“Good friends,” he replied winking at her. “Very, very good friends.”
“Okay then.” She reached out and traced her finger down his arm, watching as it rose and fell over his defined muscles. “You know we’re wasting time with all this talking when we could be doing other things?”
The corners of his eyes crinkled up. “Is that right?”
Ember slowly nodded. “Yeah.” She reached for him, sliding her palm down his bare back. “But I can think of a way to remedy that.”
* * *
Ally was spraying sanitizer on the counter when Ember walked into the Beach Café, scrubbing furiously at the laminated worktop even though it looked spotless from where Ember was standing. Her friend was frowning, too. Three deep lines furrowed her brow, her lips pulled into a tight bleached line.
For a moment Ember considered walking right out of there. She didn’t want to unload all her anxieties onto Ally when she was clearly having a bad day. She could go home and come back for their regular Sunday brunchtime date, rather than intrude so early in the morning.
But then Ally looked up and saw Ember standing there and her frown melted into the air. “You’re early,” she called out, putting the cloth and spray bottle down. “I was sure you’d sleep in after last night’s date.”
Ember tried to think of an appropriate response.
“Oh my God, you didn’t go home, did you? Or if you did, you weren’t alone.” Ally’s lips curled up into a huge grin. Whatever had been bothering her before was clearly forgotten. “You slept with him, didn’t you, you little—”
Ember practically ran over to the counter. “Can you keep it down?” she asked, her eyes wide. “I don’t want everybody in town to know my business.”
“There’s nobody here,” Ally pointed out, sweeping her arm around the café. Ember noticed she still lowered her voice. “It’s just you, me, and your darkest secrets.”
“Let’s try to keep it that way.”
“I’m sorry,” Ally said, reaching across the counter to squeeze Ember’s hand. “I just got so excited for a minute. You’re glowing, and it’s so lovely to see. I’m getting a bit choked up.” Releasing Ember’s hand, she leaned forward on the counter, resting on her elbows. “So tell me everything that happened. In fact, stay there, I’ll get us both a coffee first, after the night we’ve both had we’re going to need it.”
“What happened to your night?”
“Oh no,” Ally said, pulling two white mugs from under the counter and filling them from the pot that was always warming on the side. “You’re
not side tracking me that easily. First tell me about your night, and I mean all the gory details.”
It took her ten minutes to bring Ally up to speed with everything that had happened the previous night. From bumping into Adam Michaelson, to that kiss on the beach that still made Ember’s chest ache when she thought about it. In spite of Ally’s request, she tried to keep the details as gory-free as possible.
“What do you mean there are no rules?” Ally asked when Ember had told her about her discussion with Lucas that morning. “Are you guys just friends-with-benefits or something?”
“No!” Ember said, shaking her head. “We’re just trying not to make things complicated.”
“But you slept with him, right?” Ally asked, tipping her head to the side.
“Yeah.”
“So it’s already complicated.”
“How?” Ember asked her. “Just because you sleep with somebody doesn’t mean things have to get serious. We’re women of the new millennium, aren’t we? Surely we can have rule-free sex if we want.”
“But you’ve always loved rules,” Ally pointed out. “You’re the poster girl for them. You’re always early for any appointment you have. I’ve never seen you drive even a mile an hour above the speed limit. When we were at school you never missed a day or a homework assignment.” She shook her head.
“Lucas is hardly a homework assignment.”
“No, but there’s a reason you always obey the rules. Because you like them. They make you feel safe. In fact, I’d go as far as to say you thrive on them. You’re not a casual relationship kind of girl.”
Ember’s face fell. “I’m the one who asked for no rules,” she told her friend. “I don’t want anything for people to gossip about, and you’re the one who’s always telling me to live for the moment and stop worrying about the future. I thought this was a good thing.”
Ally bit her lip. “I’m sorry,” she said, giving a deep sigh. “And you’re right. You deserve to have some fun and it’s none of my business what kind of relationship you have with Lucas. If you’re happy then I’m happy. Because if anybody deserves happiness, it’s you, Ember Kennedy.” She busied herself refilling their mugs and pouring some cream in. “Just ignore me. I’m tired and cranky.”
“So what happened last night?” Ember asked her. “What kept you awake for so long?”