When Lisa walked in a few moments later with her usual cup of coffee, he pounced on her. “Was Zoe there? Did you see her?”
Giving him a pitying look, Lisa shook her head. “Nope. It was Dana and the other girl that usually works mornings. I don’t remember her name, though.” Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, “You’re already in the doghouse, aren’t you? Geez, Dylan, I thought you’d at least make it a few weeks before you messed up.” Parking herself in her usual morning seat, she leaned forward, looking way too excited. “So . . . what’d you do?” First Dana and now Lisa. His assistant normally couldn’t string three words together before ten in the morning, but today she was wide awake. Lucky me.
Shrugging, he strove for a casual I’m-not-a-bastard tone before admitting, “I had to pick up Josh from a bar last night. Then I ended up staying a little longer than expected because it was his birthday.”
She looked vaguely disappointed as she asked, “So you had to break your plans with Zoe? That’s nothing major, I’m sure she understood.”
And this is where she names me asshole of the month. Wait for it. “Well, not exactly.” He saw her eyes sharpen and her nose twitch as if she scented something good just around the corner. “Zoe and I were together when he called. Actually we were at my place. I told her I’d be back in an hour at about ten or so. But one thing led to another and it was a little later than I’d originally planned when I got home.”
“How much later?” she asked with wide eyes. Shit.
“Around three,” he choked out. It sounds so much worse saying it aloud.
“Dylan, good grief. You ditched your date for five hours to hang out with the boys? No wonder you two had a big fight when you got home. I’d have been seriously angry over that.”
And go ahead and add the final nail in your coffin. “Um . . . we didn’t argue. Actually, I took a cab home and passed out. I didn’t remember until this morning that she should have been there. Obviously she left at some point and went home. So I’ve been trying to reach her this morning to make sure she got home all right.”
“Dylan,” she gasped out. “What an asshole thing to do to anyone, but especially Zoe. Why in the world would you let that happen? I mean, I know most of your friends are selfish pricks, but you’re usually better than that. And we’re talking about Zoe here. Even if you guys weren’t seeing each other now, she’s still your best friend. You’ve always been careful of her feelings so what in the hell happened?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted as he slumped back in his chair. This was worse than he’d initially thought if Lisa was that horrified. “I guess I’m not used to worrying about stuff like that when I’m out. I know that’s no excuse, but it’s all I’ve got right now.”
She studied him for a moment before saying, “I think that possibly you were staging a little rebellion against being in a relationship. No matter how many excuses you make, that type of behavior isn’t you. Don’t get me wrong, I know you blow off steam with the guys, which is normal. But to leave a woman at your home, get loaded, and basically forget she was even there? That’s a whole new level of douchery there.”
“That makes no sense,” he protested. “Why would I do something like that? I simply lost count of the number of drinks I had. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt Zoe of all people. You know how I feel about her.”
Getting to her feet, Lisa said softly, “Yeah I do, but I’m wondering if you do. Maybe you should look into that, boss. Now, if you’re finished dumping all your personal problems on me, I need to go meditate at my desk for a few hours. This whole thing has exhausted me. You’re not paying me enough for this level of emotional involvement. If you and Zoe stay together, I’m going to need a raise soon because I envision a lot more of these chats before you finally get it together.” And with that parting shot, she walked out, slamming the door far too loudly behind her. Does every woman in my life have PMS today?
• • •
“You have got to be shitting me,” Dana hissed as Zoe gave her a summary of what had occurred the previous night. “He left you home and went out with the guys?”
“Well, not exactly. I mean, he said he was picking up Josh because he’d had too much to drink. He was supposed to be home in an hour, but when I called him three hours later, he was drunk or darn close to it. And it was like he was brushing me off. Heck, I’m not even sure he knew who he was talking to. Then he called me at six this morning. Can you believe that? So now I have to wonder, was that what time he got home? If so, where did he spend the night? I don’t think bars are open that long.”
“I’m glad I gave him hell this morning,” Dana snorted. “I wish I’d done worse. I knew something was up when he was trying to find you that early. Good for you not answering his call. He deserves to sweat this one out.”
Zoe took a sip of her latte before staring glumly down at her desk. “I don’t get it. Things went so well at dinner. Other than the condoms and some snide remarks, but that’s my mother and he knows how she is. He was affectionate, attentive, and we just meshed so well together. When we got home, we were close to . . . you know, going to the bedroom, when damn Josh called. And truthfully, I wasn’t angry. I’d have been disappointed in him if he had left a friend stranded. I relaxed and watched a movie, no big deal. Until I realized that two hours had passed, then another hour after I texted him. By that point I was worried that they’d been in an accident. I was completely blown away when he answered the phone and sounded three sheets to the wind. That was such an asshole thing to do to me and I didn’t know how to handle it. That’s not the Dylan I’ve always known. He calls me when we’re going to hang out if he’s running even a little late. So I still can’t wrap my head around his behavior last night.”
