An Unexpected Attraction (Love Unexpected Book 3) (11 page)

“They’d probably say the same thing if they heard you,” Samantha pointed out.

The somber tone of her voice gave Brenda pause. Had her mother only called to share her news, or did she also need a morale boost? If Basil’s family questioned their relationship, she might be stressed and need support.

“I’m worried about you. But—I can’t tell you what to do. Well, I can tell you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll listen.” Samantha giggled and Brenda smiled at the sound. “Have you picked a date yet?”

“Not yet, but it’ll probably be early next year.”

At least they weren’t rushing the wedding. Her shoulders sagged in relief. “I want to meet him. Promise me you won’t get married until I meet him.”

“I promise.” Brenda heard the smile in her voice. “And I do want you to meet him, Bren. I didn’t expect to fall in love, but he’s everything I’ve been looking for. He makes me feel all warm and gooey inside, like chocolate chip cookies that just came out of the oven.”

She’d inherited her love of sweets from her mother. It was one of only a few things they had in common, because over the years she’d worked hard to be as unlike her mother as possible. As a young woman, she’d suffered from snide remarks that perhaps the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, that maybe she had the same loose morals her mother did. She’d made an extra effort to stand out and apart from that type of behavior.

“I’ll come to New York as soon as I can, even if it’s only for the weekend.”

“Take your time. Maybe I’ll come see you, instead. Around the holidays, maybe? I’m not going to run off and get married without you. It wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there, Bren.”

Her throat constricted and her eyes became misty. Samantha sure knew how to get to her. “Damn straight.”

“Do you think your sister would come to the wedding?” Samantha asked tentatively.

The relationship between her mother and sister had always been strained. Her sister didn’t speak much to their mother. Like Brenda, she was often embarrassed by Samantha’s behavior, but unlike Brenda, she didn’t keep in touch. She’d gone to school all the way out in California and had as little to do with Samantha as possible.

“I don’t know. We can ask.”

“I would love to have both my girls there.”

“I’ll work on her, okay?” Brenda was always the peacemaker between them. “Now let me get back to work. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you.”

“Mwah. Love you, too.”

Brenda hung up the phone slowly and stared at it for a few moments.

If Basil made her mother happy, did it matter that he had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel? Did it matter they barely knew each other? If they made each other happy, who was Brenda to judge or stand in their way?

Chapter
Ten

She could get through the night. At least that’s what Brenda told herself.

Freshly showered and clad in a terry cloth robe, she rummaged through the drawers of her dresser to find the right outfit. She hadn’t seen Jay since after the wine bar. Nick was back in town and insisted they all get together before he flew home to Chicago. Fortunately, Sophie was also in town, and she would join them at the restaurant and promised not to bail at the last minute.

Brenda decided on an off-white long-sleeved blouse with an elastic waistband, cuffs, and neckline. The gauzy material made for a relaxed fit over snug-fitting jeans. She added a couple of bracelets and small earrings, and completed the look with a bejeweled forehead band.

Nick chose the Red Lion Restaurant and Bar, a newly open upscale establishment that boasted a lounge with low tables and white leather sofas. Located on the second floor of a building on Peachtree Street, they offered a menu of contemporary American cuisine and California wines. She and Sophie ran into each other in the parking lot and searched for Jay and Nick inside.

“There they are,” Sophie said, pointing.

Jay and Nick sat at the bar, but Brenda’s eyes gravitated to Jay. He sat hunched over the bar, cradling a beverage and nodding at a comment Nick made.

“Damn, they look good, don’t they?” Sophie said. “Especially Jay. We’re lucky women tonight.”

Brenda tossed her friend an annoyed glance. “You’re in a relationship,” she reminded Sophie.

Sophie arched a brow. “Doesn’t mean I’m dead. I can look.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re mad at Keith. Again.”

Sophie shrugged, and they walked up to the men.

“Hello, fellas!” Sophie said with exuberance. She flung her arms around Jay first and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Brenda glared at her friend. Her behavior was part of the bizarre relationship she had with Keith, which included outrageous flirting whenever they had an argument or took one of their “breaks.” Right now, she was looking at Jay like he was the last piece of shrimp at a shrimp fest.

