I Know Who You Kissed Last Night by Lisa Scott
Emily rolled over on the couch and groaned as the sunlight streamed through the window. Two cats and a dog leapt off of her when she sat up. Sleeping over at her best friend Eric’s apartment was never comfortable, but she’d been too upset over what had happened last night to make it home; and he’d been too drunk to leave alone. Again. So, she’d crashed on his couch. Sleeping in his guest room would’ve been asking for trouble. What if he wandered into the wrong room and the wrong bed after a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip? No, the couch was much safer.
With a sigh, she went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth with her finger. She really should keep her own toothbrush here, but that would seem too much like something a girlfriend would do. Boundaries were important in this relationship—mostly for her sake. She could not—would not—fall for Eric. Fortunately, she had years of practice keeping her feelings to herself.
She tiptoed into Eric’s room, which was unnecessary. He’d probably be in bed snoring for a few more hours; she could tap-dance into his room and he wouldn’t move. But surprisingly, when she pushed his door open, he sat up, smiling.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. She fought the urge to make some smart-ass comment about him drinking more in a night than she had in her life. But Emily knew he hated hearing her lectures on drinking, so she’d stopped giving them. To be fair, he’d sat through quite a few without protesting because he knew about her father. So he’d nod and pretend to listen while she ranted about responsibility and disappointment and pain.
But eventually she realized it wasn’t Eric’s fault they had different views on partying, and that he shouldn’t be the object of her misguided anger. Not that her stance made any difference; Eric more than made up for her sobriety. Their friendship should have ended after his first binge, but you don’t leave a guy who’s been your best friend since kindergarten just because you think he drinks too much. If anything, he needed her even more because of it. And she needed him. He’d consoled her when her father died; she was there for him when his mother passed away a year later. And he found her lost dog, Sam, when she was seven, and she’d never forget that.
“Hey,” he croaked, stretching in bed.
“I didn’t expect you to be up so early,” she said a bit nervously. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t remember the night before. Damn, she was praying he wouldn’t remember the night before.
He rubbed his head. “I know. But I can’t stop thinking about last night.”
She couldn’t swallow. “Really?” she managed to say.
“I feel like a total ass.”
The blood drained from her face. “Why?”
“Because I kissed someone last night and can’t remember who.”
Thank god. She blew out a breath and ran her fingers over her lips. “Really? That’s…that’s too bad.”
He swung his feet out of bed and onto the floor, but sat there, not quite ready to get up. “I know, right? Did you see who I was with?”
She nibbled on her lip. “No. No, I didn’t see you with anyone.”
“Damn. I was counting on you.”
“Sorry.” She looked down at her feet. “So, was it…was it good?”
He laughed. “Incredible. All night, I dreamed about the way her lips felt against mine. How her silky hair slid through my fingers. And the arch of her neck. Damn—it was just a kiss. We were in a bar, so nothing more than that happened, but it was…” He scrunched his eyebrows together, thinking. “It was incredible.”
“Incredible?” Emily’s voice sounded squeaky.
“Yeah. Because of how I felt with her. Happy. I don’t know, like whole or something.”
Emily faked a laugh. “That’s probably just your pals Jimmy Beam and Johnny Walker talking.”
“No.”
“You were probably just trying to console yourself that the cute brunette picked your brother over you.”
Eric’s smile faded and he shook his head. “No, this girl was different. All the other ones always feel, I don’t know, interchangeable? Same girl, same lines, different night. No regrets when they leave. This one felt like one to keep.”
She wrapped her arms around herself like she was cold. “All that from a kiss?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, crazy. I wonder why I didn’t bring her home?”
Emily cleared her throat and shrugged. “She must’ve run off like Cinderella. Too bad you’ll never know who she was.”
He stood up and tottered for a moment. “I’m not giving up that easy. I’m going to find her. I’ll keep going back to that bar until I do.”
Emily’s heart quickened. “Do you even know what she looks like?”
He frowned. “No. But I’ll ask around and see if anyone saw me with her.”
“What if no one did?” God, she hoped no one did.
He grinned. “Maybe I’ll just have to kiss every girl who comes along until I find those lips again; kind of like Cinderella and her shoe, but more fun. Hopefully, it’ll have the same ending.”
Like that wouldn’t be pure torture to watch. She could just confess and save him the trouble—and save herself the heartbreak watching him make out with all of Boston. But how could she explain why she’d let him kiss her? Fine. Why she’d kissed him back, too. She hadn’t been drunk. She should’ve pulled away. But it felt so good with his hand wrapped around the back of her neck, and his lips on hers like they’d been made just for Emily.
Figures. They kiss and he couldn’t even remember it was her. That said it all, didn’t it?
The night before, she’d never imagined their kiss would mean anything to him. Eric had locked lips with his share of women. She’d probably ruin their friendship if she owned up to it. She toyed with the air freshener hanging from his door. Maybe he’d give up on the idea of finding his mystery girl once he sobered up a bit. “Well, good luck finding her.”
