Page 19 of Falling for You

Unfortunately, when I arrive, Olivia’s working. Normally, this would put me in a good mood. She’s crazy nice, her heart as big as Ethan’s, and freaking hilarious. She can put Ethan in his place like no one else and it makes me laugh. But she’s also a lot like me, she reads people a little too well for my liking. The hypocrisy there isn’t lost on me, but usually her mind reading is focused on other people. I hate to be the one on the receiving end of it and my fear is that she’ll know something’s up with me, which is confirmed the second she greets me with, “Hey there! What are you doing here already?”

I shrug, trying to play it off like I’m not here to forget about a girl who I took out for dessert — and not the kind of dessert that I’m used to. Olivia knows that I’m a hit it and quit it kind of guy. Not that she’s happy about it, but she’s never judged me for it, either. That may make me sound like an asshole but it is what it is. The women I take to bed know exactly what they’re getting into.

“Felt like coming in early.”

Her shrewd golden eyes narrow as she rubs her swollen stomach with her left hand, diamond glistening on her ring finger. She flips her blonde hair over her shoulder and steps closer. She’ll be a great mother. Their kids won’t be able to get a single thing by her.

“Really?” She crosses her arms over her chest but, really, they’re just resting on her belly. I don’t tell her it doesn’t make her look as intimidating as she would hope. It would probably come off as a challenge anyway.

“Mm hmm,” I say, getting to work behind the bar and checking the bottles, making sure everything is filled for a busy Friday night.

“What’s up?”

I don’t turn around when I answer her. “Not even going to lead into it, huh? Just straight and to the point?”

She laughs. “Nope. I learned from the best.”

“Me? Aww, shucks.”

She throws her arms up in the air and lets them drop against her thighs. “You’re such an ass.”

“I won’t tell Ethan you’re checking out my ass. I understand the pull,” I say, shaking my ass at her.

She shoves me playfully and wrinkles her nose. “Oh my gosh you’re so ridiculous.”

“I know. It’s what people love most about me.”

“Lies.”

“You’re just sad you missed out on all this by going after your dipshit of a husband.”

Placing a hand to her heart, she leans in close to me. “It’s true. All this time, I’ve longed for my chance to be a notch on your headboard.” She takes a step back and shudders, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I do no such thing as put notches in my headboard.”

Olivia shrugs and pulls her hair up in a funky bun on top of her head and leans against the bar. “So…” she leans in, rolling her hand in the universal sign ofget on with it, already.

“Nothing is wrong. I couldn’t focus at home so I gave up, got my workout in, and decided to head over early. Figured this way you could cut out early, go home, put your feet up, maybe take a nice long bath, and work on baking that baby.”

“A bath does sound nice,” she sighs wistfully, staring off into the distance.

“I’ll order some of those noodles and chicken and green beans you love so much from that Chinese takeout place so you can grab it from their drive-thru,” I say, sweetening the pot to get her and her insightfulness out of here before she keeps asking questions. The fact that I know all my best friend’s wife’s favorites is proof that Ethan talks about his wife too fucking much.

She groans and practically drools. “Oh my gosh. That sounds so good.”

I fill her a glass of ginger ale with the small ice Ethan started using after she came into the picture. Another of her favorites. Some would say she’s spoiled. Ethan would flip those people the finger and remind them he just listens and likes to see her smile. I slide it across the bar and she smiles before lifting it to her lips. She takes a sip, then snaps her head in my direction.

“It won’t work.”

“Worth a shot,” I tell her, not denying that I was trying to butter her up.

“But I’m going to accept it all and you can expect a phone call from Ethan later, or if you’re lucky, he’ll pay you a surprise visit.”

Now it’s my turn to groan. “No. Just… don’t worry about me, okay? I needed to clear my head so I came in here. Is that really so wrong? Don’t you ever have shit on your mind and you need to work it out on your own?”

“Yes. But, as you very well know, in the past you’ve never let it go when one of your friends has a lot on their mind and is clearly going through something.”

She’s not so subtly reminding me of the fact that I interfered in her and Ethan’s relationship when things were rocky. I not only told him to go after her and stop being a pussy when she was gone because he was a fucking dumbass and pushed her away, I sent him away, knowing she wouldn’t be far behind. Her brother Owen, and Ethan’s old college buddy, is also a friend of mine. Owen owns a lakeside resort, The Escape, in northern Minnesota. When Ethan was so fucking annoying because he was missing Liv like he was living without his dick, no one wanted to be within a hundred feet of him. Rather than continue to let us all live in misery, I sent him to Owen’s place. He and I had a plan — let him work it out then send Liv up there after him.

---