It might not mean much to other girls, but I can’t help but notice the way she watches him even though she’s snuggled up to her boyfriend’s side. She’s skinny, and although she’s sitting down, I can tell her waist is small. Her hair is deep violet, her eyes a bright blue. I can’t tell if they’re contacts or not.
Next, I take the time to look over Scooter, who has not said a word. His hair is just as dark as his brother’s. His eyes are also dark, and other than that, there aren’t any visible similarities. Terrence is tall and lanky and Scooter is stockier, maybe shorter.
And while you get nothing but laid-back, good-guy vibes from Terrence, there’s something off about Scooter. I can’t put my finger on it, though.
“Are we going to do this or what?” Terrence asks, tossing back the rest of his beer and then throwing the can behind us in the truck bed.
“It’s what we came out here for,” Scooter replies, his voice is rough. “Help me get these babies started up. The girls can take the Jeep, and whatever loser that gets stuck with them.”
“I take offense to that.” Brooke replies. “You know good and well I can handle a four-wheeler way better than any of y’all.”
“I know, baby. But Pagan here might feel left out.” Scooter looks at me, only it’s more of a glare than a look.
“Excuse you? What makes you so sure I can’t handle an ATV as well as the next person?” I push Wyatt away from me so I can hop down off the truck.
My hip is cocked, and my hand is firmly planted on it. I raise my eyebrow and give Scooter my best Gran impression.
“Look at you. All small, prim, and proper. Don’t try to be something you’re not rich girl.”
“Enough, Scooter,” Wyatt butts in. “You’re being a dick.
“Yeah, bro. Chill.” Terrence walks over to his brother. “We’re all here to have fun. No need to insult anyone.”
“The girls and I will take a spin in the Jeep first,” Wyatt says. “And then we’ll get the ATVs, and whoever wants to drive them can.”
“You break it, you buy it,” Scooter grunts out. He jumps on one of the ATVs and takes off, kicking up dirt and rocks as he speeds away.
“You can drive,” Brooke tells Wyatt, climbing in the back.
While I get settled into the passenger seat, Brooke pokes her head in the middle. “Don’t worry about Scooter. He doesn’t care for most people. But I like you. I can tell you’re good. I have perceptions like that.”
“Sit back, Brooke,” Wyatt tells her, cranking the engine.
I don’t reach for my seat belt, even though Wyatt puts on his and I can hear the click of Brooke’s.
“What are you doing, Pay?” Wyatt asks.
“I’m going to enjoy the ride,” I say.
“Not without a buckle.”
“I’ll be fine, Wyatt.” I grab the handle on the doorframe above me.
“No, Pagan. I’ve never driven here before. I am not allowing you to take this risk.” Wyatt reaches across me and grabs the seat belt. “Either you wear it, or you get out. You don’t know what kind of dangers lie hidden in the mud. One wrong bump and it can be all over. No.”
“Fine,” I mumble, allowing him to pull the seat belt across my body and snap it into place. I’m sure it will be fine, but I’ll let Wyatt have his moment of protectiveness.
“Thank you. Now,” he says, “y’all ready to have some fun?”
“Yes,” Brooke and I shout together.
“All right then.” Wyatt puts the jeep into drive and takes off.
I’m reaching for the dial on the radio just as Wyatt drives us into a pit of mud. It splashes all around, then he suddenly takes a left turn, spraying up mud and getting me good.
Brooke screams in the backseat and I just laugh. I turn the radio on, and some country station starts playing. Turning the volume up high, I sit back and let Wyatt try to spray me with mud every chance he gets.
After about half an hour Wyatt parks near the trucks again. Scooter and Terrence are waiting for us, both of them are covered in mud.
"Well, how was it rich girl?" Scooter asks.
"Better than I remembered," I reply. Wyatt wraps his arm around me, however I'm not affected by Scooter. He obviously has his own prejudices, and I'm not going to be the one to try to change him.
