Twelve

Dylan winced as a shrill sound filled the air. When it became obvious that it wasn’t going to stop, he rolled over onto his back and looked for the source. His alarm clock was raising holy hell, and it took at least another two minutes until he was coordinated enough to switch it off. Shit, it was already six in the morning. Most of the time he awoke well before his alarm, but he’d only been in the bed a few hours, and God help him, it was Tuesday morning so there was no possibility of sleeping late.

Muttering a string of obscenities, he rubbed his blurry eyes and attempted to pry his tongue from the roof of his dry mouth. His body was sluggish so it took more precious time before he was able to move into a sitting position. Hell, he knew better than to do any major drinking on a work night. Not that every day wasn’t that for him, but the weekends had a bit more leeway than the others. Still, when Josh had called and asked for a ride, he’d felt honor bound to go get him. Then he’d discovered that most of their friends were at the bar celebrating Josh’s birthday, something he’d completely forgotten about. As soon as he’d stepped into the bar, a drink had been thrust into his hand—then another and so forth. He’d been unusually careless and hadn’t bothered to keep track of how much he was putting away as he stood around socializing with some of their old friends that he hadn’t seen in a while.

Oh fuck. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Where was Zoe? He’d left her here promising to be back in an hour and it had been more like five hours at least. He felt like an absolute bastard because he’d been so wasted when he got home that he hadn’t even missed her. Wait—hadn’t she called last night? Everything was fuzzy, but he was almost certain he remembered talking to her. Grabbing his phone, he flipped through the call log and indeed saw a three-minute call from her cell phone. Then he checked his texts and found one from her as well. This isn’t good, he thought as he stumbled to his feet and made a quick pass through the apartment, thinking she could have possibly slept on the sofa. But there was no sign of her. Obviously she’d decided to go home . . . quite possibly pissed off at him. It hasn’t even been a week and you’ve fucked up. You’re rocking this relationship thing. How had she gotten home? He’d picked her up for dinner at her mother’s last night so she didn’t have her car. He figured she’d called a cab, but he’d worry until he knew for sure that she’d made it home safely. Little late to be wondering that now, isn’t it?

He quickly pulled up the contact in his phone for the coffee shop and tried it. If she was opening today, she should be there by now. But when the phone was answered, he recognized Dana’s voice right away. Just what I need this morning. He debated hanging up, but figured she would probably *69 his ass and call right back. “Hey, is Zoe in yet?”

“May I ask who’s calling, please?” He stifled his irritation even though he knew damn well that she was aware it was him. Even this early, she liked jerking his chain.

“It’s Dylan. Is your boss in yet?” If he thought he’d get to her by reminding her that she was an employee, it didn’t hit the mark.

“Nope, she’s not.” And that was it. They both remained on the line while she waited for him to beg for the information that he wanted. God, how could Zoe stand her?

“Do you mind telling me when she will be?” he asked in a voice full of sarcasm.

“Shouldn’t you already know that?” she asked sweetly. “You two are dating after all. So if Zoe didn’t tell you her schedule, then maybe I’m not supposed to either. I don’t want my boss to be angry with me. How about I just leave her a message to call you when she does get in? Or better yet, if you have her cell number, you could give that as try. She usually prefers a text, so I’d go with that. Especially if there’s a reason that she might be avoiding your call.” I swear this woman hates me. What a bitch.

Refusing to let her see that she’d struck a chord, he said, “You’ve been very helpful. Thanks so much. I’ll be sure to pass my appreciation along to your boss when I speak with her. Now have a good day.”

He was in the process of disconnecting the call, feeling a childish urge to have the last word, when he heard her call out, “Why, thank you, Mr. Jackson, you too.” Then a click sounded in his ear and he knew he’d been bested yet again. Another round to Dana. She owns you.

