CHAPTER SEVEN
“You cannot be serious.”
Sam smirked, keeping his gaze on the road.
And looking very handsome in blue jeans, a gray T-shirt, and his black leather jacket.
Though in all fairness, he made most things look hot.
Despite my best efforts, I’d come to realize it was just a me and him state of being.
The effect the man had on me had sadly, steadily escalated over the last few days of sleeping together.
(Out in the pool house, not in my room. Gibby loved surprising me with an early wake-up and no child needed to see that much skin so soon in life.) You’d think us fucking like rabbits would have calmed things down, satiated the hunger, so to speak.
But no. The desire for Sam was like a constant hum beneath my skin, a warmth spreading through my body at the mere thought of him or the sound of his name.
Just as bad as some sappy love song. All in all, very disturbing. And yet…
“Lizzy, no,” I said, turning in the passenger seat to give her a glare.
“Martha, yes.” She flipped her hair, checking her makeup in a compact. Then she rested her arm on the empty kid’s car seat at her side. “This is happening. I mean, I told you, we’re going out for drinks. Isn’t that what I said, Sam?”
“That is indeed exactly what you said, Mrs. Nicholson,” he dutifully answered.
I gasped. “Don’t you dare take her side.”
“Sorry, love.”
“You two are so cute together.” Liz grinned. “Have I mentioned that? Because you are, you’re absolutely adorable.”
“Shut up,” I grouched.
The woman in the back seat just happy-sighed. “Anyhoo, as I was saying. It’s too late to back out now. I’ve told them you’re coming. You don’t want to look like you’re scared of them or something, do you? Big bad Martha afraid of having drinks with the wives.”
“Why, you little…”
The executive protection officer chuckled all amused-like. Until he caught me glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry. That just slipped out.”
“You seem to be spending a lot of time in this relationship apologizing, Sam,” Lizzy said. “Is that going to wind up being a problem somewhere down the track?”
He licked his fine lips. “I’ve made peace with it, Mrs. Nicholson. After all, every relationship has its compromises.”
“Fair enough.”
“I hate you both.” I stared out at the passing lights of inner city Portland. Furious yet resigned. Mostly furious. Resigned was just the side dish and boy, did it taste bitter.
“So much negative emotion,” Liz tutted. “It’s not good for you, Martha.”
“What isn’t good for me is being lied to and manipulated. You know full well the last fucking thing I’d ever want to do is to go for drinks there.”
“Which is why I feel it’s time for like…a healing, you know?” She nodded all sage-like. “Just get all of the bad history out and deal with it. I think after tonight, you’re going to feel much better about things. Don’t you think so, Sam?”
He winced. “I’d prefer not to express an opinion on this particular occasion if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
At times such as this, it would have been nice to speak more than one language. Because swearing in English didn’t quite cover it. My sister-in-law deserved to have her ass handed to her in at least three or four different cultures.
The luxury SUV pulled up to the curb and he took in the passing flow of pedestrians and traffic. Night or day, the Pearl District was a popular destination with all its bars and shops.
“Here we are,” said Sam, calm and cool as can be. As per usual. “Let me get the doors.”
But I opened my own car door and Liz did likewise. “We’re fine, Sam. Relax.”
A line had embedded itself between his brows when we met him on the sidewalk. But he got to open the door to the building for us after inputting a security code. That seemed to make him happier.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said in a low voice as I walked past. “That dress is…let’s just say that keeping my mind on work might be a little more difficult than usual.”
I smiled. “Thank you. You look rather handsome yourself.”
At the elevators, we stood in silence. It was a nice apartment building.
Very expensive looking with an Art Deco front and white marble entry.
Top of the line security system, no doubt.
About what you’d expect, given David and Mal both resided there.
In the lift, Sam slipped his hand into mine, giving my damp fingers a light squeeze.
So I was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? I tried to smile, but it didn’t quite work.
Given tonight would probably feature quite high on my top ten list of hellish situations to be thrown into, I appreciated him not telling me everything would be fine.
“Have you been to David and Ev’s place before?” asked Liz.
My face just fell. “You’re shitting me. We’re not even going to your sister’s?”
“Oh, stop worrying, would you?”
Sam’s forehead crinkled up with worry lines, his gaze moving between us.
“It’s fine,” I forced out between gritted teeth. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
His smile wasn’t particularly convincing either. “That’s my girl.”
