Ten first dates, p.41
Ten First Dates, page 41
“Did you make a wish, too?”
He nods, and his gaze dances out over the water.
I wonder what a guy like him, who seems to have the world at his fingertips, could possibly wish for.
More than that, I wonder if a guy like him would ever wish for a girl like me.
CHAPTER TWO
The next summer, he finds me again.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope to run into him, but that’s a truth I won’t admit to anyone but myself. Even though that blue-eyed boy and our starlit moment have lived rent-free in my head for nearly a year, Lane and I are still together. In fact, we’re better than ever. We’ll graduate next spring, and we have our future together all planned out. I’m excited, but...
Something inside me won’t let go of the curiosity that flamed to life in those short moments with Jesse last summer. He was so sweet, and there was something sexy and mysterious about him, too. I’d almost convinced myself that I’d only felt that way because he’d found me at such a vulnerable moment…
But then I saw him again.
“Hey, city girl.” He flashes a grin as he rounds the front of my Jeep at the gas station in Cole Creek. I have three friends with me for a girls’ weekend, and they watch with mouths agape as he takes over at the gas pump and fills my tank like the chivalrous gentleman he is.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I tuck my credit card into the pocket of my shorts, hoping the hair blowing across my cheeks hides some of my blush.
“It’s no problem,” he says, still grinning and noticeably having a difficult time taking his eyes off me. “I wondered if I’d see you again this year.”
“She has a boyfriend,” my friend Megan chimes in. “But I’m single. You know, if you’re interested.”
Jesse laughs softly. “He’s still around, huh?”
I nod because it’s the truth. A truth that, for some reason, suddenly feels unsettled in my stomach.
“Some of the guys and I are having a bonfire at Sam’s tonight. You girls should come.”
“We’ll be there!” Brandy says before he finishes. It’s no secret she’s had a thing for his friend Sam since they met last summer, too.
“I, uh, guess we could come,” I agree. It’s only a bonfire, right? A big group of friends just hanging out.
“Ten o’clock. Bring your gorgeous selves, and we’ll take care of the rest.” Jesse winks, and my insides melt into mush.
Just friends, I tell myself. Just. Friends.
Later that night, the girls and I arrive at Sam’s cabin about a quarter of the way around the lake via the trail Jesse and I had walked on last summer.
“Ladies!” Sam greets us from beside a massive, unlit pile of branches and debris on the beach. “You’re just in time to light this baby up!”
Brandy keeps walking toward him, not stopping until her arms are around his neck and her lips are pressed against his, proving what I suspected about the two of them at the Fourth of July fireworks last summer, despite Brandy’s adamant denial.
“Hey, stranger,” she says after they tongue each other for a solid ten seconds. “Miss me?”
He chuckles and I roll my eyes at the cheesiness of it all, while Megan and Katie head off toward the group of guys sitting on big chunks of wood and in lawn chairs. They’re seated back from the inevitable heat while country music plays from a construction-site-style radio situated on one of two coolers, both of which are probably filled with beer.
The only thing missing is Jesse, but I tamp down my disappointment and claim a piece of wood next to a guy I realize is his brother as soon as I get a good look at his face.
“Justin, right? I’m Hayden.” I offer my hand, but instead of shaking it, he brings it to his mouth for a kiss.
“My friends call me Jinx.” He winks and flashes a flirty grin. “You can call me baby if you wa—”
Whack!
Jinx’s head snaps forward as a big arm reaches out of the darkness and cracks him across the back of the skull.
“She’s taken, asshole.” Jesse emerges from the shadows, much like he did that night last summer. Shorts, a T-shirt, and no shoes. This time he’s holding a bottle of beer and a blanket.
“The fuck, dude.” Jinx jumps to his feet, ready to defend himself, but Jesse ignores him, his eyes already locked on me.
“Hey...” A crooked, sexy as hell grin turns up his mouth amidst that dark stubble I’ve daydreamed about more often than I’ll ever admit. “Glad you could make it.”
“She’s with you?” his brother groans. “You fucker.”
I open my mouth to correct him, but Jesse beats me to the punch. “Nope, not me. But since I trust myself a hell of a lot more than I trust you, I’ll be the one keeping her company tonight.”
Jinx makes a face. “Huh?”
“Exactly.” Jesse chuckles and lifts his beer. “Can I get you something to drink, city girl?”
“I’m good for now. Thank you, though.”
He nods and then takes the chair his brother vacated, just as the bonfire goes up in flames and everyone hoots and hollers. The loudest is Brandy. Who holds a torch.
“Oh lord,” I groan. “She’s had one too many hard ciders to be playing with fire.”
“Sam will keep her safe.” Jesse glances down at my seating accommodations and frowns. “You can’t sit on that stump in shorts. Here, swap with me.”
“I’m good.” I give my hip a generous pat as I toss him a wink. “I have plenty of padding.”
The thick column of his neck, illuminated by the glow of the fire, works as he swallows. “If I’m going to be on my best gentlemanly behavior, we probably shouldn’t talk about the adequacies of your ass.”
I laugh… and blush. “Thanks, I think.”
