Chasing her Curves

by Kelli Callahan

  Chasing Her Curves

  Kelli Callahan

  Copyright © 2018 by Kelli Callahan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Harmony

  2. Nate

  3. Harmony

  4. Nate

  5. Harmony

  6. Nate

  7. Harmony

  8. Devlin

  9. Harmony

  10. Nate

  11. Harmony

  12. Connor

  13. Harmony

  14. Devlin

  15. Nate

  16. Harmony

  17. Connor

  18. Harmony

  19. Nate

  20. Connor

  21. Harmony

  Epilogue

  Club Infinite Fantasy Sneak Peek

  Five Mask Of Sin Sneak Peek

  Also by Kelli Callahan:

  About the Author

  1

  Harmony

  “This fucking dress won’t fit!” I groaned as I turned around and tried to pull the zipper up my back.

  “Hold on, let me try.” My best friend, Gina, walked over and started trying to tug on it, grunting as she did.

  “I’m going to lay down on the bed. That should help.” I pulled up the train and walked over to the edge of the bed. “Okay, go.”

  Through might and sheer willpower, Gina managed to get my size ten frame in a size nine dress. She was better than diet and exercise, although I had been doing a little better in those departments. Once the dress was zipped, I tried to stand and felt the threads popping. It sounded like pop rocks in a soda can for a moment, but then they subsided, and I was able to take a step without feeling the fabric protest. I pushed my feet into my high heel shoes, balanced on them, and then smiled. The mirror reflected perfection. It was exactly what I needed if I was going to endure my sister’s wedding with class—well, the open bar was definitely going to help.

  “Come on, we’re dangerously close to being beyond fashionably late.” Gina grabbed my arm and started marching towards the door. “I’m pretty sure they don’t appreciate it when you come in while the bride is being escorted down the aisle.”

  “You act like I’m your plus one.” I laughed and followed her out the door.

  “I’m just trying to prevent another family scandal. You know how your sister is—she’s a fucking bridezilla.” Gina punched the button on the elevator.

  “I prefer bitch. I don’t even know how we’re related.” I opened my purse and pulled out a mirror to check my makeup one last time.

  “Do we need to have the birds and the bees talk again?” Gina pouted her lips and mocked me in a baby voice. “Does little Harmony need to know how babies are made?”

  “Shut up, Gina.” I punched her in the arm and watched her stumble in her heels.

  “Now who’s being a bitch?” She grumbled and glared at me as the elevator doors opened.

  “The Uber is outside. They’re going to charge us extra if we don’t hurry.” I motioned for Gina to follow me as I left the elevator.

  “You’re the one that made us late in the first place!” She huffed as she trailed along behind me.

  We climbed in the back of the Uber and then we were on our way to my sister’s wedding. Ms. Fucking Perfect. Soon to be Mrs. Fucking Perfect. I had spent my life living in my younger sister’s shadow and it was going to be another one of those days. She was the one getting married, but everyone would be asking when it was my turn. I heard it at my cousin’s wedding, my aunt’s second wedding, and every other Christmas when we went to Chicago to spend it with relatives. It had been their favorite topic of conversation since I graduated from high school. I had school as an excuse while I was in college, but once I graduated and got a job, I started to run out of them.

  It’s so easy for her, but not quite so simple for me.

  It wasn’t like I didn’t want to fall in love. I had dreamed of that since I gave Barbie and Ken dream weddings galore as a child. I always assumed the natural order of things I heard about would happen when they were supposed to. Things just didn’t happen that way. I loved music, so instead of pom-poms, I picked up a flute. All the stories they tell you about what happens at band camp don’t actually happen—at least not at the ones I went to. It was just a bunch of music nerds awkwardly sitting around wondering who would make the first move. The only ones getting frisky were the counselors.

  I might as well have been invisible once my sister made it to high school. The only Carmichael girl the boys cared about was her—hell, she was the only girl most of them cared about regardless of the last name. College had been a little better. I had a few dates, one that definitely seemed to be going somewhere with a guy named Connor, but then he vanished. I even tried looking online, exploring some dark fantasies that would never see the light of day—things that were fun to think about, but could never be reality. Reality was in front of me. Reality was my sister’s wedding—her happily ever after while my misery churned on.

  “Okay, we made it into the church before the bride. At least we’re not too late.” Gina looked around once we were inside. “Do you want to sit by your mom?”

  “Nah, I’m good in the back.” I motioned for Gina to follow me and we took a seat near the door. “It’ll be easier to get out before I have to deal with relatives if we sit here.”

  “There’s still the reception.” She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “You can’t avoid them forever.”

  “I’ll have a couple of drinks in me by then.” I nodded quickly.

