But even in her increasingly cloudy brain, the whole scenario made her think of Jamie. She knew the Spencer thing was, in some way, a sore subject for him. Then again, it was for Brynn, too. She’d made Jamie promise never to talk about what had happened between them, and here she was, getting the chance to wipe the slate clean. At least, that’s what she hoped, that kissing Spencer would work like time travel, giving her the chance to erase a painful past. Because, try as she might, Brynn had never truly gotten past Jamie rejecting her. She’d forgotten all about Spencer the night Jamie took care of her. Tonight she hoped Spencer would finally help her forget how her best friend cracked her teenage heart wide open.
She finished her pint and slid off the stool, overtaken by a sudden rush of bravado and the need to get this whole turning-back-time thing underway. She marched over to the circle of people surrounding Spencer and inserted herself into the spot to his left.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“Spencer was just telling us about his big launch party in L.A. in a couple weeks.”
Stacy Fletcher, head of the reunion committee, let her hand fall on Spencer’s chest as she said this, flirting with him like she was sure he was going home with her. Spencer smiled at Stacy, and Brynn took a mental snapshot of the two, their matching blond hair and overall look of having their shit together. Stacy was gorgeous, already a successful real estate attorney, and Brynn couldn’t help but stare at the way Stacy’s breasts bubbled over the taut material of her strapless navy dress. It was like they were trying to escape. Who knows? Maybe one would make a break for it at some point during the evening.
Brynn looked down at her turtleneck sweater dress. Maybe it did hug her curves in all the right places, but her boobs were no competition for Stacy’s virtual waterfall of flesh.
“It’s not a big deal,” Spencer said, his modesty coupled with a shy smile making Brynn’s knees turn to jelly. “Just a small party at a local bookseller. If any of you are in town, you should stop by.” He turned to Brynn then. “What are the odds of you making your way to L.A. in the next couple of weeks?”
An invitation, just for her. But California in two weeks? It wasn’t quite within her budget, and what was she going to do? Travel across the country for a crush? Granted the crush was pretty severe, Brynn’s seventeen-year-old fantasies rising to the surface. No. Spencer was more than a crush. He was the answer—the answer to the stagnancy in her life.
Brynn shrugged. “Not impossible,” she said, and Spencer beamed. “Hey,” she added. “Would you like to grab a drink—somewhere a little quieter?”
It was go time. If she was going to test the Spencer Matthews theory, it was high time she started experimenting.
He laced his fingers through hers.
“Excuse us everyone. We’ll be back in a bit.” Then he focused on Brynn. “Lead the way,” he said, and she did. First stop, the empty bar at the top of the stairs. The bottle and shot glasses were still there, and now they were in her hands.
“I like the way you think,” Spencer said, and she bit down on her lip, trying to contain her nerves.
“Here we are,” she said as they stood in front of a closed door, one adorned with nothing but a small name plaque that read office. “I know the owner,” she said. “We can hide out in here…if you want.”
Spencer looked from the door to her. Then he licked his top lip, and Brynn almost lost it right there.
“Isn’t Jamie Kingston the owner?” he asked, raising a brow, and Brynn nodded. “You two are still…close?”
Really? This was going to turn into a conversation about her and Jamie? This is supposed to be a do-over. Not a repeat of senior year. She rolled her eyes.
“What?” Spencer laughed. “You two went to every dance together senior year. Everyone assumed you were together. I sure as hell did, especially when you never made it to Becket’s party. I always figured I was crushing on another guy’s girl.”
Whoa. This was too much for Brynn to process—Spencer crushing on her and the thought of her being Jamie’s girl…?
Time to get things moving.
She didn’t respond but instead knocked softly, then tried the handle, and the door opened with ease. Spencer walked through first, and she followed, closing and locking the door behind her. She unscrewed the bottle and poured them each a shot. Time for a final toast, one to solidify tonight as a shift in her reality. Everything would be different after this moment.
“Cheers,” he said.
“Cheers.”
Brynn let the heat from the liquid permeate her veins, melting away the twinge of something she didn’t want to recognize, an emotion she had no business feeling at a time like this. When Jamie was with Liz, he didn’t feel like he was cheating on her. So why was her stomach in knots? Why did she need the liquid courage to do what Jamie had no problem doing every night he was with someone else?
No. No guilt. This is my night.
She slammed her empty glass down on Jamie’s desk and giggled, the alcohol winning out over logic. Jamie’s desk. Was she really going to do this here? Now?
“No time like the present,” Brynn said aloud, answering her own question. And she pushed Spencer down into Jamie’s chair.
…