Ms. Big Boss too good to shop for herself? Maybe we can just call a stylist. I’m sure you have Rachel Zoe on speed dial.”
“God, you are so far up Caitlin’s ass,” Hayley snapped, taking a swig from her third drink. She knew she was just being mean now, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Anything for you,” she mocked.
“At least I show up for my best friend,” Maddie shot back. “Every time they mention the wedding, you look like you want to crawl into a hole.”
That was enough. Hayley threw back the remainder of her scotch, slammed a hundred-dollar bill on the table, and stormed out of the restaurant.
She was only a few steps down the dark sidewalk when her phone vibrated inside her bag.
Hayley ignored it, knowing without looking that it would be Gemma trying to smooth things over—or yell at her.
Either way, she focused instead on the horns honking and sirens wailing in the distance, using the familiar roar of the city to calm her inner chaos.
The last time she had gotten that riled up was her senior year of high school, during her final track meet.
She worked her ass off all season, preparing for that fateful matchup against the only girl in the state who could keep up with her.
The judge claimed her opponent had crossed the line a step ahead, and Hayley walked away that day with a silver medal in the four-hundred-meter dash.
It was a bullshit call. She knew she leaned in, throwing herself across the finish line first, but the decision stood.
In that split second, she might have lost her temper with the official.
Badly. And she didn’t stop there. In the weeks that followed, she fought to have instant replay equipment implemented in high school sports.
Blinking the memory away, Hayley paused and closed her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.
Just get home before you can do any more damage, she thought. She’d deal with the fallout once she cooled off.
THE OVERCAST SKIES THE NEXT DAY were a welcome change from the relentless sun and sticky humidity of the past week.
It was still warm, but at least Hayley didn’t have sweat beads dripping down her neck every time she walked out of a building.
She felt little relief, however, from the sharp pain of guilt that had been plaguing her.
She’d ignored Gemma since storming out of the restaurant the evening before.
Maddie had called her out, and Hayley knew she owed Gemma an explanation for her attitude.
But what could she say—that she was thrilled for Gemma and Caitlin’s happiness, yet every reminder of marriage made her want to peel her own skin off?
She knew it didn’t make sense. She didn’t make sense.
That was why she avoided intimate relationships in the first place.
Hayley groaned to herself as she slid into the cracked vinyl backseat of the taxi.
When there was a problem, she solved it.
In her career, Hayley took pride in her ability to act without emotion for the company’s best interest. So why did this feel so different?
Why couldn’t she put her personal feelings aside for the next few months for the sake of her best friend?
It was midafternoon by the time Hayley arrived at her last stop of the day. She was meeting with Maddox Group’s photographer at her father’s newest complex in Brooklyn.
“Hayley! Looking gorgeous as ever,” Michael greeted her with a kiss on each cheek.
Michael had been Hayley’s friend for as long as she could remember, ever since their preschool days on the jungle gym.
Their parents shared a history just as long, two young couples living next door to each other, spending years feeding the neighbors’ children just as often as their own.
Hayley saw Michael as another protective brother, with a dash of sweet reserved for her and a pinch of spicy for everyone else.
“Michael, it’s always so good to see you.” The tension in Hayley’s shoulders finally began to ebb. Michael always had a way of making her feel grounded. “How’s Jacob?”
“Gone with the wind. Onto the next.” He sighed dramatically, his hand waving in the air. “But who has my seductress gotten into lately?” He wagged his brows at her.
Hayley shot him a loaded side-eye as she started up the stairs and unlocked the front door.
“With that look,” Michael said, fanning himself, “whoever she is almost makes me want to sleep with women again.”
Their laughs echoed throughout the empty lobby as they made their way into the elevator.
Hayley pressed the button for the fourth floor. “We’ll start with the penthouse and work our way down.”
“I can’t wait to see what Jonathan has done with the building. I used to date a guy who lived here years ago, you know.”
“Date?” Hayley teased with a coy smile.
“Date, slept with a few times, what’s the difference?” He shrugged. “Speaking of Jonathan, how’s your dad doing these days? Has that hunk of beef been eaten up by the single women of New York City yet?”
“He’s doing well. You know him, all work and no play.”
They both knew Hayley’s dad hadn’t so much as gone out to dinner with a woman in over a decade and a half.
The elevator dinged as the doors slid open directly into the top-floor condo.