“At least take the blanket.” He hands it over, but I hesitate, because I’m sure he didn’t bring it out for me to use as a cushion.
“Were you expecting to get cold?” The bonfire is already kicking off heat like it’s noon in July.
He searches my face for a few drawn-out moments before he responds. “What if I said I was hoping for some more time with you on the beach? Like last summer. Just the two of us.”
Now, it’s my turn to stare. And to feel the butterflies dance in my stomach like ticker tape at a parade. “I’d say that sounds nice.”
“Is your boyfriend going to have a problem with it?”
I shake my head and gulp down my sudden nerves. “There’s nothing wrong with two friends talking by a fire, but it’s sweet of you to ask.”
“Nothing sweet about me, city girl, but for you, I’ll try.”
Goose bumps wash over my bare skin and my breath catches in my throat. His honesty is not only sexy, it’s endearing, too. And a quick reminder of why I’ve thought about him so many times since last summer.
He’s different. I barely know him, but I know enough to be certain that he’s someone I want to spend more time with.
So, I stand, blanket draped over my arm, and tip my head toward the beach. “I’ll find a spot if you grab us a couple of beers.”
He smiles, scratches an almost reluctant hand through his hair, but ultimately heads to a cooler before following.
A few minutes later, the blanket is spread out on the beach on the opposite side of the fire. We can still hear the radio and the muffled chatter of conversation and laughter, but we’re alone enough to talk with a modicum of privacy.
“So, you done with school yet?” he asks, twisting the cap off a beer and handing it to me once we get situated.
“One more year unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately?” He rests an arm on a bent knee, beer dangling from his fingers. “Trust me, you don’t want to rush it. The nine to five shit—or maybe I should say, five to nine—isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“No?” I smile and sip. “I thought you were excited to be working for the family business.”
“I was. And I am. It’s just a fucking lot when you’re in charge.”
“In charge?”
He nods and brings his beer to his mouth. “Yeah, I took it over a few weeks back.”
“All by yourself?” Holy crap. “You’re so young.”
“My old man wanted to retire. It was either now or make him wait. Couldn’t do that to him.”
“Jesse, that’s amazing. You’re twenty-four years old and running a company.”
He shoots me a sidelong glance, a small smirk on his face. “You impressed, city girl?”
I laugh and nod. “Um, yeah. I mean, you’ve been out of college for a year and you’re already killing it.”
“Eh.” He lifts a shoulder and glances out over the water, as crickets and frogs sing around us. “What about you? What are you going to be doing this time next summer?”
“Hopefully landing my first job in corporate finance.”
His brows lift. “No shit. You’re smart like that, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “Says the engineer with an MBA.”
He sticks his tongue in his cheek. “You been checking up on me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I never told you what I went to school for.”
“Yeah, you did. Last summer.” Right? I mean, maybe I did a little poking around, just for curiosity’s sake, but I’m sure he told me.
“Pretty sure we didn’t have that discussion, but it’s okay. I might’ve done a little checking up on you, too.”
“What?” I bump my shoulder into his. “Why would you do that?”
“Not sure your boyfriend would like my answer, so I should probably keep it to myself.”
“Oh, really.” Heat fills my cheeks, but I can’t keep from grinning. “It’s like that, huh?”
A low laugh rattles in his chest as he cranes his head from side to side and cracks his neck. “We should probably change the subject, city girl. Before you get me in trouble.”
That warmth in my face slips down my neck and then lower until every inch of me feels overheated. And just from words and insinuation. Good lord.
“Tell me more about this dream job.”
Thank goodness for the subject change. “What about it?”
“Why did you choose finance?”
“Oh, jeez. That’s… a long story.” And one I haven’t told many people about, because it’s so personal.
He makes a show of checking a nonexistent watch on his wrist. “You have someplace else to be?”
“No.” I laugh again. Seems to be a thing when I’m around him. “It’s just a little embarrassing, that’s all.”
“So?” He twists to face me, light eyes searching mine. “We barely know each other, right? Maybe think of this as an opportunity to tell someone who isn’t going to judge you for it. You know, like a cathartic exercise.”
“If I tell you, you’ll know something about me that most people don’t. We definitely won’t be able to say we don’t know each other anymore.” I tip my bottle toward him, and a slow smile curls at his lips.
“Is that a bad thing? Us knowing each other?”
“Not sure my boyfriend would like my answer, so I should probably keep it to myself.”
He snorts. “Well played.”
“I have my moments.”
“I see that.” He shakes his head and something about the sparkle in his eyes does something to me.
“We lost our house when I was a little girl. To the bank.”
He freezes, his gaze locked on mine, waiting.
“I had just turned seven. There were still pink balloons in the living room from my party when the repo men showed up at the door.” I pick at the logo on my bottle, while he watches me in silence. “They took our furniture and even the bike my parents had just given me for my birthday.” I suck in a breath. “A week later, we were living with my grandparents.”
He swallows and nods. “That must have been tough to understand, being so young.”
“I knew my parents had problems paying the bills. I heard them argue about it all the time. But at that age, I had no idea what it meant until everything was gone.”
