Alyson purses her lips. “You’re the boss.”
Damn right I am. Best you remember.
Cora and Erin step up and I hand them the juices I bought them. “Good morning, ladies. Just something to help keep you going today.”
Cora’s lips curve up at the corners while Erin blushes at the gift. It’s just juice, not a bundle of flowers. Maybe Erin is naturally timid and the rosiness comes easily. Or there is the possibility she knows about the “meeting” last night. Whatever, it doesn’t bother me either way.
I glance down at the chunky watch on my wrist to see it is just after one when we wrap up for the day. This shoot dragged out longer due to the amount of pedestrian traffic we had to avoid for photos. It’s challenging to capture someone’s face, and their attire, when people walk all around you.
Erin heads to her car, and Alyson to the rental. I tug on Cora’s hand and keep the two of us by the trail for a minute, giving us a fraction of privacy while we talk.
“What’s up?” she asks, her tone casual and light.
“Just wanted to say thanks again. For not walking away from me last night. And for hanging out. Was nice to see you outside of all this.” I wave my hand around us.
“It was nice,” she says as a smile softens her features. “Do you want to go out with everyone tomorrow? We’re going bowling.”
“I’d love to. Who’s everyone?”
“Me, Erin, Shelly, and Jonas. We can ask Micah, too. If you want.”
All but one of those names is familiar. “I’ll text Micah and see if he wants to go. Who’s Jonas?” Because I really want to know. Jonas is not the name of any female I have ever met. Micah would have told me if Shelly has a boyfriend. And Erin seems too innocent to be dating—although, I could be way off base with her.
“Jonas is a friend. He helped me try to fix my old car years ago. It had so many problems and I was a frequent shopper at the mechanic shop he works at and we just became friends. He’s a nice guy. I think you’ll like him.”
A furnace boils in my veins as I try tapering my emotions before I say something harsh. It is not my place to play the jealous anything. I lost that privilege years before she met this Jonas person. And I know absolutely nothing about him.
But that doesn’t stop my truths from surfacing.
Am I still in love with Cora? Absolutely. There is not a day of my future I foresee not loving her.
Does that give me the right to dictate who she hangs around? Nope, not one bit. If she tells me she and this Jonas character are just friends, I believe her.
So, I suck it up like a trooper and put on the smile I have been trained to use. “If you think so, I’m sure it’s true.” I relax my forced expression, only because she is looking at me as if she can see right through it. “Will you give me your number?”
She shakes her head for a few beats. “Why? Don’t misunderstand me,” she says as she jerks her head toward Alyson. Her teeth tug on her lip as she regards Alyson’s eyes on us. But I don’t give a fuck. Alyson can take her sinister stares and fly them back to California.
“So I can text you after I talk with Micah.” That’s a perfectly sufficient reason to need her number, seeing as she asked me to join them.
r /> “Okay.” She nods and I pull out my phone.
I open up a new text and she prattles off her cell to me. When she finishes, I type a message and send it to her. Her phone chimes in her back pocket and a smile dons my face as my heart beats a little faster.
I glance up and see Alyson drilling holes through me with her eyes. Her irritation is raking my nerves. “I should head out,” I tell Cora, although it’s the last thing I want to do. If anything, I would love to spend the rest of the day wandering downtown, holding her hand and chatting more.
“Me, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” I lean into her, wrap my arms around her midsection and inhale her scent. She smells so much better than I remember. The perfect blend of frankincense and gardenia. Against every fibrous desire in my body, I release her and head to the car, giving her a small wave after I get in.
Once we are out of the lot and driving back toward the hotel, Alyson decides it is time to give me her two cents. “I get that you think you know what you’re doing, but please be careful. There are only two days left for the shoot. All I’m saying is to be mindful.”
I opt to not respond, and the drive back to Clearwater Beach takes twice as long. But during the entire ride, Alyson’s words repeat in my head.
Be mindful.
Chapter Thirteen
Cora