“On the contrary, I’m an abysmal dater and don’t have much experience at all. I don’t have time for it alongside running Norcross Holdings.”
“Sounds lonely.” I feel sad for Brienne.
Her eyes flash with mischief. “I’m not lonely.”
I frown. “You have someone?” I didn’t know she was in a relationship.
“I have someone who’s available when I want or need them,” she clarifies.
And I don’t get it at first.
Then it dawns, and I murmur, “Oh.”
She has a fuck buddy, and that makes me want to snicker, but then I want to high-five the woman. Good for her for taking what she wants.
It makes me more curious. Since I’ve been open with her, and because the few sips of whiskey have emboldened me, I ask, “Don’t you want a relationship, though, at some point? A family?”
Brienne smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Honestly… I don’t think I’m cut out for it. My life is about my work. I have very few precious hours to give to anyone else. I don’t think I’d make a very good girlfriend, wife, or mother.” She looks over at a picture of her brother on the bookshelf to her left and nods at it. “Adam was the one who was all about having a family. He wanted lots of kids one day, and I figured I’d have plenty of nieces and nephews to spoil along the way.”
“I can understand that. I have a niece, and I miss her so much. I can’t wait to have kids.”
“You’ll be a great mother,” Brienne says softly.
“I think you would too,” I reply, because while she might not have time or even want to have a family, Brienne cares about people.
“No thank you,” she drawls, shaking her head with a laugh. “I’m horrible with kids. When I say I wanted nieces and nephews to spoil, I mean by buying them stuff. Kids and I don’t connect at all.”
“Really?” I ask in astonishment.
“No real experience, but the few times I’ve been around kids, I about break into hives.”
I laugh because I know she’s exaggerating, and she grins back at me.
Brienne tips her glass and drains the rest of her whiskey. She stands from her chair, and I scramble to do the same. Her eyes drop to my drink. “Not to your liking?”
Wrinkling my nose, I shake my head. “Little too strong for me. I don’t think I have more than the few tiny sips in me.”
Chuckling, Brienne takes my glass. “What is your drink of choice?”
“Wine,” I admit.
“Red or white?”
“Either,” I say.
“I’ll get some, and we’ll enjoy it together one day,” she says as she moves over to the wet bar.
“You don’t have to,” I say awkwardly.
“Nonsense.” She deposits the glasses on the marble countertop and then faces me. “I don’t connect with many women, Jenna, but I do connect with you.”
“I feel the same,” I admit.
“Then we shall occasionally share a drink here and avail ourselves of gossip and other fun things.”
“I’d like that.” I kind of want to hug her, but that would be inappropriate.
“Just remember… I’m always the boss,” she says sternly, but I also see the twinkle in her eye.
Still, it’s something I’ll never need reminded of. “I’ll be respectful of that line,” I assure her.
“I admire you, Jenna,” she says as we walk to the door. She opens it and stands back for me to walk through. “And I don’t admire a lot of people.”
“Thank you,” I say softly as I glance back. “My sister says that, Gage said it… now you. I might start to believe it.”
“You better,” she says fiercely. “Now, I expect to hear all the details about your second date with Gage.”
Laughing, I nod. “Deal.”
CHAPTER 11
Jenna
“Are you okay?” Sophie asks as she twirls the straw in her drink. She ordered a screwdriver, and I’ve already finished half my wine.
I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans. “I’m fine.”
“Are you nervous about seeing Gage?” she asks, and boy, she has no clue how spot-on she is.
Sophie knows Gage and I went on a date night before last, and of course, she sort of knows this is our second date, so to speak, since Gage invited Baden and Sophie to join us for drinks at Mario’s after the game. Sophie and I are waiting for the guys, but she said it could be a bit since they had postgame talks and showers to handle before heading over.
What Sophie doesn’t know is that we kissed, because when I told her about my first “date” with Gage, I downplayed it. Told her we went out and grabbed a bite, making it seem far more friendly than flirtatious.
However, she does know it was Gage’s idea for the four of us to hang out tonight, so maybe she’s assuming there might be more.
I guess it’s time to fill her in completely. “We kissed.”
She blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Gage and me. We kissed. Or rather, he kissed me at the end of our first date. More than once. And it was really, really good. And then he sent me flowers yesterday, and he texts me just out of the blue to see how I’m doing, and even sends me funny GIFs. But he called me last night, because he says he likes the sound of my voice. Who says that to a woman? I mean, who really means that? But he does. Gosh, Sophie… he’s so genuine and kind. The real deal, and yes… to answer your damn question, I’m nervous.”
When I finally shut up, Sophie’s mouth is hanging open. Only one word comes out. “Wow.”
I groan and pick up my wineglass to take a fortifying sip. “I’m going to get drunk tonight.”
Sophie places a hand on my forearm and pushes it down. “Lie low on the sauce, or you might end up sleeping with Gage tonight.”
I look at her in horror. “No way. Uh-uh.”
She frowns at me. “You don’t want to have sex with him? I mean… because you have seen him, right?”
“Yes, I want to have sex with him.” Then I close my eyes, shake my head. “I mean, no… I don’t… not while drunk. Or anytime soon. Maybe soon. I don’t know, Sophie. I’m not used to this type of attention. I’ve never had someone like Gage interested in me, and well, let’s just say my prior experiences weren’t great. I really like him, but I’m still having a hard time believing he’s real. Know what I mean?”
A dreamy look comes over her face. “I know exactly what you mean. It’s how I felt about Baden for the longest time. I thought we’d never be anything beyond friends, and I wanted more, but I was afraid to believe it could happen.”
“How did you get past that?” I ask, curious that she might have a legit answer.
“Time,” she says simply. “Communication. You need to be honest with your fears. Baden had insecurities because of his injuries. I had insecurities because of my PTSD. We were open about it. If you’re nervous, you tell Gage. Simple as that.”
I snort, laughing at the image. “I can see me telling him I’m nervous about being intimate and then him telling me that was never on his agenda.”