“What’d the bike look like?”
“Lavender with silver streamers.” I smile and shake my head. “Had a basket in front, too.”
“That’s exactly what I expected.”
“It was so pretty.” I sigh and stretch my legs out on the blanket. “I eventually got a different one from a garage sale. In fact, for the next ten years, most of my things came from garage sales. Or hand-me-downs from my sister.”
“Hannah, right?”
“Yeah.” The breeze picks up and I brush the flitting hair from my face. “I don’t want my kids to ever have to worry about where they’ll sleep or whether or not someone is going to knock on the door and take all their stuff away. I figured if I had the financial knowledge my parents didn’t have, I could save my own family from having to go through what I did.”
“I get that.” He stretches his legs out, too. “Your family obviously worked things out. I mean, you’ve got this place here now.”
“Actually, the cabin belonged to my great aunt. My mom inherited it when she passed away ten years ago.”
“Ah, that’s why you only started coming around in high school.”
“Junior high for me, but yeah.”
“I’m glad.”
“For?”
“You coming around.” He gives me a soft smile. “Might not see you very often, but I enjoy your company when I do.”
I watch the glow from the fire dance across his profile, the orange flames reflecting from the water to his eyes.
“Let me also say this…” He sniffs and lifts his chin. “I believe if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything you want to. You want financial stability for your family, you’ll get it.” He pauses and swallows. “But I also believe that some things are out of our hands, no matter how badly we want them.”
Yeah, I know a little something about that, too. “Sometimes the powers that be know what we need better than we do.”
He smiles and tips his beer my way. “That’s what I’m counting on, city girl. That’s what I’m counting on.”
CHAPTER THREE
Another ten months go by, and my college diploma is proudly framed and hanging in the spare bedroom of the apartment Lane and I moved into last fall. It’s hard to believe that we’ve come so far so quickly. It seems like it was just a few months ago that we met, and now we’ve finished college and we’re ready to tackle those life plans we’ve made together.
He’s in Milwaukee right now, completing a short-term internship with the finance company he’s already accepted a full-time offer from. He’ll work in their Green Bay office, so I’m looking for something there, too, because long distance isn’t my thing. In fact, these past few weeks with him gone have left me feeling out of sorts. I miss him, but the time apart has been nice, too, and I’m not sure what to think about that. Maybe I needed the downtime... or maybe I just need to see my man again.
I hit his contact on my phone to video chat, and after five rings, Lane finally answers.
“Hey, baby, what’s up?” He’s out of breath and disheveled like I caught him in the middle of a workout.
“Just thinking about you. Is this a bad time?” The bedroom of the temporary apartment where he’s been staying is in the background, so at least I’m not bothering him at the gym.
“Nah, you’re good. I was just getting dressed.”
Ah, he’d been in the shower. “Oh, okay. So, listen, I was thinking maybe I’d come down tomorrow. Just for the day.”
“Probably won’t work,” he replies immediately. “I have a dinner party with the management team.”
“Oh.” Wouldn’t that be later in the day after I left? “I would probably be gone by then.” And tomorrow is Saturday, for Pete’s sake. We could get in lots of time together.
“I don’t know, Hay.” He hesitates and sets the phone down to pull on a T-shirt. “You have to give me a little more notice for things like this.”
I do? Why? “Wow, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”
“Look, I’m not trying to be rude. I just have a full weekend planned and you’re dropping this on me at the last minute.”
And maybe this is why I’ve enjoyed the time away from him. Because he can be a real ass sometimes whether he means to be or not. “Okay. Fine. Forget I mentioned it.”
He huffs out a breath and sticks the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he pulls on his pants, only the phone falls, and I catch the blurred figure of someone else in the room.
A very feminine, very naked someone else.
“Shit, sorry about that,” Lane says, picking up the phone again. “Anyway, about tom–”
“Lane, who is that?” I demand, as blood begins to rush hard and fast in my ears.
“Who’s who?” he asks, his voice slightly higher than normal, and I know. I know.
This is why he doesn’t want to see me.
My heart drops to my stomach as a million panicked thoughts ricochet around in my head. How long has this been going on? Who is it? Why? “How could you?”
“Hayden, calm down.”
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down when you’ve been sleeping with someone else!” I holler, my hand balling into a fist.
“You’re jumping to conclusions.”
“She’s not wearing any clothes!”
He mutters a very busted, “Fuck,” under his breath, before his red, guilt-ridden face fills the screen and he shuts off the video. “It’s not what you think.”
“I think it’s exactly that.” And I can’t believe it’s happening to me. We’ve been through our toughest college years together. We made plans for the future together. Plans I’ve counted on. “How could you do this to me?” I ask again.
“Baby, you know I’ve been under a lot of stress. With graduation and this internship… with getting ready to go full-time. It’s been a lot.”
“And you thought fucking someone else would fix that?” I laugh despite the tears burning in my eyes. “All you’ve done is ruin everything we’ve worked so hard for.”
“It was one time. It won’t happen again, I swear,” he pleads, but it’s too late. There’s no undoing what I saw or the fact that I can no longer trust him.
