Remembrance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 4) (12 page)

During one of her adolescent moments over a year ago, she’d signed up to receive alerts every time one of the entertainment newsfeeds in the City pictured or mentioned Luke.  Not one of her proudest moments, but there it was.  Who knew that she would be pictured with him a year later?

The photographer who had taken the picture of them leaving lunch the week before had posted the photo of her getting into Luke’s limo with the caption that read,
So many redheads, so little time.
  It mentioned that the handsome CEO Luke Daniels was apparently stepping out on his model girlfriend, Vanessa Monroe, proving again that he was indeed still a ladies’ man. 

After seeing it, Janie had started the first round of texts from the week.

JC: 
Did u know we were dating?  How am I dating u and not gettin’ any?

She chuckled and waited for his response, which came moments later.

LD: 
U most assuredly would be gettin’ it if u were dating me.  So, what am I missing here?

She’d smiled, her body heating with arousal, and sent him the link to the photo and caption.  He’d responded a couple of minutes later.

LD: 
That’s a good picture of u.  Those boots look great.  As I knew they would.

JC: 
Maybe we can use this to our advantage.  Pull some men in with it for ur research w/ the list. I’m sure I’d be seen as much more appealing if men knew I snagged u.

LD:
  U don’t need to add a thing to be more appealing.  I told u. You’ve got the sparkle thing down pat.

JC:
  Sparkle, shmarkle.  Use it if it will find me a man, Daniels.

LD:
  What’s the emoticon for an eye roll?

JC:
  Now ur just being mean. 

LD: 
I need to call my mom before she sees this or she’ll start planning the wedding. I’m assuming you’d like to have a say in the color scheme before she goes crazy.

JC:  I would like a say, yes, but I trust your mother completely.  She has great taste.

LD:  She’ll be happy to hear it. P.S. I forgot to give u ur dress and heels again after salsa dancing.  I’ll drop them by this week sometime.

That last text from him had made her stomach a nervous wreck and had caused butterflies to take root every time she thought of his words. 

As if her mind hadn’t already been taken up with all things male related, now she sat staring at her phone while waiting for the girls, looking at the current Facebook message that had just come in.
 

Blinking disbelievingly, she focused her eyes again to make sure she was reading the message correctly:

Hey there, stranger.  It’s been a while.  U look great, btw.  Would love to meet up for some drinks.  R u interested?  -Chaz Cardosa

Chaz the Razz had sent her a Facebook message.  She couldn’t believe it.  Her stomach flipped as memories of her childhood flooded back.  Years of him laughing, tormenting, making comments about her boobs.  They’d had a ton of classes together so she’d seen him a lot over her four years in high school, especially since their graduating class was fairly small, just over 100 students.

She’d always laughed him off to his face.  That’s how she’d dealt with all comments about her weight when she was younger.  She’d always given back as good as she’d gotten, and knowing Chaz, he probably hadn’t even known how much she’d been hurting.  She was the master at putting on a happy face. 

How the hell should she respond?  He obviously had seen her current pictures.  She made it a point never to post old ones of herself.  She’d lived that life already and didn’t want to dwell on it any more than she had to.  There was only one reason why he would want to touch base.

He apparently liked what he saw.

She felt a perverse pleasure in knowing he now thought she was pretty, worth asking out.  He had been a popular, good looking guy in high school.  A guy most girls wanted.  Maybe she should go out with him just so he could have a look at what she’d never let him have.  Flipping quickly through his own pictures, she noted he’d gotten only more handsome.  Dark and Italian; she was definitely a sucker for
that look in a man. 

Saying yes to his friend request, she responded that she was a chef and had a big catering job she was preparing for the following weekend, but that she’d be in touch with him after that.  That would at least buy her some time. 

She heard the call box go off and ran to buzz the first of the girls in only to see Emily through the peephole moments later.  Janie opened the door with a clang and smiled.  They hugged then Emily walked in and gave her the wine she’d brought, kicked off her heels and tossed her purse on the floor.

“I need cheese and wine
right now.  I so have PMS.”

“Let’s get you some cheese and wine, then.”  She led Emily into the kitchen area, where she’d already laid out finger food and wine glasses.

“Did you see that text from Ryann before?” Em asked with an eyebrow raise.

“Yeah, apparently there’s some news.  Do you think –?”

“Yes, I
think
.  Mike’s been very secretive this week, with little smiles here and there every time Jem or Ryann’s names are mentioned.”

Janie smiled so hard her face hurt.  “Oh my gosh.  I’m so frickin’ excited!”

Emily smiled just as big.  “We’ll know for sure soon.”

The knocks on the door continued.  The next of the women to arrive was Luke’s twin sister, Tiffany Daniels, formerly known as Tiffany Daniels-Hewitt.  She’d recently changed back to her maiden name, finally shedding herself of the cheating ex-husband politician she’d been married to for close to a decade.  She was the tallest and oldest of the bunch at 32 years old, reaching
close to 5’10”.  Like her brother, she had olive toned skin with black hair and light blue eyes, was willowy in build and always dressed impeccably.  She was brilliant, charming and sweet.  Due to her divorce, she was definitely working on some insecurities and Janie was looking forward to the day she would be completely whole again.  That would be the day Tiffany would be unstoppable.

The last to arrive of Janie’s favorite female companions were Ryann and Ayanna, their eyes conspicuously red.  Janie was immediately worried, but when Ryann held up her hand as soon as she walked in, everyone started screaming, hugging and crying. 

On the ring finger of her left hand sat an enormous diamond engagement ring.

Janie was jumping up and down screaming, Emily was laughing, and Tiffany was wiping her eyes. 

“Is my cousin finally going to make you an honest woman?” Janie asked in between screams.

