Crazy in Love

I hang back in the doorway, feeling like an intruder to their intimate moment. I can’t help but glance toward Tatum, who’s sipping a glass of wine while perched on a barstool.

She angles my way but is quick to turn toward the backyard, blocking all of us from her view. While Nick and Natalie whisper to each other, I decide to throw my balls on the Tatum chopping block once more. I shove my hands in my pockets and join her at the large island. I make sure to keep space between us. Matters like Tatum have to be handled delicately.

“Hi,” I say, keeping my voice quiet between us.

Glancing my way, she then turns toward the half-eaten platter of snacks and grabs a cracker. “Hi,” she replies even quieter, eyes on the food before taking a bite.

When the room goes silent and tension fills the air, I find Nick and Natalie sneaking away. Fuck. No pressure or anything. “Soooo yeah, Nick and I scored some tickets tonight—”

“Oh my God, are you asking me out?” Panic rises in her voice, reaching her eyes as she stares wide-eyed at me.

My arms fly up in surrender. “Just as friends. I know you prefer keeping your distance from me, but I was hoping we could maybe move past, well, the past. Or maybe not as friends, but just not enemies.” I need to shut the fuck up. It’s incredible that I can date a Miss Universe, an Oscar-nominated actress, and the top real estate agent in LA—after me, of course—without so much as a second thought. But Tatum Devreux has me rambling like an insecure teen asking a girl out for the first time.

She angles my way, spinning her body to the side. The panic has disappeared, and I’m not sure how to read her. Is that calm settling the choppy waters of her deep brown eyes? A smile doesn’t follow to calm mine, and the tension still felt like a tight lasso around my chest. She sighs in resolve, but then says, “I think you’re right, Harrison.”

“I am?” It’s been so long since she’s said my first name that I’d almost forgotten how sweet it sounds coming from her lips. “About?”

“Being enemies. It’s not good for either of us or our friends. If you’re going to be in the city for a while, which it sounds like you plan to be, we’ll naturally be seeing more of each other.” She holds her hand out. “So I agree with you. We should wipe the slate clean and leave the past in the past.”

I take her hand, the memories of holding it that night in Catalina coming back like it was yesterday. “Deal.” I pull back, not willing to let the heat of our connection trap me back in the night I can’t seem to forget.

She stands, and a smile finally graces her full pink lips. “Great. Now about those tickets . . .”

3

Harrison

Tatum said yes to tonight before knowing if we had tickets to a movie, a concert, a baseball game, or even the subway. My point being, she said yes before knowing anything about the offer.

She said yes to me.

I could let that feed my ego, but that’s not what she intended. I’ll take the good, though, and hope we can actually reach a peaceful existence for our best friends. Or even better, become friends.

She makes it hard, literally, to think of her platonically when seeing her in a short skirt like she is now. I’m reminded I was once given full access to what’s underneath it. There was a time I had to peel her off me, not because I wanted her to stop, but I didn’t want us to get arrested for public indecency. She’s got a wild side that she has me missing.

Bumping into me, she says, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

She takes a sip of her drink and smiles. There’s a shyness to it that doesn’t quite fit the vibrant woman I know her to be. “For asking me to come with you guys. You could have brought anyone.”

When I think about scrolling through my contacts earlier, I now know why I couldn’t find anyone I wanted to call. I’m a fucking glutton for punishment. “I’m glad you came.”

A smirk tilts her grin up on one side. A little nudge to my ribs with her elbow is enough for me to realize the double meaning of what I said. Tatum’s still giggling when she replies, “Me too.”

The lights go down. Natalie and Tatum loop their arms around each other’s and raise their free arms into the air, screaming in excitement for the band. I catch Nick’s eyes over their heads, and we fist bump. He nods toward Tatum and waggles his eyebrows. Ass. I give him a shrug because I’m the dumbass who keeps trying to get back on her good side.