Page 16 of Yours for the Weekend

Chapter Ten

“ F root Loop Mac & Cheese.” I gape. “Who the hell would order that?”

Remi snorts. “Better that than”—she leans forward to read over my shoulder and she smells nice, like vanilla and cinnamon—“honey strawberry stuffed potatoes.”

I snort, and Remi shakes like a chill runs up her spine.

“Good thing we ate first,” she says.

I nod and set the menu down on the sticky high-top table. “I’m glad we came tonight. I don’t think this place will be open for long.”

Remi giggles. She looks good in a red flannel, dark jeans, and white Vans. Her hair is trimmed on the sides with a bounce of dark black curls on top.

This bar has only been open two weeks, and, despite the eclectic menu of ungodly mashups, the building is packed. We were lucky to snag an open table at the dart boards when a group of college boys left to hit on a group of girls at the pool tables.

“You’re up,” Remi says and leans her arm against the table.

The motion highlights the raised veins in her muscular forearm that’s been sculpted from hours in the rock climbing gym.

Yet my thoughts drift back to Casey. How soft her skin was under my touch.

The warmth of her body against mine. The way her corded muscles flexed when she had her way with me.

“Dakota?” Remi says and shit. I hop off the stool and grab my red-tipped darts. I’m on my second Angry Orchard and am feeling loose and warm, and my thoughts are getting a little reckless. I shouldn’t be thinking about Casey, not when she clearly doesn’t feel the same for me.

And here’s Remi. A sweet and attractive woman who’s actually interested in me.

Remi’s been extra flirty tonight and finding more and more reasons to touch me, but it’s all been fairly innocent.

A hand to my elbow. Her fingertips to my wrist. Nothing that makes me feel pressured.

But still, my stomach twists up uncomfortably.

“Damn!” Remi cheers and throws her hand up for a high five.

I blink, confused, before realizing I threw a bullseye. “Oh, my god!” I punch the air. “Holy shit, that’s the first time I did that!”

“Seriously?” Remi beams. “That deserves better than a high five then.”

She leans in to kiss me. I freeze but don’t stop her. Her lips are soft—not as soft or full as Casey’s—but still nice.

“Let’s see if I can keep up.” She winks and lines up her shot.

I chug the rest of my cider.

Remi throws a bullseye, and I cheer. Her grin is wide and proud as she approaches me where I’m sitting on the barstool. My legs are open just enough that she slides in between them. This time, I’m not as stiff as she kisses me.

“Do you want another round?” Remi asks after breaking off the kiss. “Or do you want to get?—”

“Casey?”

Remi frowns, and I squint. Holy shit, yeah, Casey’s squeezing through a crowd of people surrounding the bar. I brighten at the unexpected sight of her and call her name louder. With a wide grin, I hold my hand up and wave a little.

Casey’s head swivels around before spotting me. Her eyes widen, and she says something to the guy next to her before pushing her way toward us.

“What’re you doing here?” I ask once Casey is in earshot.

Remi pulls back to turn toward Casey, but her body is still between my legs. I resist the urge to shove her off me.

“Our client finally gave the go-ahead!” Casey beams. “So I finally had some free time to hang out with Josh.”

Josh? Who the fuck is Josh? I glance back at the man she was with by the bar.

He has short blonde hair, a chiseled jaw, and he’s in a long-sleeve navy button-down and slacks.

I turn back to Casey and take her outfit in.

She styled her long blonde hair with beach waves, a full face of makeup, a sleek black dress that fits snug against her curves and a plunging neckline that accentuates her cleavage. And oh, my god. Is she on a date?

I swallow. “That’s awesome your client approved. Congratulations.”

My voice lacks all enthusiasm, but Casey doesn’t seem to notice. She turns to Remi. “Sorry to interrupt, Ruby.”

“Oh, it’s Remi,” my date corrects.

Casey face palms. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

I frown. Casey knows Remi’s name. What was that about ?

“All good,” Remi says. “I take it you’re Casey, the best friend?”

Oh shit, yeah, I should have introduced them by now.

“I am,” Casey says.

“Great to meet you. Dakota talks about you all the time.”

Case glances at me, and heat floods my cheeks.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Casey says. “And, hey, why don’t I grab you two love birds your next round?”

“No, that’s okay,” Remi says.

“No. I insist,” Casey says. “What’re you having?”

Remi glances at me, and I know I should be participating in this conversation, but I can’t get my mouth to move.

“I’ll take a raspberry ale and Dakota?—”

“I know what my best friend drinks, thanks though,” Casey interrupts, and … what is that? Casey isn’t a rude person. It’s probably all the stress from work. A lack of sleep and not eating enough can make the kindest person a grouch.

“One raspberry ale and one Angry Orchard, coming right up.” Casey smiles then flounces off.

Remi looks at me, and I take a deep breath. I’m not sure what to say, so I give her an uncomfortable smile. Remi grabs her darts and lines up her next shot even though it’s my turn.

Remi and I play two more games of darts, and halfway through our third round of drinks, the awkward tension dissipates and we’re back to joking.

We don’t kiss again, but Remi is still flirty.

I know the bar is crowded with limited options to sit, but how is it that Casey and Josh sit at the one high-top table that’s in my direct line of sight?

I do my best to focus on Remi and darts, but I can’t miss how often Casey’s head falls back in laughter. What is he? A fucking stand-up comedian? I roll my eyes and take another swig of my drink.