  The bridal march started and I stood. I planted a smile on my face and watched as my sister walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with my father. She did make a beautiful bride. She made a beautiful everything. I wasn’t even pretty enough to stand on the stage and support her. I was fairly certain she had picked the prettiest girls she knew to be her bridesmaids—all one notch below her. She was marrying a wonderful guy that seemed to love her with all of his heart. I could smile for him at least, because he deserved his happily ever after. He seemed to have a calming effect on my sister, which was definitely a good thing. I hoped what they had was forever. At least that would make the years of living in her shadow worth it.

  God damn it, I said wasn’t going to cry.

  Once the wedding got started, the tears ran down my face. My disappointment in my own life didn’t need to take anything away from their moment. They seemed to be perfect for each other. I just wished I had that kind of love—a man that looked at me the way he looked at her. When the ceremony was over, I took my turn to congratulate the new couple and headed to the reception hall. It was a short walk from the church, which meant people arrived fairly quickly. I grabbed a martini and chugged it before enough eyes were on me to cast judgment. I was ready to simply blend into the scenery for a long as possible, but I knew the relatives would eventually turn their attention on me like a pack of wolves.

  “So, when will it be your turn? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you going to try and catch the bouquet?” Aunt Linda sat down beside me. “And you—you’re Gina, right? Are you married? Do you have any kids?”

  The barrage of questions was fended off as fast as possible. Even with Gina as my backup, I couldn’t answer them with enough vigor to satisfy my aunt’s curiosity. Soon, the table was full of people that wanted to ask me questions, suggest guys I should go talk to, and generally remind me that it was a shame someone my age wasn’t dating anyone. I had dealt with their attacks
enough that I should have been immune to them at that point, but they still stung. I was grateful when the bride and groom arrived, because it took the attention off me for a moment. I needed another drink, and it was the perfect time to grab once since nobody would notice if I left the table.

  “I’ll be right back.” I grabbed my empty glass and stood.

  “I’m good for now. I’ll tell them you went to talk to someone if they ask.” Gina giggled and winked at me.

  I walked to the bar and got a fresh martini. A blonde woman I didn’t recognize walked up and ordered a gin and tonic. She stood beside me as I stared at my sister. My sister always had the right answers to the questions that the relatives asked. It didn’t hurt that she was always dating someone and had loads of pictures to share. At least the attention would be off me for a while once she got knocked up.

  There was nothing that could draw attention away from the older unmarried sister like a new addition to the Carmichael family. The year my cousin announced she was pregnant at Christmas had been the most relaxing one in years—for me. I finally got tired of standing and decided to head back to the table. They had already started in on Gina once the bride and groom took their seats, and she wasn’t even a member of the family.

  “Headed back so soon?” The blonde woman looked over at me.

  “Yeah, I guess so.” I shrugged and nodded.

  “I hate to make a casual observation since I’m a guest at this wedding, but you looked like you were dying over there.” Her lip turned to a half-smile. “I’m Angelina.”

  “I’m the bride’s older sister—Harmony.” I turned to her and extended my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” She nodded and shook my hand.

  “I don’t recognize you. I guess you’re friends with the groom?” I raised my eyebrows and motioned to my sister’s new husband.

  “A friend of a friend, I guess you could say.” She nodded again.

  “Cool—well, I guess I should get back over there before they start naming Gina’s firstborn kids.” I chuckled and waved.

  “Forgive me, but I guess I was eavesdropping more than observing. Why is it that you’re not engaged or married?” She tilted her head to the side.

  Great, now I’m even getting harassed by people I don’t even know!

  “It’s complicated.” I exhaled sharply and glared at her. “I really should head back.”

  “It doesn’t have to be complicated.” She put her hand on my arm. “Stay, let’s talk. I’m sure your friend can handle them for a little bit longer.”

  I didn’t want to leave Gina alone with the wolves, but there was something about Angelina that seemed authentic. Her words were calming and her questions didn’t seem to be orchestrated in a way to inflict harm in the kindest way possible. At least my abandonment of Gina would be somewhat acceptable if I was making a new friend. The relatives had suggested that I try to meet someone at the wedding. It was a shame I wasn’t into women, because Angelina was the first person that I had really spoken to me I wasn’t related to in a while—since my last relationship went up in flames in the middle of the second date.

  She’s someone at least—maybe not the version of someone they had in mind, but she seems nice enough, even if she’s a bit nosy.

  I quickly finished my drink and motioned for another, which the bartender mixed up for me while I waited. I glanced over at Gina and she seemed to have actually turned the crowd. They were no longer assaulting her, and seemed to be listening to her talk. There was certainly no reason to paint a target on my chest and hop back in the midst of their questions if they had finally gotten distracted by someone else.

  “So, what do you want talk about? Are you a therapist or something?” I chuckled and took my martini from the bartender.

  “No.” She shook her head back and forth. “I like to consider myself something of a love connoisseur. I used to run a service that helped people find what they were looking for. Sometimes it was just a fantasy and sometimes it became a journey that ended on a day like this—with a beautiful wedding.”

  “I see.” I nodded in understanding. “That sounds like a rather fancy dating service.”

