Bad Girlfriend Read online

  Ford gestured toward the table. “The gorgeous girl in the corner is my girlfriend, Poppy. And the redhead is Brooke.”

  I nodded. “I know Brooke. I…uh, rent the apartment over her grandma’s garage.”

  Josh gave a low whistle and Ford raised an eyebrow.

  “Watch out for her, man. She’s a maneater,” Josh said.

  “The first time I met Poppy was when Brooke was trying to order a drink for her when Poppy was still underage. Brooke is trouble with a capital T,” Ford added.

  Grady nodded in agreement and opened his mouth, probably to add something about Brooke that I didn’t want to hear. Granted, these guys knew her better than I did. But I couldn’t reconcile the girl they were describing with the sad, vulnerable girl who had drowned her sorrows in tequila last night. I shouldn’t feel protective of her after knowing her for all of one day, but I did.

  Despite not playing football anymore, Ford seemed to still be in top athletic shape. Josh was tall and broad, and Grady, with his long hair and tattoos, looked like someone I definitely wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. But, I knew Brooke was so much more than they said. I don’t how I knew, but I did.

  I held up my hand. “At the risk of alienating the only people I know in town or getting my ass kicked, I have to say…shut the hell up about Brooke.”

  Grady closed his mouth, and they all looked at me for a few seconds. Then, to my surprise, Ford nodded and Grady clapped me on the back.

  “Sure thing, man.”

  Huh. That was easy.

  “I feel you. Leah may be a pain in my ass most of the time, but if someone was talking shit about her, I’d feel the same way,” Josh said, glancing back at his wife, who was still talking while making obscene gestures with her hands. Josh rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  Wait. Did he just compare my feelings for Brooke to his feelings for his wife?

  “I don’t know her well, but she seems like a nice girl. That’s all,” I said trying to do some damage control.

  Again, they all looked at me. This time in disbelief. Ford cracked a smile. “Okay, whatever you say. Take these drinks over, will you? The girls look thirsty.”

  Grady kissed the top of his daughter’s head before grabbing two beers off the bar. Josh followed with his own beer and some yellow cocktail in a martini glass. I took a cranberry and vodka for Poppy and a Diet Coke for Brooke. When I reached the table, the only seat left was between Lindsay and Brooke. She eyed me warily as I set her drink down in front of her.

  Josh introduced me to everyone. “This is Adam Branigan. He’s the new principal at the elementary school. He’s new in town, so be nice.” This last instruction was directed at his wife. She stuck her tongue out at him but gave me a friendly smile.

  “You’re not drinking? Please tell me you’re not a recovering alcoholic or a Mormon. Because if you’re going to be friends with this group, that’s just not going to work,” Leah said.

  I had purposely left my beer at the bar. Laughing, I said, “No, I’m not against drinking. In fact, I’m all for it. I’m just detoxing from too much tequila last night.”

  Josh and Grady didn’t react at all to what I said, but all the girls looked at Brooke when I said this. Brooke was avoiding eye contact with everyone and was concentrating on wiping the condensation from the outside of her glass.

  Leah narrowed her brown eyes at me. “Hmmm,” was all she said as she lifted her yellow martini concoction to her mouth.

  I cleared my throat and turned to Lindsay. “So, Lindsay, Grady said you grew up in the city. I grew up in New Jersey, but I’ve been working in the city for the last seven years.”

  “Oh! It’s great to meet a fellow New Yorker. Although I do really love it here.” She looked over at Grady. “That might have something to do with the people though.”

  “You look really familiar,” I said. “What part of the city did you live in?”

  “Manhattan,” Lindsay replied. “You may have seen me in the society pages of the paper over the years. My uncle is Senator Ross.”

  It clicked then. Manhattan was nowhere near where I had lived and worked, but I did recognize her from the newspaper. “So, Taryn is your cousin?” Taryn Ross was Senator Ross’ adopted daughter. The media was treating her like American royalty lately.

