by Alexis Davie
“But we can’t work,” Molly muttered. “You have your pack, and Caden will never forgive you for what you did if I’m a constant reminder of it!”
Victor’s smile broadened. “I told Levi I was leaving today,” he told her smugly. “So I don’t think that will be a problem. If you’d let me, I would actually like to come with you.”
Molly’s jaw dropped. Without any hesitation, she began to nod enthusiastically.
“Yes!” she screeched. “Yes, please!”
She threw her arms around him and kissed his lips hotly, drawing back to study his face dubiously as a sudden thought occurred to her.
“Just like that, though?” she asked. “You can leave? No hassle?”
Victor cleared his throat and glanced down. “Well, at first I went to Levi to explain what had happened. But as usual, Caden could do no wrong in Levi’s eyes. As I suspected, Levi told me to apologize to Caden.” Then he paused for a moment. “I stood there, staring at his smug, hungover face, and I kept hearing your voice in my ear, what you said last night. I may or may not have told Caden to get his head out of his ass in front of his father, so they weren’t all that sad to see me go.”
Molly cried out gleefully and kissed him again. “You really are my hero,” she told him. “You’re amazing!”
Victor grinned at her and nuzzled his nose against hers. “We should probably go before an angry mob comes looking, though,” he joked. “But first, I have something for you.”
Molly watched as he turned back to his bike and pulled out a paper bag. Her blue eyes widened in happiness as he pulled out a breakfast sandwich.
“I figured you might still be hungry from last night,” he declared.
Molly nearly howled with content, and she ravenously snatched the sandwich from his hand.
“If you keep this up,” she said, “I might just fall in love with you, lobo.”
He smiled softly.
“Then I better keep this up.”
* * *
THE END
2
Stood Up
Uh-oh. It sounds brutal, the text read. Are you going?
Kellie smirked, her fingers working expertly over the keyboard as she responded.
What choice do I have?
You could bail. Claim you have the stomach flu, Lisa texted back. I can think of a thousand excuses.
Kellie didn’t doubt it—few people were as crafty as Lisa.
I better go. It sounds serious, but who knows with him? It might just be a ploy.
Lisa texted back. LOL let me know how it goes. I’m crossing my fingers for you!
Kellie laughed aloud and dropped her phone on her bed, turning back to look at herself in the mirror. She was going to need more than prayers.
She was glad she had thought to message Lisa before her lunch date, though. Her friend always knew just what to say to boost her spirits, no matter how short-lived that boost might be. Lisa was like an energy drink: instant high followed by a terrible crash.
Kellie examined her reflection, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder.
I don’t know why I’m bothering. Nothing is ever good enough for him, anyway, she thought, but that didn’t stop her from applying mascara to her long lashes and stepping back to study her face.
She didn’t want to risk looking anything but perfect. Her presence seemed to antagonize Senator Cole enough without pushing her luck.
I look worried, she realized, narrowing her eyes to get into character. He can’t see me looking worried. It will give him the upper hand.
Kellie glanced at the sports watch on her wrist and contemplated her impending afternoon.
If I get this over and done with, I can still get to the gym this afternoon, she reasoned, even though she did not have high hopes for a quick and painless escape.
It never was, after all.
Well, I guess I’ll have to play it by ear, she told herself begrudgingly, spinning to leave her bedroom. She hoped the skirt and blouse combo she had chosen was dressy enough for him.
There had been a time when she hadn’t worried about every little detail. Although she could barely recall it, she knew it had existed, and its absence made her sigh deeply.
“Where are you going?” Bianca called as she walked into the kitchen, seeking out her keys.
It was offensive to Kellie that she was required to rent a place to stay while she was home for the summer.
“Meeting his Highness,” she muttered, despite knowing that her roommate had no idea who that could be. They barely knew each other. They were just strangers who were sharing a place for three months.
“Sounds like fun,” Bianca chirped. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
Kellie didn’t know whether to laugh or grimace. “If I do, I’ll make sure to use a safe word.”
Bianca stared at her blankly, and Kellie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she gave Bianca a tight smile and left their apartment.
It was nothing against Bianca. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but Kellie had nothing in common with the hookah-smoking blonde. They were complete opposites, even down to their physical appearances.
Kellie was renowned for her athletic abilities and type-A personality. She could not sit still, unlike Bianca, who loved incessantly binge-watching Netflix and discussing “Game of Thrones.” The slender brunette was ambitious and active, leaving everyone in the dust as she climbed toward her goals.
You don’t get to be on the University of Colorado volleyball team by sitting around, smoking flavored tobacco, Kellie thought.
She didn’t resent Bianca, but she knew they would never be anything more than roommates, no matter how friendly Bianca tried to be.
It’s only until school starts up again, Kellie reminded herself. Then I will be back in Colorado at the Kappa Mu Pi house, where I belong.
If her father hadn’t insisted to come to San Francisco for the summer, Kellie would have happily remained at school for the summer. There was nothing for her in Northern California—not anymore.
