Kiss a Frog (The Book Club Series 1) (8 page)

Lily dropped her muffin and didn’t even notice the sugar crusted treat bouncing on her rug. Her focus was completely on Abby. “Oh, Abs,” she whispered softly.

“So now you know the sordid truth about perfect little Abby, and you can hold it over my head for the rest of my life. Go ahead, laugh. Make fun of me. I just know that’s what you’ve been waiting on. For me to be down so you could kick me.” Abby sniffled, throwing her hands wide.

“Look, the only kicking I’m apt to do is muff kicking, but I would never kick you when you were down. We’ve been friends forever, Abs. What are you going to do?” Lily leaned forward and touched Abby’s knee.

“If I lose my job I’ll lose my apartment and my car. I’m so in debt it’s ridiculous,” Abby wailed.

“Move in with me!” Laura piped up.

“No, I can’t. Because he threatened to make you lose
your
job too,” Abby moaned.

“Then you two could move in here with me,” Lily offered.

“Lily, no offense but your place is tiny,” Laura murmured.

“So what? We could make it work. Abs, do you really think this jerk is going to try and get you canned?”

Abby shrugged, one chubby shoulder slumping back down as she groaned and rubbed at her snot covered nose. “I don’t know. If I talk, yes. But I can’t just keep working for him and pretend like everything is kosher and we didn’t have hot, passionate sex on top of the copy machine…and his desk…and I sucked him off while he was on the phone with a client. My God! I loved him,” she wailed again.

Lily looked over at the still horrified Laura and winced. “Wow, Abs, why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I knew deep down in my heart I was wrong, and I couldn’t tell you. I just couldn’t. But I am now.” Abby sniffled, snot bubbling from her nose.

Lily reached onto the side table and pulled two pink tissues from the box. “Okay, we’re going to figure this out. You guys can always crash here until you find new jobs if it comes down to it.”

Abby lurched forward suddenly, and Lily found herself smothered in a hug. Abby’s snotty face pressed into her shoulder, and she tried not to gag at the viscous slippery feel against her skin. “I love you,” Abby wept.

“I love you too.” Lily patted Abby’s back. “Please get off me, you’re snotting on me.”

Abby sat back with a hoarse laugh and took the tissues, blowing her nose loudly. “Okay, sorry.”

Lily grabbed more tissues and grimaced as she wiped the snot off her skin. “How hard would it be for you guys to get a new job?”

Laura sipped at her coffee and blew out a slow breath. “Not too hard, I guess.”

“Put in applications and just find another job.”

“You’re right,” Abby murmured, wiping her eyes again. “I can find another job. He’s not the only show in town. He won’t talk because he doesn’t want to lose his wife, and I don’t want to hurt her, especially with her being pregnant. That’s not fair of me. I knew he was married, and I went along with it. Well, no more. Tomorrow I’m telling him I quit, and if you’re serious, Lily, I’ll move in with you. Laura, you’ll have to be on the watch for a job too. I’m so sorry I messed everything up.”

“I really wanted to find something else anyway. I’m so sick of advertising for men’s deodorant it’s ridiculous.” Laura giggled.

Abby smiled a watery smile. “I love you guys!”

Lily found herself jerked into another wet, snotty hug. “Love you too. Ew, snot in my hair…”

The Date (Part One)

Lily had been so engrossed in Abby’s drama, waiting with bated breath to hear the outcome of the showdown with the boss that she’d forgotten to tell them about her raise.
Ah well, it’s a secret I can keep.
Abby had quit her job and would be moving out of her ultra-expensive apartment within the next few weeks if she couldn’t find a job in time.

Friday morning, Lily dressed quickly for work. Carefully she folded her black dress and tucked it into a bag, followed by her glossy black heels and a chunky yellow necklace. There wouldn’t be time to come back home and change for her date, she would have to change in the mall bathroom quickly and rush across town.

Gathering up her makeup and her toothbrush and toothpaste, she shoved it all in the bag and hurried out the door to make it to work on time. The store was dead the first half of the shift, but by the time the afternoon came, it was like every teeny-bopper in Boston just had to come to the store and buy clothes. She busted two thirteen-year-olds trying to layer shirts and steal them, and after calling the cops, she got the shirts back. The girls were warned never to come back into the store, and sent on their way with police escort.

Then a middle-aged woman had wanted to unfold each and every shirt in a size extra-large, trying to find one that would fit on her rubenesque frame. After she stretched and skewed each one, grumbling as they didn’t stretch quite far enough, she threw them into a pile. Lily worked in silence, not trusting her tongue to behave as she cleaned up the mess.

Olivia manned the cash register, and they were so busy that there was no time to talk until the last half hour of their shift. “Are you excited to see my brother?” Olivia asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

“Yeah, I think we’ll have fun.” Lily smiled at the younger girl.

“Well, I can lock up. You go get ready.”

“Are you sure?” Lily asked. Olivia had locked up so many times before that she wasn’t concerned with her being able to handle it or not.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Olivia waved her on.