As we finish our final game—Remi beats me three to one—she turns to me expectantly. “Want to call it a night or …?”

Out of the corner of my eye, Josh leans forward to whisper in Casey’s ear, and she smiles all wistfully. I blink and focus on Remi’s face.

“Want to get out of here?” I ask.

Remi’s apartment is small but cozy. She’s mentioned her roommate, who thankfully isn’t home. Butterflies wreak havoc in my stomach as Remi stops beside the counter that divides her living room from her kitchen.

“Do you want any water or anything?” she asks.

With a shake of my head, I look between the two bedroom doors. One is firmly shut, and the other is slightly cracked. Remi follows my gaze and asks, “Do you want to see my room?”

I tear my gaze away from the doors. Remi has this soft smile on her lips and this light twinkle in her eyes. She really is attractive.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I say, “Yes.”

Remi brightens and leads me through the cracked door.

She doesn’t bother with switching on the light.

I don’t have a chance to look around because the second I cross the threshold, she’s pulling me into a kiss.

Her lips are soft and gentle. Remi rests her hands on my hips as she deepens the kiss.

I’m stiff at first, but slowly relax into her touch. And okay. This isn’t too bad.

Remi’s hand moves up my side and under my shirt. The touch of her fingers against my bare skin sends a chill up my body.

Remi pauses. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah. Um. Yes.”

She smiles and kisses me again. This time there’s more heat.

Her kiss grows hungrier, her tongue dancing with mine.

I fist the material of her shirt in my hands as she presses her body into mine.

She guides me by the hips until we’re spun around, and she leads me backward.

The back of my knees hit her mattress, and I allow myself to fall backward onto it.

Remi follows me, never breaking the kiss.

Her hands roam my body. My shirt pulled up my stomach when I fell back, and she runs her fingers along my bare skin.

She tastes like raspberries. I wait for the heat of desire to burn through me.

For the desperate want to be touched between my thighs to flood me.

But as her lips break from mine, and she starts kissing down my jaw to my neck, all I can think is that this is wrong.

The weight of her—despite her short height and lean frame—feels suffocating on top of me. Her palms are rough and calloused from hours and hours of rock climbing, and the touch feels strange and unfamiliar. Her mouth is too warm, and I can’t do this.

“Stop,” I say and push back against Remi’s chest.

Remi immediately freezes, her forehead scrunched in worry. “Are you okay?”

“No.” I slide backward, and she takes the hint, climbing back and off me. “Yes,” I correct. “I’m okay. I just. I’m sorry. I think I need to go home.”

“Yeah. Sure. Of course.” Remi scratches her head. Her expression pulled down into a mix of worry and sadness. “I’m sorry. Was this too fast? I thought?—”

“It’s not you!” I rush to say. “I’m sorry. You’re great. It’s just … I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

I feel like total shit. Remi is a great person. I’ve enjoyed every time we’ve hung out. I should be into this, but I’m just not.

“It’s Casey, isn’t it?” Remi asks softly, and I freeze.

“What?”

“You have feelings for her.” She says it like a statement, not a question.

I guffaw, embarrassed at being caught.

“She has feelings for you too.”

This genuinely shocks me. I snap my gaze to hers. “No, she doesn’t.”

Remi scoffs softly under her breath. “Are you kidding me? ‘I know what my best friend drinks,’” she parrots in this bitchy tone.

I cringe. “I’m really sorry about that. I don’t know why she was so rude to you. She’s a really nice person.”

Remi shrugs. “People can get petty when they’re jealous.”

I snort, finding the idea ridiculous. “Casey isn’t jealous. She was there on a date! She doesn’t have feelings for me.”

“Tell me this,” Remi says. “Did Casey know we were going to be at that bar tonight?”

“Yes, but?—”

“And she just happens to bring her own date there while dressed to kill?”

“Okay, but?—”

“And then she spends the whole night watching you and sending death glares my way. ”

I reel backward. “She did not.” This one I know for sure. I may have paid a little too close of attention to her with Josh, not that I want to admit that to Remi. But I would have noticed her staring back at me or shooting ugly looks at Remi.

“She definitely was,” Remi says. “Whenever you weren’t looking at her, she was looking at you.”

My face heats as shame floods me. She realized how closely I watched Casey?

“Look, this is on me,” Remi says. “I noticed there was something going on between you two, and I ignored it. And I don’t know what exactly it is you two got going on, but you should really figure it out before you get another woman’s hopes up.”

It’s then I remember I’m sitting in her bed after stopping us mid hookup on a date. My heart feels like it’s been squeezed between a fist. “Fuck, Remi, I didn’t mean— shit . I’m so sorry!” I stand up and pat my pockets for my keys. “I should go.”

“Hey, it’s fine.” Remi hops up and holds her hands up, palms out to stop me. “I’m a big girl, I’ll be fine. I’m just saying?—”

“No, no, I hear you.” I scratch my forehead, at a loss for words. I feel like shit. “I’m really sorry.”

Remi slides her hands into her front jeans pockets and nods. She cocks her head in the direction of the doorway. “I’ll walk you out.”

And with an awkward wave goodbye, I’m left standing on the landing outside Remi’s apartment with my thoughts swirling.

Is it possible Casey was jealous? And if so, what does it mean?