The Longest Wait Page 2

  Sofia figured they went to consummate the marriage and have some fun in the privacy of their own room. If someone voluntarily decided to only have sex with one person the rest of their life, it had the be worth it. Not that she thought anyone was worth spending the rest of her life with, but she was happy Lucy found someone she loved.

  She leaned toward the bartender, and much to her dismay, ordered a water. A promise was a promise.

  While she sipped on her drink, Tess joined her at the bar.

  “Can you even believe this all started because she didn’t want an Easy Bake Oven?” Tess laughed at their shared memory.

  It was a great one to make them smile. At the beginning of it all, Lucy met Jack because Sofia kept badgering her about needing more fun in her life. Sofia’s advice for Lucy was to put herself out there and have a one-night stand because the woman was pulled in a million different directions at a stressful job. Lucy was in a dire need of a distraction. Sofia threatened to purchase her an Easy Bake Oven if she didn’t, because duh, sex was always on the back burner to her. Lucy hated cooking so much, she took a chance with Jack.

  And now look at them.

  Sofia and Tess stood together, reminiscing over that one night over a year ago when they met Jack. The two of them, and Lucy, were at a bar and Sofia and Tess were pushing Lucy to go out and find someone. Sofia meant a random hook-up, while Tess thought of finding a husband. Once they spotted Jack at the bar that night, they coerced Lucy to waltz over to him. Turned out, Sofia and Tess were both right. Lucy got some sex and a husband out of the deal.

  Ever since Lucy found Jack, there was something different about her. Not in a bad way, like a horrific haircut or something. No, it was like Lucy was fulfilled. Sofia chugged her water, wishing she had more tequila.

  “They’re back!” Tess exclaimed as the married couple rejoined them at their reception on the beach. Immediately, they went to the dance floor and began their first dance.

  Sofia put her empty water glass back on the bar. “If I remember correctly, Lucy’s hair was down during the ceremony. Looks like she pulled it back. I wonder why she did that.”

  Tess swatted Sofia’s hand. “Stop. Do your best to ignore your inner cynic and just look at them. They are radiating love.”

  “Did you use that wording on one of your wedding invitations?”

  “I’m ignoring your comment, but it isn’t a bad idea.” Tess smiled at the couple dancing to a love ballad sung by Etta James. “Do you think we will ever find that?”

  Sofia saw the hope in Tess’s eyes, so she bit back her bitterness of the notion of love, which was a hard task wearing a bridesmaid dress. “For you, Tess, you’ll find it.”

  “What about you?”

  What about her?

  Sofia cringed at the distant memory of when she was brighteyed and bushy-tailed about the notion of a happily ever after. All of those dreams crashed and burned the moment she believed in it.

  The moment she thought she found someone.

  It was better for her if she never went down that road again. There was something about Darwin and his theory of survival of the fittest. Sofia concluded after the first and only destruction of her heart, the only way to not get hurt again was to not give her heart away. Which was a shockingly simple task. Sometimes, she wondered if it was easy because she never got her heart back the first time she gave it away, but she always shook the idea off.

  She let out a protective sigh. “Some women prefer to be carefree with no attachments. Women who can come and go as they please and not have anyone else be part of their plan because it isn’t needed. I’m one of those girls.”

  “Why?” Tess couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of being alone. “Everyone deserves love.”

  Sofia patted Tess’s hand. “Yes, but not everyone wants it.”

  “I think you say that because you’re afraid to get hurt. We’ve been friends for over ten years, and you have yet to do anything but casual. Why?”

  Sofia was taken aback by how true her friend’s words were. She grabbed the champagne from Tess’s hand before she scratched the surface and uncovered why she didn’t date. That was not a topic open for discussion. This was another reason Sofia hated weddings. It forced everyone in attendance to reevaluate their own love life. “No more booze for you, Dr. Phil.”

