The Elite: The Complete Series of Boomer and Player (With Bonus) (8 page)

“Oh my goodness, sounds amazing. I’ll definitely take one of those. But…” I leaned over the case, my eyes gobbling up all the pastries and desserts, “…I think I’ll need something sweet too.”

Carly laughed. “Well, of course!” She washed her hands at the sink to the right of the espresso bar and came back to face me as she dried off. “I have some chocolate croissants in there. I only do them once a week, cause they’re a handful. So, you might want to take advantage of those, depending on how long you’re staying, it might be your last chance.”

“Sold!” I said, smiling up at her. “Although, technically, I’m here for two weeks, so I suppose that would be long enough that I can come in and get them again next week.”

“Ooh, lovely. A nice, long vacation.” Carly grabbed one of the picture perfect confections out of the case. “You want this for here, or to go?”

I bit my lip. “For here.”

Carly winked. “Excellent choice. I’ll warm it up for you. That way the chocolate gets all melty. Muah!” She kissed her fingertips like an Italian chef. “So, what are you going to do with two weeks to yourself?”

“You mean besides chase my monster of a puppy up and down the beach?”

Carly laughed. “Oh, that’s right. I was going to suggest you tie him to the bike rack instead of your chair this time.”

I laughed along. “One step ahead of you.” I walked to the front window and spotted Hunter out front, his leash double wrapped around the metal rack. “You know, I’m not really sure what to do. I built this trip up in my mind for the last several months. It was my bright spot in what was a sea of absolute chaos with work. But, now that I’m here, I can’t quite seem to relax. At least, not fully.”

“Girl, I hear ya. On my days off, I’m still coming into work to check on things and make checklists and talk to customers. It’s like an addiction. Trina, my part time gal, she’s always after me, trying to boot my ass outta here.”

I nodded, relieved that someone else understood. “It should be easier. I’m in a beautiful beach house. No work, no housekeeping, hell, I even pre-paid to have my grocery shopping done ahead of time! I literally have
nothing
to do, but I’m going crazy. My best friend, Rachel, she’ll be here next week, so that will help.”

“That sounds like fun.” Carly came back to the front and passed over my pastry on a small white plate. “Should I offer you a coffee? Sounds like you’re keyed up enough, as is.”

I laughed. “True, but I still need my daily dose. That vanilla latte you made yesterday was amazing. So amazing, I guess my little troublemaker decided I needed to bathe in it…”

Carly roared with laughter as she crossed to the espresso machine. “You got it, girl. Coming right up!”

Chapter Nine

Holly

Even though Carly was still a virtual stranger to me, I found some peace after talking about my problems with her as she’d prepared my breakfast. If nothing else, there was some element of therapy in just having said it out loud to someone other than my dog.

Carly had been busy with a group of customers when I brought my dishes back inside before leaving, but she paused to wave me off, reminding me to breathe and enjoy the day. Hunter and I walked back to the beach house, opting for a route through town instead of along the beach. Even as I’d been indulging in my rich breakfast, I’d been compulsively scanning the beach, wondering if Jack took the same jogging route every day. I wasn’t sure what I’d have said if he had shown up, or if he would have even bothered to stop and say anything.

Back at the house, I lounged on the couch, finally cracking the cover on the dog training book I’d purchased after realizing how much of a handful it was to own a puppy, while Hunter slept on the floor beside me. I read a few chapters, making notes in the margins every few sentences. When Hunter was asleep, and not pulverizing the house, it was easy to imagine training him. The fantasy land version of our training sessions went smoothly, and I welled up with excitement, suckered into thinking I’d finally be able to leave my closet open during the day and not end up with a pile of shreds that used to be my shoe collection.

I made it through the middle of chapter three, before my hand felt heavy, unable to hold up the book anymore. I rested it against my chest and dozed in and out of sleep until my phone started to ring, jarring me wide awake.

I clutched the phone before its buzzing could carry it off the edge of the couch and hit Hunter in the head. “Hello?” I asked, my eyes closed.

“Hey, Holly!”

