Just Three Words (Soho Loft Romances) (2 page)

If there was any justice in the world.

Imminently, that meant chocolate waffles at the Cornelia Street Café at Hunter’s suggestion.

“You guys, I’m gonna pay for this later,” Mallory said, tucking her long dark hair behind one ear. She checked her watch. “I have my first chem test of the semester tomorrow morning and an essay on the relevance of
Hamlet
on contemporary themes of modern drama due on Monday. I always prepare for that kind of thing.
Always
.” And she did. Mallory Spencer was the most together person Sam had ever met. If there was a task at hand, Mallory led the charge to sort it out. In fact, she was president of the LGBT Student Interest Group they all belonged to and only a sophomore, the youngest president the group had ever elected.

Hunter slung an arm around Mallory’s shoulders. “And if I know you, my very studious friend, you’re going to get an A on the boring test without so much as cracking a book for five minutes and then dazzle your prof with the Shakespeare thing you described shortly thereafter. Even after you’ve scarfed down some amazing food with us.”

“I could maybe help with the Shakespeare,” Brooklyn offered, still seeming a little timid around the new group. “I’m not an expert, but I’ve read
Hamlet
a million times. I know all the angles.”

Mallory smiled. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“And I can quiz you on chemistry before class tomorrow,” Sam said. “I CLEPed out of that one.”

Mallory shook her head at Sam. “Seriously? You really do rock at anything numbers related.”

Samantha shrugged, but felt the blush brought on by the compliment the second it hit her cheeks. It was true. “Everyone has something they’re good at.”

Fifteen minutes later and they were seated around a table at the small café as sounds from the live music in the basement made their way up the stairs. Surrounded by waffles, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, Samantha found herself in sugar rush heaven. She raised one hand, placing the other on her heart. “And then God said, let there be chocolate.”

“Damn right he did,” Hunter said, slowly licking chocolate off her thumb with the sexy finesse only Hunter could master. A waiter on his way to the kitchen paused to take in the visual. A girl at the next table did the same. Samantha smiled to herself. Hunter Blair was equal parts beautiful and sexy. While her father was from Ohio, her mother was Hawaiian, giving Hunter an exotic quality that only turned more heads. Toss in her extra-added charm and she snagged the attention of anyone on two legs. To say she did well with the ladies was an understatement.

Brooklyn placed a chocolaty bite in her mouth and shook her head in wonder. “I love chocolate at any time of day, but there’s something about it late at night that makes it extra decadent.”

“That’s so true,” Samantha echoed, relaxing happily in her chair. “Midnight chocolate just makes everything seem easier.”

Mallory nodded. “Doesn’t it? I’m gonna slam-dunk that exam. Pass the whipped cream and sprinkles. I’ll need seconds.”

“See?” Hunter bumped Mallory’s shoulder and supplied her with the heaping dish. “I might even attempt to speak to my asshole father when I go home next weekend.”

Samantha raised her glass of milk. “To midnight chocolate and its ability to make the world a little easier.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Brooklyn said.

Four glasses met in the center of the table and Samantha felt excitement move through her. She passed a glance over each of the three smiling faces and knew innately that these girls were going to somehow matter to her.

“I’m glad I met you guys,” Brooklyn said. They didn’t know a lot about Brooklyn Campbell just yet, but they had a whole school year spread out in front of them.

Hunter nodded. “Likewise.”

“Ditto,” Mallory said triumphantly.

Samantha smiled. “I think this was all meant to be.”

Ten years later

Friday afternoons in May didn’t get much prettier than this. An even sixty-eight degrees, a soft breeze, and sun shining for days. As a result, New York City seemed to move at a slower pace. People lingered with their friends on street corners, drank their iced coffee at outdoor cafés, and luxuriated in the first warm temperatures the city had offered up in months.

Samantha glanced at the door to the Ground Support Café in Soho for any sign of Libby and then double-checked her text messages to be sure she’d gotten the time right. She had.

They’d agreed to meet at one p.m. for a late lunch, as Libby had taken the afternoon off from her sales job across town. But it was twenty minutes past, and Samantha hadn’t heard from her. While not always the most conscientious about time, Libby made up for it in other ways. Just thinking about her, Sam felt the beginnings of a blush. In fact, each time she saw Libby she blushed. And when she kissed her, Sam felt like she was hovering somewhere above the universe. Just seeing her name on a text message made her stomach flip-flop.

