8. We are not embarrassed, remember?
Eight
WE ARE NOT EMBARRASSED, REMEMBER?
Liv
“How cute was that little old couple?” Viv gushes as we make our way to the white rocking chairs at the edge of the patio. Beautiful blue and pink hydrangea bushes peek over the edge. “I hope when I’m super old like them, I still want to vacation with my honey,” she says wistfully.
“Gotta find yourself a honey first, Viv.”
“Details, details.”
Pouring two very generous glasses, we toast to our vacation and settle in.
“So, how's it going at the office?” she asks.
“How should I know?”
“We both know you called. Spill it.”
“Fine. Everything today went great, and I’m pretty sure Cori wants to kill me for asking, and now I officially feel like a micromanager.
I refuse to lead her to believe I don’t trust her judgment.
So, consider the lesson learned. I won’t check in with her again until like Tuesday. ” I throw my hands up in surrender.
Viv tips her head toward me, knowing the “I told you so” would be unnecessary salt in the wound, and brings her wine to her mouth. “Hottie alert, one o’clock,” she says around the rim of her glass.
I look out toward the dock to see two men pulling the canvas top over the sides of the boat, fastening it to the rails.
I watch as their lean, muscular bodies move effortlessly. Then their faces come into view. However, I can’t possibly be seeing correctly, despite having my contacts in. That’s the only explanation. I blink a few times, just to be sure, then lean forward as if that’ll help. This can’t be right.
“Goodness gracious, whoever created those men should win an award.” Viv is fanning herself. “Things are looking up in the getting laid department, am I right?” Viv moves her eyebrows suggestively, but I’m not laughing.
“What? What’s going on?” she asks.
“I can’t be seeing what I think I’m seeing. But if I am, then… that’s Coffee Shop Hottie.” My eyes are glued to the sinfully good-looking man, who is now walking up the dock headed our way.
“No way! Are you sure it’s him?” She swings her gaze back to the men approaching faster than I’m prepared for.
“Viv, it’s him.” My heart is thundering, skin prickling with awareness. “What is he doing here? Is it weird if we get up and run?”
“Why the hell would we do that?” She looks genuinely shocked.
“I’m sorry, have we forgotten my exceptionally embarrassing encounter?!” I whisper hysterically.
“Okay, okay, breathe. We’re going to play it cool and pretend you didn’t bust your ass, grab his muscular thigh, face-plant into what I assume was an incredible crotch, and sprint out of the coffee shop like some terrified kitten instead of the confident woman you are.”
Viv holds up a finger, halting any comment I may have. I don’t have one. I’m speechless.
“You are not embarrassed. You are Liv Weston, owner of your own company, boss bitch, and a total catch. So, no. We will not get up and leave. We will sit here like the queens we are, completely unbothered. Let’s just see how it plays out.”
“Your pep talk started a little rocky, but you pulled it together in the end.” I let out a shaky breath, nodding.
“Damn right I did.” Viv gently guides the bottom of my glass up toward my face so I can take another sip. “Drink up.”
The butterflies flapping away in my stomach are making me nauseous. Coffee Shop Hottie and the guy he’s with are now on the wide stone steps that lead to the patio, and I can’t keep my eyes away. Trust me, I tried.
He’s as magnetic as he was the first time I saw him. And this time, I don’t have to guess at how delicious those arms are. They’re on full display in all their muscular glory under his cutoff, loosely fitted shirt.
“These men, my goodness. It should be a sin to be so good-looking. Have I died and gone to heaven? If so, thank you, oh Lord, for these gifts which I am about to receive,” she murmurs.
“Shut up, shut up!” I mumble, teeth clenched trying not to move my mouth.
Coffee Shop Hottie, who has reached the patio steps, now has his eyes locked on me. A seductive smile of recognition spreads across his face. His friend is ahead of him by a few paces. Of course, instead of continuing on into the house, they head directly toward us.
Every cell in my body is on fire.
“Ladies, welcome! We haven’t met. Did you just check in today?
” The man ahead of Coffee Shop Hottie reaches us first, opening his hands out to his sides as he greets us.
He’s just as absurdly good-looking with chocolate-brown hair and brown eyes framed by thick lashes.
