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Chapter Three

FALLON

“What a total bitch!” I turned toward Drea, who was now on the couch, cozying up to Skylar.

When I opened the door, I was stunned. The woman stood there wearing nothing but an oversized Guns N’ Roses tee and black ankle socks.

I was fully prepared to give the party crasher a piece of my mind, expecting some middle-aged Karen type or a grumpy old man. What I wasn’t expecting was to open the door and find a drop-dead gorgeous woman glaring at me.

Drea sat up on the couch and looked at me. “What happened? Who was that?”

I groaned. “That was my neighbor from across the hall.”

“Were they hot?” Drea asked, which prompted a glare from Skylar.

I rolled my eyes. “She was so rude, and not to mention, she insulted me!”

I couldn’t lie, she was hot, although I would never tell Drea that.

She had brown hair and the most gorgeous ocean-blue eyes. Jesus, those eyes! Her hair was wavy, falling just past her chest, and she had a small golden tribal-style septum ring.

I walked over to turn the music down. By the time I came back inside from my lovely chat, the place was almost cleared out. Only about a dozen people were left sitting in corners of the house—talking, kissing, or… groping? “Okay then.”

Shaking my head, I lazily sat down on the couch, laying my head back, and resting my feet on the coffee table.

“What a night,” I muttered, thankful it was now over. I always cherished spending time with my friends, but the party had taken a lot out of me, and I was ready for bed.

Drea rested her head on my shoulder, and I closed my eyes—mainly so the room would stop spinning. At this point, Drea and Skylar had gotten into another argument, and Skylar stormed off.

“I hope you enjoyed the party, Fal. Aside from grumpy gills, everyone had a really good time.”

I took a deep breath. “It was a good party, huh? Thanks, Drea. I think I’m going to go to bed.”

“Okay, love.” She kissed my forehead and got up—to go find Skylar, I imagined.

I stood up a little too fast, which was a mistake because I was somehow forced to play a game of Ring Around the Rosie by myself.

“I think I have to make a pit stop first,” I said, holding my hand over my mouth as I took off toward the bathroom.

Yup, big mistake…

The next day came, and I could have sworn I died and was reborn into a bright lightbulb. Every sound was amplified, and the sliver of light coming from my curtains was enough to make me relive my heart-to-heart with the toilet from last night.

Speaking of…

“Oh fuck!” I yelled as I jumped out of bed and ran straight into the bathroom.

This lovely back-and-forth dance went on for another thirty minutes before I went on the search for some water and much-needed pain medication.

“Why did I drink so much?” I complained as the never-ending headache continued. I wanted to be back in my warm bed.

It seemed like we were all going to be in the same boat tomorrow. Drea was passed out on the couch—one foot resting on the back, one hand dangling toward the floor—while Penelope was on the floor, her long brown hair covering half of her face in a tangled mess. When I saw it was about two in the afternoon, I doubted they had plans to wake up anytime soon.

I went back to my room and buried myself under the covers, deciding it wasn’t going to be my day either.

The hours slipped by, and at around nine o’clock at night, I finally woke up and managed to drag myself to the kitchen for something to eat.

When I got there, Drea was sitting in a chair with a trash can at her feet, curled up with a blanket.

“Holy shit, she lives,” she said.

“Do you?” I laughed when she grumbled. She looked as if she had seen better days, but I was sure I didn’t look any better.

“Who cleaned up in here?” All the empty bottles were gone, and the photo booth was packed away and by the door, ready to be returned tomorrow.

“Don’t look at me, Penelope is the only one of us alive,” Drea answered with a groan. I looked over at Penelope and grinned.

“You can thank me in the form of green paper rectangles with three digits on them—please and thank you.” She smirked, holding out her hand.

I walked over to her and slapped my hand to hers. “Thank you very much, Pen.”

She rolled her eyes and went to the couch.

“That was some party,” Drea muttered as she took a sip of water.

“Tell me about it,” Penelope replied. “I can’t believe Jacob and Ariana hooked up. I thought he was gay!”

I laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s pan.”

“Well, I can’t believe you got into an argument with your neighbor. What was that all about?” Drea couldn’t seem to let it go, while I was trying to forget about the whole night.

