Chapter 1-10
Chapter 1
Here’s the idea. Holler if you like it. Even if you don’t I’m still gonna write it. idgaf.
”I can’t even believe I am doing this, Al…” Evie said on the long plane trip. ”This is so dumb. I’m spending my emergency savings on this damn wedding. God forbid something horrible happen after this…or during this…”
”Girl..the wedding is going to be great. And you need a vacation. Shoot. I don’t think I’ve seen you stop studying since…well ever…” Allison told her best friend. ”I’m even shocked you were able to stay active…”
”I am too…and graduate. It was hard being a beta…but I made it.” Evie answered. ”This wedding, though. I don’t know if I’ll survive this. I hate being the only single one alive.”
”Oh my god. No. Shut your face. You’ll find Mr. Perfect one day. Libby said that she knows the perfect guy for you.” Allison answered.
”Oh please. The last time one of you tried to set me up with a guy he ended up being a complete creeper.” Evie answered taking out her head phones.
”He wasn’t that bad. You’re just too picky.” Hilary leaned over into the conversation.
”He had a criminal record!” she exclaimed. ”How would that look? A lawyer dating a felon?” she asked.
”It would be fucking hilarious.” Chris, Hilary’s boyfriend answered.
”Shut your face, dude.” Evie answered putting on her headphones. ”Just bring mr Justin Timberlake and everything will be just fine.”
**
”I don’t know about this dress…” Evie said staring at her long wavy brown hair and deep set brown eyes in the mirror.
”I like it.” Allison answered readjusting her own dress looking at her stick straight blonde hair fixing her blue eye shadow accenting her green eyes.
”I think it’s hot…” Allison’s boyfriend, Ruben, walked in smiling at them kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.
”And you, Geneva…are a babe. How do you not have a hot ass boyfriend?” he asked.
”She’s too busy being a lawyer…” Allison answered grabbing her purse to leave the hotel room. ”Come on Evie…you never know what will happen in Hawaii.”
”Oh god. Nothing. I’ll get a nice base tan and then go home to California. That’s it.” Evie said closing the door behind her.
Ruben and Allison walked quickly toward the elevator. ”Hey, jerks…wait for….oh shit. I’m sorry.” she said quietly hitting someone walking down the hallway.
”No, I’m sorry.” he answered looking down at the fallen hat.
”Oh, here…” Evie said picking up the hat.
”Thanks.” he smiled walking down the hallway in the opposite direction.
”He was hot, Evie…” Allison answered.
”He was short.” she declared stepping on the elevator.
Chapter 2
Allison, Ruben, Evie, Hilary and Chris walked in the banquet room overlooking the beach hearing a scream coming toward them.
”Oh my godddddd…I’m so glad you guys made it!” McKenzie cried seeing her sorority sisters for the first time since the bridal shower weeks ago in Los Angeles.
”We are too, Kenz!” Evie smiled walking toward her fiance’s friends that she knew excusing herself from the giddy girly events.
McKenzie’s fiancé, Caleb embraced Evie as she walked towards them. ”Hey there, lady. I’m glad you took some time off!” he told her.
”I see you’re enjoying it as much as I am…” Caleb’s brother Kyle smiled at her.
”Yeah. Well. I gotta be a girl once in a while.” she answered as she was ambushed by the other girls.
”Come get a drink with me, Evie!” McKenzie said dragging her toward the small bar. ”You’re walking down the aisle with Scott….” she said pointing to her 19 year old brother.
”Fabulous.” Evie answered in a dry sarcastic tone.
”Why did you even come if you weren’t going to be excited?” McKenzie asked her.
”I was excited until Chris told me Wes was coming.”
”I didn’t invite him, Geneva. My mom invited his parents.”
”His parents? Oh my god. I’m going to go bury myself in the sand.” Evie answered sighing heavily.
”Eve…you broke up like 2 years ago…how are you two not okay yet?” McKenzie asked twisting her blonde hair out of a nervous habit.
”It’s just hard to get over when he lives three floors above me and brings girls home every night….he walks past my door and I can hear him flirting with them…” Evie answered.
”Oh…you never told me that.”
”And he’ll probably bring Kristen….” Evie answered.
”The Gamma with red hair? The soccer player?” McKenzie asked over the loud music that started to play.
”Yeah. That one.” Evie answered taking a sip of her drink.
”Aww…honey. You’ll forget about him after you meet James.” she said smiling as a very tall and tan blonde man walked up to her.
”Hi, Geneva. I’m James…” he shook her hand smiling. Oh. He is kind of cute.
”He’s a surfer.” she told him. He gave her a shaka smiling at him.
”Well, it’s nice to meet you James. I’m Geneva Wilson.” she said hanging onto his hand lingering over the soft skin.
They sat and talked for most of the night. He asked her about law school and she asked him about everything he did – which wasn’t a lot. He woke up early, surfed and then went to work as a bartender.And they thought he would be a good match. She thought to herself as he rambled about some fancy chicken Caleb’s family made for him.