  Lindsay smiled. “Yup, Taryn’s my cousin. She was just here a couple of weeks ago to visit. But the campaign is really ramping up now, so I doubt she’ll be back for a while.”

  Senator Ross was the front runner for the Democratic nomination for President in this fall’s election. From what I’d read, he was picked to win the election, barring any unforeseen bumps in the road or skeletons in his closet.

  The waitress came over to take our food orders, and I chose the same burger and fries I had the other night. The awkward moment when the girls seemed to pick up on the tension between Brooke and me was gone, and the conversation flowed easily between the group of friends.

  Poppy gave Brooke a few questioning glances and looked concerned when Brooke continued to avoid contributing to the conversation. I didn’t know her well, but even I could tell this behavior was out of character for Brooke. And I felt like I’d been punched in the gut knowing that I was likely the cause of her bad mood. I wished I could remember what happened. Had I pushed her? Had I hurt her? I had to talk to her, and I wasn’t going home tonight without saying what I needed to.

  Everyone seemed to be talking at once, so I draped my arm over the back of Brooke’s chair and leaned in. “Brooke? Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  She finally looked at me then, and I was mesmerized for a moment by the intensity in her deep green eyes. Her full lips were coated in shiny pink gloss, and I had another flash of nipping at her bottom lip. I don't know how much she remembered of our night together, but she seemed to know what I was thinking then. A slight blush covered her cheeks as she shook her head slightly and looked away.

  The food arrived then, and the opportunity was gone. I dropped my arm from her chair and leaned back so the waitress could set our plates in front of us. Ford was on a break, so he came over to join us. There weren't any extra chairs, so Poppy gave him hers and sat on his lap. I got the feeling that would have been the seating arrangement even if there had been an open chair.

  For the next hour, I ate my food and watched Brooke. She barely looked up from her salad, and she maybe ate three bites. All she did was move the food around on her plate. As the minutes ticked by, I felt more and more like a dickhead. Maybe I should just chalk it up to a drunken mistake and go home. But I just couldn't do that. My mom had raised me to respect women, and what I did with Brooke last night was not okay. I don't care what her reputation was, nobody deserved that.

  Not long after the plates were cleared away, Grady looked at Lindsay, who now held a sleeping Brie in her arms. "You ready to go?" Lindsay nodded and handed the sleeping baby to Grady.

  Leah yawned and stood up. "We have to go too. If Maddy doesn't get to bed by 8:00 sharp, there'll be hell to pay tomorrow."

  There were a few minutes of goodbyes and packing up diaper bags and then they were gone. That just left Poppy, Brooke and me sitting at our table in awkward silence. I was looking at Brooke. Brooke was looking at the table. Poppy was looking back and forth between us.

  "Well, I've got to tell Ford...something. Something very important. Right now," Poppy muttered and left the table.

  Brooke looked up in a panic at seeing her friend and buffer leave her alone with me. "I have to pee," she declared and was up and gone before I could blink. I considered following her right into the ladies room, but instead decided to wait in the hallway. It was only slightly less creepy to loiter outside the ladies room.

  Two women came out and gave me strange looks as I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. Standing here was almost putting me in the perv category with Principal Edwards, but it had to be done. Brooke needed to hear me out, and then I would leave her alone.


  I waited and waited until it was clear she was avoiding me, if I had any doubt before. Ford walked past me toward the back room, looking amused at seeing me keeping watch on the door of the ladies room.

  “I’ve waited in that exact spot for Poppy to stop hiding before,” Ford said when he came through carrying two gallons of milk.

  “Seems like it worked out okay for you,” I commented.

  Ford shrugged. “Not at the time.”

  Great.

  Not that I was looking to get into a relationship with Brooke.

  Not that I didn’t want to.

  Shit!

  I rubbed my hand over my face. I didn’t know what I wanted past having the chance to apologize.

