InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance) (54 page)

            Lexi jumped
when she heard the key turn in the lock and rushed to hook the chain before the
assailant gained entry.  The last thing she wanted to do was deal with people
right now—any of them. She had plenty of sympathy for herself, and sure as hell
didn’t need anyone else’s. She might have made it if she hadn’t cracked her
shin on the coffee table and fallen back onto the couch, grabbing her leg and
wincing in pain. By the time she stood back up, it was too late.

            “Damn it,” she
muttered, yanking up her pant leg and checking for damage as Tia stepped into
the apartment.  On any other day she would have been glad to see her best
friend; hers was always the shoulder on which Lexi chose to cry. She knew
without a doubt that Tia had done nothing purposely to hurt her—knew that she
never would—but keeping Tia’s secret had apparently been the beginning of the
end for her own relationship, and she couldn’t help but feel  that Tia’s
now-perfect life came at the expense of her own. Karma was a serious bitch. “Go
away.”

            Tia’s eyebrows
raised and she gave Lexi an appraising once-over. “You look like hell.” 

            “Fuck you,”
Lexi answered, plopping back onto the couch.

            “You haven’t
been answering my calls.” Tia sat next to her and put her arm around Lexi’s
shoulders. “I know what you’re going through, you know,” she whispered. “I gave
you some time for your pity party, and now it’s time to get back on your feet.”

            “Again, fuck
you.”

            Tia smiled and
shook her head. “Yeah, it hurts; I know. But in the long run, it’s better to
know now what an asshole he is rather than wait until you have a couple kids
and a house in Barrington. You’ll get through this, I promise…I know it doesn’t
seem like it now; but I’m here for you, Lex, just like you were there for me.”

            Emotion took
over and Lexi lost it then, breaking into a fresh round of sobs and letting Tia
pull her in; melting into her shoulder and letting the tears come. “It hurts, damn
it,” she whispered, “I can’t believe how much it hurts.”

            “I know,
sweetie, I know it does. It’s pointless for me to tell you that you’ll get
through it, but I’m going to say it anyway. You are one of the strongest people
I know, and you won’t let this break you.” Tia sniffed the air and wrinkled her
nose. Lexi obviously hadn’t showered recently and her hair was matted into
giant knots that bunched at the nape of her neck. Suddenly, it was like looking
into a mirror of the past, except that it had been Tia who couldn’t be bothered
with useless things like getting out of bed, eating, or practicing basic
hygiene. She had been pissed at Lexi at the time for forcing her to keep
living, but eventually, she appreciated the hell out her tenacity. It could get
ugly, but she wasn’t going to let her best friend get away with it either.
“Come on, you seriously need a shower and something to eat. Better yet, I’ll
draw you a bubble bath, and call for some take-out.”

            Lexi shook her
head and wiped away her tears. “I’m not hungry. And I’m not that stinky,
either, so quit wrinkling your nose at me.”

            “Oh, you’re
stinky, alright; but it’s nothing some smelly bubbles won’t fix. Come on, Lex.
Do you remember how hard you had to work to get me out of bed after the funeral?
You didn’t take no for an answer, and neither will I.”

            “I’m really
not in the mood…”

            “I don’t care
what you’re in the mood for, Lex. I’ll tell you the same thing you told me.
‘You will get in that tub or I’ll put you there bodily, girlfriend,’ and judging
by the fact that you look like you’ve lost ten pounds, it won’t be too much of
a struggle for me.”

            Lexi glared at
her, but Tia put her hands on her hips and then pointed at the bathroom door.
“Fine. Whatever. It’s not going to make me feel any better.” She went into her
room to get some fresh clothes while Tia started filling the tub.

            Surprisingly,
she did feel a tiny bit better after a long hot soak; her tense muscles relaxed
somewhat, and it did feel good to have her hair clean. She sat and nibbled at a
slice of pizza; surprised that she had an appetite; while Tia combed the
tangles from her hair.
What a difference a year makes,
she thought;
remembering doing the same things for Tia. She felt better after eating, too;
living on dry cereal and stale Fritos that she’d found in the back of the
pantry had barely kept her alive her over the past couple days.