And she would be arriving any minute. Right?

Instead of watching the seconds tick by, Sam adjusted to Plan B. Luckily she’d brought work along and turned her attention to balancing Soho Savvy’s accounts for April. Music played faintly from the café’s speakers, and departing customers smiled politely as she turned to her laptop. As the bookkeeper, money manager, and all-around numbers ninja at the boutique advertising agency she owned with her three best friends, she found it important to stay ahead of the monthly budget. As she stared at the spreadsheet in front of her, tick-tacking new entries as she went, she lost herself. This was not unusual. Numbers carried a powerful allure for Sam, and when she started working with them, something clicked into place. They made sense to her in a way real life didn’t always. In the numbers world, the results were hard and fast. The solidarity of that was highly gratifying. Thrilling even, if she was being honest. You could depend on numbers. Count on them.

“There you are, honey bear. I’m so sorry I’m late.” Libby Weatherup slipped into the booth across from Samantha, and all was right with the world again. She wore a medium-length blue sundress and carried a handful of packages that she crammed in the tight space next to her, creating a proverbial hill of shopping bags. Mt. St. Retail. Sam had first met Libby in the elevator of Sam’s building. She’d been carrying packages then, too. Sam had thought Libby was one of the most gorgeous women she’d ever seen, and after finally getting up the courage to ask her to coffee, things had progressed. Libby moved to Chelsea just before their relationship became official, and life had taken off from there.

“It’s okay. I didn’t mind waiting. You’ve been shopping?” Sam asked, closing her laptop. Libby was always complaining about her cash flow. Before answering, Libby leaned across the booth and kissed Sam hello, which left her momentarily speechless. Libby had the most perfect mouth. She daydreamed about it often.

“I did. But before you say anything, I thought through each and every one of these purchases like you advised me to and came to the conclusion that I could afford them because”—Libby took a deep breath—“I got the promotion.”

“You did? Whoa.” Sam covered her mouth in happily surprised mode. Those really were the best kind of surprises, the ones you weren’t expecting. It wasn’t just good news, it was great news. Libby had been pulling some killer hours lately to prove herself worthy to her boss, and Sam had said a silent daily prayer that her work wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Libby sat a little taller. “You’re looking at the newest full-fledged sales rep for Lioness Shoes. No more assistant duties. No more junior account rep status. No more second fiddle. Life just opened up.”

Sam broke into a smile. She couldn’t have been happier if it had been her own success. “I don’t know what to say. Wow. This is fantastic. I’m so thrilled for you.”

Libby beamed back. “I knew you would be. You’re the one person I couldn’t wait to tell, who I knew would understand. You’re so smart and together and you’ve helped me get my ducks in a row, Sam. You know, it was your advice to chase down my goal that did it. Thank you.”

The declaration resonated. Libby appreciated her, and that meant something to Sam. The smile tugged again, and her heart soared. “You don’t have to thank me. I just know how awesome you are and what you’re capable of.”

“Aw, honey. You are just the sweetest.” Then a look of apology crossed her face. “And I made you wait. I’m sorry. Maybe I can make it up to you later?”

“I’m sure we could find a way.” Sam melted into the daydream before shaking herself out of it and shifting her glance to the packages. “So this was a bit of a celebratory shopping trip, then?”

“It was. I decided spring was noticeably absent from my wardrobe. And when you’re a full-fledged sales rep in fashion, you have to stay up on trends.” She pulled her shoulder-length blond hair into the shape of a bun and let it fall again in a way Sam found endearing. It was sort of Libby’s thing, playing with her hair, shaping it into different styles absently.
Le sigh
.

“You have a ton of spring outfits that you happen to look great in. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you duplicate one.”

“Yes, but they’re all very
last
spring, which is a problem.” Libby eyed the closed laptop next to Samantha. “Working again? You never give yourself a break. And you deserve one.”

“When you run your own firm, it’s not exactly a nine-to-five.”

“I get it, but I’d much rather see you reading whatever book you’re toting around in that bag of yours today. I love it when you read. It’s adorably nerdy how caught up you get in your stories. What do you have today?”

