Somewhere in Between (Madison Square #1) (2 page)

“I think I would rather stay and talk to you.” I dipped my head to meet her eyes, hoping to see them soften a bit. The cold stare remained, but the corner of her mouth twitched, like she was trying hard not to smile. Maybe she wasn’t all bite in there after all.

“What, the sea of short skirts and baby tees isn’t enough for you?” she asked as a sarcastic smirk spread across her face.

“If I’m being honest, no, it’s not.” Her eyes widened for a moment. I took the opportunity to step closer. “I’ve recently developed a thing for redheads.”

She smiled up at me, distracting me with her full pink lips. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would taste.

“If we are being honest,” she said, pressing a hand to my chest, “then I should tell you something.” She bit her lip and pushed herself against me, forcing me to back up a step. It looked like she was starting to come around, and I congratulated myself on making a small amount of progress.

“What’s that?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes from her lips.

“You haven’t got a chance in hell,” she whispered, then poured the contents of her red solo cup over my head, crushing the empty cup and dropping it at my feet. I just stood there, eyes wide in shock, doused in beer, and more than a little turned on. Beer soaked into my shirt and streamed down my face as I watched her disappear into the crowd.

The beer can morons burst into laughter, bending at the waist and slapping each other on the back. I shot them the finger.
Well played, Red
. There was something different about this girl, and now, more than ever, I was determined to find out just what that was.

“Drew!” Sean called from the kitchen. Shit! Kerri’s roommate. It was probably better to let Red cool down before trying again. I did my best to shake the beer from my hair before heading to the kitchen to find Sean.

“Yeah!” I called, coming around the corner, still wringing the beer out of my shirt. When I looked up, there, standing with Sean and Kerri, was none other than Red. Her eyes widened and she straightened her stance when her eyes met mine. Damn, that girl got hotter every time I saw her.

As she took in my damp sticky hair and wet t-shirt, her features relaxed. A big grin replaced her trademark scowl.

“Well, if it isn’t the life of the party.” I straightened to my full height as she narrowed her eyes.
Game on, Red!
The withering glare she shot me was a little scary, but sexy as hell. I couldn’t help but check her out. I smiled at her wide eyes and suddenly nervous body language.

“Dude! What the hell happened to you?” Sean asked, gesturing to my wet t-shirt.

“Why don’t you ask Red?” I nodded my head in her direction.

Kerri whipped around to Red. “Have you guys met?”

“Briefly.” Red smirked.

Sean’s attention volleyed back and forth between Red and me. He was trying to figure out what had happened while Red and I just stared each other down. An involuntary smile spread wide across my face. She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide the slight twitch of her lips.

“So,” Sean said, dragging out the word. “Drew, this is Alex,” he raised his eyebrows at me, “Kerri’s roommate.” He stared at me, watching for my reaction as the news sank in.

Son of a bitch! This was Kerri’s plan all along. She never wanted to hook us up. She wanted Red to shoot me down and humiliate me in public.

Now it was my turn to be pissed. I narrowed my eyes at Kerri, who was focused on Red, pretending not to notice me glaring at the side of her head.

“I’m heading out,” Red said.

“Aww, really?” Kerri whined, her bottom lip sticking out in a mock pout. “I wanted you and Drew to have a chance to talk.” I could see the evil brewing behind her eyes.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Red’s brows shot up. “That’s why you dragged me here? What the hell could we possibly have to talk about?”

“Relax, Red, you’re not exactly my type either,” I said.

“Imagine my disappointment,” she deadpanned, her lips thinning into a sharp smirk. She turned back to Kerri. “You said an hour. Time is up and I’m leaving.” With that, she headed for the door.

“Dude!” Sean said, his eyebrows raised. He pointed in the direction that Red disappeared, his gray eyes scolding me. What was he so pissy about? Kerri was the one who pissed her off. After another pointed look from Sean, I exhaled and went after Red. Sean was a good friend, so for his sake, I would try to make nice with Red.

Outside, she was already heading for the stairs. “Alex! Wait!” I called, reaching for her arm. She turned on me quickly and stared daggers at my hand, which was still wrapped around her arm. Good thing she didn’t have laser vision. She would have reduced my fingers to nubs.

