The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (11 page)

As I take a few large gulps from the water bottle, I allow myself to consider the man standing before me.  Could this be the person that I had convinced myself was Evan?  Maybe.  He’s definitely got the same build, lean hips, broad shoulders, easily six feet tall.  Throw a hood over his face, and they could be twins.

“Oh, that’s OK.  I ran into Evan and he straightened everything out.”  Maddy is not so sure about Adam, so she’s sitting right beside me in protective mode.  I can see her ears are perked and she’s on high alert.  I give her a little light pat on the head to reassure her.  “Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight.  I should get going.  It was nice finally meeting you, Adam.”

“Um, Juliette, I was wondering if we could talk.  Can I invite you up to the house for a cup of coffee or something?”  Now my curiosity is piqued.  Today is my day off, and truthfully, I don’t have any plans until dinner.

“Yeah, sure, lead the way.”  Once again, I unexpectedly find myself walking up the beach and onto the luxurious deck of Evan’s beach house.

Feeling a little more comfortable than last time, I choose a deck chair and make myself at home. “So, Adam, does Evan know you’ve invited me here?”  I’m wondering why he’s brought me here.

“Actually, no, he doesn’t.  And I’m hoping we can keep this between us, Juliette.”  He sits down across from me and appraises me from head to foot.  “Tell me something about yourself.  What do you do when you’re not scampering around the beach?”  He leans back in his chair and waits for my response.

“Well, if you must know, I’m a part time bartender.  Listen, if you brought me up here for some kind of weird job interview, I’ll save you some time and be on my way.  I’m not after anything from your friend.  I like him, that’s all.”  I stand up and continue, “I won’t say anything to Evan about this, but I won’t lie.  If he asks me, I will tell him you invited me up here.  I just want to be perfectly clear.”  I turn and head towards the steps that lead back to the beach.

“No, Juliette, please don’t leave.  I’m sorry.  It’s just that Evan and I have been friends for a long time.  We watch out for each other.  The past year has been pretty rough for him for lots of reasons that I can’t share right now.  I just wanted to make sure you aren’t one of those girls that just wants to get her claws into Evan.  He’s got a lot of, well, assets, I suppose you would call them, that make some people try to take advantage.”  He’s searching for the right words.  “It’s hard to explain without giving too much away.”

“Really?  Evan doesn’t strike me as a weak person who is easily manipulated.  He also doesn’t strike me as a poor judge of character.  What’s really going on here, Adam?”  I sit back down.  There’s more to this story and I’m going to try to get whatever information I can while I’m here.

“No, you’re right.  Evan is not a push over.  He never was.  He’s also a great judge of character and he can spot these girls coming a mile away.  But that’s not who he wants to be anymore.  He can’t afford to put himself into a situation like that again.”

“Situation like what?  I don’t understand what you’re saying.  Actually, I don’t understand anything about this conversation.  What do you mean when you say he’s not like that
anymore
?  Are you trying to warn me about Evan or warn Evan about me?”

“A little of both, I guess.  Evan said you were different.  I see that now.  Forget it.  Have a good time tonight.  I guess I’ll see you at dinner.  Thanks for your time.”  He walks me to the front door and watches as I make my way to my parked car just down the street.  That was, by far, the strangest conversation I’ve ever had in my life.  I’m getting completely mixed signals from Adam.  Is he a concerned friend or a nosy interloper?  I guess we’ll find out tonight.

I
return home with a chai for myself and a macchiato for Auggie.  He hasn’t been around for a few days, so I’m thrilled when I pull up and he’s still home.

“Jette, my Pet, you are a mind reader.  Is that for me?”  Auggie reaches for the coffee and kisses me on the cheek. “Thank you, darling!”  He sits back down at the kitchen island and resumes reading the morning news on his iPad.  If I ever want to punish Auggie for some deplorable offense, it would be easy. I’d just have to hide his iPad and watch him freak.

“So, stranger, what’s been keeping you out so much?  You’ve really been scarce around here lately.”  I’d love a chance to talk about something other than my boy drama.  Maybe Auggie has some boy drama of his own.

“I’m sorry, Jette. I didn’t mean to ignore you.  I’ve been a little distracted lately.  I’m free tonight if you want to do something.  Dinner and a movie, maybe?”

“Sorry Aug, but I have plans already.  What’s got you all distracted?”  I raise my eyebrows and give him a knowing look. “Anything
special
you want to share?”

“Maybe, it’s too soon to say, really.  Remember my friend, Anthony?  Well, he introduced me to Brandon.  Brandon designs store displays for Anthropologie.  He travels a lot, all across the east coast, setting up store displays and consulting with local designers.  He’s got a trip to Boston coming up next week and he wants me to go with him.  Isn’t that awesome?”  Auggie is beaming.  He seems so excited and I’m happy for him.

“Can you take time off from work again?  You just got back from our trip.  I don’t want you to drop everything and risk all you’ve worked so hard for.  Is it a good time to go?”  Auggie’s been hurt before and I don’t think I could handle it if anything happened to him.

“Oh, honey, it’s fine.  I just closed on three big houses.  I don’t have anyone on the line right now.  It’s the perfect time.  Want to see some pictures?”  Auggie flips through the images on his iPad and shows me photos of Brandon.  There are pictures of the boys in the car, at a restaurant, in a bar, at the boardwalk, and in someone’s house.  Wow. They have been spending a lot of time together. 

Auggie and I spend some time catching up and chatting.  When we both finish our drinks, I slip away to take a quick shower.  Before I do, I warn Auggie, “Keep your paws off my cake.  That’s for a friend.  I don’t want to have to kill you over pastry.”

