13 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It poured down rain all day on Wednesday, preventing our usual steady flow of walk-in customers from making the trek down Fayette Street. I stayed busy in the kitchen all day which I tended to do most rainy days, while Joey rifled through my planner to make sure we were prepared for all upcoming orders. I had one wedding this weekend and the Frey's anniversary cake to make which I decided to get started on after lunch on Thursday. In between mixing the ingredients, I scroll over the last several text messages between Reese and myself that had transpired yesterday. He really is an expert at the flirty text messages thing. I had just managed to slip the cake into my double oven when Joey's voice comes ringing through the shop.

"Cupcake, you have a delivery," he sings and I move quickly past the worktop and through the doorway. Fred is standing in front of the counter and smiles at me, his gap-toothed grin spreading across his face.

"Hi, Fred. How are you today?" I ask as he steps up to the counter. Fred is the only other man that makes my heart flutter at his appearance, and it's only because he always comes with something from Reese.

"I'm great, Ms. Dylan. Here you go." Sliding a brown envelope across to me and holding out his clipboard, I sign for it and hold up my finger to him. I grab a bakery box and fill it with some apple turnovers, slipping one into a separate small bag and handing them out to him.

"Would you please give this box to Mr. Carroll for me? The one in the bag is for you," I say and his smile manages to grow.

"Sure. Thanks, Ms. Dylan. See ya, Joey," he responds excitedly, turning on his feet and walking out the door. "Bye, Freddy," Joey replies in his flirty voice, earning himself an eye roll from me.

"Seriously? He's like sixty."

"Age is just a number, cupcake."

I open the envelope and pull out the tiny brown card, my heart beating so loud that I'm sure Joey will give me shit about it.

Dylan,

Have you heard the song "Do I Wanna Know?" by the Arctic Monkeys? I can't listen to it anymore without thinking of you, not that I'm complaining or anything. Miss your face.

X Reese

Oh I miss his face terribly. Handing over the card to Joey, I watch his expression get all weepy while he digs his phone out of his pocket.

"I don't think I know that song," I say as he docks his phone and hits a few buttons. Music begins playing through the speakers, music that instantly reminds me of sex. Holy shit. I can actually picture Reese thrusting into me at the tempo.

"Jesus, is this it?" I ask and Joey nods through a grin.

"Yup. I f**king love this song. You should listen carefully to the lyrics, cupcake. I think he's trying to tell you something," he replies as he hands me back the card and starts organizing the display case. I lean against the counter, listening to the song as the front door swings open and Juls comes barreling through.

"Hello, my lovies. Ooohhh I f**king love this song. Reminds me of sex." She echoes my thoughts as I nod in agreement.

"Reese said it reminds him of Dylan. What you think about that?" Joey asks and her eyes widen.

"Damn. I think he wants to f**k you sideways, Dyl."

I giggle and smooth out my apron. "Well naturally." I glance over at my best friend who is standing in the middle of the shop, rubbing her eyes and looking positively glowing. On a Thursday? "What's up with you?" I ask.

"Nothing, I just have something in my eye," she replies, as she keeps wiping below her lashes with both hands. She's really going at it and I look over at Joey whose mouth has dropped open.

"JULS!" he yells and startles me so bad I have to grip the counter.

"Jesus Christ, Joey. What?" I ask, my eyes falling on Juls who is now only holding up her left hand. My eyes flick between my two best friends, back and forth, still feeling completely lost until something sparkles and catches my attention. My jaw drops as I finally focus on what Joey has seen. Her delicate hand is now adorned with a shockingly large diamond and I scream. Joey screams. Juls screams. There is a lot of f**king screaming going on.

"You're engaged?" I shriek and she nods frantically, her hands coming up to cover her face as Joey and I round the counter and charge at her. "Oh my God." The ring is beautiful and totally her. Massive and sparkly, the princess cut diamond is surrounded by smaller delicate diamonds and gleams brilliantly. Tiny diamonds run along both sides down the band as well. "Holy shit, it's gorgeous. When did this happen? How did it happen?" I ask as Joey studies the ring closely.

