Breaking All The Rules (Book 1 - Second Chances Series) (5 page)

I smiled. “I liked your playing and it’s a tempting offer, but I have a bridal shower party to plan, so I’m busy for lunch.”

He nodded understanding, but didn’t give up. “Dinner?”

I squinted and remembered what he’d said last night about us hanging out. I also remembered that kiss that felt so right, but was obviously very wrong. “I don’t know. My to-do list is pretty long and I should spend some time with Janette.”

“Janette’s going to Bible study tonight. She goes every week. She is marrying the Reverend’s son you know.” Ethan winked at me.

“What was that about the reverend’s son?” Terrance interrupted, suspicion tinged his tone.

“Deniece was agreeing to have dinner with me since Janette will be at Bible study.”

“Dinner?” Terrance didn’t hide his surprise. “With you?”

Ethan put his arms around my shoulder again. “Nectar and I hung out last night, but we have some more catching up to do.”

I moved from under his suggestive arm.

“More.” Terrance’s tone was grumpy. “She doesn’t like to be called Nectar anymore.”

I rolled my eyes. He was clueless. “I asked you not to call me that.”

Terrance’s face twisted in pain, but he nodded agreeably. “I’m not going to Bible study this evening, because I have to work late. I was hoping you and I could meet and talk.”

I shook my head. “Anything you have to say to me you can say at the house when Janette’s there.”

“I’d rather not,” he continued.

I shook my head again. “Please, don’t try to…” I paused not sure even what I wanted to say. “You and I had our say years ago. There’s nothing else to be said and besides, I’m having dinner with Ethan. I’ve already accepted.”

“Tomorrow then,” Terrance pleaded.

“She’ll probably want to have dinner with me again,” Ethan winked at him. “I’m that dude.”

Terrance was incensed.

I cast a frustrated glance between the two of them. “I don’t have time for this. Ethan, six is good for me. Terrance, please don’t forget to go to the bakery and order your grooms cake. They’re expecting you.”

“I’m on my way there now—,”

His words were in the wind. I exited the shop without giving either one of them a goodbye and climbed in the car before they could stop me. I wasn’t about to be in the middle of their pissing contest. It had no basis, so I assumed it had to be all about their egos.

I made a stop at the florist and picked up the wedding price list. I figured I could study it after lunch and then stop back by to place the order. Janette had already told me she trusted me to make that call. She’d seen enough pictures from my events to know that I had a knack for making the right selections.

I had to wait a few minutes for Renea because she was late. I was trying to focus on the flowers, but couldn’t really get my mind off of what had happened back at the tuxedo shop. Terrance did not like that last comment Ethan had made and it troubled me as to why. I hadn’t planned on spending five minutes alone with him while I was in town. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of giving me his sorry excuse for why he’d wined, dined, bedded and knocked up my sister in the same night, but now seeing how crazy he’d looked when Ethan told him about our date, I thought I might have to give him that five minutes after all. I needed to know where his head was and more importantly if his heart was in the right place.

A bell rang over the door. Every shop and restaurant in Garrison had one and I turned to see Renea hustling to the table.

“Sorry I’m late. I had two heads with relaxer on them.” She slid onto the chair opposite me. “I had to get those ladies under the dryer before I left and I had to make up an excuse that didn’t make your sister suspicious.”

“It’s okay. I had plenty to think about while I waited.” I picked up the menu.

“Speaking of relaxers, were you going to need me to do your hair before the wedding?”

I touched my freshly washed and styled twist-out. Was she kidding? “No, I do my own hair, thanks.”

“It’s just that Janette said something about wanting all the girls to have the same hairstyle.”

“I’ve been able to do a lot for my sister in the last month, but straightening my hair isn’t going to be one of them.”

“You said a mouth full. You've been really good about this wedding.” Renea emphasized the word good.

“That’s not a hard thing to do. My relationship with Terrance ended a long time ago.” I sounded convincing, even to myself.

“Yeah, but still there's the ex-factor. You know sisters don't date each others exes,” Renea said, putting the undeniable truth on the table.

“It's probably a really silly rule,” I continued to attempt to save face. “Especially since there's a shortage of good men. A woman could be missing out on a great guy.” I reached for my water glass and took a sip. I hid behind it, just like I was hiding behind the words I’d said, as if I actually believed the lies that were coming out of my own mouth.

“Whatever, I would have an issue with it. Now he's dated you both. Is he comparing?”

I coughed and returned my glass to the table. “I don't think men are that deep.”

“It would still bother me. But it's obvious it doesn't bother you and that's great for everyone involved I suppose.” Renea yawned and stretched her hand over her head like my refusal to be messy about it was boring her.

The waitress arrived at our table. We ordered sandwiches and iced tea and she sashayed away promising to be back in a jiffy. I decided to head Renea off. “No more talk about the ex-factor. Let’s get to this party.”

“That’s fine by me,” Renea said. “I have a great idea for the party. I think we should have it at that new fancy place over on Pine Road. It’s called Palermo’s. It’s a restaurant that serves Toughen Italian food.”

“Toughen,” I repeated and then realization dawned on me. “Tuscan.”

“What?”

“Tuscany is a part of Italy. That’s why they call it Tuscan food.”

Renea nodded. “Oh. Okay. I get that. Anyway,” she continued, “people are talking about it like it’s the best thing since sweetwater cornbread. The décor is really nice and you need a reservation on weekends. People come all the way from Atlanta and Alabama to eat there.”

Folks were traveling to this place. I heard a cash register cha-ching in my head. “I assumed we’d have the party at someone’s house.”

“Well we could, but I ain’t got time to clean mine up and the other girls don’t think their houses are nice enough.”

“Our house is fine.”

