Chapter 2
2
PAIGE
“Bye, guys,” I called out to Dave and Kenton while walking across the parking lot toward my car.
I heard them holler their goodbyes from the open bay doors, but I kept walking. It was seven o’clock on Friday night, and I needed a break from this place. I didn’t know how to explain how I felt about this job. I'd never hated it, which surprised me, but I also never felt like it would be long term, and it was beginning to look like it could be.
After jumping in my car, I drove the short distance to my townhouse and let myself in. I had about an hour to get showered and ready to meet Landon. He’d texted me that he was handling some security matters at Crush tonight and asked if I wanted to hang out with him, which I agreed to immediately. I liked Landon. He was fun and uncomplicated. Nothing was ever going to come from dating him casually, but that didn’t bother me. It was better than sitting at home alone on a Friday night.
I threw my keys on the kitchen counter and jogged up the stairs, excited to dress up tonight. I loved dressing up but rarely got to anymore, especially since I worked at a parts store. When Lanie was single, I could sometimes talk her into dressing up and going out with me, but it wasn’t something she loved to do. If I asked her to come out with me, she would likely drop everything and do it, but that wasn’t fair to her.
So I stopped asking her.
But I really missed doing that with my friend.
I think that was why I welcomed Landon into my life so easily. He was fun, but he was also easy to talk to. Turning on the water as hot as I could stand, I jumped in and hurried through my shower. It wasn’t long before I was dressed in a slinky blue dress paired with my black stilettos. My hair was actually done and not in a ponytail or braid like I’d been wearing at work.
Grabbing my keys, I paused and wondered if I should call an Uber, but then decided I didn’t want to wake up with a hangover, so I’d just have a drink or two. Opening the front door, I walked out and pulled it closed behind me, making sure to lock the deadbolt. This wasn’t a great neighborhood, but it was all I could afford, and when I saw the townhouse, I fell in love. I learned to put up with the sketchy neighbors.
I closed my eyes briefly when I heard a whistle, but then turned and went down the stairs.
“Hey, baby.”
Glancing up, I saw two men across the street, lingering on the corner and sighed to myself. I didn’t want to encourage them, so I jerked up my chin to acknowledge I heard them but offered nothing else.
“Where you headed tonight?” one of them called out.
“Want some company?” the other said immediately after, then they both laughed. Not for the first time, I wondered if guys really thought those lines worked on women.
Without a second glance in their direction, I got in my car and locked the doors. Their eyes followed me while I drove down the street, but I didn’t look their way. Only bad things could come from encouraging them in any way. Turning on some music, I drove to Crush, happy when I pulled in and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot. I knew a band was playing tonight, and I felt like dancing.
After grabbing my purse from the passenger seat, I got out and headed to the doors, smiling when I pulled it open and almost immediately saw Landon. His back was to me, but I’d know him anywhere. From his styled hair to his lean figure, he stood out because he looked like he belonged in California. Ironically, that was where he lived for a while because he was a stuntman in movies until he got hurt and became a liability. He told me he needed to get out of the city that reminded him of all he’d lost, so he decided to move to New Hope to be closer to his sister, Lucy. I was happy he made that decision, but I wasn’t always convinced he was.
Moving behind him, I wrapped my arm around his waist. He turned immediately, a smile crossing his face. “You made it.”
I put my arms out to the sides. “I even dressed up for you.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me tight against him with a grin on his lips. “I really appreciate that.”
He pressed his lips to mine, and it was nice, but there weren’t any fireworks. It was like kissing a friend, but honestly, being close to someone was just nice.
Pulling back slightly, I gestured around the room. “How’s it going tonight?”
“Good so far.” He rolled his eyes toward the stage where the band was setting up. “I have a feeling that may change as the band gets going.”
“Why?”
“A lot of people are here tonight. It’s gonna get rowdy.”
“Guess that means I won’t get to spend much time with you,” I deduced.
“Not sure.” He pointed at the bar. “Wanna grab a seat? That way, I can find you when I have a minute.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “Why not.”