It was Rachel. “Hey!” I pushed myself upright, more awake at the chipper sound of her voice. We had exchanged a few text messages since my arrival, but I hadn’t been able to catch her on the phone both nights when I’d tried to call.

“Hey girl, sorry I keep missing your calls. How’s everything going? Has little Huntey chewed his way out of the cottage yet?” She asked, giggling.

I rolled my eyes. “Not yet, but I assure you, he’s made enough messes, that I’ve been ready to throw his chubby butt out!”

“Oh no.”

“Don’t worry. He’s safe for now.”

Rachel laughed. “Good. I can’t wait to get out there and see you guys!”

“Me either.” I lay back down again, staring up at the ceiling fan that was lazily spinning in slow circles. “Apparently I’m not very good at this whole
vacation
thing.”

“I didn’t realize that was a life skill.” Rachel laughed and I could picture her eyes sparkling.

“I didn’t either,” I replied, my own tone flat and lifeless.

“What’s going on?” Rachel asked, her voice switching from entertained to concerned. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it to her. “I just don’t feel
relaxed
. Every minute seems like I’m worrying about what I should, or should not be doing, and I’m all alone, and while I thought some me-time, would be refreshing, after months of endless chatter, I actually kind of hate it.”

“I’m sorry, doll. I wish I could ditch work and come out there today!”

“I know, but Rach, how messed up am I? I can’t be alone?” I paused, chewing on my lip. “You’d think I’d be used to it,” I added with a hollow laugh.

“Holly…” Rachel’s tone was low and scolding. “Don’t talk like that. You’re not alone.”

“Yes I am,” I insisted, sitting up. I got off the couch and started pacing, like a lawyer addressing the jury, ready to make my case. “It’s been three years since everything went to shit with Kenny.
Three years
, Rach. And in that time, other than start my business, what have I done?”

Rachel sighed. “You can’t discredit yourself like that, Holls. You have a beautiful condo, loving friends, a thriving business, and, most importantly of all, you have a life free of that d-bag!”

I couldn’t argue that point.

While there were still some fragments of my heart that hadn’t fully been put back together again, deep down, I knew that a life without my lying, cheating ex-husband was for the best.

“You have me!” Rachel said. “And, don’t forget destructo-doggy.”

I laughed. “True.”

It felt good to smile, but my laughter died quickly.

“Do you think you want to start dating again? Maybe that’s what’s got you all restless?”

I sighed and sank back onto the couch. Hunter stirred at my feet and looked up at me, his eyes sleepy. There had been a piece of me that had questioned my motive for adopting Hunter in the first place. I had a sinking suspicion that getting a dog was really a band-aid fix to cover the gaping hole of loneliness I’d felt when Rachel moved out. I liked being independent, and on my own, but there were times when knocking around in that condo was too lonely and too quiet.

Kenny and I had gotten married at a very young age. I hadn’t gone through the so-called, normal, routine for growing up. I’d attended community college classes, but had never had the real college experience, complete with dorm living, crappy cafeteria food, and life on a college campus. And then, when Kenny joined the Marines, I’d been left alone for the first time and had gone through a similar experience. I hated the quiet house and ended up finding a new group of friends that wanted to go out to parties and drink, basically going through the normal twenty-one-year-old phase, but just a few years delayed. That phase lasted a couple of months, until Kenny returned from training, and we were forced to move across the country to live on a military base.

Then it had been Kenny’s turn to party.

And party.

And party.

I’d been left alone again, in a two-bedroom apartment, surrounded by people I didn’t know, and desperately missing home. I ended up living for the day we would get orders to move back to California, thinking that would save my sanity, and possibly my marriage. In reality, it ended up being the catalyst that ended it.

Replaying the timeline, I was reminded of how much time I’d spent alone. I should be used to it.

“I don’t know, Rach,” I replied, after my long, wandering pause. I blew out a long, frustrated sigh. “I forgot to tell you that you were right about Greg, that guy that lives next door.”

“He asked you out?” Rachel asked, sounding entirely too happy at the prospect.

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I told him I was going to be out of town.”

Rachel paused, waiting for more. “And…?”

“And, that was it.”

Rachel sighed. “Oh, Holly.”

