The Plan (Capitol Love Series Book 1) Read online

  They turned the corner onto their street, and Savannah stopped short when she saw Colin sitting on the porch steps. As soon as he saw her, he got up. He didn’t know what to expect, but his heart sank when she squared her shoulders and flipped her hair back, readying herself for battle.

  She and Rayne starting walking again and met him at the end of the pathway onto the sidewalk. He nodded toward Rayne without taking his eyes off Savannah. “Hey, Rayne.”

  “Hey, Colin,” Rayne said softly, glancing from him to Savannah, who was staring at Colin stone-faced.

  “Hey, Red,” Colin said with a hopeful smile.

  Her green eyes flashed with emotion briefly before going blank again, and he felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.

  Savannah glanced away from Colin and shoved her hands in her pockets as Rayne hurried into the house.

  Colin cleared his throat. “Chase told me what he said this morning. He’s a total idiot when it comes to names. I swear it’s some kind of ADD. There is no Sarah. And—”

  “You don’t owe me any explanation,” Savannah said, finally looking at him.

  “I do, though. Yesterday was perfect. Last night was amazing. Please don’t let Chase’s foot-in-mouth disease ruin it, ruin us.” His eyes were full of a concern that seemed genuine.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Savannah said, looking away again.

  “Of course it matters!”

  He had envisioned this conversation going a lot of ways, but he’d never pictured her so withdrawn. So...still. This was way worse.

  “Savannah, please,” he begged again and stepped to the left to try to get in her line of vision, but she busied herself tying up her hair to avoid looking at him. “Listen to me. There’s only you. Since the first time I saw you on that porch,” he said gesturing toward the house, “there’s only ever been you.”

  Savannah finally looked into Colin’s eyes, and he thought he could see her resolve starting to melt. But then she took a deep breath and a step back and said, “Why should I believe you? I barely know you.”

  “Really? I feel like we know each other pretty well, especially after last night,” Colin said, hoping to reconnect with her a little.

  “Yesterday was pretend.”

  He was stunned. “Nothing about yesterday was pretend!” He reached out to put his hand on her arm, but she pulled away.

  “It was all make-believe,” she said. “Everything between us has been an act.”

  “That’s not true,” he said, and a pang of guilt cut through him because he knew that technically she had a point, though emotionally Colin believed everything between them was completely authentic. “I was going to tell you. I just wanted you to get to know me first.”

  “Tell me what?” She was watching him now with a mix of fear and eagerness, and Colin suddenly realized that Chase hadn’t told her the nature of his secret and it was still up to him to do that.

  When he took too long to answer, she said, “I knew you’d been hiding something from me. I knew it all along, but I ignored it.”

  “I am seriously going to break Chase’s jaw so he can never say another stupid thing.”

  She was still watching him intently. “What’s going on between you and Crystal?”

  “Crystal? She and I aren’t...we’re just...we’re friends.” Shit. Colin knew he sounded like he was lying, but he was not prepared to explain his involvement with Crystal right now.

  Savannah said nothing.

  “Crystal and I have a...uh...business deal. But trust me, honey, when I say there is absolutely nothing romantic between us. But it’s just not my place to tell you Crystal’s business.”

  “And what about at the ballpark yesterday?” Savannah said. “How did you convince that security guard to let us in?”

  Colin thought about telling her the truth—that his family owned a concession stand at the stadium and he’d shown the guy his ID to get inside. But he really didn’t think it would help if he started unfolding all the secrets bit by bit in the middle of the sidewalk. If he could get her alone, get her to calm down, he could tell her everything and it wouldn’t end in her refusing to talk to him ever again.

  Savannah read the panic in his eyes and decided to press her advantage. “How do you know him again?”

  “What—now you think I’m dating the security guard, too?” Colin asked, trying to distract her and buy himself some time.

  “Are you? Is that what you’re hiding? That you go both ways?”

  “No, but after the insanity of this conversation I might consider switching teams.”