            “Do you want
to talk about it?” Tia asked, and Lexi immediately clenched her teeth. God, she
really did want to talk about it. More than anything she wanted to pour it out
and make it known that the whole thing was entirely Ryan’s fault. That he was
an egotistical pig who couldn’t handle that the world wasn’t revolving around
him. But damn it, she couldn’t. She could never tell Tia; or anyone else for
that matter; the whole truth. She could never let Tia or Dylan know that it was
the secret she was sworn to keep that cracked the shell and the fact that Ryan
couldn’t handle being second-best to Dylan in his own mind that broke it open.
They would feel guilty; responsible in at least some part; and it wasn’t fair
to them. It would be another secret she’d have to keep, and it gave her nowhere
else to place the blame.

            “He’s a prick,
plain and simple. I packed up all his shit on Monday and cleaned my stuff out
of his place. I followed him to some gym, and the chick was there waiting for
him.”

            “No way!”

            “Yuh huh. I
used my keys to dump all his crap into the back of his car, hung my engagement
ring on the carabineer, and left the keys in the ignition.”

            “Go you,” Tia
smiled, giving her a high five.

            Lexi smiled
back. “That did feel pretty good, I must admit. I knew he’d come looking for
me, so I went to the club and sat at the bar. No way I was going to give him a
private audience, and I knew he’d look there eventually.”

            “Were there
other people there?”

            “Oh yeah. It
didn’t take him long to show up, and we had it out right then and there. He
went on and on about the stress of his big project—supposedly, the other woman
is part of it. Then he was all pissy about my reaction to postponing the
wedding. I didn’t return his calls for a few days—you remember, that’s when I
came to your place—and he said he thought I wanted to call the whole thing
off.”

            “So without
waiting to finalize that with you, assuming that out of the blue, as soon as he
talked about postponement, after five freaking years together you’d call the
whole thing off in the heat of the moment, he was sleeping with someone else
within a week? That doesn’t make any sense at all!”

            “I have no
idea when he started sleeping with her. For all I know, it could have been
going on for months. We were kind of fighting a lot, and he’s been distant for
a long time. The signs were there, but I just kind of ignored them, I guess.”

            “I know what
you mean about distant. It seemed like he wasn’t even there half the time we
went out together—he was really quiet and kind of seemed to gravitate to a
corner. Dyl noticed it, too.”

            “He did?”

            “He asked me
if I knew why Ryan didn’t like him. He said that he got a “negative vibe” from
him, or something like that. Especially at the engagement party. It was like he
didn’t even want to be there.”

             “So everyone
knew he was an asshole except for me? Doesn’t that just figure.”

            “Hey. You
loved the guy for a long time, so don’t beat yourself up over that. People
change, and just as often as not, it isn’t for the better. Oh sweetie…” Tia
pulled Lexi into her arms as a fresh trail of tears spilled down her cheeks. “I
know it doesn’t seem like it now, but you’ll get through this, and you’ll be
stronger than ever. You’ll realize that you learned some lessons along the way,
and you will have some good memories. I hate that he did this to you, I can’t
stand that you’re hurting, and I especially hate that I’ve put you in the
middle of planning my wedding when you’re dealing with all this. I’ll totally
understand if you want to back off for a while; the last thing I want to do is
make it harder for you…”

            “No way. I’m
not going to let this have a negative impact on your wedding. The timing of
this really sucks, but I’ve been your maid of honor since seventh grade and I
take that commitment seriously. If I get overwhelmed I’ll let you know, and if
I need to walk away for a bit I’ll do it, but I don’t want you tiptoeing around
or hiding things from me because you think I’m too fragile to handle it.”

            “Oh Lex, I
didn’t mean…”

            “I know what
you mean, and I appreciate it, I do.” She took Tia’s hand. “Look, T. I love
you, and I love you and Dylan. You guys deserve your fairy tale ending, and I’m
not going to piss on that, I promise you. I’m really glad you came over—it felt
good to get it out.”

