Forever Love: A Friends to Lovers Collections Read online

  I nodded. “Got it.” All right, I had a lot studying to do. I was going to have tons of drinks to memorize.

  The night wore on, and I could tell I was more in Maddy’s way than I was helping. I slipped back out to the front.

  “How’d it go?” Max asked. The only new customers coming in were heading to the bars, so he didn’t have to do much.

  “Horribly. I have no idea what I’m doing.” I don’t know why I was so honest with Max. He was just the kind of person you wanted to be open with.

  “You’ll learn. Here, come with me for a second.” He headed back toward his office, and I followed. He went over to his bookshelf and grabbed a weathered book that looked like it had been through a lot. “This is the book I learned from. Most of it’s still the same, and you’ll figure out the rest.”

  “I can bring it home?”

  “Of course. You’re living with Macon and Brody now, aren’t you?”

  I nodded.

  “I’m sure Macon wouldn’t mind helping you.” There was a twinkle in Max’s eye I decided not to read into. Whatever he was implying about Macon, I didn’t really care. I at least I had something to work off of.

  “Thanks so much.” I held the book against my chest as I made my way back outside. Things had quieted down a little.

  Maddy chewed her bottom lip nervously. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

  “It’s fine! You were so busy. I’m going to practice at home,” I held up the book.

  “Practice at home?” She took the book from me. “Where did you get this?”

  “Max said I could borrow it.”

  She smiled. “He’s sure a softie.”

  “Yeah, well I appreciate it. Maybe I can learn some on my own before I try it here.”

  “That’s a really good idea. I took a class during college so I didn’t have to learn on the spot. Feel free to come by anytime if you want help.”

  “Thanks, I’ll probably take you up on that.” I made my way back up to the front. I was going to learn. I’d made it through four years of college, hadn’t I? How much harder could bartending be?

  * * *

  “I need your help.” Those four words were hard to say to anyone, let alone Macon, but Brody didn’t really drink and was out of town, so I didn’t have any one else to ask. Besides, Max had suggested I ask Macon for help.

  I’d spent a full thirty seconds debating the advisability of my next course of action before I knocked on his partially open door. He was laying on his bed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Even a casual outfit like that made him look good.

  He glanced up from a book. “My help?”

  “I need to learn to bartend.”

  “Is there any particular reason for this desire to learn?” He set aside his book.

  I walked fully into the room. “Max offered me a bartending job if I can learn. It’s better pay and tips, and Maddy always makes it look like fun.”

  He sat up. “Why wouldn’t you ask Maddy for help?”

  “She’s going to be helping me at work, but that’s hard because she’s so busy. I’d ask for her help outside of work, but she has too much going on. I don’t want to bother her.”

  “Let’s ignore the fact that you think I have so little going on that you weren’t worried about asking me,” he teased. “The important question is what does she have going on?” He didn’t hide the suspicion in his voice. If I didn’t have his attention already, I had it now.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Nuh uh. Out with it.”

  “I can’t. I promised I wouldn’t tell.”

  “You promised Maddy you’d keep a secret from me?” He was off his bed and halfway across the room.

  “Well, I actually promised to keep it from Colin—well and then I told her to wait on telling him, so it actually isn’t such a promise anymore.”

  “Just tell me. I won’t tell her, but I need to know what’s going on.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want her to feel like she can’t trust me.”

  “If you don’t tell me I’ll ask her myself. Which is worse? I’m serious, I have to know.”

  I sighed. It would be tons worse if he asked her himself. Plus he was her best friend, maybe he could help.”

  “Maddy’s pregnant.” I kept eye contact, wanting to watch his reaction.

  Shock crossed his face. “As in she’s having a baby?”

  “What other kind of pregnant is there?”

  “Wow.” He went back over to his bed. “This is insane. How could it happen?”

  “You don’t really need me to go over those details, do you?”

  He laughed, and his eyes racked over me. Once again with the mixed signals. “What does Colin think?”

  “He doesn’t know yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, first she was scared, and then I convinced her to wait. He needs to propose to her first.”

  “What? Ok, you need to sit down and explain all of this.” He patted the spot next to him on his bed.

  I walked in. Considering he’d spent time in my room it shouldn’t have felt so weird to be in his, but it did. I took a tentative seat on his king sized bed. He definitely had the master bedroom.

  “Colin already has a ring, but he isn’t planning to propose until the perfect moment or something. Maddy is afraid if she tells him she’s pregnant, he’ll only propose because he has to.”

  “So you want Colin to propose first to save them both the trouble.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So why not just tell Colin? Then he can propose right away and act surprised.”

  “Because it’s not my news to share, and he’s a horrible actor.”

  “How horrible?” His eyes twinkled.

  “Horrible.”

  “Okay… but if she waits too long he’ll be mad.”

  “So we need to get him moving.”

  “Do you have any idea on how to?” Sometimes it’s easier for a guy to figure out how another guy ticks.

  “We can work on that, but what about that bartending stuff? Does Maddy want to quit or something?”

