Bad Influence, page 2
Poor Annie. What if she never finds anyone else? Lucky he has two other daughters who’ll do the family proud and give him a couple of adorable nipoti.
Ugh. Her zia didn’t know she’d overheard that conversation. And even though Annie didn’t believe Sal cared much about whether or not she gave him grandchildren, the remark still stung. Even months later.
“I’m perfectly happy, and I enjoy running.” She squared her shoulders. “You should try it sometime.”
He laughed, the tension melting from his face as he pulled her in for a bear hug. She was sure to have smears of icing sugar all over her hoodie now.
“I’m too old for that shit.”
Despite her worry, Annie chuckled. There wasn’t much that couldn’t be fixed by a bear hug from her stepfather. In fact, when he’d decided to quit his job and follow his dream of opening a café, the family had decided to name the place after his hulking frame. Café l’Orso, or the Bear Café when translated into English. In two years, Sal’s place had become a hipster hot spot a mere five minutes down the road from the family home.
“Ma is so proud of you, you know that?” she said, looking around the café with a warm feeling in her chest.
“Just your mother?”
Annie chuckled. “Well, I am too. But we all know her opinion is the only one that matters.”
Sal squeezed her tightly. “True. It’s strange to think her cancer was the catalyst for something so great. It forced us to appreciate life more.”
Her parents had changed a lot in the last three years. Sal had let go of his need to make decisions based on security, and her mother—who’d always been feisty and outspoken—had learned to chill out and roll with the punches more. But they were happier than ever. Stronger than ever as a couple.
Annie swallowed back the lump blocking her throat. “I should get going.”
The view outside the café beckoned. Sunlight sparkled off the puddles from an earlier shower, giving the late-fall foliage an extra degree of golden warmth. Soon the café would be busy, and Annie wanted out before she guilted herself into helping with the swarm of locals looking for their weekend caffeine fix. After all, it was her first free day in almost a month and she had plans. This morning she would catch up with her friend, Darcy. Then she could crack open her bullet journal and tackle her to-do list.
“You know you don’t have to check on me on your day off.” Sal smiled and waved her away. “I suppose I should be grateful that I raised three conscientious, hardworking daughters. You’re my favorite though.”
Never once had Sal made Annie feel like she wasn’t part of the family, even though she was the only daughter not related to him by blood.
“I bet you say that to all the girls. Mom included.” Annie laughed, knowing without a doubt that her father did in fact say it to each of them. “We’re on to your tricks, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here.”
He turned and moved behind the counter, turning on the coffee machine and pouring beans into the grinder. A loud hiss of steam drowned out the clatter from the kitchen as Annie left the café and stepped out into the crisp fall morning.
Annie loved the early weekend mornings, when Brooklyn was still asleep. She loved the way the sky transitioned from indigo to lilac to gold and finally to blue. She loved the peace and quiet. It had taken her a long time to be at peace in the silence after Joseph left, since her mind would play their breakup on a loop. But now the quiet comforted her.
She headed toward the subway and caught the D Train to Columbus Circle. Though she lived in Manhattan, which meant a long schlep to Brooklyn to visit her family every weekend, she appreciated the ability to fit in a run before work instead of having to commute.
When the subway slid to a stop, Annie exited, almost walking straight into Darcy.
“Hey,” she said with a wave. Darcy grumbled a half-hearted return greeting.
“I still don’t understand why I needed to come all this way to go for a run.” Darcy’s dark hair was slicked back into a ponytail, and her chin was buried in an oversize Mets hoodie. Given it was almost as long as a dress, Annie assumed it belonged to Darcy’s fiancé, Reed. “Exercise is stupid.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “You asked for my help, remember? I thought you wanted to support Reed.”
A week ago, Darcy had come to her with questions about running, explaining that Reed was taking part in a four-mile charity run through Central Park and that he’d bribed her into participating. Given that her next question had been whether she could run in Doc Martens, Annie had designed a training plan.
“And supporting him means getting up at the buttcrack of dawn to trek into the city?” Darcy yawned. “I’m usually in bed for at least four more hours on my day off.”
“It’s good to understand the terrain. If you’re going to be running here on the day, then it makes sense to train here.” They walked up the steps and out onto the street. “What did he say to convince you, anyway?”
Darcy’s cheeks turned pink. “Nothing I feel comfortable repeating in public.”
Central Park shone with autumnal color. Eager tourists were out in force, cameras dangling from their necks and selfie sticks in hand. The air was crisp, but the day was unseasonably warm for this time of year. In other words, it was a perfect day for a run.
“You stayed at your parents’ place last night?” Darcy asked as they walked into the park.
“Yeah, Allegra was home from college for the weekend, and Sofia decided we should have a movie marathon.” Her stepsisters were twenty-one and seventeen, respectively. “A chick-flick movie marathon. It was fun. We ate popcorn and ordered pizza. But they’re seriously boy crazy. Sofia spent half the night getting us to help figure out which Halloween party she should attend based on which boy would be in attendance.”