I have a nice relaxing afternoon hanging out with my roommate.  We make popcorn and watch old eighties movies on TV.  “St. Elmo’s Fire” is on and we spend half the movie making fun of the hair and clothes and during the commercials, we go online to IMDB the stars and find out what they are up to now. 

It’s an old tradition for us, watching Brat Pack movies together.  Auggie and I spent many Saturday nights together throughout high school.  Auggie never found his niche at school, and I didn’t really come out of my shell until college.

Auggie makes getting ready for a date an event.  First, there’s the runway.  I have to try on dresses, skirts, and pants until Auggie is satisfied with my choice.  Tonight’s wardrobe eventually winds down to a simple lemon-colored halter dress that shows off my shoulders, which I think are my best asset.  I can wear my hair down so it sweeps across my bare back.  The key is to find the right bra and panties.  No sooner have the thoughts entered my brain, when Auggie is holding up my new lace panties from Victoria’s Secret.  I snatch them from his hand, grab a strapless bra, and head back into the bathroom to change.  When I step out, Auggie’s face tells me what I already know, I look hot.  Not too hot, not slutty hot, not millionaire matchmaker hot, more girl-next-door hot. 

“Get your bag, Jepetto.  We have to go over the checklist.”  Auggie read an article once about the ten things you should have with you on a date, and now it’s a guide he lives by.  One by one, we go through the list together.

“Chapstick?”

“Check.”

“Phone Charger?”

“Check.”

“Tissues?”

“Check.”

“Tylenol?”

“Check.”

“Deodorant?”

“Check.”

“Toothbrush?”

“Check.”

“Cash?”

“Check.”

“Breath mints?”

“Check.”

“Condom?  Condom?  Jette, you have to bring a condom!”

Reluctantly, I accept Auggie’s insistence, “Check.”

“Deck of cards?”

“Check.”

It may sound odd, but carrying around a deck of cards can really come in handy.  In large groups, it lends itself to drinking games.  In small intimate gatherings, it’s a great way to keep the conversation going.  I hope I don’t need to take them out tonight.

No more stalling, it’s time to go.  I grab my cake, which is now wrapped in a pastry box, and check my phone one last time.  I send Evan a text before I leave.

Jette
:  on my way – ready?  :)

Evan texts back immediately
:  cant wait ;)

He winked at me again
.
 

F
ifteen minutes later, and I’m standing on Evan’s front porch.  The door opens and I am speechless.  Evan is wearing a black V-neck t-shirt that is untucked and hugs his arms and shoulders perfectly.  His jeans hang loosely on his slender hips.  He has a grin spread across his face from ear to ear revealing a set of perfect teeth, and those dimples.

He steps towards me and offers his hand to usher me into his home.  “Juliette, you look absolutely beautiful.”  His eyes sparkle with mischief, and I’m weak in the knees.  “Please come in.”  He places his hand on the small of my back and escorts me to the kitchen.  Oh my, he smells good.

As we enter the kitchen, I see Adam standing at the counter grating fresh cheese.  He wipes his hand on a dishrag and walks over to introduce himself to me.

“Juliette, it’s nice to finally meet you.  Evan’s told me a lot about you.  I feel like I know you already.”  We exchange knowing smiles and I take a seat nearby.

“Evan, it smells great.  What’s for dinner?”  I scan the kitchen and spot a large pot of boiling water on the stove.

“I picked up some meatballs and Alfredo sauce from Joe Leone’s this afternoon.  I’m just making some fettuccine and garlic bread.  I hope you like Italian.”  Joe Leone’s is an Italian specialty store that has the best prepared dishes on the Jersey Shore.

“Sounds great. I love Fettuccine Alfredo, it’s one of my absolute favorites.”  If I could have Fettuccini Alfredo for dinner every night for the rest of my life, I would die a happy woman. 

“What can I get you to drink?  We have beer, wine, iced tea, water.  What are you in the mood for?”  I glance around and see the boys are enjoying an amber beer. 

“I’d love a cold beer.  Do you have Blue Moon?” 

“Absolutely.  Do you want an orange slice, too?”  He makes his way over to the bar and gives Adam a slight nudge with his elbow as he passes by.

“Only if you have it.”  I watch Evan as he expertly pours the beer in the glass.  As the knife slices through the orange, his muscles flex and I’m transfixed.  It should seriously be illegal to be this attractive.

He hands me the beer and for a moment, our hands touch.  I can feel the electricity shoot through my body and stop right at the apex of my thighs.

“Thanks,” is all I can say.

Adam senses my nervousness and helps move the conversation along.  “So Juliette, what did you bring for dessert?”

“Please, call me Jette.  I brought an Entremet of ginger mouse, orange cream, cinnamon spiced cake, and Kahlua infused chocolate glaze.”  I almost slipped and named the drink that inspired this creation.

“Wow.  Sounds incredible.  I can’t wait to try it.  Hey, Evan, how much longer till we eat?  I’m starving!”  Adam peers over the pot of boiling water.

Evan pushes Adam to the side, stirs the pasta, and nods his head.  He seems pleased with the progress.  “Not much longer.  Wanna set the table?  We can eat outside.”

Adam gathers the plates, silverware, and napkins and heads out to the deck. 

I take the opportunity to cozy up to Evan a little.  There’s a pot of Alfredo sauce simmering on the stove that suddenly needs my attention.  Evan is still standing at the stove checking on the pasta, so I walk over and stand right beside him.  I take the spoon resting on the counter, remove the cover from the simmering pot and stir.  Evan watches every move I make with great interest.  Slowly, I remove the spoon from the pot, place my hand beneath it to catch any drips and blow ever so lightly onto the remaining sauce to cool it.  Lifting the spoon to his mouth, I offer him a taste, “Try it,” and I feed him.  There is nothing sexier than feeding a man.  He places his hand on my waist and opens his mouth just enough to taste.