I sighed. “Please don’t remind me. It was just a bitchy brunette coming to ruin a good time.” The truth was that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Maybe we were being too loud, but people played music all the time, and no one else complained. She didn’t have to be so rude about it, and she didn’t have to insult me. Couldn’t she tell I was drunk and not in a clear headspace?

“She was a total bitch, Dre. I called her one when she walked away. It was more of a whisper under my breath, but I’m pretty sure she heard me because she laughed before I slammed the door. I’m going to have to avoid her for a long time.”

Drea chuckled. “Yeah, good luck with that. She lives right across the hall. What are you going to do, make a run for it before she sees you? Be serious, you can’t avoid her forever.”

“That’s exactly what I plan to do.” At least I could try.

“Okay, but on a more serious note. Was she hot?” Drea sat up in her chair, soon realizing her mistake, and sat back again.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.” I was tired of talking about her, and I was tired of thinking about her even more.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen an attractive woman before. There was just something about her I couldn’t get out of my head.

Drea smirked. “Of course, it matters. You’re single, and you could use some stress relief, love. Just go over there and apologize—over and over again.”

I scoffed. “First of all, you’re still drunk if you think that will ever happen.” Ignoring her eye roll, I continued. “Second, I don’t even know her name. And, Drea, I cannot stress this enough—I don’t want to! Sure, she was easy on the eyes, but her shit personality is not my type. You know I don’t hook up with random women. That’s not my thing.”

With a sigh, Penelope added, “Well, maybe it should be your thing. That party was supposed to be the start of a new life. A different life from Portland, your parents, and your ex. Live a little, babe.”

“Listen, can we just move on from my love life please?” They both mouthed “okay,” and that was that.

After a few hours, they decided to go back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was lie there and think of a certain dark-haired woman.

I shook my thoughts away. Drea was wrong. It didn’t matter how sexy she was in only a T-shirt and socks. It didn’t matter how much I wanted to lift her shirt to see what was underneath.

I think I was a little drunk. My skin suddenly felt forty degrees hotter, and I could feel a tingle from my chest, down to my aching?—

“Hell. No,” I said out loud. There was no way I would touch myself, especially not while thinking about her.

“I need to go to sleep.” I groaned and rolled over.

It was about 9:30 in the morning when I woke up. I still had a blistering headache, but I wasn’t vomiting, so I’d call that a win.

By the time I went to get breakfast, everyone had left for work.

I was meeting Drea at the bookstore later, and then we were going to meet Penelope for dinner. I didn’t have to meet her until six, but I wanted to get there before then to work a shift.

She said she didn’t need me, but I begged. She really could use the help, and I desperately wanted to get out of the house. Plus, I loved the bookstore. It had become my safe space when I needed it the most.

Drea had been working hard running the store, and an author signing was coming up in a few weeks. Her regular cashier, Kaia, was out sick, so I offered to help out.

I had about thirty minutes before I needed to get ready, so I made some scrambled eggs and bacon and settled on the couch.

I was about to aimlessly scroll through social media when my phone rang. “Hi, Mom,” I answered with a smile.

My mom tried to call once a week or so, just to catch up and make sure I was still breathing. One time when she called, I picked up, and all I heard on the other end was, “Good, you’re alive,” before she hung up.

“Hi, sweetie, how are you? Are you eating enough?” She always called to ask the same questions, but I knew how lucky I was to have her.

I sighed. “Yes, Mom, I’m fine.”

“Good, good. How’s work? How’s Drea? I miss you girls.”

“I miss you too, Mom.” I cleared the crack in my voice. I always got homesick when I talked to my mom on the phone. She was so supportive when I left, and that made it harder to say goodbye. I was counting down the days until I could go back home. “I haven’t started yet, but I’ve been working at the bookstore, and Drea is good. The store is doing really well.”

“I’m so proud of her. Tell her that for me, won’t you, sweetie?”

“Of course, Mom. How are you?” I replied.

“Oh, I’m wonderful, honey! Brandon and your brother are a full-time job, but you know how boys can be.” She laughed. “Are you adjusting to the move okay? Have you made any new friends? Are the people treating you okay?—”

“Mom, I’m fine!”

“I’m sorry, honey, I’m just worried about you.”

