Absolute Harmony (A Harmony Falls Novella), page 5
“So, how are the pigs?” Scott asked.
“I’m sorry?”
“The pigs. You raise pigs, right?” he said.
“No. I raise chickens and sell their eggs,” she said.
“Right, sorry.” Scott smiled apologetically, but his face changed when their server Tabitha stopped at their table. The woman’s icy demeanor hadn’t thawed one bit. If anything, she seemed even more rage-filled with every visit to their table.
“How is everything?” Tabitha asked.
“Delicious,” Savina said brightly. “Thank you.”
Tabitha stared at her, and Savina’s smile faltered under the pure hatred in her gaze.
“Oh good, I’m so glad,” Tabitha said. The venom in her voice made Savina sure Tabitha would be shanking her at some point during the meal.
Tabitha turned to Scott. “And you, sir? How is your meal?”
“It came out a bit cold,” Scott said.
“I’ll be sure to mention that to the chef,” Tabitha said.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s an issue of a slow server,” Scott said.
Savina stared at him in shock as he pointed to his glass of beer and rudely said, “I’ll take another beer.”
Okay, forget banging Scott tonight. She’d never let some guy who treated servers this poorly see her lady bits. Fuck that dude.
Tabitha snatched up his half-empty beer. “Of course, sir. Right away, sir.”
“Oh, and, Tabitha?” Scott said as she started to walk away. “Maybe try to pour it in a way that I’m not basically paying for foam.”
“Scott,” Savina said, “don’t be a dick.”
Before he could reply, Tabitha whirled around to face him, her hand clenched around his drink. “You know what? Maybe we should just get rid of this beer and start fresh.”
“Probably for the best,” Scott said snottily.
Savina’s eyes widened when Tabitha said, “You’re just so happy to throw away the best fucking beer of your life and take a new one home, aren’t you, Scott?”
“The new beer doesn’t nag me all fucking day, Tabitha.”
“Maybe if you picked up your fucking socks every once in a while, the old beer wouldn’t have to nag you, Scott.”
“Maybe if the old beer didn’t expect me to say ‘how high’, the minute she told me to ‘jump’, I wouldn’t be looking for a new beer.”
“You asshole!” Tabitha shouted before pouring the half-empty mug of beer directly onto Scott’s lap.
Scott jumped to his feet and wiped his hand across his crotch. “Are you fucking kidding me, Tabitha? These are brand new khakis. They cost me fifty bucks!”
“Oh, so suddenly you can spend fifty bucks on pants to look good for your little whore, but I can’t hit Sephora’s midnight madness sale?”
“That makeup is stupidly expensive!” Scott shouted as the hum of noise in the restaurant died out, and every single person in the room stared at their table.
“It makes me look pretty!” Tabitha yelled.
“You don’t need that stupid make-up shit to be pretty,” Scott snapped. “You’re fucking gorgeous without it, Tabitha!”
“You think I’m gorgeous?” Tabitha asked.
“Of course I do,” Scott said. “You’re a fucking knock-out, babe.”
“Oh, babe,” Tabitha said as she dropped the empty beer glass on the floor. “I miss you so much, babe.”
“I miss you too, babe,” Scott said. “I wanna come back home.”
“I want you to come back home, too,” Tabitha said.
Savina’s mouth dropped open when Scott yanked Tabitha into his arms, and they kissed passionately.
“Oh God,” Savina said when Scott and Tabitha, their tongues slathering across each other’s faces and their hands groping and gripping the other’s ass, nearly fell onto the table. Savina pushed her chair back when Scott swept their plates and cutlery onto the floor with a loud crash, sending pasta slithering across the floor, before boosting Tabitha onto the table. He dropped onto her, and Tabitha wrapped her legs around his waist as their kissing and moaning grew louder.
A hard hand gripped Savina’s arm and pulled her to her feet. She stared at Hal, who said, “Time to go, Savina.”
He took her hand, and she grabbed her purse as he linked their fingers together and pushed past the patrons who were starting to gather around the table to watch what, from the sounds of Tabitha and Scott’s moans, was about to be a live sex show.
Hal led her out the front door and across the parking lot to her truck.
“You okay?” Hal asked when they stopped next to the driver’s door.
Savina burst into laughter. She laughed until her stomach hurt and tears formed in her eyes. Hal leaned against the truck, his arms folded across his chest as he patiently waited for her to finish. Somehow, that only made her laugh harder until finally, her hand on her aching stomach and gasping for breath, she managed to quell the giggles.
“Holy shit, that just happened, right?” she asked.
“Yep,” Hal said. “I’ve had some bad dates, but I’ve never had a date stick their tongue down our server’s throat before.”
She laughed, rubbing her aching stomach. “I think they were married or at the very least living together at some point, and I was Scott’s revenge date.”
“Too bad he couldn’t resist Tabitha and how she threw his beer in his face,” Hal said.
“His crotch,” Savina said with another giggle. “She poured it on his crotch.”
Hal laughed, and she couldn’t help the tingle that went straight to her pussy. How long had it been since she’d heard Hal laugh? Too long.
