Page 35 of Dream Lover
“Yeah,” I whispered, touching my fingers to my lips. I hated to watch him go, feeling a lone tear fall down my cheek. It was over. The week gave me a taste of something I’d always craved, and it was better than I could’ve ever imagined it to be. Now, it was getting ripped away. Fate was a funny bitch.
When I took my seat for my flight, I was seated next to the old banana muffin lady and found out her name was Rosemary. She had flown to Las Vegas to visit her niece and her family because the niece’s husband had unexpectedly passed away. I listened to her talk for most of my flight, and it helped ease my mind from thoughts of Conner. The panty charming man had been taking up all of my headspace.
Her story was a reminder, though, that life was short and took unexpected turns. Conner had been an unexpected turn. One I was so appreciative of. Even if we didn’t go beyond the week, we at least had that time together.
My thoughts drifted back to him and the week of challenges. Were we really that compatible?
I couldn’t stop asking myselfwhat if he did call?Could we really be something more than friends?
* * *
The minuteI got home I dropped my bags and collapsed on the couch. There was so much I needed to do, like my laundry and check my work email. I had been gone an entire week and knew I was going to come back to a mess.
Reality wasn’t my friend, and I didn’t want to come back to her. I needed time to decompress. I was also starving. I flicked through my phone and dialed Carrie. We needed to talk, and she needed to bring food because there was none in my place.
“Hey, are you back?” She answered on the second ring.
“I have wine. Bring pizza.”
“Alright. I will see you in thirty.” I could hear her smile over the phone as she hung up.
I took a quick shower while I waited on Carrie and changed into my comfort clothes—baggy sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt.
She showed up about forty-five minutes later with an extra-large pizza. Half with my favorite sausage and black olives, and half with her preference of tomato and onion. I poured us both some wine, and we settled in on the couch with our plates.
“So how was Vegas? Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.” There were some things that weren’t meant for her ears even if she was my best friend. I couldn’t give her the juicy details of all the hot sex I’d had with her brother the night before. That was something no sibling needed or wanted to hear about.
“It was good actually. Better than expected.”
“How good?” She smirked and took a drink of wine.
“Really good.” I grinned and bit into my pizza.
“You slut.” She giggled and slapped my knee. “You hooked up with Conner.”
I avoided a confession and steered our conversation in a different direction. “Why did you send Conner?”
She took a hearty sip of wine and leaned back into the cushions. “Well, I knew Conner would step up and be there. He cares about you a lot, and I know you have always carried a torch for him. Maybe I thought this was your chance to see if there was something there for both of you, and by that smile, I think I was right. So how did it go between the two of you?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“But you had fun?”
“I had a great time.” But Vegas was over and so was whatever Conner and I shared. He was off doing whatever in New York, and I was back home in Flagstaff. “Conner was a great partner.”
“How was Becky?”
“Terrible.”
“Tell me everything,” she demanded, and I did. I told her about all the challenges. I didn’t go into details about the couple massages because, hello—brother. I told her how we won most of the challenges and was considered most compatible.
We talked and laughed some more while devouring the pizza and finishing the bottle of wine.
“What are you going to do about Drew marrying the bitch?”
I tossed the rest of the crust back into the box. That one last piece might have just killed me. “I don’t think there is anything I can do but be supportive and hope he is truly happy.”
“Guess so. Why do you look so sad, babe?”