“He’s a man, honey,” Dana said as if that explained it all. “Sometimes their thought process is whacked. Plus, as much as I hate to defend him, you need to make allowances for a learning curve. Yes, absolutely he was a dick last night and he needs to grovel for your forgiveness. But this whole relationship thing is new for you both, and even though you’d hope an intelligent man like Dylan would know better than to commit such a rookie mistake, I guess he didn’t. But if I know him, this will be one he won’t forget. The fact that he was looking for you so early and sounding pretty damned concerned that you weren’t here tells me that he knows he messed up, which is a good sign.”
“I guess,” Zoe said doubtfully. She still had a hard time reconciling his behavior with the man who had always been her friend. But maybe Dana had a point. Also, since she didn’t really have much of a social life, there wasn’t that much that was changing in her world. Dylan, on the other hand, had a group that he’d been friends with since college and they all did get together on a regular basis. She’d wait and see what he had to say when he came down to see her. Because unless she missed her guess, he’d show up at some point today. He’d have to, because she didn’t intend to return his call or text. He hadn’t made it easy for her last night and she had no intention of making it easy for him today.
She was grateful that the usual morning rush hour left little time to dwell on the man who was just an elevator ride away. I will not go to him. She was cleaning tables during a lull when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She whirled around expecting either Dana or Dylan and was shocked to see Josh standing there instead. “Er . . . hi,” she stuttered out. Josh had only ever been in her shop with Dylan, so his being here alone was quite unexpected. Maybe he was meeting Dylan.
“Good morning, Zoe.” He smiled before putting his hands in his front pockets and rocking back on his heels.
When he didn’t say anything else, she prompted, “Are you meeting someone? I can get you a coffee while you wait if you like.”
“Actually I’m here to see you,” he admitted. Holy shit—why?
Trying not to let him see that she was rattled, she motioned to the table she’
d just finished wiping down. “Want to have a seat? I only have a few minutes before I’ll need to get back to work.” No way am I sitting here without an escape plan in place. Dana shot her a “what the hell?” look from the counter, to which she shook her head, having no clue either.
He looked down at his hands before giving her a sheepish grin. “Listen, I talked to Dylan a little while ago and he told me about what happened last night. I know you two have been friends for longer than I’ve even known him and I can’t help but feel that it’s all my fault.”
“You forced him to get drunk and forget that I was waiting for him?” she asked wryly. She wouldn’t have pegged Josh as the type to care if his friend was in the hot seat with his kinda girlfriend. Actually, she figured he’d be more likely to be thrilled if Dylan was completely free of entanglements again.
“Kind of, yes. I did call him to take me home, knowing all along I wasn’t ready to leave. I guess I was kind of bummed that he’d forgotten it was my thirtieth birthday and we always get together for things like that. It’s sort of a standing thing with our old fraternity brothers. This is the first time that he’d missed something like that since college.”
“I see,” Zoe said thoughtfully, and she was beginning to get the picture. Josh, for all his seeming confidence and easygoing nature, had gotten his feelings hurt because one of his best friends had missed an important moment in his life. It still didn’t excuse Dylan’s behavior, but she was grateful that Josh had taken the time and effort to come offer an explanation.
“From the moment he walked in the door last night, either me or one of the others was shoving drinks in his hand. That’s also the norm for those celebrations. You see, some of the guys are married now and have families so birthdays or special events are the only time they’ll do more than drink a few beers before they go home. But everyone was drinking and having a good time last night so when Dylan showed up, he didn’t stand much of a chance.”
“And those comments you were making about me when I was on the phone with Dylan? Is that also part of the festivities for anyone who takes a call from a wife or girlfriend?”
Chuckling, he said, “Not really. That’s called being so drunk you lose the filter that you normally have. I’m sorry about that. I don’t really remember much of it, but I apologize for giving you a hard time. I hope you don’t hold it against me. Dylan is one of my best friends and I know he’s yours as well. In addition to whatever you guys are doing now.”
“We’re just seeing where this goes between us,” Zoe admitted. “It’s only been a few days, but it was going great until last night. I want to thank you, though, for coming to talk to me. Dylan’s lucky to have you as a friend.”
“I don’t think he’s feeling that way right now.” Josh grimaced. “Maybe you could put in a good word for me when you forgive him.”
Zoe noticed there was a line forming at the counter, so she pointed in that direction and got to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to work. But I appreciate this, Josh.”
Josh stood as well and grinned when she extended a hand to him. “I think we can move past that now.” He shocked her by pulling her in for a hug that lasted a few seconds longer than she was comfortable with.
“Er . . . okay,” she muttered when she managed to break free. “See you later,” she added before making her escape.
When he called after her, “You can count on it,” she picked up her pace.
“I feel like wiping you down in hand sanitizer now,” Dana whispered under her breath as she made a cappuccino for a customer. “Seriously, that guy gives me a creepy vibe.”
