Chapter 7
Olive
“Thank you so much.” I reach out and retrieve the coffee cup from the barista as she smiles and slides it across the counter.
As I take a sip, I turn away, releasing a content sigh.
I always opt for the super sweet, sugary lattes, and this one is delicious.
Plucking my phone out of my purse, I check for a text from Cade.
We’re supposed to meet up to explore the city.
Nothing yet. He isn’t a morning person, so it isn’t unusual for me to be waiting on him to get up and ready for the day.
I push the door open and step outside. The sun warms my skin, and a small smile pulls at my lips.
The feeling that today is going to be a great day settles into my bones.
I was so worried last night while I was at dinner when I didn’t hear from Benny.
I kept checking my phone, willing a text to come through.
By the time I was leaving the restaurant, I was ready to start making calls to hunt him down.
The relief I felt when he finally texted me back when I got to my room still makes my breath catch, and now I feel like I can relax.
I take another sip as I unlock my phone, deciding to text Cade instead of waiting, when something down the sidewalk catches my eye.
Nate, shirtless and sweaty, is jogging toward me. Nate in clothes is one thing, but sweaty and half-naked is mouth-watering, and I think my knees might buckle at the sight.
The grip on my cup tightens when he stops in front of me, his heaving chest from his deep breathing drawing my attention lower. His broad, sculpted chest, covered with a slight blanket of dark hair, is beckoning me—I almost reach out and run my hand down it, but stop myself at the last moment.
“Hi.” His deep voice yanks my eyes up to see him push his sunglasses into his hair and watch me with a cocky smirk. It’s then I realize my jaw is basically hanging open.
“Hey,” I reply, much more breathlessly than intended—as if I’d been the one on the run.
“You’re up early.”
I give myself an internal shake to not embarrass myself more than my ogling already did. “I like mornings,” I say lamely.
He crosses his well-defined arms across his chest and glances away from me. His stare fixes on something down the sidewalk, tone gruff when he says, “Yeah, it didn’t seem like you had a late night with your date.”
I rear back in surprise and confusion as his eyes find mine again. “What are you talking about?”
Licking his lips, he takes a half step away from me. “I saw you last night. You don’t have to lie to me. I saw you with that man.”
A laugh pops from my chest as I roll my eyes. “You mean Thomas? The man whose boyfriend is here for a work conference?”
I would find the myriad of emotions that cross his face humorous if I wasn’t so annoyed at his assumptions.
“His boyfriend,” he repeats softly as his jaw muscle twitches and brow furrows.
“Yeah.” I can’t keep the frustration out of my confirmation.
His face scrunches as he looks down at his feet, his hands finding his hips. “I’m a fucking idiot.”
The memory of him from last night slips into the forefront of my mind.
I frown as I replay it. I saw Nate and Ian in the bar.
And the look on Nate’s face when I was leaving…
it was not a friendly one. I was excited to see him and almost went over to say hi, but his expression stopped me in my tracks.
Eyes narrowing on him, I hold up a hand.
“Wait, is that why you were mean mugging me as I was leaving? You thought I was on a date?”
He scoffs. “I wasn’t mean mugging you.”
“You totally were.” I tilt my head to the side in bewilderment. “But why were you mean mugging me?”
Nate presses his lips together as he once again looks away from me. After a moment, he flicks his sunglasses back down over his eyes and gives me another smirk. One that confirms I’ve called him out. Was he jealous?
“Have a nice rest of your morning, Olive. Hope I see you soon.” Then he pivots and takes off down the sidewalk, and I have to admit, the view from the back is just as good as the view from the front, and I feel a little light-headed.
My gaze follows him as the thought of seeing him later sends electricity zipping through my nerves, settling in my core.
Jolting me from the effects of that interaction, my phone vibrates in my hand. I shake my head to clear it as I open the text.
Cade: Hey girl! I’ll be ready in fifteen.
Me: Perfect! Meet you in the lobby.
Fifteen minutes later, I stroll into the lobby, taking the last sip of my latte. I cross the lobby and throw the cup away before turning back, my eyes searching for my friend. They don’t find Cade, but a pair of familiar brown ones meet mine for the second time this morning.
Nate gives me a wink as he stalks across the lobby toward the elevator.
My cheeks flush as I watch him step inside. But I’m quickly snapped out of it when a hand grabs my arm, making me jump. I pivot around to see Cade giving me an amused look.
“You okay, girl?”
“Sorry, yes. You ready?” A forced smile strains my face, hoping my inflamed cheeks don’t give me away.
Cade gives me an assessing look before nodding. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. I’m starving, and I desperately need some coffee.”
We enter the revolving door leading to the sidewalk outside, and I shake off the arousing thoughts of Nate swimming through my mind, determined to enjoy the day with my friend.
And I do. Cade and I walk the streets, seeing all the sights. We stop at the fish markets before wandering to some shops.
“Let’s go in here real quick, Cade.” I basically drag him toward a candy shop.
“Oh no, not you and your candy,” Cade groans, allowing me to pull him the rest of the way to the shop door.
My grin widens when I walk in behind him, which Cade responds to with rolling eyes as he wanders off.
I love candy. Really, all sweets, but when I started traveling for work, I developed this habit of going to any local candy shop I could find in whatever city I was in.
Cade has no sweet tooth whatsoever and does not understand my love for anything sugary.
I love carbs as much as the next girl, but I could never be with anyone who doesn’t want to have dessert at the end of a meal or who sees sugar as something that should only be consumed every once in a while.
That’s definitely a deal breaker in a relationship.
I pick out a few of my classic favorites and a few that I’ve never tried before, then rejoin Cade on the sidewalk, where he’s looking down at his phone.
“You get your sugar fix?”
Smiling, I hold up my bag. “Sure did. Should hold me over for a day or two.”
He laughs as we start down the sidewalk. “You know, Nate doesn’t really look like the kind of guy who eats very much sugar.”
I tsk at my friend, unable to hide my frown. “Don’t put that kind of negativity into the universe, Cade Wheeler.”
He raises his hands in defense. “What? I’m just bringing up a very real possibility you should prepare yourself for.”
I let out an annoyed sigh. “Well, as unlikely as it is that anything will ever happen between us, if he’s my person, he’ll like sugar as much as me. Or he’ll at least be supportive of my love of it.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s the case.” He intertwines our fingers. “Come on, let’s go eat our weight in sushi.”
“Can’t wait.”
Two hours later, we step outside the restaurant, still laughing and chatting. I smile as the light sprinkle of rain cools my skin, and we start meandering toward the hotel. Opening my purse, I pull out my phone, wanting to check in with Benny.
But as soon as I unlock my phone, my stomach drops.
Feet freezing in place, I reach out to grasp Cade’s forearm—partly to get his attention and also to keep myself from falling to my knees on the sidewalk.
His frantic voice asks me what’s wrong. My vision blurs as I reread the texts waiting for me on my phone, the first one from thirty minutes ago.
Benny: Sis, I lied.
Five minutes later.
Benny: I’m not strong enough to do this.
Ten minutes later.
Benny: I’m scared I’m going to do something stupid. Call me. I need you.