“Count me relieved that I never have to experience high school again.”
“Me too.” They stopped next to a bench to stretch out. Annie pulled her ankle up behind her butt to loosen her quads. “They’re so…”
“Hormonal?”
“I was going to say naive.”
“You mean they haven’t been tarred by the cynicism that comes from being someone formerly in a relationship?” Darcy quipped. That was one of the things Annie loved about her best friend. She was never short of a smart-ass remark. She also had the best resting bitch face Annie had ever seen, an in-depth knowledge of classic literature, and a penchant for beautiful tattoos.
She was also one of the most forgiving people Annie had ever met.
“The early twenties were a simpler time, that’s for damn sure.” Annie sighed. “And don’t you go acting all smug now that you’re coupled up.”
“I’m just saying, if I found someone, then there’s hope for literally everyone.” She laughed. “Which means you don’t need to shrivel up and become an old prune.”
Annie switched legs and swatted Darcy with her free hand. “Old prune? Screw you.”
“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” Darcy said with a sage nod. “Isn’t that what you said to me?”
“I believe that was Remi.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over the duo. It had been two months since the big fight. And apart from seeing Remi’s performance at the Out of Bounds opening night, there had been zero contact. Annie was the kind of person who chose her friends carefully and infrequently, so Remi’s absence had left a big hole in her life. Not to mention a big hole in her heart.
She would fix things. Eventually. But Remi needed her space, and this time Annie was going to respect that.
“She’ll come around,” Darcy said, as if reading her friend’s thoughts.
“I hope so.” But hope might not be enough. She’d really hurt Remi and it haunted her every day.
“Hey.” Darcy leaned over, pressing the back of her hand to Annie’s forehead. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
“I’m fine.” Annie waved her hand. “I’m tired. I’ve been working a lot lately.”
“Work’s not everything, you know.”
Darcy was right, of course. Work wasn’t everything…for most people. But right now, the only thing keeping Annie going was her work. And not her job either. But the work that was her true purpose in life.
Bad Bachelors. The website and app she’d created to change the way women dated. By being able to rate and review men, the women of New York could avoid the players and the cheaters. They could go into a relationship with their eyes open. She believed in the good it could do, but it had certainly caused a lot of trouble as well.
Beyond the fight with Remi and the issues with Bad Bachelors, however, something else had her feeling queasy. Next week marked three years since the love of her life had packed his suitcase and walked out on her. Three long years since she’d swallowed her hurt and anger and regret and tried to find something to channel her energy into.
Each anniversary had gone much the same way. Quietly, but noticeably. She wallowed in her misery alone, usually while watching sad movies and crying her eyes out like a Bridget Jones wannabe.
This year, however, she was determined to avoid that unproductive behavior by keeping busy.
“All right,” Annie said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “We’re going to jog over to the pond, go around, and then come back. It’ll be about one and a half miles, so then we can see how you’re doing.”
“What if I’m dying?”
“Then we can walk for a bit.” Annie grinned. “Unless you’re legitimately dying. Then I’ll call an ambulance.”
“Why did I agree to do this?” Darcy whined. “I’m going to get sweaty, aren’t I?”
Annie chuckled. “Not sure how you ended up with a guy like Reed if you have an aversion to getting sweaty.”
Before Darcy could retort, Annie jogged into the park at a slower pace than she would have if running alone. Darcy caught up quickly, and they weaved through the growing clusters of people. With each stride, she felt farther away from her problems.
Running was the most effective form of therapy Annie had found and, at this point in her life, she’d tried her fair share. It wasn’t only the injection of vitamin D, the picturesque scenery blurring past, or the blood pounding in her veins that made her love running so much. It was the feeling of progress. Despite the success of both her job and Bad Bachelors, the last few years had felt like a giant step backward. Running gave her a sense of accomplishment that had been otherwise lacking in her personal life.
Shaking off the nagging thoughts, she jogged on, checking on Darcy every so often to make sure she was keeping up. A few times they slowed to a walk for a couple of steps so she could catch her breath but, to her credit, Darcy powered on. Sunlight streamed down, bright beams of light reflecting off the rain-soaked sections of the pavement. Manhattan’s temperamental weather patterns meant a downpour could come at any moment. Sometimes it only lasted a few minutes, but it would be enough to cover the ground in mirrorlike puddles.
Since she’d forgotten her sunglasses, Annie tried to shield her eyes as she ran. But holding her arm in front of her face threw off her rhythm. Squinting, she rounded the corner of the pond toward the area where people tended to stop and take photos. It might not have been the best route to take, given how busy the park was getting, but they were stuck now. Dodging a woman with a stroller, Annie skirted a puddle and forged on. But her run came to a sudden halt when she slammed full force into something. Less than a second later, a curse in a deep baritone rang out, followed by a splash.
“Oh my God!” Annie dropped to her knees and peered over the edge of the rocks outlining the curve of the pond. “I’m so sorr—”
The apology died on her lips.
