Groomless - Part 3 (4 page)

“I feel like I should be lying on a couch, paying you $300 an hour to doodle on your clipboard while I tell you my entire life story.”

She threw a pillow at me. “It’s the bun and glasses! I can’t look like a model all the time. I have to take my contacts out once in a while.”

I chuckled.

“But seriously,” she said, “I think the first thing you need to do is to face those broken dreams head on. I know it’s painful, but until you face the pain and hurt, the loss, the anger, the resentment, the disappointment, and all that other stuff, you can’t move forward. Garbage starts to stink after a while, and there comes a point when you have to let go of it and take it to the curb.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I have buried my feelings, and now that Luke is back, it’s forcing me to confront him.”

“Yup,” she said. “This has all been eating at you for far too long. I know you threw your big-girl panties at your yoga teacher, but you’d best find another pair, put them on, and deal with this,” Kate said, always eager to give a tough-love speech.

“You’re the best friend ever,” I said, smiling at her before I took another sip of merlot.

“I know, but don’t tell Zack. I’ve never been good at cat fights.”

I giggled and took another sip.

“Hey, you wanna go grab a beer with the gang? There’s a great band playing.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “We’ve been drinking this wine. Don’t they always say, ‘Wine before beer, sick for a year’?”

“Hmm,” she said, twirling her wine around in her glass. “I always thought it was, ‘Beer before wine, you’ll be fine.’” She gulped down the last of her beverage and smiled at me. “I say we go test the theory and stop rhyming under the influence.”

I laughed and finished my own glass. “You’re right. It’ll do me some good to get out of this cooped-up apartment.”

“Well, make sure you get all dolled up. Cake in your hair isn’t really a good look for you, and I might wanna set you up with some hot model guy friend of mine.”

“You know how I feel about blind dates, Kate.”

“Don’t take it so seriously, Julia. Nothing will come of it, because I know they’re not what you’re looking for.”

“Then why bother setting me up?”

“Just for fun. Hot models aren’t really very good at commitment. You oughtta know that from Zack, who seems to have a flavor-of-the-week all the time. I know you’re not into all that.”

“Then why bother, if you know we won’t even be…compatible?”

She sighed. “Because you need to get laid.”

“Kate!”

“Seriously! It’ll take your mind off of Luke.”

“So you’re going to set me up for a one-night stand?”

“Whether you stand or not is your business. Do with the
Kama Sutra
what you will. You’d be amazed how easy it is to balance in the right pair of stilettos.”

“Girl,” I said, playfully smacking her. “What’s with you today?”

“Must be the merlot. Anyway, when was the last time you, uh…did the deed?”

“You know. Over a year ago.”

“That’s right. I knew it had been a while. As your doctor, young lady, I demand that you undertake more…physical activity.”

“Can’t you just give me a prescription, Doctor?”

“You are far too young for little blue pills, my dear,” she said, winking at me. “Take two gorgeous, male models and call me in the morning.”

Chapter 5

As the band played, we sat around the bar, enjoying a drink and listening to the music.

“Isn’t it nice to get out?” Kate said.

I smiled. “Yeah.”

A blond guy with pretty green eyes walked up to my friend. “Hello,” he said. “How do you like your eggs in the morning?”

Kate looked at me and rolled her eyes at the stranger’s forwardness. “Um…my eggs are my business, and I don’t let just anybody scramble them,” she snapped back at him.

He laughed. “Sorry. One of my stupid buddies told me to use that line and see if it would work. I guess it didn’t.”

She smiled, clearly appreciating his emerald gaze. “I’d say you got burned.”

He laughed again. “Wouldn’t be the first time! I’m a chef, just opening up a new restaurant here. I can cook anything your heart desires.”

“That’s nice,” I chimed in, noticing that the handsome stranger was well built, with bulging arm muscles and an intriguing accent. “I love watching all those cooking shows.”

He wrapped his arm around me. “And what about you, luv? How do you like
your
eggs in the morning?”

“Uh…same as her, unfertilized,” not at all impressed. 

Refusing to take my tone as a hint, he persisted, “I meant scrambled or over easy or even sunny side up. I’m a chef.”

“So we’ll spend the night together and you’ll cook for me?”

He winked.

“Sounds like heaven. Do you clean too?”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“No thanks.”

He looked at Kate. “How about you?”

Kate shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m afraid it might interfere with my…gynecological antibiotics.”

The joke totally went over his head, but I smirked at her and stifled a laugh.

His gaze drifted to her. “Nice dress,” he said. “I have an eye for gourmet things, my dear, and you look delicious.”

“Douchebag code for ‘nice cleavage,’” Kate whispered in my ear. “Clearly, he just wants to get his little meat thermometer wet.”

I chuckled, but he just continued to stare, practically drooling like a Rottweiler after a beef Wellington.

“Excuse me, but my eyes are up here,” Kate said.

“Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?” he asked.

She shot him a threatening look. “No, but I did scrape my knees and elbows up pretty good when I crawled up from Hell.”

He grimaced and slowly backed up. “Tell me you aren’t one of those bitter she-devils who hates men,” he said, arching a fuzzy eyebrow at her.

“No, I’m more of…the Anti-Cupid. Come to think of it, I had better get to work and start pulling arrows out of all these lovesick New Yorkers, or maybe I should take down the arrow- slinging cherub first. What do you think?”

He rolled his eyes and disappeared into the crowd, muttering something under his breath about how he always ran into the crazies.

“Good riddance,” I said.

“Yeah, I know. Why are the hottest bodies always inhabited by the biggest idiots?”

