Atonement(4)

So why weren’t we a couple any more? Perhaps because he’d sown his oats but to me, he would always be my first true love and unfortunately, people didn’t usually end up with their first love or a love at all. We weren’t youngsters anymore—we were a lot closer to thirty than twenty yet we still hadn’t grown up.

I loved Drew still and we had fun together but I couldn’t honestly see him as the father of my children or my husband. Despite all his wealth and affluence, he wasn’t the least bit stuck-up yet I had to believe there was something else, life beyond Drew and the only way to find that out would be to take that trip to Europe after all.

He poured wine for himself before the doorbell chimed out. “Are we expecting anyone?”

“Yep, I’ve got company.” He raised his eyebrows mischievously before he sprinted to the door.

I continued to drink from my wine and answered an earlier text with from my sister. She was just fine and wanted to know how I’d been. Caitlyn was always upbeat and chipper. She’d taken our father’s death hard initially but she had so much going on in her life, it was easy to push the grief to the backburner. Unlike me, she actually did have a career as an up and coming junior executive at Amazon and she loved her job.

Drew came back to the table laughing and joking with another guy and since they were still chatting, it gave me a chance to size up my competition.

Mmm, there was none because if it was between me and this guy, I was so out of the running.

He was tall, at least 6’2” as he was barely a couple inches shorter than Drew who was a comfortable 6’4”, and around one hundred and ninety pounds. Lean, he had nice features, alabaster skin, intriguing crystal blue eyes and flaxen blond hair. He wore the requisite outfit of indigo jeans worn slightly on the baggy side but not slacker baggy and band tee-shirt from a recent The Pretty Reckless concert.

“Oops, my bad, forgive my manners but Colin, this is my roommate, Deirdre Bardot and Deirdre, this is Colin van der Meer,” Drew introduced.

“Is this your idea of a f*cking joke?” I inquired out loud.

“W-what?” Drew stuttered. “The guy and I both happen to work days at Common Bean and nights at O’Shaughnessy’s next door—calm the f*ck down, okay?”

“Van der Meer?” I questioned out loud. “You know the name of my goddamn shrink is Doctor van der Meer so what I want to know is how is this guy related to my head doctor because I don’t find it the least bit funny!”

Colin and Drew looked at one another before our newest guest answered, “Your doctor is my father but Drew and I have known each other since you two moved here and he started working at Common Bean.”

“Shit,” I whispered.

I knew I had overreacted just like they’d expected me to but how did I talk my way out of this one?

“Sorry, I’ll be right back.”

I stood and nearly ran up the stairs to my bedroom before I shut the door behind myself. What the hell was I going to do? I took a chance my sister wouldn’t be too busy and called her cell phone.

“Deirdre? What’s the matter, honey?”

“You know I wouldn’t normally do this and I’m sure you’re in a meeting—”

“I’m on my way to one so talk fast,” she interrupted.

“Drew invited a new friend over and I’m sure he’s bi but there’s just one problem.”

“Well, what is it?”

“He’s Dr. van der Meer’s son. I mean, what are the odds? Seattle is huge—this isn’t Tacoma. How could this happen?” I questioned as I paced back and forth.

“It happens all the time. Some people call it just something completely random and others call it fate. Why are you trippin’ so hard, sweetie? Damn, get a grip, girl.”

“But he’s really hot and there must be something against…I don’t know…sleeping with your shrink’s son or something.”

“Mmm, he must be really hot if you’re contemplating an end to your friends with benefits situation with Drew. Listen, I gotta dash but after I get off work, I’m coming over so don’t you dare let Mister Hottie leave, okay?”

“Not on your life,” I responded before we ended the call mutually.





Chapter Two





IT DIDN’T MAKE much sense as this wasn’t the first and it wouldn’t be the last time Drew brought home a guest but I still took a shower, towel dried my hair and put on a nice pair of dark blue skinny jeans and three-quarter length sleeve white peasant blouse.