"Seriously the most beautiful ring I've ever f**king seen. Damn," he chimes in as he holds her petite hand in his.

She wipes the tear that has streamed down her face and shuffles excitedly on her feet. "Last night. Ian took me to Grant Park for a stroll after the rain had let up and he dropped down in front of that massive fountain. I died, right there on the spot." More tears come down and she quickly rubs them away. "He told me he's loved me for so long and that he'll love me forever. God it was so f**king romantic."

My waterworks are now free flowing and turning towards Joey, I see that he is as much of an emotional wreck as I am. "You're going to be the most beautiful bride." I manage through sniffles. "I'm assuming we're looking at next September or October for the big day?"

"Fuck that noise. I am not waiting a year to marry that man. We've decided on September 17th." Joey gasps and I'm pretty sure I do also. I'm stunned, completely shocked. Is she crazy?

"That's like three months away," I say as the shop phone rings.

"Oh please. Have you forgotten who you're talking to here? I could plan a fabulous wedding in a month if I had to." I dash behind the counter and grab the phone on the fifth ring. She was right though. If anyone could pull off a spectacular wedding in three months, it was Juls. Besides, I was fairly certain that she's already planned most of the details without Ian's knowledge of it.

"Dylan's Sweet Tooth," I chirp into the phone as Joey and Juls excitingly talk about the wedding.

"Hi, sweetheart." My mom's voice instantly sends my back rigid and I squeeze my eyes shut. Oh great. It's starting

"Hi, Mom. What's up?" I ask casually. Please Lord let her be calling to tell me someone died or something else non-romance related. Maybe she's forgotten all about Reese.

I hear muffled noises in the background, most likely the sounds of my father getting shushed. "Oh, nothing much. So how exactly did you meet Reese? I'm dying to know all about him and Google only tells you so much."

"You Googled him?" I didn't even think my mother knew how to use the internet. Now she's googling the men I'm sleeping with? Hmmm, maybe I should do that.

"Yes. Good grief he's handsome. Now tell me, how did you two meet?" Oh you know, he nailed me up against a bathroom sink at my ex's wedding. Crap. I need a distraction and the sight of my bouncing best friends gives me inspiration.

"Mom, Juls is engaged. Isn't that great? And she's getting married this September." Nothing like wedding news to get my mother sidetracked. She was a sucker for hard gossip, especially when it involved my friends.

She gasps dramatically. "That's wonderful. Oh my, that's so soon." I hear her hands clapping together through the phone. "How lovely. Juls will make such a beautiful bride. You know who else would make a beautiful bride?"

What? Shit! I scramble around the counter and grab Joey by the hair, a loud scream emanating from him followed by a string of curse words directed at me. "Oh shit. Gotta go, Mom. Joey's having a g*y emergency. You know him. Love you." I end the call quickly before she can throw out any questions. Whew. Crisis Averted.

"What the f**k, Dylan? That hurt. And why does it have to be a g*y emergency?" Joey rubs his scalp, his face scrunched up in pain as he glares at me.

"Ha! Like there's any another type of emergency involving you." Juls laughs.

"Sorry. Really really sorry about that. My mom knows about Reese and I'm trying to avoid her at all costs." I exhale forcefully. "You know how she is." I decide to keep the Reese telling my parents that he's my boyfriend news to myself. I would never hear the end of it.

"Oh, yikes," he states. "Actually, that reminds me." He quickly combs through his hair. "You remember how Billy thought it was hilarious that you thought Reese was married?" I nod as Juls moves next to me and faces Joey, her arms crossing over her chest. "Well, I thought that was weird. I mean, why is that so f**king funny? He's gorgeous. He could have been married."

"Joey, is there a point to this?" I ask

He huffs in annoyance. "Yes. I asked Billy about it and he said that Reese is completely against getting serious with a girl. He won't do it." My stomach rolls. "When they start getting clingy, he moves on to the next one."

"Joey, that's enough," Juls spats.

I blow my breath out. "It's fine. I figured as much." But I wasn't expecting it to hurt this bad to hear it out loud. Shit. I feel like my heart has been shoved into a vice.

