Chapter 16
Sam
“THIS IS ONLY the second time I’ve been here,” I remind Kari as she guides me into her living room.
She looks back at me, her blunt bob skimming her cheeks, and grimaces. “I’m sorry. It’s not on purpose.”
I laugh. “It’s okay, Kari, I promise.” And it is. Besides, we’re here for some Christmas fun, and it’s the best thing I can think of to keep Colin off my mind.
Allyson and Elodie greet me with hugs while Kari disappears into the kitchen to finish the drinks she insists she doesn’t need any help with.
“It’s a beautiful house,” I say, taking everything in.
The Christmas tree is real, topped with a giant, nearly translucent gold bow that flows down the length of the tree.
The lights are warm and white, and the decorations are all themed red, white, and gold.
Garlands trim the doors, plush blankets are draped across the white couches, and the soft sound of Christmas carols envelops me.
I have no idea how she’s had time to do this.
It seems like a lot for a woman who lives by herself with no time to do anything but deal with her crappy boss.
“It’s perfectly Kari,” Allyson assures me. “Close to work and classy as hell.”
“I heard that,” Kari says, reappearing with a tray of festive-looking drinks.
“You’re welcome,” Allyson replies with a smile. “Because it’s all true.”
“Coming from a professional spy, I’ll take that as a compliment.” She sets the tray down on the coffee table and begins to hand out the candy cane-stemmed martini glasses. “These are called Candy Canes. Basically, they’re martinis with a hint of peppermint instead of olive.”
They’re adorable, each with a little peppermint floating in the bottom of the drink. Once we all have our drinks in hand, Kari raises hers in a toast. We do the same.
“Here’s to found family. The best kind there is.”
“Cheers,” we chorus, raising our glasses before pulling them in for a sip. “This is delicious,” I tell her, the peppermint fresh and minty in my mouth.
“I wanted to be sure your one adult beverage was worth it,” Kari says, grinning. “But if you want another, I’m happy to make it. No marriage needed,” she jokes.
“Fuck off,” I shoot back good-naturedly, then take another sip.
She laughs. “I do have more non-alcoholic drinks ready to make for you. And they’re tasty – none of that syrupy-sweet juice bullshit that bartenders like to pass off as mixed drinks without liquor. This is actually good, I promise.”
“Thank you.” I nod to the tree. “It’s beautiful.”
She grins. “Thanks. I love a good theme.”
“It looks like something out of a catalogue.”
“You know Kari isn’t about to have a stitch of anything out of place,” Elodie says, drawing near to pull Kari into a sideways hug. “It’s why we love her. Everything is controlled, but lovingly so.”
Allyson and I laugh while Kari sticks her tongue out at Elodie.
“You’re still the same girl I met in Melbourne twenty years ago,” I tease her. And it’s true: even then, she knew exactly who she was and made no apologies for it. Admirable, even if sometimes it’s annoying.
“I am,” she admits with a smile. “And how lucky are we to have run into you all those months ago at the Mexican restaurant?”
I laugh. “If I hadn’t been desperate for some guac and chips, who knows where we’d all be.”
Elodie’s eyes shine with affection. “It’s true. I’m so glad I met you.”
“I mean, I’m glad we’ve been able to watch the reality show that is Colin and Sam,” Allyson quips, tipping her half-empty glass at us.
I scowl at her. “No thanks to you.” Then, because I’m desperate for a topic change, I gesture at the gifts we’ve all brought for the exchange. “When are we doing this? I can’t wait to see how this works in America.”
“It’s Dirty Santa – you know how it works,” Kari deadpans. “You just don’t want to talk about Colin.”
Elodie cozies into the couch and rubs her hands together. “Ooh, what’s the latest? Any late-night shenanigans? Heat-filled glances across the room? Kissing?” She delivers the last word with a low, teasing voice, shimmying her shoulders as she speaks.
It’s painful how close she is to the truth. And maybe it’s the expression on my face, but hers lights up in response. “Oh my gosh, I was kidding, but I think I’m right!” she gasps. “Are you and Colin a thing?”
“I mean, they are married,” Allyson reminds the room.
“Did you know the only way we can get a divorce is by appearing before a judge there, in person?” I ask. “That’s what it says on the website, anyway. But I have to believe it’s not true. There has to be a better way. Can’t we just do it by Zoom?”
Allyson taps her chin thoughtfully. “You’d think. I can look into that.”
I beam at her gratefully. “Really? I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
“There has to be a wrinkle with you being Australian,” Kari pipes up.
She pulls her phone from where it’s resting on the coffee table and types something onto it before setting it back down.
“I’ll investigate. Nothing like what Allyson does, of course.
Can’t you hack into the Nevada court system and just make their marriage disappear? Because that’s my favorite idea.”
“I still think it’s romantic,” Elodie sighs. “I think it’s fate.”
I snort. “Fate? More like too much alcohol. And then certain friends of mine meddling where they shouldn’t be.” I level a look at her. “Don’t think we didn’t see right through you at Thanksgiving.”