Nick grinned. “The ladies are finally here.” He pulled Brenda into a hug and squeezed.

“Glad you made it back safely,” she murmured.

When she withdrew from him, Jay’s gaze flicked over her. “How are you, Brenda?”

No hug for her.

“Great, and you?” The other two were too busy hugging and joking to notice the tension between them.

“I’ve been better,” he said.

His face did look a little drawn, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Nick herded them toward the hostess stand with outstretched arms. “I’m ready to eat and find out what’s been going on with all of you.”

Jay pulled up the rear and bristled when he saw Nick place a hand to the lower part of Brenda’s spine. He rolled his neck to relieve the tension.

“You look great,” Nick said to her.

She did look great. Better than great, in fact. Her eyes had held uncertainty when she and Sophie walked up. She was unsure how to act, and he understood because he sure as hell was, too.

Nick and Brenda sat beside each other on one of the white leather couches in the lounge, and he and Sophie sat beside each other on the one across from them, separated by a square wooden table. It was almost as if they’d paired up.

He wished he hadn’t come and hoped the time passed quickly, but no such luck. The evening dragged, during which he had the displeasure of watching Nick lean close and talk into Brenda’s ear, as if it was so damn loud in there. The entire situation irked him, but he couldn’t make himself leave.

For her part, Sophie mostly talked about her so-called boyfriend. Since she didn’t ask Jay any questions, he faked his way through the conversation. Every so often he nodded and judiciously sprinkled noncommittal comments into the one-sided discussion so as not to let on he wasn’t paying attention. But he wasn’t.

Brenda had his attention, and he watched her from the corner of his eye, unable to keep his eyes off of her. Each time she laughed out loud gave him an excuse to look in her direction.

His gaze slid over her. Her hair was parted down the middle, long bangs framing her face. A forehead band sparkled with faux jewels against her deep brown skin. Even from several feet away, he could smell the sweetness of her perfume.

Nick openly flirted with her, and she was either too kind to rebuff him or enjoyed the attention. She chuckled at all his corny jokes and every now and again she’d touch his arm as she laughed. As if his joke was so…Fucking. Funny.

Jay ordered another drink.

“You alright?” Nick asked, eyes filled with amusement.

“I’m fine. Why?”

“You’re really tossing back the Scotch tonight.”

The comment took Jay by surprise. He didn’t know Nick had been paying attention. He’d appeared so engrossed in the conversation with Brenda.

A tight smile pulled on his lips. “I’m a grown man and it’s been a long week.”

Nick lifted his hands. “Hey, I’m not giving you a hard time. It’s only an observation.”

Brenda glanced at him before busying herself with munching on a celery stick from the platter of fruit and vegetables on the table. They’d barely said two words to each other, and he was getting tired of her looking at him like that, with those big brown eyes that condemned and pleaded at the same time. Pleaded with him to stop wanting her and condemned him for how much he did.

“Sheesh, am I really that uninteresting?” Sophie asked quietly when Brenda and Nick were engrossed in yet another private conversation. Her gaze slid to Brenda and back to Jay. “Why don’t you go for it?”

“Go for what?” Jay asked.

“Come on, Jay. You haven’t taken your eyes off of her for more than two seconds all night, and a few minutes ago you had a look on your face like you wanted to kill Nick.”

Jay frowned. “Don’t exaggerate.”

“I’m not. It’s the truth.”

“I was distracted. What did you say?”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Nothing important.” She took a sip of her strawberry margarita.

“You were talking about Keith, I’m sure.”

She remained quiet and sucked harder on the straw.

“Now you want to go silent?”

Her eyes met his. “I know you don’t approve. None of you do.”

Her attachment to Keith baffled him. “Because you deserve better. Why do you put up with him?”

She didn’t answer right away, stirring the red liquid in her glass with the straw. “Because he wants me.” A bittersweet smile lifted the corners of her lips, and for the first time in a long time Jay paid close attention to Sophie.

“Plenty of men want you,” he said.

“Not you.”

He shot her a look that said
Stop, be serious
.

