All the Waters of the Earth (Giving You ... #3) (22 page)

“How much longer do they have until construction is finished?”

“About three weeks.”

That news hit me in the solar plexus. In three weeks, Jake wasn’t going to be my neighbor. It didn’t mean I couldn’t see him, of course, but it was easier to see him when he could stop by on the way over to his house. Having to drive across town? I didn’t know what that would mean for our relationship.  Now that I was completely head over heels for him, I didn’t want him to go so far away.  Across town felt like across the world with how busy he was.

After we went back home, Jake walked us to my door, and Rob made a beeline to his room to put away his new presents. I lingered for a moment outside, kissing Jake lightly, and then he headed to work, promising to be home in time for dinner. But he’d taken the morning for me and my son. Another step forward.

When I walked in my house, my phone sounded. It was Georgie. “You feeling better, mama?”

“Yeah, mostly.  I still have a cough.  The doctor said it would take two weeks or so until I felt all the way better.”

“So are you going to be up for going out on New Year’s Eve?”

I hadn’t been dancing with the girls in a long time.  It sounded perfect.  We made plans to go out with Sara to State Street, and I got my mom to babysit.  

Then I called Amelia.  She’d prepared papers to have my child support direct deposited out of Carlos’s paycheck, which the judge granted, so that I didn’t have to worry about him doing something crazy in the meanwhile.  And she’d told the judge that Carlos was a flight risk because he’d taken his son to Vegas illegally.  The judge had ordered Carlos not to do it again.

God, yes.

Go get him, girl.

The hearing in a few months still loomed over my head but I tried to forget about it and instead focused on my writing that afternoon.

When it came time for dinner, I realized something.  I’d lived my entire adult life as a single mother, without looking forward to anyone coming home to me. I had Rob, but he was nearly always with me. But now that Jake was in my life, I felt like I had something that I’d never known I’d needed—someone to appreciate me.  And I had someone to appreciate.  

And I instead of appreciate, I really meant love.

New Year’s Eve, after I’d taken Rob to my parents’ house and got myself dressed in a pale pink, tight jersey dress with long sleeves, a ballet neckline, and a mini skirt, I closed my front door and tottered over to Jake’s in silver, strappy heels. As I raised my hand to knock, he opened the door, wearing a light gray long-sleeve, button-down shirt, and dark gray slacks. He smelled divine.

“Ready?” I asked.

“No,” he answered, looking me up and down, and I laughed. “You look insanely hot. I don’t wanna leave.”

“C’mon.” I tossed my hair back.  “We’re going out and meeting my friends.”

Truth be told, I wasn’t totally feeling it. Still sick, still tired, but I still wanted to go out.  I’d just take it easy and drink more water than margaritas.

We took a taxi downtown, not wanting to deal with parking, and walked to State Street, a popular area packed with shops, restaurants, and bars. When we arrived at the still-quiet restaurant where we were meeting Sara, Georgie, and their dates, I did a doubletake.

My attorney, Amelia, sat next to a stunning blond guy who looked like he was out of a Billabong ad. At their table, a pretty but edgy girl with long, lavender hair, chattered away, totally animated about something.  She sat next to a drop dead gorgeous cowboy, who looked dangerous in a black cowboy hat and had his arm around her.  Jake did a chin lift at Amelia and walked over, holding my hand.

“Lucy!” chirped Amelia, getting out of her seat, and showing off her curvy figure in a classic, wrap-around, little black dress. “Come meet my friends. This is Ryan Fielding, my fiancé,” indicating the surfer, “Marie Diaz-Austin, my best friend since third grade, and her boyfriend, Will Thrash,” indicating the chocolate-eyed cowboy.

Wait. My attorney was dating Ryan Fielding? As in the famous bazillionaire? Holy shit. It was immediately apparent that Marie was a firecracker. And the country boy, Will? Wow.  One look at him and you needed a new pair of panties.

As I shook hands with each of them in turn, they all stood up and towered over me. Sheesh, I was always the shortest in the room. Just then, Georgie, Sara, and their dates, Anthony and Jordan, walked in, and there were more introductions. Georgie got a good look at all of the men, and then pulled me aside.

“Team. Fucking. Switzerland,” she breathed, gawking, shifting her attention from Ryan to Will to Jake.

“It’s unbelievable,” I whispered back. “Plus the two you guys brought? This is going to be a fun night."

“Okay, we’ll make room,” squealed Marie.  Before anyone could protest, she shimmied her body, clad in a dark gray, metallic tunic minidress and stilettos, around all of us, and started pulling over chairs to gather everyone at one large table, calling over a waitress to order drinks. We all helped to set up.  I caught Will checking out Marie’s ass as she leaned over to pull the table toward her. The waitress brought our drinks. Marie sat down, and continued, “We all don’t know each other very well—”

“—we just met half of them—” interjected Amelia.

“—so I think we should play a game,” Marie finished.

Amelia groaned. “No body shots this time.”

“No. That’s later.  We’re going to play Two Truths and a Lie.”

“Marie. They—just—met—you,” Amelia argued.