Ryann nodded while Ayanna had her arm around her.  They were both still crying from the ride over.  Although the two of them had grown up in Jersey together and had been best friends for ages, they couldn’t be more different.

Ayanna, the complete antithesis in coloring and temperament to her childhood friend, was a stunner of Sri Lankan heritage.  She stood at 5’6”, had long straight black hair, latte colored skin and light brown sparkly eyes.  She was slim and perfect with a mouth on her that would make even the most seasoned sailor blush.  Although she’d been trying to clean it up as of late, she still swore more creatively than any person Janie knew.  A talented chef who’d trained at
Le Cordon Bleu
, which coincidently was where Janie had been trained, Ayanna was also a popular food blogger and was set to become Janie’s new partner in the catering business at the start of the New Year.   

Once they’d all had their glasses filled, they found comfortable spots to lounge all over the living area to shoot the shit as women often did when they were together.  They all looked at the twinkling Christmas lights wound around Janie’s mini tree and smiled over the joy of the season and being with each other.

“To Ryann for finding her love.  And to Tiffany,” Janie said, raising her glass.  “I know your birthday is still twelve days away, but may your 33
rd
year be better than your 32
nd
, my friend.”

“Hear, hear,” they all said and took swigs from their glasses.

“Alright, Ry,” Janie said.  “Spill it and don’t leave out any details.”

Ryann wiped at her nose, still trying to gain some control over her emotions. 

“Last night, we went out to dinner, no biggie.  And when we got home, there was a gift wrapped box on the coffee table.  It wasn’t there before we’d left, but when we had been in the car about to leave for the restaurant, Jeremy said he’d forgotten his wallet and had to run back inside so I’m assuming that’s when he put it there.  Anyway,” she took a deep breath, “I asked him what it was and he just told me to open it.”  She swallowed.  “It was a pair of Brian Atwood black suede ankle boots.  They’re gorgeous, with an ostrich feather on the top.  So after I screamed and kissed him, I asked what the occasion was and he said he hadn’t bought me shoes before and loved watching me walk around in them, so,” she shrugged and laughed a little.

Jeremy did love her in heels, and given her shoe fetish, the two of them were perfect together. 

“So he asked me to try them on and when I did, I felt this thing in the toe of the boot, so I made this sound because it scraped my toe and,” she started crying again, “when I took off the boot to feel inside,” she paused and looked at them, “it was the ring.”  She couldn’t stop crying, and neither could the rest of them.  “Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

They all took another moment to send around hugs and kisses, tears and congratulations.

“He wants to get married on the 4
th
of July,” Ryann said significantly.  “So it has a better memory attached to it.  And because he said that’s when he knew he didn’t want to live without me.”

They all nodded in understanding.  A half a year earlier on Independence Day, they’d all been at Jem’s brownstone for a 4
th
of July barbeque.  Ryann had painted a picture for Jem as a gift and had left it at the Institute to keep it hidden from him.  She’d snuck out of the party for a very short time to run and get it so she could surprise him with it after their party, but while at the Institute she’d walked in on an art theft in progress and had been shot by the thief. 

To say that Jem was beside himself would be putting it mildly.  He’d thought he’d lost her that night, and it was after that event that Ryann had moved in with him because Jeremy had sworn he wouldn’t sleep another night without her by his side.

They all sighed at how happy they were for her, and over the next two hours, they caught up on their jobs, their lives…their men.  Well, all except for Tiffany and Janie, which didn’t seem to escape the notice of the other three girls.

“Any more news on the good doctor?” Ryann asked Tiffany.  “You invited him to salsa dancing so something’s definitely up.”

“I thought he would enjoy seeing everyone,” she shrugged, looking innocent and slightly embarrassed.

“He seemed to enjoy movin’ out there with you,” Emily said, taking a sip of wine.

“I seriously thought I was going to explode.  He is so fricking hot,” Tiffany said fanning herself.  “I wish my brain didn’t go on the fritz every time I was around him.  And that I didn’t get diarrhea of the mouth, for that matter.”

They all groaned at her imagery and laughed.  Tiffany was always near panic whenever around Dr. Drew, and could never seem to stop talking.

“Well, at least you had a good time.  You’re just getting to know each other and getting over a bad marriage.  You don’t need to rush anything,” Ryann said.

“I know.  But shit, when I’m in his presence?  I wouldn’t mind rushing into something if you know what I mean.  I mean, have you seen that man’s muscles?  And that smile. 
Dios
,” Tiffany said, downing her wine and pouring herself another.

They all laughed and then moved on to Janie.  She told them about her Facebook message from Chaz the Razz.

“Are you going to go out with him?” Ryann asked incredulously.

“You should go out with him just to show him what he’ll never have,” Ayanna demanded.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Janie said.

“Yeah, but if he was a total dick to you, why would you even wanna see him?”  This question came from Emily.

“I know, I know.  But there is some sweet revenge to be had there.”

“True,” Emily said.  “Just be careful.  Meet at a place separately and all that.  He could still be a dick.”

Janie blew Emily a kiss.  “I love you.  I haven’t decided yet if I’m going, but if I do, I’ll be careful.”  She paused.  “But it sure would be great to shove it in his face, you know?”

“You should do it.”  It was a typical comment for Ayanna to make.  “It’ll boost your confidence even more.  One and done.  Just some drinks, then walk away.”

Janie thought about it while taking another sip of wine.  Finally she turned to Emily.  “How’s the packing going?”  Emily and Janie’s brother had found a place after weeks of looking and were moving in together between Christmas and New Year’s.

“Great.  We’re almost done.  It’s gonna be so nice not to have to shuttle back and forth.  Have one bed, one set of everything.”  Emily’s eyes took on a faraway look.