In fact, remaining in the city was a distraction, one that Kellie could do without. But her father refused to pay her tuition if she didn’t return for the summer. He barely made time for her, so she didn’t understand his reasoning. She assumed it was just another way he could control her.
Her phone chimed as she ran to catch the trolley, and she ignored it, seeing the red vehicle with black trim heading toward the stop. Kellie broke into a sprint, her long legs carrying her swiftly to the car before it reached its destination.
“Woah!” the driver exclaimed, impressed by her speed. “You’re quite the runner!”
Kellie grinned and winked at the balding older man. “You should see what else I can do,” she mumbled, low enough so only he could hear.
His bright red face was all the satisfaction she needed, and Kellie made her way toward the back of the cable car, collapsing ungracefully into a seat.
She glanced out the windows of the picturesque city of San Francisco, and a twinge of nostalgia fluttered through her. Once upon a time, she had loved the California town. She had many happy memories of the place from her early childhood.
But that had been before her father had remarried.
Now, instead of being picked up in town cars, I have to take a trolley to lunch, Kellie thought bitterly.
She pushed her ill thoughts away and closed her eyes. She needed all the strength she could get to make it through the afternoon.
Soon, the car stopped in the financial district, and Kellie disembarked the trolley, pausing to get her bearings as she stared at the Hyatt Regency Hotel looming before her.
This is such a cliché, she grumbled silently. Really? A hotel restaurant? A secret meeting so his wife won’t find out. What kind of woman keeps a man from interacting with his daughter?
Of course, Kellie knew better than to question her father’s reservations aloud, and when she arrived at Embarcadero restaurant, she forced a smile onto her f
ace.
“May I help you, miss?” asked the maître d’hôtel, his French accent thick and exaggerated.
“I’m meeting Senator Cole,” Kellie told him.
The man’s eyes lit up as he glanced at his reservation list. “Ah, yes, the senator…”
While he looked for her father’s name on the list, Kellie read his name tag.
Marcel. Of course his name is Marcel. What else would it be?
“Are you certain you are meeting with him today, miss?”
Kellie’s brown eyes became mean slits of annoyance. “Yes,” she drawled. “I am quite sure.”
I’ve been dreading this lunch all week. I marked it in blood red on my calendar.
“I’m sorry, miss—ah! I see now!” Marcel announced, seeming exceedingly pleased with himself. Kellie exhaled slightly, although she wasn’t sure why she was relieved. Then Marcel frowned at the reservation list, and Kellie didn’t want to hear what he would say next.
“He had a reservation,” Marcel began, “but he has apparently canceled it.”
Kellie’s brow shot up. “What?” she snapped. “He canceled it?”
The host seemed embarrassed at Kellie’s reaction, and she knew that it wasn’t Marcel’s fault, but she couldn’t contain herself.
“When?” she demanded. “When did he cancel it?”
“I do not know, miss… I am sure it was a simple miscommunication!” he offered feebly.
Kellie, however, knew it was more than that. It was a deliberate slight, a slap in the face.
She was livid, and she spun, ready to flee the restaurant. Before she could walk out of the hotel, the bar caught her eye.
“Miss—” Marcel called after her, but she ignored him.
The gym would have to wait until another day.
Right now, more than anything else, Kellie needed a drink.
He made me come all the way here, only to stand me up, she thought, color staining her face as she flopped down at the bar, her anger mounting. This is some power play again. That man is so infuriating!
It had been an ongoing feud since Kellie had been accepted onto the volleyball team at college. Her father wanted her to quit and focus on her studies. He said the games took her away from classes too often.
“You’re going to be a judge or a senator one day,” he told her. “This sports stuff is great, Kellie, really, it is! But it’s a hobby, not a career!”
The words had stung. Kellie had worked incredibly hard to follow her passion, and he’d had no problem dismissing her as if she were a five-year-old who didn’t know any better. When she graduated, she planned to play professionally, and had already been scouted by the NorCal Wildfire team. That was news she kept to herself, though. If playing college-level volleyball made him upset, she couldn’t imagine how he would react to her other news.
“It’s what I want to do!” she had protested. “Why can’t you be happy that I got accepted on the team?”
Senator Cole had scoffed. “You expect me to be happy you’re throwing your life away? That’s more your mother’s style, not mine.”
And if Mom was still in the country, I would be telling her this news face-to-face instead of you, she had thought bitterly, wisely holding her tongue.
Her father was the one with the golden ticket, after all.
Kellie had been sure that the senator would eventually come around to see things her way, but as time went on, he seemed more determined to fight her dream, and it had taken Kellie almost a year to understand why: her stepmother, Andra.
That awful woman has been in his ear since the day they got married, Kellie thought sourly. Seeing me succeed in anything makes her volatile. She wants me to submit like a good little debutante, but I won’t have any of it.
Kellie was certain that her father’s slight that afternoon was a result of Andra’s hissing.
Just because she’s resigned to her fate as a trophy wife doesn’t mean I have to fall into the same trap, she grumbled to herself. I can play volleyball and focus on my degree. It’s been working for two years, and I’ve still managed to keep my 4.0 GPA.
