Chapter Five Noah
Chapter Five
Noah
November
“Jesus Christ,” I shout, startled, almost dropping the towel from around my waist. “What the hell are you doing here, dude?”
Chase stares back at me incredulously as he holds open the door of my refrigerator.
“You gave me a key.”
“That’s not an answer,” I bark, gripping my towel in one hand and shaking my hair out with my other. “I could’ve killed you.”
Chase gulps back the bottle of water he just took out of my fridge, ending with a deep, thirst-quenched exhale before answering me.
“With what? Your dick? Relax, the security guys are at my place, finally installing the new cameras, since some hoodlums tried to break in on Halloween. You’re lucky your bike wasn’t stolen. Anyway, I figured I’d come over early—”
When I stare back blankly, he places the bottle down. “Early because we’re going to that art show thing . . . the one the brunette invited us to last month . . . you know . . . with the big—”
His hand is hovered over his chest as I hold up mine, stopping him.
“Dude, I told you I wasn’t going. I’m not talking to other girls anymore.”
His whole face distorts as if I’ve just spoken gibberish.
“I didn’t think you were serious. Noah,” he groans. “If you tell me you’re dissing for the ‘other plans’ you’ve been out with like a hundred times this month, I’ll lose it.”
I smirk, crossing my arms and leaning against the counter as I shrug.
“Technically, it’s only been three weeks.”
Chase laughs a few times, punctuating each huff. “I could’ve filed a missing persons report for the first week alone.” He lifts his hand to his head like he’s searching for someone as he looks around. “Noah . . . are you out there? Come home, Daddy misses you.”
I chuckle. “Come on. I’m into her. Can you blame me? The night we met was . . . Fuck, it lasted the whole night into the next day. She’s—”
“This ‘whole night into the next day,’” he mocks all singsongy, interrupting me and making me laugh again.
“Stop being so dramatic. If you worked on your personality, maybe women wouldn’t be so repulsed, and you’d get to second base. And stop hating on me for having a girlfriend.”
Silence, and then his voice fills the room.
“Girlfriend?”
I wince. Dammit.
“This isn’t real life.” He throws a dish towel at me, but I duck, laughing. “I’m living in a simulation. She had better be the best sex of your life because you’re doing it for both of us now. No wingman means I’m in my priest era.”
I raise my brows, and he holds up a finger. “Nope. Eat whatever you’re about to say. I heard what I said. Point is—”
“Nothing,” I gripe before tossing the towel back, connecting with his face. “There is no point. And don’t talk about sex and Goldie, ever. Plus, I don’t know if you’re aware, but women do this really cool thing called speaking. It’s nice.”
“So is getting ass.”
“You’re disgusting.”
Chase stares at me, his eyes growing wider by the second. “You haven’t fucked yet, have you?”
“Enough,” I groan, lifting my hands, but he laughs. “She wants to take it slow, and I respect it.”
“Does she even know she’s your girlfriend? Or is this like when I was thirteen and named all my children with Megan Fox after watching Transformers?”
Why am I friends with him? I can’t remember.
“This is not at all like that. And no . . . I haven’t technically had the conversation with her, but that’s what tonight’s for.”
Chase crosses his arms, looking smug.
“Fine,” he says flatly. “If this is happening, then I get to meet her. To approve. And since you screwed me for hot guy fall. What are the three of us doing tonight?”
I scoff and make my way back out of the kitchen toward my bedroom.
“Very funny. Hell no. I’m taking her to dinner and a movie. Alone.”
Shit. I said the “dinner” part out loud. I stop and turn to face my occasionally lovable but mostly jackass friend.
“Dinner and a movie?” he accuses, his eyes locked on mine, making it hard to keep a straight face.
I nod, but he repeats himself . . . heavy emphasis on the first word.
“Dinner and a movie.”
Fuck.
Chase clears his throat, placing his palms on my kitchen island.
“Where are you having dinner, Noah?”
I feign ignorance. “I don’t know. I let her choose. Some Italian joint.”
He repeats my last words slowly before smacking the marble. “You mean to tell me that you’ve met her sister twice now, and I’m still a secret?”
Met is an overexaggeration. She said hello to me as she left Goldie’s apartment while we were enjoying our favorite food. But there’s the truth, and then there’s Chase’s truth.
I interlace my fingers on the back of my head. “You do realize that me and you aren’t in an actual relationship, right, whack job? Plus, I want her to like me.”
“I’m your best friend. There’s no you without me. And may I remind you, since you clearly hit your head today, that I’m the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant.” He scowls, making himself look like Robert De Niro. “The amount of disrespect right now is on par with The Godfather.”