I walked to the bar and slid onto the stool, although I wasn’t as excited as I had been earlier. I’d been hopeful Landon would have time to hang out, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen. He ran the security for the club, and with a crowd this size, I knew he would be handling situations all night.
I ordered a drink and talked to Landon briefly before he was called away. Turning, I stared at the stage when the band started to play. They were a cover band, which I liked because they played a lot of songs I knew, but unfortunately, they weren’t playing any I wanted to dance to, at least not yet.
“Hi.”
Shifting my eyes from the stage, I saw a man standing beside me. He was cute in a Tom Holland sort of way, but unfortunately, that wasn’t really my type. It did make me want to watch the Spider-Man movies again, though.
Smiling at the idea, I nodded at him. “Hi.”
“You here by yourself?” he asked.
“Sort of.” I smiled and tilted my head. “I’m dating the muscle.”
His eyebrows drew together. “What does that mean?”
I gestured toward Landon just as he crossed the room toward the door. “That’s him. He runs security here.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “Umm...”
“Sorry.” This was always the awkward part, so I thought I’d help him out. Gesturing to two girls dancing along the edge of the dance floor, I leaned in closer to him. “Those two look like they want to dance.”
He laughed. “Okay, thanks.”
“Sure.”
I wasn’t sure he would follow my advice, but he did, and it wasn’t long before he was talking to one of them while they danced. Maybe I needed to start a matchmaking service. The idea of that made me smile, and I spun on my stool to face the bartender. When I caught his eye, I motioned to my glass for a refill. He jerked up his chin, and within a minute, he slid the drink in front of me.
I sipped it slowly, pausing occasionally to talk to Landon when he had a minute to stop and see me, but after a while, I realized I should’ve just stayed home. This wasn’t what I wanted tonight. I wanted to go out with friends and have fun, but I didn’t really have any friends other than Lanie and Landon. Which, in itself, was just sad. What happened to me? I used to have more friends than I could juggle, but it seemed like everyone was getting engaged or married, and some already had kids. I was getting left behind, and it wasn’t their fault. It was just the way life worked, but it didn’t make it any less sad.
I was just about to find Landon and tell him I was leaving when I felt someone’s attention on me. That didn’t usually bother me. As a matter of fact, I normally liked it, but I wasn’t interested tonight. Turning my head slightly, I slammed my eyes into Cole’s. Dammit. What the hell was he doing here? I didn’t want him to see me sitting at a bar all alone. It made me feel even more pathetic than I usually did around him.
With his eyes locked on mine, he pushed through the crowd until he stood beside my stool. “Hey.”
“Hi, Cole,” I replied short and I’d like to say sweet regarding our conversations, but that wasn’t true. They were usually short and a little bit mean.
His eyes scanned the crowd on the dance floor before returning to meet my stare. “This place is packed.”
“The band’s popular,” I explained. “What are you doing here? Never took you for a club guy.”
“I’m not,” he confirmed. “My sister Bree was supposed to pick up my other sister and can’t come. She asked me to do it.” He once again scanned the crowd. “But I don’t see her.”
“Maybe she already left,” I suggested, but when he sighed and continued to scan the crowd, it was obvious he was annoyed. He also looked really tired, which I noticed a lot when he came into the parts store. If we were friends or even friendly, I might mention that he should get more sleep, but we weren’t.
He pulled his phone from his back pocket, hit a few buttons, and lifted it to his ear. I didn’t even pretend not to listen when he started talking. “Where the hell are you?” Once again, he looked around the space. “I’m at Crush and don’t see you.” He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling before he said okay and hung up.
“She here?” I asked while he jammed his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. Jeans that rode dangerously low on his hips. Swallowing hard, I lifted my eyes to meet his. I needed to stop looking at him like that.
“Yeah.” He gestured toward the door. “Outside.”