  Tess didn’t put up a fight. “Probably better off. One more glass and I’ll have a headache from hell tomorrow.” She averted her attention back to Lucy and Jack. “She’s happy. I know we’ll find that one day despite your objections of not needing anyone. Even you will find love, Miss I Run From Commitment.”

  Sofia didn’t have an opportunity to defend her lifestyle because they were both drawn to the laughter coming from a table nearby. Naturally, it was Connor and Dominic causing the uproar. They always had a crowd around them, and not only because of their good looks. They were two of the funniest men she knew. The other person sitting with them, he was not. In fact, he was the least comical person she knew.

  Alex Copeland.

  Over the past year, without her consent, he moved to her city. Sure, it wasn’t like he needed her approval to move near her, but she thought it was a given. To make it worse, Alex joined their circle of friends in Philadelphia, and she had to see him all the time.

  Sofia hated it.

  He spawned anger in her that was enough for her to skip certain outings if she was given the heads-up Alex was going to be in attendance. Obviously, she refused to bail on the wedding, but she did wish Lucy’s brother had somewhere else to be.

  As if his mere presence wasn’t bad enough, he was the cause of her lack of tequila. One more shot, and she was sure to tell him what she thought of him, which wouldn’t be pretty. Ugh, he was annoying. She shot him a glare when his ornery brown eyes caught hers.

  She was tempted to look away, but that would mean he won and she never let Alex have victory that easily. They stared at each other until he finally tilted his head to the hallway that led to chairs set up closer to the ocean.

  She shook her head no to his silent question of meeting him there.

  Like the devil he was, he shrugged as if it meant nothing to him either way. He was the absolute worst. They remained eye locked, waiting it out until one of them caved and looked away.

  If they kept this up, they would shoot deadly stares at each other all night. Sofia gave him the sultry smile she normally saved for someone she was interested in, and it worked. Alex turned his head. It was a small victory, but she would take it. Sofia turned around to ask Tess if she wanted to dance, but she was already on the dance floor with one of Jack’s friends.

  Screw it. She turned to the bartender. “Another shot of tequila.”

  A deep, husky voice said from behind her, “Make it two.”

  Sofia didn’t turn around because she knew the voice. It has been taunting her since she moved into her dorm room, with Lucy as her roommate, her freshmen year in college. It was Lucy’s pesky older brother, Alex. Also known as her least favorite person to have a staring contest with.

  “Drinking alone?”

  His voice so close to her sent a rush up her spine. He was up to something. “That was my plan, which you’re ruining. What do you want? And stop standing so close to me, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression we’re here together.”

  He gave a light laugh. “Please, no one would believe that.”

  Alex, with no concept of personal space, reached over her to grab both shots from the bartender. Then, like the real asshole he was, he walked away.

  “Hey!” Sofia yelled after him. “You can’t kidnap my shot.”

  His dark eyes mocked her. “Too afraid to come with me?”

  “You wish.” She jutted out her jaw. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  “Then come with me.”

  She didn’t even realize she was already following him to the beach. “Why?”

  He took a step closer to her. “Why not?”

  So
fia glanced over her shoulder and, at this point, everyone was dancing and having the time of their lives. For what it was worth,

  Erin Lynne she was a terrible dancer, even if it never stopped her from making a fool of herself on a dance floor. It wasn’t hurting anyone if she gave Alex, like ten minutes of her time. Ten minutes wasn’t long and then she could join her friends. No one would even notice she was gone. No biggie.

  She was already going to break the promise she made to herself of no more tequila. Clearly, being in a close proximity of Alex guaranteed that. Surely, she could keep the other promise she made to herself, even if she followed him. How hard would it be to resist Alex at all costs?

  Chapter 1

  NEW YEAR, NEW me.

  What a ridiculous concept.

  Sofia Winton, in a last-ditch effort to find a low-key New Year’s

  Eve outfit for her low-key New Year’s Eve plans, shuffled through the clothes on display at Target. Affordable clothes were her thing, especially when it came to shirts. She was all about graphic T-shirts, but if the slogan didn’t make her laugh, it was on to the next.

