Not Just Friends (Brookfield) (11 page)

The
door up front jingled. Alyssa came out of the aisle, expecting to see Tina, but
instead, a tall man stood there.

“Hi,
can I help you?” Alyssa asked.

“I’m
looking for Alyssa Duncan.”

“You
found her. You are?”

“I’m
Tom Jackson.”

“Nice
to meet you, Tom. Is there a book I can get for you?” The way this man was
looking at her was creeping her out.

“No.
I was hoping you could help me find Matt.”

“Matt?
What do you need him for?”

“Have
you seen him?”

Alyssa
wasn’t sure what to tell him. She reached into her back pocket and removed her
cell phone. She needed to call Cody and get him back here.

“No
need to call the police.” He laughed. “I’m not here to hurt you or Matt, I
promise.”

She
nodded.

“Do
you have anyone here who can watch the place? We can go across the street and
chat at the coffee house or something.”

She
was about to object, but then Tina and her friend walked in. Great, that was perfect
timing.

“Excuse
me a minute,” Alyssa said to Tom and headed to Tina. “This guy wants to talk to
me. Can you both handle it for me while I go across the street?”

“Yup,”
Tina said. “Who is he?”

“That’s
what I’m trying to find out. Keep an eye on me, okay?”

“Will
do.”

She
smiled at the two girls and then motioned for Tom to follow her. To be on the
safe side, she sent a text message to Cody to ask Matt who Tom Jackson was.

She
took a seat at a bistro table out front. Tom said he’d get her a drink. After a
few moments, he returned with her hot tea. She accepted it from him and
cautiously sipped.

“All
right, Tom, who are you to Matt?”

“I
take it Diane hasn’t told you much.”

“We
aren’t close.”

“I
know. Maybe one day you two will find your way back to one another.”

This
guy was seriously annoying her. “Can you just cut to the point? Who are you to
Matt and Diane?”

“The
third piece to the puzzle.”

“Huh,
what?”

“Diane,
Matt, and I are a couple.”

What
the heck? This weird situation just got a whole lot stranger.

Chapter Thirteen

Alyssa
quickly put a halt to the conversation with Tom until Cody could get down to
the coffee shop with Matt. She demanded that Matt get his behind down there.
She was sick and tired of the drama. As far as she was concerned, Matt was going
back with this Tom guy, and she was wiping her hands clean.

It
didn’t take long for Cody and Matt to arrive—thank God! As they approached, she
noticed how angry Matt looked. Tom didn’t seem as upset. In fact, Tom stood up
to greet Matt, but Matt avoided him and slumped down in a chair.

Cody
took his seat as well and appeared to be extremely uncomfortable.

“Matt,
I’m so glad to have found you,” Tom said.

Alyssa
glanced at Cody, who shook his head. She wanted to laugh. This was not at all
what she’d been expecting.

“I
wish you’d just left me alone,” Matt snapped.

“We
want you to come home.”

“No.”
Matt shook his head.

“You’re
being silly,” Tom argued in a calm tone.

“I
am not! I’m staying here in Brookfield.” Matt shot a look at Alyssa with a
pleading eye. “Alyssa and I are starting up again.”

“What!”
Alyssa chimed in.

“You’re
being childish, Matt,” Tom said.

“Don’t
bring me into this.” Alyssa crossed her arms. “I’m with someone else.”

Cody
held his hand up. “I don’t get what’s going on. Are Matt and Tom having a lovers’
quarrel or something?” He looked at Alyssa. “This is getting weird.”

She
grinned at him and let a slight giggle out. She had no issue with Matt and Tom
having a relationship, she’d just never expected it.

“We’re
not discussing this with them,” Matt said to Tom.

“Oh,
come on. We’re involved in this anyway because of you brought us in to it.”
Alyssa’s tone filled with amusement.

Tom
cleared his throat. “I won’t give too many details, but Matt, Diane, and I are
in a relationship together.”

“I’m
with Diane. You and I have never—” Matt crossed his arms.

“Wait
a minute,” Alyssa interrupted, “Diane has sex with you both. Yet the two of you
don’t have sex with each other?”

“He’s
supposed to be back door only,” Matt added. “But Diane wanted to switch it up.”

“This
is more than I want to know about my sister.” Cody stood. “You got this,
Alyssa?”

She
nodded. This was very entertaining.

“Text
me when this sex talk is over. I’m going to go in the store next door.”

She
watched as he walked away shaking his head. She returned to the two men. It started
to make sense now. Diane was pregnant and Matt said it wasn’t his. Because of
the one time Diane had sex with Tom, Matt assumed she’d gotten pregnant by the
other guy.

“So,
Diane and Tom were to only have sex…” she cleared her throat, “analy?”

“Yes.
I didn’t want another man’s stuff going inside her. But Diane and Tom have been
getting closer and soon he was getting much more attention than I was.”

“I
love you both,” Tom said.

“I
love Diane only.”

 Tom
cleared his throat. “We never meant to make you feel that way. But sometimes in
a relationship as complex as ours, this happens. That’s why communication is
key.”

“But
she’s pregnant and it isn’t by me,” Matt argued.

“We
don’t know this.”

“Oh,
I know.”

“Are
you guys practicing safe sex?” Alyssa asked.

“Yes,”
they answered together.

That
was good to know. “Where is Diane? Did she not come with you?”

“No.
She’s had horrible morning sickness. She decided to stay home.” Tom looked at
Matt. “She misses you. Will you please come back with me?”