  Chapter Seven

  Brooke

  Dinner was pure torture, having to sit next to Adam and not look at him. Because every time I looked at him, I remembered a little more about last night. His hands on me, everywhere. His mouth. It didn't make me uncomfortable. Just the opposite. It made me want to do it again. But Poppy was right that I needed a break from men. I couldn't think straight when I was with a guy, and Adam was ten times worse. Because he had made me feel what I should feel when I'm with someone. But it wasn’t real. How could it be after knowing him for only one day?

  Now here I was, hiding in the bathroom of The Last Call, because I didn't trust myself to be around him. After a really long time, I came out of the stall and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't stay in here forever, so I fluffed my hair and smoothed down my top. Hopefully Adam had gone home and I could hang out with Poppy in peace until Ford was off work.

  It was not my lucky day, as I found out when I swung open the door. Adam was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles. He looked completely at ease, like he could have waited there all night for me to come out.

  We had somewhat of a staring contest, neither of us moving or speaking. He wasn't my usual type. He didn't have any tattoos or piercings, and his muscles weren't bulging out of his shirt. From what I could remember, his body was lean but in good shape. And what they say about tall skinny guys was definitely true in his case. I bit my bottom lip as I remembered just how true it was.

  "Brooke?"

  His low voice snapped me back to reality, and I realized I'd been staring at his crotch. I felt my cheeks heating, and I tried to walk past him. But Adam reached out and grabbed my hand, gently, and pulled me back.

  "Please, Brooke. I just need a few minutes of your time, and then I'll leave you alone."

  That's what I wanted. For him to leave me alone. So why did a crushing disappointment descend on my chest at his words?

  "Okay," I whispered, not meeting his eyes.

  He released my hand and pushed his hands through his hair. "About last night...I'm sorry, Brooke. I...I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

  That got my attention. He thought he had taken advantage of me?

  "We were both there, Adam. It's as much my fault as it is yours."

  "Maybe, but you were vulnerable. You just broke up with that...guy." He seemed to be searching for the right word to describe Chet. "Honestly, I don't remember what happened after the fifth or sixth shot of tequila. I don’t think I used a condom and I'm sorry if I pushed you to do anything or...you know."

  "I don't remember much either," I admitted. "But I do know that you didn't push me to do anything I didn't want to do. And I’m on the pill…and I’ve always used a condom before, so you’re all good there." Great, he probably thought he caught something from me. I dropped my gaze to his shoes but then looked back up. "What do you mean by 'you know'?"

  Adam shifted uncomfortably on his feet and stuck his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. "I usually try to be sober during sex. I don't know how well I...uh...performed when I was drunk off my ass. I apologize if it wasn't a great experience for you."

  Oh. He was worried that I didn't enjoy myself. How...different. I had to stifle a giggle that was threatening to escape. Adam looked slightly offended but then shook his head.

  "Was it that bad?" he asked with a grimace.

  "No! I mean, I don't remember everything. But I remember enough to know that you don't have anything to apologize for."

  He looked like he didn't believe me. And he looked so darn cute and vulnerable that I couldn't let him think he was bad in bed. Because he wasn't. Even being so drunk he probably forgot his own name, he was still more attentive and thorough than any other guy I'd been with.

  So at the risk of sounding like the biggest whore on the face of the Earth, I said, "Seriously, Adam. You were definitely the best drunken sex I've ever had." Might as well air all the dirty laundry. "Probably the best sex, period," I admitted reluctantly.

  He raised an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth quirked up. "Yeah?"

  "Yeah. Now don't go getting all cocky on me. I was drunk too, remember? My perspective on the situation could be completely skewed."

  We looked at each other for another awkward moment.

  "This is a little awkward," Adam said finally.

  With relief, I agreed, "yes, it is."

  "I think we should start over. Hi, I'm Adam Branigan. I live over your grandma's garage. I'm the new principal at the elementary school, and I definitely have not slept with you." He held out his hand to me.

  I smiled my first genuine smile of the evening and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Adam. I'm Brooke Mills. I work at the hair salon, and I definitely did not leave my panties under your pillow."