“I know, I know.”

“Well, when you get home, you can go say hi, and see if you can make a plan. What’s one date going to hurt?”

I tapped my foot against the floor. “I don’t know. What if it doesn’t go well? It’d be pretty awkward to see each other in the gym and the hall all the time.”

“Or…he could turn out to be the love of your life, and you guys could knock the wall down between your condos and have a massive, beautiful home, with lots of room for babies!”

“Oh my God…Rach…” I bit back a smile.

“What?”

“Not gonna happen. But, nice try.”

Rachel giggled. “Okay, well if not with Greg, then maybe you’ll meet some hottie on your vacay!”

Jack’s face flashed into my mind and I closed my eyes, wanting to hang onto the image. I knew I was in danger of obsessing over him, but meeting him had opened up a channel of introspection that I hadn’t quite followed through all the way to the end.

“Holly?”

I shook my head. “What? Sorry. I got distracted. Hunter…” I looked down at the sleeping puppy, trying to think of an excuse, “…was eating something.”

“Oh my God! You met someone!”

“What?” Hot panic flashed over my body as my stomach churned. “No, no.”

“Tell me, tell me!” Rachel begged.

I bit my lip, considering what I should tell her. She continued pleading with me until I spilled the whole story.

“Aww! It’s so cute, it’s like 101 Dalmatians! Your doggies brought you together.”

I slapped my free hand to my forehead. “Did you even hear the part about how he was with someone at the bar last night? Or, did you stop listening after the part with the dogs?”

Rachel giggled. “I heard you, but really, Holly, you don’t know they were together, together. Maybe they had just met and were flirting a little.”

I wrinkled my nose, conjuring up the image from the night before, of the girl with the skirt that barely covered her ass, pawing Jack with her perfectly manicured hands. She was probably right, but I didn’t like to think of him flirting with another woman. “Ugh. This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t even
care
what he was doing, or who she was. I talked to him for all of three minutes, most of which were spent trying to figure out how to get away from him as quickly as possible. I think I have some kind of disorder…”

Rachel laughed again. “You don’t! You’re just a little rusty. Listen, if you see him again, just hang out, see where it goes. He noticed you at the bar, so obviously he’s been thinking about you too!”

“You think so?” My heart hammered at the suggestion.

“Definitely!”

“I feel like I’m back in high school or something. I’m a sweaty palmed, nervous laugh, terror stricken girl, when I should be a confident, kick ass, nonchalant, no-nonsense kind of woman, like I am at work.”

“Holly, think about it though, the last time you were dating,
was
in high school. You haven’t really gone out with anyone since the divorce. I think you’re over thinking things. Just be yourself and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

I nodded, letting her suddenly sage sounding advice soak in. “Over thinking is kinda my specialty though.”

“Which, makes you a fantastic CPA, but this is life and love, honey. You can’t figure it out by looking at facts or spreadsheets.”

“You’re right,” I replied, my pulse steadying. I was about to ask her what she’d been up to, but over the phone, I heard the sound of a doorbell ringing.

“Oh, shoot! Hey, girl, I’m sorry to do this, but I gotta run. I actually have a little date of my own this afternoon! Jeff, from the office next door to the clinic, is taking me surfing.”

I smiled. “Have the best time and call me tomorrow, okay?”

“Will do. Remember, Holls, just breathe.”

“Got it.”

It all sounded perfectly reasonable in my head, and as I pushed off from the couch, I decided that the best thing I could do would be to get out of the house for the afternoon.

“Come on, Hunter! Time to go have some fun.”

Chapter Ten

Jack

“Come on, Player, don’t be such a pussy,” I taunted, staring Aaron down from across the dining room table. I’d woken up just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, and wandered downstairs to the kitchen to fuel up before hitting the beach for a run. I’d been surprised to find Aaron awake, at the dining room table, with his laptop and cup of coffee, and had spent the last ten minutes trying to talk him into joining Princess and me for our morning run.

“Not gonna happen, brother,” Aaron replied, not even bothering to look away from his computer screen. “The days of running endless miles just for kicks are long, long gone.”