Keeping My Best Friend (Fated #5) (5 page)

I pushed the apartment door open with my butt and backed in,
setting my stuff down once I’d cleared the entryway. When I looked up, Fiona
was standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal.

“Oh my god,” she said, the spoon half way suspended to her
mouth.

“What?”

“I take it you had a nice time?”

“What makes you say that?” I asked, walking towards the kitchen
counter.

“The look on your face is priceless.”

“What look?”

“I’ve never seen you look so smug or pleased with yourself for
as long as I’ve known you.”

I set my to-go cake on the counter. “I am pleased.”

“Is it safe to say you and Aiden made up?”

“Oh we made up.”

She dropped her shoulders.

“Over and over again.”

“Tell me everything,” she said, crunching a dripping bite of Honeycombs.

“Well, first he was kind of standoffish, ya know-”

“Cause he was still pissed.”

“Yeah.”

“Even though it’s really me he should’ve been pissed at.”

“About that, apparently you’re not forgiven.”

Her face dropped.

“I’m just kidding-”

She shook her head. “Not funny.”

“I think he’s over it,” I said. “Though Chelsea did crash the
wedding.”

“She didn’t.”

“She did. Just rolled up like
what are you doing here, bitch
?!”

Fiona’s mouth fell open.

“She didn’t say that out loud though. Just with her eyes.”

“I bet.”

“So what happened?”

“Aiden talked her down from the ledge and somehow got her to
leave without making a scene.”

“I’m not surprised. He could persuade me to do just about
anything.”

I felt a twinge in my stomach.

“And I’m probably even crazier than she is.”

“Neck and neck I’d say.”

“Wait- back up,” she said, setting her bowl down and plucking
the last honeycomb out with her fingers. “How did you do Claire’s hair?”

“Simple updo. Loose tendrils around her face. She would’ve been
gorgeous no matter what I did though. She was like straight out of a bridal
magazine.”

“I wish my Daddy were rich.”

“Don’t we all?”

“Was I right about the bobby pins?”

“Totally. She thought I was a saint because I gave her a box so
none of her bridesmaids would be caught out.”

“That was nice of you.”

I shrugged. “What would’ve been really nice is if I’d had a card
or something because apparently loads of her friends are getting married this
fall and thought I did a good job.”

She scrunched her face. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Me neither. Remind me to make sure Aiden gives her my info so
she can pass it on.”

“I’m sure he will.”

“Yeah,” I said, knowing he’d probably intimidate them into
hiring me if I asked him to.

“So blah blah the ceremony was gorgeous and you barely held it
together.”

I laughed. “Basically.”

“And did he look so handsome?”

“He did,” I said, leaning against the back of the couch. “You
probably would’ve choked on your tongue if you’d seen him in his tux.”

“I’m sure I would’ve,” she said. “Gladly.”

“Wait- before I forget- Chelsea isn’t the only one who crashed
the wedding.”

“I’m starting to think I should’ve come after all.”

“Nathan showed up-”

“The lawyer guy?”

“Yeah, with the cops.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Apparently Chuck has a whole other life we don’t know about and
was already in legal trouble.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Are you serious?”

I nodded. “They asked me all these crazy questions like, did I
know anything about his other businesses, and had he ever hired any illegal
immigrants as far as I knew?”

“Shit.”

“Or anyone underage.”

“What the hell?”

“Apparently, Pedenko isn’t even his last name.”

“Does this mean I’m finally going to meet Elliot from SVU?”

I laughed. “I don’t think so.”

She furrowed her brow.

“I think someone has to die for him to show up.”

“Too bad.” She scratched her clumping bed head. “So what does
that mean for our case?”

“I don’t really know. Nathan said he would keep me posted.”

She nodded.

“But I would assume it’s higher priority now that it’s linked to
whatever else they’re investigating.”

“Which can only be a good thing.”

“Right,” I said.

“And the rest of the wedding surprises all came from Aiden in
the bedroom?”

I felt my cheeks get warm.

“You don’t have to answer. It was a rhetorical question. Like I
said, your face gave you away when you came in the door.”

I sighed.

“Are you so happy, Luce? I mean, I know you’d never admit it,
but isn’t this kind of what you always wanted?”

“What?”

“To be the subject of Aiden’s sexual attention?”

“I didn’t not want it.”

“Oh come on. You must be jumping up and down inside.”

“I do feel a bit springy alright.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“There’s no problem.”

“Why can’t you admit how ecstatic you are?”

