Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances Book 2) (9 page)

Kate

The past few days have been…interesting. I’d come home one day and unexpectedly found Casey’s long lost best friend, Decker, asleep on our doorstep, and Casey fast asleep inside the apartment. She’d just arrived home, and turns out, he’d followed her home from South Carolina. Though, technically he’d flown, so he arrived earlier than she did. I’d agreed to let him stay at the apartment, knowing that having him near was the only way he and Casey would work their shit out.

But poor Decker…he was going stir crazy being stuck in the apartment all day while Casey was at work. Evidenced by the way he’d just grabbed her keys from her hand and ran out of the apartment like a bat out of hell when she arrived home from work.

“What the hell just happened?” Casey asks, standing in the doorway.

I laugh at the stunned look on her face. “He’s been like a caged animal all day. Practically bouncing off of every surface in this place. We played two games of Monopoly, Casey. Two! Do you know how much time it takes to play two games of Monopoly? I was about to ask Dr. Vasquez if he had any ketamine.” Dr. Vasquez, who is a veterinarian, is our neighbor.

Casey laughs with me. “Thanks for hanging out with him today.”

I give her a sad smile. “You know, you could just tell him,” I suggest. Lord knows it would make everything so much easier if Casey would just disclose her health situation to Decker.

“No, I can’t,” she sighs.

“What’s the big deal?” I ask, ignoring her responding glare. “Seriously, Casey. You can use all the support you can get.”

“That’s the thing!” she shouts, raising her hands and slapping them down on her hips. “I already get babied enough by you and my mom. I don’t need anyone else tiptoeing around me. I’m fine.”

“You’re
not
fine. But whatever. You know I’m not going to say anything. But
you
should. He deserves to know.”

“Whatever,” She shakes her head and storms over to the couch, plopping down on it with a thud. I shake my head at her performance and finish cleaning up the mess in the kitchen from mine and Decker’s snacks earlier.

“That was dramatic,” I say as I sit down beside her and take one of her hands. “You know I only care about you and want what’s best?” She nods but doesn’t say anything, so I continue. “Decker cares about you and wants what’s best for you, too.”

“Drop it,” she says as she pulls her hand away from me.

“Fine,” I sigh. She is the most hard-headed person I know. I take the nail file out of my nail bag and begin filing my nails. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, I’m not going to make her.

“So…what’s up with you? You’ve been acting weird lately.”

Well, how’s that for karma?

“Nothing’s up with me.” I don’t bother looking at the “yeah, right” look on her face. I can feel it from here.

“You can play nonchalant all you want, but something’s up with you.” She snatches the file from my hands and starts doing her own nails. Bitch.

“I was using that.”

“Start talking,” she says.

I start chewing the inside of my lip—a tell-tale sign of my nerves, which Casey is completely aware of. I see her eyes widen. Great.

“I’ve been talking to a guy,” I say quietly, not sure how much of mine and Jay’s story I want to unveil. I know what she’ll probably think, and I don’t want her to jump to conclusions about him.

“What?!” she asks. She drops the file and turns to face me. “Tell me everything!”

“It’s nothing,” I say, rolling my eyes. “He’s totally not my type.” I try to downplay it, hoping she’ll back off. She tilts her head to the side, and I can see her wheels turning. She’s not going to back off. I’ll need to put her out of her misery…fast. “He rides a motorcycle. He’s a mechanic,” I shrug, trying to make it seem like it’s not a big deal and instantly feeling terrible that I’ve just put Jay in a box.

Casey’s eyes widen, but she still says nothing. I worry that she’s judging him, and I don’t like that idea. Not at all. “He came into the restaurant a couple months ago. We talked a little bit, but he was there with his friends so we couldn’t talk much. He gave me his number before he left, and we’ve sort of been texting ever since. Sometimes we talk on the phone.”

There…that was a slight stretch of the truth. No, he didn’t come to the restaurant with friends, but what would Casey think if I’d told her he came there just for me? She’d want to know more, and I’m not ready to tell her more. I’m also not about to tell her I’d ridden on his motorcycle and invited him inside our apartment. That we’d gotten hot and heavy right on this very couch. She’d freak out.

I start to blush under Casey’s scrutiny. “Say something!” I shriek, slapping at her arm. She grimaces, and I feel bad; I might have hit her harder than I’d meant to.

“You’ve been busy!” she says after a moment, smiling.

I can feel my face heat even more. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what’s it like? Are you trying to tell me you guys aren’t sexting?”

“Casey!” I yell, slapping her again. I can’t believe she just went there!

“Ouch! What?” she asks, rubbing her arm.

“Stop it!”

“Not until you tell me more. Where does he work? What’s he look like? I don’t even know where to begin!”

Here’s the inquisition I’d been hoping to avoid. Keep is simple, Kate. “He works at a repair shop in San Jose. He’s tall, dark and handsome.”

She rolls her eyes at my lack of details. “What’s his name?”