But explaining any of that to her dad seemed an exercise in futility.
Senator Cole had been cryptic about their meeting that day, but Kellie knew he was on the brink of cutting off her tuition money and allowance. He had made veiled threats in the past, and Kellie could sense the end was near.
It was bad enough that she wasn’t allowed to stay in the house in Knob Hill when she came home from school, but things were getting out of hand.
I am going to wring that witch’s neck the next time I see her, Kellie vowed, inadvertently scowling at the bartender when he appeared before her. What can he possibly see in her? She can’t be that good in bed.
Kellie looked at the drink menu, but she already knew what she wanted. Something strong.
“Rough day already?” the bartender asked, and Kellie eyed him warily. The man had a charming smile, and if she hadn’t been in such a foul mood, she might have chatted him up.
“Double gin and tonic,” she snapped.
His smile froze on his face, and he nodded, turning to retrieve her drink.
Kellie instantly felt guilty at her rudeness, but his feelings were not her immediate concern.
I should tell Dad to take his money and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, she thought furiously, accepting the glass from the bartender’s hands.
But Kellie knew there was no way she could afford her school tuition without the senator’s help.
“Thanks,” she muttered, taking a sip from her drink and willing her nerves to settle.
The bartender glanced at her, as if gauging whether she was being sincere, but Kellie darted her dark eyes downward to her drink. She wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
I am doing it, she decided firmly. Tonight, I am calling him and telling him I want no part in any of it. He and Andra can keep their money and their opinions to themselves. I’ll figure out a way to pay for my senior year alone. The girls at Kappa will help me form a fundraiser or something.
The idea filled her with a bit of shame, but what choice did she have? She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“Hi there.”
Kellie turned as a man slipped onto the stool next to her, offering her a wide smile. His salt and pepper hair indicated that he was likely thirty years her senior, and she scowled slightly at the intrusion. Her first instinct was to tell him to leave, but something stopped her from immediately rejecting his advances.
“Hi,” she said slowly, studying his face.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, grinning with a smugness that made Kellie want to slap his cheek.
“Sure,” she purred. “Double gin and tonic.”
He chuckled and signaled the bartender.
“Sam, get this beauty a drink, would you, my man?” he called, and Kellie’s repulsion toward him grew with each word he spoke.
Sam cast her a worried look.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, and Kellie’s eyebrows shot up.
“Pardon?” she replied, surprised by the question.
The gentleman at her side seemed to tense as Sam cast him a meaningful look.
“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” he suggested, sneering slightly. “Seeing as Sam can’t handle a simple drink order.”
Kellie eyed the attractive server, and her instinct kicked in again—Sam was trying to warn her about the man beside her.
Her gaze locked onto his grey eyes, and she gave him the smallest nod of her head to let him know she had acknowledged his signal.
“I’m sure Sam can handle a drink order,” she said smoothly.
Sam didn’t respond, turning away from them, but not before Kellie saw another glint of worry in his smoky eyes.
Whatever he’s worried about, he doesn’t need to be. It’s not what he thinks, Kellie thought smugly, eyeing the stranger with interest.
“What’s your name, swee
tie?” he cooed condescendingly, and Kellie’s grin widened.
“Jennifer,” she lied. “How about you?”
The man chuckled and extended his right hand. “I’m Gary.”
Kellie didn’t believe for a second that his name was Gary, and when she shook his hand, she noted the ring on his left finger.
What a despicable pig, she thought, but she hid her disgust from him. Someone should teach him a lesson.
The idea of teaching him a lesson made her smile. That was exactly what she was going to do.
“Nice to meet you, Gary” she told him coyly as Sam placed another drink before her. She wanted to explain to the handsome barkeep that she was not interested in the older man sitting at her side. She couldn’t think of any way to do it, though.
Anyway, I don’t owe him an explanation, Kellie thought. He’s not my father. And even if he were, I still wouldn’t owe him an explanation.
She slightly narrowed her eyes at the man sitting next to her. But Gary sure does look like my father if I squint a certain way.
No wonder she couldn’t stand the sight of him. Kellie’s father had cheated on her mother with Andra and it tore her family apart. She had no patience for men like Gary.
“I’ve never seen you here before,” Gary continued, inching close enough to Kellie that she could smell his aftershave.
At least he doesn’t smell like Dad, she thought, smiling to herself. But I still can’t wait to wipe that smug look off his face.
“I’ve never been here before,” she told him.
“I guess you’re here on business, then?” he said, and Kellie felt her brows raise.
“Yes,” she replied slowly. “I am.”
Gary’s hazel eyes glimmered with interest, and Kellie noticed that Sam stayed within earshot of their conversation.
He really wants to know what’s going on here, she noted, biting on her lower lip as she darted her eyes downward.
“Well, I have a room upstairs,” Gary told her, and Kellie was almost stunned by his forwardness. “And a fully stocked bar.”
She wanted to point out that she had two full drinks before her, but she held herself back. Kellie was still trying to craft a plan that would make him think twice about ever inviting another woman up to his room, while his ring indicated he had a wife at home.