            “I’m glad to.
So what’s next?”

            “I’m going to
suck it up and go back to work. I’m not even going to think about men for a
while, but I’m going to move forward.”

            “That sounds
really good. Now what do you say we open a bottle of wine, curl up on the
couch, and watch a movie?”

            Dylan was in
the sound booth when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He’d been waiting on the
call all day; and as much as he hated to hold everyone up, he pulled off his
headphones and spoke into the mic. “Sorry, but I gotta take this.”

            “And so it
begins,” Ty said, getting a rousing agreement from the rest of the guys.

            “And never
ends,” Tommy added.

            “Who would’ve
guessed that Miller would ever be so whipped?” Angelo asked rhetorically.

            Dylan gave
them the finger as he grabbed his coat and walked out the door into the alley
behind the studio. The air was chilly, but at least the little alcove sheltered
him from the wind and got him away from the nosey neighbors. 

            “How bad is
she?” he asked, settling in to hear Lexi’s story.

            “What’s
wrong?” Bo asked as he watched Dylan walk back to the group after cutting off
the call. “You look like you just got some bad news, bro.”

            Dylan shook it
off. They still had at least an hour of recording to get in, and he was
determined to get
Forever and a Day
recorded before they broke for the
night. “Nah,” he answered, forcing a smile. “Nothing to worry about. Let’s just
get this done so we can get a proper meal, shall we?”

            They all
wrinkled up their faces at him, but he slipped back into the booth and donned
the headphones.  It didn’t take Dylan long to find his focus—after all, this
song would be a wedding gift to Tia, and his entire heart and soul were into
getting it right.

            “I think
that’s it!” Dylan finally exclaimed, to the relief of the rest of the guys.
They all glanced up at the clock, and saw that it was nearly 10. It had been a
long day, and they were pretty wiped. “How about a beer and a burger?” he
asked. Ty groaned, and Angelo shook his head. “I’m buying…”

            “I’m gonna
take a pass,” Ty yawned. “I think I’ll just slap a sandwich together and call
it a night.”

            “I’m with Ty,”
Angelo agreed. “But I’ll hold you to buying next time—God knows that doesn’t
happen very often.”

            “I’m out,
too,” Tommy said. “Got me a date.” All heads turned to him as a smirk spread
across his face.

            “Who the hell
would go out with you?” Bo teased. “Wait…let me guess…you called an escort
service.”

            “Or maybe
she’s blind,” Ty tossed in, raising his palm and smacking Bo with a high-five.

            Tommy slowly
and deliberately raised his middle finger as he covered the keyboard and
grabbed his coat. “She’s someone I knew from back in the day,” he said,
ignoring Bo’s double middle fingers. “We went to high school together. It’s no
big thing.”

            “Anyone
agreeing to go out with you is a big thing, my scrawny friend,” Bo chuckled.
“Has anyone checked the forecast lately? Bet it’s gettin’ mighty cold in hell.”

            “Look who’s
talking, Collins,” Tommy teased back. “When’s the last time you even really
looked at a woman, much less had a date?”

            “Oh, I look
plenty, believe me,” he smiled. “Just can’t seem to find one worthy of
everything I’ve got to offer.” He turned to Dylan. “I’ll take you up on that
burger and beer, Strummer Boy,” he smiled, patting his stomach. “Can’t remember
the last time I had a decent meal.”

            Ty jumped in.
“You are wasting away to nothing, C-man,” he smiled. “Thank God the drum kit’s
in the back—I’m tired of looking at your ass crack all the time. You seriously
need to get yourself some new pants, my friend.”

            “You just keep
your eyes off my fine ass,” Bo grinned. “You know how I hate clothes shopping.”

            They finished
packing up their things, and Dylan and Bo walked just down the street to The
Two Bells Tavern. They’d become regulars over the past few weeks, so were
greeted warmly and with minimal pomp and circumstance. They signed a few
autographs for some of the patrons who sat at the bar, but since it was fairly
late on a Monday night, the place wasn’t very crowded. Tammy, one of their
regular waitresses, arrived within seconds with a pitcher of Rainer.

