Everything Unexpected (5 page)

“So you’re a matchmaker now?” Leah asked, smiling. “Why don’t you work that magic and find me someone?”

I shook my head. “Because your taste in men is terrible and I don’t know any douchebags to set you up with.”

“Then maybe you need to find me someone more like you,” she teased.

I stared at her for a moment, unsure how to react at the thought. It never bothered me that she dated all those idiots because I knew nothing serious would ever come out of it. She was too smart to let it ever go too far. But what if one day she did meet someone more like me? Someone I would have to share her with. The thought stuck to my ribs like a pound of grease.

Leah kicked my leg and jerked her head behind her. “Look at them,” she said.

We watched Holly and Eddy continue to laugh and talk for a few more minutes before finding empty stools at the bar and staying there for the rest of the night. That evening two years ago, Eddy asked Holly for her number, and then, a little over a year ago, he asked her for a whole lot more when he got down on one knee with a ring.

A warm arm wraps around my shoulder, surprising me back to the present. Pretty pink nail polish appears in front of me holding a shot glass with amber liquid and a wedge of lemon on top.

Tequila
. Leah’s favorite poison.

I take the shot glass from her as she takes a seat next to me. Her face is glowing slightly from sweat. She’s been dancing for the last forty-five minutes to a mix of songs I’ve never heard play here before. Top forty songs.

“Where did you find lemons in this place?” I ask, taking the shot from her hand.

She winks. “I brought my own.”

She takes her shot glass and raises it up to my face, looking down at my own, instructing me to do the same.

“Happy Birthday,” she says loud enough for only me to hear. I watch as the shot glass rests on her lips while her head falls back, tequila slowly disappearing. I do the same, letting it fill my mouth and go down my throat smoothly. Leah’s eyes squint as she swallows, immediately reaching for the lemon wedge and sucking on it vigorously.

I laugh, offering her mine as well which she takes.

I don’t understand why she keeps with the tequila shots when it nearly brings tears to her eyes every time.

“So, what were we talking about?” she asks the table, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Just how unnatural it is Shane would rather be knee deep in the Antelope Canyons than a Victoria’s Secret model these days,” Bryan says.

“How eloquent,” Holly, who has just joined the table, says.

She takes a seat next to Eddy, kissing him on the cheek. The minute she sits down, you can physically see Eddy’s confidence rise. He sits taller, lets his own version of a smirk appear on his face. Give him another few years, he’ll be puffing out his shoulders and banging his fists against his chest.

I turn to face Bryan, once again ready to argue my point when Leah speaks up first.

“Can’t eat Lucky Charms all the time,” she says, stealing a sip from my beer.

I immediately laugh and plant a big kiss on her cheek. This is why I love this girl. “Hear that, boys?
She
gets it!”

Leah starts to laugh, confused. I’m grinning large while the rest of the guys are groaning.

“It’s fascinating how well you two know each other,” Eddy says, his eyes moving back and forth from me to Leah.

“Why fascinating?” Leah asks.

“Finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences?” Bryan says. “It’s like
you two
are the married couple. Not them,” he says, tilting his head in Eddy and Holly’s direction.

“Maybe we’re just two people who understand each other. One and the same,” Leah argues, raising a brow.

Bryan snorts.

“What?” Leah sits back in her chair, facing Bryan. “Two people can’t know each other enough to—”

“Two people? Yes. A guy and a girl? No.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she shakes her head. “There are lots of people out there who are of the opposite sex and understand each other the way we do.”

Bryan leans in. “Those people understand each other like that because they’re usually also fucking each other.”

Leah blinks, her mouth clamping shut.

“You two,” he points his fingers between us, “Eddy’s right. You two
are
fascinating,” he smirks, leaning back in his chair. “All that time you two spend together? The way you
understand
each other,” he taunts Leah with her own words. “And not once have you two even banged? Just for the hell of it?” He looks back and forth between us. “Fascinating,” he repeats.

