Somewhere in Between (Madison Square #1) (25 page)

We stepped into the elevator and Drew hit the button for the eleventh floor. He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me in close. He placed a small kiss behind my ear and whispered, “You are beautiful.”

I felt a smile split my face in half.

The elevator doors opened onto a gorgeous rooftop restaurant. The entire space was covered in dark wood paneling and glass. It was stunning. Drew gave the hostess his name and she took us through the huge glass doors and into the main dining room.

The restaurant was open air. Glass panels were all that separated us from plummeting to the sidewalk below. The view was worth dying for, though. We had a complete breathtaking view of the entire city and the harbor winking as it reflected the silvery light of the moon. Up here, the air was fresh and cool. It felt wonderful.

I was so mesmerized by the setting, I didn’t even notice that we had reached our table until I bumped into Drew’s back. He chuckled as he pulled my chair out for me. I was thankful the table was close enough to the edge to enjoy the view but far enough away that I wouldn’t be gripping it to keep from going over. I’m not afraid of heights, but I’m not so happy about the thought of a piece of glass being the only thing standing between me and falling eleven stories to my death.

“What do you think?” Drew asked.

“It’s unbelievable. How did you get reservations?”

He winked at me. “I have connections.”

I smiled. He did well. This place was amazing.

The waiter came over with the prefix menu and the suggested wine list to complement the food. I’m an amateur wine drinker. I know red and white and that’s about it. I like it sweet and a little fruity, kind of like me. I had no idea what went with what. Thankfully, Drew bypassed the suggested list and ordered a bottle of my favorite Moscato. The waiter looked at him like we told him to bring us the blood of a virgin, but nodded. When he walked away, Drew and I burst into laughter.

The conversation was easy. He told me about David trying and failing miserably to put the baby crib together. “Only he could manage to put it together not only backwards, but upside down,” he said as I laughed, holding my napkin to my lips to keep from spraying water in his face.

I talked about some of the new projects Madeline had me working on and he listened with genuine interest, asking questions and giving me his opinion.

“You know, I was really into you back then,” he said as he twirled the stem of his wine glass between his fingers.

I laughed and took a drink. “Yeah, sure you were.”

“I’m serious. You were funny, smart, not to mention gorgeous. How could I not be in to you?”

“Were?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Drew just laughed and leaned back in his chair. “You aren’t going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“It’s hard to believe that playboy Drew Collins was into any one girl back then.” I shrugged.

He looked at me across the table for a moment. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I
played
with those other girls because the one that I wanted didn’t want me?”

I set my wine glass down and narrowed my eyes. Was he serious? I kept waiting for him to show me something, for him to give me some indication of what he wanted from me. Now here he was confessing to liking me back in college.

“Why didn’t you ever make a move?” I asked, calling his bluff.

“Because you needed me,” he said, his voice low as he took a sip from his wine glass.

“What?”

“You remember the day in the park near your hometown?” he asked, leaning across the table.

I nodded. I could never forget the day we scattered my parents’ ashes. I was a wreck and he was there. I knew, that day, that I could always count on him. Maybe I even loved him then, but I needed a friend more.

“I told you that day that you weren’t alone anymore, that I would be your family. That is what you needed, so…” He let the words hang in the air.

I was stunned. What can you say to that? I stared at him as tears welled in my eyes. The feminist in me wanted to say that I could take care of myself, but that was total bullshit. What Drew did for me that day saved me. I don’t know where I would have been if he hadn’t brought me back to life.

“For the record,” he took my hand, “you are still funny, smart, and even more beautiful than the first time you poured beer over my head.” He brought my hand to his lips and smiled.

I laughed as the tears spilled down my cheeks. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

This was, by far, the best first date I had been on in years. The food was amazing. We ate happily and offered forks full of food to each other when we found something particularly delicious.

When it was time for dessert, Drew pre-ordered a chocolate soufflé that was so decadent I moaned with every bite. I ate the whole thing. He was lucky to get the crumbs.