“Cause it’s confusing.”

“What?”

“Well, obviously we had the most amazing weekend together.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But it’s more complicated than that.”

“How?”

“I don’t know how to explain it.”

She cocked her hip out with her head and stared at me. “Try.”

“This is going to sound so stupid.”

“I can handle it.”

“It feels like there’s been a death.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “A death?”

“Yeah, like something’s died.”

“I know what death is, thanks.”

I shrugged.

“But I don’t see what it has to do with you and Aiden finally
hooking up.”

“What I mean is, I know whatever’s ahead of us will be new and
exciting, but whatever we had is dead.”

“Are you sure it hasn’t just evolved? Or mutated? Like
Wolverine?”

I furrowed my brow.

“Ya know? Cause what you had before was strong and you wouldn’t
mess with it, but now what you have is even more intense and way hotter?”

I laughed. “I like that.”

“It beats your death analogy anyway.”

“Or my fairground one.”

“What’s that one?”

“Ya know that theme park ride where the little room spins so
fast that you stick to the wall when the floor drops out from under you?”

“The Rotor Ride.”

“It has a name?”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, I always thought that was great as a kid and then one
day they said I couldn’t go on it anymore.”

“Okay.”

“That’s what this thing with Aiden feels like. Like we were
having lots of fun on a ride we were both comfortable with and now I can never
get back on it again.”

Fiona rolled her eyes. “Some things are meant to be outgrown. The
fragile adult stomach isn’t meant to be spun around like that.”

“What if that’s just what they want you to think?”

“It’s not about being manipulated by a mystery
they.
It’s
about moving on to bigger and better things when the time comes.”

I pursed my lips.

“Like sleeping with Aiden Briggs.”

I smiled.

“Which has got to be better than just feeling queasy for two
long minutes.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It is. But it makes your legs feel about the
same.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“I doubt you have to. From the look of you, I’d say you went for
a few spins last night yourself.”

She smiled. “I may or may not have surprised Peter at work.”

My mouth fell open. “By surprised Peter at work, you don’t
mean-”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“Shit. At the Children’s Hospital?”

“Yeah, at three in the morning.”

I shook my head. “Well well, Dr. Grey. I’m very impressed.”

“I was worried you would judge me.”

“Only if you did it in front of the kids.”

“No,” she said. “No children were blinded in the process of my
seduction.”

“Wow.”

“Of course, now I’m all paranoid that the guy I’m seeing works
in a building where there are literally beds all over the place.”

“Yeah.”

“How can I possibly keep tabs on a guy who is under that much
stress and has access to such a surplus of horizontal space?”

“If anyone can I’m sure you can.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Feel free to say that as often as you
remember.”

“I will,” I said, sliding the cake box in front of me and
popping it open. “In the meantime, would a slice of twenty dollar a piece
wedding cake make you feel better?”

A smile spread across her face. “There’s only one way to find
out.”

It was decision time.

The summer training season would come to a close soon, and I
wanted my new place of business to be up and running in time for fall which
meant I couldn’t waste any more time waffling between the two locations.

Regardless of which place I chose, it was going to need work.
And not just work but equipment and licensing and staff. Of course, I already
had a few people in mind. Plus, I only really needed a receptionist, a masseuse
who could work part time, and maybe one other physio so I’d have someone else
on hand to help me execute my client’s recovery and fitness plans.

But as nervous as I was, I was excited, too. As soon as I picked
a place, I was on my way to building a career I could be proud of which was
something I longed for deeply. I craved that sense of pride I had when I was on
the field. I missed being in a position where I could cheer people on and where
people had to count on me.

Nothing made me happier. Well, until recently, but dating Lucy
couldn’t keep milk and eggs on the table.

“Do you want to come with me or follow me in your car?” Nick
said when we reached the parking lot.

“I’ll follow you there,” I said.

“Any final gut feelings about this first place before we go?” he
asked, turning to look at the outside of what could be the new home of my
business.

“I can’t fault it really,” I said. “If the other place weren’t
niggling at me, I’d sign the papers for this one right now.”

“It is nice with all the natural light,” he said. “And the
location is great.”

“Not to mention the price.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid I’ve negotiated both of them to death, though,
so I can’t get either of them down anymore.”

“So the other one is still an extra few grand a month?”

“Yeah,” Nick said, swinging his keys around his fingers. “Three
and a half.”

“Right,” I said, eyeing location number one and trying to
picture it without cardboard in the windows.

“But it does come out to less per square foot.”