He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks. Too bad I was so drunk.”
She pressed her lips shut.
“What?”
“I’m not saying a word.”
He sighed and kicked off the blanket he’d bought on spring break in Mexico the year before. Yep, he’d graduated from college a few years back, but he still went on spring break. “Maybe it’s time to grow up, settle down a bit.”
She froze, and then laughed. “You’re joking right?”
He didn’t crack a smile; he was serious. “Can’t be a party boy forever.”
“Uh, yes you could.” He could spend the rest of his life partying. When his mother had died four years ago, she’d surprised everyone by having amassed a fortune through careful investing. Her five kids were each left with millions. Eric would never have to work a day in his life.
He walked over and squeezed her cheek. “Not if it means missing the woman of my dreams.” He walked into the kitchen and got out the ingredients to make his hangover cocktail—a prairie oyster.
“That’s disgusting.”
He grinned. “That’s what you say every time.” He cracked an egg in a glass, with a shot of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and a dash of salt and pepper. “But it works.”
She looked away so she wouldn’t gag.
He swirled his glass. “I think the best chance of finding her is going out tonight.”
She sat down at the kitchen island. “You think she’d go to the same bar again?”
He shrugged. “Maybe she’s looking for me.” He tossed back the slimy concoction and winced. “Will you come with me? Tell me if you recognize anyone?”
“Sure. But I don’t think you’re going to find her.”
“That’s what I love about you—your overwhelming positivity.” He winked at her.
“Someone’s gotta keep you anchored to reality.”
“And someone’s gotta help me find my dream girl. I’ll make you my best man in the wedding.”
“Fine. But I’m not hiring strippers for the bachelor party so you might want to rethink that.” She let herself out the door before he threw something at her.
***
After Emily left, Eric went to the gym, because sweating off a hangover usually helped some. He straddled a bench and grabbed the hand weights, but he couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. He’d never even felt like this after spending a whole night with someone.
Ridiculous. How could one kiss throw him off like this? He could have any woman he wanted. Most women found him attractive even before they learned about his money. Being six foot four and built had its advantages. But they always found out about the money. And that always made women want him more. Setting down the weights, he frowned. He’d never really be able to know if someone loved him for himself, and not the money. Most guys wouldn’t mind what the motivation was, just so long as they were getting plenty of action.
But Eric did care. His mother’s inheritance had brought a boatload of consequences he’d never counted on. It didn’t matter if he ever worked a day in his life. And since he had no idea what he wanted to do, he did nothing. Nothing but party. It had been a dream for a few years. But for some reason, that kiss last night changed everything. It was the first time in a long time he’d woken up with a purpose—to find the girl.
After his workout, he napped for a few hours, took his dog to the park, did some shopping, and got ready to meet Emily for dinner and go over their game plan.
He slipped on the t-shirt he’d had made just for the occasion, and threw on a jacket so he could surprise Emily with it later. She’d pretend to be outraged by what was written on it, but she’d really think it was hilarious.
If Emily hadn’t been acting like she was his mother since age five, she’d be perfect for him. They laughed at the same jokes. She was the only woman he knew who admitted she liked the Three Stooges and Funyons. They both moved to Back Bay after college. Plus, she was beautiful. But the one time he kissed her after they went to junior prom with a group of classmates, she told him it would never happen between them—they were just friends. And that would have to be enough. Hopefully the girl from the night before was just like Emily—minus the non-stop nagging gene.
Eric got to the restaurant first, and ordered Emily’s standard drink: a diet coke with a lime and a lemon. “You know who to live!” he always liked to tease her.
“I know how to live healthy,” she’d always say. He knew where she was coming from, and he couldn’t fault her for being cautious. Her dad has been a first class ass who made her life hell. Back in Taunton when they were kids, whenever Emily was real upset, she’d run deep into the woods behind his house. Of course, he’d always chase her.
“Let’s run away and live back here by this creek,” she’d say, grabbing his arms. “You’re a boy scout, you could start the fires and I could cook. We’ve got water back here and everything. We could do it.”
Eric had always been able to smooth her hair back and wipe away her tears and remind her that bears would probably eat them their first night there.
But she’d always argue back. “We could build a tree house and the bears won’t get us.”
And then he’d say, “Some day, Emily. Some day. But today we have to go back home.” She’d usually be mad at him for a day, but then she’d get over it.
He tipped back a beer, washing away the memory, while he waited for her to get to the restaurant. He spotted her at the door and waved. Then he leered at several guys watching her walk over to the table. He narrowed his eyes. He should jump up and kiss her so they’d stop looking. But that would be stupid. He couldn’t try that again and risk losing her. Even through all the totally wrong girls he’d dated, Emily had been there. Sometimes she faded into the background a bit if things seemed like they were getting serious. But that didn’t happen often for Eric. Did he do the same for Emily? He spun the beer bottle around, thinking. Emily had never been too serious with anyone either. Huh, he thought to himself. Just one more thing they had in common.
Emily sat down, the sweet scent of her body lotion settling around him. He took a deep breath and smiled.
