Page 4 of The Hookup Situation (Billionaire Situation #5)

When the bell chimes, I know it’s her before I even look up. There’s something about the way Autumn enters a room, like sunshine and storm clouds, all at once. I miss my best friend so much, but I’m happy she’s enjoying being in love. She deserves it.

“Julie Loveland.” She uses my full name, which means I’m in trouble. “We need to talk.”

“Good morning to you too, Autumn Alexander. Coffee? Chocolate croissant? Did you bring me pumpkin bread, or do you have an explanation for why you’re using my government name? ”

She stalks to the counter, dark hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing one of Zane’s flannels over her yoga clothes. “I just ran into Craig at the grocery store. Craig. Downing. I nearly panicked, watching him buy organic brussels sprouts. He asked about you.”

“Brussels sprouts?” I focus on the important part. “He hates vegetables. Must be an impostor.”

“Jules.”

“What? He used to count a serving of ketchup as vegetables. It’s hard for me to believe.”

Autumn shakes her head. “He moved back. You cannot see him again.”

“I know.” My stomach drops, but I keep my voice steady. “You and everyone else in Cozy Creek know that. I’m not falling for it again. I refuse.”

“Good, because I might have told him that you’re thriving, glowing, and dating someone that you’re madly in love with.” She pauses. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Autumn!”

“He was so jealous. No way I was giving him any hope. I’m sick of him! He needs to go away—forever!”

Blaire nods. “I agree with her.”

I hand Autumn a lavender latte without her asking. She’s addicted to them.

“Everyone knows I’m not with anyone. He won’t believe it.”

“I don’t care. You’re unavailable.” She grimaces.

“This sucks,” I whisper. “Craig being back wasn’t on my autumn bingo card.”

“I know. I’m really sorry. But that’s not actually why I came to see you.” She takes a sip of her latte, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I needed to warn you about something else. Someone else actually?—”

The bell chimes, cutting her off.

“Shit,” she mutters, and I turn to see why.

“Oh. My. Goddess.” Blaire freezes when she sees him .

Nick Banks stands in the doorway like he’s stepping out of one of my dreams. Dark slacks; button-up shirt, rolled to his elbows; and messy, dark hair. His honey-brown eyes are tired, but when our gazes meet, I feel that familiar gravitational pull that makes my stomach do somersaults.

“Nick!” Autumn practically squeals, which is weird because Autumn never responds this way to anyone. She rushes over and gives him a side hug. “Zane said you might be coming to town.”

He hugs her back, but his eyes stay planted on mine. “Hey, Autumn. How’s married life?”

“Amazing. Exhausting. But oh so worth it.” She pulls back, glancing between us with barely concealed panic. “I was just here to get a coffee from Jules and was, uh …”

“Gossiping about my ex,” I offer, trying to stay calm, but I am completely unwell. He’s the last man on the planet I expected to see today. “It’s just the usual Tuesday morning entertainment.”

“Right. That.” Autumn backs toward the door, shooting me an apologetic look. “I should go. I’m making pumpkin bread today.”

“Autumn,” I say as she floats across the dining room.

She mouths, I’m sorry , behind Nick’s back as she escapes. “Bye! Good talk, Jules! Back to the grocery store I go! I literally left my basket in the produce section.”

The bell chimes as she flees, leaving me alone with the man who’s been haunting my thoughts since last year.

Blaire can’t stop laughing and moves to the back so she doesn’t interrupt us.

And then Nick and I are alone.

The electricity that always seems to stream steadily when we’re in the same room is alive and well.

“Hi,” he says, plump lips lifting in that dangerous half smile. “Come here often?”

My mouth twitches. I pour his coffee with hands that remember exactly how he takes it. Black. Simple. No room for anything extra. “Occasionally. I hear the manager is a real hard-ass though. ”

“Really? I heard she’s gorgeous. Sassy as fuck.”

“Sassy?” I raise an eyebrow, falling into our same old rhythm as I hand him his cup. Our fingers brush, and it nearly undoes me. “That’s a big word for a hockey player.”

“Former hockey player, babe. Currently a suit-wearing corporate asshole who knows words like quarterly projections and synergy .” He takes a sip and closes his eyes. “This is perfect.”

“I know. I made it.”

“Confident, per usual.”

“Nah, you just don’t intimidate me like you do most women.” I lean against the counter, trying to ignore how good he looks.

“How’ve you been?” he asks, trying to make small talk—something he’s great at.

“Fantastic. Living my best life. Thriving with your read receipts and no responses.”

I met Nick Banks last year when his mom was getting married.

We sat at a local bar called Bookers and chatted for hours.

I shared things with him I’d never said out loud, and he told me his secrets too.

I thought I’d never see him again until he showed up in January to stay with Zane and Autumn.

We exchanged numbers, but after three days, he left. I haven’t seen him since.

I texted him a few months ago and got zero response. I gave up the ghost.

“I deserve that,” he says.

“Oh, you deserve much worse. I was trying to be friendly and wanted to check in on you.”

“I know. I suck.” He doesn’t move.

