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“Maybe you’ll bring the mystery man who took you out of class the other day.”

She turned away and continued climbing the steps.  “I’m not bringing anyone, but I’m welcoming everyone.  Friends, students, faculty.  Anyone who would like to come.”

He followed her.  “You know that has the potential for complete disaster, right?”

Finally making it to the top of the auditorium, she pushed the door open, turning to him.  “No one at this university is checking for me.  I’ll be lucky if half a dozen people show up to this party.”

--

Lila had been wrong about that.

Dead wrong.

It wasn’t on the same level as the college keggers that roared away until sunup on Fraternity Row, but there were more people milling around her backyard that night than she’d expected.

Thankfully, the huge backyard was what had sold her on this house.  Not the classic colonial architecture, the full height windows, or the wrap around second-story porch.  Not even the massive white columns that surrounded the home had sold Lila on this property.  No, she’d only bought this house for the enormous backyard.  It was four times the size of the house itself.

The backyard was beautifully landscaped.  It had come with a gorgeous stone grill, stone covered flooring, a circle fire pit, and was large enough to fit the substantial hoard of people that had shown up to her party that night. 

She moved in and out of the crowd, greeting students, faculty, and the few new friends she’d made during her year in Cambridge.

She was thankful this wasn’t the type of crowd who walked in immediately looking for the beer keg and weed.  As Lila walked around her yard greeting friends and introducing herself to new faces, she realized she wasn’t throwing a party.  She was throwing a networking event.  A small part of her almost wished there
was
a stereo blasting hip hop music, alcohol flying in every direction, and frat boys throwing up in her guest toilet.  At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about dying from boredom at her own party.

Another part of her, however, was thankful.  She was up for promotion, and she’d taken a risk to invite her students to a get together at her house.  College students were notoriously immature, utterly unpredictable.  She was pleasantly surprised by how collected, smart, and curious the students who’d shown up tonight were.

The jeans and blue peasant blouse she’d chosen suddenly felt too casual.  Most of her guests had dressed like they were going to the office.

“Boring party, Lila.” Chelsea wasn’t quite as appreciative of the party’s calm nature.  She stood by Lila’s side at the grill, watching as she cooked up hot dogs, ribs, and burgers.  “Where are all the sexy, eligible men? All I see are a bunch of those terrible heathens from campus.  If I wanted to see their snot nosed faces, I’d have stayed at work.”

Lila met Chelsea’s eyes.  “What were you expecting, Chels? House music? Freak dancing? Drunken men touching you inappropriately?”

“Yes,” Chelsea cried, eyes going wide.  “Is that too much to ask? I’m a single woman, for fucks sake, and I was expecting a party.”

“This is a party.”

“This is not a party.  This is a work event, and I’m feeling jipped.”

“There’s music,” Lila reasoned, pointing to the stereo sitting on the deck.

Chelsea pointed to the stereo too.  “That is not party music.  That is a CD of Kenny G’s greatest hits.  I don’t want to hear this shit unless I’m soaking in a bathtub crying and fisting a bottle of Merlot.”

“You’re a damn mess,” Lila grinned.

Chelsea wrapped an arm around Lila’s shoulder.  “Seriously.  Shitty party or not, congratulations on the new digs, Lila.  This house is stunning and, I must say, perfect for you.”

“It feels good to finally put down some roots. I’m happy that I landed in Cambridge, Chels.” Lila circled an arm around her friend’s waist.  “And I’m even happier I met you.”

Chelsea was defenseless.  She embraced her friend with an overly emotive moan, pulling her into a tight hug while rocking her back and forth.

Lila’s eyes flew open when the exaggerated rocking suddenly stopped, even as Chelsea still held her around the neck.

“Okay.  Don’t kill me,” Chelsea said into Lila’s ear.

Lila tried to look at her, but couldn’t.  Chelsea was holding on to her so tight she couldn’t even move her head.  “Why would I kill you?”

“Well, I may or may not have told my sister that I was going to a house warming party tonight. She may or may not have invited herself along.  And she may or may not have the Greek God on her arm right as we speak.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Chels?”