His throat was dry and scratchy so he walked into the kitchen and got a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Without closing the door, he turned it up and drained most of it before setting it aside and trying Zoe’s cell. And as luck would have it, the call went straight to voice mail. Next he pulled up his text screen with his fingers hovering over the keys for five solid minutes as he tried to decide what to write. Finally, he settled for, Wanted to make sure you made it home okay. Please call or text me back. I’m sorry about last night. I can explain. Xoxo.

Had he seriously just typed the symbol for hugs and kisses for the very first time to Zoe? Hell, he’d never sent that to a woman before. If not for seeing it all over Facebook and the Internet, he wouldn’t have even known what it stood for. Wait—maybe he’d better check to make sure he was right. Oh crap, maybe it meant, “I love you.” He wasn’t sure now. He did a Google search and sagged in relief. No, he was right the first time. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Zoe, because he did. She was his best friend after all. But with them in some sort of relationship now, it might seem weird to say that. Especially after his fuck-up from the previous night.

Dylan took a quick shower, leaving his phone sitting on the bathroom counter in case she called. Then he dried his hair with his phone propped against the mirror so he could see the screen, since he couldn’t hear it. He carried the damn thing in his hand constantly until he left at eight to go down to the office. He wanted to drop by the shop, but didn’t think he could keep himself from killing Dana if Zoe weren’t there to intercede. Of course, after last night, she might hand the other woman a knife and let her go at him. Hell, he even kinda deserved it.

When Lisa walked in a few moments later with her usual cup of coffee, he pounced on her. “Was Zoe there? Did you see her?”

Giving him a pitying look, Lisa shook her head. “Nope. It was Dana and the other girl that usually works mornings. I don’t remember her name, though.” Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, “You’re already in the doghouse, aren’t you? Geez, Dylan, I thought you’d at least make it a few weeks before you messed up.” Parking herself in her usual morning seat, she leaned forward, looking way too excited. “So . . . what’d you do?” First Dana and now Lisa. His assistant normally couldn’t string three words together before ten in the morning, but today she was wide awake. Lucky me.

Shrugging, he strove for a casual I’m-not-a-bastard tone before admitting, “I had to pick up Josh from a bar last night. Then I ended up staying a little longer than expected because it was his birthday.”

She looked vaguely disappointed as she asked, “So you had to break your plans with Zoe? That’s nothing major, I’m sure she understood.”

And this is where she names me asshole of the month. Wait for it. “Well, not exactly.” He saw her eyes sharpen and her nose twitch as if she scented something good just around the corner. “Zoe and I were together when he called. Actually we were at my place. I told her I’d be back in an hour at about ten or so. But one thing led to another and it was a little later than I’d originally planned when I got home.”

“How much later?” she asked with wide eyes. Shit.

“Around three,” he choked out. It sounds so much worse saying it aloud.

“Dylan, good grief. You ditched your date for five hours to hang out with the boys? No wonder you two had a big fight when you got home. I’d have been seriously angry over that.”

And go ahead and add the final nail in your coffin. “Um . . . we didn’t argue. Actually, I took a cab home and passed out. I didn’t remember until this morning that she should have been there. Obviously she left at some point and went home. So I’ve been trying to reach her this morning to make sure she got home all right.”

“Dylan,” she gasped out. “What an asshole thing to do to anyone, but especially Zoe. Why in the world would you let that happen? I mean, I know most of your friends are selfish pricks, but you’re usually better than that. And we’re talking about Zoe here. Even if you guys weren’t seeing each other now, she’s still your best friend. You’ve always been careful of her feelings so what in the hell happened?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted as he slumped back in his chair. This was worse than he’d initially thought if Lisa was that horrified. “I guess I’m not used to worrying about stuff like that when I’m out. I know that’s no excuse, but it’s all I’ve got right now.”

She studied him for a moment before saying, “I think that possibly you were staging a little rebellion against being in a relationship. No matter how many excuses you make, that type of behavior isn’t you. Don’t get me wrong, I know you blow off steam with the guys, which is normal. But to leave a woman at your home, get loaded, and basically forget she was even there? That’s a whole new level of douchery there.”