“Thanks for the drink.” She took a long sip.
Eric rubbed his hands together. “You ready to spend your Saturday night helping me find the love of my life?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re really serious about that?”
He flashed open his jacket at her. “Does it look like I’m serious?”
She paused, reading the front of his shirt. “’Kiss me, I’m looking for Mrs. Right?’”
He shrugged. “Genius, I know.”
She wrinkled her cute little nose. “I think you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“That’s the same thing you said when we camped out for Aerosmith tickets, but you stayed with me and we got front row seats, didn’t we?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s just that….”
“What? Why not try?”
“What if you don’t find her?”
“What if I do?”
She looked down, her mouth opening and closing, but saying nothing.
She’s afraid you’re going to find her! She’s afraid this one is serious! He reached across the table for her hand. “Emily, no matter what happens or who comes into my life, you’ll still be my best friend. You’ll still be my best man. I’ll get one of my brothers to hire the strippers.”
She didn’t even laugh. Biting her lip, she shook her head. “It’s not that. Never mind. Let’s see if we can find her tonight.”
Eric held up his hand in a high-five move, then fluttered his fingers. “Come on, fancy-five, fancy-five.”
“We haven’t done that since sixth grade.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “It’s time to bring it back.”
She finally smiled and imitated his move, fluttering her fingertips against his.
“New nail polish. Aren’t you more of a pink girl than dark blue?”
She set her chin in her hand. “I needed something different.”
“And so do I. Hopefully, I’ll find her tonight.”
***
Emily was distracted during dinner, wondering how long Eric would keep up this search. She’d thought he was joking, but he’d gone and had a t-shirt made? Hopefully, he’d just find someone new to fall in love with tonight and end all this ridiculousness over a kiss.
A damn good kiss.
They made it all the way from the restaurant to the bar before she realized she hadn’t given Eric money toward dinner. “You shit, how much do I owe for my half?”
He rolled his eyes. “And here I thought you were finally being reasonable, letting your rich friend pick up the tab.”
She pulled a twenty from her wallet and held it out to him. “You’re my friend and that’s exactly why I won’t let you pay. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
Eric snatched the money from her. “Only because I know you won’t shut up about it. Someday, you’re going to let me pay. You’re the only person I actually want to pick up the tab for, but no, my second mom has rules and standards and…”
She gave him a look. “Do not call me your second mom.”
“Fine. My second sister.”
“That works. Kyla’s cool.”
“Not anymore, she’s a fool in love. Crazy, crazy, love. She moved in with her new boyfriend, Stone, after like, two months.”
“And you’re ready to marry someone you kissed once in the back of the bar.”
“How do you know it was the back of the bar?”
She could feel herself flushing. “I was just guessing. That would be the most likely place for a passionate kiss.”
“Well, you’re right. It was in the back of the bar.” He held open the bar door for her. “Now let’s go find her.”
***
Eric sat at the bar facing the door so everyone could see his shirt as they walked in. He got smirks from the guys and giggles from the girls, most of who came over to give him a smooch, all while Emily considered taking up drinking after all. Eric pulled a few of the girls back toward him for a longer kiss, and even twirled and his hand through the long hair of two blondes.
“Any luck?” Emily asked, flipping her own long, chestnut hair over her shoulder.
“No,” Eric said with a sigh. “But I am remembering more. She definitely had long, straight hair, and it was light. Like yours, with the highlights.”
“That describes half the twenty-something female population in town. Unless she was older…”
He shook his head. “No, she was definitely my age.”
Another girl pushed past Emily and took Eric by the shoulders. “I doubt I’m Mrs. Right, but I am ten kinds of wrong. And you know what they say about ten kinds of wrong.” She pointed her chest at him.
“It doesn’t make five rights?” Emily offered.
“What?” The woman gave Emily a dirty look, then she started making out with Eric, who was trying his hardest not to laugh.
“Okay, I think you can handle this on your own,” Emily told him, slinging her purse over her shoulder, ready to leave.
Eric pulled away from the brunette. “No, don’t go! This isn’t her.”
The woman ran a finger up his jaw line. “I could be her. You’re one of the Carter brothers, right?”
“A girl after your money,” Emily said. “How novel.”
“No, it’s not her,” Eric said.
The brunette tipped her nose in the air. “You’ll never know what you’re missing.”
“I’ve got a good idea what I’m missing. I’ve seen it all,” Eric said. “And you’re not the one!”
The girl frowned and stomped away.
Emily crossed her arms and glared at him. “Really? You sure it’s not her? You’re probably too drunk to know.”
His eyebrows went up, more hurt than surprised. “Damn, what’s with you tonight? I’ve only had two beers so far.”
“Bull. Shit.” Emily started tapping her foot.
“It’s true. I’m not going let her slip through my fingers again. I could lose the girl of my dreams because I was too drunk to know who she was. I think it’s time to slow down with the partying. There’s gotta be more to life than that.”
Emily finally let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Really?”
“You think I can’t?”