Evie excused herself halfway through the night saying good night to McKenzie and Caleb. This is so dumb. Weddings are so dumb. It’s all love and hugs and kisses and I can’t stand any of that. She walked out of the hotel digging her feet into the sand sitting on one of the lounge chairs undoing her bun stretching her legs on the chair closing her eyes. She started to drift off into sleep dreaming of a deep raspy voice on the phone talking about some business thing. Damn that voice is hot. Who is he?She thought to herself squinting her eyes seeing the short man she had run into earlier in the day. He’s still too short. Even if he does have a sexy voice. She thought to herself standing up with her hair flying around in the humid air.
**
”Dude, did you see that one girl, the one with the out of control curls? Who is she?” Bruno asked Caleb sitting down at the now sparsely populated table.
”Oh..that’s Evie..she’s a fucking mess, bro. I wouldn’t go near her. That’s why we sent Jimmy over to her.”
”You’re hooking her up with Jimmy?” Bruno asked.
”Yeah….she’s searching for this unattainable perfect guy that doesn’t exist. Jimmy will show her.” Caleb answered.
”Well she obviously hasn’t met me.” Bruno smirked finishing his drink.
Chapter 3
It’s a bit longer…don’t hate me.
”You look beautiful, McKenzie…” Evie said placing a blue bobby pin in her hair.
”Thanks, love. You are smokin’ hot as well…just please… don’t steal my thunder.” McKenzie answered.
”Oh, yeah. Like that would ever happen.” Evie answered rolling her eyes.
”You’re going to get laid while you’re here.” Hilary answered Evie.
”I’m glad you have faith in me.” she answered holding her dress up so no one stepped on it.
A few minutes later Evie was walking down the aisle escorted by McKenzie’s youngest brother. She looked at the family and friends on either side of the aisle smiling at those that she knew on each side of the aisle. As she made her way to the front of the room she caught that same face she saw the first night she was there. That short guy. Who is he? She thought to herself as he smiled brightly at her making her tingle a bit. No. He’s not right. Why would he be right? She continued to think of his smile and eyes glancing back at him every few minutes during the long ceremony. Allison nudged her mid ceremony. ”Quit checking him out. You said he was too short.” she whispered.
”He has a sexy voice.” she told her friend handing McKenzie’s sister the ring as they continued to talk.
”You heard his voice?” Allison asked.
”Yeah. It’s like..out of this world. I’d hit it just to hear him say my name.” Evie said sarcastically clapping through the end of the ceremony.
”Did you just say you’d hook up with Bruno?” Scott asked.
”His name is Bruno?”” Evie asked in an inquisitive tone. ”That’s a weird name.”
”And Geneva isn’t?” he asked her.
**
Evie sat next to James, or Jimmy, as she had finally discovered, listening to his stories about the beach and all the fun he’s had in living in Hawaii rarely asking her about herself. She drifted in and out of the conversation seeing her paired up friends dancing. Ugh. I want that. She thought to herself.
”Hey..Eve…” Jimmy touched her snapping her out of her daze. ”I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere. I gotta pee.” he said taking a sip of his champagne. She smiled at him taking a hold of her iphone as he walked away. She glanced at seeing a text message from Caleb.
Evie and Jimmy sitting in a treeeee…
Oh god. Hardly, Caleb.
She responded. She flipped through her facebook not paying attention to the people around her.
”Hey…you look like you could dance…wanna dance?” she heard a voice from the side of the table.
”Naw..I’m…” she looked up to see that boy Bruno Scott had mentioned.
He raised his eyebrow at her. ”You sure? I throw it down.” he told her. ”And you look like you could use it.”
”Wait..I could use a what?” Evie asked.
”Nevermind. Just come with me, Evie.” he demanded taking her hand leading her to the dance floor.
”How did you know my name?” she asked him. ”Bruno.” she finished laughing at him.
”People talk, baby.” he said twirling her around in the middle of the dance floor to a Temptations’ song.
”So what do you know about me, Bruno?” she asked him as he slowed down his moves.
”I know you’re in law school….and that you live in LA…you straightened your hair today…wait. I sound like a complete freak…” he laughed.
”No…well…” she smiled back at him.
”Bruno! Come on….” they heard someone running up to him dragging him away from her.
”I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere, Evie.” he winked at her.
She wandered over to her paired up friends who were significantly more intoxicated than she was.
”You look cute with him…” McKenzie responded through her drink.
”Well why don’t we just get married right here, right now…huh?” Evie answered sarcastically.
”You’d be my cousin, Evie!” Kyle said hugging her.
”Eww, you’re cut off, Kyle.” she told him wiggling out of his arms.”Cousin?”
”Yeah.” Caleb answered. ”Hang on..I’ll be right back…” The group watched him walk up to the small stage that was covered with his family members.
”Oh….oh my god.” McKenzie said grabbing her sorority sisters. ”Y’all are gonna die…well..after I do…” she told them.
