I was walking quickly, hoping to get to the fragrance store before they closed. It only took me fifteen minutes on foot to get there. The downside was that I passed my favorite ice cream shop, pancake stand, and waffle station on the way. This girl had little self-restraint, but today I was in a hurry, so it wasn’t even an option.
SoHo was so vibrant. The streets buzzed with visitors, New Yorkers and tourists alike. It had a different vibe at night than during the day, when everyone hurried from shop to shop. Everyone was more relaxed in the evening, enjoying a cocktail and dinner.
I headed straight to the fragrance shop, a very hip, artsy place where you could even mix your very own signature fragrance.
“I’m so sorry they dropped it off here,” I said when I came in. “I had no idea. It was supposed to come tomorrow.”
“It’s not a problem,” Deborah, the sales associate, said with a smile. She was a beautiful woman with silky black hair that was always braided on one side and big brown eyes.
She pointed to the corner where the huge-ass package stood. Luckily, it wasn’t very heavy, so it didn’t make sense to wait for Liam. Not that I didn’t want to watch him flex his muscles...buuut I could think of many other ways to do that. Much less clothing. Much sexier.
I managed to push it out to the street and into my own store without a problem. As I placed it on the floor, I noticed a few messages from Cole’s wedding planner. We exchanged quite a few emails and texts regarding wedding locations, and I did a little happy dance when I saw all the locations in the top five were available on the date we needed it. Now Cole and Laney just had to look at them and tell us which they preferred. I would totally go for the one that had a fountain at the entrance, mostly because I could imagine taking perfect pictures at the edge of it, maybe jumping in at the end of the party for fun.
Oh, no, no. No daydreaming about my wedding. That was just dangerous!
I’d just started unpacking the box when I heard a knock at the front door. I looked up with a smile, which immediately dimmed. I expected Liam, but it was Kevin.
“Hi,” I greeted as he stepped in. I’d really found him attractive? He seemed so insipid now with his gray eyes and blond hair.
“Hey. Saw you pass by the food truck. I called after you, but you didn’t hear me.”
“Oh...I was just lost in my own head, as usual, I guess.”
He looked around the empty shop before focusing on me. “Am I interrupting something?”
“I need to unpack this box.” I wasn’t in the mood to speak to him. Actually, I just realized I wasn’t in the mood for this so-called friendship anymore.
“You’ve certainly done well for yourself, opening up a second store so quickly.”
Something in his tone was off.
“Thank you.”
“Do you have time for a late dinner? Or a cocktail?”
“No, not really.” I didn’t mention Liam, because it wasn’t any of Kevin’s business. Instead, I just pointed to the box.
“Come on, Tess. You’ve wanted to go out with me forever. Now’s your chance.” He winked in a very self-assured way.
“Excuse me? This is my chance? Who do you think you are?”
I felt blindsided. The last time I heard from him was when he asked about his chances with that bimbo weeks ago.
“You kept sticking around.”
“What the hell do you mean?” Okay, now I wasn’t just blindsided but mad.
“That you were hoping I’d eventually give you a shot. Well, I’m ready.”
Oh my God, this man is beyond annoying. How did I miss this? I pointed to the door. “Out.”
He frowned, jerking his head back. “What? Why?”
“I have no interest in going out with you. Now or anytime.”
“Well, it’s not really going out. We could go in your back room if you prefer. You look like you need a good fuck.”
What. The. Hell? He’d just played that friendship card so he could have me on call for a quick lay? Sometimes I wondered how I was still so naïve when it came to the games men played to get someone in bed. Even after years of bad dates, the occasional asshole still managed to surprise me. I couldn’t believe this. I was so pissed.