by Kilby Blades
It was hard seeing people he graduated with getting jobs, getting married, moving on with their lives. He was stuck in the college lifestyle. Same job, same roommates, same friends. He was ready to move on, too. He needed something new.
His phone buzzed in his hand, and he grinned at Lauren’s selfie with her coffee in front of the igloos by the skating rink. Lauren was another part of his life where he was tired of feeling stuck. She was one of his best friends, and he wouldn’t change that for the world. He could admit, if only to himself and apparently Alexis, that he wanted more than that from her, but he was terrified to lose the one voice that had always believed in him. There were days that her support was the only thing that sustained him. She was the voice in his head when doubt reared its ugly head.
He’d gone back and forth in his head over what he should do. If he made things awkward by asking her out, well, that would suck. He also didn’t think he could stick around and watch her date another asshole, either. He needed to move forward or move on. Holding himself in limbo for the last year had been exhausting. No longer. Tonight was a sign. She was alone and in need of a knight in shining armor. He was going to be that and more. And if it all fell apart, well, he’d have his answer and be free to go.
Suitably buoyed, he pulled on the tux jacket he’d borrowed from the catering manager over his white server shirt, and straightened the black bow tie from his uniform. Show time. Grabbing his puffy coat, he stepped out of the restaurant and hailed a cab for the park. He had a date with destiny.
As the taxi pulled away from the curb by the park, Cash’s nerves came flooding back. Picking up Lauren had been easy. But the moment she sat down in the cab, she spaced out with her phone. His own phone was buzzing in his pocket since he’d set follow alerts for her accounts. He knew she was working. That was the whole point of this stupid evening, but it was seriously shaking his resolve.
His heart was invested in this date, but she was all business. The cab wove aggressively through Michigan Avenue traffic, and she didn’t even flinch. He didn’t stand a chance in hell at winning her attention.
“How are the photos from earlier doing?” he asked, determined to meet her where she was.
“Picking up steam. Wendy gave them the thumbs up.”
“So what shots do we need once we get inside?” Cash waited to see how she’d react to his use of “we.” God, he wished he could turn off his sensitivity to words for even a minute.
“We need décor, ambiance, the organizer, maybe some action shots. I won’t know for sure until I see the layout and lighting, but we want to promote an atmosphere that balances romance and philanthropy.” She hadn’t looked up from her phone, but she’d used his “we” in return. He’d take it.
He took out his own phone and texted his buddy at the Peninsula that they were almost there and sighed. Not the most reassuring start, but once they were inside he’d find his opening. He patted his coat pocket, feeling the reassuring weight. Yes, he was ready. He was not throwing away his shot.
The taxi stopped in front of the hotel, and the doorman opened Lauren’s door, extending a hand to help her out of the car. When she followed the doorman towards the front door, Cash had to stop her. “Wait. We’re heading this way.” He avoided the doorman’s gaze and took her hand, leading her up the block.
“But the benefit is…”
“I know. But they are checking tickets at that door to the ballroom. My buddy, Dwayne, is going to let us in through the service entrance. We just need to cut through the mall.” The concierge was a man of his word, and had texted Cash directions to let them in through the warren of hidden passages that were concealed behind the walls of the hotel.
As they passed Tiffany & Co. on the corner, Lauren’s steps slowed, her gaze caught on the sparkling diamonds that the employees were removing from the window displays for the night.
“Someday,” she sighed, and Cash’s insecurities doubled. She had expensive taste. Even if his writing did take off, he’d never be Tiffany’s rich. If that’s what she was hoping for, he wasn’t going to be the guy to give it to her. That pinched his pride. Maybe this risking-her-friendship-for-more plan wasn’t such a great idea.
“Isn’t that pretty?” she asked, pointing to a glittering heart pendant.
“It sure is, but it can’t compete with the sparkle in your eyes.”
At least his words hadn’t deserted him. She laughed and squeezed his hand tighter, a speculative glint in her eye. What did that mean?