            “How’s that
new album coming along, boys?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Dylan.

            Bo pulled her
into his lap and gave her a friendly squeeze. “Now Tammy,” he said, “you know
the man’s engaged. You can’t keep lookin’ at him like he’s a midnight snack.”

            Tammy had Bo
Collins’s number on their very first visit. It was impossible not to notice
when Dylan Miller walked into a room—the man was so hot she’d nearly passed out
the first time he sat down at a table in her station. All the other girls were
incredibly jealous that she got to wait on him, rushing over to fill his water
glass whenever they got the chance and finding countless excuses to walk by his
table.

            He was the
whole package—not only was he kind and gracious, signing autographs and taking
photos with all of them; his half smile next to a dozen faces sporting shit-eating
grins; but he was genuinely nice, and a great tipper. She knew he was engaged;
hell, the whole world knew that; but she was a warm-blooded woman, and she
couldn’t help but feel the flutter of desire in her belly when he was around.                     

             Bo Collins
was a character, however; a shameless flirt who made you feel like you were a
princess just by smiling at you. She’d come to really like them both—they were
so much more down-to-earth than a lot of the other musicians that stopped in
for beers or food on their way out from the studio down the street.

            “Midnight or
any other time of day,” she teased back, “unless maybe you’re available?” She
slid off his lap and handed them menus. “The usual?” she asked, “or you want to
try something new tonight?” she wiggled her eyebrows at Bo and smiled. They’d
done this dance before, and she’d matched him flirt for flirt.

            “I’m always up
for something new, sugar,” he teased, “but it’s been a long hard day.” He
looked at Dylan. “This man’s a task master, I tell you, and I barely have
enough strength left in my body to lift my beer.” Bo picked up his glass and
took a long frosty swallow. “Guess I’ll be going with the usual tonight.”

            Dylan agreed,
and Tammy took their menus, heading back toward the kitchen, which she was sure
would stay open just a bit later for their celebrity guests.

            “She’s pretty
cute,” Dylan said as Tammy tossed one more smile over her shoulder before
disappearing into the kitchen.

            “Who, Tammy?”

            “Yes, Tammy,”
he said.

            “I guess.”

            “Why don’t you
ask her out?” Dylan suggested.

            “Why don’t you
mind your own damn business?” Bo snapped back. He picked up the beer menu and
started leafing through it aimlessly, feeling Dylan’s stare boring into his
skull. Finally, he looked up.

            “What?” Bo
asked, taking in Dylan’s smirk.

            “I swear,”
Dylan said, shaking his head. “You could flirt with a stone wall and make it
blush, but you never pursue a thing. You know… if there’s one thing I’ve
learned over this past year, it’s that life is better when you have someone to
share it with, and that it’s too damn short to keep everyone at arm’s length.
Don’t you think it’s about time you put yourself back on the market? It’s been
almost three years, mate.”

            Bo took
another swig and forced a twisted smile. “That’s two things,” he said. “I
should call goddamn CNN and tell them that you had two epiphanies in the same
year. No one will believe it.”  Dylan Miller was probably the only person in
the world outside of his immediate family who would willingly bring up the subject
of his second divorce. Dylan wasn’t the only one with trust issues when it came
to women; Bo had sworn off relationships forever after Shannon screwed him over
six ways from Sunday. He’d gotten over it, but it was just easier if no one
knew that. The last thing he needed was a bunch of would-be matchmakers trying
to fix him up, or even worse, having to admit the truth that he’d only recently
admitted to himself. “Hell, I’m just waitin’ for the right one, brother,” he
finally answered. “They don’t come around too often, as you well know. It’ll
happen when it happens, and we’ll leave it at that.”