“Jay.”

She nods, processing this new information. “Do you like him?”

“Yeah,” I answer truthfully, looking down. “But it’s never going to be anything, so it doesn’t matter.”

She takes my hand and tugs at it until I look at her. “Why would you think that? You’re amazing, beautiful, smart…”

I laugh, even if I am those things, I know it’s not enough. “Yeah, but we’re so different. He’s totally hot, and he knows it. He and his friends are boisterous and out of control. He’s my complete opposite.”

While I was working a couple nights ago, Jay had stopped in to the restaurant with some of the guys he works with. I was working the bar, and he’d kept his friends away from me and seated at a high-top table across the room. I didn’t get the chance to interact with them at all, and it had seemed as though Jay designed it that way…that he was trying to keep us separated, so I didn’t push it. He’d told me that he missed me and needed to see me. It made my heart melt. The whole situation had clued me in on just how different the two of us are, though. I watched him off and on that night, noting how different he was when he was in his element like that…in his natural habitat so-to-speak. He didn’t behave that way with me; he was more guarded. It was as though I was holding him back from who he truly was.

“Hey, you’re hot, too,” Casey says, breaking me from my thoughts. “And you know what they say, ‘opposites attract.’”

“That’s so cliché.” I sigh. I start digging through my nail bag to find the perfect color to paint my nails.

“If it’s meant to be, it’ll be,” Casey says, and I laugh. Now
that’s
cliché.

“Ha-ha,” I say dryly. I pull two colors out of the bag, trying to change the subject. “Passion Pink or Radiant Rose?”

She points to Passion Pink. Figures. “Look, if he doesn’t appreciate what’s right in front of him, that’s his problem. You’re a great catch and it’s his loss.”

“It’s complicated, Case. I just don’t know.” When she narrows her eyes at me, I know I’ve said a little too much.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing. I told you everything that’s relevant.” I look away from her and start painting my nails. Hoping she doesn’t ask another question.

“Kate?”

“Yeah?”

“What aren’t you telling me?” I ignore her, acting like the coward I most certainly am. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”

I close my eyes tight. She hit the nail right on the head with that one. I take a deep breath and decide to be honest with my roommate. I look up and tell her, “More than I can even explain.”

She nods as if she was expecting this response, though I’m not sure how. “Okay. That’s good. If you care about him, then he can’t be a bad guy, right? You’re an excellent judge of character. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

“Thank you,” I say, relaxing for the first time since we started this conversation. “He’s a really great guy.”

She smiles a genuine smile, and I decide I’m glad I told her about Jay. “Good. He better take good care of you.”

Given the opportunity, Jay would take excellent care of me. I know it. If he’d just give himself the benefit of the doubt.

“What is it?” Casey asks, noting my change in mood.

“It’s nothing,” I tell her, shaking my head. I love Casey to death but she wouldn’t understand. Would she? Maybe, of all people, Casey would understand. She
is
a psychology major. She has a decent understanding of human behavior. Maybe she’d understand. Or maybe she’d really freak out. Maybe the things she’s learned in class about Jay’s “type” would send her running. Maybe she’d tell my parents. No, she’d never do that.

“Kate?”

I sigh. Maybe I can tell her just a little bit to feel her out and see how she responds? Here goes nothing… “Jay–”

I’m interrupted by Decker barreling through the front door carrying about ten grocery bags. I have to admit I’m a little relieved that this conversation is over.

Casey gets up to help him but quickly turns back to me and says, “We’re not finished here.”

“I figured,” I say, collecting my nail supplies and getting the heck out of there. If there’s anything I want to do less than talk about my relationship and history with Jay, it’s watch the two lovebirds that don’t know they’re lovebirds dance around each other.

Jay

I can’t believe I’m going to a club. A dance club at that. I could hardly believe it when Kate asked me to meet her and her friends there. I’m still not sure I believe it. The guys at work razzed me when I told them where I was going after I’d declined their offer to hit the pool hall tonight. The pool hall was much more my speed, but Kate…yeah, need I say more?

I’ve only seen her once in the past week and, like tonight, we weren’t alone. A few nights ago, the guys and I were at the pool hall, which is only a ten minute drive from Five. I knew Kate was working, and I missed her, so as we were leaving, I’d told the guys I was going to Five
.
I should have just told them I was going home. I hadn’t thought they’d want to join me. When we arrived, I’d spotted Kate working behind the bar and sat them as far away from her as I could. I knew they’d roughhouse, and I didn’t want her to be subjected to it. Johnny and Tom are cool guys, but Steven can get a little out of control.

When I walked up to the bar, her chocolate brown eyes lit up, and her smile was wide. I could tell I’d made her night just by being there. I’m not sure I’ve ever had that effect on anyone. It made me feel superhuman. I’d felt bad for not introducing her to the guys, and they’d teased me about “the babe at the bar” and how they’d keep coming back to a stuck up place like this if the service always looked that good. That had just cemented for me why I hadn’t introduced them to Kate. I’m not ashamed of my new friends, or Kate, I just knew they wouldn’t behave.