”Guys…I want to thank you all so much for being here tonight. McKenzie…I love you so much and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You are amazing.” Caleb said smiling at the room.Shoot. They have the same smile. Evie thought to herself. He stepped down as Bruno took the same place Caleb was just standing. The drums started and Bruno started singing. He looked over at Evie surrounded by her friends. What a creeper. She thought to herself while he kept his eyes on her throughout the whole song. He finished the sweet song she would later find out was called Just the way you are transitioning into something much more upbeat.
”Guys…I’m so happy to be home. It means so much to have your support. And you know…we’ll totally need it soon. Oh and…six bucks…The Other Side. They’re in my trunk.” he started laughing uncontrollably. ”Wait…no…it’s 12….”
”Bruno! Come on!” McKenzie yelled at him.
”Okay…okay…” Bruno responded smiling the same bright smile they had all seen earlier.
He finished the upbeat song transitioning into a few other songs.
”He’s really good, Caleb.” Allison told him as she and Ruben danced next to Caleb and McKenzie. ”Evie and he would look cute together.”
”I know they would.” McKenzie answered glancing over at Evie awkwardly talking to Jimmy.
Bruno finished singing taking a sip from a water bottle wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
”I feel like I know him…” Evie told Hilary.
”Billionaire.” Bruno said standing behind them taking her hand leading her back onto the dance floor.
”What?” Evie asked him.
”Billionaire…the song.” he told her.
”Oh..umm..I don’t know…I haven’t heard it…” she told him confused by what he was trying to tell her.
”I wanna be a billionaire…soooo freakin’ baaadddd…” he sang to her.
”Oh! The Katrina song…” she told him. He started laughing at the piece of the song she had remembered.
”Yeah..that one…” he answered leading her through the crowd out to where she had heard his voice for the first time the night before.
”Bruno…” she paused on the sidewalk.. I’m going to regret this…” she said watching him lean in toward her touching her lips lightly.
Chapter 4
Evie returned the kiss closing her eyes as he bit her lip gently. She tasted the slight smoke and alcohol on his breath mixed with Big Red gum. As she started to pull away she opened her eyes slightly to see Wes in the background. She pushed herself toward him catching him off guard as she continued to kiss him until Wes was out of her line of sight.
”Come with me…” he said in a flirtatious tone holding her hand gently.
”Where are we going?” she asked looking at her cell phone.
”Just come with me….” he told her leading her down the beach toward a small house. He took a key out of his pocket opening the door revealing a small house revealing an open space with a small kitchen, couch, and full size bed all smushed in with a drum set, several guitars and a piano.
”This is all yours?” she asked running her fingers against the mint green guitar on the couch.
”Yeah..well…it’s all of ours. Like Caleb…and…”
”The extended family.” she finished for him. ”I know you have a huge family. I was at a wedding.” she smiled at him.
”Yeah…there’s like a million of us.” he said sitting down next to her on the couch. ”You really are beautiful, Eve…”
Oh god. Only three people in the world get away calling me that. She thought cringing In her head ignoring the way he said it. She blushed at the comment. ”You’re just saying that to get into my pants.
”That’s far from the truth…” he responded moving over to the other end of the couch giving her some space seeing that she was getting somewhat uncomfortable. ”I just thought you needed to dance. You were tapping your feet to the beat but Jimmy couldn’t tell.”
”Yeah..and you didn’t know who I was before that.” she answered making him laugh.
”Okay..so…I might have asked McKenzie about you last night.” he answered shyly.
”That’s precious.” she answered.
”Precious?” he asked.
”Yeah. No one has ever asked about me like that.” she spoke.
”There’s a first time for everything, Evie…” he answered touching a curl that had fallen out of her updo twirling it around his finger smiling at her. He pulled away from the curl for a second deciding what to do next. He looked nervous. I’m never nervous. He thought to himself. Maybe it’s because she’s so smart..and put..no. That’s not it. He said as he leaned in to kiss her again. She returned the kiss leaning against the small couch feeling him fall on top of her. He ran his fingers along her bare arms making her tingle. She grabbed his jacket holding it tightly to get him closer to her. She started to take it off. He threw it toward the ground turning to see it fall on top of conga drum. She let out a slight laugh bringing him back to where he was before. She felt his hand move up her thigh slowly making her squirm a little. Oh God. Who is this guy? She thought to herself as he kissed her chest moving her strapless dress down so he could see her strapless black sequined bra. Woah. She is way hotter than I thought she would be. He thought to himself as he kissed her shoulders. She felt every piece of him against her.
”Oh…Bruno…keep doing that.” she whispered in his ear.
”Keep doing what? This?” he asked as he slipped off her dress.
”Yesss….” she moaned feeling her legs get tense. Bruno looked over to the side of the floor seeing her phone light up starting to play Beyonce’s Halo. ”Shit…” she said quietly.