“That makes no sense,” he protested. “Why would I do something like that? I simply lost count of the number of drinks I had. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt Zoe of all people. You know how I feel about her.”

Getting to her feet, Lisa said softly, “Yeah I do, but I’m wondering if you do. Maybe you should look into that, boss. Now, if you’re finished dumping all your personal problems on me, I need to go meditate at my desk for a few hours. This whole thing has exhausted me. You’re not paying me enough for this level of emotional involvement. If you and Zoe stay together, I’m going to need a raise soon because I envision a lot more of these chats before you finally get it together.” And with that parting shot, she walked out, slamming the door far too loudly behind her. Does every woman in my life have PMS today?

•   •   •

“You have got to be shitting me,” Dana hissed as Zoe gave her a summary of what had occurred the previous night. “He left you home and went out with the guys?”

“Well, not exactly. I mean, he said he was picking up Josh because he’d had too much to drink. He was supposed to be home in an hour, but when I called him three hours later, he was drunk or darn close to it. And it was like he was brushing me off. Heck, I’m not even sure he knew who he was talking to. Then he called me at six this morning. Can you believe that? So now I have to wonder, was that what time he got home? If so, where did he spend the night? I don’t think bars are open that long.”

“I’m glad I gave him hell this morning,” Dana snorted. “I wish I’d done worse. I knew something was up when he was trying to find you that early. Good for you not answering his call. He deserves to sweat this one out.”

Zoe took a sip of her latte before staring glumly down at her desk. “I don’t get it. Things went so well at dinner. Other than the condoms and some snide remarks, but that’s my mother and he knows how she is. He was affectionate, attentive, and we just meshed so well together. When we got home, we were close to . . . you know, going to the bedroom, when damn Josh called. And truthfully, I wasn’t angry. I’d have been disappointed in him if he had left a friend stranded. I relaxed and watched a movie, no big deal. Until I realized that two hours had passed, then another hour after I texted him. By that point I was worried that they’d been in an accident. I was completely blown away when he answered the phone and sounded three sheets to the wind. That was such an asshole thing to do to me and I didn’t know how to handle it. That’s not the Dylan I’ve always known. He calls me when we’re going to hang out if he’s running even a little late. So I still can’t wrap my head around his behavior last night.”

“He’s a man, honey,” Dana said as if that explained it all. “Sometimes their thought process is whacked. Plus, as much as I hate to defend him, you need to make allowances for a learning curve. Yes, absolutely he was a dick last night and he needs to grovel for your forgiveness. But this whole relationship thing is new for you both, and even though you’d hope an intelligent man like Dylan would know better than to commit such a rookie mistake, I guess he didn’t. But if I know him, this will be one he won’t forget. The fact that he was looking for you so early and sounding pretty damned concerned that you weren’t here tells me that he knows he messed up, which is a good sign.”

“I guess,” Zoe said doubtfully. She still had a hard time reconciling his behavior with the man who had always been her friend. But maybe Dana had a point. Also, since she didn’t really have much of a social life, there wasn’t that much that was changing in her world. Dylan, on the other hand, had a group that he’d been friends with since college and they all did get together on a regular basis. She’d wait and see what he had to say when he came down to see her. Because unless she missed her guess, he’d show up at some point today. He’d have to, because she didn’t intend to return his call or text. He hadn’t made it easy for her last night and she had no intention of making it easy for him today.

She was grateful that the usual morning rush hour left little time to dwell on the man who was just an elevator ride away. I will not go to him. She was cleaning tables during a lull when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She whirled around expecting either Dana or Dylan and was shocked to see Josh standing there instead. “Er . . . hi,” she stuttered out. Josh had only ever been in her shop with Dylan, so his being here alone was quite unexpected. Maybe he was meeting Dylan.

“Good morning, Zoe.” He smiled before putting his hands in his front pockets and rocking back on his heels.

