Ten Days of Perfect (November Blue #1)

Whatever spell he had me under, I didn’t want the cure. I could live the rest of my life bewitched by the likes of Bo Cavanaugh.

We showered and got ready to go meet his sister for dinner. I was glad that we didn’t have sex before we left the house, neither of us would have been able to remove the grin from our faces.

“Hey, by the way, if you ever need to get into the gate at the end of the driveway, 7325 is the code,” he said nonchalantly as we pulled off his property on to the road.

“How mighty trusting of you.” I winked.

“Come on, Ember, you have my heart and soul, what’s a gate code?”

“Are you serious? How do you come up with that stuff?! I mean, it makes me swoon, seriously swoon. But, come on.” I stared at him with an open mouth.

“What? It’s true. Look, I learned the hard way the lesson of telling people exactly how you feel because you don’t know if it could be your last moments together.” He stared straight ahead, driving down the road.

“Oh, true . . . Sorry.” I turned back to the road.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Rachel was outside talking with some friends who were smoking. She beamed when she saw us.

“Guys! Over here!” She waved frantically.

“Hey Rae, do we have a table?” Bo asked.

“Yeah. Guys,” she gestured to her friends, “this is Bo’s girlfriend November. Hot name, right?” She bragged while I shook hands with her friends outside.

Girlfriend. The word made me blush as soon as it left her lips and it didn’t go unnoticed that Bo reddened, too.

When we were seated inside, Bo asked if I wanted a drink. I shot a cautionary glance toward Rachel.

“Oh, please, go ahead. I’m fine. You’re sweet.” She touched my hand and narrowed her eyes playfully at Bo. “Don’t fuck it up with her please, she’s awesome.”

Bo shook his head and wandered up to the bar.

“You’re great, Rachel,” I turned toward her while Bo got my drink.

“Please, call me Rae. And, you’re great. Bo’s been infinitely happier since he started spending time with you.”

“What, is he typically depressed or something?” It dawned on me I had no idea how Bo was day-to-day.

“No, it’s not really anything like that. It’s just . . . since he started getting DROP off the ground again, he’s been all business. He doesn’t spend a ton of time with his friends - which is OK, because most of them are staunch dickwads anyway - but I sometimes feel he’s missing out.” She shrugged as she played with her straw.

A rather excessive giggle caught my attention across the restaurant.

“Who’s that?” I nodded toward a slender strawberry-blonde woman talking to Bo. Her head was cocked to the side like a puppy.

“God, that’s Bowan’s ex-girlfriend. Can we say ‘Stepford Wife’? This is a pub, lady, ditch the pearls already.” Rachel barely looked in her direction, which I took to be a good sign.

“Hm. She’s pretty, what’s her name?” I asked, trying to be indifferent.

“Ainsley Worthington.”

“Of course it is.” It slid out before I could stop it.

“Ha!” Rachel spit some of her water back in her glass.

“What?” I cracked a smile.

“What do you mean, of course it is?”

“Seriously? Worthington? Could there be a wealthier name in all of New Hampshire?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yep, Cavanaugh, which is why Ainsley’s panties are all in a bunch over there,” Rachel panned. “She and Bo were already broken up, but after our parents died she tried using his grief to get back in his pants because she’s a complete tramp. Bo hasn’t given her the time of day in four years, but bless her heart she keeps trying. It only got worse after he started playing here. You should see the spectacle she makes of herself.” Rachel rolled her eyes.

“Rae, I think I’m in love with you,” I laughed.

“Well, seriously, her family has plenty of money,” she giggled, “Can’t she stay away from ours?”

Bo nodded in our direction, and Ainsley looked at us, causing Rachel to smile and wave excitedly. I guessed that Rachel had words with her at one time or another by the way Ainsley forced a smile and a barely polite wave back. Ainsley gave Bo a quick hug before he turned and walked back to the table.

“Sorry guys,” Bo said as he sat down.

“Yeah, we saw,” Rachel said cynically.

“What? Rae, cut me a break! Ember, are you pissed?” Bo’s voice rose to an unnatural octave.

“What? Me? Noooo,” I exaggerated. “I don’t know her, so it was less her personality that bothered me and more her hands’ proximity to the rest of you.”

“Ha, ha,” Rachel hooted, “Bo, marry Ember today, right now. What the hell is Ainsley doing here anyway? Are there no other restaurants in Concord?” Rachel paused for a moment before her face turned up in a wicked grin.

“Oh the poor dear, she thought you were going to play tonight, didn’t she? She didn’t count on Ember - oh my God what did you tell her about Ember?” Rachel was nearly bouncing in her seat.

“She didn’t ask. She probably thinks that Ember’s one of your friends, and I’d like to keep it that way for now.”