The hallway ended with a door at either end. Something in my stomach curled in dread as the whole feeling of walking to my doom escalated. No. It would be fine. Show no fear and all that.
Ev answered the door with a big smile, blond hair bouncing along with her tits.
Christ, the girl was bouncy. David really had gone from night to day with his choices in women when he replaced me with her.
Not that we hadn’t been broken for years yaddah yaddah.
But he had been my first boyfriend. My first everything. I felt entitled to an opinion.
“Liz, Sam, Martha,” she said, her smile only appearing slightly strained at the end. “Welcome, come on in. Lena and Anne are already here.”
Sam nodded. “Mrs. Ferris.”
The floors were wooden and painted a shiny black, the walls a crisp white. It made for a cool contrast. Dark wood dining table with a huge white leather couch and olive throw cushions. Nice. On a low coffee table, imported beer and a couple of wine bottles sat in buckets of ice.
“Help yourself,” said Ev, plonking her ass down on the couch. “You’re not going to hide out in the kitchen for once, Sam? That’s very brave of you.”
“You’re not worried you’ll get estrogen poisoning, are you?” asked Jimmy’s wife, Lena. Dark hair, glasses, pretty. Though they were all pretty, to be fair. She had on a bright red T-shirt, ripped black jeans, and a pair of studded Louboutin booties I would kill to own.
“I’m willing to risk it if you don’t mind me hanging around.” Sam smiled, taking up sentry duty in the corner. Probably because he was worried about me opening my big mouth and saying the wrong thing. Or maybe he was just worried about me in general.
“Just don’t report back to the menfolk and we’ll be fine.”
Sam snorted. “No fear of that.”
“He barely tolerates the boys,” said Ev. “We’re his real favorites. Right, Sam?”
“You have seen straight through my carefully curated facade, Mrs. Ferris.”
“Welcome back to town, Martha.” Anne sat with a bottle of water in hand.
We’d only crossed paths a time or two, but Lizzy’s sister and Mal’s wife seemed the exact opposite of his own loud and painfully in-your-face personality.
The woman came across as quiet, thoughtful, bookish, things like that.
So distinctly different to her slightly evil sister as well.
“Thank you.” I nodded stiffly, perched on the very end of the sofa. “Nice to be back.”
“I hear Gibby is loving having you there.”
“God, he is,” said Lizzy, shoving a glass of wine at me and mouthing the word “relax.”
I just gave her a dirty look. “Aunty Martha is even more popular than the Super Puppies right now.”
“Please don’t mention those fucking dogs.” Lena sighed. “The girls want the show on around the clock. It’s driving us insane.”
“Shall I sing you the special super puppy friend’s amazing song?” Lizzy opened her mouth in a clear and present threat.
“Depends. Is this your way of begging for the sweet relief of death?”
“I’ll hold her down for you,” I offered.
“You’re on.” Lena leaned across the couch, tapping her bottle of beer against my glass. “Don’t do it, Liz. You’re facing both a mother and a nanny on the edge due to those cute little do-good mongrels.”
Liz just smiled. “Yeah, I hate them too.”
“It’s that bad?” asked Anne, nose wrinkled.
“Just wait. Little kids fixate worse than serial killers.”
Anne’s eyes widened.
“Remember when we couldn’t find Mister Elephant so he refused to sleep for two days?” Liz shook her head. “I can still hear the pitiful wails and glass-shattering screams echoing in my head.”
“Kids are the best,” confirmed Lena.
“You can’t even imagine the love you’re capable of until you have your own child.”
“Because Lord knows, they will test you.”
Liz and Lena raised their drinks in toast to each other.
And having now spent quality time around small children, I sympathized.
I really did. But I also kept glancing at Evelyn, relaxing with a beer.
Good God, this was awkward. If they were waiting for me to relax, I might as well just stick a straw in one of the bottles of wine and start drinking.
Because that’s what it would take. After this, Lizzy wasn’t even getting coal for Christmas.
Broccoli maybe. Or no, a despicably ugly outfit which I would pretend to be all excited about and insist on her wearing somewhere public. Not a bad idea.
“So,” said Ev. “Whose life do we dissect first?”
Anne grinned. “Yes! Give me the gossip, ladies.”
“Martha has news.” Faintly malicious delight filled Lizzy’s eyes. “Martha’s been very busy.”
“You really do have a death wish,” I said, glancing tellingly at Sam. He, meanwhile, stared serenely out at nothing. Obviously ignoring the chatter entirely. Thank God. And I did feel better with him close, dammit.