Matt
shook his head. “I’m not ready. I need some time.”

Oh,
great. They weren’t getting rid of him yet.

“Just
don’t break the communication with us, okay? You’re the missing piece and I
think Diane is more upset you’re not there than with morning sickness.” Tom
scooted his chair back. “It was nice to meet you, Alyssa.”

“You
too.”

“I’ll
be in touch, Matt.”

Tom
left and Alyssa was left sitting there with only Matt. She could see the
distraught expression in his face. A part of her wanted to ask if he was okay,
but the other was still trying to make sense of what she’d just learned. She
couldn’t help but find it slightly funny. This situation was complicated and it
was going to require Diane to step in and set things right.

* * * *

Connor
sat at a table as Alyssa finished her closing duties. She was in a radiating
mood this evening. Then again, after the story she’d shared with him, he didn’t
blame her. It wasn’t that she found her sisters life amusing just unexpected.
He could hardly keep a straight face as she told him about the mystery man
showing up and the lovers’ quarrel at the café. He’d have loved to be there to
see it. Hopefully, this would all be behind them soon and he could concentrate
on just him and Alyssa.

The
first thing he had to do for himself though was give in to his feelings. He
liked her a lot, but he still hadn’t told anyone he was seeing her. In fact,
Jay and Stan wanted him to go out this weekend. He’d avoided them for quite
some time. They wanted to bar-hop and place bets on picking up women. It was
time he told them.

He
also wanted to go out. The idea of one last night out sounded good. He didn’t
have to pick a woman up. He wasn’t a cheater. But just to get sloppy drunk with
the guys and tell them he was seeing someone and it was serious.

“I’m
almost done,” Alyssa called from the front register.

“Take
your time. Though the food won’t stay warm forever.” He smirked.

Tonight
Connor had stopped by Luigi’s and bought them each a calzone. There was no way
he was going to eat another one of those frozen meals. Somehow he had to wean
Alyssa off those gross things. Something was seriously wrong with her taste
buds if she enjoyed eating them.

“Okay,
all done.” Alyssa plopped down in the chair. “It smells delicious.”

Connor
pushed her container toward her. “It’s Luigi’s.”

“Brookfield’s
best-kept secret.”

“Nah,
I think The Reading Corner wins that award.”

She
blushed. “Once this author comes and goes, things will return to normal.”

“You
think?”

She
nodded. “I hope, though, we can get some more authors. Julie’s been very
impressed and wants to bring another one of her clients in town for a signing.”

“That’s
great.”

“I
think so too.”

Connor
took a bite of his calzone. “Are you okay if I go out with the guys Saturday?”

“Go
for it. I’ll be exhausted after the signing. I won’t be good for anything that
evening.”

“I
want to take you out for dinner Friday. Think Tina can close?”

She
laughed. “You don’t have to take me out just because you’re going out with the
guys.”

“I
want to. We’ve been staying in so much. I want to see you dressed up again.”

“And
here I thought you found me sexy in my PJs.”

Connor
grinned. “You’d be sexy in a paper bag, but I want to take you out and show you
off.”

“Sounds
like a plan.”

As
they finished their meal, they had the basic chit chat. She asked about his day
and questioned him about the stock market. It meant a lot to him that she
actually seemed to want to learn. Most women liked his money and didn’t care
how he was making it. But that was one of the reasons why he was falling for
Alyssa. She was the down-to-earth woman. She’d make an amazing mother and wife.

Crap!
Had he just thought that? He supposed that was coming. Alyssa was the whole
package that he wanted. It was his time.

He
looked up when he noticed she was standing and the table was clear. “Wow, I was
really lost in thoughts.”

“Must
have been some daydream. Want to come up?”

More
than anything, but he still hadn’t brought that change of clothes. “I forgot my
bag.”

“That
figures.”

Connor
stood and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. “I meant to,
really.” He kissed her neck. “Maybe our first sleepover should be at my place
to make it easier.”

“Zoe—”

“Is
a cat and will be fine for one night. All she cares about is that her food bowl
is full.” He trailed his lips up to her chin and then her mouth.

She
sighed into his mouth as he drew light circles on her tailbone. She’d probably
let him take her right there in the store, even with people walking by and
seeing inside. He groaned at the thought of laying her across the table behind
him, spreading her legs open, and pumping into her.  She’d cry his name out and
beg for him. And he’d give her just what she wanted.

Connor
picked her up and did just that. He set her on table and forcefully pushed her
thighs open, squeezing his body between.

“Connor,”
she called out.

He
captured her lips again to quiet her and then began working at her shirt.  He
wanted his fantasy to come true.

But
then Alyssa shoved his hand away. “We can’t do this right here.”

“Why
not?”

“It’s
dark outside and bright in here. People can see us.”

“Doesn’t
that turn you on?” He stared into her eyes and saw a slight twinkle.

“It
doesn’t matter if it does or not. I’m not doing it.”

Connor
stepped back, breaking the contact. “You’re right. I got caught up in the
moment.”

Alyssa
hopped off the table, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him. “Maybe we
can compromise.”

“Really,
it’s fine.”

She
gazed up at him and smiled.

“I
need to get going.”

She
stepped back, releasing her hold on him. “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I
guess.”

He
nodded and kissed her cheek. She walked him to the front and let him out. He
turned and looked back, feeling this overwhelming need to say
I love you
,
but bit his tongue and went on to his car. He needed to get his emotions under
control.