Rose gasped. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope.” Olivia shook her head, still not sure how she felt about it.
She was completely over Jay. Of that, she was sure. It was why she’d broken away from him and his games in the first place. She was so over the destructive relationship—not to mention she didn’t want one of her brothers getting locked up for life for killing the asshole.
“Things between him and me had been pretty much over for a while, but . . .”
She shook her head, staring out into space thinking about how much she should actually share. To say her relationship with Jay was stormy was putting it lightly. Many aspects of it she’d never admit to anyone. Even Margie didn’t know about some of the more shameful things Olivia had allowed Jay to talk her into. But she could still share some parts with Rose.
“It’s just weird, you know? She was there the whole time from the very beginning when I started going out with him, and I told her everything.” Well, almost. “You know how best friends are, right? I gave her the blow by blow of our first kiss, our first make-out session, and my journey from first base to finally doing it with him. I cried to her through all the bullshit he put me through. And now she’s marrying the guy? How am I supposed to talk to her without feeling so incredibly awkward?”
“Oh wow. But I agree,” Rose said, nodding and digging in her popcorn bag. “That would be weird. How did she tell you?”
“She didn’t.” Olivia stopped brushing Sheba’s hair, surprised by how good it felt to finally talk to someone about this. “I saw his relationship status update on Facebook. It went from single to in a relationship, and when I saw who he tagged as being in a relationship with, I nearly fell out of my seat.”
Rose was eating her popcorn now and peering at Olivia wide eyed as if she were at the movies and this was an exciting part of said movie. If Olivia hadn’t gotten so worked up remembering that day, she might’ve laughed. Instead she went on.
“The worst part is a few days later he changed it again to engaged. So if they were engaged she’d obviously been seeing him for a while, right? And all this time she and I had still been talking almost daily, and yet she never once mentioned it.”
“That’s so shady,” Rose said as she took a sip of her lemonade. “She could’ve at least asked you if you’d be okay with it. Things like this happen. So did you ever talk to her about it, or did you just stop talking?”
“I called immediately,” Olivia chuckled, but it didn’t deter the bitterness she still felt. “I was just so shocked and even thought for a minute maybe he was just messing with my head like he’d been known to do. She admitted they’d gotten involved months after I moved out here. And yeah, she did say it just happened. Supposedly they were keeping each other company after I’d moved, and they just started falling for each other. As different as she and I are, in some ways, she’s a lot like me.”
Olivia shrugged, aware that she was staring out into space again and feeling a little guilty. She knew better than anyone how socially awkward Margie had always been. It was part of the reason why they’d had such a bond, not that Olivia ever considered herself socially awkward, but falling for Jay so early on made her feel different—pathetic—weak. Even after all this time, she hadn’t fully shaken the shame of it.
Another thing she’d always known or rather felt was that Margie had always had a crush on Jay. How could she not? He’d been older, experienced, a smooth talker and sexier than any of the boys they were used to in school. Jay had known them both just as long from the time they’d all been kids. Olivia was certain he, too, was aware of Margie’s secret crush on him. He was also aware of how inexperienced Margie was when it came to boys and sex. Olivia was convinced he’d taken complete advantage of Margie when he set his sights on persuading her to become involved with him.
Deciding to keep all that to herself, she went on. “It was what surprised me most. We’re alike in some ways, but socially, she was withdrawn almost to a fault. He’d even commented about it a few times and not in a positive way. Still, I think it was our differences that made us click so well. She was the yin to my yang. It was how she put it anyway. She was always the deep one. It just sucks that I don’t feel comfortable talking to her anymore. I’m not even as mad at her as I am disappointed. I thought we were closer than that.”
“That does suck. I’m sorry,” Rose said with a pout. “I don’t think I could continue to be friends with someone if that happened to me either. And you hadn’t told anyone about this?”