I released her and took a step back, holding my hands up in surrender. Shit! As hot as she was, she had that scary back-the-fuck-off look down pat. I smiled, trying, and failing, to ease some of the tension.

She crossed her arms, waiting for me to say something. The action immediately made my eyes dip to her chest. She let out a frustrated groan, dropped her arms, and started heading down the stairs again.

“Come on, Red, wait up,” I said, following her down the stairs.

She whirled on me so fast, she lost her footing on the step. Luckily I was close enough to reach out and grab her before she tumbled down the flight of stairs. Running on pure instinct, I grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her body tight against my chest. Her body fit seamlessly against mine, soft and warm beneath my touch. Her eyes widened. We were so close, the smell of her shampoo surrounded me. It had a fruity scent to it, so different from the too-sweet perfume that most girls on campus used.

With Red still pressed tightly against my chest, a slow smile spread across my face as I slowly released my grip on her arms. “See, you’re falling for me already.”

She scoffed and pushed me away completely before turning and stomping her way down the stairs. It was a cheesy line, but it was an opening I had to take.

I shook my head and chuckled at my own idiocy. Then I headed down the stairs after her. Just as she was getting into a little blue car, I grabbed a hold of the door before she could slam it in my face.

“Let go,” she sneered.

“Have coffee with me?”

I grinned down at her. Kerri may have been setting me up for failure, but this girl was something else. She was definitely worth any potential Queen Kerri fallout later.

“Are you insane?”

I took a chance and stepped between her and the car door so she couldn’t leave. “Please have coffee with me?” I asked, resting my hand on the roof of the car.

“Go to hell!” She tugged harder on the door, but I didn’t budge.

“Tea?”

She yanked the door again, but I just blocked it with my hip. “Let me go, asshole!”

“Just agree to meet me tomorrow so Kerri will back off of us both.” I smiled, running on the hunch that she hated Kerri as much as I did.

She narrowed her eyes at me but seemed to consider what I'd said for a moment before she let go of the door in defeat. “Fine! Tomorrow.”

Bingo! Finally, some common ground. We can bond over our mutual hatred of her roommate.

“Great. Meet me at Union Brew at two o’clock?”

I slowly stepped away from the car. As soon as the door was clear, she slammed it shut and peeled out of the lot.

***

I sat at Union Brew for an hour and a half before finally conceding she was not coming. I’d never been stood up before and wasn’t a fan. Tossing our now cold drinks, I got a couple fresh ones, then headed for her dorm. Time for Plan B. 

I knocked twice on her dorm door. When it swung open, Red stood there in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank. Her long red waves were piled in a knot high on her head and she was wearing cute little black-framed glasses. For some reason, “Hot for Teacher” popped into my head.

“Did you forget our date?” I asked as I took in her small but curvy frame.

“It was not a date. I just told you I would go so you would let me leave.” She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms. When my eyes flicked to her chest, she quickly dropped her arms back to her side. “What do you want?” she asked, straightening up again.

I took a step toward her. “Another chance.”

She blinked, her eyes going wide and lips parting in shock. I shifted my weight, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

“I was hoping we could start over,” I said, holding the coffee cup out to her as a peace offering.

She looked down at the cup in my outstretched hand and back up to me. She narrowed her eyes, far from convinced. “Why?”

Her face was an open book, the doubt clear in every feature of her face. Even in her pajamas, bathed in fluorescent lighting and without a stitch of makeup, she was unbelievably beautiful. My fingers itched to tuck the strands of hair that escaped from the small black band trying to hold the wild curls in place behind her ear.

“Why what?” I asked.

“Why bother apologizing?”

“Apologizing? What did I do? You were the one dousing me with beer last night.” I attempted humor, hoping to get her to lighten up a bit.

She giggled, but it didn’t have that bubbly tone. It was more genuine. “You weren’t taking the hint.”

“What hint is that?”

“That I’m never going to sleep with you.”

“Who said I wanted to sleep with you?” I absolutely did want to sleep with her, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Why else would you have approached me?”

“Maybe because I just wanted to talk to you, but clearly all you can think about is sex.” I couldn’t help but grin. “I mean, if that’s all you are looking for, I could definitely help you out.” Rubbing my chin, I made a show of checking out her body, sucking my bottom lip into my mouth until I finally got to her eyes.

