Page 25 of Just a Little Crush

I was down to my hardest college classes, and so close to obtaining my marketing degree so I could switch my internship at Dare PR for a full-time salaried position. As exhausting as it had been to juggle school, waitressing at The Back Door, and interning at Dare PR, there was definitely a light at the end of the tunnel and I couldn’t wait to get there. But first, I had to get through my final exams coming up, which meant more studying. Ugh.

My shift at the bar tonight started at five, and after texting Raven to see if I could talk to her beforehand, I wrapped up my studies and changed into my uniform—a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with The Back Door logo across the chest. I put my hair up into a ponytail, told Valerie I was heading out, and took the subway to the restaurant which was a much shorter ride from The Cortland than it took me from my old apartment.

I arrived with twenty minutes to spare before I had to clock in.

Admittedly, I was nervous about my upcoming conversation with Raven, for a few reasons. One, she was my best friend and I had to come clean about my night with her brother. Two, I had to explain how I’d become his fake girlfriend. And three, that I needed time off from work in order to fulfill that role.

My stomach twisted with anxiety as I walked into the bar from the back door—hence the name The Back Door—and headed toward where the office was located, which was where Raven usually was these days. She’d once worked the bar like me, but Remy preferred her doing the administrative part of the job now that they were married, and she seemed to enjoy it, as well.

Reaching the office, I knocked on the closed door, steeling myself for the discussion ahead.

“Go away,” I heard Remy say, his voice gruff and annoyed.

“Come in,” Raven said in a more breathless tone at the same time.

Since I’d asked for this meeting with Raven and figured she was expecting me, I followed her lead and opened the door. As I entered, I quickly realized why Remy hadn’t wanted any interruptions. He was sitting behind the desk, with Raven on his lap, his hands just beneath the hem of her T-shirt and her face a little flushed. I was grateful that I hadn’t walked in on something more risqué.

This wasn’t the first time I’d caught them in a near-compromising position considering they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and since I had a great relationship with both of them, I didn’t hesitate to lighten the moment.

“Oh, my God, you two. Get a room,” I teased.

Remy grinned unrepentantly at me, still keeping Raven on his lap, who was biting her lower lip in embarrassment. “Last time I checked, thiswasa room,” he retorted.

“Then next time, lock the damn door,” I shot back cheekily.

He chuckled. “Noted.” His gaze slid to the clock on the wall, then back to me. “Aren’t you early for your shift?”

I nodded. “Yes, but I texted Raven and told her I needed to talk to her before my shift started.”

“Uh, yes, she did,” Raven clarified, still flustered. She slid off his thighs, and Remy reluctantly let her go. “Obviously, I got a little distracted.”

“Doesn’t take much, sweetheart,” Remy said affectionately, and stood up.

I glanced away, not wanting to risk seeing just how much thatdistractionhad affected him.

“We’ll pick this up later,” he said, and kissed Raven before heading out the door, closing it shut behind him.

“Good Lord, that man is so freaking full of himself,” she said, laughing as she straightened her T-shirt and smoothed a hand over her slightly disheveled hair. “I’m so sorry about that.”

I smiled. “The last thing you should apologize for is being married to a man who adores you.”

“I know, I know. Have a seat,” Raven said, indicating the chair in front of the desk as she settled into the one Remy had just vacated.

I did, and for the next few minutes we talked about Raven’s birthday party that weekend. How genuinely surprised she’d been, and how much fun everyone seemed to have—all the while I kept thinking, how the hell was I going to tell Raven about the predicament I’d gotten myself into?

“So, what’s up that you needed to come in early and talk to me?” she asked once that initial idle chitchat was over.

I exhaled a deep breath, trying not to squirm in my chair from sheer awkwardness. “There’s, umm, something important I need to tell you, and a request I need to make.”

“You can relax, Stevie,” she said, clearly seeing my discomfort. “I already know.”

I stared at my friend, trying to read her expression, trying to figure out what she was referring to. “You already know what?” I asked cautiously.

She leaned back in the leather chair and grimaced. “God, Caleb is going to kill me,” she said beneath her breath.

“OrI’mgoing to killhim,” I said through gritted teeth, suspecting that Caleb had already gotten to Raven before I had, which didn’t make me happy. “What do you already know?”

“Please don’t be mad at him,” she said quickly, trying to ward off my displeasure. “I know Caleb only had good intentions—”

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