Reconstructing Meredith (17 page)

“Maybe tomorrow night?”

“Actually, I’ll be out and about tomorrow night.” I paused. “But maybe I could talk you into coming with me.”

“Where to?”

“Same place the old group has been hanging out for years.”

Her gaze shifted away from mine. “I’ll pass.”

With one finger under her chin, I turned her face back toward me. “What’s wrong?”

She pursed her lips. “Scott, I disappeared on these people five years ago. Cut off contact with every last one of them with no warning or explanation.”

“And you think they wouldn’t welcome you back with open arms once they know why?”

“I’d rather they didn’t know why.”

“Even still, people weren’t angry with you when you left, babe.” I caressed her cheek. “We were all worried about you. Everyone wondered what happened to you, but no one was angry.”

“You said you were angry.”

My cheeks burned and I nodded. “I was. I took it personally. But I have never heard any of our friends say anything negative about you.” I touched her face and kissed her. “Just give it a try. Come with me tomorrow night, and if you don’t feel comfortable, all you have to do is say the word and we’ll leave. No questions asked.”

She laughed. “A date with a safe word?”

Chuckling, I shrugged. “Yeah, something like that. So, you in?”

Her eyes lost focus for a long moment. Finally, she sighed and nodded. “Okay, I’ll go. As long as we can leave if I decide I’m tired of getting the evil eye from everyone.”

“You’re not going to get the evil eye from anyone. But yes, we’ll leave the minute you decide you don’t want to stay anymore.” I leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. “And then when we’re done at the club, whether we leave early or not, we can come back here and…” I flicked my tongue just below her ear.

A shiver pushed her body closer to mine. “Now I’m definitely sold on this plan.”

I laughed and kissed her neck again.

“Mmm, you tease.”

“Who’s teasing?” I raised my head and grinned against her lips. “You didn’t think we were done yet, did you?”

“I certainly hoped we weren’t.”

I said nothing and slid my hand between her legs.

A few blocks from where I’d parked, Meredith and I turned down a side street. Up ahead, the familiar arrangement of neon signs came into view. Meredith slowed down, eyeing the glowing Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft logos.

I put my hand on the small of her back. “You’re not backing out on me now, are you?”

“Is it too late?”

“No, but I think you should at least go in and give it a try first.”

She stopped and turned to face me. “I’m really not sure about this.”

“Trust me, babe, you’re worrying about nothing.”

She shot me a skeptical look. “Says the man who’s never cut ties with everyone he knows overnight.”

“Maybe not, but after you did, I was still here, and a lot of people were concerned about you.”

Glancing at the bar, then looking at me again, she blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll see what happens.”

I kissed her lightly. “Just give it five or ten minutes. If you want to leave, say the word, and we’re gone.”

“Five minutes.”

I nodded. “Five minutes.” I gestured at the bar. “Clock starts
after
we actually get through the door, though.”

“Damn you.” We exchanged looks and laughed as we walked across the street.

At the door, I put my arm around her waist, as much to encourage her as to keep her from suddenly backing away. Together, we went inside.

I stopped, searching for the usual group of friends. When I found them, I gestured toward the corner at the opposite end of the bar. “Looks like everyone’s congregating over by the pool tables.”

“Lead the way,” she muttered.

We worked our way through the thickening crowd to the pool tables. Two of our friends, Kelly and Irene, stood beside a booth, and Kelly noticed us first. She turned around, gesturing at me with her drink.

“Hey, look who actually showed—” She stopped abruptly, eyes widening. “
Meredith
?”

Meredith halted, shrinking against me, but with a gentle hand on her back, I kept her from retreating completely.

A grin spread across Kelly’s face. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s you!” She trotted over to us, as much as she could in such precarious shoes, and threw her arms around Meredith, nearly dumping her drink on me in the process. Then, without releasing Meredith, she looked over her shoulder and called to the rest of the group, “Hey guys, you’re not going to believe who’s here.”

Heads turned. Eyes widened. In seconds, two pool games and no less than half a dozen drinks were abandoned. I took a step back, giving everyone room to get in and say hello.

“Where have you been?”

“When did you get back in town?”

“It’s so good to see you!”

I flagged down a waitress and got a couple of beers. I held one for Meredith and sipped the other I watched her get reacquainted with everyone.