”Don’t get it…” he told her. ”Pleassseee…” he kissed her as she moved to get the phone.
”I have to go, Bruno.” she grabbed her shoes zipping up her dress holding the door knob.
”Geneva….” he took her hand in the same gentle way he had earlier as she held the phone up to her ear.
”Lucy!” she exclaimed closing the door behind her.
Chapter 5
Bruno walked back to the crowded reception confused about what had just happened. She could have ignored the fucking phone. That better have been an important phone call. He sat down at the table next to one of his sisters quietly watching the events.
”Where’s that girl?” his sister asked.
”I don’t know.” he said in a flat tone.
”Did she get abducted by aliens?” she asked him.
”She probably was.” he answered leaving the table to find Caleb.
”I thought we wouldn’t see you again tonight.” Caleb said raising his eyebrow at his cousin.
”I did too. But she peaced out like real quick.” Bruno said shrugging his shoulders.
”What happened?” McKenzie asked.
”She left.” he told her.
”Like just walked out? That’s not my Evie.” she responded.
”Her phone rang…she said she had to get it.”
”What was the ringtone?” McKenzie asked.
”It was Halo.” he answered.
”Cock blocked again.” Caleb answered. McKenzie kicked him under the table. ”Ouch.”
”I’m sorry, Bruno.” McKenzie said in soft apologetic tone.
”I am too.” he answered.
**
Evie sat down on the beach on her phone. ”Oh my gosh! You went surfing?”
”Mamaaa…we went surfing!” a small voice exclaimed over the phone.
”And your dad is letting you stay up way too late.” Evie answered.
”I’m going to bed soon, mommy.” the voice answered.
”I know, baby girl. Give me some kisses and then let me talk to your dad, please.”
The small voice blew her a kiss over the phone handing it to another person.
”Sean…she didn’t get sunburnt did she?” Evie asked.
”Eve..stop worrying. She’s just fine here. My mom put so much sunscreen on her she’s not going to need to reapply until next summer.” the male voice answered.
”I’ll be home tomorrow night, Sean. Will you have her stuff ready?” she asked.
”Yeah. I’ll have her packed. ” he answered.
”And read her Good Night, Moon. She won’t sleep without it.” Evie started running down a list of things Sean needed to do.
”Geneva…she slept fine last night. And I read her the book, and we played with the pillow pets and we had oatmeal…it was perfect. She’s still alive.” Sean answered her.
”Fine. I just worry. It’s been so long since I’ve left her for this long…” Evie sighed.
”Yeah. Well she’s fine. Trust me. I need to go…she’s running around with a towel on her head.”
”Tell her I love her and I’ll see her tomorrow.” Evie said starting to close her phone.
”I will, Eve. Have a safe flight home.”
”Good night, Sean.” she said clicking end.
She stood up walking past the reception glancing in to see who was still there. Shit. She thought to herself seeing Bruno walking toward her.
”I’m sorry, Bruno.” she told him looking at his sad face as she started to walk past him.
”Evie..I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” he said taking her hand back.
”You didn’t Bruno. I just had to answer that phone call. It was important.”
”Oh…okay…” he answered in a disappointed tone.
”But..I did have fun tonight. Thank you for making the wedding more bearable.” she told him.
”I’d like to make a lot of things bearable for you, Eve.” he said flirting with her.
”Was that a pick-up line, Bruno Mars?” she inquired.
”Um…I think so?” he answered.
”I’m just really busy with school, Bruno.” she said trying to find excuses.
”I am too…but not too busy for you.” he smiled touching her hair again.
”Oh god. You aren’t going to stop trying are you?” she asked him.
”Nope…” he said dancing a little. ”Is that a yes, Geneva Wilson?”
”It’s a yes.” she answered starting to blush.
”Oh yeeaaahhhhh….” he sang leading her away from the reception.
”Bruno…I leave early in the morning tomorrow….” she told him as he walked toward the beach.
”I do too.” he said wrapping his arms around her waist. ”But we still have time until it’s morning…” he told her looking up at the shining moon in the sky.
Chapter 6
She laughed at his reaction looking up at the stars. ”It is really pretty here. I don’t know how you managed to grow up here without just laying on the beach all day.” she told him.
”I thought you didn’t know who I was?” Bruno asked.
”I googled you on the way back to the reception.” she laughed at him. ”I could also run a background check on you faster than you can sing the way you arrreeeeee….” she answered him.
”Oh..I forgot. You have your own secrets.” he answered her. She looked at him trying to figure out what he meant by secrets.
”Secrets?” she asked him.
”Well..I just met you. I’m sure there’s plenty I don’t know about you.” he replied.
”We don’t have enough time for me to tell you all my secrets.” she told him.
”Tell me as much as you can before the sun comes up….” he asked her. ”But I bet already know one of them…” he said holding up her wrist. ”You have a tattoo…” he said slowly running his fingers along the dark black ink that said stronger in a cursive print.
”And you have more than one.” she told him.