I glare at Bryan, shooting daggers in his direction. I feel the table watching us, looking for a reaction from either of us. They’re interested in our answer. It’s obvious this has been a topic of discussion between them before. One they’ve had without me or Comb around. A group dissection of how it’s possible Leah and I have never crossed that line before. They’re all waiting for one of us to say something, do something.

The smashing of a glass behind us cuts the tension at the table, causing everyone to blink and fall back in their chairs, yet still no one has said anything. I take a quick glance in her direction, half expecting her to laugh off his words, but when her face fills my line of sight, she’s not laughing. Instead, her throat moves slowly as she swallows, her eyes are fixed ahead and away from me.

It’s been said men think about sex every seven seconds or something like that. Although there’s no proof to this, as a man, I know we
do
think about it a lot. And a lot of my seconds I spend with Leah. So it’s only natural that thoughts of sex and of Leah have gotten intertwined a couple thousand times over the years. And why wouldn’t it? She’s smart, funny, fun and let’s not forget, one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever laid my eyes on. But we friend-zoned each other years ago, and I’ve long moved past thinking of her that way purposefully. Any sexual thoughts I’ve had since, if any, must be coincidence. I’m certain of it. Almost certain. Fairly certain. But watching her now, her struggle to look at me, has me wondering if she’s thought about it.

“It would be like fucking my brother,” she finally says, her face molding back into her secure and confident expression.

Well, that answers that.

The table immediately erupts into laughter.

“Thanks, Comb,” I say, forcing a laugh but trying hard to hide the insult I wasn’t expecting to feel. A brother? Really?

Leah looks at me and smiles, but it looks strained, flustered even. The need to find out why is strong, but I’m unable to ask because she stands abruptly and holds her hand out to Holly.

“Come on, I love this song!” she says, dragging Holly away from the table, nearly running to get away. My eyes follow them to the dance floor and watch as they start twirling in circles like all women do when they dance together.

“Bullshit,” Bryan says when I turn back around.

I look at him confused.

“I call her bullshit,” he repeats. “She’s thought about it.”

I roll my eyes. “You heard her. She hasn’t.”

“Shane,” he leans in across the table, “did you not just see what happened? She was like a deer caught in the fucking headlights. Trust me. She’s thought of it. And we both know you think of it. I mean, Christ, I can’t blame you. Look at her.” He nods his chin in her direction.

I look back and watch. I watch her hips sway, her breasts bounce, arms waving up in the air. Realization dawns on me then that I must still think about it, coincidence or not.

“Shit,” I mutter.

Bryan drinks in my sudden self-awareness. “Come on, how could you not? I myself have thought about it a few times. In the shower, over the breakfast—”

“Fuck off,” my tone sharpening. “She’s off limits. And that includes your fucked up kinky daydreams.”

“I know,” he laughs. “I’m just fucking with you. But come on, have you really never even tried?”

I take a deep breath followed by a long drawn out sip of beer. “There was never a right time,” I admit, shrugging my shoulders.

“What? You need roses and candles?”

I shake my head. “It just never happened. She was with Trevor for years. And when she finally kicked him to the curb we were a long way past that road. No going back, you know?”

Leah’s been in my life for over five years now. We have one of the best and closest relationships I’ve ever had. The night we met at the frat party and the days later are still as clear and vivid to this day. I remember finding her at the Starbucks Eddy mentioned having seen her studying a few times.

“This doesn’t look like Central Perk,” I said, pulling up a chair and sitting across from her and her laptop.

I’ll never forget the surprised smile she gave, looking up at me from her screen. It was the first time my heart lost its rhythm for someone.

“You watched,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

I tilted my head to the side, half smiling. “I YouTubed.”

Her laugh was just as loud and full as I remembered.

“And?” she asked.

“It had its moments,” I answered.

