My Forever Plus-One Read online

  “Finally tired of ‘Who’s the Baby Daddy’ episodes?”

  “I want to do a daytime talk with a local spin.”

  He nodded but asked, “What does that mean?”

  “It means I’ll have a host—you remember Marilyn? I introduced you at a charity thing last summer—anyway, we’ve talked on occasion. She’d be perfect for the camera, and she has connections all over the city. She can reach anyone.”

  “Anyone?”

  “If she doesn’t have the connection, she knows someone who does. People like her. She can get them to talk and keep it interesting. I’ve never seen someone work a room like she does. Plus, she’s gorgeous. The audience will eat it up.”

  He finished the last of his burger and sipped from the can of pop. “Why don’t you do it?”

  She gave him a look like he’d lost his mind. “I’m not a host. I hate being in front of the camera.”

  “Why? You’re as gorgeous as Marilyn. And people talk to you all the time.”

  “I’m not an on-camera personality. I couldn’t do it. Besides, I’d get fired after I dropped a few F-bombs. That’s a huge no-no on camera.” She ate a few more bites of her burger before handing him the rest.

  Of course, he wolfed it down. She couldn’t even be jealous that he ate like that. He worked out all the time to stay in shape for his job. She, on the other hand, only grudgingly walked on the treadmill a few times a week. She’d rather eat only half the burger and not have to work out.

  Owen scooped up all of their trash and took it to the kitchen. Evelyn slipped off her shoes and changed the channel before he came back.

  “What did Harry say?”

  “About what?” she asked absently as she caught the start of the local news. Heat wave at the tail end of summer in the city. Another shoot-out in a Chicago neighborhood. A bystander killed.

  Owen muted the TV. “What did Harry say about your show idea? You told him about it, didn’t you?”

  She blinked and turned her focus to him. “Kind of. I knew I had to strike while he was having good thoughts about me. So I mentioned it, but I didn’t give him a formal pitch. He told me to run some numbers and he’d take a look.”

  Owen snorted.

  “What?”

  “If you’ve been thinking about it, you already have a pitch and numbers and everything Harry could possibly want. It’s what you do.”

  Her skin warmed. Sometimes she forgot how well he knew her. He acted like he didn’t pay attention to things, but he did. “Well, it’s not like I carry the information around with me.”

  He shot her a look. “But you have it.”

  “Yes. But that’s not the way things work. Especially with Harry. He needs to be eased into it. If I just whipped out a file to give him the full plan, he’d feel blindsided.”

  “Instead, you’re going to weasel your way in?”

  “Not quite the way I would put it, but yeah.” She settled back into the couch, leaning against him comfortably. “Weaseling. Schmoozing. It’s the glamorous life I lead.”

  “I’ll take the danger of a fire over schmoozing any day.” His arm settled around her shoulder. “Mike and Abby are having their end-of-the-season cookout Sunday. You coming?”

  “Sure. What should I bring?”

  “Something store-bought.”

  “I’m not that bad a cook,” she said, giving him a shove.

  “Sure.” He paused and then said, “Watch out for Jamal.”

  “Why?” She thought about the young firefighter who was always quick with a joke or a boastful story.

  “He thinks he has a shot to be with you.”

  “Oh, really? And why wouldn’t he?”

  He stiffened against her. “Would you want to go out with him?”

  Sometimes Owen made it far too easy to fuck with him. “We both know he’s not looking to date me. He is a young, good-looking guy. I bet his stamina is amazing.”

  Owen grunted.

  “Down, boy. I’m teasing.” She stifled a laugh. She was far past the point of playing with boys. She was old enough to understand the value of a good man. “How did the youth center go today?”

  “Good. The usual. Kids love the truck. Little ones like to play with our gear.”

  “Everything you do for that center and the kids…it’s cool. You’re a good guy.”

  “Not so good that I’m letting you get away with changing the channel.” He snatched the remote and put his movie back on. “Trust me. You’ll like this one.”

