3. IVY
three
ivy
I just told this man my name is Gigi.
What was I thinking?
Cole taps a few buttons on the register screen, which makes the drawer open. The rattling of change sounds similar to that of a slot machine. Once he slides a couple of dollar bills inside, he closes it with a slam.
Cole appears strong. His forearms are veiny. I bet he even has a six-pack. Maybe that’s why I told him my name was something more interesting than plain little Ivy Smith. I mean, Smith has to be on the list of most common names in the history of names.
Not to mention, I’m wearing a thin blouse tucked into a high-waisted skirt, as pristine as the new marble countertop they’re putting in my kitchen. Everyone else in here is laid back in sensible sundresses and jeans, mostly paired with strappy sandals. Now they look like they’re out for a drink, while my outfit is more suited for a day at work.
I don’t exactly scream fun.
But it doesn’t mean I should lie to Cole. If I speak up now and tell him the truth, it’s early enough that we can laugh over the silly moment—no harm, no foul.
But I’m speechless from the way he moves. The way his shirt slides up his back when he bends to retrieve a beer from the cooler. How his hair is a unique blend of black and auburn. It’s messy, and it’s surprisingly sexy.
The tattoo on the underside of Cole’s forearm catches my attention too. It’s a short quote, but I can’t read it from here.
“Gigi?”
He props his hands on the edge of the bar, and I angle my head to try and get a clear view of the quote. He slides his arm across the counter, inching toward me.
Almost there …
“Gigi?”
I blink up at him, where I find him staring questioningly at me. He retracts his fingers, which were mere centimeters from my skin. Oh crap, he’s talking to me! “Yes?”
His lips slowly curl into a mischievous smirk. “Now, what might you be looking at?”
Be cool . “You have a piece of broccoli in your teeth.”
“What?” He immediately pokes around in his mouth.
I tilt my head to the side. “Gotcha.”
“I’ll get you back for that.”
He holds my gaze for a beat before he’s called away by a customer requesting to settle their tab. I again watch Cole’s every movement. How he slides the pen from behind his ear and hands it to the customer. The natural way his mouth curves into a genuine smile. The slight dimple in his chin.
The air shifts around me, and the electricity between us clouds my judgment. I’d never act this way if I was home. Never would I give a hot stranger a fake name. It’s so unlike me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t go along with it, right? After all, I’m just a single lady having some fun while on vacation after receiving news of her ex-husband’s younger bride.
The younger tidbit of the happy couple’s new engagement came from Elaine’s text when I visited the restroom. I could’ve done without that snippet, but it is what it is. Lawson’s living his best life, and I’m living Gigi’s, apparently.
The Tipsy Tap has a handful of people left, most of whom are wagering bets at the pool tables. The group of women who couldn’t keep their eyes and hormones under control are on their way out now, but not before throwing Cole a few final glances.
I can’t blame them.
I clasp my fingers together on the bar in front of me as Cole walks back toward me, his eyes dancing as he asks, “How long will you be visiting this aunt of yours?”
“A couple of weeks. Then back to Atlanta I go.”
“That’s a shame.”
I suck in a breath. “Why’s that?”
His lips lift in the corners like he’s enjoying himself, and it’s essentially a zap to my system, shaking me awake. Excitement courses through me from knowing I’ve intrigued this handsome stranger.
“Because you’ll miss out on the fun stuff Sapphire Creek has to offer. Floating down the river. The Peach Festival. The homecoming parade and other festivities this fall.”
“Is that all?”
“Among other things.” He shrugs, but his eyes hold a suggestive twinkle that makes my mouth fall open.
I don’t have time to respond before he’s called away again.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m the only one left in this establishment. I don’t remember the last time even a server waltzed by. I swirl the straw in my drink, nothing but ice sinking to the bottom of the glass.
How long have I been here? I check my phone for the time and notice a missed call from my aunt and a few texts from my mom. I open a new message to let them both know I’ll be at Aunt Carol’s soon, but Cole returns before I have a chance to type it all out.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Discarding my phone, I rest my elbow on the bar between us and shake my head. “The only thing I need is to know why they call you Mr. Big Shot.”
He chuckles under his breath, flexing his jaw like he’d rather let a stronger laugh loose. Although I wish he would, I’m not sure my ovaries could take it.
Listen to me—combusting ovaries? Who am I?
Running his thick fingers through his hair, he flashes me his tattoo once again, and heat floods my lower stomach. “I was a lawyer in Charleston up until last year. I was pretty good at it too… until I wasn’t.”
“I don’t know you, but I’m sure you were better than you think,” I offer.
“That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I also know plaid suits you better than I imagine an actual suit does.” My gaze travels over his jeans, his T-shirt tucked into the waistband at the front, and the open plaid shirt hangs over it. Cole could have entire magazines, shrines, and plaid clothing lines dedicated to him.
He shifts behind the bar as if compliments make him uncomfortable, which is an adorable quality I add to the list of reasons I’m so enamored by this man.
“Does Gigi have a last name?” he asks.
“Gigi Gosling.”
“As in, Ryan Gosling? Are you related?”
My heart rate spikes as the lie rolls off my tongue, and I internally curse Elaine for insisting we watch Crazy, Stupid, Love a few nights ago. I have Ryan Gosling on the brain.
“Because you and I are friends, I’ll tell you the truth.” I lean in close, and he meets me halfway over the bar.