  “It can be a lot of things.” She smiled and nodded. “I like to think of it as an eye-opening experience.”

  “How so?” I tilted my head and stared after taking a sip of my drink.

  “Why don’t I open your eyes?” She leaned over and put her finger on my chin. “Or rather, turn them in the direction of the guy that hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you since you walked into the church.”

  “Is that—Nate?” I blinked in surprise. “I haven’t seen him since high school!”

  “Why don’t you go talk to him?” Angelina pulled her finger away from my chin.

  Has he really been looking at me? He’s certainly looking at me now. If I don’t say hello, it will be awkward.

  2

  Nate

  Six years ago

  “Bro, stop staring at her picture in the yearbook and just ask her out.” My friend, Eddie, sat down across from me and started packing weed into his bong.

  “Man, I don’t know.” I closed the yearbook and waited for him to pass the bong my way once it was lit.

  “What are you waiting for?” He exhaled a stream of smoke and leaned back on the couch. “High school is going to be over soon.”

  “Yeah, that’s the problem.” I took a huge hit and held it for several seconds before exhaling. “She’s going away to college. I ain’t interested in that shit. As soon as I get my bike fixed up, I’m hitting the open road and never looking back.”

  “Then ask her out, get your rocks off, and get her out of your system. You might as well get a piece of that ass before you go.” Eddie reached for the bong.

  “It’s not like that. She’s not some random slut I can just fuck and forget. I actually like her.” I reached for the bong again.

  “You’re going to be doing a lot of fucking and forgetting once you leave.” Eddie chuckled and exhaled. “Especially if you plan to become a nomad like you’ve always talked about.”

  “True…” I nodded and sighed.

  I definitely wasn’t planning on staying in my small Illinois town once I graduated. I hated it in Bakersfield. I had been planning my escape since I was a kid. My father was an alcoholic that beat the shit out of me on a regular basis until I was big enough to stand up to him. I had no idea where my mother was. My father said she left right after I was born and one day he found me on his doorstep. He was fine when he wasn’t drinking, but I didn’t remember the last time he had been able to go a full day without booze. I just kept planning my escape, working odd jobs, stashing money away, and suffering through my life with a promise of something better on the horizon. The open road was my escape. I wasn’t sure where it would take me, but it sure as fuck had to better than the life I knew.

  The only person that ever made me question that plan was Harmony Carmichael.

  She was a year younger than me, so while I noticed her in the hallway from time to time, I didn’t really get to know her until we ended up sitting beside each other in Anthropology. It was supposed to be an easy elective, and generally comprised of students from multiple grade levels. From the moment I sat down next to her, I struggled to look away. Her beautiful curves, her gorgeous smile, and her mesmerizing eyes set my world on fire.

  I had never been in love before. I dated a lot and it usually wasn’t hard for me to ask someone out, but with her, it was different. There were days she didn’t seem to notice me and days when we spent the whole class joking about something the teacher said until the bell rang. When the bell rang each day to signal the end of class, we went our separate ways, and my heart burned until I was beside her again.

  Fuck it, you know what—I’m just going to ask her out. What do I have to lose?

  I planned to ask Harmony out on Monday, but I talked my way out of it. By Friday, I felt like I had the courage to do it. She seemed to
be in a particularly happy mood when she arrived, so I thought the week of waiting was going to pay off. There were times when I saw sadness behind her eyes, even when she tried to put on a brave front. I didn’t know what was going on in her life, but I had a suspicion that it was related to her sister. She wasn’t my type, but she was popular with a lot of the other guys. The teacher was late, so I sucked up my courage, quelled my nervousness and leaned across the aisle.

  “You seem rather happy today.” I smiled when she looked over at me.

  “I have a reason to be.” Her smile practically lit up the room. “Jimmy Adams asked me to homecoming!”

  Shit!

  “For real?” My smile faded, and my soul trembled. “That’s—awesome.”

  “I know! I’m so excited!” She nodded enthusiastically.

  I retreated back to my seat and scowled. There was nothing wrong with Jimmy Adams. He seemed like a nice enough guy. I couldn’t think of one good reason that she shouldn’t date him, except for the disappointment I felt when I thought about it. I had missed my chance. It took me a week to get up the courage, and I blew it. It was my fault. I sulked until the end of class and quickly left the room. I skipped the rest of the school day and just hung out in Eddie’s garage, getting high and trying to forget the name Harmony Carmichael. The next day, I got a call that my motorcycle was ready.

  Fuck high school and fuck this town.

  The only thing that had really kept me there was Harmony. With that chapter of my life suspended as she embarked on a new relationship, I decided I wasn’t going to wait around to see if her date ended in bliss or disaster. I didn’t really care about graduating. I would have left before the school year started if I didn’t wreck my motorcycle over summer break. Getting the call that it was ready right after learning that my chance with Harmony was blown seemed like a sign. The open road was supposed to be my destiny, so I embraced it.