My First Kiss by Isla Drake
Chapter 1
“I’m telling you, Piper,” I say, lowering my empty glass to the table. “I’m serious this time. I’m done with men. They all suck.”
Piper laughs, but then she shrugs, looking at the diamond ring flashing on her left hand. “I don’t know,” she says. “Some of them are okay.”
I roll my eyes at her because it’s obvious she’s been blinded by love and great sex. And maybe by that shiny diamond on her finger.
“You found the last decent man in Georgia,” I say, referring to Luke Wolfe, the man who put that diamond on her finger and the smile on her face. “The rest are trash.”
Piper laughs again. We both know I don’t really believe all men are trash. But when you’ve been let down by as many men as I have in the past few years, it starts to feel like they’re all the same. But I’ve seen the way Luke treats Piper, so I know good men are out there. It just sometimes feels like all the good guys are either taken or fictional.
Piper and Luke haven’t even been dating for a year, but it’s clear those two are head-over-heels in love. I wasn’t surprised in the least when Piper showed up at my salon last week sporting the gorgeous ring on her left hand. I’d gushed over the rock while she’d told me the romantic story of how Luke had proposed. It really is a beautiful ring, and Luke is an amazing guy. But that isn’t enough to convince me not to give up on the dating game. I’m sick of wasting my time getting to know some guy and believing he’s different, only to find out I’m wrong again and he’s another loser. No, thank you. I’m over it.
“You ever think that maybe you’ve been looking in the wrong place?” Piper’s sister Layna chimes in from her seat across from me.
I scoff. “I shouldn’t have to go on some kind of epic quest to find a good man. I’m not searching for lost treasure here. I’m just looking for a decent guy who won’t cheat on me or steal from me. A guy who will occasionally hold open the door for me and let me use the only umbrella when it’s raining. One who remembers to put the damned toilet seat down, so I don’t fall in when I get up to pee in the middle of the night! It’s literally the bare minimum. It’s not rocket science.”
We all laugh, but I’m not completely joking. My list of items for what constitutes a decent man has gotten smaller over the past few years. I don’t think I’m asking for much, but it seems like I have a knack for finding losers, liars, and cheaters. The last two guys I dated both cheated on me. The guy before that stole my TV before he left. What kind of person steals someone’s TV during a break-up? A loser. That’s what kind. Which brings me back to being done with men.
I refill my glass from the pitcher of margaritas in the center of the table and take a large sip. I’d insisted on this girl’s night out with Piper after the most recent loser broke things off via text. I’m not really all that upset over him ending things. It’s not like we were soulmates or anything. But when a guy who couch-surfs his way across the county and can’t keep a job dumps you, your pride takes a hit. I can’t even hang on to a guy who doesn’t have a place to stay or steady employment? What’s wrong with me?
That’s why I’d called Piper to come out with me. I hadn’t wanted to be alone with my own self-pitying thoughts. It turns out that Layna had shown up for a surprise visit and the two of them had been looking for something to do. Now, we’re all out at Peach Tree’s most popular bar and grill, Peach Fuzz, drinking margaritas and munching on loaded fries.
“So, Layna,” I say, glancing over to the woman seated across from me. “How’s Atlanta?”
She shrugs and sips her drink. “Same city, different day,” she says, not looking up from the tabletop.
It’s easy to see that she doesn’t want to talk about Atlanta. Maybe she’s having issues at work. I don’t know, but I’m not going to pry. I don’t know her well enough to dig into her personal life. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. I turn to Piper, intending to change the subject, but I notice she’s studying her sister. It’s clear she has no qualms about interrogating Layna on her life because she turns to face her fully.
“Spill it,” Piper says. “What happened?”
Layna rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but I notice she doesn’t meet Piper’s gaze. “Nothing,” she says. “I just wanted to come see you.”
“You came to see me 2 weeks ago,” Piper says. “Not that I’m not happy you’re here. I am. But that’s a lot quicker than our usual time between visits. So, I ask you again: What happened?”
Layna blows out a sigh. “I quit my job,” she says.
“What?!” Piper’s shout draws the eyes of a few nearby patrons, but she ignores them, focusing all her attention on her sister. “You can’t just quit your job.”
Layna shrugs. “Well, I did.”
Piper stares at Layna, her mouth opening and closing as if she can’t decide what to say. Eventually, she settles on, “Why?”
Layna takes a big sip of her drink before shooting her sister a bright smile that looks anything but happy. “I realized how much I hate that job and everyone at that company. It was making me miserable. So, I made a list of pros and cons. When the cons outweighed the pros, I just said, ‘fuck it,’ and quit.”