“How generous of you,” she deadpanned. She shifted her weight and stared me down for a moment. Finally, she took a breath and said, “Give me one good reason why I should give you another shot.”

I was starting to win her over. “Well, the way I see it, we have two options. You can slam the door in my face and continue to hate me, or we can be friends.” None of my usual charm was working with Red. I wanted something different, so it was time to try a different tactic.

“Friends?” She scoffed. “You want to be friends?” She gestured between us like we were a different species. I tried not to be offended.

“Yeah. Why is that so hard to believe? We could help each other.”

“What could you possibly help me with?” she asked, propping her hand on her hip. The move caused her tank to rise a bit, exposing a strip of the smooth white skin above the waistband of her shorts.

Her question momentarily forgotten, I cleared my throat and continued. “For starters, an escape from Sean and Kerri’s sexcapades. I don’t know about you, but I have already walked in on them way too many times. It isn’t safe to sit on any surface in my apartment. Does she do yoga, by the way? That chick is really bendy.”

The corner of her mouth twitched upward, and I smiled at her reaction.

She paused, examining me while she thought it over. She reached out, taking the coffee cup from my hand, and leaned against the door frame. She took a sip.

“You going to invite me in?” I asked.

“Not a chance.”

“Okay.” I chuckled. It was worth a shot. “So, what do you say? Friends?” I held out my hand to her.

She was quiet for a moment, but then she nodded, straightening up and shaking my hand. “Friends,” she said. She pointed a finger at me while still gripping her cup of coffee, “But, to be clear, there will be no benefits. Understood?”

I laughed. “Don’t worry, Red. You aren’t my type, remember?”

I winked, turning to head out. Who knew something good would come from one of Queen Kerri’s evil plots?

Chapter 2

Alex (Now)

Six years later…

Ping, ping.

I cracked one eye open and fumbled for my phone.

Ping, ping.

I really needed to change that ringtone. Surely, my decision to use the bicycle bell was to ensure I actually check my messages, but I spent that particular moment wondering if I owned a hammer.

I smacked at my nightstand, knocking over bottles of water and nail polish, trying to feel for the shape of my phone with not much luck. After knocking over a few more random items, I finally brought my phone to my still half-closed eyes without lifting my head off the pillow.

Drew: Meet me at our place. I’ll bring coffee.

I sighed and let the phone drop to the pillow next to my head. Figures it was Drew. No one else is brave enough to text me that early. He did that shit on purpose. He knows, better than anyone, that I am not human ‘til it’s eleven in the morning and I’ve had at least two cups of coffee. I picked up the phone again, glancing at the too bright little screen to check the time. Asshole! It was only seven thirty! I shot him a text back.

Alex: This better be big. See u in ten.

Drew: Damn right it’s big. ;)

Hilarious. I was not awake enough to deal with Drew’s thinly veiled penis jokes. I rolled on to my back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the hell he could possibly want at seven thirty in the morning. Guess there was only one way to find out.

I dragged myself out of bed, trudging into the bathroom as a yawn stretched wide across my face. I leaned my forehead on the wall next to the sink and brushed my teeth, still half asleep. I considered finding a way to hang a pillow on the wall in that exact spot every morning since moving in this place two years ago, but I’d yet to follow through.

I stumbled back to my room, bumping my hip into my dresser on the way to the closet. It was too early to think about anything, let alone deciding what to wear, so I slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, ran my fingers through my gnarly red curls, and headed out the door.

When the morning air hit me, I took a deep breath, hoping it would breathe some life into my body, which was still back in my bed, asleep, where the rest of me should be.

My neighborhood was so full of life in the spring. People happily walked their dogs, and flower vendors and street artists were setting up in the square. It was all really charming, even more so at a normal hour of the day, like noon. This early in the morning, things were pretty quiet, as most people didn’t find it necessary to wake up their friends before dawn. Okay, so that was a tad overdramatic. The sun was up, but barely.

