Claiming Nina

by Leslie Johnson

  “I need a break,” I say to Amber, forcing a smile. She nods and dances around me.

  I make my way back to the table and sit down. My head is starting to spin, and I feel sick as the anxiety starts to sink in. Then I remember my bag that I tossed under my chair when we got here. Shit. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson after losing all my money on the bus, but apparently, I didn’t.

  My heart races as I reach under the chair, and when my fingers close around the soft leather fabric that is my purse, I sigh with relief. Thank fucking God. I check the contents, relieved that everything appears to still be there. Maybe this is a sign that I need to cut the night short. I signal to Amber to come over. She dances over to me with arms outstretched, but I shake my head.

  “I think I’m going to call it a night.” I grin.

  “No way,” she protests. “It’s still early, and you haven’t met Jake yet. One more round. Please, Mandy?”

  I know I should say no, but I hesitate, not wanting to disappoint my new friend.

  “Okay, just one more round…” I hear myself saying.

  One more leads to two, which leads to three, and before I know it, I’m stumbling out of the bar, tripping over my own feet. I look around for Jake and Amber, but I can’t see either of them. In the end, I give up and start walking back to my room. I smile and think about what a cute couple they are. I love Amber, and Jake seems like a nice, genuine guy. It’s adorable how devoted he is to her.

  I trip over a crack in the sidewalk and stumble forward, crashing into the concrete like a sack of potatoes. Shit. My fall is anything but graceful. I quickly glance around to make sure no one witnessed it, when I look up into the eyes of Adam. I cringe, because he is the last person I’d want to see me like this.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, crouching down beside me. His blue eyes are full of concern. “I was driving past when I saw you fall. I wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

  “I think I’m okay,” I mumble, impressed that I’m able to string words together. He reaches forward and touches my hand. My cheeks heat, as I imagine kissing him. I quickly push the thought out of my head and glance down, focusing on my throbbing knee.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s just grazed,” I mutter. “I’ll be fine.” I struggle to my feet and attempt to stumble home, but he stops me.

  “No way I’m leaving you like this. Let me drive you home,” he demands.

  “No, I’m literally just up there,” I protest, but even as I speak he’s guiding me to his car and helping me into the passenger seat.

  I give up arguing and click my seatbelt into place, my head still hazy from drinking way too much alcohol. Don’t say anything stupid. On second thought, don’t say anything at all. He gets in and starts the car, glancing in my direction with an amused smirk twitching at his lips.

  “So, big night?”

  “Not really,” I mutter, but then I regret lying. Now he probably thinks this is normal behavior for me. “Yes, it was a big night. I don’t go out very often,” I explain. “So when I do, it can get messy.”

  He chuckles. “Fair enough. I remember what it was like to be young.”

  I roll my eyes. “You say that like you’re forty years older than me. What are you? Thirty? Thirty-one?”

  “Good guess. I’m thirty-one,” he responds. He glances at me. “Which I’m guessing is a fair bit older than you?”

  My body tingles. Is he fishing for my age? “I’m Twenty. Nearly twenty-one.” An awkward silence follows which I feel the need to fill. “Where are your kids?”

  “With my father,” he murmurs. He studies the road, his whole demeanor changing. “He likes to have them once a week, and it lets me get some work done.”

  “Must be handy having him around to help,” I say.

  “It is,” he agrees. He doesn’t offer anything else, so I continue talking, trying to fill the dead air.

  “You don’t realize how much you miss your family until they’re not around.” I cringe, willing myself to shut up. The guy just lost his mother.

  He glances at me. “You don’t talk to your family?”

  I shake my head. “At the moment, no. I miss them, though. Part of me wants to pick up the phone and call them, but then I stop myself…” I shake my head. I’m sharing way too much information. Thank God, we’re almost there. I point at the inn and give Adam an awkward smile. “Just up here. Thanks for the lift.”

  I go to get out, when he’s suddenly there, helping me out of the car, his hand on mine. I ignore the tingle rushing through my body and let him lead me up to my room. I breathe in, the smell of his aftershave making me feel dizzy. Get a grip, Nina…Amanda. I’m obviously more affected by the alcohol than I thought.

  “I can take it from here.” I grin as I reach my room. I go to place the key in the door, but it falls from my grasp and falls to the floor.

  “You sure about that?” he asks lightly, raising his eyebrows.

  I narrow my eyes, which just makes him chuckle. He bends down to retrieve the key, slipping it into the lock. As he turns to open the door, I step forward just as he moves sideways, sending me colliding into his chest.

  “Sorry,” he murmurs, staring into my eyes.

  He doesn’t back away, and as I look up at him, all I can think about again is kissing him. I lift my heels off the ground and press my lips against his. He takes a second to react, but then his fingers cradle my face as he kisses me back. My heart races as he presses his mouth against mine as I stroke his rough jawline. I want to pull away, but at the same time, I can’t. As we break apart, he looks as shocked as I feel. My heart races as I wait for him to say something, and when he doesn’t, I push past him, desperate to escape.

  “Thanks for bringing me home,” I mumble.

