“God, you are seriously depressing, Callie. I’m totally planning on getting laid this weekend,” I said sarcastically.
In all honesty, I hadn’t been with anyone in months. The guys in the city were so redundant. Everyone was a hipster wannabe or a football fanatic. Where were the chill, non-pretentious guys who were just up for a good time?
I had made a vow not to sleep with anyone I’d be embarrassed to stand next to in public. A good rule of thumb, in general. But it also made Friday nights pretty lonely.
“No surprise there,” Callie shot back.
“Oh, screw you, Callie,” I said, standing up for myself. “This is supposed to be a fun getaway, not a break-up bitchfest.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the guy from the general store. “Oh, and you guys,” I said, lowering my voice. “That’s the guy.”
He walked through with a group of three guy friends. Immediately my eyes lingered on two of his friends in particular. They were both tall—taller than me, which really meant something, considering I was five feet, ten inches. One had wavy brown hair poking from the edges of a beanie and bright green eyes. His face looked clean, fresh, bright. He looked, in a word, alive.
The other one had the sleeves of his flannel shirt rolled up, revealing tattoos inked over his forearms. He had a beard and gauges in his ears, and looked rough and the sort of dirty I liked. The total opposite of the guy next to him, but they were clearly friends, laughing at a joke as they passed us.
“They’re all so hot,” Courtney said under her breath, echoing what I was thinking.
“We should go talk to them,” I said, actually really wanting to. They looked like the kind of guys who could shake things up for me.
“Yeah, right,” Callie snorted. “I’m not interested and Courtney would never make a move.”
“Fine,” I said as the guys walked out of the lobby.
The one with tattoos turned before he stepped outside. For a second I could have sworn he was looking at me, and then the bright-eyed guy looked my way. I flashed them both unabashed smiles. Even if my friends were shy or sticks in the mud, I could have fun.
“Anyone ready to get to our cabin?” I asked.
“Yes please!” Courtney answered with a little too much force, stepping between Callie and me.
“Okay, here you go, Court,” I said, handing her the keys, my eyes on the backsides of the guys who’d just walked away.
I wished I could go with them.Chapter SixteenWe settled into our space with the casualness of friends who are close. Once we’d changed into comfy clothes and our beds were claimed, Callie poured us glasses of Merlot.
Raising a glass, she offered a toast.
I got that she was attempting to make amends, and I let her. I wasn’t interested in starting some feud over her persistence about 401Ks and my refusal to admit that I was floundering as badly as she suspected.
“It’s all good, Callie,” I said, as she gave my shoulders a squeeze.
“I know, it’s just Courtney pointed out that I was pretty much a total bitch in the car today. I’m a control freak, and … I don’t know, maybe it affects the people I love more than I want to admit.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over Blaine,” I insisted. “He was a douchebag and a money grabber, and he would have kept taking advantage of you.”
“Except he got tired of me first,” she said, her bottom lip pouting.
“Okay, sure he broke up with you, but it’s not about you. It’s about him.” I believed that. Blaine had been a total ass-hat. I was glad he’d broken up with her, because she needed a real man.
As did I.
Well, not necessarily a real man so much as a night of passion—something that would create a spark. Something to make me to get excited about life again. Life, or love—or both.
We shared two bottles of Merlot over dinner. The deep red wine took the edge off the group dynamics.
I had met Courtney in college when we were in a class together, and she had introduced me to Callie. But things between us had changed since we graduated college, and the stress of real life had affected us a bit differently.
“What are you doing?” Callie asked, as she popped open a third bottle.
“I wanted to check out the sauna,” Courtney said, not extending an invite.
“Well, I want to stay here and get shitfaced; do you mind if I stay back?” I asked.
“No, no, not at all. I actually wouldn’t mind some down time,” Court said, holding up a black bikini in one hand and a neon pink one-piece in the other. “Which one you think?”
“Umm, the sauna and tubs are clothing optional,” I said, cracking a smile.