by Chelle Bliss
Me: What?
My stomach dropped.
Kayden: I told you last week, if you didn’t come to me, then I’d come to you.
Me: You’re lying. You aren’t here.
I looked out my bedroom window, glancing in both directions, but I saw no one.
Me: I don’t see you.
Kayden: Look out the front door.
Fuck, did he really know where I lived?
My legs shook as I walked toward the front door, gripping my cell phone tightly as I readied myself to come face-to-face with him.
Kayden: I’m kidding. Just thought I’d get your heart pounding.
I froze and didn’t feel relieved, but saddened that he wasn’t really here.
Me: You’re such a dick.
Kayden: I’m not there now, but I do know where you live.
Me: No, you don’t. What’s my address?
My palms grew sweaty against the plastic of my phone as I read my address on the screen. My mouth dropped open.
Me: How?
Kayden: The chat shows where you are when you message me with your phone, kiddo.
Fuck. I never paid attention to the details in the chat window. I knew it said a city but never knew it showed an exact location. I tapped on his message, and I could see exactly where he was at that very moment.
Me: OMG. I never knew that. I always thought I was untraceable. I thought this was safe.
Kayden: Are you saying I’m dangerous, Sophia?
I laughed because I knew he wasn’t dangerous to me physically, but he could break my heart.
Me: Nah. I don’t think you would hurt me, but I think you would turn my world upside down. I’ve always steered clear of men like you.
Kayden: Maybe you’ve been with the wrong men.
Me: Who would be the right type of man? You?
I wanted Kayden to be the right type, but there was a problem. He didn’t want a girlfriend. At least, that was what he said in the past, but that was before…
I shook my head, not letting myself believe we could have more.
Kayden: You need a little trouble in your life…some excitement. You’ve stayed safe too long, and what did it get you?
Me: Navy blue.
Kayden: Exactly. Time to add some other color, baby doll.
4
Kayden
The Great Picture Show
I needed to get her to New Orleans. I was heading down to Bourbon Street with Tom to enjoy the best New Orleans had to offer and wanted to use it as a way to draw her here.
Sophia: I’ll miss chatting with you tonight.
How could she think I could leave her behind? She still hadn’t given me an answer on coming to New Orleans, even though I asked weeks ago. I’d tempt her with the sights of the city, the allure of its beauty as I walked around tonight, sending her photo after photo until she caved.
Me: I’m taking you with me.
Sophia: What do you mean?
Me: I want you to experience the city with me tonight.
Sophia: Really? You’re going to give me a tour of the city?
Me: Yes. I want you to see the beauty and the fun. I want you to want to come see me so you can see it all in person.
“Hey, Tom, can you take a picture of me?” I asked, handing my phone over before I jogged across the street.
I laughed as I posed in front of a very large DANGER sign spray-painted on a cement separator. It was perfect. Tom snapped the picture, and I asked him to take it again in case he fucked it up somehow.
I sent her the photo just as we climbed on to the streetcar.
Me: The start of the tour.
Sophia: Are you trying to tell me something?
I laughed because Sophia seemed to know how my mind worked. We seemed to get each other. For some odd reason, I felt like I’d know her my entire life.
Me: Me? Never.
Sophia: Where to next?
Me: Down to Bourbon Street. Ready?
I sent her pictures of the inside of the streetcar and the stops along the way. I couldn’t even leave the house for an evening and not find a way to make her part of it. I needed to talk with her.
I told her I didn’t want to get involved with anyone, but it was a lie. When I said the words when we first started talking, they were true. But as each day passed, I developed feelings for her. How fucked up was that? I hadn’t even met her, and I felt a connection with her unlike any I had before.
Sophia: It’s beautiful and so different.
I sent her a picture of a beautiful courtyard that was filled with flowers and tables, and a fountain stood in the center of the courtyard, flowing with water and glowing.
Me: I want to sit in this exact spot with you and sip on a drink.
Sophia: I’d rather be there with you than sitting on my couch right now.
Me: Look at this.
I spotted a few girls covered in body paint and no shirts. They were taking pictures with random men on the street for money and earning a hell of a lot. I snapped a photo from a distance and sent it to her.
Sophia: Wow. They have no shirts on, and that guy is basically grabbing her boob.
Me: Yep, women do it all the time here. It’s normal.
Sophia: More pictures please but maybe less boobs.
Me: Gotcha.
Tom and I walked down into the heart of the French Quarter, and I captured as many images as I could to tell her the story of my night. Tom was very patient, understanding my goal of luring Sophia to New Orleans.
“So you really like this girl, huh?” Tom asked me as we waited in line for another drink.
“I do.”
“Giving up on your arrangements, then?”
“Yeah, she makes me want more. If she’s anything in person like what she is like online, then I want her and no one else,” I told him, and it didn’t feel odd saying it out loud.
“Interesting, bro. She hot?”