"Why don't you knock it off, Scooter?" Brooke says. "We're here to have fun. Stop being such a dick."
"I'm just being honest, babe. I don't see how a Fallon would be in the know on redneck fun."
"Well this rich girl isn't as perfect as you think," I tell him. "Why don't you try to get to know a person before you judge them? Or is your redneck brain too small for that?"
"You're a feisty rich girl. I like that. I can see why Wyatt is all up your ass. A man can admire a straight shooter. Especially with all these fake hos running around."
"Just how much have you drank, Scooter?" Terrence asks. "Normally you're a rude asshole, but today you're just being downright cruel."
"Just telling it how it is, baby brother." Scooter shrugs. "And I've had less than you. Better cool it, otherwise Wyatt and his rich girl are going to have to drive you home. And I don't know if she can even see over either of y'alls dashboards."
"Wanna race?" I ask Scooter, pulling away from Wyatt.
"Race? You think you can beat me on one of those?" He waves to the ATVs.
"I know I can."
"Fine." He shrugs. "Don't throw a tantrum if you hurt yourself."
"How are you in a relationship?" I ask. "Seriously, you're about as charming as a rattlesnake."
"Because I'm fucking awesome in bed." Scooter winks and then gets on an ATV.
"Asshole," I mutter. Stalking over to the other ATV, I climb on and start it with no issue.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Wyatt asks, his eyes full of worry.
"I'll be fine. I promise. Someone needs to put him in his place."
"Be careful," he says, giving me a quick kiss.
"Are y'all going to suck face all day or are we gonna race?" Scooter shouts.
"Keep your panties on," I call back.
"To the far edge of that mud hole," Scooter points to the biggest one, "and back."
"Fine."
Brooke stands in front of us with her arms raised. She waits a few seconds before quickly dropping them, and we take off.
This ATV is more powerful than the old ones we used to race on in Georgia, but I get the hang of it quickly.
There's a small puddle of muddy water, and Scooter splashes through it. Luckily my mouth is closed, otherwise I'd be tasting that water.
He manages to pull ahead of me, but I'm not worried.
There's a small hill that I easily go over. The bumps jolt my body around on the seat, but my grip is tight. I avoid the next hill because I can't get slowed down.
In front of me, I watch Scooter momentarily lose control as a hidden pothole trips him up. I'm able to gain speed and pass him while he tries to get back on track.
The large hole is a mixture of watery mud and thicker mud. My left side is covered in mud as I fly through a puddle. I hear Scooter gaining on me so I up the throttle just a bit.
This causes me to fly right into a thick patch of mud. For a second my ATV acts like it's going to get stuck, but luckily it doesn't.
The worst part is the middle. I'm smart enough to avoid it, but Scooter and all his arrogance decided to go straight through. It might be a more direct shot, but it's a trap.
The mud is so thick that his ATV jerks to an abrupt stop. I laugh as he curses and tries to get out without getting off. The only rule in racing is you must stay on your ATV at all times, otherwise you forfeit.
I'm coming back around when I see Scooter has made a little progress in his situation. I could help him, but that would defeat the purpose of this race. He thinks he knows everything and can just be a dick. I'm going to show him what happens when you think that way. Anyone else I would have stopped to help, but not him.
Br
ooke lets out a loud whoop when I make it back. Wyatt's smile is huge. It lights up his whole face, and if I wasn't a muddy mess, I would kiss the shit out of him right now.
"Nice job, P." Terrence pats my shoulder as he passes. "Time to get the stick out of the mud."
When I make to get off, Wyatt grabs me. "You're beautiful," he says.
"I'm a mess."
"You're a beautiful mess. But it's not how you look that makes you the most beautiful you've ever been."
"Then what does?"
"It's your smile. I've been waiting for this smile of yours to appear."
"I smile."
"Not like this. I wish I could describe how it looks. It's the best thing I've ever seen.
Ever since I saw that picture of you and Dakota in your hallway, I've wanted this smile. It transforms you. It makes the inside you try to hide come out. You shine, Pagan."