I’d done the math. I knew it was something like a fraction of a
penny less. “Don’t bullshit me, Nick. Let’s go.”

“As you wish,” he said.

I started my car and waited for Nick to reverse his Lexus into
the aisle in front of me before taking off, considering the first place as I
drove. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to have Nick hand me the keys
to the door, to walk in and know it was my blank slate to do what I wanted
with.

I could imagine myself there. He was right about the natural
light, and there was plenty of room for the equipment I would need to
accommodate a variety of clients. And while there wasn’t tons of room to grow,
I didn’t mind a more intimate setting for what I was trying to do.

Besides, I knew in the beginning the key was the quality of my
clients, not the quantity. As long as I stuck to my values and my vision, the
business would grow, peaking around year five and then plateauing according to
my calculations. Unless I moved to a bigger place or added locations, but there
was no need to get ahead of myself.

Nick drove like a grandma so I had plenty of time to consider my
lease before I let my mind wander to where I might take Lucy for our next date.
She was fun to treat. I knew she was low maintenance and would’ve been happy
anywhere, but that attitude was precisely why it was so much fun to surprise
her.

There was a fondue place I was dying to take her to, but it
wasn’t a good pick for summer so I’d have to wait until cooler weather set in. What
about sushi? Sushi was light and perfect for when it was warm out, and I knew
she had an irrational appreciation for edamame.

Plus, if I took her to the restaurant by my apartment, we could
get silly on sake and stumble back to my place. I was about to grab my phone
and text her, but Nick turned in at the other office plaza, and I decided it
was time to focus on the longer term decision that lied before me.

I thought it might be funny to pull up hilariously close to
Nick’s car and watch him have a mini heart attack as I opened my door to get
out, but I decided such games weren’t appropriate when so much money was at
stake.

“Moment of truth,” he said when I closed my car door.

“I guess so.”

“You starting to lean one way or the other or-”

“I know what I’m looking for if that answers your question.”

Nick smiled and slipped what might soon be my key in the lock before
pushing the glass door open.

I stepped inside and inhaled the smell of new carpets and fresh
dry wall.

“It is nice that it’s new,” he said.

“Smells it anyway,” I said, looking around. It was a much bigger
space than the other one which was good and bad. I found limitation was often
good when decisions needed to be made, but the additional floor space gave me
more flexibility in terms of growth and layout. Plus, if I went with this spot,
I probably wouldn’t have to move for a good ten years.

“So I was thinking-” Nick said, crossing in front of me.

“Yeah.”

“About the space on the other side of this wall,” he said,
putting his hand on the wall by the door.

“I’m listening.”

“Well, I know we were initially thinking it would be ideal for
storage until you were ready to expand.”

“Go on.”

“But it does have its own front door to the plaza.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, rather than have it look like there’s no one home next
door, you might consider sub leasing the place to someone else temporarily.”

I stuck out my bottom lip and nodded.

“Cause this location is in high demand. I’m sure it would get
snapped right up.”

“And I could use the money to help me pay off this place.”

“Exactly.”

“What do you think I could get for it?”

“Enough to make this place comparably priced with the other
one.”

“I like your thinking Nick.”

“And then when you’re ready to expand, you just kick your
neighbor out.”

“Or politely ask them to leave.”

“That’s up to you.”

I smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.” I walked across the
room and opened the door beside Nick and through it. The smaller section of the
property was tiled from wall to wall, and while it was much narrower than the
other room, it was still nice and bright.

“Does this place have its own plumbing?”

Nick looked around and then down at his notes. “It does. It’s
not hooked up to anything at the minute, but for a price you can fill the place
with water if you want.”

I nodded. “I think I’m ready to make my decision.”

“I was going to let you sleep on it.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Does that mean this is the one you want?”

I nodded. “This is the one I want.”

Nick stuck out his hand.

I gave it a firm squeeze.

“Congratulations, Aiden.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I have the paperwork ready.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I did one more lap of the perimeter, taking notes in my head
about what I would need right away and what I could afford to get later. Then I
followed Nick outside and watched him lock the door.

“Next time we stop by,” he said, “these keys will be yours.”

“I can’t wait.”

I went back to my car and waved at Nick as he drove away. Then I
turned back to look at the property I’d just bought, the vision I’d bought
into.

I knew I’d made the right decision, and I was absolutely
buzzing. I couldn’t wait to start fitting the place out and bringing my first
clients in.

But there was one person in particular I couldn’t wait to show
it to.