Zoe rolled her eyes and attempted to shrug it off. A part of her agreed, though. Josh had always made her feel uncomfortable. He’d never really said or done anything out of line, but it was the way he looked at her. As if he could see beneath her clothes. Even before her mini-makeover, he’d had that effect on her. She’d always put it down to his personality and her limited experience with men in general. It made her grateful for Dylan. He may have been an asshole the evening before, but after a little groveling, she’d be forgiving him. She certainly didn’t want to look at a future where there was nothing but one Josh after another. Whether he’d intended it or not, he’d helped his friend out of trouble more than he could have imagined.
Thirteen
It wasn’t one of his proudest moments, but when the front desk clerk called to tell him that Zoe had just entered the hotel, Dylan got to his feet hurriedly. He’d pondered just going down to the shop and working on his laptop until she arrived, but that would have meant way too much time with Dana. He wasn’t sure Zoe would forgive him if he taped the other woman’s mouth shut and locked her in the storage closet. So he’d asked John to let him know when she arrived. It was either that or watch the security feed for her car. Both pathetic, but that was the type of shit you were reduced to when you’d fucked up and the woman in question wasn’t returning your calls or texts.
He was inches away from the door when it opened and he found himself staring at his brother Asher. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked in surprise. Ash ran the Charleston, South Carolina, location, so it wasn’t as if he was in the neighborhood without a reason. He was closer to him than his other siblings, but today wasn’t one he would have picked for an unannounced visit.
“Well, good to see you too,” Ash said, grinning. “Lisa told me you had a stick up your ass today and I can see she’s right as always.”
“Just got a lot going on as usual. You should have told me you were coming.”
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” Ash smirked. “As it happens, I was visiting Charlotte, at her request of course, in Miami. She’s staying at the hotel there for a few weeks.”
Dylan leaned back against his desk, crossing his ankles. “You mean our mother?”
Ash took a seat in front of him before saying, “You know she prefers that we don’t call her that, and let’s face it, she’s never exactly lived up to the title. Our pain-in-the-ass would be more accurate.”
“Why in the world would you go all the way to Miami to see her? She certainly hasn’t mentioned anything to me about being in Florida.” Of course, considering his mother usually e-mailed him maybe once a month at best, it wasn’t as if he stayed up-to-date on her activities.
Ash raised a brow as if to say, Really, you need to ask? “The same old song and dance, brother. She wanted money and I guess it was my turn again. I swear I think she keeps a chart of all our names and marks them off as she goes down it. Then she starts over. Anything for that fucking worthless husband of hers. He’s starting yet another business and needs some capital to get off the ground.”
“Shit,” Dylan muttered. “What’s this one about? It’s barely been a year since he was raving about being the next big gourmet food delivery service. I knew that was crap because it would have involved far too much work and execution for him.”
“I think we should just buy him a fucking Taco Bell and call it a day,” Ash deadpanned. “Those places never close and he could do what he does best, sit on his ass while someone else does the work.”
Dylan had to admit, his brother’s sarcastic idea did actually have some merit. In fact, it was downright brilliant. “You’ve got to suggest that. Hell, don’t bother, just buy one and give them the deed. Then those two worthless kids of his can eat for free. If you could pull that off, we’d save enough money to open another Oceanix by year’s end.”
“You do know that was a joke, right?” Ash laughed as he nudged him out of the way and propped his feet on Dylan’s mahogany desk. “Charlotte Jackson Dewalt would never lower herself to walk into a restaurant chain, much less own one.”
Shaking his head in disgust, Dylan added, “She doesn’t have a problem with asking her sons for money, though, does she? I swear, at some point we’re going to have to cut her off. She already gets an allowance from Dad’s estate
, which is more than the average person could blow through in a year. But that goes through her fingers like water. Plus, she stays for free at any of our resorts, so it’s not as if vacationing is breaking the bank for her.”
“Trust me, I know,” Ash agreed. “The only reason I bothered to go in person this time was because I felt like giving the asshole a hard time. But the joke was on me because I’m almost certain that our stepsister Claudia was hitting on me.”
Dylan’s mouth dropped open as he stared at his brother. “Man, please say you’re kidding.”
“Not even a bit.” Ash winced. “If anything, I’m downplaying it.”
“She’s always been friendly,” Dylan added. “Maybe you just took it the wrong way.”
“And how exactly do you explain her putting her hand in my lap under the dinner table and getting within an inch of my dick before I managed to stop her?”
“Possibly she didn’t know how close she was to the family jewels,” Dylan argued weakly. He didn’t really keep up with it, but he figured Claudia must be in her early twenties now. She was the picture of a California girl, with long blond hair, a year-round tan, and a tall, slim build.
“They were in the penthouse, and since the resort was booked, I ended up staying with them. Big mistake. She crawled in my bed the second night I was there and assured me that Mommy and Daddy couldn’t hear anything. Oh, and I know where some of our money has gone. She’s definitely got a new rack.”
“Christ.” Dylan grimaced. “That’s so messed up. You didn’t, right?”
Ash moved his foot to kick him on the shin. “Give me some credit here. I may not have many standards, but I have to stop short at family, even if they’re not actually blood. I packed my shit and hit the road the next day. Since I’m a few days ahead of schedule, I thought I’d drop by here and see how things are on your end.”