Elise leaned back in her chair as fireworks lit the sky. They didn’t have a front row view, but the show was still pretty impressive from Rachel and Sean’s backyard. Rachel was curled up on Sean’s lap while Elise was sitting with her new friends, Tera and Heidi. Luke was sitting a couple of feet away with a few of his buddies.

Elise wanted to be snuggled up on his lap.

She had no idea what that meant.

The two of them did not have a relationship. She would go as far as to say they were friends, but that was it. Friends who’d had sex twice now and who had plans to have it again later. But they never talked about having anything exclusive. She didn’t even know if that was what she wanted.

When she asked herself the question, right now, the answer was no. Luke was handsome and fun, but she could never see him being husband or father material. She didn’t even know if he was boyfriend material. And that was if he even wanted to be someone’s husband or father someday.

For all she knew, he might have plans to be single for the rest of his life. The only thing she’d ever heard him mention about being serious with someone was when he’d said he’d watch Love Actually with his future wife. And Elise had been around long enough to know that he’d told her that, so she’d quit bugging him to watch the movie.

She didn’t know what to do. She thought she’d grown out of the one-night-stand and friends-with-benefits stages of her life. She was going to be thirty next month, and she wanted to get married and have kids before it was too late. It didn’t matter how much people said that thirty was the new twenty because her biological clock was still working on ancient time. And, if she factored in meeting someone, dating them for at least a year, getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, and enjoying some time with her new husband before having kids, that didn’t leave her with much time to have children.

She slumped down in her chair, suddenly depressed.

Elise’s gaze wandered over to Luke again. She didn’t want to stop this thing they had though. She liked being with him, and it wasn’t like there were any prospects for future boyfriends hanging around, so she might as well enjoy Luke for now.

Suddenly, there was a chorus of, “Ooh,” and, “Aah,” around her, and Elise looked to the sky to see what had to be the big finale of the show.

After the fireworks were done and there were a few disappointed sounds, Rachel stood up. “Okay, everybody, I know most have to work tomorrow—”

“Boo!” someone yelled.

Everyone laughed.

“Stupid weekday holiday,” somebody else chimed in.

This year, Fourth of July was on a Tuesday. Something Elise had not been thrilled about before, but now, it gave her a chance to leave and go to Luke’s house because the party wasn’t going to last forever.

“Since most of you have to work tomorrow,” Rachel continued, “but not all of you are ready to drive home, we thought we’d put a movie on, so you could relax and sober up. It’s actually a tradition that Elise and I used to do in college, and since she’s back, I think it’s the perfect solution for anyone who’s drunk. It’ll be like old times,” she said right to Elise.

Damn it.

Elise smiled, but she was secretly somewhat disappointed. She loved the fact that Rachel was bringing back their tradition, but now, she didn’t know if she would get to go to Luke’s. She was one of those people who had to work the next day, and she didn’t know if she would have time for movie and sex.

“If you feel like you need to stay over, we have two guest beds,” Rachel added.

Everyone else got up from their chairs, and most people started helping Rachel and Sean clean up by folding their chairs and picking up their glasses and plates. They had put most of the food away before the fireworks, so that was one less thing to worry about.

They were just finishing up with the stuff that couldn’t wait until the next day when Elise caught Luke’s eye from across the garage, and he smiled his handsome, cocky smile.

“Say, Rach?” Elise said to her friend.

Rachel looked up from wiping the table down. “Yeah?”

“How much would you hate me if I didn’t stay for the movie? I love that you thought of us and our tradition, but I’m not drunk, and I do have to work tomorrow.”

Rachel’s face fell, and guilt flooded Elise for even asking. What kind of friend was she to put sex before her friend of over ten years?

“You know what?” she said, not giving Rachel a chance to even say anything because she would never tell Elise how upset she was. “Why don’t I stay for at least the first half? If I’m not feeling tired, I’ll stay for the whole thing.”

The relief across Rachel’s face was immediate. “Yay! I’m so glad you’re not leaving. It wouldn’t be the same without you. I’ve been doing it off and on with Sean, but he’s not you. I always miss you on the Fourth.”

“Aw,” Elise said, touched. “I always miss you, too.”

Now, she was almost wondering how she’d ever thought about leaving with Luke.

“I’ll take the plates and cups into the house,” Elise told Rachel.

“Okay. I’ll see you in there. I’m just going to put all the drinks in one cooler before I come in.”

Elise headed inside and didn’t notice that Luke had followed her until he was right behind her. They were the only two in the room, and he slipped up behind her as she opened the cupboard to put the stuff away. He reached around and caressed her breasts before sliding one arm down and cupping her between the legs. He used his middle finger to put pressure against her clit, and Elise fought the urge to moan.

Life wasn’t fair. And neither was Luke.

Elise turned around and clutched the counter behind her.

Before she could even say anything, Luke spoke, “Uh-oh, you’ve changed your mind.”

“No. Yes.” She sighed. “Both. I still want to come over, but I have to stay and watch the movie for a little while at least. It’s my and Rachel’s tradition. She would be seriously disappointed if I didn’t stay.”