            “OK, we’ll
leave it for now,” Dylan said. He knew better than to push Bo Collins on the
subject of women, but he had some suspicions that he hoped to confirm as he
continued. “Speaking of that, though, Jessa’s busting my ass about seating
charts for the wedding dinner. She’s also got to figure out flights, cars to
collect everyone to get them to the airports; and with people coming from all
over the globe, she’s itching to work on the logistics.”

            “Yeah, that
sounds like Jessa. That girl needs to learn how to chill once in a while. You
gonna tell me where we’re even going?” Bo asked. “You know I’m not gonna spill
it to anyone.”

            “Of course I
know that,” Dylan replied. “We just decided that it’d be easier if no one knew.
That way, nobody has to lie or try to come up with a story when the media comes
calling. Plus, we want it to be a surprise for everyone.”

            Bo nodded.
“Yeah, I guess. Just would help me decide what to pack, you know?”

            “Jessa’s
calling it ‘resort casual,’” Dylan said. “Warm weather and water. That’s all
we’re telling anyone.”

            “That’s easy
enough,” Bo agreed. “What about the seating arrangements? I’m not surprised
that Jessa’s flipping about the details.”

            “I just need
to know if you‘re planning to bring a date so she can figure out the tables,”
Dylan said. “Tommy’s bringing his new girl, I guess, so if you were bringing
someone, we could put them at the same table. Do you have anyone in mind? Looked
like you and Joi were doing a happy dance when you saw each other at the
engagement party.”

            “Nah, we’re
just friends.” Bo sat back in his chair and took a deep breath before
answering. “I got someone on my mind all the time,” he admitted, “but she isn’t
an option, so I’ll just fly solo.”

            Dylan
contemplated that for a minute, his head cocked. He and Bo were as close as
brothers, but he’d never mentioned having anyone “on his mind” at all, much
less all the time. He couldn’t help but wonder why.

            “Care to
elaborate?” Dylan finally asked.

            “Nope,” Bo
said simply as Tammy reappeared and placed a steaming bowl of garlicky cheese
and artichoke dip on the table.

            “Well, all
right then,” Dylan said, grabbing a hunk of the freshly baked bread and
scooping up a generous portion. “I guess that’ll make all four of you flying
solo. It’ll keep the numbers even, anyway. Jessa should be thrilled about
that.”

            Dylan popped
the bread in his mouth and watched his friend for a reaction. He got it in
spades. Bo’s ears pricked up, and his eyes widened before narrowing down to
slits. “Care to elaborate?” he mimicked, a little too anxiously.

            “Nope,” Dylan
replied with a sly smile, sitting back in his own seat and taking a swig of the
frosty brew. God, he loved the Pacific Northwest, no one did beer quite like
they did.

            “Now come on,
Miller,” Bo said, leaning forward. “You can’t lead off with that and not finish
the tale. What four of us?”

            Dylan leaned
in. Tia hadn’t told him not to tell Bo, and he’d certainly figure it out
eventually, so he assumed it didn’t matter if Bo heard it from him. “The whole
wedding party,” he said simply.

            Bo cocked his
head. “Lexi’s not bringing her fiancé?”

            Dylan shook
his head. “Lexi no longer has a fiancé,” he said, dunking another hunk of bread
and watching Bo’s eyes widen.

            “You want to
say that again?” Bo asked, his voice cracking uncharacteristically. 

            “You heard
me.” It was really hard for him to keep a straight face when Bo was trying so
unsuccessfully not to jump out of his skin.

            “I think you
said that Lexi no longer has a fiancé,” he said, “but I’m not sure I’m
following. What happened?”

            “That call I
took earlier? The one you guys gave me such a hard time for taking?  Tia was
filling me in on the details. Lexi found out that the bastard was sleeping with
someone else, and she’s called the whole thing off.”

             Dylan felt
truly bad for Lexi; she was a good person, and he hated seeing anyone played
that way. Bo, however, was waging a sudden battle with his feelings, and Dylan
sat back, watching a whole range of emotions playing over his features. From
where Dylan was sitting, Bo was putting an awful lot of thought into what he’d
just been told.