“But how are we going to surprise her at her own house? I think Palermo’s should be good, if they have space. You’ll find that out won’t you?”

What she meant was, I’d find out what the space cost. I merely nodded.

“I don’t think we should have a stripper or anything.” Renea raised a hand to the side of her face and whispered. “First Lady Wright is probably going to come.”

I propped my chin on my fist. “She’ll come if she’s invited. She doesn’t have to be you know and the party doesn’t really have to be surprise.”

Renea twisted her lip like she’d never considered either possibility. “Well, we can’t have a stripper at the restaurant, so… let’s just stick to a nice dinner in a private room with gifts and games and pictures. That seems more appropriate for a pregnant bride don’t you think?”

I relented. “I’ll check on Palermo’s.”

Renea clapped her hands gleefully. “As soon as you let me know about it, I’ll call the girls. Can you see if they have this Sunday afternoon? I think a Sunday afternoon is best.”

The waitress returned with our meals. Renea inhaled her sandwich and sucked down her tea in what seemed like one large slurp. She reached into her purse and exclaimed. “I forgot my wallet at the shop. I had to get change out for a customer.”

“No problem. I have it.”
It’s nothing compared to the meal you want me to pay for at Palermo’s,
I thought.

“Great. I need to get back to the shop. Text me and let me know the details.” She stood and gave me a hug. “Good luck with the rest of your planning stuff.”

I sat back in my chair. Good luck was right. I had way too many things to do and had yet to decide what we would do for decorations and favors. I wished I’d had time to order those from my favorite little place in North Carolina, but I didn’t. They required too much notice and I hadn’t given any real thought to what I would do for Janette prior to getting on the plane.  This was just not my favorite wedding to plan.

The bell rang over the restaurant door and in sauntered Ethan. I was beginning to think he was following me and I intended to tell him so. He spotted me right away and made his way to my table. “Fancy finding you here.”

“I was wondering if I needed a restraining order.”

Ethan laughed and dropped his body into the chair Renea had vacated. “No need for that, Luv. I only stay where I’m wanted.”

I guffawed. “So I guess you’ll be rising up out of that seat soon.”

He threw his hands up. “You’re snarky. What’s gotten into you?”

I sighed and dropped my head in my hands for a moment. Then I raised my head and met his eyes. Ethan had the sexist eyes I had ever seen in my life. They were downright dreamy and always looked like he’d just woken up. That was the hotness.

“You don’t want to know because you already think I’m being silly.”

“You can’t get sillier.” He chuckled, but then raised his hands in surrender, “I digress. I won’t mention that again.”

The waitress approached our table and hands on hips, breast “up and at’em” she stood right in front of Ethan. She was so close that he could have licked her if he stuck his tongue out. “You want the usual?” she asked twisting a lock of her needed to be tightened weave around her finger.

“Yes, ma’am. Extra fries please. I’m hungry today.”

She blushed and switched her big behind away from the table. Ethan spared me the agony of watching her move that thing by keeping his eyes on me.

“See, I told you I wasn’t stalking. I’ve been eating here everyday since I came home.”

I grunted. Surprised it bothered me so that someone was coming on to him.

“And how long has that been?”

“Nearly a month,” he replied. “But forget about me. I want to know what’s eating you.” He took my hand in his and played with my fingers. His touch burned…sizzled. I couldn’t remember the last time a man touched my hand so intimately.

I cleared my throat. “It’s everything. The time, the cost…not that I don’t have the money, but I don’t know it just weird that everyone would presume that I should pay for everything. Where’s Terrance’s money?”

Ethan let my hand go and threw his back against the chair. “Tied up right now. He’s in the middle of a business deal and trust me, he is capital strapped.”

I remembered why Ethan said he was in town. “Is it the same business you’re here for?”

He nodded. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, but you have to promise not to tell Janette.”

I nodded agreement.

“Terrance went on that reality T.V. show called Investment Bank a few months ago. He didn’t get a deal with one of the investors, but I and a few other folks I know thought it was a good idea, so we’ve put some money up.”

“Seriously.”

He nodded. “Janette doesn’t even know he did the show. It’s a surprise. It’ll air in a few weeks.”

“Interesting,” I said, thinking about how much my sister loved reality television shows. “So, if it’s such a good idea why didn’t the investors on the show go for it?”

“He said he didn’t do a good job with the numbers.”

I raised a curious eyebrow. “The numbers aren’t good, but you’re helping him anyway?”

“The numbers are great. He just flubbed the presentation, I think. You know how Terrance gets when he’s nervous.” Ethan frowned. “Anyway, I managed to get a few buddies to go in with me. We’re in for over a half a million dollars.”

“Over half a mil? I knew you soccer players made good money, but that’s a lot to invest in a new business.”

“It’s a good business and besides, it’s just sitting in the bank. He needed it. Why not?”

“Because, as you said this morning you guys never seemed to like each other.”

Ethan shrugged. “We’re family. We don’t have to like each other that much to go into business together. I can trust him.”

I couldn’t argue with that. If Terrance found ten dollars on the street he’d take out a newspaper advertisement to find the owner.

“And besides it’s not that we didn’t really like each other,” Ethan continued, “The real battle was over what it always is for men – a woman.”

I was curious now. “What woman?”

Ethan smiled like a Cheshire cat. “You of course.”

“Me?” I laughed out loud. “Sure it was? You’re what seven years younger than us. When we were seniors you were in the sixth grade.”

“Seventh grade. Old enough to recognize a hot chick.”

Amused, I shook my head. “You’re so silly.”

“And I wasn’t in seventh grade five years ago when you were taking care of your dad,” he said, his voice becoming less playful. “The season was over. I was in town then.”