He moves closer to me and grabs my hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "Dylan, I'm sorry. I just, I don't want to see you to get hurt." He squeezes me gently. "I like Reese, I really do and I like him for you, but I don't know if he'll ever want you for more than just sex."

Juls steps in between us and grabs my shoulders. "Don't listen to him, Dylan. I've seen the way he looks at you. I don't care how many girls are lining up for him. He only sees you." She speaks softly, her hands applying light pressure to my tense shoulders. He is currently only seeing me, I wanted to correct her. But I don't. I manage to paint on my most convincing I'm not affected by this face and smile.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I wasn't expecting this to become a f**king relationship or anything more than what it is so, whatever, I'm fine." Juls studies me closely as Joey manages half a smile. "Anyway, where are we headed tonight to celebrate?" My change of topic catches on and they both start rattling off names of bars. "You two discuss. I have some work to do."

My stomach churns as I walk past my friends and into the kitchen. Images of hundreds of women walking into Reese's office, closing the door behind them, and then reemerging moments later looking rightly f**ked pour through my head. How many girls have blown him in that office? How many has he f**ked against that door? The thought of Reese screwing anybody besides me makes me instantly queasy. "God, what the f**k am I doing with this guy?" I say to myself as I check on the cake.

Juls pops her head through the doorway. "6:00p.m. at The Tavern, sweets. Love you." She waves with her blinged out hand and I giggle.

"Love you," I reply with genuine enthusiasm just as my phone begins to ring. Reese's name flashes across my screen and I hit decline. I can't talk to him right now. I have work to do and staying busy is my best defense at keeping my mind off him. Walking over to the shelf, I grab the ingredients I need for the chocolate peppermint frosting and place them on the worktop. I reach for my mixer next as my phone rings through the kitchen. Leaning across the worktop, I see his name again and huff loudly as I press decline. "No," I state firmly. Perching myself up on a stool, I begin rifling through my recipes. I really needed to organize these better. And rewrite some of them. My grandmother's chicken scratch handwriting is beginning to rub off and most are borderline eligible. Hearing the text message alert on my phone, I wipe my hands on the front of my apron and reach for it.

Reese: Are you ignoring me?

No mister persistent, I'm just putting some distance between you and my heart. The sound of the song that Joey has apparently put on repeat seeps into the kitchen and I soften. A song reminds him of me. A song that I need to remember to look up the lyrics to. My thumbs get to work.

Me: No, just really busy. Juls stopped in and showed off her massive engagement ring and now I'm behind on some baking. What's up?

I press send, pleased with myself for not berating him with questions about previous lovers and office sex romps. I'm about to place my phone down when his name flashes on my screen with an incoming call. Damn it. I can't just ignore him again; he knows I'm not too busy to text. I swipe the screen.

"Not feeling the text messaging today?" I ask through a smile that I inwardly curse myself for having. He hasn't even spoken yet and I'm glowing.

"Not when I can hear your voice instead. How are you today, love? Any new favorite songs?" The sound of crunching comes through the phone and I suspect that he's received my special delivery just for him.

"Maybe. And I'm okay. I'm just still in shock over the engagement news." I swallow the lump in my throat. Christ, cheer the f**k up, Dylan. This hot man has chosen you over all other women in line to play with. He chose you. "So, are you coming out to celebrate with us tonight? I have a few nicknames I'd like to throw at you once I get all kinds of tipsy." The timer on the oven sounds and I walk over to it, clamping my phone between my ear and my shoulder to retrieve the cake.

He laughs softly and I can picture my favorite smile lines next to his eyes. "Yeah but probably not till late. I have some stuff I need to take care of first." He pauses and the sound of crunching fills the receiver again. "Should I be concerned that you're going to get shit faced without me there? Because a part of me is concerned. Actually, isn't there some rule that says you can't get drunk without me?"