Overall, Madison Square is the best place to live, at least in my humble opinion. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous apartment in an old townhouse three blocks from work. It had everything I wanted and so much more: beautiful hardwood floors, windows spanning from the floor to the cathedral ceilings…

I was overwhelmed by the design potential and the little quirks that reminded me of its past: The linen closet that always smells like pine needles, the initials carved into the baseboard behind my bed, the nail in the hallway just beyond the kitchen that refused to stay down no matter how many times I nailed it back into the floor.

What sold it for me, though, was the view. It overlooks Madison Square Park, a beautiful little Eden that covered an entire square block. The trees were full of color in the fall, and there were jazz concerts near the fountain in the center of the square every summer. I would throw open all the windows and sit on my couch with a glass of wine, letting the music sweep me away.

I plopped down in our place, a bench in the center of the square, and rested my elbows on my knees to wait for Drew. He lived just across the square, which was very convenient when stumbling home drunk. It may have seemed like just a bench, but it was the place where our lives met. It was neutral territory, a place dead center between his apartment and mine.

I rested my head in my hand, blowing a stray piece of hair out of my face, wishing he would just hurry the hell up.

“Good morning, Red!” Drew dropped down next to me, stretching an arm out on the back of the bench.

“You said you would have coffee,” I said, lazily rolling my head to the side to look up at him.

“Chill. Here.” He handed me my extra-large coffee with cream and sugar, my usual from our favorite coffee place, Down the Street. That was the name of the coffee place as well as the directions to it. Every time someone suggested getting coffee, it had a tendency to start an Abbot and Costello “Who’s on First?” routine, which, apart from the excellent brew, was why I loved Down the Street.

When there was enough caffeine running through my system to string words together, I focused on him. “What was so important you had to wake me up at this unholy hour?”

He grinned. The amusement he felt was reflected in his deep blue eyes. I know that look all too well. He was up to something. “No reason. Just thought you might like to know that I scored an invite to Rags & Riches.”

I gulped, sending scalding hot coffee down my throat. Coughing and sputtering, I spilled half my cup all over the sidewalk in front of me. Drew laughed and handed me a napkin from the bag at his feet.

When I finally got a hold of myself, I turned on him. “Are you serious?”

“Yep, but if you don’t want to go, I can find someone else to be my plus one.”

I slapped his arm for even suggesting such a thing, and he rubbed it, pretending to be in pain.

“How did you pull this off?” My voice wavered and my eyes watered with excitement. Well, from excitement and from almost choking on my coffee.

Drew just shrugged. “I’m awesome.” He shot me the cheesiest smile he could come up with.

Rags & Riches was a gala benefit for the arts. It gave upcoming artists a chance to rub elbows with the masters in their field. Musicians, visual artists, writers, playwrights, actors, etc., were all given a chance to mingle with their heroes. As an interior designer, I’d been dying to go for years.

I couldn’t contain my excitement anymore. I launched myself at Drew, wrapping my arms tight around his neck, catching him off guard as he tried to catch his balance.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I squealed.

Drew chuckled, pulling at my arms to release him. Once he was free, he pulled the invite from his pocket. I snatched it from his hand and scanned over every inch, trying to commit every detail to memory.

“I can’t believe you did this! This is amazing.” I stopped just short of cackling with glee.

“One of the partners in our firm is going out of town, so Gabe had the extra tickets.” He shrugged, like making one of my lifelong dreams come true was no big deal.

“Holy shit,” I gasped. “I need a dress!” I started running through the contents of my closet in my head. I had nothing. The gala was Friday. How was I going to find a dress that quickly? Drew could see the wheels in my head turning. He hopped to his feet, grabbing my hand to pull me along with him.

“Got it covered. Come with me.” He dragged me behind him, toward his car.

“What? You are not buying me a dress!” I said, trying desperately to keep up. The tickets were already too much. No way was he buying me a dress too.

Drew stopped short. “Red, will you relax? Trust me, I got this.” He shot me a wink and pulled me the rest of the way to his car.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

“Damn it. Come on, just tell me.”

He chuckled. “Where is the fun in that?”

I sat back in my seat, frustrated, but I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Drew just shook his head and chuckled, putting the car in drive.

***

Ten minutes later, we pulled up outside a small boutique store front. My smile widened as I recognized the pink and white awning with the swirling cursive letters spelling out Millie’s.

