Page 50 of Taking It To Overtime

“It’s not—” I rub a hand over my forehead. There’s an ache starting at my temples and a burn at the back of my eyes and I want off this phone call, which makes me feel like a bitch in the first degree. I spent the last two days trading missed calls with my soul sister, and now that I have her on the phone, I want to hang up and pull the covers over my head. I want to sprint for Genosa, roadrunner style, and board the first plane back to my regular life. Back to me sneaking articles, and photos, and hockey games just to see Robbie’s face.

Tandy’s brows shift, her eyes widening as her hand splays across her chest. Pink nails almost a perfect match for her hot pink tank.

“Hey, V.” Her voice goes low, soothing, a complete one-eighty from her usual bubbly cheer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

And fuck me, this is worse. My shoulders hitch up and I will my muscles to relax one by one.

“No, no,” I force a dry chuckle. “I’m okay. Just—”

A hand slips around my waist, pulling me back into a hard, hot chest. We’ve been here before, and I should take offense to the way Robbie touches me like I’m his. Except I like it and I’m pretty sure I touch him, look at him, the same way.

“Ready to go, baby? We don’t want to miss our reservation.”

It’s not just his breath that I feel on my ear and cheek, it’s the words themselves. They seem to vibrate the very cells in my skin.

“Oh.” Tandy’s doing her best Betty Boop impression as Robbie presses his mouth to the curve of my shoulder. He lingers there, lips resting against my skin, and I shiver in hisgrip. I can feel the shift of his smile. ”Oh shit. Fuck me, you aren’t alone. Dammit. I mean hi. I’m Tandy.”

“Hi Tandy,” Robbie says, “I’ve heard a lot about you. Thanks for taking such good care of my Vera. I’ll be forever grateful.”

I turn my head to look at him, still holding my phone at arm’s length. He’s so gorgeous up close. Thick dark brows, a strong jaw and chin—even if it’s hidden under his beard—eyes the color of the honey amber pendant my mom has in her jewelry box. Even the bend in his otherwise Roman nose only adds to his appeal. I was there the first time he broke it falling out of the climbing tree back behind the Lutheran church. I was watching when the bones cracked again under the force of a high stick from a Dallas forward.

What was I doing again?

“I know who you are,” Tandy says with a sly smile, and I’m reminded of my murderous intent. “Although it’s nice to officially meet you.”

“You too,” Robbie says.

He meets my gaze head on and the world fades away to white noise. The colors of the room twisting into each other. My heart is thundering away in my chest and I can’t pull air into my lungs. I just know that I’m being hauled into Robbie’s orbit and I can’t fight it. Don’t want to fight it. His free hand comes up to cup my cheek, thumb stroking the skin underneath my cheek bone. Time ceases to have meaning.

His lips are cool against mine, soft and slightly parted. I suck in a breath as the kiss registers, and Robbie takes advantage of my open lips to slip his tongue into my mouth and twist around mine. He’s good at this, despite a long dry spell. Knows how to rub his tongue along mine until my knees wobble. Then he pulls back, pressing a quick peck to my nose.

“I’ll be in the hall.”

I don’t know how long I stand there after the door closes, still holding up my phone while Tandy stares into my soul with the force of a water cannon.

“Oh, my—”

“Don’t say it.”

“Gawd. You little minx. He was there the whole time? And that kiss? Vera. I’m second-hand turned on. I may need to call Max and see if he’s free tonight because Yowzah.” Her Texan twang is deeper as she laughs her way through admonishing me. “Damn, that could’ve been embarrassing, huh? All the things I said. And he was there the whole time.”

You think?I want to say, but she’s giddy-happy and my brain hasn’t re-solidified and I’m feeling too damn good to be snippy.

“Is this a thing?” She asks. “Are you back together? Just a fling in NY? Scratching an itch? Getting closure?”

“Breathe,” I say, and Tandy sucks in a lungful of air. ”It’s…” I’m not sure what to say. I’m afraid we might be in over our heads here and I’m the idiot who gave us the starting push. “Complicated.”

“I bet.” My best friend nods. “All jokes, and his gorgeous face, aside, be careful with your heart, Vera. Both of your hearts. Have fun. Ride him until he passes out, but don’t let him break you again.”

I go to protest and she cuts me off.

“Iknowit wasn’t like that. It was a crummy situation for everyone, but still. It’s been sixteen years, love, and you’re still halfway in love with the man. And I’m pretty sure he feels the same. Be careful.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing here, Tandy. I don’t have any of my shit together. None. At all.”

And I still haven’t done my hair or makeup and we apparently need to go. What am I even doing?

“Now hold on,” Tandy says in her little-miss-pageant, kill-you-with-kindness tone, “Aren’t you Vera Novak? Didn’t you once walk in thirty shows at NYFS andthenfly to Milan and Paris and walk in multiple shows back to back? Didn’t Cooper see you in that random campaign you did in Japan while he was on his honeymoon and immediately get in touch with your agency? Didn’t he design an entire collection around your gorgeous freckles? Aren’t youtheVera Aster Novak that gets on planes to jet set around the world, even though she’s terrified of flying?”

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