“No, no. I do. I just didn’t think you’d ever want to slow down.”
“I’m twenty-six. It’s gotta happen sometime.”
Emily grinned. If he meant, if he really changed, maybe she’d take him back to the corner booth and kiss him again and tell him she was the one he was looking for. Could she do that? Could she risk it?
A group of shrieking, laughing women snapped her out of her daydream. “I’m Mrs. Right!” shouted a woman with a cheap, costume wedding veil on her head.
Ten women with pink “The Wild Bridal Party” printed across their chests applauded her and hooted some more.
“Mrs. Right? I’ll be the judge of that,” Eric said waggling his eyebrows.
Emily faked a big grin and waved over their heads. “See you tomorrow!” She went outside, and decided not to get a cab. She could use the walk home to clear her head.
***
Eric went home before midnight. When’s the last time he did that? Sure, locking lips with some hot chicks had been fun, but he was surprisingly down that he hadn’t found the girl. He’d had plenty of offers to help him forget his mystery woman; he could’ve brought at least ten different girls home that night. But what was the point anymore? They’d have sex—possibly great sex—she’d leave in the morning and he’d avoid her phone calls for the next week or so. It had become depressing.
He thought about calling Emily, but he didn’t want to wake her. Luckily, he had a back up for Emily and he didn’t care at all if he woke her. He grabbed his phone and dialed her number. “Kyla, you awake?”
“Of course I am. I’m talking to you.”
“I mean, did I wake you?”
“No. Stone and I are having a moon party.”
“Get out. You’re mooning people? I like him better already.”
“We’re looking at the moon with some friends.”
“Funny. What are you really doing?”
“That’s what we’re doing.”
“Shit. What happened to you?”
“I’m in love. Now why are you calling me so late?”
“I don’t know. I’m just feeling down. I kissed some girl in a bar yesterday and I don’t know who it was, but I really want to find her.”
“Find another girl. Shouldn’t be hard.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I want this girl.”
“What’s wrong with you? You don’t sound like you’re drunk.”
Eric gritted his teeth. “I’m not.”
“Shit, you must really be upset. Why don’t you come over?”
Eric took a cab to his sister’s new place in Cambridge. She’d finally relented and started spending some of the money their mother left her. Somehow, she’d made peace with the tense relationship she and their mother had had. Kyla had leased an incredible penthouse with a rooftop garden so her astrophysicist boyfriend could look at the stars. Then she found out the light pollution would make it really hard to see anything, so she bought a house on the cape, too, so they could do their stargazing down there.
Luckily, Eric and his brothers liked Stone, or there could’ve been an accident on that roof. Or so they liked to joke, in a way that left Stone wondering if they were serious. Always good to keep your sister’s boyfriend guessing.
Eric walked out onto the garden and got a few funny looks. Kyla grabbed Stone’s hand and ran over to Eric. “Dude, what’s that?” she said, pointing to his shirt.
“Damn, I forgot I was wearing it.”
Stone looked at Kyla. “Why didn’t we try this when you were giving me pickup lessons?”
“I think our lessons turned out just fine,” Kyla said, wrapping her hand around his shoulder.
Stone laughed. “A shirt like that could have helped. I should have come to your brothers for help. They’ve got some good ideas.”
Kyla put her hand on her hip. “Wouldn’t it be interesting to see the rate at which your telescope plummets to the ground from up here?”
Stone paled. “You’re right. Your lessons were just what I needed. I ended up with you, didn’t I?”
Kyla smiled and kissed him and Eric was going to suggest they get a room, but it was his sister and that was gross. Instead, he cleared his throat. “So, don’t you want to know why I’m sober, wearing a kiss me t-shirt at my sister’s star party?”
Kyla pulled away from Stone. “Right, I forgot. What’s up? Toby and Nick are here. Let me call them over. I’m sure they’ll want to hear this.” She ran and got her brothers and Eric knew he was going to regret turning the search for his lost love into a family affair.
After handshakes and back pounding, the four of them sat down on a pair of outdoor couches staged around a fire pit. A table was set up behind them with all the fixings for a gourmet marshmallow bar, but the rest of the guests were with Stone who was adjusting the telescope. Even so, Eric kept his voice down. “I kissed a girl at a bar the other night and now I can’t find her.”
Nick snorted. “Did you look under your bed?”
Eric rolled his eyes. “We didn’t make it home. I left her at the bar, and I want to see her again.”
“Why?” Toby asked. “I told you when you were twelve, you can’t knock up a girl just by kissing her. Emily lied to you when she told you that.”
“That’s because Emily hated Jessie Lewis. And Jessie Lewis always crushed on you,” Nick said.
“I hate Jessie Lewis, too,” Kyla said.
“Emily hates any girl you like. Ever notice that?” Toby asked
Eric clenched his fists. “She does not!”
Toby waved him off. “So why do you need to find this girl? The one you kissed? Did she steal your wallet?”
Eric sighed and stared at the flames from the fire pit. “Because she was different.”