“Then, you leave me no choice.”

Elise questionably eyed him. “No choice?”

“I have to stay, too.”

She raised her brow. “You made it sound like you were going to do something bad.”

Luke snickered. “Oh, I am. Three words. You, me, and a blanket.” He wiggled his first three fingers.

“It’s July,” she pointed out.

“Damn,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to think of another way to torture you.”

Elise laughed at him. “I’d like to see you try.”

Nothing else was said as they heard the door open, and he stepped away from her. But Luke’s use of the word torture reminded her of the item she had searched for before she left the house.

“Hey, Rachel?” Elise asked right as her friend stepped into the room.

“What?”

“Do you care if I pick the movie?”

“Of course not.” She held up a finger. “As long as it’s one you know I’ll like.”

“No problem. No action movies, it is.”

“Sounds good to me.” Rachel grinned.

Elise couldn’t keep from smiling at Luke before she headed to Rachel’s room where she’d stuffed her purse when she first arrived to keep it safe.

Luke’s expression was clearly a what-are-you-up-to kind of look as she walked out of the kitchen.

After Elise grabbed the movie, she quickly put it in and started it. She didn’t want the menu to be on the screen when Luke walked into the room.

Not many people stayed. Most everyone had stopped drinking early enough, but a couple that Elise had just been introduced to were still there.

“Oh, I love this movie,” the wife, Mandy, said. “Even Nick likes it.”

The husband, Nick, said, “Yeah, it was way better than I’d thought it would be.”

“Thank you,” Elise said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say. It’s great.” Once the previews were over, she paused the DVD on a black display to wait for Luke to enter the room.

Everyone else came into the room and sat down. It was just a couple of more friends of Rachel’s from work. Elise waited for the sound of Sean’s and Luke’s voices as they walked toward the family room, and then she hit play. She always loved the beginning of this movie.

When Luke reached the doorway, he paused and studied the screen. “What movie is this?” he asked suspiciously.

Before Elise could say, Don’t tell him, the title came on the screen, and Sean said, “Love Actually? Ah, man, this is a Christmas movie.”

Rachel said, “It’s like Christmas in July, Sean.”

At the same time, Luke clapped a hand over his eyes and shouted, “My eyes, my eyes,” as he backed out of the room. “My manhood has been tainted. I’ll never be the same.”

“Oh, come on, Luke! It’s a good movie!” Elise yelled out to the hall, hitting pause again on the movie.

“You can’t fool me with your evil tricks, woman.”

“Yeah,” Sean said, “Luke and I will go downstairs and watch something else.”

“You’re no fun,” Rachel said.

“Sorry, babe.” He kissed his fiancée. “Hey, Nick, you comin’?”

Nick shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“I guess it’s just us ladies,” Mandy said after they all left the room.

“Hit play, Elise,” Rachel said.

She sat back in her seat with a huff. Here she’d thought that she found the perfect way to trick Luke into watching the movie, and the turd had escaped.

But, if he thought she’d give up, he was dead wrong. She was going to get him to watch Love Actually if it killed her.

The movie went fast because it was one of Elise’s favorites. She always got swept up into the story. And the fifteen-minute nap she’d taken in the middle didn’t hurt.

Elise stood up and stretched. “I’d better get home.”

“Thanks for staying,” Rachel said.

Elise smiled at her friend. “I’m glad I did.”

A couple of soft snores came from the other side of the room.

“Looks like everyone else liked the movie, too,” Elise joked.

“I think they all fell asleep before we were even ten minutes in,” Rachel said.

“Their loss. I’m going to grab my purse.”

When Elise came back to the living room, she gave Rachel a hug good-bye and took off for her car. When she got home, it was late, and her parents were already asleep.

She quickly washed her face, brushed her teeth, and put on her pajamas. She crawled into bed and was out like a light.

When Elise’s alarm went off the next morning, there was a text on her phone from the night before.

Luke: I see that you snuck out.

Hardly.

It wasn’t like she had been super quiet and secretive when she left. And she certainly hadn’t been about to go looking for him before leaving. That would have drawn too many questions.

She continued reading.

Just know, this isn’t over. I’m going to see you again. You promised me a fuck, and I’m not going to let you forget it. The next time I see you, you’ll be on your back, begging for it.

She loved his filthy mouth sometimes.

She texted him back.

Elise: Correction. The next time I see you, you’ll be on *your* back, begging for it.

The second she set her phone down, it chimed, so she picked it up again, not wanting to wait to see what he had written.

Luke: I already am.

The next text was a picture he’d taken of himself. She could see his powerful chest and muscular abs along with that special V at his hips that only some guys had. And she could see the very beginning of his penis where it came away from his body. Only the very beginning. Of course Luke wouldn’t have sent her a full-on dick pic. No, instead of sending something over the top, he’d sent something teasing. Something tempting and provocative. And the look on his face told her that he had known exactly what he was doing when he sent the picture.

Elise set the phone down and went to the bathroom to take a long, cold shower.