“Okay.” Lily hurried to the back and clocked out, grabbing her bag and going back through the front of the store.

“Have fun!” Olivia called, and Lily grinned back at her friend.

Once in the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes and pulled the dress on quickly. It was a simple gauzy dress, and it fluttered with every movement. Sidling out to the counter, she pulled the rest of her things out and shoved her work clothes inside. Moving at a breakneck pace, she smeared on deodorant and squirted perfume, brushed her teeth, and applied a little makeup. Raking the brush through her hair, she left it loose around her shoulders and attached the chunky necklace around her neck.

She looked presentable.
It will have to do…

Checking her phone, she grimaced, realizing she had barely ten minutes to make it across town to the restaurant. She would be fashionably late. She jammed her feet back into her sneakers, deciding to wait on the pumps until she got to the restaurant and stuffed everything back in her bag. As she left the bathroom, she jogged through the mall, pausing only for a moment to see Olivia sliding down the bars outside the store.

“See you!” she called, and Olivia’s head jerked up.

“Woo woo! Hot mama!” Olivia whistled, and Lily laughed as she left the mall and ran for the parking lot.

Her hands shook as she fumbled with the keys and opened her door, tossing everything into the passenger seat as she clambered in and started the car. She drove fast through the city, breathing a sigh of relief as she pulled into the parking lot of the illustrious Chateau Parisienne. She turned on the light inside the car and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror.

You’ll do.
She scrambled out of the car and across the street to the restaurant. A maître d’ opened the door for her. “Mademoiselle.”

Lily froze as she looked down at her feet. She still wore her sneakers. “I-I’ll, be back!” She choked, turning to stumble down the stairs like a drunk person and dodge cars as she sprinted back to the car and got her heels. Slipping them on, she blew out a slow breath and forced herself to calm down. According to her phone she was now ten minutes late for her date. Bile rose in her throat as she crossed the street and climbed the stairs again.

The man opened the door again, a funny little smirk on his face. “Mademoiselle?”

“I’m good now,” Lily whispered.

She stepped inside the opulent restaurant and felt her mouth open slightly. She’d heard of the beauty of the restaurant but had never seen it in person, only pictures. Rich velvets hung from the windows in shades of sapphire and scarlet, and the tables dripped with iridescent ivory table coverings. Gold chandeliers with fountains of crystals hung over each table. The place was beyond swanky, it practically oozed money.

She finally took everything in and closed her mouth so she didn’t look like a fish out of water. As she scanned the opening to the dining room, she saw a man standing near a fireplace that looked vaguely familiar. He was absolutely beautiful, breathtakingly so, and as her ovaries exploded inside her, she realized she knew exactly who it was. It was the man she’d thrown up on, and he was staring right back at her with brilliant whiskey covered eyes.

Oh shit.
She clamped a hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom, her heels clacking on the tile floor.
He’s not my date, he can’t be my date. No! He’s here for someone else. But he’s here!
Lily skidded into the bathroom and barely closed the door before she puked into the pristine toilet. With a shaky hand, she wiped at her mouth and flushed the toilet. Shifting to the sink, she surveyed her face. Her makeup was firmly in place.

Turning on the cold water she cupped her hand and rinsed her mouth out. Digging into her purse she found a breath mint and popped it in her mouth. She smoothed her hair and checked the front of her dress for chunks of puke. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she blew out a slow breath and opened the bathroom door. He stood just outside the bathrooms in the crimson hallway, nursing a tumbler of something to drink.

“Lily?”

Shit.
Lily froze in the doorway of the bathroom, jumping with a squeal as the door slapped her ass. “Yes?” she choked out.

“I’m Luca. Olivia’s brother.” He smirked, and she groaned.

“No, you can’t be.” Lily breathed, squeezing her eyes closed as if it was all a terrible, horrible dream.

He chuckled softly. “I’m Luca. I do believe we’ve met before.”

“I puked on your shoes,” Lily wailed.

“Yeah, luckily though, they weren’t my favorite shoes.”

“I can’t do this,” Lily whispered.

“Sure you can. We’ll forget about the shoes. In fact, I’ll never mention the shoes again. The shoes are inconsequential. Oops, I mentioned them. I’m sorry. Okay. Look, let’s get out of the hallway to the bathroom and start again, okay?” Luca’s emerald eyes twinkled merrily.

Lily pressed a hand to her stomach and nodded. “Okay, let’s do that.” She followed the broad shouldered man out into the foyer of the restaurant and nearly ran into him as he stopped abruptly and turned. She backed up a step, wavering on her heels. “Oops,” she murmured, her cheeks hot.

Luca laughed again, and he held out a tanned hand. “Hello, I’m Luca De Soros.”

Lily swallowed and stared for a moment at his hand before sliding her own into his grasp. “I’m Lily Halloway,” she gasped out, the sensation of his hand touching hers more than she could bear. If she’d thought Charlie’s hand had felt amazing, Luca’s was beyond compare. Heat simmered through the very pores of her skin and it was almost as though he was swimming amongst her DNA just with the simple, innocent handshake.

