One #3
“Uh-huh. Great. Thanks.” Then she straightened and smiled. “Hey, Tucker!” She stood and waited for him to come around and kiss her, but he didn’t. He glanced at Slater, though.
“I’ll see you later, Evie,” Slater said before giving Tucker a hard glare and walking away.
“Wow, rude much?” Tucker murmured. “What’s his problem?”
“Who, Slater? He’s fine. He just flew cross-country last night and he’s probably just tired, that’s all.” She sat back down. “So, how’s your day going?”
“Good. Can’t complain. Just waiting for the boss man to make his move to the east coast so we can all relax a bit. You know how annoying it is having someone constantly looking over your shoulder.”
That seemed like an odd statement to make.
“Milo doesn’t hover over anyone unless they’re not doing their work.
” The words were out before she realized how they probably sounded.
“Anyway…” She reached for the wedding invitation.
“What do you think of the whole Costa Rica thing? Pretty exciting right?”
“Definitely,” he agreed, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets. “It is going to be so freaking cool! So many possibilities for a good time, if you know what I mean.”
“Um…”
“Hopefully, the wedding won’t take up all our time, and we can go off and do our own thing.”
Okay, it seemed like they were on the same page. “I’m so glad you feel that way,” she said, relief washing over her. “It’s going to be nice for us to go as each other’s plus-ones! I was hoping you’d want to. I mean…after the last month and all, I wasn’t sure if it was too soon to do this, but…”
“Evie…uh…” Pausing, Tucker raked a hand through his hair.
“Damn. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but…
I didn’t mean for us to be each other’s dates!
” His bark of laughter was way too loud and nearly made her jump out of her chair.
“I mean…you’re cool to hang out with and all, but it’s not like we’re dating or anything. ”
Say what now?
For a moment, she was too stunned to speak.
“You didn’t think all those hangouts were dates, did you?” he asked, and Evie could tell he was trying hard not to laugh.
“Um…kind of?” she murmured.
“Oh, wow. Uh…so…yeah. You’re nice and everything, but like…as a friend.”
“We kissed, Tucker. A lot!”
Now he started to at least look a little chagrined. “Okay, yeah, but…I’d had a few drinks and you were kind of…you know…I mean…what was I supposed to do?”
“Are you saying they were…pity kisses?” she hissed, seriously hating that they were having this conversation in a fairly public area.
Tucker took a small step back. “I don’t think I’d say pity,” he countered.
“But…come on, Evie. You and I have nothing in common. I like a more outgoing type of woman. One who’s a little more adventurous and laid back.
” He shrugged. “No offense, but…you’re kind of…
quiet and reserved and a little uptight. ”
Her eyes went wide. “I’m uptight? Seriously? And if you thought all those things, why were we hanging out so much?”
“Honestly? I was hoping that you’d invite your friend Bethany to hang out with us one night. You brought her to trivia night last month and…well…you both talked about how much you hang out together, so I figured if you and I hung out, she’d eventually show up.”
“Unbelievable,” she mumbled. “Freaking unbelievable.” Shaking her head, she wanted to scream.
“I know this probably isn’t the best time to ask, but…do you think she’d mind if I called her? Or maybe you can ask her to call me?”
“Are you kidding me right now?” she snapped. Right now, she wanted to throw something at his stupid face. “I’m not going to help you hook up with my friend, Tucker.”
“Why not? I just explained how you and I weren’t dating, so…?”
“Just go,” she said wearily. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Yeah, sure, but…I thought you and I were friends.”
Ugh. He was going to try to guilt her? Seriously?
With a huff of annoyance, she looked up at him. “I’ll tell Bethany to reach out to you. I’ll give her your number.”
“Thanks, Evie! You’re the best! Maybe I’ll bring her to the wedding! Won’t that be awesome?”
“Yup. Awesome,” she replied flatly.
When he finally turned and walked away, she felt utterly and completely mortified. How had she wholly misread their relationship?