So here I sit—sipping on the eight dollar beer I can’t really afford, but need to alleviate my nerves—looking through the crowd, trying to spot her. On my right is Johnny, and on my left is Tom. Neither one of them would miss the opportunity to see me at a dance club. I have to say, though, they clean up nice and, fortunately for me, Steven couldn’t make it. The three of us are dressed up in nice jeans and long-sleeved, button-down shirts. I’d even scrubbed the grease out from under my nails.

Finally, I see her blonde hair across the room and rise from my stool to go to her, leaving the expensive ass beer on the bar without saying a word to the guys. Hell, they’re not stupid. They know what’s up whether I care to admit it or not.

I wade through the crowd and finally make it to Kate. God, she’s so beautiful. She must have cut her hair recently, and now the blonde locks frame her face perfectly. As I approach the table, I see a guy set down some drinks. Kate nods off to the side, and the guy walks off in that direction.

“Hey,” she says with a big smile when she sees me.

“You cut your hair,” I say, toying with a lock as I step in to kiss her cheek.

“You like?” she asks shyly, touching her hair with her hand.

“I love,” I tell her, thinking more about the blush rising on her cheeks than her hair at the moment.

“I had it up at the restaurant, otherwise you would have seen it the other night.”

“You look beautiful,” I tell her as I look at her outfit. She’s wearing dark, snug jeans with a sparkly purple top.

“Thanks.”

“Have you been here long?” I ask when I see that there are three drinks on the table in front of her.

“An hour maybe?” I frown, I’ve been here nearly as long. How did I not spot her until now? “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head. “Nothing, I’ve just been hanging out at the bar. I didn’t realize you were already here.”

“I texted you,” she says. I pull my phone out and see that she texted me about forty-five minutes ago. With all the vibrations from the music, I must not have felt it buzz.

“Sorry,” I say, tucking the phone back in my pocket.

“It’s okay; you’re here now,” she says smiling, putting her hand over mine.

“Hey,” I lean in so she can hear me over the music. “My friends are at the bar with my drink. I’m going to go get it, and I’ll be right back.” She nods, and I head back to the bar.

“Your lady friend arrive?” Johnny asks.

“She did,” I nod, grabbing my beer off the bar top and turning to go back to Kate.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Tom says.

I stop walking and sigh. I should have known these two weren’t going to make it easy for me. “What do you want?”

“We want to meet your friend,” Johnny says.

I look at the two goofballs in front of me. They may be a little rough around the edges, but they
are
my friends. They’re good guys. If I want to make a go at something with Kate, I should introduce her to my friends, right? I’m here tonight to meet
her
friends. I guess it’s only fair she meet mine.

I give an almost imperceptible nod before turning around, but Johnny and Tom see it, and they hurry after me. When we reach Kate’s table, that guy is back, and with him is a girl. The guy looks athletic. He’s tall with reddish brown hair and introduces himself as Decker. The girl, a short brunette, introduces herself as Casey. I recognize her as the girl I’d seen leave Kate’s apartment the day we’d met for lunch. I shake both their hands and smile politely, introducing Tom and Johnny.

There, that wasn’t so bad. We’ve met the friends. One milestone under our belts…only a million more to go.

Shortly after joining their table, Casey drags Kate off to dance.

“She’s had a few,” Decker says, staring after Casey longingly. “If she realizes she’s dancing in a club she’ll probably die of shock.” He finishes his drink and heads off to the dancefloor after them.

“He’s got it bad,” Johnny says, and I nod in agreement.

“So does our boy here,” Tom adds.

I don’t deny it, there would be no point. I probably look as lovesick as Decker does. The guys and I make small talk while I watch Kate dance with Casey. Decker dances with them off and on, staying nearby and not taking his eyes off Casey. Kate was right, those two need to sort their shit out.

After several songs, Decker approaches the table and grabs an unopened water bottle. “Hey, man,” he nods before he chugs the water.

“So what’s up with you and Casey?” I ask as he sets the empty water bottle down on the table.

“What’s up with you and Kate?”

I smirk, smart guy. “Kate says you and Casey are ‘just friends,’ but I see the way you look at her.”

He looks at me oddly before answering. “She’s my best friend. Has been my whole life.”

I laugh. “Kate says you two only just recently reconnected after being apart for a few years.”

“Yeah, so?” he asks, defensively.

“Does she know you’re in love with her?”

His eyes widen. Bingo. “Excuse me?” His eyes dart to Johnny and Tom who aren’t paying us a bit of attention. They’ve got their eyes on a bachelorette party across the club.

“She’s special, yeah?” I ask.

His eyes find Casey on the dance floor, and when they do his face transforms. Yeah, he’s a goner. “She’s everything.”

I know the feeling, buddy. I know the feeling.