I laugh and poke the center of the cake with a knife, pulling it out clean. The idea of seeing him in a few short hours has blanketed all of my stupid girl concerns and I'm now my usual drunk on Reese self. I wouldn't even need alcohol tonight. "First of all, I'm not going to get drunk. If I did, I would completely blow my chances of riding you later on because I would pass out." I turn the oven off and grab a mixing bowl for the frosting. "And secondly, my friends know how to handle me and know when to cut me off. I think you forget that I'm twenty-six and not twenty-one. I've been doing this for a few years you know."

He grunts and I automatically roll my eyes into the phone. "None of what you just said gives me any comfort. I'll just make sure to get my shit done quickly so I can cut you off myself."

My hand not holding the phone goes to my hip. "If you storm into that bar and throw me over your shoulder like some caveman, Carroll, we will be having words when I sober up."

"Hmm, thanks for the idea, Sparks."

"Reese." The sound of the dial tone blares in my ear and I stuff my phone back into my pocket. Oh for Christ's sake. He would do something embarrassing like that. I can just see myself getting hauled out of there tonight with my face stuck in his ass again. Well, two can play at that game. If he's going to manhandle me in front of my friends then I'll just have to make sure I'm wearing something to make him lose his shit. That's my only defense really, causing him to stumble at the sight of me and giving me hopefully enough time to run away from him. But did I even have an outfit that could pull that off?

"Joey, we're closing up early so we can go shopping." I begin throwing the ingredients for the icing together into a bowl. I register his elated response and focus on my task at hand. Finish making the frosting, ice the cake, and blow Reese's f**king mind. I grin mischievously at myself. He has no idea who he's messing with.

**

After perusing the racks at La Bella for over an hour, I finally settled on a sleeveless coral dress with a deep v neck and exposed back. It wasn't too clingy, allowing me for movement and hiding the lines of my white garter with matching bra and panties. But it was short, really f**king short. I had decided on the garter immediately after our phone call ended, that and the fact that I would be picking out some sort of dress for the evening. Reese looked at me differently when I wore dresses. He still had that raw animalistic stare that could melt the panties right off me, but there was also this sweetness behind it, a gentleness that I saw when I'd worn them around him. He looked at me like I was delicate and I liked that.

Joey had gotten his car back from the shop and drove us to meet Juls at The Tavern, not failing to remind me that we both looked better in his ride than in mine. All this Sam hate. I was already two rum and cokes in when Ian and Billy showed up, my heart pounding at the anticipation of Reese's arrival.

"I would just like to say Ian that you did an amaaazziinngg job on the ring. Like f**king brilliant, dude. You're like the lord of the rings now. Ooohhh, you're Frodo." Yup. I am definitely in the nickname giving stage of my night. I bop around on my stool, tapping my hands lightly on the bar in rhythm with the song playing overhead.

"Wow, how many drinks have you had?" he asks as Juls wiggles in his lap. She can't stop looking at her ring and it's absolutely adorable. I'm certain she's shown it to me fifty times since we've arrived as if I haven't seen it already.

"Psst, like none," I reply. "So have you two thought of a honeymoon spot?"

"Fiji!" Juls yells and Ian barks a laugh.

"I don't really care, just as long as I get my sexy wife in a bikini and then quickly out of it," he says and I feel my face flush. "I can't f**king wait to marry you." He speaks so low, I almost didn't hear him. But I did. Tears fill my eyes and I meet Juls' rapidly blinking teary-eyed stare.

"Ladies room?" I ask and she nods.

"Babe, will you get me another drink please?" she shouts back at Ian who gives her a quick wink. We walk arm in arm to the bathrooms and slip inside, the sound of the bar crowd dying down as the door closes behind us. Stepping in front of the mirror, I smooth my dress out and fluff up my hair as Juls reapplies her lipstick.

"By the way, this Saturday I'm holding you hostage after your cake delivery," she says as she hands me the tube she's just used. I take it and shake my head, slowing applying the nude color onto my lips and then quickly wiping it off.

I grunt in annoyance. "I can't pull off lipstick. It makes me look like a hooker. And why am I being held hostage on Saturday?" I hand her back the tube and she sticks it into her purse.

"Excuse you. Maid of honor duties." I screech and jump on my heels. "We've got some dress shopping to do." She wraps me up in a hug as we giggle against each other.

