CHAPTER TWENTY
Austin
“I hate that therehas to be a goodbye so soon,” I say with a sigh. I know what comes next. It’s played out in my head a few times already.
“Same here, but I won’t last out here. I really thought I would, but the small town living just isn’t my thing. It’s definitely a nice change from the city life, but I haven’t adjusted well. The good news is that I got my old job back, so at least there’s that.”
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” I continue.
“Well, I guess this is it,” Brendan says to Scarlett as he leans in for a hug. I can honestly say I didn’t see this coming.
“Call me when you get back,” Scarlett says. “Promise?”
“I will call you,” Brendan replies.
“I love you, babykins,” she yells as he walks through airport security.
“Love you more, snookums!” he replies with a quick wave and a hand cupped over his mouth.
I laugh at the two of them and their relationship. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay without your sidekick here?” I ask Scarlett.
She turns to me and wraps her arms around my neck. “I think I’ll be just fine.” Scarlett presses up on her toes and scrunches her small nose against my cheek as she kisses me. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“I thought he was happy with the job he got at the plantation?” I ask her. “It didn’t even last two weeks, though.”
“Um,” Scarlett says. “So, Ellis Freedom started ‘hitting on’ Brendan, I guess. Brendan got super uncomfortable and put a stern stop to it.”
“No ma’am, are you serious?” I’m trying to picture this scene in my head, but I’m getting uncomfortable just thinking about the exchange in a work environment.
“Brendan then proceeded to ask Ellis if that was the only reason he gave him a job, and Ellis didn’t appreciate the accusation too much seeing as he does not, in fact, have an interest in men. He was just being friendly, I guess. That’s the story in a nutshell.”
“Wait a minute,” I tell Scarlett. “I don’t mean this in a rude or discriminatory way, but don’t people who are attracted to those of the same sex have a radar or something about that stuff, or is that only a myth?”
“I have no clue,” she tells him. “I think it depends on the person, but Brendan has never had good luck determining who swings for which team. This isn’t the first time he’s gotten himself into this type of situation, and it probably won’t be the last.”
“Poor guy,” I tell her.
“He’ll be okay. I’m almost positive he told work he was taking a month off so he could force me to move down here and get the hell out of Boston. The man doesn’t like to break a sweat, and he doesn’t like shorts or a town that doesn’t have a bar where he can ogle his desire.”
“If that’s the case, that’s quite a gesture he made for you.”
“We’ve been friends a long time. We stuck together in a city that could swallow us up whole if we let it, and have always had each other’s backs.”
“I’ve never had a friend like that,” I tell her.
“You do now,” she says nudging her shoulder into my arm.
We walk out of the airport into the blazing, hot sun and head toward my truck, which is a few blocks away, but I’m not going to make it that far without questioning her last comment. “Scarlett … are we just friends?”
She looks over at me with one eye squinted from the sun. “Austin Trace, it’s not like you asked me to be your girlfriend. What else am I supposed to refer to you as?”
I laugh at her reason. “I wasn’t aware people in their twenties and thirties still put labels on relationships.”
“Ah, yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. What if I only wanted to be fuck buddies?” she asks. I’d like to tell her that if any girl suggested that to a man, they’d probably take the opportunity over a relationship, but I’ve been there and done that, and it’s not as thrilling as it once was.
“Well, if that were the case, you wouldn’t look at me like I’m saving your life every time I go to kiss you,” I inform her.
“Oh please, you’re just cocky and think that’s what’s going through my head.”