Olivia shook her head. “Not really. My sister and brothers know about the engagement since they know both Jay and Margie so well. But since they don’t know about him and me, you know . . . My brothers were never thrilled that I was even just friends with Jay. I dared not tell them I was sleeping with him, so I haven’t been able to share my true feelings about my two friends back home being engaged now.”
“What about your sister? I’ve always told my sister everything.”
“But she’s your older sister, right?” Olivia asked, and Rose nodded in response. “You see I can talk to Emi about just about anything, and I hope she tells me everything since I am her only and older sister, but she’s my baby sister and still young. She’s not even eighteen. I’m supposed to be setting an example, so telling her certain things like that and a few other things that I’ve done since we moved out here I do not want her knowing about, is out of the question.”
Olivia felt her face warm when she thought of her night with Lorenzo. No way would she tell Rose about him. No telling if Rose knew him or how well. Her sister was married to his cousin after all.
“Ooh, sounds juicy.” Rose smiled. “Lay it on me, girlfriend,” she said, getting a little too comfortable in her seat. “I’m all ears and my lips are sealed. I promise.”
Olivia laughed nervously. She supposed she could tell her about her night with Lorenzo and just leave out whom she’d been with. She was dying to tell someone about it. Rose seemed sweet enough and trustworthy. So far every one of Moe’s friends and all their wives seemed to be.
Biting her bottom lip for a moment, she decided to just go for it. “Have you ever had a one-night stand?”
Rose’s eyes went even wider as she shook her head, and already Olivia could tell this was going to be fun.
Three
Lorenzo
Just as Lorenzo opened the closet door to search for his shoes, his phone binged. Tonight was the game he and Vince anticipated most during football season: Raiders vs. Chargers, their team against their cousins’ team.
What time you getting here, man? Game’s about to start. It’s just you, me, and Ruby tonight. Rosie has a girls’ night tonight. Let’s do this, Raiders!
Lorenzo smiled but couldn’t help think it odd that his brother would be so cheery when Rosie was going to be out having a girls’ night. Vince was nowhere near as jaded as Lorenzo was about trusting women and for good reason. Sweet Rosie was just that—a complete sweetheart who had never given his brother any reason to not trust her. But Lorenzo had never even heard of her having a girls’ night out. And the girl was such a lightweight it was ridiculous. Even she admitted she’d be nervous drinking if Vince weren’t there to keep an eye out. Vince jokingly said in the past that it was exactly why she didn’t go out without him. Though he’d said it jokingly, Lorenzo was fairly certain his brother was more serious than he cared to admit. So he texted Vince back just to bust his balls.
You sure it’s a good idea to let sweet sexy LIGHTWEIGHT Rosie out on her own? What if she doesn’t make it back tonight?
He tossed the phone down on the sofa again and grinned at the thought of his brother’s reaction to that. Vince’s face went all sour anytime Lorenzo called her sweet Rosie. Lorenzo could only imagine the expression on the guy’s face from his adding sexy to the description.
His phone rang instead of pinging, and Lorenzo was already chuckling about it before he even answered. “What’s up?”
“Y
ou’re not allowed to call my wife sexy, you idiot.”
Lorenzo laughed even louder now. “Seriously, you’re letting her go out while you stay home babysitting? What’s this world coming to?”
“Don’t be stupid,” Vince said. “Chatting out front in that grooming van with Romero’s cousin is her girl night.” This time Vince chuckled. “Olivia’s been coming out every couple of weeks, and she and Rose hang out and chat while Sheba gets her fur did. And get this. Rosie was so excited about it she even went out and bought a four pack of wine coolers. Shit. You think I’d let her go out drinking without me? You’ve seen how she gets on a couple of glasses of sangria.” He laughed again. “I still warned her, even with the two of them splitting four wine coolers, to take it easy and slow. I don’t want her passing out on the front lawn on her way in.”