She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her mouth from smiling too wide. And again, it had the same effect on me then as it did at the party. Conversation between us started quick and swift, as if we had done so many times before. I remember how easy it was to make her laugh and how being taken aback I was for her love of swear words. I grew up in a world where having a trucker’s mouth was thought of as tasteless, but coming out of those pink lips, it was strangely endearing. We talked for over an hour before Trevor called her cell, letting her know he was on his way to pick her up. It was clear she was in a relationship and she wasn’t looking to stray. But I liked her, so if friendship was all that was on the table at that point, then why not? Who knew what could happen in the future?

“You know she broke up with that asshole because of you,” Bryan says pointedly, interrupting my momentary trip down memory lane.

“No she didn’t.”

“Yes she fucking did. Maybe not to bone you, but everyone knew that douche didn’t like your,” he raises his hands and makes finger quotations, “‘friendship.’ She chose you.”

I glance at her once more on the dance floor, wondering if that’s true, if she did in fact break up with Trevor because of me—for me—and what it meant if she did. I shake my head, needing to clear it of these thoughts.

“Let’s get another drink,” I say, standing.

“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Bryan responds, downing what’s left of his.

AN HOUR LATER, I’m drunk. But so is everyone else. I down this last shot, knowing I shouldn’t have another. Bryan left me to talk to a pretty brunette over in the corner of the bar. The chair beside me scrapes across the floor and fills with my favorite person. The hair on the nape of her neck clings to her skin, damp with sweat. Her eyeliner has smeared just a touch from all her dancing, but also from all her laughter. She’s looks beautiful.

“Thanks for tonight,” I tell her, resting my hand on her bare thigh. Without thinking, I begin to rub it up and down, all the way along her warm, soft as silk skin. Her eyes glimpse down to where my hand is grazing her thigh and it takes me a moment to notice what I’m doing before I remove my fingers slowly.

“Any time,” she answers, her breath catching a little. “Well, any time a year from now.”

I smile. “This was my first surprise party.”

“Really?” she smiles, her eyes slightly glazed. “Well, everyone deserves a surprise party
at least
once in their lives.”

“Have you ever had one?”

She laughs. “Not yet.”

“Perfect. I’ll throw you one.”

She laughs louder. “It won’t be much of a surprise if you’re already telling me it’s coming!”

I think about her words before I nod in agreement. “You’re right. It will have to be on a day not even close to your birthday.”

She shakes her head, amused. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Always keeping me on my toes.”

She leans in close, her forehead now resting against mine. I close my eyes and take in her familiar scent. The light mix of perfume and coconut from both her shampoo and her sunscreen. There’s also the slightest aroma of sweat from all her dancing. I’m not sure if it’s the booze or my earlier conversation with Bryan, but something inside me tightens, causing goosebumps to pin prick my skin. I look down to see if her skin is having the same reaction, but Leah leans back suddenly, her face falling away from mine. “I love this song! Dance with me?”

She doesn’t even let me respond, pulling me from my chair and to the dance floor. I recognize the song, it plays on the radio often enough. It has an upbeat tempo, one Leah knows just how to dance to. I, on the other hand, am happy to just stand here and watch her. Once the chorus hits, Leah turns to me and starts singing the words while jumping up and down, her long golden hair flying everywhere.

I laugh and continue to watch her while I myself barely move. Her hands fall on my chest and she starts to sing along with the song. The words leaving her lips in loud screams. Something about “not daring to look back” and to “shut up and dance
.
”

I cover her hands with mine, keeping them glued to my chest, not letting her move too far away, making it hard for her to continue jumping around. Without the ability to move, she stays in one place, swaying side to side and looking up at me. I try and read her thoughts, but for the first time in a long time, I have no idea what’s going on inside that head of hers.

“Let’s get some fresh air,” I suggest, speaking into her ear.

She looks back at me and nods, grabbing her bag from a nearby chair and turning, heading for the exit.

As soon as we’re outside, the breeze from the ocean brushes against my skin. It feels refreshing and instantly sobers me up a little. I think it’s done the same for her. The sidewalk is busy with people leaving bars and clubs down the street, so I take her hand and cross over to the beach side.

“You sure you had fun tonight?” she asks, leaning against the wooden fence that separates us from the sandy beach.