Lib Novel Page 31
“Ah, of course.” I roll my eyes. Mom and her cocktails. That’s actually the only thing she won’t let me change when I take over. The special, magic cocktails must stay. But seeing as I had the best sex of my life after drinking the Eros Spell that night, I might be partial to them too now.
“Fine.” I set the lemons I was cutting aside. “I’m going now.”
Mom smiles, but it’s not exactly her normal smile.
It’s very creepy, actually. “Be a good boy when you meet my friend. She’s special.”
“Okaaay,” I draw out and hightail it out of there before she comes up with any more errands for me.
“Oh my gosh, Matty baby!” I hear Lindsey’s squeaky, all-too-excited voice beam behind my back when I’m no more than five steps away from the bar and fight the urge to cringe then run away screaming. She was probably about to come inside right before I left.
And we are not open yet.
Great, it seems the whole town already knows I’m back. How the fuck does that girl still not understand we are not going to sleep together again let alone have a freaking relationship.
“Hey,” I answer back without an ounce of enthusiasm. I’m not usually an asshole kind of a guy. I’m fun and easy but some chicks just don’t get the memo.
Zoe got it. She got too fuckin good, I grumble to myself because I would not say no to another night—or two… fine, ten—with her.
“Oh, I’m so happy you are finally back.” She beams at me. “I reallyyy missed you.” She bats her eyes at me as her fingers trail over her overly exposed breasts and I fight the urge to throw up.
I’m really fighting that shit right now because even though I like easy fun, I don’t enjoy overly eager participants. Or more like desperate hindering on the edge of bat shit crazy.
What the hell was I thinking when I slept with her last year?
Yeah, it was that long ago, and she still hasn’t gotten the memo…
I exhale, rubbing my eyes with my fingers because there is no nice way I can go about this – I tried that already. Let’s try rude and see if that works. “Look, Linsey, you and I”—I point between us—“are not going to happen. Ever. Okay? So, please drop it.”
She looks at me with tears in her eyes and I want to feel bad but then her nostrils flare, she fists her hands and stomps her foot. Yep. Stomps. Her. Fucking. Foot. “Never!” she yells loud enough for the whole Love Street to hear. “We are meant to be, Matty baby!”
“Never,” I deadpan and turn around, heading over to the address mom gave me without giving the “Stomping Larry” a second glance.
I swear this happens way more often than it should. I’m always so honest and straight up with them, yet still each one thinks she can be the one to take on a project called Matteo. Won’t happen, damn it, not to mention I’m way too young for that shit. I still have a lot of wild oats to sow and all that.
But despite Linsey putting a little damper in my day, I am still enjoying this little walk through my hometown. Loverly Cave is like nothing you’ll ever see anywhere else. It’s happiness and craziness bottled up into one and capped with a rainbow at the top with its cheery residents, colorful buildings, little out-there-named stores, and nature for days. I never thought my town was special until I left for college and discovered how rude the outside world is.
It takes me twice as long to get to Mom’s friend’s house because everyone stops me on my way, saying hello, shaking hands and telling me how excited they are for me to be home.
Like I said, LC is one of a kind.
Eventually, I reach the destination for this special mint, and it happens to be one of the old cottages up on the beach that the Levine sisters bought when they moved here in the spring.
I only met them briefly when they came to the bar, but I’ve known their boyfriends who are now their fiancés/husbands my whole life and those men are the-fucking-best! Alec and Jacob were my role models growing up and Luke always seemed very cool, but he left town when I was still a kid, so I don’t know him that well. But it’s clear they all remodeled these antiques and turned rotten, paint-peeling shoe boxes into chic, beach retreats.
The cottage I’m headed to is the bright pink one and right in front of it is a huge firepit I imagine they all use daily since the logs seem to be still hot from the night before. I should ask if I could join them one of these days. Sure, I’d be third—or seven—wheeling but whatever, I could use some friends since all of mine are back in college.
I climb up the few steps to the front door and gently knock. It’s still pretty early and I don’t want to wake anybody up. I turn around taking in the rest of the surroundings but curiously enough there is not one mint stem growing around here. There is not even a stray planter in sight.
Weird.
Maybe she grows them inside the house?
Oh hell, I don’t even know who I’m meeting here. Mom never gave me the name. I don’t think it’s Joy Levine who owns this place since she lives up in the woods with Jacob, plus from what I know about her she does not seem like a green thumb at all.
She’s more likely the one to pluck it all out.
A few moments pass and I knock again, this time a little louder because no one is answering the door and I have a feeling mom might make mint out of me if I don’t deliver this one. She was that eager to have it.