“Wait. Let me show you.” I tapped the screen a few times until a photo of her standing by the ocean appeared, the very first one of her that caught my eye. She was wearing a flowing black strapless top and shorts. Her long brown hair was blowing in the wind, and she was wearing sunglasses. I stared at her for a moment, smiling like an idiot. “Here’s the first picture I ever saw of her.”
“She’s beautiful, Kayden. I love her hair,” Tom said to me as he moved his face closer, trying to get a better look.
“Her hair caught my attention first. She’s not only beautiful but smart as shit, dude.”
“Is she going to come here?”
“I’m working on it. That’s why I’m taking all these damn photos. She’d love it here,” I told him while switching back to camera mode.
“You’ll do it. You’re a persistent bastard,” Tom said, handing me a drink.
I wouldn’t give up. I was never a quitter. I knew whatever this was between us was worth the work. Sophia was the type of girl who deserved to be courted, and I was working my ass off to maneuver my way under her skin.
5
Sophia
The Big Leap
I held my breath as I hit send. I finally caved. I didn’t know if I was going crazy or was just so horny that all reasonable thought went right out the window.
Me: I’ve decided I’m going to come to New Orleans to see you.
Summer was slipping away, and so was my chance to meet him before I had to go back to work. When the school year began, everyone wanted to swap stories about their summer trips. As of this moment, the only place I’d been was the community pool. I wanted that great story, the excitement.
Kayden: Seriously?
Me: Let me know when you can get off work, and I’ll be there.
“Hello,” I said, picking up the phone on the first ring. I’d expected him to call immediately when he finally realized I wasn’t full of shit.
Deciding how long to stay in New Orleans wasn’t easy. Most of the time, I set the first meeting to last a couple of hours or over a
cup of coffee, but I agreed to a long weekend.
I’d have my own car and a means to exit the city—and his life—if it didn’t work out, which put my mind a little bit at ease. I wanted to get to know him, and it would be nice to reminisce about home with someone who actually knew the places too.
“I can’t believe you’re really coming,” he said.
It would be a long drive, and I wanted time to relax and enjoy myself before having to do it again to head back to Tampa. I hoped that the trip and our meeting wouldn’t be a disaster.
Kayden had made it clear in our early conversations that he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend—he was finished with relationships. He’d been burned by women too many times and wasn’t eager for it to happen again. He wanted a physical relationship with someone but not an emotional connection or a girlfriend—although, I felt a shift in his attitude toward me. I was seeking excitement, and he promised just that.
“I told my brother that I’m coming to see you.”
“What’d he say?”
My brother remembered him but made a few phone calls to check him out since it’d been fifteen years since they were in high school. If he gave me the all clear, I’d finally pull the trigger and head to New Orleans.
“He said he had a call to make and immediately hung up on me,” I replied.
“Do you think he’s calling some of my friends?”
“No doubt—knowing my brother, he’s looking for any red flags.”
“I have to tell you something.” His voice had changed, and the playfulness had vanished.
“Okay,” I said and scrunched up my face. Nothing good ever came after that statement.
“I was arrested a while ago, and I’m on probation right now.”
I was more than a little stunned at the news. I didn’t know what to say or think. He didn’t seem like a criminal but a hardworking, kindhearted person…probation?
Should I run? Fuck.
I never invited trouble into my life, but this was Kayden, and even though he omitted the information, I still wanted to meet him. It’s not like we were going to fall madly in love and become a couple.
“What happened?” I already knew my brother would find out and tell me, but I wanted to see what Kayden would say.
“Well…it’s the reason my last relationship ended.”
Weeks ago, I did a search on him, but I didn’t find a damn thing. My supersleuth skills were seriously lacking if there was something to be found and I missed it.
“I won’t look it up. What happened?” I asked, trying to sound convincing because I’d already started searching on my phone while he talked.
Kayden explained everything to me. His girlfriend threw him out after a night of drinking, and he went back to their place anyway. He lived there too and had for years. But after he went back for his work clothes, the alcohol he’d been drinking got the better of him, and he threw her clothes in the swimming pool out of anger. The police picked him up hours later and arrested him for trespassing and property damage. The rest was history, and now he was on probation until he paid her back for all of her ruined clothes.
I mean, I’d been there. Been so pissed I couldn’t even see straight, let alone think coherently. I could understand how sometimes things went way beyond what we expected when alcohol factored into the equation. We’d all had an experience where we woke the next morning horrified by what we’d done the night before.
Did he have an anger problem? I hadn’t seen a glimmer of anger in the time we’d spent talking or chatting online—he seemed so easygoing. My brother found no trace of it in his phone calls, and everyone said he was a nice guy. That night could’ve been a single event caused by drinking too much.
I had no right to judge anyone on his or her life experiences. Life was a series of events that helped us become who we were meant to be.
“Are we still going to meet?” he asked in a sad voice.
My heart pounded. I responded quickly. “Yes.” I sealed my fate. I needed passion, and he just might be the cure.