  She didn’t care about the movie but she couldn’t complain about hanging with her best friend, while stretched out on her couch, watching something he enjoyed. Today had been a good day.

  …

  Owen used his key to let himself into Evelyn’s condo. He didn’t bother ringing first, because he knew she wouldn’t be ready, and making her stop to answer the door would just make them later. When she was his date for an event, he always gave her the wrong time, because she was always late.

  But since they were going to Tess’s engagement party, and Tess was a friend to both of them, he couldn’t lie about what time to be ready.

  “I’m here,” he called out.

  She peeked around the corner that led to her bedroom. “Almost ready,” she said with a wink.

  If the shimmery blue strap on her shoulder was any indication, she wasn’t even dressed. He sighed. “Got any beer?”

  “In the fridge. But you know there’s an open bar, right?”

  “Yeah, but Miles’s family is throwing this party, and there’s no telling what hoity-toity shit they’ll have.” He liked Tess’s boyfriend—fiancé. He was a good guy who treated Tess and her kids well. But he came from money. The kind of money guys like Owen never even considered a possibility in this lifetime.

  “They’re rich. That means top-shelf liquor all the way,” she yelled.

  Maybe she had a point. He looked in her fridge and saw she only had two bottles. They were his favorite beer, which she kept just for him. He couldn’t remember the last time she had something in the fridge for anyone else.

  He grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he scrolled through his phone.

  “Wow. Talk about a GQ moment,” she said.

  He looked up from his phone, and like a cartoon character, his tongue almost rolled out of his mouth to drag on the floor.

  Their gazes locked and something passed between them. A charged, heated look that told him she sometimes had the same passionate thoughts about them that he had. Then she blinked. Did I imagine the silent conversation?

  “New suit?” she asked while fiddling with earrings. Her head tilted to shift her hair out of her way, exposing her long neck.

  He nodded, unsure of his ability to form words. He thought he’d seen Evelyn in every kind of dress and suit imaginable. But this dress made her mouthwateringly beautiful. It was the same shimmery blue of whatever she had on underneath—he had to work to prevent himself from thinking about that—and it hugged every part of her.

  “Wow,” he finally blurted.

  She smiled and curtsied. “Thank you. That’s the reaction I was going for.”

  His heart rate kicked up. She wanted him to have that reaction? He swallowed hard. “You’re even more stunning than usual.”

  She stepped closer and patted his chest. “You’re looking pretty good yourself. What made you break down and finally get a new suit?”

  “I got tired of you telling me I was being cheap by not buying one.”

  “I don’t think I ever called you cheap. But you did wear that suit for a decade.”

  “It fit.”

  She sighed in a way that said he was hopeless.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yep.” She held up her purse and turned to leave.

  His eyes trailed from the sexy heels that made her nearly his height, up over bare legs to the curve of her ass. That’s when he saw that the back of her dress didn’t exist. An expanse
of bare skin for anyone to see. He continued to talk to distract himself. “I still can’t believe Tess asked Miles to marry her.”

  Evelyn looked over her shoulder. “Why?”

  “Didn’t it bother Miles?”

  She turned completely around. “Is this some macho guy thing? It’s the man’s job to propose?”

  Heat crawled up his neck. Evelyn had a habit of calling him out for being a Neanderthal. He didn’t think he was acting like a caveman; he was just old-fashioned. “I’m traditional.”

  She tilted her head and studied him. “Even now, after everything with Stacy? You already did the whole down-on-one-knee, big wedding thing.”

  “What does she have to do with anything?”

  “I’ve never heard you talk about marriage. Hell, I never thought you’d trust another woman enough to want to tie yourself to her.”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t say I was looking to get married again, just that if I did, I would want to pop the question.”

  He considered admitting that she was the only woman he’d trusted in a long time, but then again, they were friends. They weren’t sleeping together, so she couldn’t cheat on him. But marriage? Could he open himself up for that again?