“I know, but I’m doing okay. The people are great.” Except for one woman in particular, but that wasn’t important.

“Any pretty ladies in Seattle?”

“Mom!” I covered my face. I was not about to have this conversation with my mom.

“I’m sorry. I just want to make sure you’re having fun.”

I winced. “I gotta go, Mom. I’m covering at the bookstore. I love you. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay, sweetie. I love you. Give my love to Drea, and tell her to stay out of trouble,” she replied.

I laughed at the thought. “I will, Mom. I love you, too.” I cleaned up from breakfast and jumped in the shower.

I grabbed a pair of casual jeans and a black KISS sweater from my closet. We were having dinner at Pepperjack , which was a casual burger place a few blocks away.

Looking through my peephole to make sure the coast was clear, I took a deep breath and quickly ran out the door, locking it as fast as possible. I practically ran down the hall and took the stairs so I didn’t risk seeing my new neighbor while waiting for the elevator. I could already tell it would get old, but I hated confrontations.

When I got outside, I looked up and froze. Across the street, staring at me, was a beautiful blue-eyed brunette.

We stared at each other for a moment until she crossed. I got out my phone, pretending to be on an interesting phone call, and booked it down the street. She didn’t yell after me, and for that, I was grateful. Once I turned the corner, I stopped to catch my breath.

I wondered if she was going to call after me or follow me. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but when I took my phone out, she closed it.

I took a chance and slowly crept around the corner, but thankfully, she wasn’t there. I pulled myself together and kept walking toward the bookstore.

I guess Drea wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t need my help. The store was dead all afternoon, aside from a few customers here and there. I spent my spare time cleaning around and talking to Drea.

The bookstore had been my safe space since it opened—an escape from my problems.

As soon as you walked in, there was a red neon sign that read, “Be who you are,” to the right, hanging above the sapphic fantasy books section. A gold-plated sign reading “Open Book” rested on the wall behind the counter.

Toward the back, there were peach-colored loveseats that sat back to back. Random chairs sat in varying corners of the store with round wooden side tables.

Down the wall, toward the middle of the bookstore, there was a vintage cash register that was more than a hundred years old. It had those classic keys that went ‘ka-ching’ when you pressed them, and a big drawer that popped open to reveal compartments for bills and coins.

I made my way back to the front of the store, where Drea was cleaning up the display windows. The theme of the display often changed depending on any events going on or holidays coming up.

I came up and stood next to her as she took a step back to look at the display. “It looks good, right?” I asked nervously. I wanted her to be happy with how the store was coming along for the book signing.

We were still several weeks away, but I knew how she got beforehand. Things were always hectic in the store, so I was trying my best to make everything as simple as possible for her.

She smiled at me and bumped our shoulders together. “It looks great. You did an amazing job, love.”

I had convinced her to put a book with some dahlias on a table next to the window. Given the book’s name, it fit perfectly. They were also my favorite type of flower.

“Thanks, I thought so, too.” My face lit up at the compliment. “Since Francesca is coming, I thought it would work well with the theme.” Francesca Sibcy, a local romance author, was coming in for a signing of her new release, Passionate Petals .

“Please don’t remind me. I still have so much to do before the signing.” She groaned. She always got so stressed about these events, but they usually worked out flawlessly.

“Don’t worry. You know you’ll have plenty of help.”

She let out a puff of air. “I know. It’s just all the back-end stuff—making sure everyone gets paid, making sure everyone knows what to do and is happy, on top of setting everything up, and?—”

“Drea, this is Francesca we’re talking about. She’s been nothing but friendly and open to all of your suggestions since you started working with her. Relax, okay? She’s not Blair.”

Drea was always warm and welcoming to her authors. Blair, though, was not a fan of hers, and the feelings were very much mutual. Nothing was ever good enough for her, and she always left Drea feeling on edge—more than a normal signing did.

She tensed up at the mention of her least favorite person on the planet, but it vanished when she cleared her throat. “I am well aware of that.”

I rested my hand on her arm. “It’ll all work out, Dre. I promise.”

She nodded. “I know, I know. I can’t tell you how truly grateful I am to have you.”

I chuckled. “You’ve got plenty of time to show your gratitude. I’ll give you the chance until my last day on earth—when my body rots and turns into fertilizer.”