I'm glad there's mud on my face. I can feel my cheeks burning at his words.
"Kind of like when you smiled at me that first time. Nothing else compared."
"Nothing else compares to this smile, Pay. It's just you."
"Thank you. I needed that. Maybe it'll stick around."
"I hope so. I would hate to see your fake smile back in place, now that I've seen the real thing."
"I'll try my best."
Wyatt kisses my nose, mud and all.
"Guess you're not so lame after all, rich girl," Scooter says.
Turning around, I see him helping Terrence push the ATV back.
"If you weren't such a dick, redneck, you'd know that already."
"Right. You won fair and square. I'd like a rematch, though."
"Not today, I'd hate to damage your self-esteem too badly."
"Fair enough. Wyatt can race me."
"You're on." Wyatt releases me to jump on the ATV.
I walk back to where Brooke is sitting, hopping up on the tailgate beside her.
"I'm impressed. Scooter seems to like you. That's faster than he took to me. He hated me the first few weeks."
"Really? How long have y'all been together?"
"Three years. Since I was seventeen. He was twenty already. I met Terrence first. We shared a class in high school. It was only two years after their parents died, and neither one was dealing well."
"Oh, I didn't know that."
"Yeah, bad accident, real sad. Terrence was only fifteen when it happened. Anyway, Terrence and I became friends. He brought me home for dinner one day, and Scooter was so rude that by the end of the night I was in tears."
"Oh, that's horrible. Maybe he secretly liked you? Guys are strange that way."
"No, he hated me. Said I was nothing but trailer trash and wasn't good enough to be hangin’ around his brother. He was right of course. I was livin’ in a two-bedroom trailer with my momma and my three brothers.
Anyway, fast-forward about three weeks. Scooter's drunk ass is getting the piss kicked out of him by some guys from my trailer park.
Knowing them, I do the only thing I can. I throw myself down on top of him.
The guys were raised with better manners than most people, didn't matter where they came from. They stopped kicking the shit out of him the moment I appeared.
I told them to leave otherwise I'd call their mommas. That scared them more than the police ever would have.
It still took more than two months before Scooter thanked me. I won't go into detail on how we got to this point, just know it was a long, dusty road.
It wasn't until I moved in with my grandfather that we became 'official.'"
"Wow. Thanks for sharing." Wyatt and Scooter are back from their race now. Scooter, unfortunately, won. Guess he learned from his mistake.
"What about you and Wy? I've known him since he became friends with Terrence last year. He's never mentioned any girls before."
I give her the simplest version of our relationship that I can. "We work and go to school together. We just seem to click, you know? There's something about him that I can't stay away from."
"I get it, it was like that with me and Scooter. Even if he was a dickwad most of the time. Still is."
"Yeah."
By the time it's time to go I've raced Wyatt, Brooke, and Terrence. I won every time. Wyatt won against Terrence but lost to Brooke. Terrence and Scooter ended up tying, and they both lost to Brooke.
I change behind the open car door. Wyatt stands with his back to me, shielding what the door doesn't.
Our clothes get thrown in a plastic bag and old towels cover the seats.
The ride back is silent. The windows are down, and Wyatt's hand is in mine. We're tired, dirty, and ready to start the second half of our day.
I really want to take a nice long hot shower, then curl up in Wyatt's bed for the rest of the day, but we both have to go to work.
"Thank you for bringing me," I say.
"You're welcome. It was fun. Refreshing to see you out of our usual routine."
"Yeah, it was nice. I like Brooke. Terrence, too. I might even like Scooter a little bit."
Wyatt laughs. "Scooter is an acquired taste. I wouldn't worry too much about him."
"Brooke told me about his and Terrence's parents," I say softly.
"Yeah, it still hurts them. Terrence especially. But we try not to talk about it. It's just something that does more harm than good."
"I understand. I just felt like there was more than she was saying. But I get it. It's Terrence's story to tell."