“You’re absolutely adorable, Lily Halloway, even when you do puke on my shoes.” Luca winked, bringing her knuckles up to his succulent, firm mouth for a kiss. Her knees buckled slightly as his lips brushed against her fingers.

“Oh!” she moaned out, her face flaming with embarrassment. She snatched her hand from his grasp and tried to wipe the heat of his hand off on her dress. “Um, we should sit,” she finally managed to splutter out.

“Absolutely.” Luca grinned, offering his arm like a chivalrous gentleman for her to take. Lily wanted to melt into the floor and die as she tucked her hand into his elbow. He was gorgeous, and here she was, a bargain bin reject.
I should’ve gone to get another dress!

He led them through the packed restaurant, and Lily kept her eyes down until they got to their table. She moved to pull out her chair, and he stopped her. “Please, Lily, let me.”

“Sure,” she garbled out, stepping back as he pulled out her chair. She sat carefully, and he pushed her closer to the table before sitting across from her. They sat in a quiet alcove of the restaurant with a spectacular view of the water. “I’m so sorry I was late.”

“It’s no problem, my nosy sister let me know you’d be a bit late.”

“Oh. Olivia is a good girl.”

“She is. I can’t believe it’s really you!” Luca exclaimed, setting his tumbler on the table and leaning back in his chair. “I felt so bad about leaving you at the coffee shop, but your friends were swarming and they said they had you. Are you okay?”

Lily blushed hot again, and she ducked her chin. “I’m fine, only my pride was wounded.”

“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me. My mother would be beating me with her purse right now if she knew I was embarrassing such a beautiful woman on our first date.” Luca pleaded, his eyes soft.

Lily would have given him anything he wanted in that moment as lust clouded her brain. “Of course, all is forgiven.”

At that moment the waiter came to their table. “May I get you something to drink this evening?”

Luca raised his dark eyebrow and asked, “Lily, what would you like?”

“Ah, maybe a little champagne would be nice.” She really wanted something harder to ease her nerves, but champagne would do for now. She had to be coherent enough to drive.

“A bottle of your best champagne.” Luca relayed to the waiter.

“Very good, I’ll return promptly.” The young man skirted away.

Lily blurted before she could stop herself, “The best?”

“Absolutely.” Luca winked. “Olivia would kill me otherwise.”

“Sounds like the women in your family keep you in line.”

“They do. I love them. I just wish I could convince stubborn Olivia to let me give her a job.” He sighed, rolling his eyes in irritation.

“Oh? What do you do?” Lily asked, her interest piqued.

“I’m an FBI agent. Olivia wants to do just meaningless beat work in some rinky dink cop job after college, and I can’t let the kid do that. She’s too smart. But she’s stubborn.” Luca explained.

“Ooh, an FBI agent? That’s awesome!”

“It has its perks, I guess. I was in the military, and I was good at what I did. I just decided the military wasn’t something I wanted to make a career out of. So I applied at the bureau and worked my way up.” Luca vaguely explained.

“Is what you do considered classified?” Lily murmured softly.

He didn’t respond as the waiter came back with their champagne and popped the cork. After two glasses were filled, Luca waved him away. “A lot of it is, yes,” Luca finally answered.

“Are you dangerous?” Lily couldn’t stop images from flashing through her mind of Luca taking down bad guys.

“To you?” Luca laughed then, his white teeth flashing in his swarthy face. “Maybe, but not for the reasons you’re thinking of.”

Lily flushed at his words and her eyes dropped to the shimmering tablecloth. “Oh my.”

“Again, my mother would be beating me with that purse. Tell me about you, Lily. I’m not going to take over the conversation.”

Lily shrugged and fingered the edge of the fabric on the table. “Me? I’m unremarkable.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Luca murmured, his warm, rough finger somehow under her chin as he tipped it up. Lily drowned in the heat of his eyes, and she swallowed nervously before pulling away.

“Oh, ask my best friends, they’ll tell you I’m a sassy mouthed klutz with a crappy job.” She giggled nervously.

“I like sassy mouthed klutzes.” Luca sipped his champagne.

“What if I puke on another pair of your shoes?”

Luca grinned, the smile slipping slowly over his face. “I’ll just have to make sure you’re not nervous around me, won’t I?”

“That’s going to be impossible,” Lily blurted.

“Why?” he asked innocently, twirling the stem of the champagne flute between his thumb and forefinger.

“Because you-you’re gorgeous,” Lily stammered, her cheeks hotter than they’d ever been.

“But I’m calm around you, and you’re stunning, so you’ll have to come up with another excuse, because frankly I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since the coffee shop. I’ve been in there almost every night about the same time, hoping to catch a glimpse of you again, but no luck. It was like you just disappeared, Lily.”

“Oh. I was embarrassed.”