Nick pointed at him. “You sure it wasn’t a guy dressed up like a girl? That’d be different.”
“No, this was the most amazing kiss of my life,” Eric said.
Toby made a face. “Shit, bro. You sound like a girl.”
Kyla twirled a long metal skewer with a marshmallow on the end, just waiting to be roasted. “You guys are idiots. Just go back to the bar and look for her.”
“Emily and I did that tonight. Thus, the shirt.” Eric gestured to his chest. “Got lots of tongue, but no mystery girl.”
“How about a Craigslist ad?” Nick offered.
Toby rolled his eyes. “Pathetic.”
“They have a missed connections section,” Nick said.
“Save your money and take out an ad that says I’m a loser instead. Or buy a t-shirt that says it. Oh, wait. You already did,” Toby said, pointing to Eric’s shirt.
Kyla drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch. “I don’t know. I think you’ve gotta keep going back to the bar. She’s gotta turn up sometime, and maybe she’ll come up to you.”
“True. Maybe she’s out there trying to find me right now. All right, new plan. I’m going to be at the bar every night,” Eric said, leaning forward putting his elbows on his knees.
Kyla wrinkled her nose. “Hasn’t that been your plan for a long time?”
Eric sighed. “Yeah. But that’s going to change. This non-stop partying is pointless.”
He expected to hear some grumbling and complaining from his siblings, but no one said anything. “That might be a good idea, bro,” Toby said.
“What?” Eric asked.
“You’ve been partying hard for a long time.” Nick wouldn’t look at Eric.
Eric’s stomach clenched. “Is that what you all think?”
No one said anything, until Kyla cleared her throat. “It’s not like we were going to stage an intervention or anything.”
“Yet.”
Eric stood up. “I gotta go.”
“Eric, I haven’t even served the strawberry star tarts I made. There’s one for everyone. Moon pies, too.”
“Good lord, are we going to have to stage an intervention for you?” Toby said.
Kyla pointed her marshmallow stick at him. “You know I like unique party foods.”
Eric stood up. “It’s been a blast as usual, sibs, but I gotta split.” He quickly left, and took a cab to Emily’s place, but her lights were out. He didn’t want to wake her, but he was lonely. He liked when she crashed at his place. He felt complete when she was around. Hell, he kind of felt the way he felt when he kissed that girl. But Emily was just a friend. If something were going to happen between the two of them, it would have happened by now. At this stage in his life, Eric needed more than that. He needed the girl with the lips. And he needed to be sure Emily wasn’t hurt when he found her. What would Em do without him?
***
“Do you really think she’d be out on a Sunday night?” Emily asked.
“I’m going to come here every night for two weeks, and if I can’t find her, I’ll move on.”
“It sounds like a plan. Wait, move on to what?”
He shrugged. “I’ll find someone else who makes me feel that way.”
She looked over at his glass. “That doesn’t sound like the Eric I know. What are you drinking?”
“Diet Coke.”
“With…”
“Ice.”
Emily set down her drink. “So you weren’t kidding? About slowing down the drinking?”
“I want something different in my life.”
Emily couldn’t turn down her smile.
“What?”
“I’m just so glad.”
“Because now you won’t have to stay over at my apartment every weekend night to make sure I’m okay?”
That killed the smile. Emily pressed her lips together. What would she do with herself when Eric eventually found a girl? If he was serious about growing up and moving on, where did that leave her? Alone. Like Wendy without Peter Pan. Maybe she’d have to tell him. Maybe she should just lay it all out on the table and see what happened.
She looked up in his eyes and her courage slunk back into the hole where it’d been hiding. Just because Eric was drinking a coke without any rum didn’t mean his partying days were done for good. Her father had promised to quit several times and it had never lasted longer than a week. She always knew when it had ended because she’d come home to her red-eyed mother and a few more dishes missing from the cupboard until her mom could get to the store to replace them. Her mother practically had a panic attack when Pfaltzgraff stopped carrying their pattern. How would she keep up appearances next time her father had to work out his rage? At least he’d never hit any of them, but the fear was always there.
Emily toyed with her straw wrapper. Could Eric really quit? The only thing that had finally gotten her father to stop drinking was the telephone pole he wrapped his car around when she was nineteen. Death puts an end to the party. She looked up at Eric. Could she ever trust him?
“What?”
“I just wonder if party-boy Eric is really hanging up his hat.”
“You don’t believe in me.”
“I do. I want to.”
***
So for the next five nights she joined Eric at the bar, and true to his word, he had no more than one beer a night, and kissed as many girls as he could. He got slapped a few times when he asked if the girl had any blond friends.
They were just about to leave on Friday night, when a tall, pretty blonde with long silky hair walked up to Eric. “I heard you’re looking for the girl you kissed two weeks ago.”
Eric sat up straight. “Yeah, I am.”
“Your search is over. It was me. Guess that kiss meant as much to you as it did to me.” She looked down, smiling. Blushing, even.
Emily jumped from her seat, eyes wide. “Are you sure about that?”