“A list?” Piper blinks at her sister.
Layna nods. “Yep.”
Fishing around in her purse, she produces a folded sheet of notebook paper and hands it to Piper.
“Right here.”
Piper takes the paper from her sister and unfolds it to read what’s written on it. It takes her only a second to shoot her sister another look of disbelief.
“This isn’t a list,” she says. “A list has more than one thing on it.”
Layna shrugs again. “Just proves I made the right choice.”
I reach over and take the paper from Piper’s hand to read it. Under the ‘Pro’ column, there’s one item written in neat, swirling cursive. It just says, “pays well.” The list of cons is significantly longer, filling line after line with everything from “boring” to “soul-sucking” to “too far from Piper”. I can’t help but smile as I hand the list back to Layna.
Everything I know about the other woman says she’s not the impulsive type. Neither of the Brooks sisters are. They’re both logical and methodical, thinking through a plan before acting on it. But this? This reminds me of something I would have done. Hell, I did something like this when I left Atlanta to come back to Peach Tree. While it had been a difficult transition and I know having a plan would have made my life easier, I can’t help but approve of Layna’s spontaneity.
“To a fresh start,” I say, smiling as I raise my margarita.
Layna gives me a relieved smile while Piper casts me a disapproving frown. But she raises her glass along with us. After we all clink our glasses and take a sip, Piper turns back to her sister.
“You can stay with me and Luke until you figure out what you’re going to do next,” she says.
Layna starts shaking her head before Piper can finish her sentence. “Thanks for the offer, but there’s no way I’m crashing the newly engaged couple’s house. I’m not cock blocking you.”
“You’re my sister,” Piper says through her laughter. “You wouldn’t be crashing. Besides, I’m inviting you. That’s the opposite of crashing.”
“I’ll stay tonight,” Layna says. “But tomorrow, I’ll be looking for my own place.”
“Are you moving here permanently, then?” I ask.
Layna hesitates, taking a deep breath and blowing it out before speaking. “Yeah,” she nods. “I am. I want to be closer to my sister. And once I sell my condo in Atlanta, I’ll have more than enough money to find a place here.”
“Are you serious?” Piper squeals, hugging her sister.
Layna laughs, nodding. “Yes!”
I can’t help but smile at the two of them. I grew up an only child, so I never had the closeness that comes with having siblings. I always wanted it, though. Having Piper as a friend these past few months has been as close as I’ve ever come to having a sister.
“What about work?” Piper asks, sobering a little. “Not much call for corporate lawyers in this little town.”
Layna shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about a career change. There’s more to being a lawyer than corporate. I’ve got options.”
I nod. “If nothing else, maybe one of my exes can hire you to defend him.”
We all laugh, but I’m not entirely joking.
“I’ll figure something out,” Layna says once the laughter dies down. “I have time.”
“You can stay with me,” I say, shrugging. When she looks hesitant, I roll my eyes. "There's definitely no cock to block where I'm concerned. I've taken a vow of celibacy since the last asshole left, remember?"
The girls both laugh but I roll my eyes.
"Shut up. I'm taking a break from men. They're too much trouble and I'm sick of the bullshit. I can get myself off with far less trouble. I just need to figure out what to do with all his shit."
“What shit?” Piper asks.
I wave a dismissive hand. "Tools. I don't know. A bunch of random shit he left behind. It’s all just sitting in the hallway by the front door. I haven’t had time to get rid of it.”
"Sell it online,” Layna suggests.
Piper shrugs. “It could be worth something.”
I shake my head. “That’s too much effort. I'd rather just donate it.”
Layna leans toward me across the table and points at me as if to emphasize her words. "You already donated your time and energy trying to domesticate that asshole. You should get paid for that. If he's not coming to get his crap, sell it."
Her vehemence makes me laugh. I don’t know Layna as well as I do Piper, but I think she and I are going to get along just fine.
"Besides,” Piper says, “Didn't you loan him the money to buy that stuff?"
I wince in embarrassment at the reminder that yes, I had helped him buy those tools. I feel my anger rise up all over again when I think of Derek the cheater. Who does he think he is? Why the hell shouldn't I sell his crap?
"Maybe I will sell it,” I say, raising my glass to my lips for another drink. “Someone owes me for all the time I spent babysitting him.”
Layna laughs. “Hopefully it wasn’t all bad. Was he at least good in bed?”
I roll my eyes as I remember the few times I’d slept with him. I wasn’t impressed. “Hardly,” I say. “How do I say this in a diplomatic way?” I think it over for a few seconds. “He had excellent equipment, but he lacked the skill or initiative to utilize it to its full potential.”
