Page 47 of Resisting Fate
“That was a while ago. Keep up with the times.”
True. He used to see Marcus regularly for Saturday afternoon basketball games at a park nearby, but they didn’t play in the winter, so he hadn’t seen him as much. Marcus lived and worked in the city, owner of his own bar in lower Manhattan.
“So what’s your deal?” Ben asked. “From three women to zero? Or did you pick one?”
“You sound like Hailey with all your relationship questions.” Marcus huffed out a breath. “Could you move faster? The wood is digging into my palm. I think I’m getting a splinter.”
That was Marcus for you. He could heave enormous barbells and work his body to the brink of exhaustion, but one little splinter and he was done for. He was sensitive in the oddest ways.
Ben moved faster upstairs as requested. They maneuvered through the doorway and set the table down.
“Right this way, guys!” Hailey called. “We’ll be setting up outside Garner’s. Josh said it was okay.”
Marcus and Ben exchanged a knowing look. Josh, even with a girlfriend, was still wrapped around Hailey’s little finger. The part they didn’t get was why Hailey didn’t know it. Her cluelessness was a real mystery, considering she was a woman hell-bent on bringing couples together, calling herself a “love junkie.” It was so obvious Josh was tuned in to her, magically appearing to scare off Blake Grenier at theFierce Lovingwrap party, enjoying the hell out of sparring with her at the bar. Once, the guys had all witnessed Josh toss Hailey the basketball during one of their Saturday games when she wason the other team. That was when they knew Josh was hooked. Their basketball games had always been fiercely competitive, and no one would purposely give away the ball like that. Why the hell Josh hadn’t made his move on Hailey was another mystery. She was beautiful, driven, and smart, though obviously high maintenance, which was why the rest of them hadn’t stepped up. More than once, the guys had tried to get an answer out of Josh. The man was a fucking vault.
“Logan,” Hailey called, and he appeared right quick from wherever he’d been waiting. Maybe Josh wasn’t the only one wrapped around Hailey’s finger. “Could you fetch the long four-wheeled dolly out back in the storage shed? I think that would be best for transporting the barrels.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Logan said and went to do her bidding.
Hailey stared after him and then turned to Ben and Marcus. “He’s a sweetheart, isn’t he?”
“No,” they said in unison. Not because Logan wasn’t a great guy. It was just that Logan and Josh were brothers and, if Hailey got between them, it would get ugly.
Hailey flipped her long reddish-blond hair over her shoulder. “Back to work. Would you guys like to wear elf hats?”
Marcus’s expression was one of abject horror. “No, thanks,” he muttered.
“I’ll take one,” Ben said, figuring he could put it on Missy and tease her about her previous life as an elf.
Hailey squealed and ran off to get it.
Ben shrugged. “It’s for Missy.”
Marcus shook his head, a small smirk on his face.
“What?” Ben asked defensively. “We’re friends. It’s an inside joke.”
Marcus smirked even more. “Logan says he wants to retch seeing your lovesick puppy eyes around her.”
“I donothave lovesick puppy eyes,” he said with as much dignity as he could muster. Did he? Shit. Had Missy noticed? That would be embarrassing, especially because he definitely hadn’t seen any kind of lovesick look in her eyes.
Marcus gave him a skeptical look. Logan never lied and they both knew it.
“We’re friends,” Ben said firmly.
“Uh-huh.”
“We are.”
Marcus spoke in a low tone. “No shame in being into a woman.”
Ben crossed his arms, determined that everyone know how professional and just friends their relationship really was. “She works at Checkin. Everything is aboveboard.”
Marcus gave him a sympathetic look. “That sucks.”
Ben clenched his jaw. It was only for a few more weeks, but he couldn’t explain he was waiting for the appropriate moment because what he was really ashamed of was the reason why—the sexual harassment accusation Ashley had leveled at him. He never told any of his friends about that. Unfortunately, some industry people, who could do the most damage, did know. He could not screw this thing up with Missy. Too much depended on him keeping a high profile for the investors. He was playing the long game with a lot more uncertainty in the outcome than he’d like.
Hailey appeared with the elf hat, and Ben took it, grateful to make his escape. He tucked the hat in his coat pocket and then he and Marcus hauled the table across the street and down the block, setting it on the sidewalk in front of Garner’s. The stroll was officially open for business, and people had started to arrive, checking out everything. His gaze caught across the street where Missy was serving some kids at the hot chocolate stand.