Wyatt pulls into his driveway, parking in front of the garage. "Mary texted and said there are towels and a bucket for our clothes on the porch. She doesn't want us tracking mud in the house," he explains.
"Smart."
"You can use my shower. I'll use the girls'," he tells me as we strip off our clothes.
Wrapping my nearly naked body in a towel, I nod.
Wyatt opens the door and lets me walk in first. I laugh when I see that Mary laid down towels from the door all the way to the stairs.
"Don't be surprised if they lead all the way to my bedroom," Wyatt says from behind.
He's right. I try not to slip as I walk across the towels into his room. Wyatt grabs clothes from his dresser, and I head to the shower.
The hot water washes the excess mud off me, and I can't help but smile.
This day is going down as one of the best days of my life.
Chapter 28
Wyatt
It's six-thirty in the fucking morning. Tony had called a staff meeting before the dining room opened for the day. There are a few early morning golfers in the Café, but Margie has a few of her cart girls in there taking care of them.
"Next weekend is the gala," Tony says. He's at the bar with Davis. The rest of us are scattered amongst the booths.
"As you know, it's tradition for club employees to work the event since you are what holds this place together," Davis continues. "Fifty-five years this club has been up and running. Mr. Kingston will arrive Saturday and will be touring the grounds until the gala. I expect every one of you to be on your best behavior."
"In addition, new uniforms will be ordered for this event, so make sure you see Margie before Friday so she can get your measurements." Tony sweeps his eyes over us before continuing. "Next Thursday, after closing, there will be a mandatory practice run on how you will be expected to move during the gala. You will get paid for your time, but we will not be leaving here until everyone can do what is expected flawlessly.
There are a few newbies on staff, so I expect it to take anywhere from four to six hours."
"Six hours?" Tommy, one of the new hires says. "If we start after cleanup, we won't get out of here almost six a.m. the next day."
"I'm well aware of that, Tommy," Tony says. "Luckily Mr. Kingston has decided to close the club the day before and the day after the gala, so you don't have to worry about coming into work."
Tommy doesn't say anything. It's taken him a while to get a handle on being where he's supposed to be, especially
during a rush.
"There will be a certain way we expect you to conduct yourselves. There will be a level of class and sophistication many of you have not seen before. The crowd will not be large. About sixty high member guests will be in attendance, along with Mr. and Mrs. Kingston.
Prove to them, and yourselves, that you can handle high-class dining on this level.
We appreciate all the hours you put in and understand that this is a big deal. There are only three of you on staff who have worked an event such as this before." Davis regards us with soft brown eyes.
He's a good boss, someone I admire and respect. He gives his staff managers as much freedom as he can. "You will all be paid generously for your time. Understand that it will be a long day. It will be all hands on deck."
"Expect it to be at least a fifteen-hour work day, with setup beginning at nine sharp," Tony says. "We'll have breaks and whatnot but come prepared. Out of all the groups I've worked with, y'all are the best."
"I think that's it, don't you?"
"Yes, Davis, I think so. Any questions or concerns, please see us before next Wednesday, so we can plan accordingly."
"You're dismissed. I'll see you all on Thursday. I'll be in my office until then, planning this damn thing." Davis pushes off the bar and heads back to the front of the club.
Pagan leans into me, her forehead resting on my shoulder. "I just want to go home and sleep, but that seems like a waste," she mumbles.
"I know. But we don't have to work for another nine hours." I run my hand through her curls and bring her face up to mine. "What can we do in that time?" I ask, bringing my lips to hers.
"Oy, don't be doing that here," Nick calls out, causing the stragglers to turn and face us.
"Oh, go get a haircut or something," Pagan shoots back.
Nick runs a hand through his shoulder-length hair as he grins. "Jealous, Mar?"
"Never. I just don't particularly care for the homeless look you have going on."
"Now that's just insulting." Nick laughs. "I'll see all you wankers later. My shift doesn't start until one and my couch is calling my name."
Forever (Destroyed by Love #1) Page 17