  Adam chuckled and released my hand. He motioned for me to walk ahead of him and put his hand on the small of my back to guide me out of the hallway. Poppy was watching me with uncontained interest as we approached where she sat at the bar.

  "Well, Poppy, it was nice to meet you," Adam said. He waved to Ford at the other end of the bar. "I have to be getting home. I hope to see you ladies again soon."

  "Did you walk here, Adam?" Poppy asked.

  "Yeah, it's not far and the weather won't be this nice for much longer. I’ve got to enjoy it while I can."

  "Brooke, you should give Adam a ride home," she suggested. "Since you two live so close."

  I gave Poppy a what the hell look, but she just smiled back at me sweetly. "But don't you want me to hang out here until Ford is off work?"

  "Nope."

  So much for her idea for me to give up men. She was practically delivering me to Adam's door with a big bow on my head.

  "Okaaay," I said.

  Adam followed me to my car and slid into the passenger seat. My little two seater didn't fit his tall frame very well, but he didn't complain like Chet would have. Thankfully it was a short drive, because some of the awkwardness had returned.

  Gram's convertible was already in the garage when I pulled in, and she stuck her head out the back door when we got out.

  "I just pulled a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. Come and get some," she called.

  Gram was a good cook and baker, but she didn't do it much anymore unless there was a reason. Like the church bake sale. Which was over. So, why was she baking cookies on a Saturday night?

  Adam hesitated, but I waved him on. "You better come too. I can't eat a whole batch of cookies by myself. Well, I could. But I shouldn't." I ran my hands over my hips. Adam's eyes followed the movement, and when he raised them to mine I saw they were heated. Uh oh. I should have just let him go on up to his apartment.

  Gram held the door open as we passed. "Oh, I see you two have met."

  Adam and I exchanged a glance. "Yeah, we've met." Hopefully Gram didn't notice the silent tension that hung in the air.

  "Sit down and have some cookies. Milk anyone?" Gram asked, pulling a gallon of milk from the fridge. She was talking quickly as she bustled around the kitchen, and something definitely seemed off.

  "Gram, are you okay?" I asked.

  "Of course I'm okay, Brooke."

  "All right. You just seem kind of n
ervous...or something." I took a bite of a warm chocolate chip cookie and closed my eyes. Pure heaven. When I opened my eyes, Adam was looking at me with the same heated look in his eyes. I licked the crumbs off my bottom lip, and his eyes dropped to my mouth, following the path my tongue traced.

  "What would I have to be nervous about? Although there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

  Uh huh. I knew it. I wrenched my eyes from Adam's and turned to Gram.

  "Okay, Gram. Spill."

  With her back to me, Gram poured three glasses of milk. "You know I'm not getting any younger, Brooke. And the winter weather here is really hard on my arthritis. This big old house has so many steps..." she trailed off as she brought the milk glasses to the table.

  "What are you saying, Gram? Do you want to sell the house?"

  She took my hand. "No, I don't want to sell it. But I don't want to live here anymore."

  Not understanding where she was going with this, I scrunched my eyebrows together. "I don't understand."

  She sighed. "My sister, Irene, has that condo down in Florida. It's in an old folks community. You know I’ve been there to visit the past three winters…and Brooke, I think it's time I moved down there. Permanently."

  "You're leaving me here?" I whispered. Hearing that she wanted to move wasn't a total surprise to me. Gram had mentioned it over the years, but I never thought she would actually do it. Part of me understood that she had given up her older years to raise me when my mother couldn't. That part knew she deserved to relax, move somewhere warm and not have to take care of a big one hundred year old house. But the part of me that was scared at being on my own, alone, reared its ugly head.

  "What will I do without you? Where will I live?" I said, near panic mode now. I felt Adam's hand on my knee, squeezing reassuringly.

  "Brooke, honey, you'll live here. The house is paid off, and I will transfer the deed to your name. With the rental income from the apartment along with your job, you should be in very good shape."