The man in the water wasn’t an innocent stranger. She recognized those light-blue eyes, knew that they were the exact shade of a pale spring morning. She knew the full lips intimately. She knew the exact texture of his sandy-brown hair, though now it was saturated with water and looked closer to dark brown. She knew every inch of him, inside and out.
After all, she’d wanted to marry him.
Chapter 2
“I can only guess you’re some ugly spinster, sitting behind your keyboard feeling powerful for creating this bullshit website. Eventually someone will unearth your identity.”
—WaitingForRevenge
“Are you going to just stand there?” Joseph Preston swam to the edge of the pond.
Annie contemplated turning around and jogging in the other direction. It was exactly what he deserved. But she never was one to leave a person in need…unlike him.
Clasping a hand around his outstretched arm, she heaved. His grip was slippery, and she struggled to get leverage against the slick rocks ringing the pond. Her small frame was no match for the weight of his much larger one. If she wasn’t mistaken, he’d bulked up since he left.
“A thanks would be nice,” she said as he got to his feet.
“You pushed me into a pond.”
“I hardly pushed you.” It was so like him to blame it all on her.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re dry and comfortable, and I’m the one covered in pond scum.” He stood, water pooling around his feet. One expensive-looking loafer was on his left foot, its companion nowhere to be seen.
Still, he managed to look devastatingly handsome, even with the missing shoe, ruined suit, and foliage sticking to his hair. He had a beard now, which was unexpected. But it gave his face a darker edge. A harder edge and an air of unabashed and striking masculinity. His blue eyes blazed, and his white shirt clung to the muscles on his chest. Yeah, he’d filled out all right.
Her stomach somersaulted.
“Darcy, nice to see you,” he said drily.
“Joe. It’s been a while.” Her eyes narrowed. “Though not long enough, in my humble opinion.”
Joseph ignored the dig and plucked a leaf from his arm, letting it drop to the ground with a splat. “I don’t suppose either of you know where I might be able to clean up and dry out my suit?”
“No idea.” Annie folded her arms across her chest, suddenly feeling very naked in her skin-tight leggings.
He looked her up and down, as though drinking in her image inch by inch, committing her to memory. Or recommitting her to memory. “None at all?”
A breath caught in her throat, her body threatening to combust with the angry swirl of emotions competing for dominance inside her. “Nope.”
“Not even an apartment that I might be able to get access to?” His eyes bored into hers.
“Can’t think of one…” She shook her head.
“We should go.” Darcy tugged on her arm. “You don’t owe him anything.”
Joseph didn’t react to Darcy’s statement, even though she’d said it loud enough that everyone around them could hear. They’d drawn quite the crowd. Murmurs skittered among the onlookers, but Annie couldn’t drag her eyes away from him. Joseph was here…in New York…in the flesh.
And what the hell was he doing in a suit on a Saturday?
“Annie.” Her name was a growl on his lips. He stretched the two syllables out into an endless rumble, like thunder warning of a storm.
Three years. Three goddamn years, and seeing him was still like taking a shotgun to her heart. The worst thing was, not a single part of her wanted to walk away right now. He’d always had that kind of pull. A magnetic energy that encircled him like his own special atmosphere.
She turned to Darcy, pretending her heart wasn’t lodged somewhere in her windpipe. “It’s fine. You go on. I can deal with this.”
“No.” Darcy shook her head. While Annie was trying her hardest to internalize her emotions, Darcy’s anger was raw and visible. “You don’t need to help him.”
“You can have a shower at my place,” Annie said to Joseph with an efficient nod. She placed a hand on Darcy’s arm. “It’s fine. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Darcy looked like she was about to spit fire, but she sucked in a breath and nodded. With a dirty look hurled in Joseph’s direction, she turned and headed back the way they’d come, with her hands balled into fists. Her reaction wasn’t surprising. She’d been by Annie’s side all through the breakup, all through her mother’s treatment, and every day since. Joseph’s name was a dirty word in their circle.
What was surprising, however, was that Annie wasn’t turning on her heel and following Darcy. Maybe it was some sick curiosity that compelled her to offer him a warm shower. Or maybe it was that she wanted him to see that she’d moved on…even if that was an illusion.
They walked. The only sound breaking the tense silence between them was the squelch of Joseph’s soggy clothes. He’d taken off his single shoe and it dangled limply from one hand. There were so many things she wanted to ask, like what the hell was he doing in their old spot?
She swallowed. “Their spot” was the section of the park surrounding the pond. She couldn’t seem to go running without tracing the water’s edge, torturing herself with memories of when he’d confessed his love for the first time.
She had so many questions. They all rushed for priority position, clambering over one another, but where the hell did she even start? There was so much to sift through, and she didn’t trust herself not to cry or throw him overboard again if she dared open her mouth.
So she said nothing, and neither did he.
Joseph didn’t need to be guided to her apartment off Sixth Avenue. She wondered if he would be shocked by how it looked now with all signs that he’d lived there scrubbed clean until the place was sanitized of his presence.