“I can’t believe I was going to sleep with him,” she said. The thought brought on another spat of giggles, and when it ended, she leaned against the truck next to Hal and rubbed at her stomach.
A scowl embedded itself on his face, and she said, “What?”
“Are you drunk?”
“Not yet,” she said. “Scott started making out with Tabitha before I could order more wine.”
His scowl deepened. “You have to stop going out with strange guys and getting drunk, Savina.”
She smiled at him, but all the humour had left her body. “Luckily, I’m an adult who doesn’t have to follow your rules.”
“Savina –”
She’d planned on apologizing for kissing him at work, but now, she just wanted to go home. She’d send him a card or something. “Good night, Hal.”
Without looking at him, she climbed into her truck and shut the door. She turned it on, staring resolutely out the windshield until Hal walked away. She slumped in the seat, rubbing at her forehead. She hated conflict to begin with, but fighting with Hal made her want to barf.
She checked her phone, replying to a message from Harper about what time she should be at Warren’s on Saturday, before tossing her phone back into her purse. She drove toward the parking lot exit, slowing to a stop when she saw Hal standing in front of his car with the hood up.
He was bent over the engine, and she stared at his ass for a good thirty seconds before admonishing herself and lowering the window. “Do you know what’s wrong with it?”
Hal straightened and slammed the hood shut. “The starter, I think. I’ll get Wade to tow it to a garage tomorrow.”
“I’ll give you a ride home,” she said.
“I’ll call Warren,” he said.
“He’s busy finishing up packing. He’s moving tomorrow.”
“Shit, I forgot,” he said. “I’ll call Solomon.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’ll take him twenty minutes to get here from the ranch. I can have you home in ten.”
He hesitated for a second longer before nodding. “Okay. Thank you, I appreciate it.”
CHAPTER 8
Hal studied his apartment building as Savina parked her truck on the street in front of it. Although it wasn’t late, the street was quiet and dark. His neighbourhood wasn’t known for loud parties or late-night revelers. Most of his neighbours were like him – people in their late forties or early fifties who kept to themselves.
When he’d first moved here, a couple of years after Mary’s death, it had been perfect for him. He was still grieving and didn’t want to be friendly with the neighbours. What he wanted was to curl up inside his grief and never leave. He would have, too, if it hadn’t been for Alan and Solomon. He owed a lot to his best friends, and he had repaid their kindness with petty jealousy and anger. Thank fucking Christ, he’d internalized it all. Neither of them ever knew how he’d really felt watching them live their lives with Savina and Heather while he grieved for his dead wife.
Yeah, internalizing your feelings has done wonders for you. Asshole.
He ignored his inner voice as Savina shut off her truck. The engine ticked in the quiet, and he unbuckled his seat belt. “Thank you for the ride home.”
“You’re welcome.” Savina stared out the windshield, her hands clasped loosely around the steering wheel.
Hal hesitated. No doubt what he was about to say would lead to another fight, but he had to say it. Savina was putting herself in danger, and it ate him alive with worry.
He sucked in a fortifying breath. “We need to talk, Savina.”
Her hands tightened around the steering wheel. “I know. I’m sorry for what I said and did at the clinic. It was beyond inappropriate, and I should have apologized before now.”
She looked at him, her cheeks a soft pink and regret shining out from her eyes. “Did I jeopardize your job?”
He stared blankly at her, and she said, “I am happy to speak with Nathan about what he saw. I’m more than willing to tell him it was all my fault and that you shouldn’t be punished for –”
“Savina, stop,” Hal said. “That isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She stared at him in surprise. “It isn’t?”
“No. I want to talk about you going on dates and getting drunk.”
Irritation flicked across her face. “It isn’t any of your business, Hal.”
“I know,” he said. “This isn’t me trying to tell you what to do.”
“It sure sounds like it is,” she said.
“It’s coming from a place of worry,” he said. “We’re friends, and I’m worried something bad will happen to you.”
“Friends? We haven’t been friends for a long time,” Savina said. “Unless your idea of friendship is refusing to spend time with me.”
That stung like hell, but he didn’t try to defend himself or argue. “I’m still worried about you. Getting drunk on dates with men you don’t know is dangerous.”
“You know why I’m doing it,” she said.
“That doesn’t make it a good idea.”
“I don’t care that you’re judging me, you know.” Her pretty eyes flashed with anger, and her defiant look made him want to kiss her.
“I’m not judging you,” he said. “I’m sorry that I’m coming across as judgmental. But I won’t apologize for asking you not to get drunk to sleep with someone.”
“Yeah, well, it’s the only way it’s going to happen, so while I appreciate your concern, I’m willing to take the risk.”
“You don’t have to have sex right now, Savina,” Hal said. “You could wait until you don’t have to be drunk.”
She snorted angry laughter. “I’m so sorry I don’t want to live the life of a nun so that you can stop worrying about me. It’s my life, and I’ll live it the way I want.”
“Maybe it’s worth exploring with a therapist why you can’t even kiss a guy unless you’re drunk,” Hal said.
“That’s not true,” Savina said. “I kissed you, and I was stone cold sober that day. You’re a great kisser, by the way.”