Someone nudged my arm. I looked up to see Jason, beer bottle in one hand, pool cue in the other. “Is that who I think it is?” He gestured toward her with his drink. “Meredith Whitley?”

I nodded. “The one and only.”

“Where’d you find her? I thought she dropped off the face of the earth.”

I gave a casual shrug. “We got back in touch a while ago.”

He watched her for a moment, then lowered his voice. “Are you two back together?”

I shook my head, rolling a sip of beer around in my mouth.

“She seeing anyone?”

The sip of beer barely fit down my throat, and I resisted the urge to glare at him. “You’d have to ask her,” I said dryly.

He grinned. “Noted.”

I gritted my teeth, but said nothing.

After everyone had said their hellos and introduced Meredith to those who’d joined the group in the last five years, people migrated back to their drinks and games. When I could finally get close enough to her, I handed her the untouched beer. As she took a drink, put my arm around her shoulders and made an exaggerated display of checking my watch.

“So, it’s been five minutes, so I guess we should—”

“We’re not leaving.”

I laughed. “Didn’t think so.” I gestured at the others with my drink. “See? I told you they hadn’t forgotten you.”

“I didn’t think they’d forgotten me.” She shifted her gaze toward them, then looked at me again. “I was afraid they hadn’t, actually.”

I touched her arm. “I hope you were pleasantly surprised, then.”

“Very much so.” She put her arms around my waist and hugged me. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Glad you’re having fun.” I raised my beer bottle to my lips, but movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. “Oh, hey, look who just showed up.” I tilted my bottle in the direction of the door. Meredith turned just as Krissy stepped in with Matt’s hand on her waist. From across the room, Krissy spotted me, and I knew the instant she saw Meredith because her eyes lit up. She said something to Matt, then sprinted across the floor as much as the thick crowd would allow.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s you!” she squealed, throwing her arms around Meredith. “Jesus Christ, how long has it been?”

“Way too long,” Meredith said. When they separated, she added, “It’s good to see you.”

Krissy smiled. “You too.”

I put my hands up. “What am I? Invisible.”

She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, waving me away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“Get over here, you.” I put an arm around her and she laughed, pretending to try to squirm away when I went to hug her. Then she relented and returned my embrace. No one in our social circle knew she and I were dating, so we kept it platonic around them. Well, as platonic as we could when she grabbed my ass like that.

I kissed her cheek. “Behave yourself, woman.”

“Or what?”

“Or I won’t spank you.”

She batted her eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Matt finally made it through the crowd and joined us. He and I shook hands, then I gestured at Meredith.

“Matt, this is Meredith. Meredith, Krissy’s other man, Matt.”

“Wait,” Matt said. “I thought you were the other man.”

I shrugged. “You thought wrong.”

He laughed and shook Meredith’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiled. “Likewise.”

Like we’d all been friends for eons without any missing years in between, the four of us made easy small talk. After a few minutes, Kristen gestured at me as she said to Meredith, “Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes?”

“No, not at all.”

Kristen looked at me. “Terrace?”

My heart jumped into my throat. That was code for “we need to talk in private.”

I kissed Meredith’s cheek. “I’ll be back.”

“Take your time,” she said.

Kristen kissed Matt, then looked at Meredith. “You mind babysitting him for a few minutes?”

Meredith grinned. “I think I’ll manage.”

I followed Kristen to the stairwell and up to the terrace. It was a warm night, so there were a few people outside, mostly lost in their own little words. Voices murmured, cans and glasses clinked on tables and the concrete railing. We found a quiet, deserted corner, and as soon as we were as alone as we could be, we stopped.

Pretending my stomach hadn’t twisted itself into nervous knots on the way up here, I said, “So, what’s up?”

“Nothing.” Without another word, she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. It took my mind a second to catch up, and by the time it had, my body had already pulled her to me. I matched her kiss for desperate kiss, holding on to her like I hadn’t touched her in way too long. Because, I realized with a sinking feeling in my gut, I
hadn’t
touched her in way too long. A week or two, if that, but I wasn’t used to going more than a few days without her.