“You have some…” he said, leaning in close. “Here, let me.” He kissed the corner of my mouth, licking the chocolate from my lips. It was the sexiest thing anyone had ever done to me. Well, in public.

We finished our wine. Drew paid the check and we headed for the elevator. He hit the call button and just as the light lit up, the door opened and out stepped Peter and Bitchface? It figures. This night was too perfect. Of course, something crazy would have to happen.

Drew stared daggers at them. I was considering knocking Peter and Gwen to the ground and bolting for the elevator. Gwen clutched Peter’s arm, but pointed her cannons at Drew. To his credit, he pretended not to notice. Atta boy!

“Well, look who it is, babe,” Peter said with a grin.

Babe? Were they dating? Talk about a match made in hell. Oh, the beautiful, if not crazy and pretentious children they will have.

Peter raked his eyes over me and licked his lips. “Nice to see you, Alex.” I shivered and Drew’s grip tightened around my waist. I needed a shower after that. I felt dirty.

“We were just leaving,” Drew said, guiding me around them to the elevator.

Gwen grabbed a hold of his arm. “Can’t you stay for one drink?” she asked with a pout. She probably thought it made her look sexy, but she had so much collagen in those lips she ended up looking like a fish.

Drew pulled his arm from her grasp. “I already made that mistake,” he said. I bit my lip, trying not to smile. She was fuming. Her whole face turned bright red as Drew ushered me into the elevator.

“Hope you enjoy my cast off,” she called to me as the doors began to close.

I just looked her straight in her Botox frozen face. “Ditto.”

When the doors closed, Drew and I burst into a fit of laughter and high-fived.

***

We headed back and Drew pulled up outside his building. He came around, opened my door, and helped me out of the car. We walked hand in hand across the square, toward my apartment.

When we reached the bench between our homes, he stopped, pulled me tight against him, and kissed me. I instantly wrapped my arms around his neck. It never ceased to amaze me that we always fit so naturally together. We never had to think about where to put our hands or which spot to kiss to turn us on. With us, it was just instinct.

“What was that for?” I asked when we broke the kiss.

“I just couldn’t hold it back anymore,” Drew said, softly touching his lips to mine.

“You have me quickly reconsidering my no sex on the first date rule,” I said against his lips.

A lazy smile spread across his face. “Wouldn’t want that, now would we,” he whispered as he kissed me in our place.

Chapter 21

Drew (Then)

I walked into the back room of the church to find David pacing the floor and biting his nails. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. “Is it time?”

“No. Dude, you need to chill.”

I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket for the flask I hid there. I held it out to him and he paused for a moment before finally grabbing it and taking a long swig.

He handed me back the flask and dropped into a chair next to the door. “Fuck, this is torture.”

“What is with you? Cold feet?” I asked, taking a pull from the flask.

“Fuck no,” he said, his head snapping up to face me.

“Then what is your deal?” I leaned against the desk behind me.

“There are a lot of people out there. What if I mess up the vows? What if I say awful instead of lawful?” He ran a hand over his face.

“Millie will marry you awfully or lawfully, dude. Besides, that’s just a funny story you can tell your kids one day.”

David smiled. “Yeah.” His eyes glazed over as he thought about their future together.

“Come on, you lucky son of a bitch. Stand up.”

He did as I said and got to his feet. I brushed off his shoulders and straightened his tie.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I called.

The door pushed open and Mom came in. She wore a light blue suit with a white rose corsage pinned over her heart. Her short brown wig made her look like Jackie Kennedy. She looked beautiful, but her eyes were tired. The stress of the day was already taking its toll.

A smiled spread across her face when she saw us together. “Look at you,” she said as tears filled her eyes. “My boys are all grown up. You both look so handsome.”

“You look pretty good yourself, Mom. Taking Jackie out for a spin?” I asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She patted her wig, looking a little self-conscious. “Does it look okay?”

“Are you kidding? You’re a knock out!” I said.

