26. You To Be You

26

YOU TO BE YOU

I t’d been a long week.

Laurel didn’t get out of work until six last night. She’d planned on leaving by no later than five thirty for Easton’s and got on the road an hour later.

She’d grabbed a granola bar and soda and had them in the car. When she got to Easton’s condo, he pulled her in for one scorching kiss and they ended up in his bedroom before she could even get a good look at his place.

Then while she was putting her clothes away for the weekend, he warmed the pizza that had been delivered before she arrived.

They hadn’t talked much last night. Cleaned up their dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed.

This morning they’d talked some more about their week and went to the store for some food so she could put snacks together for their dinner at Liam and Nicole’s.

“What did you tell your friends about me?” she asked.

“Are you nervous?”

“Maybe a little,” she said.

Philip didn’t have a lot of friends. Or the friends he had didn’t have significant others that she had anything in common with.

She always felt uncomfortable being around them. Everyone was superficial.

Even down to their wedding party. Which was small. A best man and maid of honor. Philip’s best friend and his wife.

She’d been talked into that and since she didn’t have any close friends in her mind that liked Philip, she didn’t argue it.

“Don’t be,” he said. “Liam is great. So is Nicole.”

Another attorney and Easton had told her he’d explained her reaction to finding out about his career.

“She’s not going to be annoyed over my opinion of attorneys?”

He laughed and yanked her into his arms. When he was staying at Abe’s he wasn’t much of a touchy-feely type of man. But since she’d been here, he was reaching for her nonstop.

Maybe the distance was a good thing for them.

“You don’t have a problem with me,” he said, poking his finger into her side. “Or are you just fibbing and overlooking it because you want my body?”

“Totally want your body, but I don’t fib,” she said, giving him a big kiss on the lips.

“Good,” he said, swatting her on the ass playfully. She wiggled her hips at him some and had him laughing. “If you keep that up we won’t leave here and then Nicole will be mad.”

“But not Liam?”

“He’s a dude, he’ll understand,” he said.

“I want to make a good impression with your friends.”

He sighed. “I want you to be you. They are going to love you for that. They don’t care about what you do or how you look.”

“I’m going to look good,” she said. “I always do.”

Laurel was smirking when she said it. But she had gotten a manicure and pedicure a few days ago and packed a few outfits to figure out what she wanted to wear. Easton didn’t know the plan for today until last night and by then she was packed and on her way.

Typical men, waiting until the last minute.

It’s like he didn’t know how stressed she was over this.

“Yes, you do. But I’m sure you’re not wearing that.”

She had on jean capris and a T-shirt. “What’s wrong with this?”

His smile dropped. “Nothing,” he said. “You look great.”

She was only picking on him. “Thanks. I try. But no, I’m not wearing this. Or maybe I’ll keep these jeans on but I’ve got other shirts and accessories.”

He rolled his eyes. “I like you with nothing on at all. That’s your thing. As long as you don’t ever make us late, I don’t care.”

“No,” she said. “I don’t like being late for things.”

She went back to putting together the charcuterie board that she would bring. Meats, cheeses, crackers and fruit. Easton had said it didn’t have to be fancy, but she liked things to look pretty and kept rearranging it.

“That looks great,” he said, stopping her hands from moving them again.

“I know,” she said. “It’s done. I’ll go change now. Are you wearing that?”

He looked down at his jeans and a fitted T-shirt. “Yes. It’s my best friend’s house. Not a restaurant. I’m lucky there isn’t a stain on it. I eat with my fingers and those things happen.”

She burst out laughing. “Thanks for that. I needed it.”

“Just out of curiosity. What would your ex do if you brought something like this to a party? Would he not eat it?”

“He’d use a fork to pick it all up and then the same fork to eat it,” she said.

“Loser,” he said.

“He is that,” she said, laughing. “And now I’ve got you.”

“You do,” he said softly.

It seemed odd to her that he was acting different and she wasn’t sure why. He was more attentive than before.

But she was too by being so nervous when she wasn’t normally.

Maybe this week apart had them both thinking differently. They’d have to talk about it more tonight.

She didn’t want things to be different between them. She liked what they had.

She changed her shirt twice until she settled on a sleeveless light blue one that showed off her toned arms. She put a few of Rose’s bangles on her wrist and one of Poppy’s headbands to pull her hair from her face. A thick soft one with a floral print of bold colors to offset the blues she was wearing.

She had little rose studs in her ears and a daisy ring on one finger.

Her makeup was subtle as always. She did one more turn in the mirror and knew she looked the perfect mix of a comfortable casual lady worthy to be on Easton’s arm.

She found her shoes, a pair of tan chunky open-toe sandals that went well with the purple pedicure.

“I’m ready,” she said. “Five minutes to go before you wanted to leave.”

“And you look perfect. Almost effortless except it took you twenty minutes.”

“I won’t be like this all the time,” she said.

“I know,” he said. “Just nervous about meeting my friends and you shouldn’t be.”

They left and drove to Liam’s. It was only ten minutes away. His friends lived in a nice house on a quiet street. An older home with a lot of character. She liked it.

There was no chance to ring the bell before the door was opened and she got her first look at Liam. “Dude, my wife is wearing a hole in the floor pacing for you to get here. You must be Laurel, I’m Liam.”

It made her feel good that Nicole might be just as nervous over this, but she wasn’t sure why that might be.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

“Oh,” Liam said, reaching for the board that she had wrapped up. “Food. You’ve got manners. Good job, Easton.”

“I’ve got manners,” he said. “What the hell is that about? I’ve got wine.”

“You always do. I meant Laurel. Nicole will like that. You put this together too. I can tell. Unlike something you picked up on the way over.”

She held her smirk in place. She wondered if Rachelle was like that.

No comparisons, she tried to tell herself.

She did have to say that Easton’s condo was kind of on the boring bland side, but it was nice. Not a lot of decorations. She’d be all over it if she had the green light to make it more welcoming. Well, only if she lived there. No way she’d do anything to it visiting a few weekends a month.

“No,” she said. “I put it together before we left.”

“Stop gabbing in the doorway,” she heard. “You’re worse than a woman.”

Laurel didn’t know what to make of that bold statement from a wife to her husband, but both Liam and Easton laughed and they moved to the back and she got a good look at Nicole.

She was on the short side, her brown hair straight and down, a little bit of makeup on with jeans and a T-shirt.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Laurel, which I’m sure you know. It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“A lot about me and not Liam?” Nicole said, shaking her hand.

“More about Liam,” Easton said. “She knows I set you two up and I said I’d let you explain that. She found it funny I’d do that to a friend.”

“I don’t picture Easton the type to get involved in his friends’ love lives,” she said.

“I had to twist his arm,” Nicole said. “But I’d love to tell you if Liam doesn’t interrupt me. I love your headband too.”

“Oh shit,” he said. “Here they go. Give me the food, I’m hungry. I’ll pour the wine and you two can talk if you want.”

She looked at Easton. This was how he was with his cousin so she knew right away the comfort level he felt with Liam.

“Why, thank you,” she said. “I’d love a glass of wine. But you can sit in this room and listen to us too. Or does it scare you when women talk about fashion? You seem to like it well enough on me.”

Her eyes were looking him up and down with a massive grin on her face.

He walked over and grabbed her arm to yank her close, his lips smacking hers hard, causing his friends to look shocked and then laugh.

She wasn’t sure what that was about but was going to get to the bottom of it before the night was over.