His groin tightened, and he took another deep breath. “Savina, I -”
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked abruptly.
“I think that’s obvious,” he said.
“Is it? Because I, for one, am confused as fuck,” Savina said. “You stopped being my friend because you knew I had a crush on you, but last Saturday, you kissed me and threatened to fuck me right there at the vet clinic. Which, incidentally, was one of the hottest moments of my life.”
“I didn’t stop being your friend because you had a crush on me. Until Saturday, I had no idea you were attracted to me,” he said.
She stared at him before slumping against the seat and rubbing her temples. “Shit. I thought… wait, so that means you’re not my friend because of something else. What did I do to make you abandon our friendship, Hal? Whatever it was, it was shitty of you not to explain and give me a chance to apologize.”
“It had nothing to do with you,” he said. “You didn’t do anything.”
She stared at him. “Then tell me what it is.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
“Bullshit it doesn’t matter. We used to be friends. You were my best friend, Hal. And then you just… stopped. Like I didn’t matter to you, like I never mattered to you. I thought you were upset by my attraction, thought that the idea of me wanting you made you angry or made you think I was a bad person for betraying Alan. I thought -”
“It was me! Okay? It was all me.” His voice was too loud, but Savina didn’t flinch.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m attracted to you. I want to fu -I can’t be around you anymore because I want to sleep with you and what kind of asshole does that make me?” He banged his fist against his thigh. “It hurt like hell to walk away, and I’m sorry I hurt you, but I didn’t know what else to do. That fucking day with that fucking Ikea dresser. If I could go back in time, I -”
“Wait, what did you just say about the Ikea dresser?” Savina asked.
He sighed, forcing his hands to unclench. “That day we built the Ikea dresser for the spare bedroom. That’s the day I finally admitted to myself that I wanted to sleep with you.”
Savina started to laugh. He watched in silent confusion as she gripped the steering wheel and laughed until tears slid down her cheeks and she wheezed for breath.
“What’s so funny?” he asked when she finally got control of herself.
“That was the day I realized I wanted to fuck you,” she said and then wheezed out more laughter.
He stared at her. “Are you fucking with me right now?”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’m not, I swear.”
“Christ,” he said and then banged the back of his head against the headrest several times. “Fucking hell.”
“So, now what?” Savina said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’d like to say that we can go back to being friends, but we’ve tongue licked.”
He laughed despite himself. “Tongue licked?”
“I saw it on some tween tv show. Apparently, the term French kissed is only for old people.”
“Right,” he said.
“Anyway, there’s this sexual tension between us, and unless we do something about it, I’m not sure we can be friends again. At least, not how we used to be.”
“And by doing something about it, you mean fucking,” Hal said.
She grinned at him, that teasing Savina grin that made him hard as a rock. “I do.”
Every part of him wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t date Savina. Not when his guilt over Alan’s death ate up so much of him. It wasn’t fair to saddle her with the shell of the person he used to be.
“I don’t want to date you,” he said and then muttered a curse. “Shit, that didn’t come out the right way. It’s just, I’m not -”
“It’s fine,” she said. “I think we’re better off as friends too. But a night of sex could help eliminate the tension between us, right?”
He swallowed hard, hoping his disappointment and hurt weren’t a red beacon on his face. Savina was saying what he wanted to hear, but it hurt so goddamn bad to hear her say it.
“It’s not a good idea,” he said.
She sighed and turned the key in the ignition, her truck starting with a low rumble. “Okay. Good night, Hal.”
“Are you going to keep, uh, dating random guys?” he asked.
“If by dating, you mean getting drunk and having sex with a guy for the first time since Alan died, yes,” she said.
“Savina -”
“You can’t change my mind, Hal. Maybe I’m not ready for a relationship, but I am ready to have sex again.”
“If you were, you wouldn’t need to be drunk,” he said.
“Let’s agree to disagree,” she said.
Solomon’s advice rolling around in his head, he said, “I’ll do it.”
“Do what?” she asked.
“I’ll be the guy you sleep with.”
She stared silently at him, and he said, “You just said that if we have sex, it’ll end the tension between us. I want to be friends again, Savina. I miss our friendship, and I miss you. If we sleep together, it’s a win-win for us. You’ll be safe, and I’ll get my friend back.”
“Okay,” she said.
“I know it sounds like I’m just trying to get laid, but I think - wait, what?” Hal stared at Savina.
She smiled at him. “Okay.”
He sat back in his seat. “You should take some time and think about it.”
“I don’t need more time,” she said. “I’ve been attracted to you since last year’s great Ikea Desk Incident, remember?”
He smiled a little even though his stomach was swirling with nerves and something else. “I remember.”
“Great.” She shut off the truck again. “Let’s go up to your apartment.”
“Savina…”
She stopped with her hand on the door handle, studying the trepidation he knew was evident on his face.
“If you’re uncomfortable with me being in your bedroom, I can get us a hotel room,” she said quietly.
“What? No, Christ, that isn’t a problem for me,” he said. “I just… I want you to be absolutely sure this is what you want and clear that this is a one-time thing.”
He sounded like an asshole, but it would do no good for either of them to misunderstand what this was.