  “Maybe you should!” Savannah yelled, not really knowing what she was saying but realizing that if she walked away now, it would truly be over.

  “Savannah, what are we even talking about?” Colin softened his voice and took a step toward her. “How did we go from Chase’s stupid comment to questioning my sexual orientation?”

  Savannah exhaled and shook her head, suddenly feeling so worn out and wanting to just crawl into bed and cry alone. “Have you been lying to me all along? Is there anything that’s true?”

  Colin felt like she’d stabbed him right through the heart. “Savannah, sweetheart, please. The important stuff, our connection, my feelings for you, they’re as real as it gets.” He took a step toward her, desperate to touch her.

  But she took a step back, shoulders hunched and arms crossed in front of her chest in a self-protective stance. “So that means everything else, everything about your actual life, was a lie then, right?”

  “No! No, I don’t mean that.” Colin raked his hands through his hair in frustration, feeling everything slipping out of his control. “Look, I’ll tell you everything you want to know about me and even stuff you probably don’t want to know. Just please, give me that chance. Let’s go someplace a little more private, and we can talk as long as you want.”

  Sensing a softening in her features, Colin reached out and touched the back of her hand. She looked down at her hand for a moment then pulled back.

  “No, I’m not falling for that,” she said. “I’m not getting sucked in by your charm again. Say what you need to right here. Or just forget it.”

  “Savannah, come on.” Colin felt his frustration reaching a boiling point. She was making this harder than it had to be. “I don’t want to do this on a sidewalk in the middle of Capitol Hill. Be reasonable.”

  “Why not? Is it because what you’re hiding is illegal?”

  “What?” Colin was thoroughly confused. “No! No, of course not. Let’s just go back to my place and I’ll explain everything.”

  But she kept that watchful gaze on him and said in a level voice, “Are you a drug dealer?”

  “Am I WHAT?” Colin said, caught completely off guard.

  “It all makes sense—the nice apartment, the meals and drinks you’ve been buying me and Rayne, your secret connections all over town. Your fancy watch.”

  He looked down at his watch, an extremely generous gift from his mother. It was way fancier than anything he would normally wear, but he was sentimental about it. He started to give Savannah the response he gave anyone who pointed out his watch—that it was a knock-off—but stopped himself before he lied to her again.

  “Wow,” he said. He felt like he’d been hit with a bucket of ice water, and the tenuous hold he’d had on his emotions started to fray. “After everything, after all the time we’ve spent together, that’s what you think of me? That I’m a freaking drug dealer?”

  He turned and walked a few paces away from her before stopping and letting out a short, humorless laugh. “I have to admit, I did not see that coming. I would have preferred a condescending ‘just a bartender’ brush-off.”

  She looked stung by the last remark.

  “You know what?” he said as he felt that frayed line snap. “That’s just fine. You want to believe I’m a drug dealer? Fine. FINE! Because you know what I just realized? You’re nuts!”

  Colin wanted to feel satisfaction at the
hurt that flickered across her face, but he didn’t. Nothing about this felt good.

  “You and your ridiculous Plan and your green eyes and...and... I don’t need it! I. Don’t. Need. It.”

  He wanted to kick something, he wanted to break something, but most of all, he wished he’d never seen her twirling on her porch that morning. His plan to counteract her Plan had been a disaster, and he should have swallowed his pride and moved on long ago.

  He took a deep breath and raked his hands through his already messy hair. “You have yourself a nice life, Red.”

  Then he turned and, shoving his hands deep in his pockets to stop himself from punching a tree, stalked toward home.

  Savannah didn’t move a single muscle until he had turned the corner and was out of sight. Then she sank down on the bottom steps and laid her head on her knees and cried harder than she’d cried in years. Within minutes, Rayne’s arms were around her. Savannah leaned against her friend and let herself wallow for a moment longer before taking a deep breath and sitting up straight. Wiping her eyes, she gave Rayne a rueful smile.