”That’s not really a secret, Evie.”
”But until today I didn’t know you had them.” she responded.
”What else didn’t you know before tonight?” he asked her.
”I didn’t know what you looked like. I just heard a voice on the radio.” she said.
”What did you think I looked like?” he asked with a raised eyebrow making her think of Caleb. Ewww.She thought to herself.
”I don’t know. I mean…I never really thought of it.” she shrugged her shoulders. ”It was just a song.”
”Oh man. You’re breaking my heart, Eve. I’m just a song? I thought what we had was love!” he sang to her making her laugh.
”Oh. See, Mr. Mars, I don’t fall that fast.” she answered touching a curl falling out of his hat.
”Well..then you don’t know me very well. Because you’re going to be falling so fast that McKenzie is going to have to catch you.” he said touching her shoulder lightly kissing her. She returned his kiss falling back on the sand as his lips lingered on her neck moving up to her ear. He could hear her breathing heavily as he moved his hands along her side.
”I’m not falling tonight, Bruno Mars.” she told him between the kisses. ”You don’t want to see me fall.”
She felt his body against her warm and sweaty. She kissed the sweat off his cheek moving to his ears the same way he had just seconds ago. She pulled off his shirt as he started to unzip her dress seeing the same sequin bra he wanted to take off earlier in the evening. He looked down at her tanned body seeing another small tattoo on her hip of a small flower. He slid down against her body to kiss her hip. The more attention he paid to her hip the heavier her breathing got and the harder he became. She moved her hands along his black dress pants unbuttoning his pants hastily. ”Are you okay….here?” Bruno asked in a quiet voice not sure how she felt about where they were.
”Just keep going….” she told him breathlessly.
”Only because you told me to.” he laughed. She felt the vibrating of his laugh against her lips making her laugh at the same time. I’m not falling, I’m not falling….not for him. She thought to herself as she disappeared into the tropical night. She felt him against her again. He better hurry. ”Evieeee…..oh myyyy….” he repeated over and over.
”Brunnnoooo….just do it….” she demanded. ”Pleasseeee…..” As she finished her demand she felt his hips against hers pushing himself into her. Oh my god. Oh…..she felt herself losing her breath right before she let out a large moan at the same time he fell on top of her.
”Geneva….you are…wow…” he said laying his head on her stomach.
”Yeah. Well. I already knew that.” she laughed. Having a kid might prove that right. She thought to herself.
”Get dressed…come with me….” he told her standing up to get dressed. She checked her phone after picking up her dress.
Love you, mommy.
She read the text smiling as he helped her up. He led her back to the small house they were in earlier.
”Bruno…I haven’t packed yet…I leave at 9…”
”I’ll get you home by eight. But for now…you need to sleep.” he said throwing her a shirt. She turned around putting on the shirt.”You know…I saw all that already…” he told her as he hugged her from behind. He felt her laugh to herself as she walked toward the messy bed. She laid her head down on the soft pillow closing her eyes.
”I’m tireeeddd.” she whined.
”I am toooo….” he responded laying down next to her.
”Thank you for tonight, Bruno.” she told him with her eyes still closed.
”You’re welcome, Eve.” he responded kissing her back. She had fallen asleep faster than he thought she would. ”Damn.” he said softly in her ear. Before he could get up to turn off the light her phone buzzed again. What the hell? He thought picking up the phone to see her text messages.
She started reading Good Night Moon to me. She’s so smart.
Love you, mommy.
”Oh….shit.”
Chapter 7
Evie opened her eyes squinting to see exactly where she was. Oh, not again. She thought to herself. But he was a nice enough guy…she looked down at the shirt she had on. I’m not wearing my dress back to my room. She grabbed a notebook sitting on the table quietly ripping a piece of paper out of the notebook. She looked around finding a bright green pen.
Thank you for making the wedding bearable. You’ll have to find me to get this shirt back.
- Evie
She grabbed her dress and shoes closing the door behind her. She glanced at her phone. 4:15 am. Well, it’s not that bad…she thought to herself walking slowly to the hotel across the beach where she was staying. She slid the key card into the door opening it seeing Hilary laying on the bed stretched out. Evie threw her dress off to the side near her bag pushing her friend over to get into the bed with her.
”You smell like sex, Evie.” Hilary told her with her eyes closed.
”Haters gonna hate.” Evie answered.
**
Bruno turned around hitting an empty bed. Damn. I knew she’d do that. He thought to himself looking around the room seeing the small piece of paper she had written on. Oh. I’ll get the shirt back.He thought to himself as he started packing his suite case.
He finished packing the bags throwing the bags in the car his sister was driving him in.
”Brunz…she was super cute. Way cuter than the others.” she told him.
”Yeah. I know she was. But I don’t know. She might be too much for me.” he told her.
”Ewww. I didn’t need to know that!” she said hitting him on the arm.
”Not like that. She just..she has a lot going on. And I really don’t have the time to crack it.” he admitted.