She giggled.

She stepped toward David and held out her small, delicate hands to him. “You chose well, David. Millie is everything I could have ever wanted for you. Take care of her and remember…”

“You don’t deserve her,” we chorused.

She smiled. “I’m so proud of you both. My boys have grown into such amazing young men.”

“Some of us more than others,” David said, shooting me a look. I let out a small, silent laugh and focused on the floor.

The door opened and Papa Jack stuck his head in. “You ready? It’s time.”

David stood up straight and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Let’s go.”

The music started and David started down the aisle with Mom and Papa Jack on either side of him. I waited for my cue and followed. I walked down the aisle, nodding to friends and family I recognized and hadn’t seen in a while. I saw Red sitting in the second row. I winked at her as I passed and she just shook her head.

I stood next to David at the end of the aisle as we watched the bridesmaids make their way down. He kept shifting his weight as he nervously waited for Millie to appear. I dropped a hand to his shoulder to calm him down. He looked back at me and took a deep breath.

The wedding march started and the doors at the back of the church opened. Millie took her first step toward us, her hand in the crook of her father’s arm, and David instantly relaxed. His face lit up. It was like watching him fall in love with her all over again. Everyone in the church was on their feet, but to look at Millie and David, you would have thought they were the only people in the room.

I looked over and saw Red watching Millie as she made her way to the altar. All eyes in the church were on the bride, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Red.

Millie reached the end of the aisle and kissed her father’s cheek. Alex met my eyes and smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye. I smiled and turned my attention back to the ceremony. I had a job to do.

The ceremony was thankfully short. David did great. He got all the way through his vows and even remembered to say lawfully. Before long, the pastor pronounced them husband and wife and the crowd erupted in applause as David kissed his wife for the first time.

I made my way into the reception hall, grabbing a glass of champagne from a tray by the door, and scanned the crowd for Red. Pictures had taken forever and my cheeks were sore from smiling.

I spotted Red talking to Uncle Charlie and I headed in their direction.

“There you are,” I said, slipping my arm around her waist.

“Hey,” she said, smiling up at me.

“Well, I’m going to go find my seat,” Uncle Charlie said. “You save me a dance later, young lady.”

“You bet.” She nodded, giving the old man a sweet smile.

“You have to watch out for him, Red,” I said, pointing in Charlie’s direction. “He gets a little handsy.” I mimicked him by grabbing her butt. Red scoffed, playfully slapping my arm.

“We’re up there.” I pointed toward the head table upfront.

Mom and Papa Jack were already seated and talking to Millie’s parents. Alex took a seat next to me as the DJ announced, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. David Collins. We all clapped as David and Millie came in to the roar of the crowd.

Dinner was served and it was actually pretty good. They got our favorite Italian place to cater. We watched as David and Millie danced their first dance and laughed as Millie shoved cake in David’s face. Millie’s sister, Sara, the maid of honor, got up and barely made it through her speech as she blubbered through almost every word.

Then it was my turn.

I leaned over to Red and whispered, “Wish me luck.” I picked up my glass of champagne and headed toward the stage.

Sara handed me the mic and I turned to face the crowd with a smile. “Good evening. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Drew Collins. I am the best man and the younger, if not better looking, brother of the groom.” I winked in David’s direction and he flipped me the bird.

“Keep it classy, Dave,” I said before moving on with my speech. “After David asked me to be his best man, I started to do some research on epic best man speeches, but I didn’t find much. Just a lot of advertisements for speech writing kits that, for the low, low price of $14.95, plus shipping and handling, you can write the ultimate speech for your friend or loved one.” The crowd chuckled and I went on. “All of them gave the same cookie cutter advice. Start with a story about the groom. Then say something nice about the bride, which, with Millie, could take all night.” That got me a laugh and Millie blushed. “Then offer some words of wisdom, to which I have none. See, these kits are a sham. They’re basically just ripping off poor schmucks like me who have no idea what to say when they get up here. Lucky for me, I have mom.” I turned to face her and she beamed back at me from our table. “A wise woman who, throughout the years, has told my brother and me one thing over and over. When you fall in love, never stop fighting to be the man that she deserves. So, my parting piece of wisdom for you, bro, is to always remember that you, my friend, don’t deserve her.” I raised my glass in the air. “To David and Millie.”