  They walked out to the hallway, and Evelyn locked up. Another thought occurred to him because of her questioning.

  “You think you’ll remarry?” he asked. It wasn’t something that he’d really considered with them. Even as their friends were falling in love and starting new lives, he thought he and Evelyn would always have each other. But if she got married…

  “I don’t know. I’m not actively looking, if that’s what you’re wondering.” She pressed the elevator button. “But there’s part of me that misses having someone to come home to.”

  The elevator doors swooshed open. She took his arm and leaned close. “And regular sex. I miss regular sex,” she said in a low voice.

  He jabbed the button for the lobby. Evelyn talking about sex shouldn’t have his dick perking up. He knew that, but his dick obviously didn’t. He cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure you could get laid whenever you want.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh. “A random hookup isn’t the same.”

  Her body pressed against him made him think about getting laid. Her soft curves lined up along his body, and he briefly imagined her lying beneath him.

  Of course she was right. She wasn’t talking about getting off. That was easy to find, but the connection with someone who mattered was something they both missed. They had that connection with each other, albeit not quite the same.

  On the way to the party, Evelyn chatted about work. Then they talked about his brother’s wedding, which was coming up in a little over a month.

  “Did you schedule your vacation days?” he asked.

  “Yes. Did you?”

  “I put in the request the minute my brother gave me dates. You never need to check up on me.”

  “Yeah, yeah…you always have your shit together.”

  He pulled into the hotel’s circular drive to the valet stand.

  “Ooo…I feel special. You’re using the valet instead of making me hike from a parking garage.”

  He pointed at the heels she wore. “I doubt you could hike anywhere in those.”

  The valet opened her door, and she stepped out. After he accepted the ticket and joined her, she turned a leg out, flashing more skin than he wanted anyone to see.

  “Don’t you like them?”

  “They look phenomenal, and they do amazing things for your legs, but they’re not made for hiking. And I’m not about to carry you.” He made the joke to prevent himself from thinking about exactly how good her legs looked and what the heels did for her ass. He checked the urge to reach out and grab a handful. Over the years he’d learned restraint.

  She took his arm again. “Whatever happened to chivalry?”

  “It died with the invention of the internet and Tinder.”

  “And dick pics,” she added with a laugh. She patted his biceps. “There are a few chivalrous guys left, though.”

  He led her through the lobby and to the elevators. Tess and Miles had chosen to have the party at the rooftop restaurant of the hotel where they’d first met, which was also where Tess had proposed. Owen felt out of place surrounded by so many people with huge bank accounts. They wore suits that cost as much as one of his paychecks. The jewelry hanging on the women sparkled enough to blind him.

  But for his friends, he’d suck it up and try to have a good time. As a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne glasses, he snagged one for Evelyn and handed it to her. “I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to see what’s available at the bar.”

  “Stay out of trouble. I’ll find Nina and Trevor.”

  Chapter Two

  Evelyn sipped her champagne as she watched Owen walk toward the bar. Something was different about him tonight—other than the new suit. If she didn’t know better, she’d think a woman had dressed him. The suit fit his body perfectly. Although he would never spend money on custom-made, he’d done well with that purchase.

  One of the things she loved about Owen was his view on money. He liked to be comfortable but wouldn’t spend frivolously. In his mind, he saw no reason to spend an extra three hundred on a suit when that same three hundred could buy new equipment for the youth center. Regardless of what he said, he was a good guy—chivalrous to the core.

  Turning away, she went to find their friends from the New Beginnings group. No dinner tonight, only appetizers and drinks, but the appetizers looked downright amazing. She could make a meal of them. She took a stuffed mushroom off a tray and popped it in her mouth. She surveyed the area, taking in the guests. Tess had a small family, but it looked like Miles’s mother had invited every who’s who in the city.