“Leave Sam and Martha alone,” chided Ev. “You know what it’s like when you first get together…it’s special. They probably want to keep it to themselves.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes dramatically. “Puh-lease. You were straight on the phone to your bestie Lauren giving her all the juicy details when you and David finally got on with it. She told me.”
“Oh, I was not.”
“Liar. Spill it, Martha.”
Ev shook her head. “Liz, she feels uncomfortable enough just being here.”
Silence descended. Thick, heavy, and embarrassing as all hell. I could feel all of the curious glances and awkward side-eyes. The women were just as bad as the fucking men. Honest to God, Lizzy’s outfit was going to be the ugliest thing in creation for making me sit through this.
“Let’s deal with that then because I don’t get out often enough for tonight to be all shitty and awkward.
” Lena sat up, picking the knife off the cheese platter and hitting her glass with it.
“This is the first break I’ve had from potty-training and picking up toys in ages and I’d say Martha and Lizzy are in a similar situation. ”
“Adult time is precious,” agreed Liz. “Though I’m loving being back at college.”
“Yes, I want to hear about that,” said Ev, all enthusiasm. “I swear, my brain just gets stuck in barista mode if I don’t open a book often enough.”
“How’s the second coffee shop you bought going?”
“Really well.” Ev beamed. “But first we need to deal with this. You’re right, Lena.”
Oh no.
With a deep breath, Ev faced me head on. “Martha, the past is the past and I’d rather all of that crap got left back there forgotten, if you know what I mean? Like, life is too short. I vote for letting it go, okay?”
My jaw hung low. “Um. Okay?”
“Great.” She nodded. “What next?”
“That easily?” I asked, needing to be sure.
She shrugged. “Why should it be hard? David and I are happy. You’ve apparently moved on with Sam. I assume you have no nefarious plans to mess with my relationship or anything?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “None.”
“Exactly. You’re past that. And it all happened years ago, anyway.”
I looked to Sam and he nodded encouragingly.
“Great.”
“You don’t want me to apologize or something?” I asked, cocking my head.
“I don’t know.” She wrinkled her lips. “Would you mean it?”
The question required serious consideration.
Deep down inside, I harbored no real hate for the woman.
If anything, a lingering sense of embarrassment coated those memories.
Years ago, I’d tried to break her and her new husband up.
That he’d once been my long-time boyfriend didn’t really matter.
Not really. Without a doubt, it’d been a heinous thing to do.
Yet here she was allowing me into her home.
Highly doubtful if the situations were reversed I’d ever be that nice.
“We weren’t friends at the time and I didn’t owe you anything,” I said, choosing my words with care. “But I do regret trying to upset your and David’s happiness, if that counts?”
“Okay. I can live with that.”
“Yay,” said Liz quietly.
Except then I thought about it some more.
This was my chance to get rid of this situation entirely.
Over in the corner, I could feel how Sam had tensed.
How he watched me carefully. While I wasn’t going to prostate myself to make him happy, it seemed stupid not to swallow my pride just a little and admit to past mistakes.
I’d come back in search of family. Some sense of belonging. Maybe this might be part of it here.
Decision made. “No, look…it was a shit thing to do. I highly doubt we’re ever going to be best buddies or anything. But I was out of line and I’m sorry.”
Ev paused, surprised. “Thank you, Martha. I forgive you.”
Done. I took a sip of wine.
“This is so beautiful.” Lena wiped a fake tear from her eye with much drama. “You two are consciously coupling and I feel like there should be violins or something. Rose petals drifting down from the ceiling.”
Ev threw a cushion at her and the woman’s wine sloshed over the rim of her glass.
I couldn’t help but smile. It was a good hit.
And across from me, even I could admit that Lizzy’s self-satisfied expression was probably well earned.
So I didn’t throw anything at her. I might not even give her the wardrobe equivalent of cow dung for Christmas.
Maybe. Perhaps having female friends that were more than just casual acquaintances wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.
“So you two are friends now?” asked Anne, sounding slightly astounded.
“Sure,” said Ev. “Why not? And now how about we talk about why Anne is only drinking water. That’s what I want to discuss next.”
“Oooh.” Lena chuckled. “I totally missed that. Oh my God.”
“I might just go wait in the kitchen,” said Sam, slipping away. But not before giving me a look full of pride. Easing back further in the seat, I watched him go with a smile.