Page 11 of The Stud Next Door (Frisky Business 3)
I follow Jessa out the front door and onto the porch where we stand for a moment, listening to the cicadas.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she murmurs, playing with the end of her ponytail as the wind teases her flyaways.
What I wouldn’t give to tuck those curly strands behind her ear right now. Anything for the chance just to touch her.
Man, I’m really losing it.
“Yeah, it is,” I finally reply.
Unexpectedly, Jessa takes two steps closer to me, leaning in. She plants a soft kiss on Marley’s chubby cheek, a picture of peace and serenity—all the while my heart beats as loudly and wildly as the fireworks finale on the Fourth of July.
“See you tomorrow, baby girl,” she whispers into my daughter’s ear. Before she steps back, she looks up at me through her eyelashes. Our bodies are so close, I can feel us breathing in unison.
“See you tomorrow too.” She smiles with lips so kissable, I have to look away before I make a fool of myself.
“See you,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse.
With that, Jessa bounces down the stairs and cuts across the Wilkeses’ lawn and up the stairs to the door of her new apartment—only a faint shadow in the streetlight when she turns back to wave good-bye.
When she’s safely at home, I step inside my own door and close it slowly, pressing my forehead to the cool wooden frame. Marley squirms in my arms, her big eyes searching my face as if I alone hold the answers to life’s greatest mysteries.
“I don’t know, Marley girl,” I murmur, pressing my lips to her soft head of hair. “Daddy has no idea what he’s doing.”
4
* * *
JESSA
“Cheers, ladies. Here’s to being young and beautiful in the Windy City.”
My new friends—Penelope, Scarlett, and Maren—raise their wineglasses, each with a warm smile directed my way.
“And to our new friend, Jessa,” Scarlett says, looking to me with a toss of her long auburn hair. “Welcome to the neighborhood, but more importantly, welcome to the whirlwind that is the men of Frisky Business.” Her face holds a challenging smirk, and I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
Before we even clink glasses, Maren and Penelope are both balking. Maren’s polite smile is frozen on her face, and Penelope winces uncomfortably.
Clearly, we’ve already ventured to the most exciting and controversial topic of the evening. And something tells me if I want to learn anything about Connor, Scarlett will be my go-to source.
But just as quickly as the topic was broached, the moment passes, and Maren and Penelope are back to their sweet and blissful selves. We sip our sauvignon blanc and drool over menu items before settling on the beef empanadas and goat cheese for the table.
I have to admit, when they first recommended a tapas place, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But between the cool brick walls, the warm atmosphere, and fragrant tapas food coming from the kitchen, I’m sold.
“Okay, so remind me again how you all know each other?” I ask, placing my hands flat on the table and looking helplessly between my three new friends.
They’re all so . . . pretty. Is it normal for friends to be this pretty? Scarlett’s more on the eccentric side in a bright pink dress and chunky orange necklace. Maren’s a little more on the demure side in an olive-green tank dress that hugs her curves and makes her hazel eyes pop. And Penelope is just too damn sweet in a baby-pink silk top and the kind of vintage jeans only models can pull off. I’ve got to know how these three very different women found each other.
Maren smiles. “Scarlett and I go way back,” she says, turning to smile at her old friend. “We’ve been running this city forever.”
“And I’m with Wolfie,” Penelope says with a shy smile. “Maren’s brother. But we were friends before that happened.”
“With as in . . .” I let the question hang in the air between us. Part of me knows the answer, but I don’t want to leave anything open for interpretation.
“In a relationship,” Maren says with a smile, “and I’m so happy for you two. Besides, it’s not like I’m one to talk.”
“Wait, I’m lost. What does that mean?” I ask. My head’s starting to spin, trying to keep up.
The three women laugh and Scarlett clears her throat, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. “This is what I meant when I said that the men of Frisky Business were a shit show.”
“I think the term you used was whirlwind,” Maren says, correcting her with a strained smile.
“Whatever. It’s complicated. Let me explain.” Scarlett takes another sip of her wine before continuing. “Okay, so your new boss, Connor, co-owns the sexy-times operation with Hayes, Wolfie, Caleb, and Ever. These two ladies are dating Hayes and Wolfie. Maren and Hayes dated in secret, but Hayes and Wolfie were best friends, and that was a problem because Wolfie is Maren’s older brother. But now it’s all happily ever after, and the moral of the story is that everyone is getting some dick except for me.”
