Zane, on the other hand, had everything going for him until his mother married a creep who Zane stabbed one day to defend his mother from the man's physical abuse. Things went shitty for him after that. But once the four of us met up again at a friend's wedding, we found we still had that deep connection we'd had as kids. We also all had a keen desire to make something of ourselves. Now we had. The lunches helped remind us of where we’d started from.
Aidan, who could down two double cheeseburgers with ease, pulled a spare chair up to the side of Trey's desk. Gray clouds hovered in the sky outside the massive office window. Rain had drizzled down all day, and I wondered how the bad weather was affecting Macy's business. After I left her place on Sunday, I knew that I'd gotten myself in deep. I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Zane walked in with that bunched up look he got when something had him pissed. He sat down in the chair with an angry clamor.
Trey pulled his burger from the bag and leaned back in his chair. "What's got you in a snit?" he asked Zane.
Zane rummaged through the bag for his burger. "Got a fucking parking ticket. When the hell are they going to be done paving the parking lot? I thought they said a week."
Trey squeezed out a packet of ketchup onto his fries. "They did. And it's been nearly ten days, so I think it's time for you to go down there and talk to the foreman and let him know it needs to be done tomorrow."
Zane took a bite and washed it down with soda. "Why me?"
I swallowed my bite of food. "Because you're the team asshole. The asshole is the person you send out to do dirty work."
Zane looked at me. "Why the hell am I the asshole?"
I pointed at Trey with a French fry. "He's the cool, level headed guy."
"Yeah," Zane interrupted. "And Aidan is the guy with the fists and the lethal right hook. And you," he rolled his eyes, "you're just a lot of air wrapped in a package that women can't resist. And I'm . . ." He dunked a fry in ketchup. "Shit, I guess I am the team asshole. I'll talk to them after lunch."
Aidan pulled the onions out of his burger. "Hate it when they load these on. Then it's all I can taste." He shoveled half the burger down in one bite.
"It's a wonder you can taste anything at all with the way you suck that thing down," Zane noted. He turned to me. "Hey, where the hell were you last night? Thought we were going to play racquetball. I texted you like five times."
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled to Zane's name. "Huh, you sure did. I was busy."
Aidan laughed. "Whose pussy were you in this time? I liked that little brunette you were dating for awhile."
Trey reached for his soda. "And by awhile, he means longer than twenty-four hours."
"Well, fuck you all, and I wasn't with the brunette. In fact, I'm not even sure who you mean. I met someone." I took a huge bite so they'd have to wait for me to chew and swallow before I continued. But I'd gotten their attention. They all stared at me. Before I could swallow, they burst out laughing.
"That's fucking rich," Zane said. "I've met someone," he said in an obnoxious imitation.
"Fuck off." I continued with my lunch deciding they were assholes who didn't need to hear any more.
"C'mon, Chase," Trey said. "You have to admit, those words coming from the guy who can meet his soul mate in the morning at the coffee shop only to have already broken her heart by the time the whipped cream melts on her frappe. It's funny. Admit it."
"Fine. Don't believe me. But this time is different."
"How is this different?" Aidan asked. "Red hair instead of auburn?"
"She's a virgin."
Zane choked on his sip of soda. I took pleasure in giving him a hard clap on his back.
"Did you say virgin or that her name is Virginia?" Aidan asked.
I shot him an eye roll.
"Exactly what does that mean?" Trey asked.
Zane sat back. "Shit, bro, if we have to explain the meaning of that term to you—"
"No, idiot, I'm asking him what the heck that means to him. Is this some conquest thing or what?"
"No, fuck, how did I become the target. Switch the focus back to Zane being the team asshole."
Trey put on that face that he liked to wear when he was about to act like he was older and more experienced than the rest of us.
I pointed at him. "You can just put away that fatherly scowl, Trey. It's not a fucking conquest. You're such a big shot now that you're in a steady relationship. Do you think you're the only person who can fall in love?"
