I shrugged. “I like a woman to be real, genuine. Can’t stand it when someone puts on a fake attitude.”
“All right, so you prefer someone who isn’t afraid to be herself.”
“Yeah, and it helps if she’s really hot as well.” I gave my words a punch and allowed a little arrogance to slip in.
Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at me with disbelieving eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
I waited a good three seconds and then laughed, slapping my knee. “I’m joking. You should see your face right now.”
She shook her head and chuckled, but there was an underlying irritation in her eyes as she studied me. “Don’t try to backpedal. You totally meant that. You’re just like every other man out there. Everyone except…” She trailed off.
“Except…who?”
“Daniel. My late husband. He saw people differently than most.” A shadow fell over her face, and the corners of her lips drooped.
Before I knew what I was doing, I took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “Kayla, I honestly was joking. Seriously. I said it to get a rise out of you. I regret doing that now that I see how much it bothered you, but I said it to see your reaction.”
Her brows drew in slightly. “You wanted a reaction from me… Why?”
“When you get excited about something, or even mad, your eyes light up and your face practically glows.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I just like seeing that inner sparkle that’s unique to you.”
The corners of her mouth tugged upward, exposing her dimples. “I want to be mad at you right now, but when you say things like that…”
“It’s the truth.”
“You think I have an inner sparkle.” It was a statement, not a question, and she was fully grinning now.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s why you’ve come this far in your career, and why you’ll go far one day. I’m certain of it.”
“How do you manage to be so infuriating and sweet all at once?”
I snickered. “It’s a talent. I tend to get under people’s skin.”
“You’ve certainly gotten under mine.” She said it under her breath as if talking to herself. “But be honest. There’s no way you can deny you aren’t looking for a drop-dead gorgeous woman. Men are visual creatures. It’s a known fact.”
“Are you trying to imply I’m shallow?”
“No, more like visually challenged. That’s just men in general. Don’t take it personally.”
I leaned back against the couch and crossed my arms over my chest, irritation causing my shoulders to stiffen. Categorizing all men that way was so off-base. She didn’t even realize how off-base she was. “You have a poor opinion of us males if you think all we care about is the exterior. What made you so jaded?”
She bit down on her bottom lip and frowned, the blue of her eyes brightening. “I’m not jaded. I’m calling it as I see it.”
My pulse quickened, and I felt a touch of anger rising to the surface. “Well, then I feel sorry for you. You must hang around a bunch of creeps.”
She smiled wide, her dimples on full display. “Gotcha.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I don’t really think that about men, at least not as a group. There are individuals who are like that, but I’m not speaking for the group as a whole. I just wanted to see how you’d react.”
I burst out laughing. “Touché. I deserved that.”
“When you get mad, your eyes flash and there’s this fierceness about you…like you’re ready to take on a whole troop of men on your own.” She smiled. “It’s kind of cute. I find it intriguing.”
For the next few seconds, we both laughed, and it felt good to release all that tension.
“Kayla Keller, I really like you.” I grinned, not even caring that I wasn’t supposed to tell her that.
“Good, because I like you too.”
We stared at each other for several long moments, and it wasn’t tense or uncomfortable or awkward.
It was nice.
I moved closer, leaning down a bit. “Why haven’t you dated anyone since your husband passed away? It’s been four years.”
“Just haven’t found the right person, I guess.”
“That was my line.”
“You don’t own it. I can use it if I want to.”
“I’m sure you’ve had tons of men beating down your door.”
She took a second to think about that and then a look of amusement crossed her features. “Oh, please, I’m not that sought after.”
“Those phone numbers I gave you earlier prove differently.”
“Most of those guys were too young, and they were just looking for a quick hookup. They weren’t interested in a lasting relationship.”
“How could they not be? You’re beautiful and sing like an angel. Besides that, you’re smart, kind, funny, and you’re the most genuine person I’ve ever met. Most of all, you love the Lord, and you have a heart of gold. I might have misjudged you in the beginning, but it didn’t take long to figure out how special you are.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, and it was then that I realized I’d said too much. Not only had I told her I liked her, but I’d just revealed she was my ideal woman.
“You really believe that?”
I let out a heavy breath, wishing I could take it all back, but now that I’d said it, I couldn’t backtrack without hurting her feelings. “Yes, but don’t let it go to your head.”
She grinned like the cat that ate the canary. “Oh, I’m letting it go straight to my head, buster. In fact, I’ll think about it later when I get home, and tomorrow morning, it’ll be the first thing on my mind when I wake up.” She laughed and pointed a finger at me. “You like me.”