“Is she freaking out again?” Skylar came up and wrapped her arms around Drea, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

I laughed. “Would it be Drea if she wasn’t?”

Drea rolled her eyes. “I am not freaking out, okay? I am being a conscious business owner and planning to ensure a smooth corporate event.”

We both looked at her and laughed. “What the hell did she just say?” I asked Skylar. “She’s losing it, isn’t she?”

“I had to convince her to relax last night because she was spiraling just a tad. But the level of convincing I had to do may be considered highly inappropriate in public.”

I chuckled as Drea swatted her arm. “Alright, alright. You won’t be convincing anyone to do anything tonight if you don’t let us get back to work.”

Skylar and I gave each other a knowing grin that said we both knew that threat wouldn’t hold up, and got back to work before the boss lady kicked us out.

For the next few hours, we worked on cleaning the store and checking inventory before Skylar said goodbye. She had to work early the next day, so she hadn’t planned on joining us to meet Penelope.

“Alright, babe, I’ll see you tonight. Be safe, and tell Penelope I said hi.” She pulled Drea in for a sweet kiss before leaving.

We spent the rest of the night helping customers and dancing like weirdos to disco music when the store was empty.

When the last customer left, we locked up and headed out.

We walked in silence for a few blocks while Drea checked on some work emails. I swore that woman never took a day off.

She eventually put her phone away and turned to me. “So, how are things with your new neighbor? Have you seen her since the party?”

“Well, I haven’t left the house until today, so no. I did see her on my way here, but she was across the street when I left.” I didn’t find it relevant to mention I ran away like a coward. Some things were better left unsaid.

“That’s good, right? I’m sorry she had to ruin the night.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, it’s a good thing. And I am, too. It was a great party until she showed up.”

“It really was! And what about Cara? She told me you had quite the chat at the party after you were whisked away to a mysterious dark corner—which you came out of all flushed and smiling, I might add.” She grinned.

“Yeah, I mean, she’s cute, and the kiss was hot, for sure. But I don’t know. I had a lot to drink, and she left with a group of people.” I knew she’d bring up Cara again—she’d been trying to set us up for weeks.

“So you did kiss . I knew it! She also told me she asked you out?” she asked.

I smiled. “Oh, yeah, she did, but I’m not expecting her to want to go through with it or anything.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll see her around, so you never know.”

“Yeah, okay, Drea.” I rolled my eyes and linked our arms together as we kept walking.

When we got to the bar, Penelope was already at a table waiting for us. She was wearing her curly hair down to her shoulders, and her brown eyes were sparkling underneath her gold eye shadow. She wore a black tank top tucked into dark blue skinny jeans, which she paired with black sandals.

“There’s Pen.” I nodded my head in her direction.

“Hey, bitches!” Penelope sang when we sat down at the table.

“Hey!” We laughed.

When the waitress came over, I ordered a Screwdriver, Drea ordered a whiskey neat, and Penelope ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri.

“So, ladies, what’s new? Feels like it’s been ages since we’ve been out together,” Penelope said.

“Did you already forget my party?” I shook my head with laughter.

She sent me a glared expression. “That doesn’t count.”

Sighing, I went on. “Well, Drea is freaking out about the book signing.”

“I said what’s new. ” Penelope laughed.

“I am not freaking out, I’m just stressed. You heathens try owning a business!”

“Okay, Dre, relax. We’re sorry.” I placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, Drea, sorry. The bookstore is doing great, the book signing will be great—just like they always are, because you couldn’t do anything less than perfect if you tried!” Penelope added with a sympathetic smile.

Drea rolled her eyes with a soft grin. “Thanks, love. I’m really glad it’s Francesca right now and not… someone else. God, I need another drink.” She groaned as she quickly downed her whiskey. I chuckled and took a sip of my drink before waving down our waitress.

We sat drinking and laughing for a good while, and it was nice—until I was mildly ambushed.

“Oh my God, look who just came in!” Drea grabbed my arm and shook me like a pair of Yahtzee dice.

“What the hell, Dre?!” I yanked my arm away and scowled at her.

With the way she was acting, you would’ve thought a world-famous celebrity just walked in and not a normal person.