The woman gestured to Eric. “Who could forget that face?”
One corner of Eric’s mouth quirked up. “There’s only one way to find out for sure. Kiss me again.”
“Maybe you should take him to the very spot you two hooked up?” Emily suggested to the girl.
The girl took Eric by the hand. “I will. We were back in the corner. Come on.”
Emily froze as the two of them walked to the back of the room. How did she know that? What was the girl playing at? Should she say something? Surely, Eric would kiss her and realize she wasn’t the mystery woman.
But once fifteen minutes had passed and the two of them were still at it, Emily was worried. She walked to the back of the bar and cleared her throat.
Eric stopped kissing and looked up. He grinned. “I found her Em! This is Shawna.”
Shawna held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Emily forced herself to say, “You, too.”
“I’m going to take Shawna home. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Emily’s eyes widened.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I meant I’m going to walk her home. I’m going to take things slow with this one.”
“Okay. Good. Yes, we’ll talk tomorrow.” Emily stalked out of the bar, went home and punched her pillow. She was such a coward. Why hadn’t she said anything?
***
Eric linked his hand with Shawna. He couldn’t believe he’d found her. True, when he kissed her for the second time, it wasn’t quite the same as the first, but she had found him. She’d been looking for him, too. It was like it was meant to be or some sappy shit like that.
They got to her apartment building and she looked up at him shyly. “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I don’t even know your name.”
“You don’t know who I am?”
She shrugged and laughed. “No, if I’d gotten your name the first time, I would have tracked you down!”
Eric struggled to swallow the lump in this throat. She didn’t know he was one of the Carter brothers. She thought he was just a stranger in the bar. “It’s Eric.”
She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Eric.”
Eric shook her hand, and then pulled her in for another long kiss. She broke away and smiled at him. “We better call it a night before things get out of hand. I want to take things slow with you. I just feel this special connection with you and I don’t want to ruin things.”
Eric squeezed her hand. “I feel the same way.”
They traded phone numbers and waited for a cab in daze. He’d found her. It was so hard to believe, it didn’t seem real. The news was probably just taking a while to sink in.
***
The next week, they talked each night and made plans to go out to dinner on Saturday. He met Emily for lunch on Friday to tell her all about it.
Emily sucked on the lemon from her drink and frowned. “Something just doesn’t feel right about this, Eric.”
“What are you talking about? I was looking for her and she was looking for me. She didn’t even know who I was—and she wants to take it slow! I couldn’t ask for anything more. I haven’t even had a drink in five days.”
Emily spread her hands on the table and closed her eyes. “I just have a bad feeling about this.”
Eric pointed his straw at her. “I think you just don’t want to be alone. Because where does that leave you if I’ve got someone and you don’t?”
Emily sucked in a breath like she’d been slapped. “No, that’s not it, Eric.”
He softened his voice. “You’ll find someone, too. Maybe I’ve been keeping you from getting out there. Maybe if I’m serious about someone, you’ll have the chance to find someone, too.”
“I just don’t think you know enough about her to declare your unending love so soon.”
“I would’ve thought you’d be happy for me. Isn’t this the kind of romantic shit women love? I’ve got my happy ending,” Eric said.
Emily forced a smile. “I sure hope so.” She took a deep breath. “So, where are you two going Saturday night?”
“Out to dinner and then back to the bar. We’re going to celebrate the three week anniversary of our kiss.”
“Wow. You’re whipped.”
“I know.”
***
Emily left lunch hoping she wouldn’t throw up. If Shawna was willing to lie that she’d been Eric’s mystery woman, she was probably lying about not knowing who he was, too. Of course she knew Eric was a Carter brother. Shawna had to be after his money. But how to prove it?
She spent Saturday trying to convince herself not to crash Eric’s date. She made it through dinner, but at nine o’clock found herself driving to the bar. She couldn’t let Eric be fooled any longer. If only she could prove this woman was a fraud. Should she hire a private detective? Hide in a stall in the ladies room hoping she’ll spill her guts to a friend?
She sat at the bar, clinking the ice cubes in her empty glass when Eric and Shawna walked in. The bartender brought her a refill and his eyes flicked over to them. “I’m so glad he’s not wearing that shirt anymore, and telling the story about his lost love.” He rolled his eyes. “Ten days in a row of that nonsense was enough.”
“Yep, thankfully the girl he kissed finally found him,” Emily said, her voice seething.
The bartender laughed. “Is that the story?” He crossed his arms and sighed. “I wasn’t going to say anything to him, but she came in one night, and asked one of the other bartenders why Eric Carter was wearing that shirt.”
“She knew who he was?”
The bartender smirked. “Most single women in this bar know the Carter brothers.”
“So what did she say when she found out about the kiss?” Emily held her breath.
“She gave the bartender fifty bucks to keep his mouth shut that she’d asked.” He shrugged. “If she wanted me to keep my mouth shut, she should’ve slipped me a twenty.”
Emily kneeled on the stool so she could reach across the bar and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“It’s not twenty bucks, but I’ll take it.”
