Page 8 of Nobody Does it Better (Lucky in Love)
After he tucks his measuring tape away, Mr. Grayson raises his hand. “Just my two cents, but I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
I seethe. It’s possible I might become a dragon. I do believe I’m breathing fire. “I don’t think he should be at the wedding, and he definitely shouldn’t be at the wedding with Vanessa.”
Derek claps my back. “I don’t know, Shaw. I think you might need to change your stance on Jamie Sullivan. Everyone seems to think they’d make a great couple, and he’s a pretty good guy. You might be seeing him more around town. Does that bother you for some reason?”
I try my damnedest to collect myself. “Why would it bother me?” I hiss in my best I’m laid-back and cool with it tone.
Gabe chuckles. “Man, you are going to have to come face-to-face with reality pretty damn soon.”
“What reality is that?”
“Your feelings for Vanessa Marquez.”
5
Shaw
The idea that she’s going to the wedding with Jamie Sullivan gnaws at me the rest of the day and into the next one as I drive north toward Lake Tahoe. I’m off for the weekend, and I have a meeting there with my financial planner and my dad.
As the highway unfolds, I try to approach my frustration the way I would any other problem, by first assessing the situation.
But it’s not the situation so much that irks me. It’s the possible outcome.
If Vanessa is planning to go out with a guy like Jamie, that means she might wind up with a guy like him.
Or, more specifically, with him.
And that possibility bothers me more than I’ve ever been bothered by any guy she’s dated.
Because Jamie is exactly the kind of guy she deserves. A good guy, a nice guy, a smart guy—a guy who would treat her really fucking well.
I hate how that winds me up.
But I don’t know how to stop it.
Or what to do.
Or how I honestly feel about all of it.
When I arrive in town, I meet my dad outside the offices of my money guru. Even though Dad and I both live in Lucky Falls, I convinced him to work with my guy out of town. I wanted my dad to have enough to enjoy his retirement, more than a pension from the district attorney’s office would allow, so I hooked him up with Harvey, and Dad’s been making more coin to enjoy in his golden years.
But as we review portfolios, I’m distracted, and I have been since the tux shop yesterday. I can’t fathom the thought of Vanessa being with Jamie. She’s certainly been with other guys. She’s dated other guys. Hell, I’ve known some of her boyfriends on and off over the years. But this one—it’s like an ulcer for some damn reason.
“Your investments are quite healthy. I’d say you’ve fulfilled your goal of being a fireman and having quite a decent set of assets working for you,” Harvey says. That was my dream—to do what I loved for a living and have the financial freedom to do it for my whole life. The pay isn’t great in the fire service, but I’m committed to the work, so by investing early and wisely, I found a way to do this job and have plenty of security.
“You’ve done a great job, and you’re both in good positions,” Harvey adds, but I can’t really focus on how my portfolio is performing when all I can think about is how this other guy might perform for Vanessa.
When we leave, a slap of cold wind biting my cheeks, we agree to grab a late lunch at a nearby restaurant. Once inside, we order burgers and chat about which funds Dad wants to invest in next.
Halfway into a big bite, Dad sets his burger down and stares sharply at me. “Where are you today?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re off in la-la land, son. Where is the Shaw who loves to discuss numbers and stock tips? Where’s the guy who loves to help me plan new funds to buy and sell? You okay?”
I heave a sigh. If I can’t talk about this situation with my dad, who can I discuss it with? “I have a quandary.”
He folds his hands. “I like quandaries. I spent my career solving them.”
I put down my sandwich and wipe my hands on my napkin. “It’s about Vanessa.”
Dad smiles—that knowing grin of someone who’s been around the block. “I’ve always had a feeling a conversation with you would start this way one day.”
“It’s that obvious?”
“It’s been clear for some time you’ve had it bad for her.”
“That’s the thing.” I scratch my head. “Is it a crush? Is it lust? Is it just wanting what I can’t have?”
“Those are all good questions.”
“But then there’s Perri. She’s operating at a she-wolf level of protectiveness when it comes to Vanessa. She thinks because I’ve dated here and there I’m not right for her friend.”