“You sweet-talker, you.”
She followed him without further comment into the mall and down a side corridor. Cash knocked three times on a gray door and smiled when it opened to reveal Dwayne.
“Come on. My break’s almost up.”
Lauren leaned up to whisper in Cash’s ear. “You’re my hero. You know that, right?”
Her hero. He liked the sound of that. Confidence restored, he vowed to hold on to his courage like a real hero. No matter how the night went down, it would be worth having that memory engraved on his brain.
Lauren shed her coat, phone in hand, and tucked it behind a service table with Cash’s in the grand ballroom since they’d had to skip the coat check. The massive space was filled with Chicago’s movers and shakers, the crystal chandeliers overhead creating just enough shadow for business as usual to continue unimpeded. The alcohol and gossip flowed freely, and Lauren did her best to get her pictures as inconspicuously as possible. The low lighting guaranteed that most of them would be blurry without a flash but hopefully a few would be usable. Otherwise she’d just filter the hell out of them.
Cash stepped up behind her with two gin and tonics. When he offered her one, she declined. “I should probably stick to wine. I’ve already had a few tonight.”
Tossing back her drink in a few gulps, he grinned and then casually sipped his own. “No worries. More for me.” She had to grin. He was such a goof sometimes.
“Come on. Let’s dance.” She took his hand in hers, getting more comfortable with her reaction to his touch, and led him through the tables. Alexis’s suggestion was like a burr on her brain. She couldn’t stop picking at it. He paused on the edge of the dance floor, drained the last half of his drink, and dropped it on an empty table, before tugging her hand back and spinning her into his arms with a grin.
“Anything you want.”
Lauren gripped her phone as he spun her back out, and raised it to capture one of those action shots she wanted. Instead of a silly mugging grin, she caught his sincerity instead. What did she want? She’d always been able to trust him with her thoughts and plans. Could she trust him with her heart and body as well? It was a tempting thought.
Tucking her phone into her bra, she let him lead her onto the dance floor. The strains of Today Was A Fairytale faded, and a slower song with a deep funky bass and a steady drumbeat took its place.
“Seriously?” Lauren placed her hand on Cash’s shoulder with a smirk. “Let’s Get It On?”
He just grinned and pulled her further onto the floor.
“You can swing right?” he teased. He knew damn well she could swing, as she’d dragged him along to the beginner’s class at the coffee shop in college, so her nod was a formality. “This is a song for steppin’. It’s similar but not. Just follow my lead.”
Holding her frame, she realized that he was one of few people in the world she trusted with her lead. As Marvin crooned about there being nothing wrong with love, Cash led her into a slow and sensual two-step. She couldn’t help but let her hips sway into the rhythm. He pushed her out into a spin and back in close, teasing her with his hips bumping against hers, before putting an arm’s length distance between them again.
When he moved his hand to her lower back to lead her into a turn, she felt the heat blaze through her, setting her on fire. Each casual touch ignited more flames until she was burning with a desperate desire. For Cash. For her friend. She tried to cling to the safety of that word, but all hope incinerated in the
blaze his eyes lit as he watched her hips sway between his hands.
She’d never found her rhythm like this before, giving herself over completely to the music and the strength in his lead. He clearly knew what he was doing, and she was able to let herself go and just enjoy the dance. He was tempting her to let go and enjoy a whole hell of a lot more.
She stared into his dark eyes, mesmerized, as she shimmied closer to him. She didn’t know what was happening between them. He’d always just been a solid friend. Where had all this attraction been hiding? The song ended far too quickly, with the DJ deciding to segue into I Say A Little Prayer. The spell between them was broken as the dance floor flooded with people eager to bop along to the drag classic.
Pulled from her haze, Lauren tried to remember why they were there. Pictures. Job. Ex-boyfriend. She turned to survey the dance floor, looking for Devin, who she still hadn’t seen, deliberately breaking eye contact with Cash. What had just happened? She couldn’t begin to process the bubbling energy she’d felt coursing through her. Overwhelmed by her own reaction, she backed off.
