Page 253 of The Havenport Collection

Eliza

S pring was finally here, which meant sunshine mixed with rain and temperatures ranging from the thirties to the seventies, but I was feeling optimistic. I still had a lot to sort out in my life, a lot of work to do, but things were looking up.

Matteo had kept me up late last night, bending me over his motorcycle in the garage.

It was fun and very dirty. Just like Matteo.

He was so much more than I ever expected.

Tender and kind under the gruff exterior, but demanding and insatiable in bed.

I was running on very little sleep, but I had never felt better.

All those articles I read in Cosmo about orgasms being good for your health were clearly onto something.

I was supposed to meet my friends for coffee before the store opened.

Sometimes, if people were too busy for game night, we got together to chat and catch up before everyone took off for their jobs and lives for the day.

Since Gina and I lived above the store and it didn’t open until ten a.m., it was a convenient meeting place.

It was nice and very generous of Nora to let us hang out there. But today I didn’t want to face my friends. I wanted to burrow under the covers and just dream of Matteo some more. But since it was literally downstairs, I got myself up and hit the shower.

I stood, letting the hot water wash over me and letting my mind wander to Matteo.

It had only been a few hours, and I felt myself wanting him again.

My need for him was overwhelming, and I loved it.

This was the first time I had ever felt like this.

I’d had relationships and hookups in the past, but I had never craved someone like I did Matteo.

I loved talking to him, earning his rare smiles, and that was a new sensation for me.

I wanted to text him constantly to tell him random things about my day and share weird things I saw online.

And I wanted to fall asleep in his arms every night.

Generally, I was terrible at keeping secrets.

I tended to be an open book and didn’t have the energy or the inclination to keep information to myself, especially in front of my friends.

But I had promised Matteo that we wouldn’t tell anyone about us.

I knew how quickly news traveled in this small town.

On some level, I knew he was right. Val had been through a lot and didn’t need this drama in her life.

I cared about that kid, so I did my best to avoid the topic and stay as neutral as possible.

But it was getting harder and harder to hide my feelings.

I headed down to face my friends, steeling myself internally to deflect any questions about why I’ve been busy lately or why my skin is glowing.

I knew Gina had her suspicions, but she had not directly confronted me.

It was killing me to keep this big of a secret from my best friend, but I kept my mouth shut.

If Matteo and I were going to have a chance long-term, I needed to respect his wishes and let things between us develop.

I was the last to arrive. Juniper was talking about a recent project she had wrapped up.

She was a genius computer programmer and was constantly bemoaning the boys’ club that was the tech industry.

“I’m just glad it’s over and I can work on my other client projects,” she said, playing with her hair, “I’m ready for a change and need to get away from all the toxic masculinity. ”

Sylvie gave me a big hug, and I took a seat on the fuchsia velvet couch.

I loved Jeanious Bar. The decor was industrial mixed with girly, and it was such a fun, comfortable space.

It wasn’t a surprise Nora had been so successful; it was the rare fashion boutique that celebrated body diversity and had options for everyone.

“How is the job search going?” she asked, passing around a bag of scones she had picked up at High Tide, the local coffee shop.

My stomach clenched. I hadn’t been doing much job searching actually, preferring to spend every spare moment with Matteo or thinking about Matteo.

I had sent out a few résumés but needed to buckle down soon.

The problem was, nothing excited me. I had an interview at a hospital in southern New Hampshire in a few weeks, but I had barely thought about it.

I shrugged. “I have some feelers out, but I think I’m burned out on the ER. And, I’d rather just stay at the Havenport hospital than start over somewhere else that I won’t enjoy.”

“That sounds like a winner’s attitude,” Juniper quipped sarcastically.

Gina pinched her arm.

“Ow. Sorry. But I’m not wrong. You are young, you have a very in demand skill set—get out there and find something that does excite you. You are too young to be miserable. And you hate Dr. Higgins and the hospital politics. Why stay and not be appreciated? They suspended you for doing your job.”

She was right, of course. Juniper was whip smart and did not mince words. I did hate it. And the night shifts had sucked the life out of me for too long.

“She’s right. That place is terrible, and you’ve been miserable,” Meadow said, handing me a cappuccino with a heart in the foam.

I took a sip of scalding hot coffee to avoid the truth, which had been dancing around my brain for weeks. I had to move on; it was time for a fresh start.

“Plus, I’m sure they need nurses everywhere,” Sylvie added. “Have you thought about any of those traveling nurse programs? I bet they need nurses in Hawaii!”

My heart sank. I didn’t want to go to Hawaii.

Well, not to live at least. I wanted to stay here.

I wanted to spend time with Matteo and my friends, and to hang out with Valentina, and to be here for all of the town festivals.

I moved back from the city to build a life in Havenport, and the thought of walking away from that made me queasy.

“Shut up,” Meadow said. “You would not leave us for Hawaii.”

Juniper rolled her eyes at her twin. “Um. I would leave you for Hawaii, and we shared a placenta.”

We all started laughing, and soon Nora walked out of the back office. I sat up a little straighter. Nora Rossi was a legend in this town. Opinionated, smart, and beautiful, she was building an inclusive fashion empire and had recently snagged the town’s sexy billionaire.

