Chapter 2
GINNY
“Oh, wow, you look like crap.”
“Thanks. I’m actually feeling a lot better.”
I step across the threshold and enfold Margot into a hug. “Sorry. I just mean I’m really surprised you even wanted to have lunch. We could’ve put this off till dinner or just skipped.”
“We couldn’t skip. I want to see you. I can’t believe we didn’t make it out to the bar last night.”
Margot and my brother were supposed to meet me at their favorite local bar last night but they cancelled last minute due to Margot’s migraine.
“Is your headache gone?” I ask.
She nods. “Yes. Just a little tired now.” She squints at me. “You, on the other hand, look amazing.”
She pulls me into the apartment, and I grin as I lift a hand to the dark circles under my eyes. My concealer must be working.
“Thanks.”
“Did you get a lot of sleep since we bailed on you?” she asks as she leads me into the living room.
I can hear clinking and clattering in the kitchen and assume my brother is in there putting together our brunch-turned-lunch.
"Hey, Graham!" I call to my brother.
"Hey, Harry! It's almost ready!"
I roll my eyes but smile. My first name is actually Harriet. Ginny comes from my middle name, Ginger. My dad named all of us after famous scientists, and my mom agreed to Harriet, knowing she'd use my middle name instead.
I was Ginger only for about two weeks before it turned into Ginny.
Except with my brothers, who have always thought calling me Harry is sooo funny.
Jefferson is the only one who adjusted to calling me Ginny when I got older and told them I hate Harry.
Carver and Graham don't even do it to annoy me anymore.
I think in their minds it's a sweet nickname.
I sink onto the couch, and Margot sits right next to me. She pulls a foot up under her butt and leans her arm on the back of the sofa, facing me.
I grin at her. “Actually, the opposite.”
She frowns. “You didn’t sleep well at the hotel? It’s a Four Seasons!”
I laugh. “I didn’t sleep at the hotel at all. I stopped by to change quickly before I came here. Considering I was wearing a Wonder Woman costume.”
Margot frowns. “You were wearing a Wonder Woman costume this morning? Why?”
“Because that’s what I wore to the bar last night. I was already dressed by the time you guys called to say you weren’t coming, so I went anyway.”
She leans in. “You went to the bar all by yourself? In costume?”
I shrug. “It was Halloween. Everybody else was in costume. Well, almost everyone.” I can’t hide my smile. “Clark Kent wasn’t in costume.”
Her eyes narrow again, but this is a familiar look. I’ve known Margot since I was a kid. We’ve been good friends for years. She knows me well.
“What happened?” she asks.
“I was sitting at the bar trying to decide how long I was going to stay. There were a lot of cute guys, and a few of them had come over to talk, but I wasn’t really vibing with anybody.
Then this guy walks in, and it was so clear that it took him a minute to figure out why everyone was dressed up.
He definitely was not in costume. But he saw me and instead of leaving, he came straight over.
I definitely think it was the Wonder Woman thing. ”
“So a superhero dork?”
I nod. “He was definitely a nerd. But a hot nerd. Do you know what I mean?”
Margot laughs. “I am dating your brother. I definitely know about hot nerds.”
I hold my hand up and shake my head. “Ew. No.”
She grabs my wrist and puts my hand down. “It is a truth you are going to have to accept at some point,” she tells me. “I am happily banging your brother.”
I groan and cover my face. “Ewwww! Stop or I will not tell you about the super hero nerd with the giant cock from last night.”
She gasps and pulls my hands away. “Giant cock?”
“Yes.” I grin.
“You slept with him?”
“So, so much. All night. It was amazing.”
Her eyes are wide, but she grins back at me. “I’m so happy for you!”
I laugh. “Thank you! So yeah, he was not like a computer game nerd. He said he likes superheroes, but he did not have posters on the wall or an action figure collection. At least not in his living room or bedroom.” I shrug.
“I don’t care if he has those in like a man cave or den or something.
But he’s sophisticated enough to know that’s not main room décor. ”
She laughs. “Was he wearing glasses?” Her eyes are twinkling now.
“Yes,” I groan. “He’s like a rich nerd. Gorgeous apartment.
Super nice suit, and looked completely comfortable in it.
Like he might sit around at home in his suit.
Ordered top shelf scotch. He has to be into investments, numbers of some kind.
That kind of nerd.” I shake my head. “I clearly have a type.”