Elodie’s cheeks heat. “I think you deserve a chance to see if it’s real. You don’t see the way he looks at you, Sam.”
“If it’s anything like the way I look at him, then it’s a wonder we’re both not dead from that alone,” I quip.
Elodie shakes her head. “Not even close. He looks at you like you hung the moon. Like he can’t believe you’re in the same orbit as him.”
“She’s way out of his league,” Allyson agrees. “Have you seen the way that man dresses? It’s a crime. Can’t you do something about that, Miss PR?” she asks Kari.
Kari waves her off and downs the last of her drink.
“I’m not doing anything to help with this charade.
I want it over and done with. It’s a nightmare of a PR story if it gets out, and I’m not interested in cleaning it up.
That said.” She levels a serious look at me to say the next part.
“If you really were interested in him, I could be persuaded to ease up. Until then? Fuck it all.”
We all cackle as I take another sip of the peppermint martini.
Allyson leans in. “You can at least help with a stylist. That’s got nothing to do with whatever is going on with him and Sam. The man is a professional rugby coach in Atlanta. The options for him to look good are limitless. He looks like an overgrown frat bro. Fix him.”
I can’t help but giggle at the image that Allyson paints, even as Kari rises from the couch. “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Elodie pipes up. “Clothes are their own form of PR, and you know it. I mean, Ansel’s legs could have their own PR firm, let’s be honest.”
Kari snorts derisively and leaves the room, empty tray tucked under her arm.
Elodie turns to me with an earnest expression on her face. “Quick. Before she gets back. What’s been going on? Because the look you had earlier tells me something’s happened.”
I take a deep breath. “We…kissed.”
Elodie gasps as Allyson raises her glass. “Fucking finally.”
I shush them both. “Keep it quiet. I don’t want to deal with Kari.”
Allyson raises a sculpted brow and brushes her braids back. “You’re keeping this from your best friend?”
I wince. “Yes?”
She shrugs. “Just checking.”
“Spill. And hurry,” Elodie urges.
“He came in with an injury, nothing bad, he’s fine,” I hurry to say. “But after I worked the muscles…”
“You worked other muscles?” Elodie says.
I laugh. “Keep that dirty mind out of the gutter.” Even though I immediately remember the way his hand felt as he cupped me between my legs. I shift and take another sip. “Look. There’s been some tension between us and we just kissed. That’s it. I don’t think anything else is going to happen.”
“Why not? Don’t you want it to?”
Yes. No. Yes. “No.”
“Bullshit,” Allyson states flatly. “Because underneath the absolutely terrible clothing choices the man makes, he’s good-looking. He’s no Jake, of course, but no one’s better than my man.”
I smile at her. She’s prickly as hell, but she loves fiercely.
“Did he say something?” Elodie prompts. “Did you? Was the kiss bad?” She gasps. “Did it help you remember anything more about that night?”
My resolve weakens. “I remember the first kiss,” I admit. “I actually remember a lot more of the night now. Seeing and hearing him all the time helps.”
Elodie waggles her eyes mischievously. “And?”
“We were in a bar on a dance floor when it happened.”
“And?” she says again.
“It was amazing,” I say, my voice soft as I immerse myself in the memory again.
The way he’d held me and told me to let him kiss me?
There was something there. It’s still there, simmering beneath the surface for both of us now.
But it doesn’t matter. “He doesn’t want this to happen,” I finally say, my voice brittle as I fight to rebuild my defenses.
“What? Why?” Elodie asks. “Because –”
“I’m back with a fresh round of drinks,” Kari announces, reappearing with a flourish. She nods at the glass in my hand, nearly empty. “Including something for you.”
I smile, but it’s not the biggest.
“And I figure we can start dinner in about half an hour,” she continues.
The women move on to another topic, which I’m grateful for, but I’m lost in my head.
Ever since that encounter with Colin a few nights ago, I’ve been completely adrift.
I don’t want him. I can’t. But tell that to the way my stomach swoops every time his name comes up.
Or the way my chest hurts when I remember the words he said.
“We can’t do this. Us. I have to stay focused.
” As if it’s my fault that we’re a distraction.
Hell, as if I’m a distraction, full stop. That’s a him problem, not a me problem.
But it doesn’t matter. Because we’re not Ansel and Elodie, who fought through a psycho baby mama drama and found their way back to each other in the midst of a PR nightmare.
Speaking of PR nightmares. Maybe that’s why Kari doesn’t want anything getting out about our Vegas wedding. We may be best friends, but these days it feels like I’m just work for her.
“Hey.” Elodie scoots closer to me on the couch and leans in, her voice soft. “Are you okay?”
I’m not remotely okay. But it won’t do any good to tell any of them.
Kari will roll her eyes and try to shut it down, Allyson will stay surface level because she doesn’t want to be involved, and Elodie will simply try to find any way possible to turn the situation into a happily ever after, no matter what type of shenanigans she has to pull off to get there.
So I steel myself and force all the negative thoughts away. “I’m great,” I tell her, willing myself to believe it as well.
She studies me. “Okay,” she finally says. “You’re lying. But okay.”
It has to be enough.