A year ago hed still been trying to make his relationship with Rada work though theyd both given up by that point and were just going through the motions.
Now that hed settled in to life after that engagement had finally been broken in publictheyd broken up privately three months before thatthere was a lot more than a pang.
He hated the idea of Maybe being with anyone else. Hated the thought of this date she was going to being the one she decided to give this other man a chance to be with her.
Hated, too, that if she ended up with someone right then, it would have been his own damned fault for not just making his move months before.
But hed been antsy. Needed to roam a little. To turn over in his head whether or not he wanted to be serious with anyone at all, despite his craving for Maybe.
And for a while, hed led with his dick and had enjoyed himself that way.
But he always turned his attention back to her. Over and over and finally hed realized he was done fucking around and needed to pay attention to his feelings about her to see if they were worth investigating further.
Not his type, or what hed always thought was his type until hed met her. Perhaps it was more a measure of that, the fact that no one was like her. Maybe never shut up. At first hed been stunned by it, but over time, he tended to have better days when she was working than when she was off. Whiskey Sharp was too quiet without his little bird flitting around, chirping and chattering.
She was the heart of the shop. Like an annoying little sister who managed to keep them all in line.
Except for him. He had absolutely no brotherly feelings about her whatsoever.
First things first, he had to deal with this visit from his mother and the resulting fallout among his family. Then hed turn his energy and focus to seeing if he could nudge Maybe into a date or two. See if he could get himself into double-digit territory.
His mother was arriving from New York in just a few hours. Shed been in New Jersey with her new husband, whod gone back to Moscow.
Alexsei wasnt a fool. He knew she was only coming because his aunt had guilted her into it. His younger brother had recently bought a house with his partner. They hadnt told her about the purchase yet and had asked Alexsei if hed be there when they did.
He would always be at his brothers side. Especially to protect him from whatever mayhem his mother brought into their lives.
The following night they had a big dinner planned at Irenas house, where this would all take place. He only hoped his mother reacted well. For his brothers sake.
And deep down inside, maybe he wanted his mother to see how far her children had come, how much theyd grown, and be proud.
Maybe finished up and her work, as always, was exemplary. It gave him a bit more confidence about the next few days. A small control, but one that was all about something he could do.
The heaviness of what he might be facing that night and over the next few days had killed his hard-on, but it twitched back to life when she slid the palm of her hand down the center of his chest, straightening his tie and adjusting his vest just exactly the way he preferred.
I dont know a single mother who could look at this man and not be proud. Youre so handsome. She grinned and then turned to clean up her station.
He risked one long look from the heels of her boots, up long, denim-clad legs, across her shoulders where the tip of her ponytail hung.
When his mother left, hed need to circle back to this developing thing between him and Maybe. The time had come to finally make that move or risk losing his chance forever.
CHAPTER THREE
BEFORE SHE WENT HOME, she needed to return the call shed been dreading. So she sat in her car and, noting that it wasnt quite nine yet, called her parents back.
Hi, Dad. Returning your call from earlier. Whats going on? Maybe tried to keep her tone light. Wanting to keep the mood positive instead of the negative it generally ran to after a few moments with them.
For a year or so after the kidnapping, they had a reasonably civil relationship but itd begun to deteriorate fairly soon after that. She just wanted it to get back to bland civility, damn it.
Thanksgiving is coming, he clipped out.
Yeah, in just three or so weeks.
Three weeks exactly. Naturally he had to correct her. Your mother would like Rachel, and you, at the table for such an important family holiday.
The and you part brought a sigh to her chest, but she let it go. It wasnt as if she didnt know they had all this difficulty between them. Also family holiday? Puhleeze. Shed never even been invited to a holiday with her parents since the age of sixteen. Not until she and Rachel had moved to Seattle and bought their house did they find it within them to include her for anything at all, much less holidays.
Ill talk to Rachel about it and get back to you. Rachel had enough experience with other people making her choices for a lifetime so Maybe wasnt going to agree without talking to her first.