Normally Lorenzo would’ve been laughing at that too. But at the moment, all he could do was swallow hard as the speed of his heartbeat irritatingly picked up again just as it had at the damn services for Janks weeks ago. Every time he thought he’d heard or seen the last of this girl, she’d pop up again one way or another. And each time she did, it got harder and harder to not be tempted to drop the uninterested act and find out more about her. Now she was getting chummy with Rosie?
“Listen,” Vince continued as Lorenzo stood there, still feeling stunned. “I’m stuck here with baby formula and apple juice. I didn’t have time to stop on the way home to grab some beer. So why don’t you stop on your way and get us a twelve-pack, and I’ll pay you when you get here.”
“I uh . . .”
He’d never been good at lying and especially not when put on the spot, but he suddenly had the urge to. He did not want to be around this girl again. His reaction to her the last time he’d seen her—been up close to those eyes and lips—had been nearly disastrous. The fact that she hadn’t bothered to say anything and that she now knew how to reach him if she wanted to, spoke volumes. Lorenzo had actually been pleased about it because if she had he wasn’t sure he would’ve fought the urge to meet up with her. He should just steer clear of her. He had to.
Yet a part of him was already getting a little curious. That’s what it was. He was just curious. Still the last thing he needed was to get caught up struggling to keep his eyes and lips off her again.
Then it hit him. Exactly what were she and Rosie chatting about? Did she know he was Rosie’s brother-in-law? Had she told Rosie about their night together, and if so, what had she said? Was it possible her sudden interest in getting friendly with Rosie had anything to do with him?
He frowned, pressing his lips together. If that were the case, she sure was playing it slow. It’d been almost three weeks since the repast. This had to be just coincidental. Olivia was Rosie’s sister’s groomer now. It was a simple enough explanation for why she was now grooming Rosie’s dog too. There was nothing more to it. But he was curious now, damn it.
“What kind of beer do you want?” he asked.
Chiding himself inwardly, he finished putting his shoes on. Was he really going to do this? Yeah, he was. The more he thought about it, the more anxious it made him, and knowing his sweet little sister-in-law, who talked way too much when she’d been drinking, was having a few tonight made this even more worrisome. What if Olivia did ask her about him? What if Rosie said too much?
Vince put in his order, and Lorenzo was on his way. His goddamned pounding heart was already way more into this than it should be.
~~~
The plan was Lorenzo would get to his brother’s place, and Rosie and Olivia would still be in the van. He’d sneak inside and wait for Rosie to come in when she was done with her girls’ night, and then maybe she’d share a little bit about her new friend. Of course, shit never goes as planned. Rosie and Olivia were standing just outside the grooming van in front of the house. Rosie smiled brightly, waving at Lorenzo as he drove into their driveway, and Olivia turned curiously just in time to make eye contact.
“Fucking great,” he muttered through his fake smile.
Sheba barked at him as she always did when she saw him as soon as he was out of the car. He walked to his trunk, smiling at his giggly sister-in-law, and nodded in Olivia’s direction.
“You guys are gonna need something stronger than that.” Rosie giggled as he pulled the beer and chips out of the trunk. She giggled again at the expression he gave her. “Your Raiders are playing my Chargers. You two will be crying in your beer before the night is over, for sure.” She brought her hand to her mouth, confirming by her continued silly giggling that she’d, in fact, had at least one wine cooler, and then she stopped suddenly. “Oh hey, have you met Olivia? She’s Romero’s cousin and Sheba’s new groomer.”
Lorenzo and Olivia’s eyes met yet again, and he took a deep breath, trying his damnedest not to get caught in them as usual.
“Yes, we’ve met,” he said, feeling his smile wane and nodding at Olivia, but tore his eyes away quickly because even just a sweet smile from her was too much.
He’d leave it at that and started toward the front door, cursing himself for not getting out of coming tonight. The implied message he’d left her with the last time he’d seen her was perfect. Albeit a little fucking rude, it served its purpose. He needed to kill the lingering temptation of getting to know her in any other way. That temptation had been dogging him from day one, especially because he knew where she lived. Seeing her disinterest in him at Sal’s—knowing that she’d lied about her name that first night because maybe she was already attached—had snuffed that temptation. But seeing her again at the repast again had done something to him.