6
Kayden
Melted
I needed a good girl in my life, and I wanted somebody I could trust with my secrets and my heart. Sophia hadn’t been with many men, unlike the women I’d been involved with in my past, and that made her even more desirable. My judgment had been off for most of my life, but I was finally on the right path.
I worked all day as she drove to New Orleans. I asked to leave early, so I could get home to shower and clean the apartment. I lived with Tom, my coworker and friend, and he wasn’t known for his cleaning skills.
I wanted everything to be perfect.
“Dude, I can’t believe you convinced her to come here for a weekend,” Tom said, lying on the couch watching television.
I nodded, feeling a little shocked myself. “She’s fucking hot, man. She’s unlike any other girl I know.”
My phone rang, and I almost jumped out of the chair with excitement. She was here. I couldn’t believe she was here.
“Hello,” she said as soon as I answered. “I just got off the freeway, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be outside waiting, Sophia.”
“It’s the moment of truth,” Tom teased as soon as I hung up the phone. He didn’t believe she could actually be as hot as she was in the photos.
“Fuck off,” I told him before walking back into the bathroom to checked myself one last time in the mirror, taking a slug of mouthwash and swishing it quickly.
I ignored his comments as I made my way outside, not wanting to miss her pulling into the parking lot. I sat in my truck and watched the street, keeping an eye out for her. I could barely breathe as I waited. I didn’t remember another time in my life that I was so excited and nervous that I felt like I could jump out of my own skin.
She pulled into the drive, and I caught my first glimpse of her. She was even more beautiful in person than I had imagined.
Would she still like me when she met me? God, I hoped so.
She looked around, zooming in on me, and smiled. Thank God! She must not be disappointed.
Seeing her made me realize I’d been a fool. I’d given up on love and a happy future. But it was still possible, and my heart wasn’t dead, after all.
7
Sophia
I couldn’t believe I was doing it.
I was going to see Kayden—a man I’d talked to for months but had never met. Even though it went against everything I knew was right and safe, I agreed to drive across numerous states to finally meet him.
I thought my heart would explode before I got there, the pounding growing harder and faster with each passing mile. I tried to steady my breathing and concentrate on navigating the streets of New Orleans, but it was useless.
“Stay right and take Exit One, West Napoleon Avenue. Your destination is one mile ahead on your right,” the GPS stated.
One mile?
I clutched the wheel, adjusting in my seat as my clothes clung to my body. God, I seriously needed a shower. Beads of sweat started to form near my temples as I tightened my grip, causing my knuckles to turn white.
Get it together, Sophia.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice coming through the speakers.
“I’m just trying to figure out where I’m going. There are so many buildings.”
“I’ll guide you, Soph.”
I looked for him in between the masses of cars, but I saw no one. “Do you see my car?”
“You just passed my building. Do a U-turn and turn by the black gate.”
“Shit.” I wiped my forehead, realizing I was only moments away from seeing him in the flesh. I wanted to look my best. Well, at least as good as I could after two days of driving.
Stopping the car in the middle turning lane, I checked myself out in the rearview mirror. Not too bad even though I’m a mess inside.
I sat there for a moment and took a deep breath. “I’m coming now,” I said, blot
ting my face before applying powder to smooth my complexion.
Calm down, he’s just a guy.
I turned back toward him—the man I had thought about constantly for months.
“I see you.”
I looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of him. I spotted a gorgeous man…Kayden. He was smiling at me, and my belly flipped. I had seen him in pictures, but they didn’t do him justice.
“I see you now, too. Be there in a second.” I hit the end button, needing a minute to freak out in private.
You can do this. Calm the fuck down.
I tapped my index finger against the steering wheel as the gate to his apartment complex opened painfully slowly. He stood near an empty parking spot, waiting for me, and with each passing second, I grew more anxious.
As I pulled forward, I drank him in. His body was muscular and lean, covered in a pair of white, knee-length shorts and a blue T-shirt. His only visible hair at a distance was a goatee that framed his smile. As the space between us closed, I could see his bright sage eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
His smile had been a mystery to me, but now it made my breath catch in my throat. He didn’t like to show his teeth because of a gap that was never fixed. It finally filled my vision, and it mesmerized me. The display made my heart melt. His teeth were imperfectly beautiful.
I parked my car in a haphazard fashion, not caring if I was in between the lines. My heart rate increased, and I clenched my hands into tight balls, closing my eyes before reaching for the door handle. I slid out, leaving the door open.
“Hi,” he said as he reached for me. His heart was pounding as fast as mine, as if they were speaking a secret language.
Thank God I’m not the only one nervous.
I buried my face in his neck, closed my eyes, and inhaled the sweet, masculine scent. He didn’t wear cologne, but the scent was purely him.
He backed away, and before I could open my eyes, his soft lips glided across mine. The kiss turned more demanding as he sucked my lip into his mouth, and I moaned. After weeks of verbal foreplay, I finally had his body pressed against mine.