All In:Playing the Fool(33)

I found her in the dining room holding a stack of dirty dishes. Wearing  an apron and a hairnet over her blonde ponytail she was still gorgeous. I  waved at her when she looked up and saw me, then headed for the back to  check in with Rosy, the kitchen manager, to see what she needed me to  do.

"How's it going, Rosy?" I asked the plump, motherly woman who was  standing at the counter wrapping foil over leftovers. She was a damn  good cook, even better than my mom, and I would know since I eat dinner  with Jules and Dylan here usually once a week.

"Will! You here to work off a few more community service hours?" she asked with a wink.

"Yeah. Whatcha need me to do tonight?"

"Tomorrow's one of the girl's birthdays so I need forty-eight cupcakes. You game?"

I nodded. "I think even someone as cooking-challenged as I am can handle cupcakes."

"Good, I want to go put my feet up and watch my Tuesday night shows.  Lacy's going to come help you once she finishes clearing out the dining  room."

"Ah, we don't have to wash dishes do we?" I asked hopefully.

"If you'd load the dishwasher before you leave that'd be great."         

     



 

"Sure, no problem. See ya' Rosy."

I went to the counter where she'd thankfully left me a recipe. Reading  over it I started looking through the cabinets, pulling out all the  ingredients. I'd just rounded everything up when Lacy came in.

"Watching a man cook is really hot," she said, coming to stand beside me with her hip resting on the counter.

"Seeing a woman in an apron and hairnet is really hot too," I told her. She scoffed and smacked my chest.

"Rosy made me, and you should have yours on."

"She didn't mention it to me, so...hell no," I laughed.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

"Ah, yeah. If my sister knew I was using the oven here she'd have a fit.  I have a tendency to burn shit, so you're responsible for making sure I  don't burn this place down or light the cupcakes early."

"I can do that," she laughed.

Together we measured out flour, sugar, and all the other ingredients,  used the mixer to blend it (making only a small mess), then stuck the  first two pans in the ovens. We set the timer for twenty minutes instead  of the called for twenty-two, just to make sure they didn't overcook.

"So, how's work going this week?" I asked Lacy, since I hadn't talked to her.

She looked away, and I was pretty sure she blushed. "Oh you know, same  old criminals getting into trouble. Jess left yesterday for the beach  with Tyler, taking a vacation from their kids, so I've been trying to  keep Joe from missing anything on the calendar and getting all his  clients called back. He's pretty slack, though, when he gets back from  court every day, so it's not easy to keep him on track."

"Is he making any progress with, what was her name? Katie?"

She laughed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm pretty sure she  bitches at him because she likes him. We ran into her yesterday at lunch  and she was trying to act all standoffish, but I think it's only to  hide how much she wants him."

"Well, that's good, I guess."

"Yeah. What about you? What've you been up to?"

"Well," I started. "Since I'm off the firms account they've been filling  up my days with emergency service calls. That means I go from business  to business dealing with incompetent assholes who don't know how to  reboot their own servers."

"That doesn't sound too bad. At least not the part where you get to drive around all day."

I shrugged. "It's just easy, mindless work. So much so that now I'm even  considering taking Dylan up on his offer to be Daughtry Brewing's IT  administrator."

"Wow … that sounds like a pretty good opportunity."

"Maybe." I didn't want him to give me the job because we were friends,  but I was pretty sure he honestly thought I'd be the best person for the  job. All I lacked was the senior level experience, but I could do what  all of our seniors at the office could do … probably more, since they'd  been out of school for so long.

"Have you had any luck with your job search?" I asked, dreading her  answer. I didn't want her up and moving away to take a job in another  city or state.

"I haven't really been looking. I was sort of waiting to get my  community service done and the charge dismissed. Then I'll apply for a  few jobs and hope they overlook the blemish on my criminal record while  the expunction gets filed."

"Still working on your article about this place?" I asked.

"Yeah, actually. I worked on it some Sunday afternoon and it's coming  along. I'm going to ask Jules and Dylan for a few pictures, and then  I'll start submitting it to some networks and news sites."

"I'm sure it'll be great."

"I could use a few extra eyes to proof it when I finish, if you want to read through it maybe?" she asked.

"Sure, I'd be glad too."

"Great, thanks," she said, then looked down at her shoes during the pause in conversation.

"So what are you doing after you finish up here?" I asked her.

"I, ah, nothing. Why?"

"My apartment complex has a pool if you want to come over?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun. But I won't be able to stay late since I've got to work in the morning."

"Don't worry. I won't keep you out too late, Cinderella," I joked. She smiled then leaned forward, brushing her lips over mine.

"I don't mind staying out a little late," she said when she pulled away.

I knew what she meant, but I wasn't going to sleep with her. I had a  plan and it didn't involve getting into her pants. Any guy could do  that. I was going to get to know her and show her I wanted more from  her. And maybe holding out on her would make her want me more. It's  usually true what they say, you always want what you can't have. My cock  was going to be super pissed, but I had a feeling Lacy would make it up  to us both. Eventually.         

     



 





Chapter Eighteen




Lacy



I was sitting in the hot tub with Will, trying to figure out why he  wasn't molesting me. I was wearing a skimpy red bikini that barely  covered anything, and he was sitting across from me in the darkness,  looking completely unaffected.

"So, what was college like?" Will asked.

"Well, lots of parties of course, most of which I didn't attend. I  studied a lot, had a few internships, and went out with my friends to  local clubs or bars once in a while … but other than that I just kept to  myself. During my last year I didn't date at all because of Zack, either  because we were together or because I was heartbroken from seeing him  in the pages of a tabloid with a different woman each week. All while he  was confusing me, telling me he wanted me, and wasn't screwing anyone  else, even though he was. He was a really good liar."

"Maybe he did want you but he just wasn't ready to give up screwing  other women on the side yet," Will suggested. I was suddenly struck but  how familiar that sounded.

"Oh my God. I'm becoming Zack," I muttered.

"Not that I want you to go back to him, but it's possible that he wasn't  lying about caring about you. Maybe he just didn't want to leave the  other women alone."

I was starting to see how that could happen. I wanted to be with Will,  but at this point and time in my life I couldn't just stop what Joe and I  were doing. Hell, I was going over to his house after I left Will's  tonight, regardless of whether or not Will and I ended up screwing.  Stupid, but better than going to Kylie's I figured. No, I knew why I was  going to Joe's. I wanted what only he offered right now.

"Maybe you're right," I said.

"Lacy, it's okay if you're not ready to settle down with just one  person. There's nothing wrong with that, especially since you're being  honest about it. That's the difference between you and Zack. It sounds  like he was keeping the women on the side from you instead of admitting  it."

Oh shit. I needed to tell Will about what I was doing with Joe. He said  he was okay with me seeing other people, but saying that hypothetically  and then having to own up to it were two different things. Joe was  right, Will wouldn't understand what was going on between Joe and I.  Hell, I didn't understand. I just knew it was easy and effortless to be  with him, and it felt intoxicating when we were together. But it was  just great sex. I knew that. Joe knew that. Will … I don't think he'd  believe it.

And on the other hand, the idea of being with just one man long term  scared the shit out of me. He'd cheat on me, whoever he ended up being,  because that's what all men eventually do. I hated the feeling of panic I  felt at the idea of never being able to trust another person not to  hurt me. I trusted Joe only because he can't hurt me, and I can't hurt  him, since neither of us have feelings for the other. Joe was just  becoming a really good friend that I fucked.