"I'm going to lose it when I see you in a wedding dress. Fair warning," I say as we let go of each other.

She grabs both of my hands and beams, taking in a deep breath before she slowly lets it out. "I'm so happy, sweets. I can't believe he chose me." She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth and bites it to stop it from quivering.

I squeeze her hands with both of mine. "Who wouldn't choose you?" I drop her hands and turn back towards the mirror, wiping under my eyes. "Is, uh, Reese in the wedding party?" Please say yes. The sight of him in a tux is something I would pay to see.

"Of course, he's the best man. Which means that you two will be paired up. You're welcome." She giggles at me and I watch in the mirror as my cheeks burn up.

We exit the bathroom together, Juls walking ahead of me and blocking my view but it doesn't matter. I could have been blindfolded and I'd have known he was here. I always feel his presence before I see him. As she steps through the crowd, my eyes lock onto Reese who is standing at the bar talking to Ian. My stomach tightens and I clench my fists as I walk slowly, studying him and waiting for him to notice me. He's in his work attire, dress shirt and tie with khakis, his hair sticking out all over the place and I decide that walking slowly is for morons. Pushing my way through the crowd, his eyes turn to mine and he smiles sweetly before his mouth drops at my appearance. I pick up my pace and run straight at him, jumping up into his arms and hearing Juls and Ian's collective laughs as I cling to him like a vine. His smell hits me and I softly moan.

"Handsome," I whisper into his ear as I squeeze him tightly, no intention of letting go any time soon. "I thought you'd never get here."

"I came as soon as I could, love." He inhales me deeply, holding my body against his as I keep a solid grip around his neck. Shifting me against his body, he turns and lowers himself onto a stool, pulling me into his lap. I lean back and study him. Green eyes blazing, parted full lips, and smile lines. Man he is lethal. He opens his mouth to speak when his eyes trail down my body and stop on my thighs.

"Fuck, Dylan." I glance down quickly at what's possibly caused his outburst and curse loudly at the sight of my exposed garter. Shit. This dress was not meant to be sat down in. "What are you wearing?" I'm quickly placed on my feet in front of him as he begins tugging at the material, frantically attempting to bring it down to a more appropriate length. The giggling from me comes naturally at his flustered state.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What the hell is with the dress?" he asks through clenched teeth as I quickly scan the red faces of Ian and Juls who are watching in amusement. Joey squeals on the dance floor as Billy dips him and kisses him deeply in front of everyone. The relentless tugging of my dress brings my eyes back down in front of me.

"You don't like it? I thought you liked me in dresses," I tease.

"This shouldn't be allowed in public. Seriously what the f**k? You've been here for how long in this shit?" He glowers at me and runs his hands down his face, bringing my attention to his right hand that looks like he's spent the night dragging it against bricks. His knuckles are cut up and slightly swollen and dried blood stains his skin.

"Jesus Christ. What the hell happened to your hand?" I reach for it to examine it more closely when he quickly pulls away from me.

"Don't worry about it. The dress, Dylan. Why are you wearing that?"

Oh no f**king way is he going to react like this and not give me any answers. I grab my clutch off the table and make to turn away from him. "Fuck you. I wore this for you, you stupid ass**le." His hand grabs my elbow but I somehow manage to snatch it out of his grip. "Let go of me. How dare you come in here with your hand looking like you beat the shit out of somebody and give me a hard time about my outfit. You have no f**king right to act like that." What the hell? This is not the reaction I was hoping to get out of him for wearing this. I push through the crowd of people and see the exit but feel his hands on my waist before I can get very far. Figures. Engage barbarian mode. I am turned sharply and pulled against his chest, his mouth pressing firmly to my temple.

"I have every f**king right to act like this," he growls.

"No you don't. What the f**k happened to your hand?" I push away from him and take a step back, sternly staring him down for an explanation.

He steps closer to me, eliminating the gap I just created. "Your ex is what happened to my hand. I told you that I'd make sure he never touched you again and I f**king did. Now explain to me why the f**k you're wearing that? You knew I wouldn't be here until later so don't f**king say it was for me."