She went out of her way to give her sister the reins of her life. So that Rachel made her own decisions. That sort of independence was a necessary step to the life she had to build for herself since she got out of the hospital.
She does what you tell her to. Tell her to come to her parents house at Thanksgiving.
This time she didnt hide her sigh. Sometimes, though they adored Rachel, they really didnt seem to know her at all. They acted as if she was fragile, but to Maybe it felt more like they wanted it to look that way, but really, they were desperate to take over. To explain away the things Rachel had done as something someone else influenced her over. So they could swoop in and control her every move.
They still treated her as if her medical situation was precarious. Constantly bringing it up. Going out of their way to baby her.
Instead of making Rachel feel safe, it made her feel constricted and weak. Helpless to guide her own fate.
Rachel needed to be her own lifes captain and they didnt see it as anything but some phase Maybe brought on for her own manipulative reasons.
And they didnt know Maybe at all, damn it.
Bitterness surged, even as she tried to pretend it didnt matter they believed shed be capable of anything to cause deliberate harm to Rachel.
Shes a grown woman who makes her own choices. Ill let her know shes invited.
Just get your life out of the bar for five minutes and put someone else first for once in your life, he said.
The tone he used in private with her, a hard, mean voice full of disdain was so totally different than how he spoke to Rachel. It still startled Maybe after a lifetime of hearing it.
It sent her back to a time when she didnt have any choices. When shed been far more helpless than she was now.
It was that knowledge, despite the pain of his treatment, that gave her the nonchalance to bat away his nasty swipe. You have a fantastic night, she said right before ending the call.
Boy oh boy, what a night itd been. Horrible date with horrible, slightly paranoid dude and then a slap fight with her dad. All before 10:00 p.m.
Maybe started the car and headed home.
* * *
VIC TOTALLY HAS a thing for you, Maybe told her sister as she walked into the kitchen. Shed tell her about the phone call once shed stuffed some food into her face.
Maybe started the car and headed home.
* * *
VIC TOTALLY HAS a thing for you, Maybe told her sister as she walked into the kitchen. Shed tell her about the phone call once shed stuffed some food into her face.
I dont know why youre not too busy to be up in my lady business. Her sisters dry response made Maybe smile.
Because hes so cute, Rach. And he has great hands and he smells good. Today he smelled like cinnamon rolls. Imagine that. Hes like a lifetime source of carbs. Take one for the team. Jeez.
Years of iron-fisted lessons meant she hung her coat up in the hall closet and placed her bag on a nearby hook before cruising back into the kitchen to see what was in the fridge.
Selfish is my middle name, Rachel said as she set her sketchbook aside. Since youre digging around in there, Im guessing the date wasnt good?
Maybe sighed. He looked at his phone at least a third of the time. So I asked him if everything was all right and then he got all pissy about my asking. Said I was accusing. Which uh, no I was thinking an emergency or whatever. But once hed said all that I was guessing he was up to something shady or had a huge anger management issue, so I was like, okay then, and got out of there before the food even got to the table.
Dreadful. Theres pizza. I brought it home from the shop.
Since she was busily eating a slice of that pizza, Maybe just grunted her thanks as she put another piece on a plate and put the box back in the fridge.
Alexseis mother is in town. Im not going to lie, Im beyond curious about her.
Rachel snorted. The way Irena talks about her sometimes. Ouch. She shook her head slowly. Or, to be more specific, its the things she doesnt say.
Shell tell us more when shes ready. Or well see it ourselves. I forgot to ask if she was staying with the Orlovs or not. If so, shed be right next door so they could get a gander. Alexsei was bunched up today. More than usual. He barely even complained when I cut his hair.
They have family all over the place here. Im sure shell be fine. Why are you so fascinated with this? Her sister sent a look that said she knew Maybes game.
Are you new here? Its not like we just met yesterday. Maybe rolled her eyes. Im totally nosy.
And you have a hard-on for your boss.
Well, I mean, I guess thats true too. If you want to be so vulgar about it.