I have been surrounded by nerds my entire life.
My father is maybe one of the biggest in the world.
So I have a soft spot for smart guys. Especially socially awkward ones.
It’s not that my dad can’t make casual conversation, it’s just that he has never really seen the point.
Thank God for my mother who softens his rough edges and steps in before he makes huge messes. Usually.
All three of my brothers also have nerdy tendencies, Jefferson being the least nerdy of the bunch.
As does the guy who just wasted two years of my life.
I really should try something new.
“So what happened?” Margot asks.
“We started talking, and it was bantery and flirty. But he’s also very straightforward. He said he really wanted to kiss me, so I told him to do it. He did. It was amazing. And we ended up back at his place. Having the best sex of my life.”
“I can’t believe you just went home with a stranger!”
“Well, he excused himself to go to the bathroom at one point, and the bartender told me that he’s a regular.
She said he’s a really great guy, is usually in there with guy friends, tips incredibly well, never hits on her, and has stepped in when other guys have been jerks to women in there.
She said she felt like I was completely safe with him.
She also said that she knows exactly where he lives and works in case anything happened. ”
“Where does he live and work?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t ask, and I told him I didn’t want to exchange any personal information. We didn’t even exchange numbers. He called me Diana because I was in the Wonder Woman costume, and I called him Clark since he was dressed up like Clark Kent.”
“But he wasn’t, right?” Margot asks.
“No.” I giggle. “We decided that was his costume when it was clear that he actually wasn’t dressed up at all.”
“So you went back to his place. And it was good?” Now she looks intrigued.
“I’m not kidding. I don’t know if it’s because I just broke up with Stephen, but holy crap, I have never had sex like that. The guy was direct and driven. Like he was determined in everything he did to get a certain reaction. And the reaction seemed to be intense orgasms out of me.”
Margot sits back and takes a deep breath, blowing it out. “Holy crap.”
I sit back with a satisfied sigh. “I know. I think it was just what I needed. Things have been so shitty lately. It was exactly what I needed to just blow off steam and feel good again.”
“Lunch is ready, ladies,” my brother calls from the kitchen.
We take stools at their breakfast bar and Graham hands over plates that hold pieces of quiche, a pasta and vegetable salad, and little skewers each with a cherry tomato, a ball of mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves drizzled in balsamic vinegar.
There are also mini cinnamon rolls and huge fresh strawberries on platters on the breakfast bar.
I’m glad they just went ahead and used the brunch food they’d planned rather than starting over with lunch food simply because of the time.
“So tell me what’s going on with you,” Graham says. “Margot said you have something you need to talk to me about.”
I pause with a hunk of mozzarella cheese in my mouth and glance at Margot.
“And tell him about the job. You know your mom’s going to tell him if you don’t.”
“She hasn’t already?” I ask.
“No. And then Graham has something he needs to tell you about his work,” Margot says, shooting him a meaningful look.
He sighs but nods. “I do.”
This seems important. I reach for the latte my brother set by my plate. He’s a very good cook and an excellent barista. Harlow, my best friend growing up and his, and I did a great job training him in essential things like hors d'oeuvres, mixology, and coffee drinks.
I take a long drink, enjoying the taste of perfectly combined coffee, caramel, and vanilla. Then I look at Graham.
“I moved back to Sapphire Falls.”
His brows lift. “What?”
Yeah, I know that’s a surprise. Leaving was a big thing for both of us. That’s kind of why I’d hoped my mom had already told him this.
Our older brothers are both fixtures in the town. Carver, the oldest, works with Dad, and it’s an excellent fit for him. Jefferson, our next-oldest brother, is a football coach and science teacher. They love our little hometown and have no intention of leaving.
Graham and my leaving were also a huge deal with Harlow. She hates it when people leave. Saying goodbye to her was incredibly hard, and we both had to be certain it was what we wanted.
It was. I worked for a pharmaceutical research company that was conducting important research in treating, and hopefully someday curing, progressive neurological conditions. Graham works for a relatively new company here in Denver that is innovating in green energy.
We did exactly what our father always modeled in his world-renowned work in the areas of agriculture and environmental conservation: we used our superior intelligence to do jobs that make the world a better place.
But we wanted to make our own names.
“I broke up with Stephen and lost my job last week,” I summarize for Graham.
“What?” he demands. He looks at Margot, realizes she doesn’t look surprised, and looks back at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”