Mixed Connection (Cypress Lake Reunion #1)

9. Chapter 9

9

*J-babe changed group chat to General HOES*

J-babe

Get me General Tso’s chicken and lo mein.

You’ve got no sense. *crying laughing emoji*

Lo, I want wings and fried rice.

B

LOL Holding down the fort, but order me something, send it down here.

Lo

I’ll drop it off before I go up babe!

Tonight is Janelle’s last in Cypress Lake before her leave is up. We opted to stay in and order Chinese as an easy, going away dinner, not that we need an excuse to be in our pajamas with lo mein and bourbon chicken.

Paloma placed the order and picked it up on her way to my place. We are waiting on Janelle as I grab a few drinks from the fridge before a knock echoes.

“I’ll get it!” Paloma yells from the living room. “It’s Janelle babe, grab an extra drink.”

“I’m just going to bring out glasses and the pitcher.”

Giving Janelle a side hug, I set everything down on the coffee table. “Sweet tea with lime, of course. We know you have an early flight tomorrow and don’t want you sweating about alcohol.”

Glancing over my shoulder with a smirk, I can see both the girls’ gaping mouths at the thought of not having cocktails. Holding in my laughter, I toss an ice cube at them and make my way back to the kitchen. “Calm down you lushes, I’m grabbing the sangria from the fridge!” I yell as I dip into the fridge, grabbing what I need, along with a few extra orange slices for our glasses.

“That’s what I thought,” Janelle jokes before she continues. “I have an announcement! I have one more day, some things got shifted around and I leave the day after tomorrow.” She looks at the both of us, hope filling her eyes.

“What I’m hearing is a pool day is in order?” Paloma dances, shimmying her shoulders as she makes her way closer to Janelle.

“Hell yes!” Janelle matches Lo’s energy before they’re both pelvic thrusting and dancing with finger guns. I join in with a few body rolls as I put on music that thumps loudly, before pulling them both into an embrace. “Fuck, I’m so glad you’re here for another day!”

“Spill it, babe! We need to know how dinner went, you’ve kept us waiting all night.” Janelle glances at me from under her lashes with a playfully judgmental look, one that she knows will get me talking.

I shrug at both of them. “We had dinner and caught up, then he walked me to my door.”

“Bitch, please!” They holler in unison, I wave them off.

“Okay, okay!” Not wanting to keep them in suspense any longer, I fill them in about The Republic and our conversation. Both watch me intently as I continue on about how it felt like we had always known each other.

“Wait a minute,” Janelle speaks up as I finally take a moment to sip my sangria. This recipe is totally going to be available in the bar, I can’t stop drinking it and neither can the girls if the almost-empty pitcher tells me anything. “Did you say he buckled you in?”

“Yes?” I say, looking down at my fluffy bunny slipper-clad feet. Though it feels like we haven’t missed out on several years, we have and I’m not completely sure what her response is about to be.

“That. Is. So. Fucking. Hot,” Janelle yells, emphasizing every single word. The three of us all but melt into our spots. I rock my hips side to side to quell my jitters building at the memory. It was one of my favorite parts of the night. Did it surprise me? Absolutely it did, but I also felt so taken care of and it was sexy as hell.

Paloma purses her lips at me and I continue, filling them in on how breathless he left me before I got in the loft. “I can’t believe he just left after a kiss like that.”

“Honestly, I’m glad he did. I really like Jameson and want to see where this goes. I refuse to be a passing fling.” I down the rest of my drink. Lifting the container of sangria in an attempt to pour myself another hefty glass. I shift my gaze to the empty pitcher realizing we’ve finished it. I let out a soft sigh and say quietly, “I just…I just can’t be someone’s backup or late-night romp in the sheets. I want more.” I voice the one insecurity I have as it presses against my skin.

Not ready to lift my gaze to them, I watch my fingers as they grip the glass pitcher more tightly. This shame always seems to well up in me at the worst, and most unexpected moments. Until I met my best friend, I always felt like I was everyone’s second choice—my so-called friends, family, hell, even my parents. Mom and Dad left me a gift I can never repay them for in my inheritance, but before they passed they were swamped with getting ahead in their career fields. Even when they were home, they weren’t, they were too consumed with each other, or making their deadlines to be emotionally available for me.

I frequently found myself feeling as though I’d never be good enough to warrant their time or attention. I’d never be their top priority, they’d proven how little I mattered in the grand scheme of life over and over again. And like the melodramatic millennial I am, I resigned myself to not finding a man who would place me first. I just couldn’t understand why choosing myself had to feel so fucking lonely. Tears sting my eyes, I refuse to cry another tear over something I’ve left in the past.

But when it comes to the possibility of what Jameson and I can be—the driving want rattles me. Of course, I’ve had a few really great boyfriends but the relationships fizzled out eventually.

Knocking me out of my thoughts, Janelle grips my elbow and pulls the pitcher away from me at the same moment Paloma comes to sit at my side.

“You are not alone anymore, Cass. We’re here… and no, we will never ring you for a late-night romp, as you so eloquently put it.” She smirks at me and I breathe out more of a groan than the laugh I was hoping for, letting my best friend’s words ease me a bit.

Janelle picks up where she left off. “I know we aren’t what you are longing for, but we choose you, the first time, and every single time thereafter.”

