18. Parker
18
PARKER
“ I don’t think that could’ve gone any worse, dude.” Blake is shaking his head, laughing loudly at my misfortune. Scarlett covers her mouth, trying to stifle her own laughter. I groan and flip him off.
“Yeah, no shit. Thanks for stating the obvious.” I squeeze the bridge of my nose, trying hard to keep my annoyance at bay–annoyance with Blake and annoyance with myself for freezing up. “It’s not like I planned on choking. I just had no idea that she was going to drop that bomb on me.”
“If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t either. Katherine pulled her into the office today and broke the news. She had a similar reaction.” Scarlett says soothingly, placing a delicate hand on my arm.
“Oh yeah, that feels great to hear,” I deadpan. “Wait a second. Is that why you said we were meeting them here for drinks?”
I scowl at Blake, who’s back to wearing his boastful grin. One look at him, and I know this was a setup. I don’t give him time to respond as I say, “You know what? Don’t answer that. How did you know? And more importantly, why didn’t you tell me earlier? It would’ve been nice to get a heads-up.”
“I may have told him.” Scarlett raises her hand bashfully. My anger with Blake immediately disintegrates. “I texted him as soon Dylan told me.”
I squint at them, shaking an accusatory pointer finger in between them. “How long has this been texting going on?”
Blake throws back the last of his martini. “That’s none of your concern. Now, how are you actually feeling about Dylan joining the tour?” I spot it instantly, the way he brushes me off all too easily.
“Well, of course, I don’t mind. I love any excuse to get closer to her, but I’m not sure she feels the same way. Especially after learning that she had a similar reaction.”
“I think you just need to give her time. It’s clear there’s still something between you two. Blake told me all about Operation Get Dylan Back. This could be the perfect opportunity to get closer,” Scarlett replies.
Great, now Scarlett is in on it.
“Did either of you have anything to do with this?” I inquire.
Scarlett’s intentions are probably pure, but I have less faith in my best friend. He’s not afraid to pull some strings to get what he wants.
Blake crosses his arms on the table, his pinky slowly stroking Scarlett’s hand. The gesture is subtle and so unlike him that it catches me off guard. But I don’t have time to address it as he says, “I swear, scout’s honor, that I did not meddle for once. We both know that I asked you to go to make sure everything was running smoothly, but I had no idea that she was going to ask Dylan to join. This is all Katherine. I could kiss the woman for it.” I catch the frown on Scarlett’s face at this, and she pulls her hand away from his touch. I need to ask Blake what’s going on between the two later.
“Katherine may love me, but I don’t have that much pull. If I had to guess, Evelyn said something to her,” Scarlett replies, not an ounce of defensiveness in her voice.
I can’t help but feel a prick of sadness for the girl when I think about her with Blake. Despite not knowing the full extent of their relationship yet, I know that Blake chews and spits girls out as soon as he gets bored with them–which is typically after sleeping with them for the first time. Scarlett seems too genuine to be getting wrapped up in his shit.
Without turning around, I feel a pair of eyes bearing into my back. I can feel Dylan hesitating to return, but I don’t move, waiting for her to come over to me in her own time.
It’s a wild thing. To have been separated from someone for years, only to be aware of their presence whenever they’re near. It’s as if my body hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be that physically close to someone I love, and it wants to remind me of all of the mistakes that I’ve made.
Without looking at me, she sits back down next to me, remaining on the edge of her seat so as not to sit too close to me. I wish I had a time machine to go back and redo that whole interaction. Within seconds, I watched her walls build right back up, but I’m intent on bringing them down and keeping them down once and for all.
“I’m sorry. I know I was a total dick back there. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel like I didn’t want you on the tour with me. I was just caught off guard,” I murmur.
“I’d say. I thought I was going to have to give you the Heimlich there for a second.” There’s a trace of humor in her voice, and I feel my tense muscles loosen up.
Thank god .
“Are you CPR certified? I can force more martini down his throat if it means giving him some mouth-to-mouth action.” Blake nods at me, flashing me a quick wink before Dylan can see. What a fucking idiot.
“Have I ever told you that you’re a moron?” I quip back .
To my relief –and disbelief–Dylan breaks out into a large grin directed at Blake. I don’t want to give the man credit, but he has a knack for making women feel better instantly. It’s a secret talent that he uses to his advantage far more often than I care for. Unfortunately, I’m thrilled it worked this time around.
“Want to test it out yourself? See if I’m any good at saving lives?” There’s a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, and I know where this is headed. Most men would take this as flirty banter, but I know Dylan is gearing up to hit him where it hurts.
“Is that your way of saying you’d rather kiss me? Because if so, at least wait until Parker’s not around. The poor man is sensitive.” His arrogant grin is almost enough to get me to break, but I know I have to keep my facade up if I want to watch her tear him down.
She leans closer to Blake from across the table, folding her arms in front of her. Blake’s eyes fall to her chest for the second time, and I bite the inside of my cheek until it bleeds to keep myself from ruining the build-up. Dylan can handle this herself.
I still hate seeing him ogle her, though.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She curls her finger in a “come hither” motion, and Blake does as he’s told, just like a dog. How predictable. “I am CPR certified.” She pauses a moment before the punchline. “Sadly, your case is beyond medical help.”
There she is. My Dylan.
Blake lets out a raucous laugh and matches her posture, pointing a finger at her while looking at me. “Feisty. I like this one.” A warm surge of pride fills my chest, and without thinking, I mutter under my breath, “I do too.”