I broke the kiss, but didn’t let her go. I pulled her closer and just hugged her, closing my eyes as I took in her scent. Guilt tugged at my gut. Though she and Amy both understood how much this situation with Meredith consumed my time, I couldn’t deny it was taking its toll on my relationships with them. I didn’t hold it against Meredith by any means, I simply realized now, with Kristen in my arms for the first time in too many days, how thin I’d been spread.

“I’ve missed you,” I whispered.

“I’ve missed you too.” She raised her chin to kiss me. The gentle touch of her lips was almost more than my conscience could handle.

I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, babe, I’m—”

“Don’t apologize.” She ran her thumb along my lower lip. “I’m not upset, I’ve just missed you.”

I resisted the urge to release a guilt-saturated sigh. Just like Amy, Krissy understood, and damn it, that made me feel that much worse for all but ignoring her.

“Well, I’m here now.” I kissed her again, drawing it out and not giving a damn if any of our friends came out on the terrace just then. When I finally broke away, I still didn’t let her go. Running the backs of my fingers down her cheek, I said, “We need to get together again. Soon.”

“I know,” she whispered against my lips. “Very soon. You coming to poker night this week?”

I blew out a breath. “God, I hope so. I need it, believe me.”

She pulled back enough to look me in the eye. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just…” I paused, sighing. “I could just use a night of cards and beer, believe me.”

She combed her fingers through my hair. “I can imagine.” With a grin that tried to be more devilish than sad, she added, “Maybe if you come to poker night, we could go to my place afterward.”

“In that case, I will definitely try to be there.” I kissed her lightly. “I assume Matt has been taking good care of you?”

“Of course. Though much more of having me all to himself might kill him.”

“Funny,” I said, chuckling, “Amy said the same thing about Ryan.”

She grinned. “Well, we’re both used to you. That leaves a lot for the other boys to live up to.”

I laughed in spite of the pang of guilt in my gut. “Oh, I’m sure he can handle it.”

“Maybe he can. But there are certain things you do that he doesn’t.”

I slid my hand up into her hair. “Is that right?”

She closed her eyes, gulping when I slowly closed my fingers around her hair. “Yes, it is.”

“I get the feeling my little pain slut needs to be flogged in the near future.” I twisted her hair, just enough to make her gasp. “Would I be right?”

“God, yes,” she whispered.

I laughed, releasing her hair.

“Fucking tease,” she muttered, trying and failing not to grin.

“You know I’ll make it up to you.” I kissed her lightly. “Soon, I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

I smoothed her hair. “Good. As for tonight, should we go see if Matt and Meredith are getting into trouble?”

“I suppose we should, but first…” She stood up on her toes and kissed me. We wrapped our arms around each other again and drew it out for another long, long moment. When we separated, she sucked her lower lip into her mouth as if for one more taste of my kiss.

“That should hold me over for a little while,” she said.

More guilt tugged at my gut. “Well, just to be sure…” I kissed her once more. God knew when we’d see each other again, so I’d take every taste of her I could get right now.

But sooner or later, we had to rejoin the rest of the world, so we reluctantly separated and headed back downstairs. It didn’t take long to find Matt and Meredith, especially since they were lost in a conversation of their own. In fact, they didn’t even notice us until we were just a few feet away.

“Well, well, well,” Kristen said. “Looks like you two are getting along nicely.” She shot him a playful glare. “Matthew Sommers, what have I told you about flirting with Scott’s other women?”

“To do so as often as possible,” he said.

Meredith laughed and shook her head. “Oh, come on, he wasn’t flirting, he—”

“Yes, I was,” Matt said matter-of-factly.

“Trust me, sweetheart,” Kristen said, putting her arm around Matt’s waist. “If his mouth was moving, he was flirting.”

Meredith raised an eyebrow at Matt over the rim of her drink. “I stand corrected, then.”

“I suppose I should have warned you about him,” Kristen said.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Meredith said. “It wasn’t an unpleasant surprise.”

Matt grinned at her, then put his arm around Kristen. “Want to go get something to drink?”

“I could definitely use something cold.” She shot me a surreptitious wink. Then the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

Watching them go, Meredith said, “She’s one lucky woman.”

“Why’s that?”

Meredith grinned. “She’s got you and Matt on her roster. What more could a woman want?”

I gave a quiet laugh. “She seems to enjoy it.”