He smells of tequila and cedar and hard work. The flicker in his otherwise dark eyes suggests something sexy lies beneath the guy-next-door facade, and it’s all so alluring I can’t stop myself from committing entirely to this little game.
“I’m not related to Ryan, but I usually tell people I’m his third cousin. It’s a great conversation starter.” My voice rasps on the last line.
“Is that what you want, Gigi?” Cole asks, his voice gruff and dripping with innuendos. “A conversation?”
With a heavy gulp, I idly scratch the bare skin on my chest, my nails tickling me. When I peer at Cole, his gaze is trained on my every move, following my hand as I now rest it in my lap.
He licks his lips and darts his gaze back up to mine. My body sizzles with the pulsing heat of his eyes on me.
I’m out of practice, but it doesn’t take a Tinder guru to know what this look means. The question is, what do I do about it?
It’s unlike me to go home with a total stranger.
I’ve never had a one-night stand—I’ve never even entertained the idea.
I’ve also only been on two lousy dates since Lawson moved out, plus the state senator’s son, all of which were set up by my mother. The first two ended with an awkward peck to the lips on my front porch. There was zero chemistry with any of them, but now? With Cole?
There’s chemistry, all right.
What would Gigi do?
I slide off the stool, place my hand in Cole’s, and let him guide me toward the back. We hurry past a dimly lit kitchen, down a quiet hall, and past the restrooms. Next to the exit, Cole pins me to the wall and presses his body flush against mine.
He covers my mouth with his, and it ignites a fire in my core, like a match sparking to life.
My skin pricks with delicious shock and anticipation, something I haven’t felt in a long time—if ever.
Tangling his fingers through my hair, Cole kisses me slowly but firmly, then parts my lips with his tongue, seeking mine out.
I arch into him and moan as my roaming hands assume a mind of their own, exploring the chiseled dips and grooves of Cole’s abs, chest, and shoulders.
He massages my tongue with his, and he swallows every whimper of pleasure I release. When he grunts, the sound reverberates through my stomach, where wild abandon furls into a ball of need.
We make out in the back of this foreign rustic place like teenagers, and I can’t get enough, especially when he pulls back to nibble on my bottom lip.
It’s sensual.
Hot.
Everything I needed tonight.
I kiss him with fervor, running my hands down his back as his remain in my hair, mussing it up worse than the one time I rode in a convertible.
Each time I moan into his mouth, he kisses me more firmly.
Presses his body even harder against mine.
Delicious .
The whole kiss is one I’ll remember long after I leave this town.
There’s a shuffle to our side before someone bursts through the back door. Cole and I abruptly jerk apart like we’ve been struck by lightning.
A man with similar features as Cole, albeit a few years younger, appears. “Hey, I was looking for you. We need to…” His gaze falls to me, then to Cole, and back to me. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Cole’s brother, Josh.”
I smooth my hair down, very aware that any lipstick I previously wore is now smeared. Heat floods my cheeks, and I’m suddenly reeling from embarrassment.
I’ve only been in this town for five minutes, and I’ve already been caught making out with someone.
In public .
“I’m Iv—” I clear my throat, catching myself. “I was just leaving.” Nodding to them both, I excuse myself and hurry out the back door.
Once I’m outside, covered by the night sky, I inhale a sharp, fresh breath and shake myself out of whatever fog Cole put me in. “I’m so stupid.” I laugh humorlessly under my breath, then wiggle my phone from my pocket. It’s almost eleven. I have two missed calls from my aunt now and three from my mother.
Great .
I hear the door open behind me, and I wish I could disappear.
Gone is the confidence I had inside the bar. It’s like being out here in the open has now exposed me as the mess I truly am. I’m exactly what people back in the city think I am—a disaster. Is my mother right? Do I need her to take care of me?
“Gigi, wait.”
My body tenses.
“Your purse.”
A warm hand gently touches my shoulder, and I turn into it, facing Cole.
I accept the purse and nod my thanks. “Listen, Cole, I’m not who you think I am.”
“And who’s that?”
“I’m not…” I gulp, getting lost in his eyes again. What’s with this guy’s eyes? They’re magic. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
He stuffs his hands into his pockets and leans forward, which gives me a better look at his lips. Pink lipstick is smeared across one corner, and my nerves rattle throughout my body with the satisfaction of knowing it’s mine.
“I knew it. You really are Ryan Gosling’s third cousin.” His eyes shine, matching the twinkling stars above us.
Cole’s joke eases some of the tension in my muscles, but I still don’t know how to explain myself. I’ll be here for two weeks, and this is a small town. I’ll likely run into him at the coffee shop, grocery store, on the square—there are only so many places around here. We’re bound to bump into each other again.
What was I thinking?
Oh yeah—I wasn’t thinking at all. I let my emotions run rampant, and I forgot everything I know about being a lady.
“When can I see you again?” he whispers, his focus solely on me. Boring into me like he’s trying to read me, but he has no idea what he’s asking.
The truth catches in my throat, muffled beneath emotions I haven’t had in a long time.
But I lied to him. And I’d be digging myself into a deeper hole by going on a date with him, right?
What would Gigi do?
“It’s a small town. I’m sure we’ll see each other around.” I shrug, trying to appear cool and casual, even though I’m screaming inside.
“Definitely.” He walks backward, and his mouth breaks into a devastating smile.
It’s one I’ll dream about long after tonight.