Chelsea tightened her hold  “Are you going to come straight for my throat if I let you go? Because I’m happy to stay in this embrace all night.  I might even be able to put you to sleep if I can tighten my grip enough.  Then, by the time you wake up, this will be over.”

With a sigh, Lila pulled herself from Chelsea’s arms, so furiously it sent her hair flying into her eyes.  She pushed it away, clearing her vision.  Her eyes flew to her deck just in time to see her backyard door slamming closed.

Sure enough, there they stood, Jack and Kelly, lingering at the top of the deck stairs, taking in the surroundings.  Jack’s arm was around Kelly’s neck, hand hanging down under her chin where her fingers entwined with his.

“Why would she come?” Lila asked. “Didn’t she see me that night at her engagement party?”

“She sure did see you.  She also saw her fiancé go flying out the door after you,” Chelsea reminded.

Lila’s eyes met hers.

“My sister is a very
keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
kind of girl.”

“Fantastic,” Lila muttered.

“I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to tell her about the party.  It just slipped out. I had no idea she would actually come,” Chelsea said.  “Or that she’d actually bring him with her.”

Lila held her breath when Jack and Kelly both looked her way at the same time.

Kelly immediately smiled and waved, while Jack looked downright stunned.

Yep, it was clear as day.  Kelly had failed to mention to Jack that this was Lila’s house. Lila’s backyard.  Lila’s party. Surely, if he’d known, he would’ve refused to come. 

The last time he’d seen Lila, hatred and anger had exploded to life from both of them.  It had taken flight like Fourth of July fireworks, and their fireworks weren’t the kind people watched in amazed awe either.  Their fireworks were the kind that went bad while they festered in the pack. The kind that, upon being lit, immediately ran amuck, exploding at all angles, leaving any innocent soul in their path in danger of being burned to a crisp. 

Now, as his eyes held hers, Jack just looked downright conflicted.  As if he were wondering whether he should find the nearest exit and run, or zero in on Lila so they could start Round 101 of the battle they’d been entrenched in since the moment they’d met.

He allowed Kelly to drag him down the stairs of the deck and straight towards Lila and Chelsea.

As they approached, he did everything he could to look at anyone and anything but Lila, even when Kelly brought them both to a stop in front of her.

“Hi, you must be Lila,” Kelly said, holding out her hand with a smile.  Her smile was luminous and only made her blue eyes more beautiful.

Lila’s eyes widened in Kelly’s.  After the scene she’d caused at her engagement dinner, Lila was shocked that this woman could greet her so kindly. 

It sent Lila awash with a feeling of unease, but she managed to work passed her shock and put her hand in Kelly’s, hoping there wasn’t a dagger hiding inside her palm.

There wasn’t.  Her skin was soft.

Did Jack like that about her?  Lila despised the thought the moment it blazed through her mind.

“Yes, I’m Lila.  Lila James.  And you must be Kelly. I’ve heard…” Her eyes moved to Jack, who was still doing everything he could to look away. “A lot about you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” Kelly said, reclaiming her hand and wrapping it around Jack’s waist.

Lila watched that hand, finding herself loathing the feelings it immediately brought alive in her.  “You’re the youngest tenured professor on campus, and your sister here is the second youngest.” Lila nudged Chelsea.

Chelsea forced a smile.  Clearly this awkward situation had become too much to bear, even for Lila’s normally talkative friend.

Kelly tightened her hand around Jack’s waist, shaking him. He was still doing everything he could to look off. 

“Someone’s been doing her research on me,” Kelly said.

Lila nodded, motioning to Chelsea. “Two tenured professors at Harvard, both under fifty.  Your parents did a stand-up job.  They should write a book.”

They all laughed.

Jack had yet to look at Lila.

She didn’t look at him, either, focusing on Kelly.  “I actually just finished
your
book
the other night.”  She struggled to recall the title.  “
The Blackbird’s Secret?”

Kelly cringed.  “My worst work, by far.”

Lila knew Kelly had dozens of books published, a feat she could only dream of reaching one day.  “Well, I thought it was lovely.”

“How many books have you written?”  Kelly asked.