Layna shakes her head and Piper laughs. “Damn shame,” Layna says. “Why do all the hot, well-hung guys act like they’re too good to learn how to use their gifts?”
“You don’t hear me complaining,” Piper mutters from behind her margarita glass.
Her face goes red as we all erupt into laughter that goes on for far longer than it should. Piper isn’t usually the one to make dirty jokes. That’s usually my job. That, coupled with the alcohol probably explains why we’re all laughing so hard.
“Lucky bitch,” I say through my laughter.
“Am I allowed to hear the joke?” A male voice breaks in, causing us all to go quiet.
I feel an immediate thrill at the deep, familiar tone. Heat spreads through me, starting low in my belly and working its way up. I work hard to school my features into something neutral before turning to face him. Lincoln Prescott.
Linc.
Damn it. He looks hot. Of course, he does. He always looks hot. His long, dark hair is pulled back from his face in a ponytail and he’s wearing a dark green T-shirt that hugs his broad shoulders along with a pair of jeans that fit him so well it should be illegal. I’m not sure how one man manages to make jeans and a t-shirt look so damned hot, but Linc somehow pulls it off.
I say a silent prayer of thanks that I put maximum effort into my hair and makeup tonight. Not that it matters, because I’m not trying to impress Linc. Or any man, for that matter. All at once, I realize that everyone is looking to me to answer Linc’s question. Flustered, I shake my head and wave a hand in dismissal.
“Just an inside joke,” I say, hoping the girls won’t elaborate. The last thing I want is to discuss my past relationships with Linc. The very idea of it makes me slightly nauseated. I don’t realize that Linc’s not alone until I spot his brother, Cole standing behind him. Cole gives us all a smile of greeting.
“Ladies,” he says, flashing his winning dimples for all to see. “I trust you’re having a nice night out?”
Cole is the owner of the Peach Fuzz and he and Linc are best friends with Piper’s fiancé. Before Piper and I became friends, I could count on one hand the number of times I’d come to this bar. But now, it seems like we’re here every other week. Which means that I’ve run into Linc more in the past few months than I did in the 10 years since we graduated high school. It’s not that I have anything against this place. It’s just that I’ve done my best to avoid situations where I might run into people from high school, and Peach Fuzz is a prime example of one of those places.
I’ve known Linc since we were 10 years old, when he and his family first moved to Peach Tree. I vividly remember all the buzz surrounding a new kid at school. In a town as small as ours, it was a big deal when someone new moved to town. Linc had been my first crush. But then, he’d been the crush of all the girls in Miss Holcomb’s fourth grade class. He’d been quiet and serious, especially for a ten-year-old boy. Compared to the other boys in our school, Linc had seemed so mysterious. But he’d also been kind.
He'd become popular immediately and that popularity had followed him all the way through high school. It helped that he was good at football and was ridiculously hot. He’d been prom king two years in a row, even though juniors technically weren’t allowed to hold the title. As for me, I’d gone alone to prom since no one wanted to ask the dorky band nerd with the frizzy hair to be their date. By the time he left for college on a football scholarship, and I left for Atlanta, I’d known him for nearly a decade. And we’d never had a single conversation. I remember being shocked when he’d greeted me by name the first time we all hung out together at Peach Fuzz last year. Until that moment, I’d been almost convinced he didn’t know my name.
Since that night, the five of us—six, if Layna was in town—have hung out more frequently. Linc doesn’t usually stay as long as the others. He needs to get home to his daughter, Ella. I don’t know the story there, but I know he dropped out of college when she was born and has spent the time since raising her. I don’t know where the girl’s mother is, but he’s never mentioned her, and I don’t feel comfortable asking about her. What if she died and he’s spent all these years mourning her? I don’t think I want to hear about the great love of Lincoln Prescott’s life. And that probably makes me a horrible person, right?
Piper invites the guys to join us. I have a half a minute to hope they'll refuse before Cole smiles and accepts the invite. I do my best to pretend I’m oblivious to Linc’s closeness as he takes the empty spot beside me on the booth seat. I risk a quick glance in his direction and smile, avoiding eye contact. He’s not saying much, letting the others carry the conversation. He does that a lot, it seems. I get the feeling he’s the type of guy who doesn’t speak to fill the silence, but instead waits until he has something worth saying. I admire that. Silence has never been my strong suit. I’m more the type of person to blurt out whatever random thought pops into my head, consequences be damned. It’s been my downfall on more than one occasion, unfortunately.