  “So that’s done,” she said with a weak attempt at a laugh.

  “Sweetie, I think you should—”

  “No, no. I’m fine. It’s how it has to be.”

  “Did you ask him if he was a drug dealer?”

  Savannah nodded.

  “And?”

  “He got super pissed. But he also didn’t exactly deny it. So I guess that tells me what I need to know.”

  “Not necessarily! It’s a pretty big leap.”

  “Whose side are you on?!” Savannah said, getting to her feet.

  “Yours, of course! But I’m just saying—”

  “No, please don’t say anything. I’m done talking about this.” Savannah said. “I have no time for self-pity or regret. I need to focus on my job. I have to make this event amazing, the best my boss has ever seen. I have to at least have that.”

  She walked into the house while making a mental list of everything she needed to do that day and pulling her hair into a severe bun, and although she didn’t feel any better, she at least felt a little more in control.

  Chapter 21

  For the next week, Savannah threw herself into her work, believing that total absorption in her event’s minutia was the only salve for her broken heart. She started wearing a rubber band on her wrist, and every time she caught herself thinking about Colin or missing him, she’d snap it in a lame attempt at behavior modification.

  To complete her cone of concentration, she suspended all her online dating profiles and networking group memberships so she didn’t have to wade through a bunch of email messages every day. And she’d taken to getting to the office early and staying late.

  Thursday afternoon at 5:15, the beeping of her cell phone pulled her attention away from her master spreadsheet. It was a message from Rayne.

  Hey stranger! Haven’t seen you all week. Meet me for happy hour?! We can go anywhere you want, even another neighborhood.

  Savannah quickly typed back, Can’t. Too much work. Then she dropped the phone back into her bag and returned to her spreadsheet. But the beeping of new messages wore her down, and she pulled it out again.

  Rayne said, I need proof of life. Beyond random takeout containers in the kitchen trash.

  Isn’t this conversation proof of life?

  This could be your kidnapper pretending to be you to give himself more time to sell you into sex slavery.

  Savannah laughed but didn’t respond because she didn’t want to encourage a long texting conversation. A few minutes later, her phone beeped again.

  That’s it! I’m calling the police.

  With an amused sigh, she held the phone up and took a selfie, making sure to look as tired and annoyed as possible. She sent it to Rayne and typed, Proof of life. And if you leave me alone, I’ll try to be home by 9 and we can have a drink on the porch.

  I’ll take what I can get.

  Savannah wanted to ask if Rayne was going to Zipped for trivia night and earned herself a snap of the rubber band.

  All week Colin had tried and failed to stop himself from looking up every time the door opened, thinking Savannah would walk through. Now, on trivia night, it was worse than it had been all week. His pulse quickened every time a woman with long dark hair came through the door, and he realized that he’d unconsciously spent the whole week thinking that trivia night would be what brought her back through that door. She would apologize for accusing him of being a womanizer and a drug dealer, he’d tell her the truth about his family, they’d kiss in the middle of the bar, and everyone would applaud.

  Now that trivia night was here, he realized how stupid he’d been. But when the door opened a minute later and Rayne walked in, his heart did an extra beat as he looked past her to see if Savannah was there.

  “Sorry, just me,” Rayne said, sliding onto a stool and trying to casually look around the bar for Chase.

  “Sorry, just me,” Colin said with a slight smile.

  Rayne was embarrassed, but she laughed. Then she leaned forward and dropped her voice to a near-whisper. “So,” she said, “do you really know Molly?”

  Colin went cold, and he stared at her without humor. He should have known Savannah would tell Rayne about her suspicions—and Rayne would believe her.

  “Do you even know what Molly is?” he asked.

  “It’s the stuff all the kids are into now—like…ecstasy? And it’s in that Miley Cyrus song, right?”

  Colin leaned toward her. “Do us both a favor and never talk about Molly again.” Then he grabbed a bottle of gin and started fixing a drink.

