Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) (24 page)

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the
doubt and assume you aren’t sleeping with that guy, but you want
to.”

Damn it. “I’ve had a crush on him for a
while, but it’s nothing.”

“He’s into you. He looks over at you when he
knows you aren’t looking.”

“Why are you telling me that?”

“Because I don’t want you hurting Colin. If
all you’re waiting for from that guy is an invitation, you’re going
to get it.”

“I’m not interested in getting with him. I
just… This is going to sound stupid.”

“Just tell me.” Her face slowly faded back
into her usual upbeat expression.

“I can’t figure out his drink.”

“Meaning?”

“I can always figure out people’s drinks. I
mean, it took me what, two minutes to nail yours?”

“So you can’t figure his out?”

“No. And it annoys me for no real reason
other than I’ve never had this problem. I don’t know if you’ve been
listening, but he’s an awesome songwriter. I want to understand
him.”

“Maddy, that’s great and all, but don’t kid
yourself. You want to do more than understand him.”

“Maybe, but not in a fantasy type of
way.”

“My advice is to get all your staring out of
your system fast. Colin’s going to notice, and he’s going to be
upset.”

“He checks out girls. I’ve caught him on
several occasions.”

“And do you like it?”

“I don’t care.” I sipped my water. “It’s a
normal reaction.”

“To be honest, I don’t know if Colin would
care, but I do. I love my brother, and you make him happy. I want
you to continue to make him happy.” A few tears welled in her eyes
and I knew they had nothing to do with her being afraid of me
leaving Colin.

“Do you want to talk?”

“Did Colin tell you what happened?”

“No…” I wondered if he wanted it to stay that
way, or if his silence was to protect his sister’s privacy.

“I figured he hadn’t, but you might as well
know.”

“Okay.” I braced myself.

“My sister thinks I slept with her
husband.”

“What?” I slammed my water down on the bar.
“Why would she think that?”

“He tried to come on to me when he was drunk,
and I made the stupid mistake of telling her.” She rested her
elbows on the bar. “He defended himself by telling her I was the
one trying to seduce him. She believed him that I started it—but
she didn’t believe it was only an attempt.”

“Is that why your parents are so weird with
you?”

“They don’t believe I slept with him, but
they think I hit on him. Kim isn’t even talking to me, although she
talks to him.”

“That’s awful.”

“It is. Isn’t it?” She polished off her
drink. “Sometimes life is out of our control. You have to enjoy the
moments when you can actually slow it down.”

Wow. I couldn’t imagine what Carly was going
through. I thought my relationship with my parents sucked, but her
parents believed she tried to steal her sister’s husband. How
little did they think of her?

“Colin didn’t believe it, did he?”

She shook her head. “No. He sided with me. He
never liked the guy. That’s why I was here this summer. I needed to
get away before school started.”

“That’s why he didn’t tell me about your
visit.”

“Yeah. I don’t think he wanted to explain.
I’m sure it’s hard for him to be stuck in the middle.”

“It’s harder for you.” I made her another
cosmo. I held up the bottle of vodka, wordlessly asking her if she
wanted it strong. She nodded. I slid the drink over to her. “I’m
sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. Why are you
apologizing? I just wish I could go back in time and stop myself
from telling her.”

“You told her the truth.”

“Yeah, sometimes the truth is worse than the
lies.”

“I guess so.” I promised myself I’d call my
parents. Maybe I was being dumb about cutting them off. They
treated me better than Carly’s treated hers. But something bothered
me about her statement. “No. I think you did the right thing.”

“Yeah?”

“He would have done it again, and then what
would have happened when you tried to explain? It’s better to have
gotten it out there.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that. Colin says
exactly the same thing.”

“I always knew Colin was smart.”

I’m one of those people who loves eggnog. I
don’t just like it; I love it. It’s not the holidays without it.
Although I’ll happily drink it nonalcoholic, I love mine with
Southern Comfort. Colin can’t stand the stuff. That’s how I knew he
was trying to make me happy when he filled up a glass and put it to
his lips.

I placed a hand on his arm. “You don’t have
to drink it.”