A little bell announced our entrance as we walked into the small but beautiful space. Every square inch was decorated in muted shades of white and a rosy pink. Vintage-inspired clothes, some real and some reproductions, hung in neat rows separated by style and color. There were modern little touches, like the modular couches and LED lighting. It was such a contradiction in styles, but it felt like home.

I glanced around, slowly making my way into the heart of the store, running my fingers through the fringe of a 1920s flapper dress. Millie’s was a reflection of the woman herself—petite and light with an impeccable sense of style.

From the back corner, I saw her bustling toward us, her arms so full of fabric all you could see was the top of her blonde head. She looked around the stack in her arms, her bright blue eyes widening and a smile spreading across her perfect face.

“Drew!” She set the fabric on the counter, making her way toward us.

“Millie!” Drew wrapped her in a tight hug. He lifted her up, swinging her tiny body in a circle, before setting her back on her feet.

He placed a hand on her very pregnant stomach and smiled. “How’s my nephew?”

“Ornery, as usual. I think he takes after his uncle.”

She giggled, playfully poking him in the ribs.

Millie turned to me, wrapping me in a warm hug. Drew’s sister-in-law is possibly the sweetest person I have ever met. She has such a big heart that it’s virtually impossible not to love her.

“Alex, how are you?” She pulled back to look up at me, taking in my shabby outfit. At about five foot nothing, she was a tiny little thing, even eight months pregnant.

“I’m good, Millie. Look at you.” I took a step back to take all of her in.

“Ugh, I look awful.”

“I wouldn’t say awful. Just circular.” I giggled.

“Ha, ha,” she deadpanned.

She clapped her hands together, getting down to business. “Drew says you need a dress.”

“He did, huh?” I shot a look at Drew as Millie pulled me toward one of the racks.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked, her eyes scanning the choices in front of her before moving on to the next rack of gowns.

“I don’t know.” I hesitated. “Something elegant, sophisticated, classic.”

“It’s a gala, not a costume ball.” Drew snorted. I elbowed him in the ribs.

“Think old Hollywood glamour,” I said without missing a beat.

“Well, let see what I have.” She quickly started sifting through the racks, pulling out several dresses for me to try on.

Drew leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Told you I got you covered.”

I reached up and patted his head. “That’ll do, pig, that’ll do.”

Millie finished pulling dresses and pointed me to a dressing room at the back. Drew settled into the chair outside the dressing room, flipping through a catalog from the table next to him.

I stood in the dressing room and sorted through the gowns. I immediately vetoed anything strapless because no way was I going to run the risk of a nip slip. I sorted through the dresses, setting them aside for different reasons. Too short, too frumpy, too loud, far too many sequins.

Just when I was almost out of options, there it was, the dress of my dreams. I slipped into the beautiful cream-colored silk gown. It was gorgeous. It fit all of my curves perfectly and dipped low in the back for just the right amount of sexy. The subtle color made my green eyes stand out and complemented the rich, red color of my hair.

I turned, admiring the fit and slight twirl of the back, when I heard a sharp intake of breath. I looked into the mirror and caught Millie staring at me with her tiny hands pressed to her lips, tears filling her big blue eyes.

“That good, huh?” I held out my arms, twirling to show the dress off.

“Alex, it’s stunning,” Millie blubbered. I reached out to hug the hormonal preggo, but she took a quick step back. “No, you’ll ruin it.”

I turned back to face the mirror, smoothing down the front of the dress. “I think this is it, Millie.” She nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.

From beyond the dressing room curtain, we heard Drew start complaining. “Would you come out already? No guy should have to sit and wait this long unless someone is getting naked.” He paused. “Which I am open to.” Millie winked and pulled back the curtain.

Drew started at my feet, taking in the whole picture. His eyes slowly made their way up my body ‘til they locked with mine. We stayed that way, eyes locked for a moment, before he shook his head and cleared his throat.

“Eh, it’s okay.” He shrugged, looking back down at the catalog in his lap, suddenly fascinated with Victorian lampshades. The smile on his face made it pretty clear this one was a winner.

Millie chucked a hanger at him. He ducked as it sailed a foot too far to his right.