  Her phone rang and she saw it was Tess calling. Sofia continued skimming clothes when she answered, “Hey, lady. You called at the perfect time. Do you think I could pull of a ‘My New Year’s Resolution is to be a Unicorn’ shirt?”

  “No.” Tess didn’t hesitate. “And why are you waiting until the day of the party to figure out what you’re wearing?”

  Sofia Winton and Tess Prescott were polar opposites, but their friendship was as strong as ever. Tess probably planned her outfit months ago and logged her decision in a spreadsheet, while Sofia was more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl.

  Nice shirt, Sofia thought after finding a winner while walking by another display.

  “We’re going to Lucy and Jack’s house for a party that she said, and I quote, ‘Don’t dress up; this isn’t a fancy party.’ It didn’t seem like this was a do or die clothing decision,” she explained while in

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  self-check-out. “I was grabbing some essentials and figured I mind as well buy a new outfit. Gotta love Target.” Tess didn’t argue, not that she would. It was another extreme difference between them. Tess was super sweet and always looked for the best in any situation, whereas Sofia didn’t hold her tongue and was more of a realist.

  “I’m sure you will find something suitable,” Tess said without enthusiasm. “I was calling because I tried getting ahold of Lucy, but she didn’t answer.”

  “Bet they’re having the last fuck of the year.” Sofia laughed at her joke.

  Tess didn’t. “Anyway, I was going to ask you to dress up a little because I’m coming from a wedding and will be in my work gear. But, you’re questioning unicorn shirts for tonight, so forget I mentioned it. I will pack a bag with pajamas since I plan to sleep over. Oh, I call the guest room with the bay window. I love that room.”

  “I’ll call an Uber,” Sofia replied. “And I will wear my T-shirt with nice jeans and heels if it makes you feel any better.”

  “Thanks.” Tess sounded happier over the heels situation. “I have a nervous bride on the other line, so I have to go. See you tonight.”

  Sofia threw her phone back in her purse, along with the receipt for over one hundred dollars of purchases. Target was sneaky like that. It was notorious for most people to go their store for one purchase, and end up leaving with at least five extra things.

  By the time she got back to her apartment, she had exactly three hours to get ready for the party, which was more than enough time. If this was a low-key night, she wasn’t going through the hassle of getting all jazzed up. She jumped on her computer to get some work done.

  Being a technology consultant was a great career. For as long as she could remember, she always had an interest in technology and the ever-evolving environment it was in. Once she graduated from college, she worked as a consultant and hasn’t stopped. She loved the flexibility to work from home and everything about the tech world intrigued her. There was something new every day, so she never got bored. Currently, she was helping a local financial firm build controls around their mobile applications. While her friends poked fun at her “snooze fest” profession, to her, she was like a kid in a candy store when she got her hands on code.

  Luckily, she put an alarm on her phone to notify her it was seven and had an hour to shower, get ready, and be at Lucy’s house. Lucy, Tess, and Sofia have always spent New Year’s Eve together ever since they met. It was one of their many traditions.

  Having been friends for so long, they knew all of each other’s quirks, habits, and secrets. Well, all except for one. Sofia had kept her lips sealed for ten years about a major one, and she had no plan to tell anyone now.

  It was better that way.

  ALEX MET CONNOR and Dominic at the bar to have a drink before his kid sister’s party. Once he walked in, it was evident their plan for a quick drink wasn’t going to be quick. At seven thirty, the bar was filled and there was already a line outside for people waiting to get in. Even for New Year’s Eve, the crowd seemed excessive.

  Connor squeezed back to join them on the side of the room where they stood, carefully holding three beers. “I’m officially old. When I was waiting in line, I was annoyed there were so many people ahead of me. I have no desire to be at a bar.”

  “Same, man,” Alex agreed.

