No Ordinary Love (A Modern Vintage Romance #5)

27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Amara

G emma and I arrived early at Magnolia's and sat at the bar to catch up before the others arrived.

Magnolia's managed to be both upscale and cozy. With its polished mahogany bar, dim lighting, and walls adorned with local art, the air was thick with the scent of bourbon and citrus—a sure sign this place knew how to make a proper cocktail.

We perched on plush leather stools and waited to get the attention of the bartender, a tall guy with a beard.

He flashed us a grin as he shook up drinks. His name tag read Ritchie, and he moved with the kind of practiced ease that only comes from years of experience.

"What can I get you ladies tonight?" Ritchie asked, his voice a deep rumble that matched the bar's ambiance perfectly.

"I'll take a French 75." I needed a light drink but with a kick.

"Whiskey sour, extra sour," Gemma added, grinning at me. "Gotta keep the edge."

Ritchie set to work, the sound of ice clinking in the shaker as he mixed our drinks. I watched as he poured the pale champagne and gin mixture into a flute, topping it off with a twist of lemon. Gemma's whiskey sour was poured into a heavy glass, the liquid a rich amber with a frothy egg white top and a garnish of a single maraschino cherry.

"I told him I loved him," I confessed to Gemma, who, along with Basil, was getting a play-by-play of everything happening in my relationship with Lucas.

" Hallelujah !"

"I think I finally gave up because I'm desperate for…."

"Dick?" Gemma quirked an eyebrow.

I flushed. It was too much to assume Ritchie didn't hear us because he did. He grinned wide as he placed our drinks on napkins. "Here you go, ladies. Enjoy."

I raised the glass to my lips, tasting the bubbly sweetness of the French 75 with just enough tartness to make me pucker. Gemma held up her glass in a toast, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"To you getting some tonight." Her tone dripped with amusement.

" Whatever ." I clinked my glass against hers.

"You happy?" Gemma asked.

I thought about it and nodded. "I…he's really made an effort, you know?"

"I know."

"I still can't believe Basil helped him with that women's health communication project idea." I swirled my drink and watched the bubbles float up.

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think you guys liked Lucas. He's not…you know, an academic and is probably a little spoiled."

"You mean like Jax?" Gemma stated.

I smiled. "I guess. We all like Jax."

" And we all like Lucas. We didn't like that he hurt you. We don't doubt he loves you, Amara. I think he's being sincere when he tells you how he's working on himself."

"I'm working on myself, too." I lifted my glass and took a sip. "I'm getting better at telling him how I feel and not assuming he can read my mind."

"This is why I don't do relationships," Gemma declared.

"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes. "You and Basil are in a relationship."

"We're friends who have sex," she protested.

"That's the definition of being in a relationship," I said, exasperated.

Gemma burst out laughing. "OMG! That's so true."

We settled into our usual banter, which came easily after years of friendship. Gemma filled me in on her latest situationship —a term she'd coined for her struggles with a colleague who she was working on a paper with. The colleague, a male, expected Gemma to do all the work, but he wanted his name as the lead author. The dean had suggested a male lead author would make the paper more readily accepted by journals, which was a reality in our world, regardless of how unfair it was.

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the wrong university, you know?" Gemma finished her drink and waved to Ritchie for a refill, who nodded at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think, as an African American woman, I'd do better in California or New York? Maybe Chicago?"

"Our Chancellor is a woman of color, Gemma. No matter where you are, there are inevitable struggles in academia and the corporate world. I'm not going to pretend discrimination doesn't exist at our university—it does. But with professors like us, we're driving change. Young women look at us and see that one day, they could have our jobs."

Gemma sighed and thanked Ritchie when he set a fresh drink in front of her.

"I just feel like shit today. I'm tired of constantly being in conflict with this asshole."

"Can't blame you there." I put a hand on her shoulder. "But hey, at least you're not giving up. That's more than most people can say."

"Let's hope I have something to show for it."

I was about to respond when the bar's door swung open, letting in a blast of cool evening air and two women I'd been hoping to avoid.