“Don’t ever trade dick respect for disrespect,” I said with a chuckle, a bit tipsy and brazen from the merlot and the beer. I waved the bartender over. “Hey, you got some kinda love potion for Miss Anti-Cupid here?”

“Hmm. Maybe a sweet cocktail would work. I can whip up a Kiss Me All Over, an Angel’s Lips, or a P.S. I Love You.”

“I’Il take a Latin Lover Mojito,” she said.

“Right here,” said one of her model friends as he crept up and wrapped his arm around her.

“Hey, you! Now that you’re here, maybe we can enjoy some Sex on the Beach,” she teased.

“Your wish is my command, sweetheart,” he answered, grinning seductively at her.

We both smiled at him, his dark eyes sparkling in the bar lights.

We sipped our drinks and chatted for a little bit. A few more of Kate’s guy friends came over to talk to us, but when they wanted to dance, we opted to leave them to it and stayed at the table ourselves. It really did feel good to get out of the gloomy apartment.

“Whoa, there, Kate!” I said after a while. “You’d better slow down with the cocktails. You shouldn’t get to drunk or you’ll do something…or someone you’ll regret.”

“You’re right. I tend to go from zero to naked in three and a half drinks.”

“Right,” I said, knowing full well that she was merely talking a big game. Kate never had one-night stands herself; she was far too hung up on her loser boyfriend, even though I had no idea why. “Let’s just get a nice buzz and then go home,” I said.

“Don’t worry, BFF. I don’t get drunk. I get
awesome
!”

I broke out in laughter and started to say something, but her eyes grew wide, and she grabbed hold of my arm.

“Oh my gosh!
He’s
here, right behind you. I swear, Julia.”

“He who?”

“Your gorgeous ex!”

I glanced over my shoulder and looked at Luke in disbelief. “Freaking great. Out of all the places in New York City, he walks into this one. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he’s stalking me.”

“Damn, girl. I wish a guy like that would stalk me.”

“Not funny, Kate.”

“Look, we can leave if you want, but I think it’d be fantastic if you’d talk to him. Remember what we discussed earlier?”

“Yes, Doctor. How could I possibly forget?”

“The way I see it, you have two choices. You either give him a second chance, which is what I’d do, or you get your closure so you can move forward. You can’t keep running.”

“I don’t know if that’s even what he wants.”

“Are you kidding me? I saw the look in his eyes. That guy is crazy about you. There’s no use even trying to deny it. You said he’s almost sucked your face off more than once already since you bumped into each other.”

“Great. He spotted us. Here he comes,” I said, sighing and taking another quick gulp of my liquid courage.

“Okay. I’m gonna go dance with the guys. Brad needs twerking lessons. Come join us when you’re done.”

I giggled at the thought of Julia showing them the moves. “Okay.”

“Hey,” Kate said as she got up to walk away.

“Hello,” Luke said. “Can I get you two ladies a drink?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Kate answered, “but thank you.”

“I wouldn’t mind a Long Island Iced Tea,” I said.

He laughed, then sat next to me on the barstool.

Kate tapped him on the shoulder. “Never laugh at your bride. Just remember, she
chose
you.”

“I know. It’s just… This one time, we drank so many of those that we vowed off the stuff for the rest of our lives. I guess some promises don’t last.”

“You’re tellin’ me,” I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.

“Be nice now,” Kate leaned over to whisper in my ear before she walked away to the dance floor.

“Don’t worry,” I said to Luke. “I’m a big girl now, and I know better than to drink myself into oblivion.”

“Yeah, we were just kids back then. We had no idea how easily those drinks would sneak up on us. We were stupid.”

“Yeah, well, speaking of stupid… Listen, Luke, I’m so sorry. I feel like an idiot! I’m sorry I threw the ring at you. I was drowning in this big, dark lake of loss and self-pity. I’ve decided it’s time to swim ashore and climb out of it.”

“No, it’s okay. I deserved that and then some.”

I shook my head. “No you don’t.”

“It’s amazing stuff, that frosting.”

“Huh?”

“Has the thing sparkling like new,” he said, pulling the glimmering ring out.

I smiled; like my knight in shining armor, he had saved the day. Our eyes locked for what felt like an eternity, and my heart began to race in my chest. Those familiar tingles shot through my body, and my head spun, a sensation only heightened by my slightly inebriated state. I couldn’t blame it entirely on the liquor, but I really couldn’t believe Luke still had such an effect on me after all those years. “I don’t know how to thank for saving the ring,” I said. “I just wasn’t thinking, and—”

He shot me his beautiful grin and interrupted, “It’s okay. No explanations or apologies required.”

“Thank you, Luke. Really.”

“Not a problem. Wanna go sit out on the terrace and catch up? The fresh air has to be better than all this smoke and noise. It’s starting to smell like stale beer in here.”

I debated whether I should just leave or go have a drink with him. I thought it might do me some good to take a little break from him, to give myself time to sort out my feelings, but his blue eyes blazed at me like sapphires, imploring me for an answer.

“It’s a simple yes-or-no question, Julia,” he said, sliding the ring on my finger. “I figured you’d want this back, and it’s safest to keep it on your finger, at least till you get home.”

The bartender grinned as she placed a juicy strawberry on top of a tasty-looking daiquiri. “Oh my gosh! What a rock. Honey, please tell me you said yes.”

My eyes locked on Luke, and I basked in the intensity of the moment.

“Well? Is it yes or no?” he asked.

“The answer to your question is yes,” I said.

“Then to the terrace we shall go.”

The bartender squealed. “So it is a yes? You’re getting married? Gosh, girl, with a boulder like that on your hand, I can’t imagine the wedding you’re gonna have.”