“What brings you back here? Another family wedding? A three-day drive-by, where you show up and pretend like you’re going to stay but leave?” I ask as he tries to pull his credit card from his wallet to pay. I shake my head at him.

“None of the above.” He sets down his cup and meets my eyes. “But I am staying.”

My heart twirls. “I don’t believe you. ”

“I don’t care. I’ll be here for six weeks, through the season. I’m scheduled to return to New York at the beginning of November. No sooner.” He says it like a promise.

“Scheduled?”

“Long story short, I had a meltdown at a meeting and was forced by my bratty little brother to take a vacation.” He runs a hand through his dark brown hair, messing it up more.

I blink at him with my head tilted. “And you chose here ? Why?”

“Why not?” The way he looks at me makes my stomach flip.

I don’t have an answer for him.

“There is no other place to be during fall. I rented a cabin until November. I think it’s called Riverside?”

My eyes widen. It’s a luxury mansion that’s ironically called a cabin. It costs ten thousand dollars a day to stay there. “Riverside? That’s fancy for a temporary escape.”

“I want to do temporary right this time.” He pauses. “You should come see it. Tonight. At seven.”

“Nick.” I shake my head.

“Have dinner with me. It would be an honor to catch up.” His voice is casual, but his eyes say so much more.

I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re serious?”

“You’re the only person who’s tried to check on me this year. And I’ll have plenty of wine.” He leans forward slightly. “Come on, Little Red. When’s the last time you did something just for fun?”

Little Red. He gave me that nickname the first night we met at Bookers. It’s a sports bar, and the Cowboys were playing the Eagles. It was a random night full of nothing but conversation that I’ll never forget.

“Pfft. I have fun every day,” I tell him.

“Outside of work.” He licks his lips. “You can love your job, but there’s more to life than this.”

My heart thuds because it doesn’t know better.

I try to remember the last time I had a good time, and it was with him, when we talked all night about nothing and everything.

I thought I’d never see him again until he showed up at Autumn’s house.

That was when I learned he was Zane’s stepbrother and ex–best friend.

He grins like trouble as I replay memories of sharing my deepest secrets with him. I thought I’d never see Nick Banks again.

“You can’t just show up nine months later, after completely ghosting me, and expect me to be receptive to your invites.”

He gives me a look, almost like I struck a nerve. “I knew it was a risk, asking you, but I took it anyway. The truth is, I wasn’t ready to have any new friends.”

His words catch me off guard.

“And you are now?”

He smiles. “Now I have nothing to lose.”

“What makes you think I don’t have plans?”

“Do you?” he asks with a brow lifted.

The coffee shop suddenly feels too small, too warm, too full of possibilities I can’t afford.

“I might,” I say.

“Cancel them.”

“Cocky as hell,” I whisper, finding him too hot to handle.

“I wanna see you, Jules. Finish our conversation.” He heads for the door, pausing to look back. “Wear something you don’t mind getting wine spilled on. I’m professionally clumsy when distracted.”

“What’s going to distract you?”

His eyes do a slow sweep from my face down and back up. “Mmm.”

Nick pushes the door open and strolls toward the Range Rover. My head and heart swim.

Moments later, Blaire walks back to the front and glares at me. “Holy shit.”

“What?” I ask.

“If you don’t date him, I will.”

I burst into laughter. “Shut it. He’s not dateable.”

“Is he fuckable? Because I’d be his blowup doll.”

I’m wheezing. “Stop. ”

I wipe tears from my cheeks, and she pauses, staring at me.

“Oh my goddess.”

“Tell me. If I have something in my teeth, I’ll be mortified.”

She shakes her head. “You’re going to fall in love with that man.”

“No, I’m not,” I huff out. “I know too much about him.”

Blaire doesn’t look convinced. “Did I eavesdrop correctly? Did he say he’s staying until November?”

“Yes,” I whisper and realize I’m smiling. “But we’ll see. That means nothing. Last time, he was supposed to stay two weeks, but within seventy-two hours, he was gone without a goodbye.”

“I think he’ll be the perfect distraction for you. Poor Craig.” She rolls her eyes and then bumps me with her hip. “This season is going to be different for you. I can feel it in the air.”

“Don’t jinx me,” I say as the afternoon crew enters.

“It’s a good thing,” she confirms.

For the final hour of my shift, I’m in my head, thinking about Nick and what it means now that he’s here.

I secretly hoped I’d get the opportunity just to chat with him again.

His conversations are good, and it helps that he’s not bad to look at.

The invitation is a new beginning, a way for us to start over.

I glance at the clock, counting down to seven. I have four hours to decide whether to go or not.

“Is a planet in retrograde or something?” I ask Blaire over my shoulder. “Why is it raining men on me right now?”

She shrugs. “Mercury’s in retrograde, but Venus is ascending. You know what they say—third time’s a?—”

“If you say charm, I’m burning all your sage.”

She mimes zipping her lips, but her eyes are dancing with hope.

Somehow, I’m the only one who remembers that some patterns are meant to be broken, not repeated. If Nick leaves again without saying goodbye, I’ll forget that he exists.

Meeting him the first time was by chance. The second was a coincidence. But the third? It would be a choice. Right now, I have a big decision to make.