Ben steps back, releasing my arm. He nods and doesn’t push the subject.
“Well, thank you for staying late.”
“It was no problem at all.” We both exit the conference room, and Ben flicks the light off behind him. When he turns left toward his office, I go the opposite way toward mine. “Hey, Lex,” he calls out, and I turn to face him. “For the record, the text was only my brother alerting me he wasn’t coming home tonight.”
I am left speechless, and Ben knows it, too. “Good night, Lexi. See you on Monday.” He turns and heads to his office, leaving me standing there still confused about what the fuck just happened.
I groan as I open the door from my bedroom and make my way to the source of the loud music.
“Really?” I stand in the living room with my hands on my hips, glaring at my best friend, who is swaying her hips to Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” She spins, now serenading me with a wooden spoon. For someone not even born in the eighties, Hadley is obsessed with that decade’s music and even worse with the movies. I lost count the number of times she made me watch a brat pack movie. I’ve actually grown to love them over the years, but I always pretend I don’t just because I love giving her a hard time.
“You’re in a mood this morning,” Hadley pouts when I refuse to lip-sync the second verse with her.
“So are you.” I shuffle my feet over to a stool at the bar-top counter and plop down, running my hands over my face. “It just happens to be that you’re in a good mood, while I’m—”
“A bitch?” she interrupts, giggling.
“No, I’m sorry, I’m just exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night.” I prop my chin on my fist and contemplate going back to bed. However, every time I close my eyes, I envision Ben and what could have happened the other night. I feel his hands and lips on my skin. I shiver at the thought, thankful that Hadley has her back to me; otherwise, I know she would be asking what that was all about.
“Yeah, me neither. In fact, it was a very”—she elongates the “very”—“long night.” Hadley glances over her shoulder, giving a sultry wink.
Well… at least someone’s getting laid in this apartment. The track changes as I take in the assortment of food on the counter. There are all the ingredients for Hadley’s famous french toast. Her grandmother taught her that the secrets are cinnamon and a splash of triple sec in the base mixture.
“Are we not going out for brunch today?” I ask as I pop a grape into my mouth. Usually, we bounce around trying out different restaurants for brunch, but I love the relaxed feeling we have when we hang out here, too. As long as I get to spend time with my girls, that’s all that matters.
“Nope, I figured we could just lounge here.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” Maybe I can sneak in a nap later, too. I hop off the stool and spin on my heels. “I’m gonna jump in the shower,” I shout over my shoulder, walking down the hall.
“Okay,” Hadley shouts back, her voice fading the further I get. “Brynn will be here soon.”
I grab my phone off my nightstand and connect it to my shower’s Bluetooth speaker before turning the shower on. With the sounds of Pentatonix filling the bathroom, I can finally feel at ease stripping out of my pajamas. Seven songs later, I am throwing my towel in the hamper, dressed in black knit shorts and a long-sleeve light tan shirt. I pull up my hair in a messy bun as I walk down the hallway. The smiling faces of both my best friends greet me as I reenter the kitchen.
“So let me get this straight, the loud blasting music is okay as long as it’s coming from you and your music but not when I play mine.” Hadley narrows her eyes at me, pointing the spatula in my direction.
I shrug it off as I pour myself a mimosa. “Pentatonix is always the exception to the rule. You should know that by now.” I bring the glass to my lips to hide my smirk.
“You look cute.” Brynn looks me up and down as I take a seat next to her.
“Thanks,” Hadley answers for me as she plates the last of the french toast from the pan. Brynn looks between us, confused. “What?” Hadley shrugs. “It is my top after all.”
I pull the hood up and prop my elbows on the counter, batting my eyelashes dramatically. “And clearly, you love it so much since it’s been in my closet for six months.”
Hadley mocks me, sticking her tongue out at me. “Now let’s eat, bitches, before it gets cold. Josh used up all my energy last night, and I need to refuel before seeing him again later.”
Brynn and I help Hadley carry the plates of french toast, eggs, bacon, and mixed fruit as well as the mimosa pitcher over to the coffee table before we settle in and dive into this delicious array of food.
“So Josh, huh?” I ask, shoving a bite of french toast in my mouth, inquiring about the bouncer at Eiffel Park. Brynn and Hadley are sitting on the couch while I chose to take the spot on the floor, sitting with my legs crossed under me.
Hadley gets a dreamy look on her face. “He’s sweet, funny. I don’t know; it’s not anything serious. But damn the sex is…” She smacks her lips together, making an obnoxious noise.
A moan from our right brings our gaze to Brynn, who is moaning around her fork. Her eyes are closed, and we both crack up laughing. Hadley points her piece of bacon in Brynn’s direction. “Yep, there’s a lot of those noises, too.”
“Oh my God, disgusting,” Brynn jokes with a mouth full of food now.
“Hey, I’m not the one moaning over breakfast.” Hadley purses her lips, making a point.
“Nope, just clearly moaning around Josh’s dick,” I mutter, pushing the food around on the plate in front of me.
“Heyo!” Brynn shouts, holding her hand up to high-five me. Hadley rolls her eyes as I rise from my seat to meet Brynn’s hand.
“You don’t talk much, and when you do, that’s what you have to say?”
“You didn’t deny it.” I hold up my glass at her, cheersing her, knowing that I won this war.
Brynn pulls her feet up under her, matching my position. “What’s up with you? You’re not usually this quiet.”
“Spill now,” Hadley demands, “or I’ll keep talking about sexcapades with Josh.” She quirks an eyebrow.
Brynn pouts beside us before mouthing, “Please.”
“We had a moment the other night.”
“Who?” they both ask in unison, and I have serious déjà vu to when I first confessed that Ben was my one-night stand turned new boss.
“Ben.” I sigh before falling back to the ground and covering my eyes with my forearm. The sound of clinking from the plates and glasses being set on the table fill the room before I feel both Hadley and Brynn take seats next to me on the floor.
I pop up, similar to my favorite childhood game, “Don’t Wake Daddy,” and begin spilling my guts.
“I’m just so confused. For one minute, we have no problem being strictly professional. Then the next minute, he’s caging me in at the conference table, leaning over me, his cologne invading my space and sending my senses into overdrive. All I could think about was pushing him past that breaking point so that he took me right then and there. I willed him to kiss me, but it never came. His phone buzzed, breaking the moment. I mean, that must be a sign, right?” I finally exhale, exhausted from getting that all out in one breath. I turn to look at both of them to find their jaws open in shock.