  “No. Max is opening up an upstairs bar, but I’m guessing she’s going to have to quit eventually, or at least take time off.”

  “I can help with Colin, but I have no idea how to bartend.”

  “Maybe I should ask Brody when he gets back. He’d probably help. I know he doesn’t really drink, but—”

  He sat up with a start. “Let’s learn together.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Why not?”

  “Ok, so Max gave me a book. We can start there. Do you want to start tonight?”

  “Sure. We’ll do the bartending thing tonight and we’ll talk to Colin tomorrow.”

  “Deal?” He held out his hand. It felt so nice and warm in mine.

  “Deal.”

  Macon

  I have no idea why I agreed to help Carly learn to bartend. Maybe it was how desperate she sounded, or because I was incapable of saying no to that pretty face of hers, but I found myself rummaging through the cabinets with her at nearly one a.m. I had a pretty decent supply of liquor, but evidently my bartending supplies were lacking. Brody was away visiting his parents, so for once I wasn’t worried about pissing him off by making a mess in the kitchen.

  “You seriously don’t have a stirring rod thingie?” she whined. Usually I hate when a girl whines, but there was something cute about hers.

  “Last time I checked I wasn’t a bartender. A spoon or knife works just fine.”

  She groaned. “Well, I guess that will have to do for tonight, but we’ll have to get one for our next session.”

  “Our next session? You really think we’re going to be doing this a lot?”

  “I have to get this stuff down. Maddy took a whole class to learn. I have you.” She turned her head to the side slightly.

  I sighed. “Okay, what else do we need to find?”

  �
��I think we have everything we need for the next few drinks I want to try.”

  We’d already spent an hour taking shots of different liquors. The idea was to make sure we knew the taste of each one. It had sounded like a good idea at the time. We drank seconds of a few just to make sure we had the taste down. By the time we were ready to start mixing drinks, I was definitely feeling the last round.

  She stood leaning over a dog eared page in a book. “Your favorite drink is a Long Island iced tea, right?”

  “Yeah, but that’s a more complicated one. Are you sure you want to start with that?” I was trying to be nice.

  “I know, but if I can master the harder ones, the easier ones will come, well easier I’d think.” Of course I needed to memorize the ingredients first. I downloaded two apps to help with that part while Macon pulled out the liquor.

  “If you say so.” I sat back and let her take charge. I was only supposed to be helping.

  She took out a glass and filled it with ice. I watched as she poured triple sec, rum, vodka, tequila, sour mix, and Coke in. She didn’t pour them into a shot glass first, she just eyed it. Maybe she was a natural at it.

  “There.” She pushed the glass over to me.

  I took a sip of the Long Island. There was a heck of a lot more alcohol than I was used to in it, but I couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

  “Do you like it?” She hopped up on the counter. “I don’t drink those, so I don’t know what they’re supposed to taste like.”

  “It’s uh, great.” I took another sip and swallowed hard.

  “It’s awful, huh? I suck at this.”

  “You don’t suck.” I set down the glass. “You just have to make sure you’re really precise with the measurements.”

  She sighed. “This is starting to feel like science class.”

  “Maybe, but how many science classes have you been to where you’ve been able to get blitzed?”

  She crossed her legs at the ankles. “None that involved hanging out with a guy as hot as you.” She covered her mouth and laughed. “Ok, I probably shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

  “I don’t mind. So, I’m hot, am I?” Wow, Carly was in an honest mood.

  “Very.” She uncrossed her legs and sat forward. “And I can’t believe I’m telling you that.”

  “If it makes you feel better I think you’re gorgeous.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Absolutely.” I reached behind her and pulled out the hair tie holding up her hair. It tumbled down in waves down her back. I ran my fingers through it. “So unbelievably gorgeous.”

  She shifted and intentionally or not let me slip in between her legs. I leaned toward her. “We shouldn’t be talking like this.”

  “Why not? Are you afraid of dirty talk, Macon?” She bit her lip and smiled. She was playing with me.

  “Dirty talk? This isn’t dirty yet.”

  “Then show me dirty.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine.

  “I don’t want to show you dirty.”

  “Why not?” She said in a breathy tone.

  “Because I’d rather show you other things.”

  “What other things?”

  “The kind of things I’d have to show you.”

  “Show me.” She ran her teeth over her lip.

  “Are you sure you want me to?”

  “Completely. I’ll go first.” She used both hands to pull her black t-shirt up and over her head. She tossed the shirt.

  I stared at her sitting there in a black bra and pajama shorts. There was something so incredibly sexy about the combination—at least on her. My resistance broke. I needed her, and she was offering herself to me.

  “Aren’t you going to take your shirt off?” She smiled.

  “You’ve seen me without a shirt on.”

  “Yes, but not while I wasn’t wearing my own.”

  I pulled off my t-shirt and tossed it on the ground next to hers.

  “Thank you.”

  “Did you just thank me for taking my shirt off?”

  “Yeah, I think I did.” She blushed slightly.