“And now we’ll
really
get to know each other. If someone figures out your lie, you have to drink.” 

Sara looked worried. Georgie looked amused. And the two guys with them plainly didn’t know what to think. “And we all have to play,” Marie finished. “I’ll go first.”

Will started, “Darlin’,” but Marie shushed him with a quick kiss.  He got a look on his face like, “She does what she wants, and I think it’s funny.”

Marie cleared her throat, looked everyone in the eye, delighted, and announced, “I have voted for a conservative. I eat bacon. I only own vegan footwear.”

Amelia started to talk, then stopped and looked at her, and then started again. “Wait, I thought you said it was two truths and a lie, not two lies and a truth.” Sitting back in her chair, Marie looked satisfied.  Amelia continued, catching on. “Wait, you either voted for a conservative or eat bacon, and neither of those would happen and hell hasn’t frozen over, so who are you and what have you done with Marie?”

“I’m gonna guess that Will got her to vote for something conservative, after careful discussion and persuasion,” said Ryan.

“Ding, ding, ding,” said Marie. 

“Naked persuasion,” muttered Will, and I stifled a giggle.

“Wait, shit, that means I have to drink,” said Marie. “Okay, Ryan’s turn because he got it.”

“Fuck,” said Ryan. “Okay. Let me think.” He paused for a second and then spoke. “I surfed a huge wave at Teahupo’o. I was Freshman Prince when Amelia was Homecoming Queen in high school.” And then he grinned wickedly. “I’ve let Amelia tie me up naked and do naughty things to me.”

“Ryan!” squealed Amelia.  “Lucy is my
client
.”

Jake burst out laughing. “It’s gotta be Teahupo’o. That’s a crazy wave.”

“You got it,” said Ryan, and he took a drink.

“Jake’s turn,” ordered Marie.

He shook his head slowly, like he couldn’t believe he was doing this and fingered the label of his beer bottle. And then he looked up at everyone and spoke in a clear voice.  “I go for a six mile run every day. I never want to be anything but a lawyer. I fell for Lucy the moment I saw her.”

“Holy fuckballs,” said Marie.

My body seized up. Did he just say what I think he said?

“Wait,” said Amelia. “Those are all true. Aren’t they?”

Jake looked at her and shrugged, saying nothing.

Now it was Sara’s turn to talk. “I think the lawyer is not true. I think you have other dreams.”

“That’s it,” said Jake, and took a drink.

“Mister Privacy, my ass,” I said, whispering in his ear. “What happened to Jake-I-don’t-tell-anyone-in-the-office-about-my-business?”

He looked embarrassed. “Figured I’d try on sharing for a change,” he whispered back.

“It’s a good step,” I agreed.

As the night went on, our group got louder and louder, and drunker and drunker. Hilarious Marie was the life of the party, and I could tell that if I spent any amount of time with her, I’d become her new best friend.  Will pulled her onto the dance floor when they started playing a slow song, and sheesh, watching them dance was mesmerizing, they were so good.

Still not feeling well, I took it easy. After we finished our drinks and ordered new ones, the music got louder, and I pulled Jake out onto the dance floor. He wasn’t the best dancer I’d ever been with, but he also wasn’t the worst.  He held me close and smelled wonderful, a familiar scent, like he belonged to me. I loved it.

At midnight, we gathered to watch the ball drop on the television screens at the front of the restaurant. As we all counted down the seconds to the new year, I really felt excited for the new year with my new boyfriend. It was going to be a good year.

When the clock struck midnight and the restaurant played “Auld Lang Syne,” Jake leaned down and kissed the hell out of me, lifting me up and swinging me around at the end. I saw Ryan catch his eye appreciatively, like, “Dude, nice one.”

Getting tired, I made my way to the restroom to leave.  As I left, I saw Jake pull his cell phone out of his pocket and answer it. The first time all night that I’d seen him do it.

When I got back from the restroom, I couldn’t find him. I called over to Georgie, “Where did Jake go?”

“He said he had to go, it was an emergency, and he left you some money for a taxi.”

Wait, what?

“What was so important that he had to leave?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” said Georgie, “but he looked panicked and said he had to go immediately, and to apologize to you.”

There had to be an explanation for this, right? I hoped that he was okay, or that whatever had happened, was going to be alright. But if it was work-related, I was going to be pissed. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt, but I was seriously worried about whatever his emergency was, and how he had just left without saying goodbye. It was weird—I wanted a reason for his rudeness, but I also didn’t want him to have a real emergency.

Ryan called a car for me and sent me home in style, and I went to my bed and undressed, slowly. I’d texted Jake in the restaurant and in the car, to no answer. Finally, I just texted, “Whenever you get this, call me or come by. I need to see you.” And then I tried to go to sleep.

My phone pinged, waking me up, at the same time that someone knocked hard on my front door.

Jake.

Grabbing my phone as I crawled out of bed, I glanced at the time.  Five in the morning. And a text from Jake, saying that he was outside. Ignoring my robe and my sleepy face, I ran down the hall and flung open the door.

My boyfriend stood there, exhausted, serious lines etched on his forehead, his hair completely disheveled.