”Alright, Brunz. But don’t call me in a week telling me that you made a mistake.” she said hugging him as he walked toward the airport.
He sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair to wait for his flight seeing a large group of people walking toward him. He heard a distinctive laugh in the middle of the group. Of course she would be on the same flight.
”Did you really come to the airport to get your shirt, Bruno?” she confronted him with a smile.
”That’s exactly what I came to do.” he smiled fixing her sleeve. Damn. She is hot.
”Don’t lie! Caleb told me you had the same flight.” she laughed at him. ”I’ll give you your shirt when we get home.”
”Okay. So we booked the flight at the same time.” he shrugged his shoulders.
”He told me that.” she answered sitting next to him taking out a large black book and highlighter.
”You don’t ever stop, do you, Eve?” he asked looking at her book.
”No. The second you stop is the second you lose yourself.” she answered scrapping the highlighter against the page. Oh god. She’s just so much. He thought to himself returning his attention to his cell phone. Boarding the plane Bruno started to talk to Caleb and Kyle. Evie leaned over to talk to Allison. ”He might be short, but he makes up for it in other places.”
”Oh, Evie!” Allison responded turning to give her a high five. ”I could hug you.”
”No. I need to hug y’all. I needed that.” she told her friend.
”Well, good thing he lives in LA.” Allison answered.
”Yeah. I don’t think it’s gonna happen again.” Evie answered.
”What?” McKenzie leaned into the conversation.
”She’s not going to sleep with him again.” Allison answered.
”Yeah, because that would be a really good idea. ” Evie answered rolling her eyes.
”Oh my god. Don’t let your past get the best of you.” McKenzie answered. ”Just because you have a kid and are going to law school doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be happy.”
”But it does mean I have to be more careful than you.” Evie answered.
Chapter 8
Evie trudged up the stairs to Sean’s apartment. Her feet clicked on the cement stairs to a beat. She started dancing in her head as the front door to the third floor apartment opened. A little girl with curly matted hair and mocha skin wearing a bright yellow t-shirt and pick shorts ran out the door hugging Evie.
”Aww…I missed you!” Evie exclaimed picking up her daughter taking her back into the apartment. ”Where’s your dad?”she asked.
”He’s right there mama…”Lucy said pointing to the kitchen to the 5’9 similar colored man wearing a long t-shirt and sweatpants. Evie smiled at him picking up the pink suite case to go to her car.
“”Thanks, Sean. “Evie told him heading toward the door. ”Say good-bye to your dad, Luc. “Lucy let go of her mother’s hand running to her father.
”I’ll miss you, pretty girl. “Sean told her hugging her. ”Be good with your mom. Okay? ”
Lucy hugged him tightly running back to Evie. Well that couldn’t get any more awkward. Evie thought to herself getting into the car.
”Mommy…I’m going to be a surfer.” Lucy said as her mother buckled her seat belt.
”Okay. Just make sure you don’t get your hair wet.” she told her daughter as they drove away to her home.
* *
Bruno threw his suite case on the floor. Shit. I have to pack again. This is the part I hate. He wandered into the kitchen to open the fridge. Damn. There’s nothing in there. He thought to himself. I’m going to be here for two weeks. I guess I need to go get something. He grabbed his keys deciding to go to the grocery store.
He pulled into the parking lot with a small piece of paper with the things that he wanted to buy written out. As he wandered down the aisles half awake he looked at his phone seeing that the last text message he had received was from Evie on the plane.
Yes.
Shit. I never answered her question.
I can’t wait to see you. He wrote pressing send.
”Grab my phone, Luc…” Evie told her daughter as she picked up a frozen pizza from the freezer at the grocery store.
”It says I can’t…” Lucy paused trying to read the message.
”Let me see that…” Evie said picking up the phone from her nosy daughter throwing it back in her purse not paying attention to where she was going.
”Ouch…” she heard her daughter say turning around to see who they had hit. Evie looked up slightly embarrassed by what had happened expecting to see another mother, a college student or an old lady who was walking so slow that she had no time to stop.
”Well…fancy seeing you here…” Bruno smiled.
”Oh…..umm…oh gosh…Bruno…hi. “she answered. ”’I’m sorry I hit you…I didn’t break anything did I?”she asked him.
”Just my spirit. “ he laughed waving at Lucy.
”So, this is Lucy? “ he asked.
”Yeah. This is my love, Lucy.” she answered in a low tone.
”It’s nice to meet you, Lucy.“ Bruno answered.
”Um…I need to go.. “ Evie responded moving her cart away from him. ”I have stuff that’s going to melt…”she said pointing to a box of Drumsticks.
”They’re my favorite. “ Lucy proclaimed.
”They’re mine too. “ Bruno answered flirting with Lucy’s mother.
”Yeah…so…I will talk to you later, Bruno.” she answered him.
”Wait…have you two eaten dinner yet?” he asked.
”We have plans…” she lied.
”Momma….I don’t want pizza.” Lucy answered.