  “Fucking lame.” Dominic shook his head in disgust. His party animal ways were never sick of the bar scene. “I’m not old. I’m thirty-five and there are so many hot women here. Going to a house party, where I have no chance to fuck anyone in attendance, doesn’t sound like fun. I may leave early so I can come back.”

  Surveying the large crowd, there were a lot of women at the bar, but there was no way Alex would be able to swing coming back. Lucy would lose her shit if he left her party early all for a potential piece of ass. She was still on her high from her wedding six months ago, so she was all about monogamy, true love, and fairytales. That was a far cry from a random New Year’s Eve hookup and what he considered an ideal evening

  Connor and Dominic talked about soccer, which was the norm.

  “We signed the young guy from Germany, who will start as wing. He isn’t quick enough to be successful in Europe, but we can build our team around him,” Dominic said. “His ability to score is sick.”

  Connor nodded. “That has good potential for us, but if we move him as starting striker, Mason will flip.”

  “Mason is our starting striker , but that doesn’t mean we can’t change up the lineup elsewhere.”

  “This is why I’m glad I’m not the coach.” Connor finished his beer and checked his watch. “It’s after eight, you guys ready?”

  Alex finished his beer while they talked shop. He enjoyed soccer almost as much as they did, but they had the benefit of knowing the talent of the new guys on the team, where he didn’t.

  “Let’s walk. Their place is only a couple blocks,” Alex told them, heading to the door. He heard Connor and Dominic bitch behind him, but seriously, it’s two blocks. The weather wasn’t even obnoxiously cold yet.

  “You two would never survive on a shoot with me,” he joked.

  Dominic jabbed him in the back in jest. “Because you either travel to the middle of nowhere or a war zone. I don’t know how you survive on a shoot.”

  He wasn’t far from the truth. Alex questioned how he survived multiple experiences through his work as a photographer for National Geographic. The latest incident was still fresh in his memory.

  “If you were taking pictures of Victoria Secret models, I could happily survive that,” Dominic, a resident playboy, said wistfully. “Odds you would leave your boring gig and move on to swimwear?” “Nope,” Alex was quick to reply.

  He was used to people’s opinion that taking a picture was just that, taking a picture. Many thought being a photographer was as easy as taking a picture themselves, like someone would do on their phone.
br />   It was so much more than a quick click.

  In his career, he endured long hours, weeks at a time away from home, not mention the culture and language changes, and the training he went through before an assignment started. His ability to see action and figure out what shot would have the biggest impact was so much more than someone taking a selfie.

  The exhilaration of being onsite, even it was a murderous war zone, was the path he chose. He was in between assignments after his last project turned into a bit of a predicament. His manager demanded he take some time off to figure out if this was still the life he wanted.

  Problem was, it was all that he knew.

  How does someone change their career focus when their job defined them? Alex was always on the go, traveling to obscure places, and adapting to new scenarios constantly. He enjoyed flying by the seat of his pants and learning about new cultures, but his lifestyle left little room for a relationship.

  “Do you think Lucy invited any eligible women? This is my deciding factor if I stay,” Dominic informed them, breaking Alex’s train of thought.

  They crossed the street when Connor answered, “Lucy said this was small, which probably means the same people we always see. I have my doubts there will be someone for you to hook up with there.”

  “These are the moments I wish Sofia and I didn’t friendzone each other,” Dominic joked.

  “You’re better off. Sofia has a mean streak.” Alex climbed up the stairs to Lucy’s house. It was habit, when her name was mentioned, he had a jab to throw at her expense.

  “Only with you, man,” Connor said, confirming what Alex already knew.

  Dominic opened the door and turned back to Alex before walking in. “She’s the male version of me. We would never survive each other.”

  Alex waited for a minute outside when they walked in. Sofia was like having another Dominic around, but she wasn’t always a commitment-phobe. He remembered that girl from years ago, and sometimes wondered, if he was the reason she refused to settle down.