Vulgar is my middle name.
I thought selfish was your middle name? she teased Rachel.
Depends on my mood and the day of the week. Duh.
I love your goofy ass, you know that, right? Laughing, Maybe cracked open a beer.
When are you going to let him see your boobs already? I feel like you two have been giving one another googly eyes for years now.
Its not happening while his mother is visiting from Russia, for goodness sake. When she leaves, then Ill maybe investigate a little further. Probably. I mean, its dumb. Hes my boss. I really need to talk myself out of this. Tell me what a terrible idea this is.
No. Im going to tell you what a good idea it is instead. Hes not your boss. Not really. You work in his barbershop. But you earn your own living with your clients and make him a lot of cash. Youre a total asset to his business but neither of you needs to pretend to feel anything out of fear of reprisals. And before you bring up the fiancée, shes gone and hes had his rebound time. Get some of that.
Maybe groaned. That heifer isnt gone. Shes like herpes, Rach. She keeps coming back. Alexsei and Vic were talking about her earlier. She claims she needs him to go with her to get a replacement phone.
Rachel curled her lip. She cant have him back.
When they were talking about her, they broke into Russian. Alexsei was super annoyed. But they were talking way too fast for me to get more than an outline.
For your purposes, shes gone. Shes not going to marry him anymore. If she ever was. I still cant see them as a couple and they were actually a couple. But now they arent together and wont be again. That dumbo will be around for years because shes besties with his cousin, but as long as theyre not involved, so what? Anyway shes not you. And he seems to dig that fact. You need to get in there and cockblock any bull on her part.
If only things were as simple as Rachel thought they were. She wanted to retort that Rachel should take her own advice and finally realize she could do more than bang a dude and kick him to the curb ten minutes after she came.
But she never would say that because you didnt make fun of someones weaknesses. You built them up. And punched them if they stole your eyeliner, yet again.
I got a call from Mom and Dad.
Rachel groaned. What do they want?
Thanksgivings coming up and they want us there. No use mentioning the real reason to have Maybe invited was because she was their way to their oldest daughter.
Maybe always made sure to be around to stand between them before they could hurt her sister. But the truth was, shed had a vastly different relationship with their parents. One Maybe thought her sister deserved to still enjoy. Especially if it gave her more emotional support.
Huh. Rachel sighed heavily.
Well do whatever you want. Ill handle them either way.
Why do you keep taking them on for me? You dont have to. Im a big girl. Rachel was indeed a big girl, but shed been the protector for most of Maybes life, so it was her turn to do the protecting.
Maybe just wished their parents saw that and appreciated it instead of reacting to it as if it was a personal attack. Wanted, so very much, not to care how they saw her, but really she wanted them to be proud of her. To see what she did in a positive light instead of always so damned negative.
She was stable. Someone Rachel could count on.
It was just a phone call about Thanksgiving. People deal with that mundane family stuff every day. No ones family is perfect. If she said it often enough she might believe it.
And most important, Rachel needed Maybe to be the buffer. She wouldnt always, which was why she didnt say the words aloud.
Robbie traded Thanksgiving for Christmas so they arent doing a big dinner at their house. But you know we can head over there and hang out. Just to be away from here. We can eat turkey here at home too. Or go there. Whatever. As long as turkey is involved Im pretty much good to go.
Robbie, their aunt and the woman who was far more a mother to Maybe than her biological one, was a cop, like their father had been. Like a whole truckload of Dolans had been or currently were. Cops worked over holidays, and now that Maybe was grown and didnt live in Eastern Washington near them, Robbie traded her holidays to be around for more time in the summer for Maybes annual visit and Christmas or Thanksgiving when she and Rachel would come over to celebrate.
Next year you can handle turkey dinner with them on your own. But for the next little while its easier for me to thwart them. Thwarting is in my constitution, remember? And they already disliked her. They wouldnt try to manipulate her the same way they did Rachel.
And if Rachel was around, they tended to behave better toward Maybe as well. They might actually get through dinner and have a decent time.