Oh, God…I’m an idiot…
And to make matters worse, she started to cry.
The first tear hit her desk with a loud ‘splat’, and then she hung her head and let the rest fall in earnest. No one was due to come and see Milo for at least another hour, and she had the entire outer office to herself so no one would see her having a complete meltdown over her own rotten luck.
When was she going to learn? Men saw her as their friend—their buddy—she was never the one.
Not that she wanted to be Tucker’s one, but it would be nice if just once a guy fell for her the way she fell for him.
“I’m such a loser,” she murmured.
Behind her, someone cleared their throat and she froze.
Slater.
Dammit.
He didn’t say a word; not right away. He simply went and grabbed some tissues and brought them over to her.
“Thanks.”
She wiped her face, blew her nose, and knew she looked like a total mess. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t as if Slater was attracted to her either.
“Excuse me for a minute,” she said quietly before getting up and going to the restroom to clean herself up.
Staring at her reflection, she began to question all her life choices. She was a good person, she always supported everyone in everything they did, and where had it gotten her? Nowhere. She was alone, and all of her friends were finding their forever people while she was going home alone.
And oh…she was so tired of going home alone.
Her life had gotten a bit predictable, she supposed. Work, home, work, spin class, home, work, grocery shopping, home…
Maybe if she had a cat or a dog going home wouldn’t feel quite so lonely, but she couldn’t seem to commit because every time she thought about going to the animal shelter, it overwhelmed her. In her heart, she wanted to take them all home and give them all the love they deserved.
“I wish someone would take me home and give me all the love I deserve,” she mumbled.
But that was something that just wasn’t meant to be, apparently. And now she was going to have to come to work every day and see Tucker’s face and know he had pity-kissed her while hoping to hook up with her friend.
Ugh.
And if he brought Bethany to the wedding, how awkward was that going to be? She’d be there dateless and alone, while the two of them were frolicking on the beach and probably having crazy jungle sex at night.
Double ugh.
Obviously there was no way she was going to skip her brother’s wedding, but right now, she had no idea how she was going to handle facing her humiliation daily.
“I’ll just have to fake it till I make it. Again.”
With one last swipe of a tissue to remove the last of her messed-up makeup, she tossed it in the trash and braced herself to head back out to her desk.
Turning the corner, Evie was surprised to find Slater still sitting there.
He was perched on the edge of her desk as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
When she sat down, she felt extremely self-conscious, but did her best to look like she hadn’t just broken down in front of him only minutes ago.
She checked her emails, answered a call, and all the while Slater sat there. When she couldn’t take it anymore because she could feel him watching her, she forced herself to face him.
“You don’t need to sit here and babysit me. I’m fine. I swear.”
Liar.
“I’m not babysitting you, Evie,” he said, his voice so gentle and caring that it didn’t seem fair. “You’re my friend and I guess I just wanted you to know that…that guy’s a dick. Like…wow.” Shaking his head, he added, “He handled that like a total asshole.”
This time it was her own bark of laughter that bounced off the walls.
That seemed to make Slater relax a bit. “Seriously, Evie. You didn’t do anything wrong. Every word out of that guy’s mouth makes him a walking red flag. You’re better off without him.”
“I appreciate you saying that, but…” She sighed. “It’s turning into the story of my life.”
He didn’t push her to elaborate.
“I’m just so tired of…I don’t know. Everything,” she admitted.
“Sounds to me like you need to maybe…get away? Take a break from life here in The Emerald City.”
As much as she hated to admit it, he was right.
And that’s when it hit her.
The answer was right there in front of her.
Literally.
Smiling up at him, she asked, “Is there still room for one more on your flight back to the resort?”
His smile grew so wide it dazzled her. “Sweetheart, I’d make room for you, even if it meant throwing someone else off.”
Her heart fluttered at his words. “Then I guess I’m flying home with you. When do we leave?”