Cole orders another round of drinks as everyone chats, catching up on one another’s lives since we last hung out. There isn’t much to report on my end unless I want to tell them about my most recent cheating ex, which I most definitely do not. Linc talks a little about his new business. He recently became a licensed contractor, and his business is growing in the area. Cole brags about his brother, but I notice that Linc still doesn’t say a lot. He’s so close to me that I can practically feel the heat of his large body radiating out toward me. I want to lean into it, into him. I want to climb into his lap if I’m being completely honest with myself. But I have a feeling that won’t go over well, especially since he seems to be avoiding looking in my direction or speaking to me at all.
“How long are you in town, Layna?” Cole asks as he hands out a fresh round of drinks, pulling me away from my Linc obsession.
“She’s moving here,” Piper says, bouncing in her seat a little.
“Really?” Cole says, turning to look at Layna. “I didn’t know that was your plan.”
She shrugs. “It wasn’t at first. It’s a recent decision.”
“An impulsive decision, you mean,” Piper grumbles.
Layna rolls her eyes. “Maybe so, but I stand by it. It’s going to be great, Pipes. Just wait.”
Piper grins at her sister. “I’m happy you’re going to be living closer to me. I’m just surprised at the suddenness. That’s all.”
“What did I miss?”
We all look up to see Luke standing next to the table, smiling down at Piper. I shoot her a look through narrowed eyes.
“Did you invite a boy to girl’s night?”
Piper’s face goes red, and she points at Linc and Cole accusingly. “They’re here!”
“That’s different,” I say. “We didn’t invite them. They just showed up.”
“Hey,” Cole says, feigning hurt. “We’re right here. We can hear you.”
I roll my eyes at him, making Linc laugh. The sound of that rumbling laugh hits me hard and I feel a flutter low in my belly. I suck in a slow breath to calm my suddenly racing heart. I need to get a grip. It was just a laugh. It’s not like he reached up my skirt or something. Ah, shit. Now I’m thinking about him reaching up my skirt. I risk a glance at his hand resting on the leather seat between us. I picture his long, thick fingers sliding up my inner thigh, pushing my skirt up as it moves higher. My breathing becomes shallow, and I swallow hard.
Stop being a slut. Stop being a slut. Stop being a slut.
I chant the words over and over in my head until I can stop thinking filthy thoughts about the man seated beside me.
“Next round of drinks is on the guys,” Layna shouts, forcefully yanking me from my dirty thoughts. “Since they crashed our girl’s night out.”
Luke kisses Piper’s cheek. “My pleasure,” he says in a voice that I’m pretty sure he meant for her ears only.
I try to ignore the slight twinge of jealousy I feel. Not that I’m into my best friend’s fiancé. Jealousy is probably the wrong word. Envy might be more appropriate. I envy their relationship. I envy Piper’s certainty and trust that it will last. I’ve never felt that. These days I’m starting to doubt I ever will. Cole says something that makes everyone at the table laugh, pulling me out of my melancholia. I hear Linc’s deep, rumbling laugh from beside me and that flutter hits me again. This time though, I do my best to ignore it. Nothing good ever came from pining over Lincoln Prescott. I’m not going to start doing it again now.
By the time we all decide to call it a night and I head back to my apartment above my salon, I’m tired and ready for my pajamas. I check the time. It’s barely 10pm. On a Friday night. I suddenly feel ancient. When did I become this person who’s home and in her pajamas by 10:00 on a weekend?
“When you realized how much hangovers suck,” I mutter to my empty bedroom as I toss my bra in the direction of the dresser.
I let out a sigh of relief at the feeling of freedom. I don’t care how hot my tits look in that pushup bra; the feeling of taking it off will always outweigh the few hours of sexy cleavage and male attention. Pulling on a baggy t-shirt, I fill a glass of water in the kitchen before going to the living room to plop down on the couch. I debate turning on the television and rewatching The Office for the millionth time, but I’m not feeling it tonight. My eyes stray over to the pile of tools near the front door, and I remember Layna’s advice to sell them online.
“I wonder what you're worth,” I whisper.
On my phone, I do a quick search for the town’s buy/sell/trade site and find it quickly. Within a few minutes, I’ve created an account and I’m ready to post an ad. Easy enough. I snap a few well-lit photos of the tools and start typing.
"Cheating ex-boyfriend abandoned his tools and refuses to retrieve them. His loss is your gain. I'm sure they're in new condition, as he couldn't seem to keep a job for more than a week."
Smiling, I finish up and click the button to submit the ad for approval. Hopefully someone with a sense of humor and a need for tools sees the ad and jumps on it. I’m ready to be rid of Derek the cheater, once and for all.