“Just one,” Lila answered.  “It’s a book I wrote on children’s mental disorders.  It’s called
The Last Normal Child.”

Kelly tilted her head.  “I’ve never heard of it.”

Lila forced a smile.  “I’m actually working on the manuscript for my second book right now.  It should be done by summer’s end.”

“Ah…” Kelly let a silence dip in, allowing Lila’s one book inferiority to take center stage.  For an aspiring assistant professor at Harvard, having only one published novel wasn’t just a joke, it was unheard of.  Lila was one of few lecturers on campus who’d gotten the job with just one book under her belt.  She’d been working her fingers bloody to finish her second manuscript. To
catch up
to the great minds she was surrounded with every day. It always felt like she was drowning while trying to swim upstream, constantly struggling to keep her head above water.  To keep up with people who would always be better, smarter, faster.

Chelsea placed a quiet hand on the small of Lila’s back.

The silence stretched on for a moment too long.  It was now clear that Kelly planned on pretending that the night at her engagement party had never happened.

Lila looked around her yard, desperate for escape.

Thankfully, escape came faster than she could’ve prayed for, and from the one man who’d always been there to save her, time and time again.

A hip-hop song cut into the air where the instrumental used to live, startling every guest at the party. All eyes flew to the backyard’s deck to see who was responsible for the change in music.

Chase Almeida turned the bass up first from where he stood on the deck with his thumb on the stereo system, making the ground vibrate along with the beat.  He followed it up with the volume, cranking it to full blast, and a rap song from an artist Lila didn’t know came blasting through the air.

A few of the students cheered Chase on, rocking their fists in the air in celebration of the change in music.  Some of them were already dancing, which caused a rapid domino effect.  Soon, half of Lila’s yard was at a networking event, and the other half was at the club.  All that was missing was smoke and a few strobe lights.

“For god’s sake, Chase,” Lila growled. 

Chase’s eyes met hers from the deck, and he lit up, giving her a knowing smile along with an upward nod of his head.

Lila was unable to stop the smile that spread on her face, even as this fool hijacked her radio.  She could only shake her head at him. Even though he was a perpetual pain in her ass, she didn’t think she’d ever been happier to see a human being in her life.  It was as if Chase had walked into that space and, just like that, all the darkness fell away.  Her eyes went to the pretty brunette clutched under Chase’s arm, her fingers tucked into the belt loop of his jeans, and Lila couldn’t make sense of the shift that occurred in her stomach.

For the first time that night, Jack was looking right at her, as she looked at Chase.

“Excuse me, but I have to go murder one of my students,” Lila said.  She could feign anger all she wanted, but the truth was, it would take everything she had not to kiss Chase the moment she got close enough.  He’d given her an excuse to get away from Jack, Kelly, and the awkward aura they’d dragged in with them.  “It was nice to meet you, Kelly, please enjoy the party.”

Kelly returned Lila’s smile.

Lila didn’t even look at Jack as she swept by them and hurried onto the deck.

Chase was already shielding his body when Lila raced up to him.

Lila slammed a fist into his arm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Chase?”

Still clutching his giggling brunette company around the neck, Chase stopped Lila when she went for the radio.  “Well, I
thought
I was going to a party.  Then I walked in, and Kenny G was playing.” 

He was the second person that night to make a Kenny G joke.  “This is not Kenny G., okay? It’s a collection of instrumentals.”  His brunette friend excused herself to the bathroom and Lila waited until she’d disappeared into the house before looking back at Chase.   “There aren’t just students here, but faculty, too.  An instrumental was the only choice.  It’s music that everyone at the party can enjoy.”

He stopped her when she went for the radio again, widening his eyes. “It’s music that’s going to make your party the bust of the year.  God, I put your house back together yesterday, and saved your party’s life today.  What the hell would you do without me, Lila?”

“Professor James.”

Laughing, Chase suddenly looked over her shoulder, catching sight of something in the backyard.

Lila didn’t even have to ask him what he saw.

His face said it all.

“You’re nothing if not a masochist,
Professor
.” His eyes met hers, coming alive with amusement.  “What the hell is my brother doing here?”