Not since his much younger years had he had to deal with the irrepressible tightening of his crotch at a most inappropriate place or time. The sight of her all dressed up in her big heels at the repast reminding him of their night together had his dick at attention almost instantly. The intoxicating smell of her later when he was closer was exactly as he remembered it that first night. Most significantly, there was something about being so up close to her again. Just like the first time, he’d seen something in those eyes again he still didn’t understand. It’d taken everything in him to fight the unthinkable urge to kiss her.
Hearing how fondly her uncles spoke of her that day about what a “good girl” she is didn’t stifle his growing fascination with her. The possibility of her having any interest in him would only increase any temptation to further acquaint himself with the young sweet Olivia. Reverting back to the callous asshole she’d met that first night had been his only hope.
Lorenzo’s jaw locked as he attempted to walk towards the front door without further incident until Rosie called out for him.
“Oh, Lorenzo!”
Reluctantly, he turned back to them. Rosie turned to Olivia, touching her arm, and addressed her. It gave Lorenzo an opportunity to size the sweet groomer up a bit more without her noticing since Rosie had Olivia’s full attention.
“Both Lorenzo and Vince are big sports fans in general,” she said to Olivia. “Not just football.” She then turned back to Lorenzo. “Did you know Romero has a cousin who plays in the minor leagues?”
Lorenzo shook his head, peering at Rosie and wondering where she was going with this. “Olivia’s younger brother!” she said with a big smile. “He plays for the Palm Desert Nationals. Triple A! He’s been called up to play in the big leagues a few times, and he’s only twenty!”
Rosie’s over enthusiasm about this would’ve normally made him smirk since he was almost certain her wine coolers had everything to do with it. Instead, he gulped hard, desperately trying concentrate on what Rosie had just said in an effort to stop trying to figure out what it was about Olivia he felt so damn drawn to.
“No, I didn’t know,” he said, failing once again at keeping his eyes off Olivia.
She smiled shyly just as he heard the screen door behind him swing open.
“I’ve heard him mention having a cousin who plays ball,” Vince said suddenly, forcing L
orenzo to turn around and bring his attention to his brother. He stood at the doorway, holding Ruby in his arms. “I’ve just never had a chance to talk to him about any specifics. He’s a catcher, right?”
Lorenzo turned back to Olivia, instantly getting caught in her timid eyes. She nodded, looking away from Lorenzo and at Vince instead. “Yep, he’s waiting to hear back from your hometown Padres. Jake Gillespie’s backup didn’t look too good the last few weeks of the season. Gillespie may still be out for a few months the beginning of next season.”
Lorenzo turned to Vince, who wore the same expression Lorenzo was sure he was making. “He’s gonna replace Gillespie?” Vince asked, his jaw falling open.
“It’s not a sure thing yet,” Olivia said with the most adorable giggle.
“I told you they’d be excited,” Rosie said, smiling big and goofy, reminding Lorenzo to get it together.
He hadn’t even noticed he, too, was smiling all big and goofy at the sound of Olivia’s giggling.
“If he gets called up to replace Gillespie,” Olivia reiterated cautiously, “it would only be temporary until Gillespie recovers from his surgery.”
“If the guy recovers,” Vince countered. “There’s no arguing Gillespie’s bad ass when he’s a hundred percent, but shoulder surgery for a catcher, especially his throwing arm, is bad news. He may never be a hundred percent again.”
Lorenzo stood there in what felt like the same damn trance he’d been in at Sal’s for the next ten to fifteen minutes as they spoke more of Olivia’s brother. He loved listening to her talk. The sound of her voice was another thing he remembered he’d been captivated by. It had an almost lulling effect. Something that made sense to him now. As a dog groomer, she likely had to often calm her four-legged clients. Her voice had the perfect calming tone for something like that.