  I walk inside and close the door before he can respond, waiting until I can hear the sound of him walking away before I let myself relax. What the hell was that? I’m so angry at myself for doing that. What was I thinking?

  I stumble into the bathroom and peel off my clothes to examine my knee. It’s red, raw, and stinging like a motherfucker as the cool air hits it. I carefully wash it and use an old rag to bandage it and then climb into bed. As I cover myself with my blankets, my head spins. I close my eyes, a wave of nausea hitting me as I groan and roll onto my side.

  I’m never drinking again.

  Six

  Adam

  I hammer the last nail into the deck and stand back to survey my work. I’ve been working on the damn thing forever, and I’ve done more today than I have in the last six months. When I woke up at six this morning, all I could think about was that kiss. Even a surf did nothing to get her out of my head, so with the kids out with Dad all day, I decided to put myself to work.

  Walking inside, I yank open the fridge and grab a bottle of water, twisting the cap off. Sadie and Mason clamber in, Sadie dancing excitedly around the kitchen to hug me, while Mason slumps down on the couch and switches on the TV.

  “Good day?” I ask him sourly. He grunts in response. “How about you?” I ask Sadie, knowing I’ll get a better reception from her.

  “Oh, it was great, Daddy,” she gushes, jumping into my lap. “We collected shells on the beach and fed the ducks Grandad’s moldy old bread.”

  “Glad you had fun. How about we go out for dinner?” I suggest.

  “Can I put my new dress on?” she squeals.

  She’s off my lap and running to her room before I can respond. I’m lucky to have them. But more than that, I’m lucky my relationship with Sadie is so strong. If she hated me like Mason clearly does, I don’t know what I’d do. I think about Amanda and what she said to me about missing her family. It must be hard being in a new town, so far away from your family. Picking up the phone, I call The Crab Shack to reserve a table.

  “For three?” Lily says when she answers.

  “Well actually, I need to talk to you about that…”

  “Why are we here again,” Mason grumbles as I drag hi
m and Sadie through the doors of The Crab Shack.

  “To eat dinner,” I say dryly. “It’s either this or I cook something, and you know how bad that’s going to turn out.”

  He rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath. “You know there are other things to eat in this stupid town besides seafood,” he protests.

  “We live in a fishing town,” I point out. “Where else are you going to get fresh out of the water seafood? Besides, there’s other things on the menu besides fish. Have what you like. Knock yourself out and order a steak.” I shrug.

  Sadie dances next to me, singing loudly. “Fish, fish, fish, fishy, fishy, fish.”

  The place is busy, even for a Saturday night. Lily looks up and nods at me, pointing to a table over by the window. It’s still light outside, so we’ve got a good view of the water. I sit down and listen to the kids arguing about God knows what, suddenly feeling nervous.

  Maybe this whole thing is a bad idea. What was I thinking, doing this with the kids in tow? Talk about awkward. I should’ve asked Dad to keep them for the night, although, that would’ve created a whole new set of problems since I don’t ask my father for anything. I thought it would be easier for Amanda with the kids here to break the ice, but now I’m not so sure.

  I spy her leaning against the bar, writing up an order. I study her as she concentrates, taking in her long, dark hair and stunning lashes. Something stirs in me, and as I try to figure out what it is, she looks up and sees me watching her. She smiles, hesitation passing through her eyes as she gives me a half wave. Is she thinking about last night and that kiss? Because I sure as hell am.

  “Daddy?”

  I jump and look at Sadie, who is studying me closely, a frown on her lips.

  “Yes, honey?” I mumble, embarrassed that I have no idea what she’s just said.

  “I asked you,” she begins, as if it’s an effort to repeat herself, “if the fishies would still be alive if we didn’t eat them? Mason says I’m killing the fishies and if I wasn’t eating them they’d be back at home in the ocean with their families.”

  Mason snorts, and I glare at him. How do I handle this? I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t want to scar her for life, either.

  “Yeah, Dad, tell her she’s not killing them by eating them.” He laughs and goes back to playing games on my phone.

  “Fish are there to be eaten,” I explain to her gently. “So no, they wouldn’t still be alive if you weren’t eating them, because someone else would order the fish anyway, okay?” She seems satisfied with my response and I sigh, relieved that I dodged the bullet. At least until the next question comes along, which will no doubt be more awkward and badly timed.

  Amanda walks over, notepad in hand, with clearly no idea what’s about to happen. If I hadn’t arranged it already with Lily, I’d probably back out, because the closer the moment gets, the more ridiculous the idea feels in my head. What was I thinking? That’s the problem, I don’t think I was. At least not with my head.

  She reaches the table and smiles shyly at me. “You guys eat in here a lot,” she comments.

  Mason snorts and I glare at him, which is all I seem to do lately.

  “We like fish,” Sadie declares loudly. “And if we don’t eat them, someone else will. We’re not killing them.”

  I groan, wishing the floor would swallow me up, but Amanda seems to be taking it in stride. She chuckles, her eyes meeting mine. I see a hint of embarrassment hiding in them, but she’s much more relaxed than I thought she’d be, considering what happened last night. I’m glad because I’m about to make this awkward enough for the both of us.