“I know I don’t.” He took a seat on the love
seat.

“Then why are you?”

“I’m trying to figure out what makes you like
it so much.”

“No.” I settled down next to him. “You’re
trying to kiss up to me.”

“And why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it
out.”

He set aside his nearly untouched cup and
pulled my feet onto his lap, starting in on a foot massage.

“Okay, now you’re scaring me.” I closed my
eyes, my feet very happy with the attention after wearing heels all
night during our holiday party. The party was the first event we’d
hosted together, and I thought it had gone pretty well, despite how
rushed everything was. Colin had made it home about ten minutes
before the guests arrived.

“What? Can’t I just want to give you a foot
rub?”

“No.”

He laughed. “Should I tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Come home with me for the holidays.”

My eyes opened. “No.”

“Wow, that was fast. Not even going to
pretend to think about it?”

“I need to spend it with my parents, and you
need to make things right.” I nodded over to where Carly slept
curled up on the couch. The last of our party guests had left about
an hour before, and we’d cleaned up all the essentials and were
taking a break.

“Can’t you do both? Our parents are only a
few hours apart. Christmas Eve with one, Christmas with the
other?”

I shook my head.

“Please.”

“Why do you want it so much?”

“My parents want to see you again. They
barely met you at my cousin’s wedding. I talk about you constantly,
and they want to know you better.”

“Talk about me constantly? Do you tell them
that my bartending is temporary?” The words spilled out without a
filter.

“Yes, because it is.”

I’d held in my frustration all night, but I
couldn’t anymore. On no less than three occasions he’d described my
bartending as a stepping stone to something better. I wondered if
he had a clue how condescending it came off.

“Why do you have to tell everyone that? It’s
like you have to explain away my pitiful career.”

“You want people to think you plan to bartend
for the rest of your life?”

“Why not? There’s nothing wrong with it.”

His hands stilled on my feet. “You have a
college degree, Maddy. You’re going to use it eventually.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” I moved to sitting.

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“No. I just wish you weren’t embarrassed of
me.”

“Embarrassed by you? Wasn’t I inviting you
home for Christmas?” He put an arm around me. “Generally, you don’t
ask someone to come home if you’re embarrassed of them.”

“You invited the chem degree Maddy home, not
the bartending Maddy.”

“And those are different people?” He eyed me
skeptically.

“I don’t know. You tell me.” I sighed.
“Forget I said anything.”

“Should I?”

“Yes.” I leaned into his side.

He opened his arms for me. “How about we put
the rest of the cleaning off until tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” I closed my eyes, feeling
warm, safe, and content in Colin’s arms.

***

I checked my watch again. He was officially
twenty-five minutes late, and his one and only text message had
come at the two-minute mark. I understood he was busy with work—I
got it, but I wasn’t the one who insisted on making reservations
for a three-month anniversary.

I sipped my wine. I’d given in and ordered a
drink at the ten-minute mark. Otherwise, they probably would have
thrown me out. I was taking up a prime real estate table with a
view of the water. It would have been romantic if my date had
showed. A few months earlier, I would have been shocked by his
tardiness, but I was growing used to it. As an early bird myself,
it usually meant I was waiting a long time.

I texted him again.
Should I
leave?

Two minutes later I got a response.
No,
please. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Go ahead and order
something to hold you over.

I didn’t text back. Instead, I pretended to
study the menu so the waiter wouldn’t come over again.

Ten minutes later, he still hadn’t showed. It
was time to leave. I reached for my purse, surprised when I
remembered I’d brought my tiny silver clutch. The same clutch with
no room for my wallet. I’d slipped in all of a five-dollar bill, my
phone, a house key, and Chapstick. Damn it. My five dollars wasn’t
going to cover the wine. I texted both Macon and Brody, but neither
responded. The only one left was Carly. I was too annoyed to call
Colin. I sent her a text.

Your brother stood me up.

Seriously? Are you at the restaurant?

Yes. Any chance you could come by and lend
me a few bucks? I don’t have enough to cover my wine.

