That Thing You Do (Crystal Lake 2)

“I gotta go.” He strode toward the door, anxious to get the final tux fittings over so he could go see Molly. He was done with the silent treatment. He had some things to say. He just hoped she was in the mood to listen.

As it turned out, the fittings went long. The seamstress was late because she’d been stuck in traffic across the lake, and damn Mike and his love of beer and Cheetos. He’d had to be completely remeasured and pinned. His waist alone had to be let out a couple inches, and it was too late to get a new pair of pants, so he?

??d be stuck with panels sewn in special. By the time all the guys were done, it was nearly seven, and when Zach suggested a beer at the Coach House, Nate could hardly say no. This was his best friend, after all, and the countdown was on. He wasn’t staying long, but he’d go for a beer.

“You look like you’re thinking too hard.” They were bellied up to the bar, and Zach passed him a shot of tequila.

“Do I?” Nate accepted the shot and tossed it back with the rest of them. He felt the fire burn its way down his throat and settle in his belly.

“Everything okay?” Zach asked the question lightly, but Nate could tell from the look in his eye, he wasn’t asking casually.

“I’m good.”

“Seen Molly since Saturday?”

The fact that Zach hadn’t mentioned his disappearing act spoke volumes. He knew Nate had been with Molly, and it was obvious he was fishing for something. On one hand, Nate got it. She was his sister, and he was looking out for her. On the other hand, though, Nate was tired of defending himself and his actions, of being warned away from the one person on the planet he’d never hurt.

Nate finished the beer in front of him and set the bottle down on the bar. It was nearly eight o’clock, and he’d put in his time. He was done here.

“I’m headed to her place now. Did you need me to pass along anything?”

“I hope you know what you’re doing is all.”

“Moll’s a big girl,” he answered lightly.

Zach slapped him on the shoulder and took a step back. “I watched the two of you real close on Saturday before you pulled your disappearing act.” A slow grin began to spread across his friend’s face. “It’s not Molly I’m worried about. You’re used to being in control when it came to women and relationships. Hell, they’ve been falling at your feet ever since we were twelve. Molly’s not that girl. She never was. She’s not the kind of woman you can control or confine or put in a little box.”

“Why in hell would I want to do that?”

“That’s my point, Nate. The old you would be trying like hell to figure out how to contain whatever it is between you two, into something that can be controlled. Because that would mean you could cut it off when you wanted to. That would mean you’re safe.”

“Safe from what?” Where the hell was his buddy going?

“Safe from life, man. Safe from commitment. Safe from love.”

“Jesus, Zach, you’ve been watching too much Doctor Phil.”

“Maybe,” Zach replied with a grin. “If you want to talk later, I only charge two-fifty an hour.”

“I’ll remember that.” Nate stepped back and nodded to the rest of the guys. “I’ll see you Thursday for golf.”

“Eleven sharp,” Stu said.

Nate left his buddies and headed to his truck. He’d missed a call from his mother, but then there were four text messages wanting to know if he was coming home tonight. He shook his head. Staying with his parents sucked sometimes. Aside from the freshly laundered bedding, and homemade meals, and breakfast ready to go when he got up.

He replied that he was probably crashing at Beck’s and then headed out of the parking lot, turning the truck toward River Road. The ride out to her place took about ten minutes, which, during the day, was the scenic route around the lake, with lots of trees and water and impressive homes. Tonight, there was a full moon, though the clouds obscured most of the light, and if it wasn’t for the mailbox at the end of her driveway with a dog on the top of it, he might have missed it altogether. The house was set back, and he caught glimpses of water through the trees as he parked in front of the old stone house.

Nate cut the engine and looked out through the windshield. Molly’s truck was in front of the shed to his right, and soft light fell from her windows, so he knew she was home. But now that he was here, he found himself hesitating. Maybe he should have called first or made more of an effort to talk to her the day before. Maybe he should be back at the Coach House with the guys, listening to Stu go on and on about his baby and the many ways a kid could poop and pee. Or listen to Zach sing Jessica’s praises as if she were the only woman on the planet. All that stuff was fine, and Lord knows he’d heard a lot of it since he’d been back in Crystal Lake, but being with them didn’t compare to being with Molly.

And he was pretty sure this was the first time in his life he’d ever picked a woman over his buddies.

That made him think about Zach’s words. About his warnings. What the hell was he doing here? What was the end game? Sure as shit, he wanted Molly. He wanted her naked and underneath him. He wanted to watch her eyes change color when he was inside her. He wanted to tangle his hands in her hair and kiss her until she whimpered. Until she begged him to finish. Until he made her come so hard, they both saw stars.

But was this just about sex? Was this about an attraction that caught him off guard? An attraction that maybe he should ignore because she was one of his best friends? Was losing her if this went sideways worth the risk?

“No,” he whispered to himself. He’d been thinking with his dick and not his head. He needed to turn this truck around and head back the way he came. Maybe call on Chess, because she was always up for a quick roll between the sheets. Maybe that was it. All he needed was to loosen up and get laid and forget about Molly.

Decision made, he was about to start up the truck when the front door opened. Molly stood there, wearing next to nothing. A T-shirt that fit like a glove and a scrap of fabric between her legs, the color fire-engine red. Her hair was loose and swirled around her shoulders and face because of the breeze off the water, and when she raised her hands to push it away, he couldn’t help but notice how her breasts strained against her top. How, even from here, he saw how hard her nipples were. How she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her long legs shone from the porch light as if slick with lotion, and the two of them stared at each other for several long moments. Nate, from the safety of his truck, and Molly standing in a pool of light on her porch.