It was true. Samantha loved to read and devoted most any free moment she could find to some epic tale. Classics were her favorite, and more specifically, the great romances. She’d read
Pride and Prejudice
upward of fifteen times. She wasn’t really particular about the settings or the time period, however. If there was a romantic tale woven in there somewhere, she was in. She reached into her bag and showed Libby her copy of
The Princess Bride.
She’d found a second edition on eBay and splurged. “I spent this morning before work with Westley and Buttercup.”

Libby smiled. “I’ve seen the movie. Maybe I can borrow it when you finish.”

“As you wish.” Sam smiled, but the reference seemed lost on Libby. “At any rate, it’s an easy one to get lost in. I had to force myself to stop earlier.”

“You’re such a romantic.”

Samantha shrugged. “Something about two people destined to be together despite the obstacles they face just never gets old.”

Libby sighed—the good kind, too. “I like that.”

“Well, that makes two of us.” The familiar Libby tingle arrived right on cue, and after basking in it for a moment, Sam refocused. “So tell me about the rest of your day.”

“I met Tanya and a friend of hers after work and we went shopping in Chelsea. There’s the cutest little boutique that just opened up. Oh, and Tanya wants us to celebrate my promotion tomorrow night at Splash, so don’t make plans.”

Sam set down her raspberry iced tea. “But tomorrow is the movie in the park with my friends, remember? They’re running my favorite,
The Way We Were
. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”

Libby’s face fell. “Oh no. I forgot about the movie. I’m sorry, honey bear. I told Tanya I was a definite to celebrate, and she’s been having such a rough time lately after the breakup with that horror show of a chick, Heather. Do you remember Heather?
God
.” Sam opened her mouth to answer, but it had apparently been a rhetorical question. “I don’t think I can back out on Tanya now. Maybe we can rent the movie next week? Just you and me. On the couch. Alone. Your friends will understand, don’t you think? It’s my promotion, after all. Kind of a big deal for me, and I want you there.”

The overly hopeful expression on Libby’s face rendered Sam helpless. She really was wrapped around Libby’s little finger. Not that she was complaining. It was a pretty gorgeous finger. She sighed as the disappointment at not seeing the film washed over her. “If you promise that we’ll actually watch it together.”

Libby raised a victorious eyebrow. “Thursday. My place. We’ll snuggle up on the couch with popcorn. I might even feed it to you. You have my word.”

*

“I can’t believe you’re not going to be there.” Brooklyn sat atop the kitchen counter in the loft apartment they shared in Soho. Samantha and Brooklyn had been roommates for the past six years since they’d graduated from NYU and first opened Soho Savvy with their best friends Hunter and Mallory. “Who am I going to quote along with? We’re the quote-along team, you and me. That’s the best part. I may die.”

“You won’t die. You’re just being super dramatic.”

“I will. I might actually die,” Brooklyn said, blinking back at her.

“Okay, no. Do not shoot me Bambi eyes. You know I can’t take them.” It was true, the Bambi eyes killed her soul.

Brooklyn blew out a breath. “Fine. No Bambi impersonations, but I’m in the depths of despair. Please make sure that’s noted for posterity.”

Sam thought on this, scurrying to find a solution. “Mallory loves the film. She can probably quote with you.”

“But not like you and I do. No one’s as good a Katie as you.”

This was true. Sam batted her eyelashes, channeling Barbra Streisand. “I don’t have the right style for you, do I?”

Brooklyn slid off the counter, not missing a beat. She stalked over to Sam, dropping her voice an octave. “No, you don’t have the right style.”

“I’ll change.”

“No, don’t change. You’re your own girl and have your own style.”

“But then I won’t have you.” She brought a hand down in front of her face theatrically and bowed her head. “And, scene.”

Brooklyn snagged an apple from the bowl on the counter and tossed her layered blond hair. “That was magic. We’re magic. And now I’m even more bummed that the magic ends here. Don’t desert me, Sammie-Sam.”

It killed Sam to flake out on Brooklyn, but she didn’t see another way. “It’s an important week for Libby. She got that promotion and she wants to see her friends tonight to celebrate. Apparently, her best friend Tanya is having some kind of crisis.”