I’ll do one better. See you in twenty.

I’d just sent the waiter away again when
Carly showed up, slipping into the seat across from me. “Hey,
Mad.”

“Hey, C. Thanks for this. I should have
brought a credit card.” We’d taken to using the new nicknames as a
joke, but I kind of liked them.

“One usually assumes they don’t have to bring
money when their boyfriend is buying dinner.”

“Yeah, he’s blown me off before, but this is
pretty bad.”

“Well, let’s make the night better. Pick out
a drink for me.”

“Wait, we’re staying?”

She grinned. “Yes.”

“I guess I’ll pay you back later.”

“Oh no. This is all on Colin.” She slipped an
American Express Gold Card onto the table.

“Is that Colin’s?”

She nodded. “I stopped by his office and got
it.”

“So he knows you’re here?”

“Yes. He was kind of getting his ass handed
to him, but he did give us a ticket to a good time tonight.”

“All right. What are you in the mood for? I’m
kind of in the mood for a martini. Do you want one too?”

“Yes. But make it top shelf.”

“Carly.”

“Colin would insist on it.”

I ordered our drinks, and Carly ordered us
both the Surf and Turf consisting of filet mignon and lobster tail.
That was only after ordering every appetizer on the menu.

“Hey, is the brandy sampler good?” she asked
when the waiter came back.

“Very.”

“We’ll have that. Or make that two.”

I blanched. “I don’t drink brandy.”

“So? I’m sure someone in the restaurant
does.”

I gasped. “Carly. This is crazy. Do you
realize what the bill is going to be?”

“Yes, but Colin needs to stop being such a
prick before he loses you. I love him, but I’d kick a guy’s ass if
he stood me up like this.”

“Would you really?”

She shrugged. “I’d want to.”

I laughed before bringing my martini to my
lips. “At least the drinks are good.”

“Agreed.” Carly clinked her glass against
mine.

Two hours later, we hobbled out of the
restaurant. We’d made some new friends and tried more variations of
brandy than I knew existed. And I try to stay on top of my liquors.
Both of us were far too inebriated to drive, but we were full of a
lot of good food.

“Hopefully, Macon picks up this time.” I
didn’t bother to text. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to type anything
resembling English.

“Hey, sunshine.” Macon always made up random
nicknames for me.

“Hey, Macon!”

“Uh-oh. Why are you drunk dialing me from a
date?”

“I got stood up.”

“Seriously? I’m sorry, Maddy.”

“It’s okay. Carly met me. But we had a drink
or two and can’t drive.”

“Or like twenty!” Carly yelled into the
phone.

“Why don’t you wait at the café? I’ll be
right there.”

An hour later, I was deep into a game of
Bullshit. Brody had come in from work about five minutes after we
did. Carly had opted to come back to our place, and I decided that
cards seemed more fun when you were drunk. A lot of things seem
more fun when you’re drunk.

I wasn’t sure if Colin had called, because
I’d purposely left my phone across the room. I was in a great mood,
and he wasn’t going to ruin it.

After losing to Carly three times, that girl
could bullshit like a pro, I stretched out on the couch. I’d just
closed my eyes when the knocking started. I groaned. What was with
people coming to the door while I slept? I wanted to ignore it, but
I knew Macon and Brody would kill me if I didn’t get it to stop,
and Carly was out cold on the love seat. I already knew who it
would be.

I dragged myself to the door and pulled it
open.

“I’m so sorry.” Colin fell to his knees in
front of me.

In my slightly drunken state, I laughed.
Probably not the best thing to do.

He clenched my shirt with his hands. “I know
you’re mad, but I wanted to see you.”

“Don’t you feel like we have this
conversation a lot?”

“It’s only the second time.”

“Still, that’s a lot for three months.” I
crossed my arms.

“I couldn’t leave. The Dallas deal fell
through. It completely fell through.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.” He’d been working months
on it. I put a hand on his shoulder. “Tonight’s incident aside, I
know that must have been rough.” My anger gave way as I looked into
his devastated eyes. He put everything into his job, but sometimes
everything isn’t enough.