“To David and Millie,” the crowd repeated. Everyone clapped as I made my way back to the table to give my brother and my new sister a hug.

I took my seat beside Red. She looked at me, still clapping. “Nice speech.”

“Well, I had help.” I smiled. “Thank you, by the way.”

“I was more moral support than help,” she said.

“Well, thank you anyway.”

After that, the party kicked into high gear as everyone hit the dance floor. I looked at Mom, who was watching the couples as they moved across the floor, a smile stretching across her face from ear to ear.

“What do you say, Mom? Want to give it a go?” I nodded my head toward the dance floor. She smiled up at me and nodded.

I held out my hand, helped her to her feet, and led her onto the dance floor. Mom was radiating happiness. With everything she’d been through lately it was so good to see her smile. I looked toward our table as Papa Jack offered his hand to Red.

Soon they joined us on the dance floor. Red’s laugh filled my ears as my dad whirled her around the dance floor.

“You did good, kid,” Mom said, bringing my focus back to her.

“With what?” She glanced over at Red and Papa Jack as I followed her gaze. “No. Mom, you have the wrong idea,” I protested. “Red and I are just friends.”

“I see how you look at her,” she said. “You can’t fool your mother.”

I sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Only to me.” She smiled and rested a cold hand on my cheek. I smiled and spun her around before bringing her back against me. I looked down as her face got serious.

“You okay? Do you need to sit down?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She gave me a small smile. “You need to tell her.”

“I can’t. She needs me to be her friend.”

“Just promise me that one day, you will. She may need a friend right now, but trust me, you belong together. Soon enough, you will both run out of excuses.”

I looked at Red and met her beautiful green eyes. She smiled at me and I felt my lips turning up in response. “I promise,” I said without taking my eyes off Red.

As the song came to an end, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Papa Jack smiled at me. “Trade ya.”

He took Mom’s hand and led her away. I looked at Red and offered her my hand. She stepped toward me as I wrapped my arms around her.

The opening bars to “La Vie en Rose” began to play. Red sighed and I pulled her closer against me.

“I love this song.” I smiled, remembering the first time we heard it together, when we sat in Madison Square Park and discussed our plans for the future. She felt so good in my arms, her skin warm against my fingertips. I was hopeful that her prediction would come true, that we would be together after graduation, even if it meant that I was still just her friend.

“Thank you for coming with me,” I said, pulling away slightly to look at her.

She smiled. “Thank you for inviting me.”

I pulled her in close and she rested her head on my shoulder. This is where she belonged, with me, in my arms. I would keep my promise to Mom. One day, maybe I won’t have to let go.

***

After saying goodbye to the bride and groom, we headed back to the house. We were all exhausted and went straight to bed.

I took a quick shower and headed back into the bedroom. I walked into the room with a towel wrapped around my waist. Alex was sitting on the bed, digging through her bag. She looked up at me when I came in, her eyes raking across my body. I chuckled, enjoying her appraisal, maybe a little too much.

“I’m just gonna go brush my teeth,” she said, getting to her feet and hurrying out the door.

I pulled a t-shirt from my bag and tugged it over my head.

“Emma!” I heard my dad yell. I raced down the hall to their room, almost colliding with Red as she came out of the bathroom.

I opened the door and Papa Jack was there, holding my mother’s unconscious body in his arms. I froze. I heard Red gasp behind me and Papa Jack’s head snapped up. His eyes were full of panic. “Call nine one one!” he yelled.

Red took off down the hall to call for an ambulance. I could hear her talking to the operator, but all I could do was stare at Mom.