  “So, what can I get you?” she asks, her pen poised.

  “How about you take a seat?” I suggest, feeling a little bit foolish.

  She looks at me like I’m crazy and laughs. “I can’t. I’m working,” she protests.

  “Sit down,” Sadie squeals, tugging at her arm. She falls into the seat next to Sadie, laughing, as my little girl climbs all over her. Mason continues to mumble things under his breath, shaking his head. He looks around like he’s embarrassed he might be seen by someone he knows.

  “If Lily catches me—”

  “Lily is giving you the night off.”

  Amanda looks up, her eyes widening, when she realizes Lily is standing behind her chair.

  “What? Why?” she gasps.

  “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. Adam arranged an extra staff member so that he could give you a break.” She shrugs again and holds up her hands. “Nothing to do with me. I’ve covered your shift, so don’t argue and just enjoy it.”

  “I can’t accept this,” she mumbles. “You’re being way too kind to me.”

  I shrug and smile at her. “You mentioned last night how much you’re missing your family, so I thought this might make it a little bit easier.”

  “I said that?” She flushes.

  “You don’t remember?”

  “I don’t remember much at all about last night,” she mumbles.

  I smirk, because that explains a lot. That’s the reason she’s not embarrassed about the kiss. In a way, I’m still not sure how I feel about it, so maybe this is for the best. The only problem with that is I still remember, and I’m not sure I’m able to forget the way her lips felt when she pressed them against mine.

  She eyes a passing waitress and smiles. “I have to admit, every time I’ve carried out a plate of that crab, I’m salivating and wondering what it tastes like.”

  “Can I go and play games until dinner is ready?” Sadie interrupts in a pleading voice. I nod and turn to Mason.

  “Will you take your sister over to the playroom?” He rolls his eyes, but gets to his feet, following her over to the kid’s area, my phone still in his hand.

  “Sorry about Mason.” I wince. “He’s still struggling to settle in.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Nearly six months.” I’m embarrassed to admit. “We have a difficult relationship. One I’m not sure I can fix.”

  She nods. “Families can be difficult,” she says softly.

  “Tell me more about you?” I say. “You said you were from Chicago?”

  Her face reddens. “What else did I tell you last night?”

  “It’s not so much what you said…” I chuckle as her eyes widen. So much for keeping that little secret to myself.

  “What did I do?” she whispers.

  “You really don’t remember, do you?” I say, dragging the suspense out.

  “Now you’re really worrying me. Tell me,” she cries, laughing. “I totally embarrassed myself, didn’t I?”

  “Do you remember me taking you home?”

  “Home?”

  I nod. “I saw you fall over on the sidewalk as I was driving home from the office. I helped you up and insisted on giving you a lift home.”

  “Oh God,” she says, covering her face with her hands.

  “You were a little bit tipsy,” I chuckle, enjoying her embarrassment. “You just told me how much you were missing home, and that you didn’t know anyone here. That’s why I thought I would do this for you and make you feel a little less homesick.”

  “That’s all that happened?” she whispers.

  “Not quite.” I smirk. She groans again and covers her face with her hands. “I helped you up to your room, and we kind of had a moment.” I pause, because now I’m the one who is embarrassed. I was just as invested in that kiss. More so, because I knew what I was doing. “You kissed me.”

  “I kissed you?” she squeals, loud enough for half the room to turn around.

  Lily’s head snaps up from over near the register. Her eyes meet mine, and she gives me a thumbs up, followed with a big grin. I groan, because this is going anything but smoothly. Thank God, the kids aren’t here to witness this.

  “Oh God, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe I did that,” she whispers.

  “It’s okay, I wasn’t complaining.”

  �
�So…” She pauses, embarrassed, before mumbling, “was I… Did we…”

  “Nothing else happened,” I chuckle. “I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that.” No matter how much I wanted to.

  “Thank you,” she mumbles. She gestures around us. “And thanks again for the pity date. This is taking my mind off home.”

  “I’m glad, but that’s not what this is,” I laugh. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to tell you what happened at all, but I couldn’t resist—”

  “Rubbing it in?” she supplies. A tiny dimple appears on her left cheek when she smiles. I pass her the menu, but she puts it right back down. “I already know I’m having the crab.”

  “Fair enough,” I chuckle. “I hear it’s pretty good.”

  I wave Lily over, and we order our meals. I order Sadie’s usual fish and chips and Mason a steak. Lily can barely contain her excitement as she takes the order, winking at me every chance she gets. I roll my eyes, hoping that Amanda hasn’t seen.

  “She seems happier than usual,” Amanda comments. “You’re pretty good friends?”

  “Yeah, we went to high school together. She’s a great girl. Like a sister to me.”

  “This whole town seems so supportive. Everyone is so friendly and nice. I’m not used to that.”

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “Only child. I guess that’s why my father was so protective of me. You?”

  “Nope”—I grin—“only child as well.”

  “And your father lives here?”

  The way she says it, I know she knows about my mother, which has me wondering if she’s been asking about me. I kind of like that thought.