  Rayne’s smile faltered. “Fair enough.”

  “It’s bad enough that Savannah thinks I’m a drug dealer,” Colin said as he set a gin and tonic in front of Rayne. “I’d rather not have it spread throughout the whole neighborhood.” He paused then, suddenly picturing the shit storm that would happen if he parents got wind of a rumor like that.

  “I don’t believe you’re a drug dealer.” She took a sip of the drink and sighed. “Besides, why would you need drugs when you can make drinks like this?”

  He shot her a look of annoyance, then softened. Rayne wasn’t the enemy.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it doesn’t really matter at this point. Savannah believes I’m a dealer—and a womanizer. And frankly, I’d rather not waste my time on a woman who has such a low opinion of me.”

  Rayne looked taken aback, but she didn’t respond, and for the next half-hour, Colin moved around the bar serving drinks and picking up dirty dishes. The place was starting to fill up with couples and larger groups coming in for trivia night. But he could feel her watching him as he went about his work. Finally, he set a paper cone of fries and an array of dipping sauces in front of her.

  Rayne ignored the food and said, “She’s really upset about all this. And now she’s wrapped herself up in this work project, and I haven’t even seen her in days.”

  “Am I supposed to care?” Colin said, his anger getting the better of him. “She brought this on herself with that idiotic plan of hers. If it wasn’t for her Plan, I never would have had to come up with my stupid plan. And I wouldn’t have had to lie about who I am.”

  Rayne looked at him in open-mouthed surprise, and he wished he could bite back his words. He abruptly picked up a rag from the edge of the bar and threw it toward a dish bin, and suppressing the urge to yell in frustration, walked back toward his office. Rayne jumped up and ran down the bar, catching up with at the doorway.

  “What plan?” she said.

  Colin turned, intending to ignore her, and almost crashed into Diana as she came through the doorway with a tray of food held high. She looked from Colin to Rayne and said with annoyance, “We’re all out of catfish nuggets,” and walked on.

  Colin scrubbed his face in frustration before glancing at Rayne, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this.

  “I knew you had an ulterior motive wi
th the catfish nuggets! But what was the lie?” She paused then her eyes went wide. “Where those guys all fakes that you got to ask her out to make sure none of them worked out?”

  Colin rolled his eyes in exasperation.

  “You might as well tell her,” Diana said as she walked by again on her way back to the kitchen. “It’s all gone to hell anyway. I should’ve put money on it.”

  “She’s right. You should definitely tell me.” Rayne finally let go of his arm. But she kept staring at him, her hands on her hips.

  “Fine!” he said. “I thought that if I showed her that these guys—the ones who fit her Plan—were no good for her, she’d see that I was right for her, even though I was just a bartender. And then she’d see that her whole plan was ridiculous, and she could stop pretending there wasn’t a spark between us.”

  As soon as he said it, his strategy sounded idiotic and immature. And some part of him had known that was the case all along.

  “So you came up with a plan to counteract her Plan?” Rayne said slowly and broke into a smile. “You guys might be even better suited to each other than I thought.”

  Colin frowned, but when Rayne started to laugh, he couldn’t resist smiling. “Yeah, it was pretty lame. But I couldn’t think of anything else. That freaking Plan of hers—where the hell did it come from anyway?”

  “She’s always had some kind of plan for her life,” Rayne said. “Her dad told me once that instead of playing house, she used to play CEO and have staff meetings with her stuffed animals.”

  “I can totally picture that,” Colin said, smiling. “But that’s a far cry from only dating men who fit some arbitrary standard and having every minute of your life planned like you’re some sort of robot.”

  “Yes,” Rayne said, hesitating slightly before continuing. “But there’s more to the story. There’s a reason for the plan. Or at least a cause.”

  A customer motioned to Colin from the bar. He looked around and realized that the place was packed and he only had a few minutes before the trivia game was supposed to start.

  “I have to get back to work,” he said. “And your fries are getting cold.”