Page 27 of Falling For My Best Friend's Brother
“Right,” Cami said, hoping down from the desk and taking the chair next to mine. She smoothed her skirt down, probably sensing the shift in my mood. That was another reason I liked hanging out with her, she knew how to read me.
“Sorry. I—I don’t think we can do this tonight,” I said, turning to face her.
Cami shrugged. “I overheard your conversation out there a little. I’m not exactly mad that you made me come all the way over here to make someone else jealous, but you could’ve given me a heads up first.” She playfully punched my arm.
“I’m sorry, Cami. I should’ve told you what was going on.” I felt like shit. Emma was pissed off at me and on a date, and I did Cami wrong.
“No sweat,” she said, sounding like she meant it. “You can buy me an island or something to make up for it.”
I laughed, genuinely this time. “Deal.”
“What’s going in with you and—” she tilted her head toward Emma’s desk out in the hall.
I could’ve told her nothing, I could’ve brushed it off and acted like nothing was wrong, but I didn’t want to.
“I…have feelings for her. We’ve known each other for a long time but it very recently became more. It’s complicated.”
“Kyle Beckford is all in his feelings,” Cami said, her smile too big. “I am loving this.”
“I’m not.” I pushed up from my chair to resume my pacing. “She’s out on a date and I invited you here to try and fuck her out of my system.” Then, I realized what I’d said. “Shit. I didn’t mean—”
Cami stood, waving her hand. “Please, Kyle. I’m actually flattered.” Cami pulled a face. “Sheesh, what does that say about me? Anyway, we both know what our relationship is, that’s why get along so well. If I was in your position, I would’ve called you and tried to do the same exact thing.”
“You’re being too easy on me.”
“Well, like I said, I could use an island,” she teased.
“Tell me what to do and I’ll get you a yacht to go with it,” I said, only half joking.
Cami closed the distant between us, placing her hands on my chest. She was so familiar, so beautiful, but she wasn’t Emma. I was totally, royally, completely fucked.
“Listen, Kyle. I’ve known you for years at this point, intimately. I have never seen you like this. Hell, you’ve never opened up like this to me before. What ever Emma is doing to you, is a good thing. You’re making this far more complicated than it needs to be—”
“You don’t get it. I know people say it’s complicated all the time, but I mean it. There’s my sister, and her daughter, and her ex-husband, and—”
Cami cut me off this time. “Kyle, you’ve never, ever let anything stand in your way before. Those all sound like lame excuses. Just make it happen.” With a wink and quick kiss on the cheek, Cami hurried out of my office.
“Caribbean?” I asked, yelling after her?
“Sounds perfect,” she called back. “Can’t wait for my own island.”
Shaking my head, I pulled my cell out of my pocket and composed a text to Emma.
No one said I had to play fair to get what I wanted.
Chapter 12
Emma
We’dbeenatthebar, First Pour, just down the street from the office for a half hour and I still wasn’t sure if we were on a date or not. A few other co-workers, some I recognized some I didn’t, lined the bar and nearby tables, but Jerry and I mostly kept to ourselves.
Jerry ordered us both a couple of happy hour cocktails, something fruity for us both, while I secured us a high-topped table in the middle of the bar. A young waitress with rainbow hair who couldn’t seem to be bothered with us plopped down a bucket of peanuts and some menus and left without a word.
The bar was nice enough with highly polished wooden tables, chairs, and a long bar that wrapped around the whole place, a dartboard in the back, and stained glass windows that made it feel a little like an Irish pub. But, it wasn’t my normal scene.
Jerry started shelling peanuts for us both to eat while I sipped my drink.
“Did you call to check on Lily?” Jerry asked.