Whatever floodgates I erected, collapse at their words. The dam for my tears finally breaks upon hearing their admission; healing the longing of belonging I always begged to find. Something I think we all need as we sob holding one another.

“Oh and bitch, it’s called a booty call!” And just like that, Paloma has us all in a fit of laughter.

Getting up, Janelle refreshes our glasses with the sweet tea I originally brought out, and Paloma searches for a show to watch, while I make my way to the bathroom to wash my face.

Walking into my bedroom feels like the breath of fresh air I need, this part of my home is my true sanctuary and my lips twitch into a soft smile. The only lights that are on are the dim, motion-activated ones beneath my bed along with the glow from my phone on my nightstand. We promised to put our phones out of sight while we are together tonight and I took that seriously.

I gently shake my head, feeling my curls sway at the motion. Nope. I’m not going to answer the phone, or even look at it. I quickly relieve myself and then wash my hands and face. Snagging the towel I know is there, even in the dark, I pat my face dry.

Before I can make it out of the bedroom, my phone lights up again and this time I can’t pass up temptation.

Jameson

I want to see you again.

It was really great catching up with you, and I would love to keep doing it.

Doing what?

Kissing me senseless…

I don’t know why, but I can’t help myself. I want to tell him how much I enjoy spending time with him too, but his little bubbles pop up, beating me to it.

Jameson

Senseless, hm?

I’m having a girls’ night, lol. But yes, completely senseless.

Jameson

I’m free this week.

I would love to see you again this week.

Can we talk about it tomorrow?

The girls and I promised each other to put our phones away since it’s the last weekend Janelle is here.

Jameson

Of course! Tell J-Dog I said hey.

I will, Bulldozer.

Jameson

*winky face*

I wait a couple of beats to see if he sends anything else, before placing my phone back down on my nightstand and rejoining the girls.

I wave my hand when I catch sight of the newly-filled pitcher of sangria set on the coffee table. Janelle is the one to speak up this time, “Babe, I love you, but you need more wine. Also, never say late-night romp again.”

Paloma snickers in the corner of the couch and I snap my eyes at her before laughter tumbles out of my mouth. Why the hell did I call it a romp? It felt right at the time. “I’m never living this down, am I?”

“Absolutely not!” they both shout just as I plop down next to Paloma, pulling Janelle down with me. “I’m so glad to have you two. You’re both staying the night,” I state, not wanting either of them to leave. “Besides, tomorrow is a pool day, so there’s no point in leaving.”

“Sounds like the perfect night, just like old times,” Janelle agrees.

Lo pushes herself to the edge of the couch, pouring each of us a refill of the deep-purple wine, and nods into a cheers.

“First choice.”

“First choice,” we echo back to her.

Three more glasses of wine later, the ending credits to one of my favorite nineties witchy movies plays in the background, and we pull ourselves off of the living room rug. The couch was putting us to sleep, so the genius that I am, figured we could all try to make one another levitate. Just like they do in the movie, except we were all tipsy and couldn’t seem to get the saying right, no matter how many times we watched the film in our teens—the wine working against us. Paloma and I must have chanted “light as a feather, stiff as a whore” until our fingers cramped up and giggles echoed off the walls. By the time we caught our breaths, we couldn’t feel our butts from sitting on the floor for so long. Things go numb!

“Okay babes, though it pains me”—Janelle clutches her hand to her heart in a false expression of agony—“I have got to get some sleep! Point me to my palace of slumber so I can pass the fuck out.”

Pulling myself up from the couch, I grab Janelle’s hand and lead her to the guest room. She halts her steps in the hallway, causing me to stop and look back at her, trying to see what made her stop.

Still holding my hand, she levels her eyes with mine, catching me off guard with her next words. “Take it from me, Cass. I know him a lot better than most after being friends for so long, you are never going to be second place or a fling for Jameson.” I nod my head in understanding. I know she’s right about that bulldozer of a man, but having been second choice so many times before rallies my thoughts. But I know it to be true, somehow; I can feel it in my bones, in the way he pays attention when I speak and how he looks at me.

We make it into the room and she throws herself on the bed. I make myself busy by grabbing her a t-shirt and shorts from the dresser. Once I turn around, clothing in hand, I notice she’s already sound asleep. I swear, she and Lo can fall asleep anywhere. It blows my mind and pisses me off. I laugh at no one but myself, knowing that it takes an act of God himself, to help me fall asleep.

Silently I mouth the word wow and flick the light switch off, making my way back to the living room to check on Paloma. I find her in the kitchen, throwing away the empty boxes of takeout and putting our wine glasses in the dishwasher. I could waste time and tell her she doesn’t have to clean up but this is how she shows love, and I appreciate her for it. Besides, if I were to say anything at all she would wave away my concerns. So instead, I squeeze her bicep a bit and say, “You’re the best. Thank you, Lo.”

“I’m going to crash out here.” She smiles at me before walking to the couch and launching herself into the pillows. The guest room is technically her room on the rare occasion she stays over. She loves the couch more than the pillow top mattress that Janelle is currently snuggled up on.

“You know where everything is! Night, Lo.”

Her goodnight is muffled by the pillow she’s smothering herself with, and I pad my way back to my bedroom.

Maybe Janelle was right because when I pull the covers over me, popping one foot out to keep me cool, I have a goodnight message waiting for me from the bulldozer himself. He was definitely the hot topic of the night and seems to be within my dreams as well.