Emily’s eyes locked on Eric’s across the bar. He took Shawna by the hand and led her over to Emily. “Hey Em, you trying to duplicate my kiss quest?”
Emily folded her arms. “I’m just trying to get the truth about your new friend.”
Shawna set her hand on her throat. “What are you talking about?”
Emily put a hand on her hip. “You knew he was Eric Carter all along.”
Shawna’s eyes widened. “What? I…I did not.”
“That’s not what you told the bartender,” Emily said.
Eric looked pale. “Shawna? Is that true?”
Shawna looked down at her feet. “It’s true. I thought you’d think I was just after your money if I admitted I knew who you were. But that kiss, that kiss wasn’t a lie.”
Emily balled up her fists. “Yes it was! You didn’t kiss him at all.”
Shawna crossed her arms. “And how would you know that?”
Eric turned to Emily. “Yeah, how would you know? You said you didn’t see who I kissed.”
Emily’s throat felt tight as she tried to get out the words. “I…I know who you kissed—because it was me.”
Eric stared at her, then he laughed. “Emily, no it wasn’t.”
Emily reached out and touched his shoulder. “You really don’t remember?”
“You know I don’t remember,” he said.
Emily took Eric by the hand, and started walking to the back of the bar.
“Stop!” Shawna cried. “What are you doing?”
“Proving to Eric that you didn’t kiss him,” Emily said. She could feel a thin line of perspiration above her lip. Could she really do this?
“Em?” Eric followed her and slid into the booth behind Emily.
Her heart was pounding. “Close your eyes,” she said. “Think about all the details of the night.”
He closed his eyes and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “It was just the two of us—me and the girl—and we knocked over a drink. She said, don’t worry it’s just soda.”
“A diet coke with lemon and lime,” Emily added.
“Could’ve been,” Eric said.
What else?” Emily asked.
He took a deep breath. “She was wearing perfume or body cream like yours. Fruity and flowery.”
“Good.” She knelt on the seat like she had been that night. “And then it went something like this.” She ran the back of her hand down his cheekbone, all the way to his chin, and tipped his lips to hers.
His eyes flew open. “Em? It really was you.”
“Close your eyes. Your eyes were closed.”
He closed his eyes, and she pressed her lips against his. And soon, he was taking over, just like he had that night, sliding one hand along her back, the other through her hair, his tongue finding hers. A whimper even worked its way up her throat again.
Tears slid down her cheeks and Eric pulled back. “It was you,” he whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She whacked his arm. “How could you not know it was me?”
He ran his hand down his face. “I don’t know. Because a long time ago we said, we decided…you didn’t think of me like that.”
She hung her head. “I’ve always thought of you like that.”
“All this time? And you’ve never said anything?” He sounded angrier than she’d imagined.
“Eric, you know I couldn’t be with you. Not with your drinking.”
“What? That’s what this is about? You think I could be like your father?”
“I’ve read a few too many articles on women finding men just like their father in some subconscious effort to fix the hurts of their childhood.”
He made a fist and she expected him to slam it on the table, but he didn’t. He relaxed his grip and smoothed his hands on his thighs. “He was a brute, and I’d never be like him.”
“How was I supposed to know things wouldn’t get worse? My dad wasn’t always like that.”
Eric closed his eyes and shook his head. “So why tell me this? Why tell me now if you’ve already decided I’m not good enough for you?”
She pressed her hand against her chest. “I never said that. I said not right for me.”
“Why have you been with me all these years?”
“You’re my friend. And now that you’re not drinking…” she shrugged. “Maybe it could be more.”
He stood up. “I don’t know. I don’t know, Em. I think you’d always be suspicious of me, watching every drink. I didn’t say I was going to quit drinking, I said I’d cut back. Jesus.” He swore under his breath.
“Eric, I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. Why did you kiss me that night, anyway?”
“Because it was the anniversary of junior prom, the first time we kissed. I wanted to see if the spark was still there.”
“Still there? Back then you told me that it felt like kissing your brother.”
She put a finger over his lips to quiet him. “The spark was there. But you were drunk that night, too. I thought once you got the partying out of your system I’d tell you. But you never did. There was always a reason to get drunk.”
“And now you don’t believe I can stop.”
She opened and closed her mouth.
“You don’t believe in me.”
“I want to.”
“The girl who kissed me that night sure as hell felt like she believed in me.”
“You were drunk. How would you know?”
He slid out of the booth and threw a twenty on the table. “That should cover our drinks. I only had one beer.”
“I know I won’t let you pay for the whole thing.”
“I don’t care, Emily. I don’t care anymore.” And he left the bar, with Shawna running after him.
“I believe in you, Eric!”
He waved her off, but Shawna chased him out of the bar.
Emily took the twenty and got drunk on two glasses of wine.
***
After telling Shawna never to call him again, Eric went home and went straight the cupboard over the fridge for his stash of liquor. Which would taste better right now, whiskey? Scotch?