Sophie made a show of straightening the hem of her skirt and then crossed her legs. “He’s the only one who keeps coming back,” she said in a low voice.

Jay placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She stared down into her glass. “Sophie, you’re attractive, and you’re funny. You have a lot to offer, and—”

“And there’s a man out there who will see it. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.”

Jay let his hand fall and leaned close, elbows on knees. “There is, you know. But until then, life is short, and you’re taking up all your time and space with Keith, which means you won’t be open to the right man when he comes along. Take a permanent break from this guy. You don’t have to settle.”

Sophie’s face tightened and her bottom lip trembled for a few seconds and then stopped. She bit her lip and cast a sidelong glance at him. “Since when did you become so sweet and nice?”

“I’ve always been sweet and nice,” he said.

The sheen of tears filled her eyes. “You’re not so bad, Jay.”

It was his turn to share a bittersweet smile. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

Chapter Eleven

By the time they were ready for dinner, Jay was in a better mood. Rather than sit at a table in the dining area, they stayed in the lounge and opted for the small plate choices. Eventually, the conversation turned to work-related topics.

Nick lounged on the sofa, one hand stretched along the back, which furthered the impression that he and Brenda were a couple.

Sophie dipped a fry in ketchup. “Brenda said DJ Terror will be at the Fulton County Community Center fundraiser. Isn’t he one of your clients, Jay?” She popped the fry in her mouth.

“He is,” Jay said shortly.

“Jay helped me secure DJ Terror for the fundraiser. I told you that,” Brenda said.

“You know,” Sophie said, stirring her drink with the straw, “you and Brenda should go to the event together. I mean, you’ll both be there.”

What the hell was she doing?

“I don’t know what time I’ll get to the center,” Brenda said quickly.

“Neither do I,” Jay added, voice taut. He was going to strangle Sophie.

Nick’s gaze narrowed and bounced between Jay and Brenda.

“Well, you could coordinate your schedules,” Sophie suggested. She licked salt from the glass. “The two of you are in complementary industries. You’ll probably cross paths a lot, won’t you?”

“Maybe,” Brenda said. She set her plate on the table, having eaten only a corner of her cheeseburger slider.

“If they don’t want to go together, stop pushing it,” Nick said, laughing. He shifted in the chair, his face a little tight.

“I’m not pushing it,” Sophie said. “It was a suggestion. What’s the big deal?”

“It’s not a big deal.” Brenda arranged herself more comfortably in the chair. “But Jay probably has his own schedule with his staff, assuming he’s even going. It’ll be inconvenient for him to pick me up.” She looked at him for agreement.

“In these modern times, maybe you should pick him up,” Sophie quipped. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Oh, she was enjoying her little game.

Jay thought he should play along. What the hell. He didn’t much care for how Brenda chose to speak for him and expected his ready agreement. “It’s not inconvenient,” he said. The look of surprise on her face filled him with a disturbing sense of satisfaction.

“I wouldn’t want to—” she started.

“It’s not a problem. In fact, it’s a great idea. I’ll pick you up. Let me know what time you plan to go to the fundraiser.”

“I’ll call you,” she said. He knew better than to hold his breath and wait by the phone. He’d expire from lack of oxygen.

Nick cleared his throat and sat up. “Anybody talk to Jenna lately?”

They all looked at Jay and he tensed. “Not recently,” he mumbled. The waitress arrived with a fresh glass of Scotch and set it before him. “The boys’ birthday is coming up soon, so I’ll be heading down to Florida to spend the weekend with them.”

“How old are they now?” Nick asked.

“They’ll be eleven in October.”

Nick whistled. “Man, how time flies.”

“It doesn’t fly nearly as fast as it needs to,” Jay said. He picked up his glass and welcomed the burn as he swallowed the drink.

****

Brenda was relieved when they finally exited the restaurant. They embraced each other and said goodbye. She and Jay exchanged a half-hearted hug before the valets arrived with her and Sophie’s vehicles. They left the men, Sophie heading south, she heading east.

Nearing home, Brenda picked up the phone and dialed Sophie’s number. She answered on the second ring.