He just finished saying that when the door pushed open, and Harper walked in. I knew her now, thanks to Lanie, but not as well as I’d gotten to know Bree this week, considering we’d talked and texted about the party. Bree had taken the lead, which didn’t surprise me after I’d gotten to know Cole’s sisters more the afternoon we spent together at Lanie’s. Harper was the self-described fun one, and it hadn’t taken long to realize she knew herself well. She would bring the fun to the party, but that was about all she planned to help with. Bailey was the go-to and got shit done, but she wasn’t planning it, and she wouldn’t be involved in decorating. That left Bree, and she was fantastic at what she did for a living, especially organizing it all. It made me feel really good that she was leaning on me to help her with the theme and decorations. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that I knew Lanie better than anyone else next to Jake, but it still felt good to be valued in a way I hadn’t been in a long time.
Cole whistled sharply, and Harper’s head jerked toward us. She smiled brightly and pushed through the crowd, only stopping when she reached him. “What are you doing here?”
“Bree couldn’t come to pick you up,” he explained.
She glanced over her shoulder at me but then a grin spread across her lips, and she lifted her finger to gesture back and forth between Cole and me. “I can just get an Uber if you guys want to get out of here.”
“We’re not here together,” Cole said gruffly.
No, we weren’t, and we never would be. Cole made his impression of me very clear when we met, and it hasn’t changed. We had learned to be cordial over the past year, but that was it.
She smirked at Cole. “That’s a shame.” Shoving past her brother, she stopped in front of where I sat. “Hey, Paige.”
I returned her warm smile. “I didn’t know you came to Crush.”
She laughed. “I go wherever I can find some action.” She gestured toward Cole. “Even though my bodyguard gets sent to spoil my fun.”
When Cole frowned, I smiled at her. “Too bad you’re leaving. The band is just getting started.”
Harper snorted. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere now.” Her eyes scanned over me. “God, I love your dress. Bree was right. You do have great style.” A warmth filled me at her compliment, but before I could even reply, she grabbed my hand. “Do you like to dance?”
“Yeah, I do.”
She squealed. “Me too.” I stepped down from the barstool when she tugged on my arm. “Come on, let’s dance. We need to get to know each other better so I can talk you into letting me borrow that dress.”
Laughing, I glanced at her brother, who looked even more annoyed than he had before. I guess he didn’t like the idea of me hanging out with his sister.
She swung her head around to face Cole while I lifted my drink and finished it. “Are you gonna hang out for a while?”
“I can,” he answered gruffly.
“I can drive Harper home,” I answered.
He pointed at the glass I just put back on the bar top. “You’re drinking.”
“That was my last one,” I explained, but I could see the judgment in his eyes. It bothered me, so I was snappy when I spoke. “I’ve only had two drinks, Cole. I’m smart enough not to drink and drive.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Didn’t say you weren’t.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s obvious you think that’s something I’d do.”
His eyes narrowed, but then he just shook his head. “You know what? Have a great fucking time.” He shifted so he was only looking at Harper. “Call if you need me.”
“I will.” She lifted to her toes and kissed his cheek. “Now get out of here. You’re killing the vibe.”
His lips quirked, and I wondered how she did that so easily. "Be careful.”
Without so much as a glance in my direction, he turned and pushed his way back to the door.
Harper shifted to face me. “What the hell’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing.”
“How do you know each other? From Jake and Lanie?”
“Actually, we met at the parts store where I work, and then I'd see him sometimes at Lanie’s.” When she remained quiet, I realized she wanted me to share more, but I was careful when I chose my words, all too aware I was talking about her brother. I didn’t know her well enough to know what she might tell him. “We got off on the wrong foot. That’s all.”
She studied me for a bit, then shrugged and looped her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s dance.”
I laughed and moved to the dance floor with her, forcing myself to shake off the bad mood I suddenly had after spending time with Cole.
Throwing my arms in the air, I danced with Harper, and for the first time in a while, I felt like I had the opportunity to make a friend who liked what I liked.
That was what I needed.
A friend.
Not a mechanic with eyes the color of the summer sky and calloused hands.