  “I guess that means I should be thanking you for taking yours off—but then again you aren’t exactly shirtless yet.”

  “Technically I am.”

  “Yeah, but you have on a bra. I don’t.”

  “I wasn’t aware you usually wore bras, Macon.”

  I chuckled. “You’re something else, Carly.”

  “I already know that.” She grinned. “But back to what you were saying. Although I am technically shirtless, you may have a point that for a girl to be shirtless usually means she’s not wearing a bra.”

  “So I don’t need to thank you.” I gave up forcing my eyes to stay on her face. They were much happier studying the pale skin exposed by her bra. This one must have cut lower than her usual bikini tops, because there was a definite tan line. I was ready to see the rest of that tan line.

  She reached behind her and unhooked her bra. She dropped it on the floor.

  “Thank you.” I barely got the words out. I forced my eyes away from the absolutely perfect set of breasts in front of me. I knew we were treading into no turning back territory, and I needed to make sure she knew that. “I’m guessing you realize that I really want to touch you right now.”

  “Macon. Hun. Generally when a girl starts stripping down in front of you and asking you to take your clothes off, it means she wants you to touch her.”

  I laughed. “Is that so? I’m so glad you clarified that.” I couldn’t wait any longer. I lowered my mouth to one breast while my hand fondled the other. I ran my tongue over her nipple. She moaned, and I took it as an invitation to continue.

  “Macon,” she moaned as she fumbled with my belt. While she worked on it I slid my free hand up her leg and into the opening of her shorts. I brushed my hand over her silky underwear. I wondered what color they were and decided I was going to find out. I momentarily released her breasts as I boosted her up slightly so I could slide her shorts down her legs. The blue material fell to the floor, and I took in the sight of the purple silk.

  “Purple, nice.”

  She’d finished with my belt and moved on to my button and zipper. I stepped out of my shorts, ready to have less between us.

  “Red plaid, nice.” She giggled and nearly lost her balance on the counter. I steadied her.

  That’s when reality set in. We’d both had a lot to drink. I wasn’t about to take advantage of her. I stepped back.

  She gaped at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “We can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” She covered her chest with her arms.

  I swallowed hard. Every part of me wanted her, but not like this. Not when I had any question of whether she’d regret it in the morning. “Because we’ve both had too much to drink.”

  “I’m not drunk.”

  “Carly…”

  “I get it. Enough said.” Tears welled in her eyes,

  “Carly, come on. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

  “Gotcha.” She slipped off the counter, picked up her skirt and bra and practically ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.

  I bent down and picked up the t-shirt she’d forgotten. For a brief second I considered running after her, but I knew that would be a mistake.

  I slunk down on the couch without bothering to get dressed. What the hell had just happened? I’d just fucked up everything. I should have put the brakes on way earlier, and I knew exactly why I hadn’t. I wanted her. I wanted to see, feel, and touch every damn thing she had to offer. Yet somehow that had ended in my making her cry. Fucking fantastic. I downed the rest of my Long Island without tasting it.

  I was still sitting in the same spot when the front door opened at some point later. I was too out of it to even notice the time change.

  “What the hell did you do?” Brody dropped his backpack as soon as he closed the door.

  “What makes you think I di
d anything?”

  “Let’s see. You’re sitting on the couch in your underwear holding a Surfside Grille t-shirt. Either you’ve got some t-shirt fetish I don’t want to hear about, or you slept with Carly. At the moment I’m hoping it’s the fetish.”

  I looked down at the t-shirt still in my hands. “It’s neither.”

  He sat down on the love seat. “Meaning…”

  “What are you doing home anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be in Augusta still?”

  “It was all crazy stressed out planning for my brother’s wedding. I left early, but don’t change the subject.”

  “I didn’t sleep with her. I got close, and damn it I wanted to, but we’d been drinking. It seemed like a bad idea.”

  Brody grinned. “Well I’ll be damned.”

  “What?” I prepared myself for whatever smart aleck comment he had coming.

  “You actually made a smart decision, and you did it for the sake of someone else. I’d have thought I’d see pigs fly first.”

  “Shut up. I just hope she’ll talk to me tomorrow. She started crying and ran into her room.”

  “Did you try to talk to her?”

  I shook my head.

  “Good. Give her some time and let her save face.”

  “Save face?”

  “I’m sure the whole situation was embarrassing for her.”

  I groaned. “You’re not allowed to go away again.”

  “What, you don’t trust yourself alone with her?”

  “No. Obviously I shouldn’t.” I pulled myself off the couch. “I need a shower.”

  “A cold one?”

  “What other kind would I take?”

  “You did the right thing, Macon.”

  I turned back. “Then why do I feel so awful right now?”

  “I said you did the right thing, not the easy or fun thing.”

  “Maybe she’ll forget this ever happened.”

  “Now that’s just called being delusional.”

  I didn’t bother to answer. I headed down the hall to the bathroom. Even before I stepped into the shower, I knew the cold water was going to do nothing to cool my feelings for Carly. I had it bad.

  Carly