“You never got the star.”
He tosses his arms in the air. “I always knew it was you, Freddy!”
I’m laughing as he jabs his finger at me, making his way to the door. “I’ll see you and the home-wrecker tonight at eight. But I’m only making dessert for her. We’ll see who she likes better once I feed her.”
I wave him off, only saying, “It was Fredo, not Freddy, wacko,” because he’s certifiable. Grabbing my phone, I text Goldie, chuckling to myself because I need to change her name in my phone.
Me: Change of plans. We’re going to a friend’s restaurant.
Rexy: Is this the infamous Chase I’ve heard so much about?
Me: Yes. But promise me something?
Rexy: Maybe . . .
Me: Still like me after.
Rexy: You assume I like you now. Bold choice.
What is it with me and collecting smart-asses? God help me, these two are going to love each other.
Goldie’s smiling sweetly as her eyes shine brightly, reflected above the dim candlelight on the table. Her tongue darts out over her bottom lip, hoping for more of the elaborate concoction that graced our dinner table, as she speaks to the chef standing before us, coincidentally my best friend.
“The food was incredible. I wish I’d eaten less just so I’d have leftovers. You’re so talented.”
It’s like watching a puppy get scratched in all their favorite spots, rolling right over. He literally doesn’t know what to do with his hands, and I think he’s blushing.
“I’ll cook for you anytime.” He hitches his thumb at me. “This one never appreciates me.”
She eyes me humorously as I roll my eyes.
I admit it, he wins. She likes him more for sure, but after the bluefish he served us tonight, I can’t blame her.
And if the fish hadn’t worked, he also followed through and only sent out dessert for her.
Prick. But the way she squealed and clapped her hands made me more smitten and him more enamored.
She sighs. “Well then, it’s Noah’s loss. I’ll always appreciate you.”
“Shit,” he rushes out before looking at me. “Why’d she have to go and be so great . . . Now I feel bad that I poisoned your girlfriend’s food so she’d give you back.”
Oh fuck.
My heart hits my throat as I stare back at him. Chase knows what he said, too, because he’s trying not to smile and to play it cool as his gaze shifts back to Goldie.
She bites her bottom lip, her eyes connecting with mine, but she says nothing.
I’m going to hold him under in the dirty dishwater for this.
The grin on my face won’t go away as I run my hands through my hair before dropping my eyes to the table momentarily until she says, “Ehh, I think I’ll keep him . . . since I seem to have survived.”
Chase clears his throat, but I just keep staring at Goldie, completely unable to look away from those green eyes. Damn, I’m spun in that web.
“Well, since I’ve been foiled, you can make it up by setting me up with your sister.”
My head immediately starts shaking as I wave a hand in front of him, laughing as I speak.
“Absolutely not. No way. Do not set this shit show up with your sister.” I lean in closer across the table, taking her hand. “He’s not even house-trained. I’m pretty sure he drinks out of the toilet.”
Chase scoffs. “It’s a bidet, you fucking heathen.”
More laughter spills out of her. I knew she’d love him from the moment the first of many inappropriate things was said.
She smiles at me again, and I give one back, but I swear the only thought I’m capable of makes me want to kiss her.
Goldie is a beautifully dangerous creature. The kind that makes men believe in all the shit they’ve sworn off. Like girlfriends and commitment and that maybe someone like her could like someone like me.
A couple passes, eliciting a nod from Chase as they sing his praises, and he eats it up before bringing his attention back to us.
But during the diversion, I take the opportunity to steal a fleeting second, a moment to take in the normalcy of a place in time when a girl I like meets my best friend. It’s so ordinary and perfect.
Can I have this? Not if she really knew you.
Chase’s voice interjects like cold water over my thoughts as I inconspicuously breathe through the tightness nestled in my chest.
“So, what’s the big after-plan? Now that meeting me’s set the bar so high?”
She shakes her head, searching my eyes. “I think a movie, but maybe a walk first?”
I nod and let go of her hand, ready to wrap this shit up, until Chase puts the bill down in front of me.
“I’m not paying that. You made us come tonight.”
I stand, and he chuckles.
“You dick. It’s my number for her sister.”
“Why is it on a piece of paper?”
“I’m making a grand gesture.” He looks at Goldie, who’s standing too. “You might want to rethink this guy. Trust me, ask him about the last girl he brought here and how well that turned out . . .” He coughs like he’s trying to cover what he’s saying. “She left him for me.”