"Nope." Trey sat back. "I think Zane and Aidan are perfectly capable of finding the right person if they ever decide to look, but you're different. You don't ever seem interested in any woman for longer than three days."
"The attention span of a three month old puppy," Aidan quipped before plowing burger two into his face.
"Well, you're all fucking wrong. This woman is different, and it's not just because she's a virgin."
Zane was smirking behind his soda.
I threw a fry at his head. "We're done talking about this."
"Okie dokie," Zane muttered. "Different," he scoffed. "That's fucking hilarious."
"Go to hell, Bostwick." I wadded up my burger wrapper and got up. "Terrific fucking lunch. See y'all later."
Chapter Seventeen
Macy
Chuck had had a slow day at the smoothie stand, and he'd been visiting me all day. He also had incredible intuition, and he'd picked up that something was going on with me. Of course, the fact that I was dropping things, messing up orders and forgetting to give back change might have had something to do with it.
He was standing in his bright blue Hawaiian shirt sipping a smoothie outside of my kiosk as I cleaned up for the day. "Well, Macy, are you going to fill me in on the details, or are you just going to let me use my vivid, overactive imagination to color in the lines?"
I lifted my chin in nonchalance. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, come on. You've been distracted and an absolute butterfingers all day." He slapped his hand on the counter. "You've met someone. That's what that rosy glow floating around you is about. Who is it? I want to hear all about him."
I turned to the coffee station to hide the smile and blush that was sure to give me away. Chuck was too clever.
"Ah ha, I can see pink rising up your neck. There must be one heck of a story to tell. Dish it out and don't leave off any of the yummy stuff."
I turned back to Chuck. "It's nothing yet. Only the sparks of something, and it probably won't lead to anything because he is way out of my league. We aren't even from the same planet when I really think about it."
"Nonsense." Chuck asked me something else, but my attention was drawn away. Chase walked around the corner from the parking structure. His gaze shot straight across the plaza and crashed with mine. His bright white smile followed. I had to tamp down the rush of excitement that went through me.
"Well?" Chuck's irritated tone brought me back to the conversation.
"I'm sorry, Chuck, what did you ask?"
"I asked if he was good looking. Not that it matters, of course. It's what's inside that matters, but no one ever complains about a sweet outer package. Is he handsome?"
Chase headed my direction. I could hardly hear my own thoughts over the heartbeat pounding in my chest. "Actually, Chuck, he's beautiful. Mr. Beautiful, to be exact."
Chase walked up behind Chuck, who was standing dumbstruck with his mouth forming a perfect O.
"Afternoon," Chase said, adding in a complimentary grin.
"Aft—afternoon," Chuck stuttered and stumbled quickly away and over to George's hot dog stand.
Chase watched him hurry away and then turned back to me. "What are you doing this afternoon? I find myself with a half day off. Got finished early."
"Must be nice. I've got to clean up today's work so I can go home and start on tomorrow's work. It's sort of a never-ending cycle."
"Do you need some help?"
"Sure. How much do you know about making pastries?"
"I'm pretty good at eating them." Chase walked around to my side of the counter and took hold of my hand. He kissed the back of it and licked his lips. "Hmm, just like sugar."
"That would be the sticky glaze on the cherry tarts."
He shook his head. "Nope. I think it's just you. I'll come help. I'm a very fast learner. Especially when the baker is a hottie in an apron, working a rolling pin."
"If you sure you've got nothing better to do."
"Than spend time with you? Nothing better than that." He pushed my chin up with his fingers and kissed me on the lips. He licked his own again. "Yep, sugar. Pure sweet sugar. I'll see you at your place." He walked away.
George and Chuck scurried right over. "Oh holy shit, Macy. You landed Mr. Beautiful." Chuck's smile faded fast though. He took hold of my hand. "Be careful with that heart of yours. It's still on the mend and that man is six feet of pure heartbreak."
"I know, Chuck. I'm trying to keep my head clear, but he's making it awfully hard." The three of us watched as Mr. Beautiful, currently my Mr. Beautiful, disappeared through the tinted glass doors.
Chapter Eighteen
Chase