”Oh… guess we don’t…” she told him. Shit. Quit looking at me like that. She thought to herself seeing Bruno look at her with a sad face.
”Lucy..I have this…if you want to eat it with me…” Bruno said pulling out oreos.
”Mommmm…I want those! “ Lucy answered.
”You know that’s not healthy for you, Luc. “ Evie answered.
”But I also have this…”Bruno held up noodles and tomatoes. ”I’ve heard that I make really good spaghetti sauce.“
”I heard that you eat cereal with ketchup “Evie answered him walking toward the front of the store with him. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into…she thought to herself.
”You can’t believe everything you hear, Eve. It’s actually milk that I eat my cereal with.” he answered her. ”But it has to be chocolate.” he made her laugh placing her items on the counter to be purchased. As he was placing the food on the counter Evie took her phone from her purse to text him her address. He paused for a second to look at the text message.
”I’ll follow you there, Eve.“ he told her smiling at Lucy.
”Mommy..I have a secret…” Lucy told her tugging at the sundress her mother was wearing.
”What is it? “ she asked leaning down to hear her daughter.
”He’s short.” Lucy giggled.
”Oh my god. You are my daughter.” Evie laughed hugging her daughter.
”But it’s okay…I have another secret mama…come here…” she pulled at her mother again.
”He’s cute.” she told her mother.
Chapter 9
Evie watched Bruno’s car pull up next to her at her building. She looked over a few other spaces to see her ex-boyfriend’s car parked. Maybe he’ll see me…jealousssss. She thought to herself. Bruno grabbed some of her bags following behind Evie who was trying to keep up with her four year old.
”It’s really pretty here, Evie. I didn’t know this was here…” he leaned over to talk to her.
”I want to move closer to my parents…but this is close to school and not far from Sean.. ” she told him opening the door to a 2 bedroom apartment decorated in a combination of pink, green, brown and toys. ”Be careful…” she said pointing to the pile of dolls in front of the tv.
”Mommmm….I know who he is! ” Lucy exclaimed going to the tv.
”What are you talking about? ” she asked.
”Looookkk…Hilary found it…” she said going to Evie’s ipad showing her the video for Just the Way You Are.
”When did she show you that?” Evie asked sitting on the couch.
”When you were at school…” she answered.
”Bruno..can we watch it ? ” Lucy asked.
”Of course…” he answered coming back into the living area where the girls were sitting to see Lucy press play.
Bruno leaned over to Evie to tell her something making her jump. He laughed at her. ”You’re beautiful.”
Evie got up from the couch to go into the kitchen. ”What are you making us, Bruno?”
”I told you..spaghetti…” he answered. ”I need….”
”This…” she answered holding up a pan.
”Yeah…that…” he answered dumping in all the fresh ingredients. ”Mix all that together for me, Eve.” Bruno asked her pointing to another set of things.
”Mommmm…..” Lucy called out to her. ”Can we watch the movie?” she asked.
”Put it in…but go put on your pajamas first, Lucy.” Evie said. ”I’ll be right back…” she told Bruno following Lucy into her bedroom.
”I can do it! ” Lucy yelled turning around to see her mother watching her get dressed.
”Fine…” Evie sighed walking back into the kitchen.
”Geneva you’re amazing. I don’t know how you do all of this.” Bruno told her holding out a spoon of food. ”Taste this…”
”Mmmm…Bruno…that is really good. What did you put in it?” she asked.
”It’s a secret.” he told her. She glanced over at the counter finding his receipt in the bag.
”Not for long…” she told him raising her eyebrow at him.
”No. You can’t have that….” he said snatching it out of her hand pulling her toward him just inches away from his face.
”Mommmm….” they heard Lucy in the background. Shit. He thought to himself as she pulled away.
”I won’t forget where we were…” she said touching his shirt running back to Lucy. Bruno watched Evie get out some toys for her daughter while he finished cooking.
”Okay…come over here girls…” Bruno said holding up a piece of bread.
”Go get the spaghetti, Luc…” Evie told her daughter watching her walk over to the kitchen. She looked up at Bruno who was watching Evie intently. He winked at her as he handed Lucy the plate. Oh my god. She thought to herself.
”Lucy…tell me about your mom…” Bruno said taking a bite of his food.
”I love my mom.” Lucy said. ”She’s pretty. And she likes you, Bruno.”
”Lucy! Oh my gosh! ” Evie yelled.
”Well, I like your mom too. ” Bruno smiled touching her knee from under the table making her weak.
”Lucy…go put your plate in the sink, love…” Evie asked her daughter. They watched her get up to put her plate away going back to the living room.
”This was nice, Bruno.” she told him after she was sure Lucy was far enough away not to hear them. ”Thank you.”
”It was nice, Evie.” he answered her picking up the plates.
”No..let me do it…” she told him putting soap in the sink. ”Look…she fell asleep…” she said pointing to Lucy stretched out on the carpet. ”I’m going to put her in bed…I’ll be right back.”