He grabbed the first bottle he found—vodka—and sat on his couch. Unscrewing the bottle, he brought it to his lips. Then he set it down on the coffee table and stared at it. No, he didn’t want to feel the burn of the liquor on his lips; he wanted to feel Emily’s soft touch again.
His throat was tight as he fought back the tears. She was right. How could she have ever been in a relationship with him when he drank so much? How could he have been so cruel to her all those years, getting wasted, leaving her to worry? He was lucky she’d kept him as a friend.
And to find out she’d always had feelings for him and he’d wasted all that time? Doing what—drinking? He stood up and grabbed the bottle of vodka. He marched to the bathroom and dumped it down the toilet. Then he grabbed the dozen or so other bottles scattered around his apartment and dumped them, too.
He had to make this up to her; he had to show her he’d changed. That he was the same little boy she rode bikes with and had snowball fights with. He flopped on the couch and stared at the ceiling. What could he do to show her he wanted her, too?
***
Emily was not going to call Eric, because she had nothing to apologize for. But when a week had passed and she hadn’t heard from him, she figured their friendship was over. Which was why she was surprised when his sister, Kyla, called.
“I need to talk to you about Eric,” she told Emily.
“He told you what happened?”
“Yes,” Kyla said.
“I don’t think there’s anything left to talk about.”
“Maybe not, but there is something to show you. Can I pick you up?”
Emily gave Kyla her address and hoped to God she wasn’t taking her over to Eric’s place to find him passed out and covered in vomit. But maybe that’s what she needed to see to remind herself that Eric wasn’t the right guy for her.
Kyla wouldn’t tell Emily where they were going as they drove out of the city down route twenty-four. Emily gripped the armrest. “You’re brothers aren’t waiting for me in the woods, are they? This isn’t like that episode of the Soprano’s where they drive Christopher’s girlfriend out into the wilderness to whack her?”
Kyla rolled her eyes. “My brothers are all talk. They’ve never hurt anyone. They just look like they might.”
Emily let out her breath and relaxed. “Then where are we going?”
“I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
“By Eric?”
“Yes.”
Emily’s heart quickened. “Is he okay?”
“No.”
Tears dripped down Emily’s cheeks, and then she realized where they were—back in Taunton, where they’d grown up.
Kyla made a few more turns and pulled into a driveway.
“Why are we at your parents’ place?” Emily asked as the two of them got out of the car. “Who lives here, now?”
“No one. We still own it. We didn’t have the heart to sell it.”
“Is Eric here?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” She handed Emily a rolled up piece of paper. “This is where I leave you. He asked me to give you this.” Kyla rolled her eyes. “Oh, and he demanded I do this.” She held up her hand in a high-five gesture and wiggled her fingers. “You two are so weird.”
Emily laughed through her tears. “We’ve had a long time to be weird together.”
“Good luck,” Kyla said, before driving away.
Emily unrolled the paper with shaking hands. “Meet me at the creek.” Emily blinked at his handwriting. The creek? She walked behind his house, past the shed and into the woods. The path they used to traipse down nearly everyday looked like it had been freshly cleared. And it was wider, with tire tracks left in the mud. She followed it deep into the woods past the tree they’d climb and hide from his brothers in. She got to the creek but she didn’t see him. “Eric?”
“Right here.”
She turned around and around. “Where are you?”
“Look up.”
She looked up, and there was Eric, twenty feet in the air leaning against the railing of an incredible tree house. “Come on up.” He ducked out of sight, and a rope ladder dropped from the tree.
It looked like a small cabin nestled in the canopy of leaves. She had to catch her breath before she could even try reaching him. She was too choked up to say anything, so she simply grabbed one of the rungs and started climbing. When she finally poked her head through the floor of the house, she saw Eric sitting on a couch, grinning. He walked over and pulled up the rope. “So the bears won’t get us.”
She ran into his arms, crying.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
“When did you have this made?”
“Last week,” he said.
She blinked at him. “How did you manage that?”
He pounded a fist against his chest. “I’m a Carter brother.”
She hip checked him. “I knew you before you were a Carter brother.”
“I know. And I should have built you this a long time ago.”
She looked down. “I didn’t really think we should live in a tree house in the woods.”
“I know. You wanted a way out. And I realize a twelve-year-old kid couldn’t have given you a way out, but I kept you trapped all these years in that same world of worry with my drinking. God, I was such a shit. How could I not have seen what I was doing to you?”
Emily chewed on her lip, not sure what to say.
He raised her chin so she could look in his eyes. “I’m done drinking, Emily. I’m not going to say I’ll never have another, but that life is over. I want a new life—with you. The girl who kissed me in the bar and brought me here—who brought me home. Can you forgive me?”
Smiling, she nodded. “On one condition?”
“You name it.”
“Get this thing wired for electricity so we can watch the Stooges up here.”
He grabbed a thin remote from his pocket. “I’ve got a battery powered DVD player, milady.”
And she raised her hand for a fancy-five, but he linked his fingers in hers instead and pulled her in for another kiss that rivaled the one at the bar.