Chapter 13 #2
I’m going to kill Nathan and Owen for springing this on me.
When we wrap up, I stand, ready to make my escape, but no-o-o. Cal appears by my side. “Mackenzie, wait. I don’t think the other night was a mistake.”
I press my lips in a flat line, steeling myself against any treacherous sweetness. I won’t be fooled again.
“We have good chemistry,” he says.
I grab my satchel. “Ah, yes. Chemistry. And don’t forget friendship.”
He snags my wrist, his thumb stroking the soft underside. I yank my wrist out of reach.
“It’s a start,” he says. “Maybe—”
I meet his eyes, keeping my voice neutral. “Are you saying you want a relationship?”
He hesitates. And there’s my answer.
“I’m not sure what I’m saying,” he says. “The fake dating doesn’t feel fake anymore.”
“Why?”
He opens his mouth and closes it again.
“You told me you’re not good at relationships,” I say in a matter-of-fact tone like it doesn’t bother me in the least.
He clears his throat. “I’m not.”
“And you just got out of a serious relationship that ended badly. I’m not saying that was your fault, but it seems too soon for you to jump into something new. If that is what you’re hinting at. I can’t tell, and I don’t want to guess anymore.”
His brows draw together, but he says nothing.
I force a smile. “It’s fine. Really. A little space between us would be good before we can try being friends again, okay?”
“You’re the one who came on to me,” he says.
I suck in air. “Bye, Cal.”
I drag myself through the week. Thankfully, the rest of the work project with what’s-his-name, whom I am not thinking about, is through email.
Nathan said he’ll take the final meeting with what’s-his-name to review the papers that need signing since I handled the first meeting.
Now it’s Thursday night, and I’ve hit an all-time low, finishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for dinner.
Harper’s not home, and she didn’t respond to my text. One of the nice things about growing up with Harper was finally having a sister to commiserate with. We were outnumbered at home with two brothers each. I count on her for this kind of misery.
I’m sick of wallowing. I grab my coat and head for Happy Endings. I’ll get a bite to eat of real food at the bar and be around people.
When I get there, my brother Cooper is bartending.
He resembles Dad, tall with brown hair and brown eyes.
He’s mischievous like Dad, but also empathetic like Mom.
That’s probably why distressed women drinking at the bar always used to share their problems with him.
He became known as the rescuer of women.
Rowan put her foot down, and now he’s friendly with distressed women, but no longer on rescue duty.
“Hey, big sis,” he says. “Is this a white wine or mojito night?”
“Wine, thanks.”
He grabs my favorite wine from the refrigerator and pours me a glass. “Everything okay? You don’t seem like your usual cheerful self.”
“I’m cheerful.”
He gives me a look as he hands over the glass. “Try again.”
I take a long swallow of wine. “Why do men suck?”
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah.”
He leans across the bar. “You should tell it to the crowd across the street.”
“What crowd?”
“The Happy Endings Book Club. They meet tonight. I’m surprised you’re not over there now. Rowan and Harper are there.”
A stab of betrayal hits my already bruised heart.
And, okay, a little bit of FOMO. This is why Harper couldn’t be there for me in my misery.
She fell in with the romance crowd behind my back.
Meanwhile, I share every little thing in my life with her.
She used to say she didn’t believe in all that love fantasy stuff after her live-in boyfriend of two years cheated on her in their bed.
What about that, huh? We were a united anti-love front.
And another thing she never shared—she never told me why she’s always pissy with Nathan all these years. I tell her everything.
Does this mean Harper’s going to start looking for a happy-ever-after fantasy man and leave me behind? We were supposed to be roomies for at least our fun twenties. That was the plan.
And since when does Rowan read romance? When I first met Rowan, she had a decidedly anti-romance stance. How my brother Cooper managed to turn that around is a mystery to me. I guess being the new partner in Mom’s wedding planning business finally got to her.
That book club is filled with Mom and her friends, all my favorite aunties, and now my friends are there without me. This is so wrong.
I toss back the rest of my wine. “Put it on my tab.” I hop off the bar stool and march toward the door.
“Dude, it’s free for family,” Cooper calls after me.
“I know!”
I shove the door open and jog across the street to Something’s Brewing Café.
Cal
I thought I would feel out of place, but this romance book club has been very welcoming.
When Mad invited me last week, I looked up the book on the store’s event calendar.
At the time I thought it could be one of those fake-date things for me and Mackenzie.
Then, of course, I had to actually read the book so I wasn’t lost during the discussion.
Fiery Embrace was an eye-opener. First, I had no idea there were sex scenes in these books.
My little sister reads them voraciously.
Explains more than I want to know. Second, I finally understand a woman’s thoughts and feelings.
It was all spelled out right there. I can’t believe more guys haven’t caught on to this.
The women’s animated talk at the café fades into the background as I review what happened with Mackenzie again to figure out where it went wrong.
We had a great night. I said the wrong thing, as I often do, but what was wrong with what I said?
It would take a long time to get each other out of our systems is a good thing.
And good chemistry means I like being with her.
She took everything the wrong way. Then she put me in the maybe sometime in the future friend zone. Friends! After all we shared.
For the first time in my life, I don’t know the next strategic move. All these confusing feelings cloud my thinking. I want to stuff them down into the box that holds all my unwanted feelings, but they’re too strong for that.
And then suddenly she’s here. The blood rushes through my veins. Our eyes meet across the room, her lips forming a perfect O of surprise.
Shit. She’s going to think I’m not giving her space like she asked. Should I bail? I’m sitting in a circle of women. It would draw a lot of attention if I suddenly stood and left.
Her gaze shifts, riveted on Harper. Mackenzie does not look happy with her. A temporary reprieve for me. I need to come up with a good explanation for being here that doesn’t let on how clueless I am about the emotional lives of women. Think!