  She found Nina, Trevor, and Callie at a high-top table. It was a four-seater, but they could drag a chair over for Owen. “Hey,” she said, setting her glass on the table. She walked around and gave Nina and Trevor hugs. She waved at Callie. Although she liked Trevor’s girlfriend, they weren’t hug-level friends. At least not yet. “No Gabe tonight?”

  Trevor said, “He’s on his way.”

  Evelyn looked to the bar to keep an eye out for Owen. When she caught his eye, she waved.

  “Did you come with someone?” Callie asked.

  She nodded. “Owen.”

  “Owen? Like Owen, Owen?”

  Nina leaned on the table as Owen joined them. “Of course our Owen. As always.”

  “Not—” Evelyn started to argue, but then she realized that Nina was right. They were always each other’s plus-one. They never considered coming with anyone else. At least she never thought about it. Does Owen?

  “Our Owen, what?” he asked, setting a glass of beer next to her arm.

  “Callie asked who my date was.”

  “But you’re not…” Callie pointed back and forth between them.

  “No,” they answered simultaneously.

  They must’ve spoken too loudly or something, because Callie dropped it. Nina, however, gave them both the stink eye. Ever since issuing her challenge, Nina had been hounding Evelyn and Owen. She had told them to shit or get off the pot. As if something was supposed to happen between them. But that look they’d shared earlier in her kitchen had her thinking…

  Owen must’ve noticed Nina’s meddling glare, too, because he said, “Want to dance?”

  “Sure.” Evelyn took his hand, and he led her to the dance floor.

  A slow song was playing, which was probably the only reason he had asked. He didn’t normally dance.

  He put an arm around her waist, his palm was warm against the bare skin of her back. His other hand held hers. As they began to sway, she tried to ignore the caress of his fingers, so she asked, “Do you ever think about bringing someone else as your plus one?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why not?”

  “Who else would I have a better time with beside
s my best friend?”

  She brought her chin close to his shoulder. Their bodies brushed with each shift. “I don’t know. Maybe someone you’ll get lucky with?”

  He chuckled, and she felt the vibrations through her entire body. That kind of laugh coming from any other guy would have her thinking about getting naked. It was bad enough that it sent a tingle through her.

  “Hey, I’m open to all possibilities.” His low voice caused another rush of warmth.

  His comment caused a hitch in her step. She had no idea if he was still joking. For the next verse of the song, she stayed silent and remembered how good it had been the one time they’d thrown all reason aside and slept with each other. They had met in the divorce support group almost a year before Trevor, Tess, and Gabe joined. Nina had come along even later.

  That early on, she and Owen had been raw and hurting, but the chemistry had been there.

  They’d gone out for drinks after a meeting and had ended up at her place. It had been the first time for both of them postdivorce. As much as it had simply been a stepping-stone toward healing, it had been one of the hottest nights of her life.

  She had come from a divorce feeling undesirable and worthless. She couldn’t do something as basic as keep a man. Worse, as soon as the ink dried on the papers, her ex had found someone new. Evelyn had still been reeling from the collapse of a relationship she’d believed would last forever.

  That night, Owen had managed to be rough yet tender as he’d explored her body. They’d fucked all night—from being buzzed straight through sobriety, as if chasing out the bad memories that divorce had created.

  Finally, she swallowed. “I thought we agreed that wasn’t a smart move.”

  The song ended, but they continued to move. “That was before—”

  His response was cut off by Miles calling for attention at the front of the room. Owen stepped back but didn’t let go of her hand. Her heart raced. She wanted to yank him away from the crowd and ask what he was about to say, but Miles was toasting Tess.

  While they listened to speeches about the happy couple, Evelyn considered the possibilities of what Owen hadn’t said. Ultimately, she decided not to ask him. They’d been right all those years ago. They’d helped each other heal. Owen had been her best friend, her rock, ever since. Whenever she doubted herself, he was there to shore her up. When he believed there was something fundamentally wrong with him, she pointed out how great he was. Changing their relationship would mean changing his role in her life, and she couldn’t imagine losing that.