”Do you need help?” he asked her.
”No. I’m a master.. ” she told him picking her up, opening the bedroom door with one hand and turning on the light with the other. She came back out into the kitchen to see Bruno drying the plates. ”Brun….” Before she could finish saying his name she felt his lips on hers. ”Oh….” He pulled away from her. ”How did you know that we were going to be at the grocery store? ”
”I didn’t…I didn’t have food at home. It was just luck…” he answered her.
”But…of all the places in Los Angeles….” she wondered out loud.
”Evie…I don’t know how it happened but I’m glad it did. I didn’t want you to remember me just for what happened on Saturday.” he said honestly. ”I’m not that type of person…”
”You could have fooled me…” she told him.
”Okay..I lied….it was….but then I saw you at the airport…” he answered her.
”You what…?” she asked him.
”You were too amazing…too beautiful..breathtaking…for me to just be with for one night.” he told her.
”Do you tell all the girls that, Bruno Mars? ” she asked him.
”No…I usually stop at amazing.” he smiled at her.
”Oh. Okay. ” she answered him grabbing her phone that was about to ring. She pressed the silent button knowing that it was Sean. ”Sorry…” she said throwing the phone on the couch. Bruno glanced at the back table seeing a picture of Lucy and Sean.
”What does he do? ” Bruno asked.
”He works at a gym….for three days of the week.” Evie said in a disappointed tone.
”You don’t have to tell me…” Bruno reassured her.
“”Maybe I’ll tell you later. ” she answered him yawning. ”My body is still in Hawaii.” she said looking at the microwave clock that said almost midnight.
“”Oh….crap…I have to be somewhere at 6 in the morning…” he told her realizing what she was saying. ”Evie…I’m not going to be home for a long time….but will you wait for me?” he asked.
”I think I can…” she said as they walked toward the door. She glanced out her window somehow having the most perfect timing ever seeing her ex walking down the stairs. ”I’ll walk you down there….” she told him.
”Evie…you’re better than that.” he told her as she stopped at his car. ”But I’m not…” he told her kissing her the way he did the past weekend. She let go of him seeing that Wes was walking toward them. ”I’ll call you, Eve….” he told her squeezing her hand.
Evie walked behind Wes who shook his head. ”You let him call you that?” he asked her not turning around to see her face.
”He doesn’t say it the same way Sean did.” she told him turning toward her apartment.
”Whatever, Evie…” Wes answered her walking up the stairs.
Chapter 10
Evie sat at the desk she shared with another law intern at a big fancy law firm her school had set up filing papers.
”Evie..how was the wedding?” the other intern, Melissa, asked.
”Oh, it was beautiful. It makes me want to move there.” she laughed.
”I know. I think that’s where I’m going to go when I graduate..a present to myself.” Melissa answered.
”Ugh. I still want to be there.” Evie sighed throwing a pile of papers off to the side.
”Ms. Wilson..we have a new case for you…” her supervisor walked over the pile of papers to hand her a bright red manila folder indicating the case was from the Department of Child and Family Services.Oh no. Not again. She thought to herself walking into the room where two small children were sitting. Their names were Miranda and Thomas. They had been removed from their parents’ care due to neglectful supervision. Evie introduced herself talking to the children about what they wanted. They wanted to stay with their mother who was dealing drugs and using her oldest daughter, 8 year old Miranda, to carry the drugs to the purchaser. Evie gave Miranda a sympathetic look as she discussed what her mother made her do.
”But Miss…you don’t understand it. You don’t get it. Your mom and dad love you…” Miranda started to cry.
”Oh, Miranda….I don’t know if I can understand everything…but I do know exactly how it feels to sleep in someone else’s bed, eat someone else’s food, go to a different school and not be able to tell your mom that you love her every single day.” Evie told her young client.
”Miss…you were taken away from your mom?” Miranda’s five year old brother asked.
”I was, Thomas. And I still wish I could tell my mom and dad that I love them every single day. But what is happening right now is to make sure you are safe- even if it doesn’t make sense right now. And it’s okay to cry. I cried a lot. But I’m here to help you. So will you tell me about everything so I can make it better for you, please?” she asked them.
They each nodded their heads explaining the situation.
**
”Mommm…listen to thissss!+” Lucy exclaimed pointing to the radio.
+”I can’t drive when it’s up that….oh…” she said turning up Bruno’s voice. They listened to the interview which revealed his past and his humor that made him even more intriguing. Oh my god. I need this guy. She thought to herself as she pulled into the drive way of her parents’ house.
”Go see Nana…” Evie told her daughter who unbuckled her own seatbelt jumping out of the car running to the door. Evie stayed in the car for a few minutes deciding how to react to the things she had heard.
You are just too cute, Bruno.
She decided on texting him something simple.
It’s mad skill, baby.
He responded to her a few seconds later. Oh god. She laughed opening the door to her adopted parents’ home.