When he didn’t say anything else, she prompted, “Are you meeting someone? I can get you a coffee while you wait if you like.”

“Actually I’m here to see you,” he admitted. Holy shit—why?

Trying not to let him see that she was rattled, she motioned to the table she’d just finished wiping down. “Want to have a seat? I only have a few minutes before I’ll need to get back to work.” No way am I sitting here without an escape plan in place. Dana shot her a “what the hell?” look from the counter, to which she shook her head, having no clue either.

He looked down at his hands before giving her a sheepish grin. “Listen, I talked to Dylan a little while ago and he told me about what happened last night. I know you two have been friends for longer than I’ve even known him and I can’t help but feel that it’s all my fault.”

“You forced him to get drunk and forget that I was waiting for him?” she asked wryly. She wouldn’t have pegged Josh as the type to care if his friend was in the hot seat with his kinda girlfriend. Actually, she figured he’d be more likely to be thrilled if Dylan was completely free of entanglements again.

“Kind of, yes. I did call him to take me home, knowing all along I wasn’t ready to leave. I guess I was kind of bummed that he’d forgotten it was my thirtieth birthday and we always get together for things like that. It’s sort of a standing thing with our old fraternity brothers. This is the first time that he’d missed something like that since college.”

“I see,” Zoe said thoughtfully, and she was beginning to get the picture. Josh, for all his seeming confidence and easygoing nature, had gotten his feelings hurt because one of his best friends had missed an important moment in his life. It still didn’t excuse Dylan’s behavior, but she was grateful that Josh had taken the time and effort to come offer an explanation.

“From the moment he walked in the door last night, either me or one of the others was shoving drinks in his hand. That’s also the norm for those celebrations. You see, some of the guys are married now and have families so birthdays or special events are the only time they’ll do more than drink a few beers before they go home. But everyone was drinking and having a good time last night so when Dylan showed up, he didn’t stand much of a chance.”

“And those comments you were making about me when I was on the phone with Dylan? Is that also part of the festivities for anyone who takes a call from a wife or girlfriend?”

Chuckling, he said, “Not really. That’s called being so drunk you lose the filter that you normally have. I’m sorry about that. I don’t really remember much of it, but I apologize for giving you a hard time. I hope you don’t hold it against me. Dylan is one of my best friends and I know he’s yours as well. In addition to whatever you guys are doing now.”

“We’re just seeing where this goes between us,” Zoe admitted. “It’s only been a few days, but it was going great until last night. I want to thank you, though, for coming to talk to me. Dylan’s lucky to have you as a friend.”

“I don’t think he’s feeling that way right now.” Josh grimaced. “Maybe you could put in a good word for me when you forgive him.”

Zoe noticed there was a line forming at the counter, so she pointed in that direction and got to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to work. But I appreciate this, Josh.”

Josh stood as well and grinned when she extended a hand to him. “I think we can move past that now.” He shocked her by pulling her in for a hug that lasted a few seconds longer than she was comfortable with.

“Er . . . okay,” she muttered when she managed to break free. “See you later,” she added before making her escape.

When he called after her, “You can count on it,” she picked up her pace.

“I feel like wiping you down in hand sanitizer now,” Dana whispered under her breath as she made a cappuccino for a customer. “Seriously, that guy gives me a creepy vibe.”

Zoe rolled her eyes and attempted to shrug it off. A part of her agreed, though. Josh had always made her feel uncomfortable. He’d never really said or done anything out of line, but it was the way he looked at her. As if he could see beneath her clothes. Even before her mini-makeover, he’d had that effect on her. She’d always put it down to his personality and her limited experience with men in general. It made her grateful for Dylan. He may have been an asshole the evening before, but after a little groveling, she’d be forgiving him. She certainly didn’t want to look at a future where there was nothing but one Josh after another. Whether he’d intended it or not, he’d helped his friend out of trouble more than he could have imagined.