So I did the smart thing and told him it had been a mistake.
If part of me had hoped he’d say it wasn’t, then I’m at least 50% a fool.
Given that I saw him with another woman in his lap the very next weekend, I was obviously right.
So why did I kiss him last night, you might wonder?
I blame the zip. And sure, it was also the way Cole was acting like a sullen little boy…
There was something sweet about his pouty lips, about the way his eyes beat into me while he was tearing me apart.
I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about him, andthatis the problem with Cole Garrison. He affects me in a way that I’d rather not be affected, thank you very much. Especially by someone who seems to always point a spotlight on my flaws.
“It was a mistake,” I say. “It just…kind of keeps happening.”
Bryn gives me a wry look. “You keep falling into his mouth?”
“Shhh,” I say furiously, glancing around the teashop. “We shouldn’t even be here. We’re late for work.”
“I don’t know how to break it to you, but I’m banging the boss. I think he’ll be forgiving.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s something I’d say.”
“I know,” she says, “but you’re being surprisingly subdued, so someone had to step up.”
Her mouth scrunches to the side, and she places a hand on her lower abdomen. That’s something she’s started doing, now that she knows about the baby. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even realize it. The baby is months away from being born, and already she loves him or her with all her heart. I feel a little pang of something…
Shit. I’m jealous of a baby, aren’t I?
It’s just…Bryn’s always been my person. Even when we’re fighting, I still have this bone-deep knowledge that if I really need her, she’ll be there for me.
Still, the jealous of a baby thing feels like a new low, and I’m sure Cole would have something to say about it. My lips turn down at the thought, and I mentally prepare a rebuttal. I’d say something about him only being salty because heisa baby.
There I go again. That man just spins me up.
The worst part of last night was the realization that I had sort of let Jane down by not carrying through with my promise. I’d meant to. I honestly hadn’t realized kids went to bed so early. I mean, who knew? My own mother had never instituted a bedtime, so half the time my brother and sisters and I were running around like banshees after ten. We only had a bedtime when we were staying with Nana, and that’s because she’s firmly in the children should be neither seen nor heard camp of parenting.
So I asked Brittany, Cole’s bartender, to gather the parts Cole had collected for me—and even though she seemed suspicious of me, she followed through like a champ. I spent a several hours working on the computer last night. I’m going to present it to Cole and Jane as a peace offering.
Sighing, I push the tea away. “I guess I didn’t tell you because I figured you’d make a big deal out of it. And it’snota big deal. I might have had a tiny crush on him way back when, but let’s be honest, alotof people had a crush on him. He’s just…attractive. And there’s the zip.”
“Why are you so…adversarial with him if you like him?” she asks, her eyes boring into me.
“Because he’s a grumbly asshole,” I say. “Because I don’twantto like him. Anyway, I have a strategy for forgetting the zip.”
She lifts her eyebrows.
I lean forward, warming to the subject. “I need to connect with someone else. It’s brilliant, actually, because this will double as a test for Judith. I asked Hot Rod to meet me for lunch today. I went all sneaky and created a code.” I make a face. “Obviously, this means I need to make some future tweaks to Judith, because it was much easier than it should have been, but that’s a good thing. We need to know her shortcomings. Anyway, I told him to come to Big Jimmy’s.”
She makes a face.
“What? Have you even been to Big Jimmy’s? They might be new, but they have really good hot wings.”
“On a first date?” she asks primly.
“It’s a test. If he doesn’t like me with wing sauce all over my face, he’s not a keeper.”
She pulls another grimace. “So your strategy for getting over Cole is to get under Hot Rod?”