He is taller, leaner, but still sports solid muscle.
What is with these people? It’s not normal to have so much sex appeal in one place.
“We did!” Viv flashes her best smile.
“Then let me be the one to welcome you to the Huffman House. I’m Josh.” He places his hand over his heart with a flourish and a tilt of his head. “And this handsome guy behind me is Luke Huffman.”
Luke Huffman.
My insides do a tiny somersault.
“Do my eyes deceive me, Trip, or is that you?” Luke comes to stand beside Josh, giving him a hearty pat on the back.
That stupid nickname.
Of course, he remembers that.
My cheeks heat, and the embarrassment from that morning weeks ago threatens to rise.
“Hi. Yup, that’s me.” I wave awkwardly. Get it together, Liv.
“Well hello, hot guy from the coffee shop,” Viv says.
I blink and turn my head in her direction. “Vivian, are you kidding me right now?”
Viv turns to me and mumbles, “We are not embarrassed, remember?”
“I am absolutely embarrassed. Fucking mortified, actually,” I mumble into my glass.
My eyes find Luke’s face. He’s watching this exchange between Viv and me, smiling with his hands in his pockets.
“Well hello, friend from the phone,” he says, matching her tone and scratching his chin. “Viv, right?”
How the hell does he know that?
“You’d be correct. And you know that… how?” she asks.
“Trip said, ‘Viv, I’ll call you back.’ So I‘m left to assume that you are Viv.”
His voice is just as I remember it. I’ve replayed it over in my mind more times than I’d like to admit. I bet it sounds really sexy in the morning when he’s just waking up. But I’m not curious about that because I’ve sworn off men.
“Impressive.” Viv raises her glass in his direction. “This beautiful lady, who you’ve adorably decided to call ‘Trip,’ is my best friend Liv.” Viv leans back in her chair, elbows on the armrest. The picture of ease. Meanwhile, my cheeks are flaming hot, and I’m pretty sure I’m sweating.
“Viv and Liv? Love that. Easy to remember too! How long are you two staying in our fine establishment?” Josh is all charm and easy smiles.
“Ten glorious vacation days,” Viv says, her chair gently rocking back and forth.
Their conversation continues, but I’m having some sort of out-of-body experience and find myself unable to take part. It’s unbelievable. This man—I wondered if maybe he was a figment of my imagination—is standing right in front of me in all his gorgeous glory.
What am I supposed to do with that?
Luke’s eyes have found me once more, and I feel pinned to my chair. Frozen in place, like a deer in the road. Josh and Viv talk, Luke stares, and I’ve become a mute again, captivated by his grayish-green eyes.
I wonder if he still smells the same—like a fresh shower mixed with butterscotch and oak.
Yup, I remember that too. I remember everything. He’s branded on my mind even if that’s the last thing I want or need.
“We’ll let you get on with your evening, but it’s lovely to meet you both, and I’m sure we’ll see you soon.” Josh places a hand over his heart as if reciting a Shakespearean sonnet.
He claps Luke on the shoulder, signaling that it’s time to go.
“Enjoy your first night in Maple Cove,” Luke says, eyes locked on me. With a slight tilt of the mouth, he tips his head and follows Josh into the house.
Viv turns her attention to me, a look of confusion on her face. “Are you well?”
“No. I think I blacked out. I can’t believe you called him the hot guy from the coffee shop.” My palms cover my face. “His presence short-circuited my brain!”
“Better get over that because it sounds like his family owns the place, so we’ll be seeing more of him over the next ten days.” She finishes her glass of wine and stands. “Bottoms up, buttercup, we’ve got a reservation to get to. Mama wants pasta.”
“Was it obvious I fully left my body for that whole interaction?” I ask, standing and finishing my glass..
“Yes, obvious to me—but they’re men. Luke probably clocked your awesome cleavage and spent the whole time thinking Boobs. Don’t stress. You’re fine. We can salvage this. I mean, we have to. You have a vagina to dust off, and frankly, I think that man should be the one to do it.”
I drop my head back and stare up at the sky before looking down at my chest. “My boobs do look good, don’t they?”
“Hell yes, queen. Now let’s go eat.”