“I think you are the most amazing woman I have ever met, Shelly.”
Shelly clutched the sheet tighter to her, gnawing hard on her lip.
“And that completely terrifies you for some reason. It makes you want to just disappear from the moment,” he told her, his eyes locking with her own.
Lowering himself down, he lay on his side next to her, reaching out to gently stroke her hair. “You got upset last night when you came to see me.”
Finally, Shelly had to say something. Swallowing once, she asked. “What did I say?”
Josh leaned in, and she tried not to even breathe as he laid a gentle kiss on her cheek.
He whispered in her ear, “Nothing I didn’t already know.”
Then, he rolled across the bed and got up.
“What does that mean?” Shelly demanded, sitting up fast.
She clutched her head, wincing, and then remembered the sheet, which had now fallen down in her lap. She used her other hand to slowly pull it up—although why she bothered, she didn’t know. When she finally looked back at him, he gave her a sad smile.
“You’re not ready for me, Georgia,” he told her softly. “And that’s a real shame.”
Then, he turned and walked out of her life.
Shelly finally made it into her office as the phone was ringing.
Pushing aside memories that continued to haunt her, she picked up the phone and was not surprised to hear Lena on the other end.
“Okay. I don’t care what excuse you think you have or can look for or what the hell else you do whenever I’ve asked you out lately. You are coming to Mason’s tonight, and then we are all going to go down and watch the fireworks.”
Shelly groaned and sat back in her chair.
She was definitely in a funk. She hadn’t even started her new dating campaign. Maybe Lena was right. She just needed a night out with friends.
“Will Josh be going?” she asked hesitantly.
She reminded herself yet again that this was why she had avoided getting involved with him in the first place.
“Mason had asked him to go. I don’t know if he’ll show.”
Shelly shook her head against the chair and shut her eyes. Am I really going to do this to myself?
“Okay, I’ll be there.” She paused, thinking, I can do this and be an adult. “What time?”
“We’re meeting at seven for drinks,” Lena told her. “Shelly, we’ve missed you.”
“I know. I’ll be there,” she promised, and then hung up the phone.
Josh was on his way home to get ready for tonight.
When Mason had first asked him to come along, he had been unsure. He hadn’t seen Shelly for nearly two months, and now that it was the start of all the holiday festivities, he knew it was more than likely that they would start running into one another.
Chicago had a hidden secret—well, not that hidden to the natives. Every Saturday between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the city let off fireworks from Navy Pier.
Tonight was the first night. They were all going to meet at Mason’s for drinks, and then go across the park to watch.
Josh had kept himself busy over the past weeks, working on the restaurant expansion for Mason and getting a few minor details ready on his house to make it more buyer-friendly. Around a month ago, he had decided to put his house on the market.
It had been one night after a few too many beers when an idea had come to him of what his next project should be, and it sure as hell didn’t involve restoring the house he was currently living in.
Mutley looked over at him, and Josh nodded. That’s right, buddy. Once things are tidied up at the restaurant, I have a new project and some direction for my life to go in.
First though, he had to get through tonight. Since Shelly never went anywhere alone—and God only knows who her exciting date will be tonight—Josh was going to ask Jenny.
She was a nice girl he had met recently and had a few coffees with. A nice, sweet girl who had no baggage and seemed to want something permanent. Unfortunately though, nothing seemed to erase those big blue eyes and perfect blonde hair from his mind.
Seven o’clock rolled around, and Shelly was now standing in the lobby of Mason’s, waiting for the elevator. She had pushed the button and was tapping her foot when she heard a pair of heels clicking behind her. When they stopped, she glanced over her shoulder and felt her heart skid to an abrupt halt.
Standing behind her, looking as gorgeous as she remembered him, was Josh—and beside him was a small woman in a yellow sundress and strappy white heels. The lady had honey brown hair, and as she smiled at Shelly, all she could focus on was Josh’s hand on the woman’s back. Lifting her eyes to his, she thought she detected a moment of discomfort before he made himself smile.
“Shelly. It’s been a while.”
Shelly was trying to remember how to talk.
Open mouth. Project sound. Nope, it’s not working.
Luckily, the elevator pinged, and the doors swooshed open. Shelly almost ran in and pressed herself in the back corner.
The little woman next to Josh looked up at him and smiled, probably at Shelly’s odd behavior, and then stepped in, standing on the other side of the elevator. Josh moved inside, pushed the button, and then leaned back between the two of them. As the car lurched and started to rise, he turned to look at Shelly.
“This is Jenny.”
Shelly looked up at him and knew her eyes must have been screaming something—maybe, What the hell are you trying to do to me?
But, really, she had no recourse. This is what she had done to him.
Telling herself to act like an adult, Shelly looked past him and smiled at the lady holding his hand.
“Hi. I’m Shelly. I work with Lena.”
Jenny’s face lit up as she nodded. “Oh, yes, I’ve heard Lena and Mason talk about you. I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
What the hell? Shelly thought as the car came to a jolty stop. They have been double-dating with Lena and Mason?
Oh god. She felt ill. All of a sudden she wanted to throw up.
As the doors opened, Jenny got out first, and Josh turned to look at her where she was plastered up against the wall.
“It’s good to see you, Georgia. You look great,” he told her.
Then, he got out and walked over to Mason’s front door, leaving Shelly and her emotions shot to shit.
When Mason opened the door, Josh could tell he was shocked to see all three of them waiting in the hall.
His friend looked at him, and Josh knew his face must have looked strained. He was trying really hard not to let it show because he didn’t want Jenny to be uncomfortable, but standing so close to Shelly after all this time had him all kinds of wound tight.
“Hi, guys!” Mason exclaimed with a big grin, letting them all in.
As Josh moved past him, Mason whispered, “What the hell, man?”
“Don’t ask,” Josh mumbled back and moved forward, following his date.
That was when he heard Mason say softly, “It’s so good to see you, Shelly. You look beautiful.”
Oh and she does, Josh thought as he walked into the kitchen to grab a beer.
His eyes found hers as she moved over to Lena.
Tonight, she looked absolutely stunning, wearing a white gauzy dress that seemed to float over her body as she moved. It was a halter dress that dipped down into a low V-shape between those beautiful breasts with the waist cinched by a taupe satin ribbon.