Read Online Cocktails & Dreams by Autumn Markus - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Autumn Markus
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living in Boston for the last six years or so. My friend and I just moved to Davis yesterday.” He grimaced, gesturing toward the sling. “Moving injury.”
“Ouch.” Jena smiled sympathetically. “How will she like unpacking alone? ’Cause you sure won’t be able to do much for a while.”
“Conor isn’t a she, and he’ll be a jackass and only unpack what he needs.” He smiled. “It’s so weird seeing you again. I was just talking about you with Rich Scheller last night.” A shadow crossed his face, and Jena wondered what he was thinking about. She could imagine what Rich had said to Nicholas, and flushed again.
“How was Rich?”
A muscle in Nicholas’s jaw tightened briefly. “A total asshat, like usual. It was a place to sleep last night until we could get into our apartment this morning.”
Jena and Nicholas both smiled and then just looked at each other, saying nothing. Although it could have been awkward, Jena was surprised to find that she felt peaceful…until Nicholas reached out and tucked an errant hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips trail lightly down her neck before his eyes widened and his hand dropped hastily to his side. Tension began to curl in Jena’s stomach, and she felt it swirling around them both before a bright voice cut through the room.
“Nicholas Cooper!”
Nicholas stepped back and turned to smile at Leisa as she crossed to him and hugged his arm. “Wow, gorgeous, how long has it been?”
He squinted one eye in mock concentration. “Let’s see…I believe it was my junior year, Leisa.” His eyes sparkled with humor. “You were drunk off your ass and kept Jena from walking home with me from Diane’s party, remember?” His warm smile and a quick look included Jena in his joking remembrance. “That’s the last time I saw either of you until today.”
Jena thought that she must have made some noise, because Nicholas glanced at her questioningly.
Leisa laughed loudly, drawing Nick’s attention back to her. “How could I forget? I had a headache for three days and gave Jena hell for three years for being so stupid. So, what happened to you? You never came back to practices, and no one heard from you.”
Nicholas’s smile faded. “Long story. Short version—I had to move back to Boston quickly. I’m here now, though, to finish up med school…”
Jena tuned them both out, drowning in a shock pool. He didn’t remember. The best damned night of her entire existence, and he didn’t remember a thing. Son of a bitch. She didn’t know whether to feel insulted or relieved that she would be spared the embarrassment of him thinking she was a crazy, sex-maniacal tramp. As Jena was working out that little dilemma, she felt Leisa knock on her forehead.
“Hey, girl! Where did you go?”
Quickly bringing her mind back to the present, Jena found them both looking at her, Nicholas with amusement and Leisa with sympathy. She plastered on a bright smile. “Sorry. This day has been totally fucked.”
Nicholas chuckled, and Jena flushed again, thinking , I should just paint my face red and save my body the effort. “Excuse my language. My verbal filter—”
“—is for shit,” Nicholas finished, grinning. “I remember.” He reached out and ran a finger over her rosy cheek, seeming to surprise himself, before he slowly drew his hand back. “I remember that, too.”
Leisa looked from Jena to Nicholas, eyes avid. “While you were off contemplating your crappy-ass day, Jena, I volunteered us to help Nicholas unpack some of his stuff tomorrow. We’re the only other people he knows here besides his roomie, and…Conor, was it?…has to go for a job interview. You have the day off, right?”
Jena’s first impulse was to say no, but she knew Leisa would use her influence with Travis to get the truth and, worst-case scenario, make him switch with Jena if she really had to work. Normally Jena would laugh her ass off at the very idea of Trav doing anything of
“Ouch.” Jena smiled sympathetically. “How will she like unpacking alone? ’Cause you sure won’t be able to do much for a while.”
“Conor isn’t a she, and he’ll be a jackass and only unpack what he needs.” He smiled. “It’s so weird seeing you again. I was just talking about you with Rich Scheller last night.” A shadow crossed his face, and Jena wondered what he was thinking about. She could imagine what Rich had said to Nicholas, and flushed again.
“How was Rich?”
A muscle in Nicholas’s jaw tightened briefly. “A total asshat, like usual. It was a place to sleep last night until we could get into our apartment this morning.”
Jena and Nicholas both smiled and then just looked at each other, saying nothing. Although it could have been awkward, Jena was surprised to find that she felt peaceful…until Nicholas reached out and tucked an errant hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips trail lightly down her neck before his eyes widened and his hand dropped hastily to his side. Tension began to curl in Jena’s stomach, and she felt it swirling around them both before a bright voice cut through the room.
“Nicholas Cooper!”
Nicholas stepped back and turned to smile at Leisa as she crossed to him and hugged his arm. “Wow, gorgeous, how long has it been?”
He squinted one eye in mock concentration. “Let’s see…I believe it was my junior year, Leisa.” His eyes sparkled with humor. “You were drunk off your ass and kept Jena from walking home with me from Diane’s party, remember?” His warm smile and a quick look included Jena in his joking remembrance. “That’s the last time I saw either of you until today.”
Jena thought that she must have made some noise, because Nicholas glanced at her questioningly.
Leisa laughed loudly, drawing Nick’s attention back to her. “How could I forget? I had a headache for three days and gave Jena hell for three years for being so stupid. So, what happened to you? You never came back to practices, and no one heard from you.”
Nicholas’s smile faded. “Long story. Short version—I had to move back to Boston quickly. I’m here now, though, to finish up med school…”
Jena tuned them both out, drowning in a shock pool. He didn’t remember. The best damned night of her entire existence, and he didn’t remember a thing. Son of a bitch. She didn’t know whether to feel insulted or relieved that she would be spared the embarrassment of him thinking she was a crazy, sex-maniacal tramp. As Jena was working out that little dilemma, she felt Leisa knock on her forehead.
“Hey, girl! Where did you go?”
Quickly bringing her mind back to the present, Jena found them both looking at her, Nicholas with amusement and Leisa with sympathy. She plastered on a bright smile. “Sorry. This day has been totally fucked.”
Nicholas chuckled, and Jena flushed again, thinking , I should just paint my face red and save my body the effort. “Excuse my language. My verbal filter—”
“—is for shit,” Nicholas finished, grinning. “I remember.” He reached out and ran a finger over her rosy cheek, seeming to surprise himself, before he slowly drew his hand back. “I remember that, too.”
Leisa looked from Jena to Nicholas, eyes avid. “While you were off contemplating your crappy-ass day, Jena, I volunteered us to help Nicholas unpack some of his stuff tomorrow. We’re the only other people he knows here besides his roomie, and…Conor, was it?…has to go for a job interview. You have the day off, right?”
Jena’s first impulse was to say no, but she knew Leisa would use her influence with Travis to get the truth and, worst-case scenario, make him switch with Jena if she really had to work. Normally Jena would laugh her ass off at the very idea of Trav doing anything of
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