She also happened to be Matteo’s sister.

Did I mention she was incredibly intimidating? She strode out of her office wearing purple booties, high-waisted jeans and a T-shirt with a T. rex on it that read “Eat the Patriarchy.” Her hair was long and glossy, and she had on a cool headband covered with tiny pearls.

“Hey girls,” she said, strolling toward the espresso bar where Meadow was already making her something.

“I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re job hunting.” I cringed. I probably sounded like such a child to someone like Nora. Career in shambles and no motivation to fix it. I could feel the shame slowly creeping into my thoughts.

“You should talk to Maggie Leary. She’s super understaffed at the clinic right now and barely even has time to interview candidates. Do you know Maggie? I can introduce you.”

I knew Maggie, of course. She ran the family medicine clinic in town, but we weren’t friends or anything. “Sort of.”

Nora whipped her phone out and started texting furiously. “Maggie is one of my best friends, and I know she’s amazing to work for. She is single-handedly running that place right now, and you could be perfect for her.”

She typed for a few seconds and then gave me a big smile. “She says give her a call and set something up. Here…I’m texting you her contact info.”

I thanked her, grateful and in awe of that kind of confident efficiency. That woman took a quick coffee break and may have just single-handedly saved my career.

“Also, I couldn’t help but overhear some details about the hospital. I think you should talk to my friend Astrid. She may be able to help you.” I was unsure of what she was getting at. Did I have recourse against Dr. Higgins?

She typed some more and frowned at her phone.

“Ugh. The New York team is crawling up my ass again. I gotta get back to work.”

She thanked Meadow for her latte and headed back toward the office.

Gina put her arm around me. “See! This is great news. You don’t have to move to Hawaii.”

Nora turned around and pinned me with a knowing grin. “Don’t do that. My brother would be devastated if you moved to Hawaii.”

I froze. She knew. She totally knew. Not surprising—she was smart and it was barely a secret. As I was not known for my poker face, I’m assuming my guilt and embarrassment were written all over me.

“After there were some break-ins downtown a few years ago, I put security cameras on the back of this building. I was so surprised to see him stopping by.” She looked at me sternly. “Every Monday.” She raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow at me, and my heart sank.

I had to fight back the sudden wave of nausea. So much for sneaking around.

Gina turned and stared at me.

Nora winked and headed back to her office. “Carry on, girls,” she said, shutting the door behind her.

“What is going on? Are you hooking up with him again?” Juniper asked.

“Again?” Sylvie squealed. “Why haven’t you told us?”

“Let’s slow down and start at the beginning,” Gina said.

“Is this why you’ve been blowing us off? Not showing up to Krav Maga, not joining us for weekend hikes, and skipping game nights?”

Meadow made a T with her hands. “Timeout. First up—let’s talk about his dick. Length, width, hardness, stamina?”

The door to the office flew open again. Nora’s face was red.

“Ladies, if you are going to be discussing my brother’s penis, I strongly suggest you not do it in my store—or else I’m revoking your espresso machine privileges as well as the friends and family discount I give you all.”

My friends all nodded, apologizing to Nora, while my face turned from pink to a deep crimson. After her door shut, I had four sets of eyes boring into my skull.

“Guys. I don’t want to talk about this right now. Not because I don’t love and value you all, but because it’s new and it’s technically a secret.”

“A secret?” Gina looked angry.

“I’ll explain everything later. I’m just figuring things out, okay? Please don’t say anything to anyone.”

“I don’t like this. You’re fucking him, and you don’t tell us and then don’t want to talk about it? Are you okay?”

I appreciated their concern and loved how much they looked out for me. But I knew attempting to explain this all would only make things more complicated. “We are having fun and taking things slow. And it’s got to stay quiet.”

“But why? You like each other; you’re in a relationship. What’s the issue?” Juniper asked.

“I think secrecy is sexy,” Meadow blurted out, and her sister shot her a dirty look. “But only if you are into it, of course,” she added.

I closed my eyes, hoping to summon some great inner strength and the kind of verbal skills to fend off this interrogation. Sadly I possessed neither.

“I am really happy.” Sylvie’s face softened.

She was such a hopeless romantic. “And, secrecy aside, this is the healthiest, most adult relationship I’ve ever been in.

And we are keeping things quiet because he is sensitive about the age gap and worried about his daughter.

And I respect that. Trust me, I would not be going along with this if I wasn’t comfortable. ”

“You are just such a kind person,” Gina said. “I don’t want him taking advantage of that, even if he is my cousin.”

“Yes,” Meadow added, “as long as you are calling the shots and feel good about this, I support you.”

Juniper did not look convinced. “I’ve got to get home to work, but this conversation is not over.” She gave me a quick hug. “You are amazing, Eliza. Make sure he knows that.”

I smiled and got to work cleaning up the store. We tidied up, wiping down the espresso bar, arranging the sofa cushions, and making sure all the merchandise was neatly displayed. By the time we hit the sidewalk outside the store, the tension had diffused and I was feeling better.

I watched as my friends dispersed, heading in various directions, and I took a deep breath. Shit. My relationship with Matteo was officially the worst kept secret in town.

But part of me felt the tiniest bit of relief that my friends knew.