Cash stepped back, dropping her hand, his friendly face carefully devoid of any of the heat he’d just been pumping off.
“You must be thirsty. I’ll get you some champagne.”
“Thanks, Cash. You’re the best.” She smiled shyly at him, still trying to put away the feelings he’d pulled from her on the dance floor and fumbling with them. He turned to go, leaving her awash in her emotions and drifting.
With a deep breath, she fished her phone out of her bodice and tried to find her balance. She took refuge in her work, documenting the fundraiser for heart disease research.
Rose gold and white décor, click. Artistic shot of a passing tray of appetizers, click. Appetizer, chomp. Couples enjoying the dance floor, click.
She scanned the room for any sign of her brocialite ex-boyfriend. God, Cash had been dead on with that one. She didn’t see Devin, but the actress he’d ditched her for, Monica Delancey, was currently swaying in the arms of the mayor. Her stomach flipped. If she was here, he was here. Maybe he wouldn’t see her. Maybe she wouldn’t have to speak to him. She’d be professional, do her job, and keep her cool. Then she and Cash could leave and explore the strange sparks between them more privately.
She just needed to find the woman who had organized the event. Lauren believed in showcasing women in the city who did amazing things, and she’d love to get a picture of Mrs. Robyn Carver in front of the silent auction she’d arranged to raise money for heart disease research after her husband’s sudden and catastrophic heart attack the summer before.
She scanned the crowd again, looking for the woman she only knew by thumbnail image.
“Looking for me, sweetheart?”
Fuck it all straight to Gary. Of course, Devin would find her first.
“First of all, I’m not your sweetheart. Secondly, no. I was looking for Mrs. Carver.”
“Do I want to know how you got in? Pretty sure I didn’t leave a ticket for you.”
“That’s right. You didn’t. You decided that some pretty actress was more important than your girlfriend. Where is she, by the way? Last time I saw her, the mayor had his hand on her ass. Mrs. Mayor didn’t look too happy about it.”
Devin shrugged. “We got the red carpet pictures we needed. It was all about the publicity anyhow. I tried to explain that to you. I thought you’d understand.” He gestured towards her phone with his whiskey sour, sloshing the icy liquid over the edge. She stepped back to avoid getting her dress stained. He followed, seeming to enjoy her retreat. Something sickening clicked into place in her mind. Before she could think better of it, the ugly words came spilling out of her mouth.
“Is that why you dated me? Publicity? A quick fame fix anytime you wanted it just by taking me out somewhere fancy and me posting it for the magazine?”
“Of course not.” Devin sipped his drink, and she let out the breath she’d been holding, but then he kept talking. “That’s why I asked you out. But I dated you because you’re great in bed. So fucking eager.”
He leered at her, his eyes raking over the dress she’d thought to wear for him, and Lauren felt the gorge rise up in her throat.
“Well, that’s frank. Nice to know you valued me for my body and my social media access.”
“I wouldn’t want you to overlook your strengths. Your posts for the Windy Wendy really helped. Mom showed Monica pictures from our dates when she was pitching this date idea. The foundation is a major supporter of this charity, and a little star power never hurt anyone.”
“It hurt me, asshole, but not nearly as much as it should have. Thanks for opening my eyes before I did something stupid.”
Lauren wanted to vomit, but she couldn’t afford to lose the cleaning deposit on the stupid designer dress she’d rented from the runway back when she’d thought she would be on his arm for the red carpet. How had she been so stupid? She knew. She’d been flattered by his attention, blinded to his faults by all the shiny new experiences he’d treated her to. Now, she could only be grateful that he’d shown his true colors before she’d let her heart get too involved.
Monica stepped up and slipped her arm through the triangle of space at his elbow, clearly marking her territory.
“Who’s this, Devin? A friend of yours?”
Lauren jumped in with an answer before he could, not trusting what he might say.
