If I do say so myself.
But it had been a while for me now. Even before the whole Jessica scandal broke. I mean, I couldn’t just take a woman out for dinner and then rock her fucking world because I didn’t trust anyone outside of my family and Reese at the moment. But it had been almost a year since I’d actually had sex with anyone, aside from my almost oops with Jessica Carson. I doubted anyone knew or would even believe that I’d been abstaining for quite a while now. I don’t know. Maybe it was the fact that my career had changed, and I was taking things more seriously. Or that I was tired of the same old shit. Or that Reese had been gone, and I’d just been in a funk.
Hell, she was probably the reason that I haven’t had a real relationship.
She was the only girl I liked spending endless amounts of time with. She’d been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Our birthdays were just a few days apart, our moms were best friends, and we’d always just been close.
Literally, since birth.
She was my person.
We’d never crossed the line physically, and not because she wasn’t gorgeous.
Reese was the most beautiful woman in the world, as far as I was concerned.
But I would never do anything to fuck up what we had.
We’d made a pact when we were barely teenagers to always protect what we had, and we’d both stuck to it.
And our friendship was the best relationship I’d ever had.
So, yeah, I dated women, showed them a good time, and then talked to my best friend about everything under the sun.
I didn’t need a relationship with a woman because I had Reese.
And this year with her being gone… it had shown me just how much I needed her.
“Maybe you’ll meet someone in Cottonwood Cove. They already know you there. They aren’t going to be looking for a story.” She chuckled. “You need to show the world that you aren’t this calloused playboy she’s made you out to be. You’re the best guy I know, Finn. I wouldn’t work for you if you weren’t.”
“Well, I don’t have any long-term relationships that I can talk about because that isn’t my thing. And I’m not looking for it. My dad always says that you’ll know when it happens. It hasn’t happened. So, I don’t know how I’m going to suddenly jump into something. It’s just not realistic.”
“Just keep an open mind. Can you do that?”
“Sure.”
“And if it’s not anything that’s going to go anywhere beyond the bedroom, keep your dick in your pants. The tip and all.” She smirked.
It was an ongoing joke in my family. I hadn’t slept with Jessica. We’d drank too much tequila because I’d been having a shit day, and we made out a little. Things had gotten heated, and before I knew it, we were getting ready to do the deed. I’d barely had the tip of my dick wrapped in a condom and teased her entrance when she’d bitten my shoulder so hard I’d nearly lost my shit. Pain wasn’t my thing.
I’d always been a lover, not a fighter.
She’d said all sorts of crazy shit, like she wanted to fuck me into oblivion and marry me and have my babies.
All from the tip of my dick.
I’d quickly lifted her off me and got the fuck out of there, red flags going off in every direction. And that was when the war started. She hadn’t taken the rejection well, and I’d avoided her ever since.
And my family… well, they’d had a field day with the whole thing.
It was the tip of the iceberg.
Don’t dip your pen in company ink… tip included.
Here’s a tip for you: Don’t mess around with your coworker.
Does anyone have a tip of the day for Finn?
The jokes were endless. And I’d been forced to share all the gory details with my agent because she couldn’t put out a fire if she didn’t know what she was dealing with.
“Got it. I’ll keep you posted.”
“All right. Looks like things are going full steam ahead with that movie deal, so once we get the negotiations figured out, I’ll send everything over to you. Keep it on the down-low until then. But it looks like you’re going to Tokyo the first week in January, and they think you’ll only need to be there for four weeks, so you’ll be back in time to start filming season two of Big Sky Ranch in mid-February.”
“I’m relieved that they didn’t try to back out with all this Jessica Carson bullshit. That’s a good sign, huh?” I scrubbed a hand over my face. This would be my first lead role in a major motion picture.
“I told you. You’re going to be fine. I’ll talk to you soon. In the meantime, no funny business. Find yourself a future wife, or stay home.”
“Great advice.” I rolled my eyes before ending the call.
My phone vibrated, and I glanced down to see the family group text that was ongoing with all my siblings, at all times.
Georgia
Oh my gosh. Did you guys hear the latest gossip about who Carl Barley is dating? I mean, Dr. Barley.
Carl Barley was Reese’s ex-boyfriend. Actually, ex-fiancé. The guy was such a tool. I never understood why she stayed with him for so long. But I knew she was still upset about the breakup, so any news regarding Carl was going to be a big deal to her.
Brinkley
Who? Don’t leave us hanging.
Cage
Why the fuck do we care who that asshole is dating? I never liked the guy. I tolerated him for Reese.
Hugh
Is that because he said you weren’t a real doctor?
Cage
Amongst other things.
Who the fuck is he dating?
Georgia
Christy Rae Lovell.
Brinkley
I can’t stand her. And why does everyone call her Christy Rae Lovell? Like, why does she need three names? When people ask about me, they just say Brinkley. Why is she so special?
Cage
Ask Dr. Douche. Apparently, he’s a big fan. Still not sure why we care. Random gossip is not something that we have time for in our group chat. I’ve asked you guys to refrain from meaningless texts.
Brinkley
Bite me, Dr. Grump. I love random gossip. It’s my favorite. We care because Reese will care.
Hugh
Do you think she’ll be upset, Finn?
Fuck yeah. She hates Christy Rae Lovell. Dr. Douche dated her when they had that brief breakup a few years ago. I always thought there was some overlap there, but Reese never believed it.
Cage
Why the fuck does she care what he does now? They aren’t together, correct?
Georgia
They called off their engagement because he didn’t support her decision to go to London for a year. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don’t think she thought he’d stick to it.
Brinkley
I agree. I think she thought they’d get past it and get back together. He sucks for not supporting her, though. I’m glad she went. And she’s coming back in a couple of days, right? You better give her a heads-up, Finn.
Hugh
You’re awfully quiet, brother. You still there?
I just got a text from Reese. She already knows. Olivia told her. I’ve got to go.
Olivia was Reese’s sister, and I wasn’t surprised she’d told her. She was protective, and she wasn’t a fan of Carl, since he didn’t support her sister’s decision to go to London.
I tried dialing Reese three times, but she wasn’t picking up.
My chest squeezed because the thought of her hurting, and me not being there, didn’t sit well with me.
She’d always been my ride or die.
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
two
Reese
I lay curled up in a ball on my bed in my tiny flat in central London. Boxes were stacked in the room, as I was leaving in a few days to head back home.
Taking this job had been the experience of a lifetime.