I looked up at the door to see Cara coming in. She looked sexy wearing a barely-there little black dress.

I turned back to Drea, who was wiggling her eyebrows at me. “Oh yeah, Cara’s here. Cool,” I replied with a smile. I didn’t have a problem with Cara at all—my problem was with my friends always trying to set me up. They’d waited patiently for about three weeks after my breakup before they started inviting me out, and we “coincidentally” ran into only their single friends.

“Yeah, and she’s heading straight for our table,” Penelope added.

I really couldn’t understand their obsession with getting us together. I was perfectly content being on my own.

“So what?” I turned back to Penelope.

“So, be nice!” Drea said sharply.

“I’m always nice, Dre,” I replied.

I vividly recalled being nice to Cara in a dark hallway the other night. A faint smile dusted my lips at the memory.

“And push up your boobs a little.” Penelope shook her chest, as if I needed a demonstration.

“Oh my God, Pen.” I rolled my eyes. “Will you guys stop? I’m not pushing up my—” My protest died off when Cara reached the table.

“Hey, guys.” She greeted us with a wide smile.

“Hey, Cara,” Drea and Penelope said.

You would think with the way they swooned at her, they wanted to set themselves up with her and not me.

Cara turned to look at me, and her smile grew flirtatiously large. “It’s nice to see you again, Fallon. You look really good.”

When she bit her bottom lip, a slight blush colored my cheeks, and I knew my friends were staring at us, which made the color darken further.

“Hey, Cara. Thanks, so do you.” That was the thing about her—she always looked good. Even at a simple house party, she managed to light up the whole room.

“Great party the other night. Thanks again for inviting me. I had a really good time,” she commented with a wink. Her voice was low and sultry, and I blamed the alcohol for the warmth that spread through me—and for the thought of wishing we’d stayed in that dark hallway a little longer.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

She stared at me for a moment longer before someone’s throat cleared. “So, Cara, what are you doing here?” I turned to Drea, who had the biggest grin on her face.

“I’m meeting some friends.” She motioned to a group of women at a table in one corner of the bar. “But I saw a beautiful woman, and I couldn’t resist coming over to talk to her.” Cara didn’t take her eyes off of me while she answered. “I hope that was okay,” she added softly.

“It’s more than okay,” I replied with a flirtatious tone.

Where did that come from? I had to stop drinking around pretty women. I seemed to always say stupid shit.

She finally turned away from me and focused on Drea and Penelope instead. “Well, I better go. It was nice to see all of you again.”

“Yeah, you too, Cara,” Penelope said with a grin

“Oh, and Fallon? I hope I’ll see you later... in a more private setting.” Cara winked and walked away, leaving me at a loss for words—and a little flushed, if I was being honest. Drea stared at me, mouth open and speechless, which was a first for her.

I cleared my throat and took a long drink, avoiding any direct eye contact with my friends and pretending everything was normal, like I hadn’t just gotten turned on in the middle of a bar. Totally normal.

After what felt like hours of feeling their eyes on me, I couldn’t take it anymore. I slowly turned back to Penelope, and then finally to Drea who was gaping at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I thought I might have missed something. I wasn’t sure why they were still staring at me. It wasn’t like I had taken her on top of the table or anything.

“Oh my God, she wants you!” Drea barely kept her voice low as she punched my leg.

“Ouch! Okay, seriously, I’m going to need you to stop abusing me!” I rubbed my leg as I scowled at her.

“She’s right,” Penelope added. “She’s got it bad for you. If you could get pregnant with one look?—”

“Oh my… not you too, Pen,” I whined. “I barely know her.”

That’s not to say I wouldn’t mind getting to know her, but I was perfectly happy where I was in life at that moment.

“That’s why you need to go out with her. Get to know her and have some fun, love. What could it hurt?” Drea added.

I took a drink and shrugged. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It’s not like there was anyone else lined up at my door right now. Not to mention, I hadn’t had sex with another person in over two…

Maybe going out with Cara would a good thing. And I guess I could do a lot worse. She was intelligent, interested, and knew how to wear a dress.

The dress hugged every curve and accentuated every asset, leaving little to the imagination. She knew how to leave an impression. I wondered if she knew how not to wear a dress just as well.

I bit my lip… a date was a good idea.