“No, I’m a reporter for The Windy Wendy, a millennial women’s lifestyle magazine here in Chicago. Do you mind a quick picture?”
“Of course not. Just use your flash. The lighting in here is dismal.” She and Devin both tilted their heads at odd angles and fake smiled straight at her, two beautiful people presenting a perfectly false facade to the public. Lauren knew just what to do with the photo. A little revenge Photoshop never hurt anyone.
Monica’s expression changed from professional smile to sultry smirk at the same time that Lauren felt an arm slide across the small of her back.
“And who are you?” Monica stepped forward, hand extended. Cash just gestured with his hands full and stepped closer to Lauren’s side. Smart man. He’d always been good at reading people.
“I’m Lauren’s date, Cash. Nice to meet you. Here you go, babe.” Lauren turned to look up and found herself falling into Cash’s deep brown eyes, so grateful for his timing, so intrigued by the intensity of his gaze, that she didn’t pull away when he dropped a kiss on her lips. Warmth flooded through her, drawing a straight line from her mouth, south. The flute of champagne pressed into her limp fingers, and she barely managed not to drop it. Where the hell had that kiss come from? More importantly, where had her reaction to that kiss been hiding? She squeezed her thighs together, both for balance and to hold on to the sensation a bit longer.
Instead of being worried about the situation brewing in front of her, all of her attention was pulled to her warm tingling lips and weakening knees. He’d reawakened all of those tumultuous feelings from the dance floor. The ones she’d only barely managed to contain. Her first impulse was to lean back in and explore Cash’s full lush mouth in further detail, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Devin step forward, face red and spluttering.
“What? What the fuck is this?”
Reluctantly, Lauren turned away from Cash, not wanting to lose the moment but also not wanting company for the fascinating conversation about hidden desires she felt sure they were about to have. Just as soon as she got rid of Devin.
“What’s wrong, Devin? Like you said, we both got the pictures we were looking for.”
“You little slut. How dare you cheat on me? And with him? A Michael B. Jordan wanna-be, with his too-tight tux, and are those gym shoes? What’s wrong? You couldn’t find a real man so you dragged your poor little “friend” in to punk me?”
Cash took a step towards Devin, who wisely flinched back, but Lauren stopped his forward momentum with a hand to Cash’s chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly under her finge
rtips. As much as she appreciated his anger, she’d just as soon fight her own battles.
“Don’t you dare talk about my friend that way.”
She grabbed Devin’s elbow and dragged him away from Cash and Monica. This was her chance to say all of the things she’d been bottling up since she’d been ambushed at work. She wanted his undivided attention.
“Listen, asshole. I’m a writer, and pretty good with my words. A slut is someone who has low morals or a sexually promiscuous nature. If either of us fits that description, it’s you. I never cheated on you, not once, but after this little actress stunt, I seriously doubt you can say the same. Luckily, I have good friends who can back me up in a crisis, like being dumped the day before Valentine’s Day for a chance to fuck a starlet.”
“So he is just a friend. I knew it.”
That statement rang false in her ears. Cash was so much more than just a friend. She was only just beginning to realize how much more he had the potential to be. But no way was she giving this jackass more fodder for his ugliness.
“He’s a friend who has more honor, more talent, and more compassion in his little finger than you will ever have. I choose him over you any day. We are so done.”
“You’ll be back. I can give you what a “friend” can’t.” He stepped forward to touch her face, brushing her hair back, and she recoiled. “He sure can’t give you the O’s like me. You know we’re good together, baby.”
“Oh, that’s cute. You thought those were real? You’re crazy if you think your performance was enough to tempt me. I will never come back for more of your bullshit.”
“You bitch,” he spat at her. He lashed out when threatened, and still assumed he’d get his way. What a winner. Lauren was just about out of patience.
“You lost the right to judge me when you… Oh, wait. That’s right. You’ve never had that right. I’m so over this. Good-bye, Devin.”