I must be louder than I thought because Dylan’s eyes find mine, and I prep myself for an earful. Instead, her cheeks are dimpled, and her mouth is tilted up in a quiet smile so beautiful it deserves a spot in a museum. If it were ever on display at The Met, I’d spend thousands to sit and stare at this piece of art.
“How about no one pours anything down anyone’s throat, and we make it out of this bar alive?” I reply.
“Ugh, you’re no fun. I’d kill to have my tongue down someone’s throat right about now,” Blake wails. Scarlett physically blanches beside him as she moves an inch away from him yet again. It’s as if whatever spell he had her under has finally been broken, and she remembers exactly what kind of guy he is.
“That’s disgusting,” she vocalizes her distaste.
Blake has been known to turn these types of comments into an opportunity. Why go for a girl who’s clearly expressing interest when you can focus all your attention on changing the minds of the ones who hate you?
“So you’re saying you’re not volunteering?”
“Absolutely not.”
As the two of them go back and forth, I use the opportunity to lean toward Dylan and whisper in her ear, “I really am sorry, you know. There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with for two weeks than you.” My eyes flicker down to her arms, now covered in goosebumps. I’m hit with a burst of satisfaction, knowing I still have this effect on her.
“There’s no need to apologize. I’m sorry for my abrupt bathroom visit. I just needed to catch my breath for a second. It’s been a whirlwind of a day.”
“You don’t need to be saying you’re sorry. I’d imagine learning that would be quite a shock.”
“It was. But from the looks of it, I’m not the only one who was just learning of it, too. I should’ve been more understanding of your reaction.”
I pull away and stare at her, awestruck. Only this girl would hear that she has to go on tour with her ex and apologize to me for being the one to break the news. She feels the weight of my gaze and lifts her napkin over her face, hiding her nose and lips.
“What?” she whispers.
I may not be able to see her perfect mouth or her button nose, but the limited view makes her hazel eyes pop. At first glance, they look green, but this close, I’m mesmerized by the flecks of gold. They remind me of the sun setting over an open field in the spring—the time of day when the sun brushes its lips against your skin, and the butterflies flutter freely.
“You’re beautif-” The words are out of my mouth before I can think about their weight, but I catch myself before finishing.
Surprisingly, she doesn’t shy away from my bluntness. She lets out a nervous titter and brings the napkin back down to her lap. The apples of her round cheeks are painted pink, and I’m run over with the need to make her feel like this for the rest of my life.
“I can’t seem to get it right around you today, can I?” I grasp the back of my neck, suddenly needing something to do with my hands.
“Don’t worry about it.” She leans her shoulder into mine, closing the gap between us. “And thank you.”
The table has gone completely silent, and I tear my eyes away from Dylan’s to see Scarlett and Blake staring at us, eyebrows raised in amusement. I feel a blow to my shin underneath the table, and I mask the groan of pain with a cough.
Blake begins miming a heavy make-out session with an invisible woman sitting in front of him, and I return the favor with a swift kick to the leg before Dylan can catch wind of his actions. Unsurprisingly, it just makes the asshole laugh.
I look back to Dylan and realize how close we’ve gravitated towards one another. Our chairs are touching, and she’s got her elbows resting on the arm, centimeters away from my own. The sound of Blake’s chuckle must startle her because she lurches her chair away from mine and looks over at him, dazed and confused.
“Sorry. Scarlett told me a funny joke. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I did no–” Scarlett tries to defend herself, but Blake hurriedly covers her mouth with his hand. “Why don’t we track down the waiter and get this bill taken care of?”
She nods silently, and Blake pulls her to her feet and out of the booth.
“Oh, here. Take my card!” Dylan fumbles through her bag and pulls out her wallet to hand to the two. Blake waves her off without muttering a word and walks away.
“Just let him go. He’s got a thing about always paying for a woman’s meal or drinks. He won’t let you, no matter how hard you try to argue.”
“That’s oddly… nice of him?” she puzzles.
“Shocking, I know. He’s not as bad as he seems. You just have to get past the whole sleeping with anything with legs thing.”
She leans back into the chair, placing her hands on her lap, and it feels like all of the air has been siphoned out of the room now that she’s no longer close. “If I’m not the one sleeping with him, I don’t care what he does in his free time. I think he could learn a thing or two from you, though.”
“I’m working on it, trust me. Let’s just say this: if you had met him in California, there’s no way he would’ve walked out of here without a knee to the balls.” I curl my lip up with distaste.
“And you call him your best friend because?” she taunts.
“The guy’s been there with me through hell and back. He may rub a lot of people the wrong way, but he’s also the kind of guy that’ll be there the minute he gets that SOS text.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, if you’re willing to call him your best friend, then he’s got to be a half-decent guy. You’ve always been a good judge of character. Just don’t expect me to spend my free time with him.” Her eyes are wrinkled with a genuine smile, and with it, I feel us crossing a threshold. Not only can we coexist, but this feels like the start of a genuine friendship.
I’m not dumb enough to think that this means we’ll fall in love again tomorrow, but it feels like it did all those years ago. It’s something I wasn’t aware that I was painfully searching for until I had it again.
“Don’t worry. I won’t subject you to that kind of misery.” I joke.
And just like that, the musical tune of her laugh has me fighting off the urge to kiss her.
One step closer.