Cole(81)

For the last couple lunch dates, Sia had joined us, and while she’d been hesitant, Emma was warm and welcoming. It was a sight to see. The roles reversed. Sia, who was usually the social butterfly, was withdrawn and shy at first. Emma, who I realized was more reserved than I’d thought, was the one to make sure Sia relaxed.

I’d expressed the same thought to Cole one night, and he’d explained, “She didn’t do it for your friend. Emma did that for you.”

“What do you mean?” I’d rolled to my back, looking up at him.

“I care about you, so therefore, Emma does, too. It’s what we do. You care about Sia, so Emma made sure she was happy. For you.”

“You just said she did it for you.”

He’d shrugged, smirking. “She was nice to you in the beginning because of me, but she likes you. She wouldn’t continue to hang out with you if she didn’t. Emma’s not the fake type.”

I was quiet for a moment. Then I’d flattened my hand against his chest and murmured, “It goes both ways.”

His eyes had warmed. “Good.”

It hadn’t been long after that when conversation ceased, and soon we’d both been groaning.





“There you are!” Sia exclaimed, opening the bathroom door. We were at another one of her events, and it was the night. Cole would meet Sia and Jake in a more real way. He would come, pick me up and the four of us would go to Gianni’s for a late-night dinner. Cole had the second floor reserved just for us.

The sounds of music, laughter, and conversation swirled into the small room along with her before the door closed again, dulling the noise. Her heels clacked on the floor as she made quick work looking into the three stalls. They were all empty. I watched her in the mirror, noting how her sequined black dress accentuated her body. I had on a soft blue dress. It was light and comfortable—all I cared about. I looked good, but I wasn’t sexy, not like Sia. There was a slit up the side, so as she walked, she showed a good dose of leg.

When Jake had seen her earlier, he’d groaned. “How am I supposed to handle seeing that all night?”

Sia had laughed, trailing her finger over his chest, a twinkle in her eyes. “You’ll have to restrain yourself until we get back home.”

Home.

Jake’s eyes had shifted to mine, and I knew what he’d been thinking about. She’d said the H word. He’d confided in me two days prior that he was considering asking Sia the big question: if she would move in with him. He came to me for advice—did I think it was a good idea, how had Sia been with guys who’d asked the moving question before, had she lived with other boyfriends, how did she feel about the landlord. At that point, the conversation had taken a slight hit. Jake never talked to me about my relationship with Cole. Sia assured me he was fine with it, not weirded out, but it hung in the room between us.

“Jake, uh—” I’d started, but he cut me off.

“You think she’d be open to it? To moving in with me?”

A small boulder landed at the bottom of my stomach. There was weirdness. I’d seen it then. Sia lied to me. But it was obvious Jake didn’t want to talk about it. So I found myself nodding and feeling a little sad at the same time.

That was a conversation I wanted to try again with Jake. I never did tell him about Dawn’s sneakiness with Sia’s phone, but this conversation—I was determined to have with him.

Sia stepped up next to me, looking in the other mirror. “I’m ready to puke, piss, and have an orgasm all at the same time,” she announced. “Shit. How do you do it?”

“Do what?” The Jake conversation faded to the background of my mind.

“Be around him.”

“Who?”

“Cole Mauricio. How do you do it? He just came in, and I swear, the entire room either got wet or wanted to piss their pants. I’m all of the above. That man is like walking sex. Good Lord, do you think Jake can join the mafia with him for a while?”

“Jake?”

Sia half-rolled her eyes, tucking some of her hair into a barrette. “I love Jake, but he’s no Cole Mauricio.” Her eyes narrowed, growing thoughtful, and she tilted her head to the side. “Come to think of it, though, no. I like Jake just how he is. If there was no you or Jake in the picture, I’d fuck Cole Mauricio. I’m sorry. I’m being a bad friend, but I have to be honest. However, in saying that, I can also say that’d be it. He scares me too damn much for anything else. I’m pretty sure those two massive guys that came with him are carrying guns.”

My head spun. I grabbed Sia’s arm and focused on the most important piece of information: “You said the L word.”