Page 62 of Falling for the Bad Boy
I rolled my eyes. “Forget I said anything.”
“I absolutely will not. First, you start a business that’s going to keep you in one place for a while and now you’re talking about the big ‘R’. I’m so proud.”
“Whatever.”
“Say it with me. Re…lay…shun…ship. It’s a big word, go slow.” Macy glanced over, a sassy grin on her face.
“I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Oh, but I do. Because I’m the best, if not only, friend you’ve got and I’m going to make sure you have the biggest grand opening this town has ever seen.”
It was hard not to give in to Macy’s humor. I let go of my reservations and vowed to enjoy the time I’d carved out with my friend. Macy was right, we hadn’t seen enough of each other. But that would change now that we’d be living in the same town again. And I was growing up. Growing up enough that I’d reach out to one or two of my brothers the next day. Oliver might not want help looking for a job that would enable him to stay, but it wouldn’t hurt to do a little investigating of my own. I could do a little research on his family’s name and see if I could find out exactly what kind of vineyard they were running.
What harm could come from that?
CHAPTER 27
Trinity
I knocked on the door of Oliver’s apartment. He said he was going to stop over for lunch today. But it was after three already and I hadn’t seen or heard from him all day. It wasn’t like him to go radio silent like that.
In the past I wouldn’t have cared and probably would have welcomed a bit of a break. But things with Oliver had moved beyond the scope of what I was used to. We were navigating unchartered territory.
I’d had a rough morning and could use a friend right now. Macy was in all-day meetings and couldn’t be disturbed. And honestly, I’d much rather confide in Oliver about what was bothering me. He’d become a bit of a sounding board, and as much as I wasn’t sure I liked relying on someone, I valued his opinion.
When I’d waited long enough to be sure he wasn’t going to come to the door, I rummaged around in my purse for a scrap of paper and something to write with. If he wasn’t answering my calls or responding to texts, maybe he’d dropped his phone or left it somewhere. I jotted down a quick note asking him to call or stop by, so I’d know things were okay. As I tucked it into the doorway, heavy steps sounded on the stairs.
I turned around in time to catch him coming into view. He had on athletic shorts and a T-shirt and looked like he’d just survived a no-limits cage match. “Hey, you.”
He looked up, his eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “Oh, hi.”
“Are you okay?” I reached for him, intending to give him a hug.
He wrapped one arm lightly around me as I pressed against his side. “Yeah, I’m fine. Careful though, I’m sweaty and need to hop in the shower.”
“I thought we had plans for lunch?” My lips grazed his cheek. He seemed distracted or preoccupied.
Instead of meeting my lips with his, he released me and dug a hand into his pocket. “Sorry. I ended up meeting with Professor Burch and wanted to work off some steam after.”
“Is he the one who’s been trying to find you a job?”
“Yeah. Still no word on that front. But he had a last-minute opening on his schedule this afternoon, so he asked if I wanted to stop in. I’m sorry, I totally forgot about lunch.”
“That’s okay. The shipment I was expecting didn’t show. I’m waiting for a call back from the freight company.”
Oliver pushed the door open and gestured for me to go first. “What do you mean it didn’t show?”
I entered his apartment with him right behind me. “I was supposed to be on site from nine until noon today. The freight company called on Friday to confirm. I’ve been here since eight so there’s no way I missed them.”
“Maybe they’re just running behind schedule.” Oliver set his bag down on the floor then moved to the fridge. “You want something to drink?”
“You don’t think it’s weird?” I asked.
“Nah. Whatever you ordered will probably show up tomorrow.” He pulled two beers out of the refrigerator. “Since we missed lunch, how about dinner instead?”
“It’s only three o’clock.” I took the bottle he handed me. “Since when are you a fan of day drinking?”
“Since I don’t have anything else to eat or drink in my apartment.” He held a chair out for me at the kitchen table. “Why don’t you relax for a few minutes while I hop in the shower? When I get out, we can order pizza, or I can run downstairs and grab us a couple of burgers from the bar.”