Kath and Shelby made their way to the bar, all sharp heels and sharper looks, and I felt my stomach tighten involuntarily.

Everyone knew everyone at Magnolia's and that familiarity could either be a blessing or a curse. Tonight, it was the latter. I looked at my watch and moaned inwardly because Lucas, Basil, and the others wouldn't be here for another half hour, which was when our dinner reservation was for.

Kath's eyes zeroed in on me almost immediately, and she nudged Shelby as they made their way toward us. Kath was in a sleek black dress that hugged her curves, and Shelby was in an equally chic outfit. They looked like they'd just stepped out of a high-fashion magazine spread, but I knew better than to be impressed. I knew what was beneath the glossy exterior.

"Amara, Gemma," Kath greeted us, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she leaned against the bar. "How lovely to see you here."

Shelby snickered, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between us. "Didn't expect to run into you two."

"Funny," Gemma shot back, her tone biting. "We could say the same thing."

Kath's smile didn't reach her eyes as she looked me in the eye. "So, Amara, how's life? Still, playing with Jax? Or have you moved on to something more…in your league?"

"Or someone more in her league," Shelby quipped.

"Christ, you both are like mean girls from high school," Gemma snapped. "Seriously? Grow the fuck up."

Kath glared at Gemma.

"Get going, ladies; we're not interested in chit-chatting with you." I waved a hand at them as if they were wild animals I was shooing away.

Kath's eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly covered it with a tight-lipped smile. "Amara, I pity you. No matter how much you pine after Lucas, you'll never have him. He's a Covington—and he's mine ."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I picked up my glass and raised it in a mock toast.

They were hoping for a showdown, hoping I'd get upset. But the truth was, they were just behaving like mean girls, exactly as Gemma had pointed out. And I realized, with a sudden sense of calm, that they didn't bother me. For the first time since meeting Lucas, I felt completely secure about him and about us. I trusted him. He wasn't going anywhere except my bed.

Shelby scoffed, clearly unimpressed, but there was a hint of unease in her eyes. "You're out of your depth with Lucas."

"Maybe," I replied nonchalantly. "But at least I'm not drowning in my bitterness."

Gemma grinned at Shelby. "I hear that Flynn is sleeping with his tennis coach. How do you stand all that infidelity?"

"Shut up," Shelby choked out. "He's not."

"He is." Gemma was enjoying the show, especially since she'd been telling me to fight back when Lucas's family and friends behaved poorly.

Kath's expression hardened. "You bitch! Well, we'll see how long that confidence lasts. I doubt Lucas will be around to catch you when you fall."

I smiled a slow, satisfied smile that made Kath's eyes narrow. "I'm not the one who needs catching, Kath. Maybe you should think about who's really standing on shaky ground."

"Kath, Shelby," Lucas spoke softly.

Kath and Shelby turned to face my boyfriend. I wished I could see their faces.

"I don't think you're doing anyone any good by making a scene here at Magnolia's."

Kath cleared her throat. "We were just saying hello to Amara and Gemma, and they were the ones who—"

"I'm not talking to you, Kath; you're not my problem. But Shelby, if you speak to my girlfriend—and future wife—that way you just did, you and I are going to have bigger problems than we already do."

Shelby was taken aback. Lucas never admonished her. He was the indulgent brother who let his baby sister run amok.

"Lucas, what's wrong with you?" she asked shakily.

"Everything is right with me, darlin'. Now, there are several restaurants close by; I insist you go eat elsewhere."

"You can't tell us—" Kath began, but fell silent when Lucas glared at her pointedly.

"Keep your voice down," Lucas muttered. "You're on thin ice with me, Kath, so don't push it. Please, leave, find another restaurant."

Once Kath and Shelby left, Lucas came to me and dropped a kiss on my mouth. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. I'm awesome."

"Yes, you are, Tesoro ."

Gemma raised her drink. "Now, that was entertaining."

"I need a big drink," Lucas said in response but he was smiling wide.