Yes, I did, and I was in big trouble.
Her cell phone rang again, breaking the mood. She looked at the caller I.D. and sighed. “It’s Robert again. I should probably answer.”
I nodded. “Go ahead.”
She hit the accept button. “Hey, what’s up?” She was quiet for a few seconds and then laughed outright. “All right, Dad, are you grounding me for staying past my curfew?” She glanced at me and winked. She covered the phone with her hand and whispered, “He hates it when I call him Dad.”
I bet he did.
“You have nothing to worry about,” she said, turning away slightly, holding the phone close to her ear. “I’m fine. Troy’s here.”
I could hear his voice rise on the other line but couldn’t make out what he was saying. He didn’t sound happy though.
“He’s a perfect gentleman.” Her voice rose to a higher pitch. “You’re blowing this out of proportion. I’m completely safe.” They talked a little longer and then she told him she had to go. When she got off, I was tempted to ask what that was about but decided to wait until she brought it up.
She put the phone in her purse and glanced at me apologetically. “Sorry about that. He gets overprotective at times.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Okay…”
“He’s a good guy. He just cares too much.”
“What was his issue now?”
“He didn’t like that I was out so late. Reminded me that the job was over at midnight and it’s one-thirty.”
“How did he know you were still here? Were you supposed to call him after you were done?”
“I gave him access through an app so he can track my phone. He could see I wasn’t home.”
I frowned. “Why does he need that kind of access?” I understood that he was a good friend, but that seemed excessive considering she already had security following her.
“When Daniel passed away, I was afraid all the time. When Robert suggested the app, I was all for it. At least someone would know where I was and if I didn’t make it home. I needed that reassurance, and he was there for me.” She looked at me as if she knew this would be hard to understand. “He was a pillar of support back then.”
“All right, I get that, but it’s been fou
r years and he’s still tracking your whereabouts?”
She grimaced. “He cares.”
“Seems a little controlling to me.”
“I know how it looks, but he’s just trying to help.”
“He wants to be more than your friend.”
She glanced away. “He knows where we stand.”
“You sure about that? From the sound of things, he seems jealous.”
She sighed. “Yeah. I need to set better boundaries with him, but I don’t want to hurt him. He’s a good friend.”
“Male-female friendships can get sticky at times.”
“That’s an understatement. We should probably go.”
Yeah. It was definitely time. We’d already bonded more than we needed to—something I shouldn’t have allowed to happen.
When I got home after dropping her off, I stared out the window at the California mountains looming in the distance, wondering how I’d never noticed how beautiful the rolling hills were, how perfect and amazing God’s creation was. It was as if my mood and viewpoint had shifted, and I was seeing things differently because of Kayla.
Lord, what do I do about her? I like her, and she knows it. I’d pursue her, but she’s off-limits. I finally got a promotion, and I don’t want to mess that up, but I also don’t want to let her go.
For the next few minutes, I remained quiet as I tried to think clearly about the situation. Just being around her made me feel good, made me crave more of her time, and that wasn’t good. I either had to clamp down on my feelings or call Will and tell him I couldn’t do the job. It was as simple as that.
I’d never had to excuse myself from a job before. Maybe it was pride, but I didn’t want to admit defeat and give up. I let out a heavy breath, knowing exactly what I had to do. Whatever feelings I had for Kayla had to be put away, at least for now.
Chapter 13
Kayla
I slept in on Monday morning, and when the sunlight peeked through the blinds on my window, I rolled over in bed and thought about the previous night. I enjoyed working late at night, but sometimes it took a lot out of me. A smile tugged at my lips when Troy came to mind. Last night was the first time we’d hung out together and talked about topics not having to do with my case. It was nice. Really nice, in fact. My stomach fluttered thinking about the way he’d smiled when I threw those phone numbers away.
I had the slightest suspicion that he liked me as more than just a client. When I’d teased him about it, the look on his face was telling. Still, I had to be careful I wasn’t seeing things that weren’t there. I wanted more than friendship, but that didn’t mean he was ready and willing to make that happen, especially considering the no-fraternization policy his company enforced. As long as he was my bodyguard, we had to keep our relationship professional.
Today was his day off, and I’d already told him I didn’t need the other man’s services as I planned on staying home. I’d been doing that each time he had a day off, mainly because I’d grown accustomed to Troy and didn’t want to deal with another guy.
My mind immediately jumped to the Robert situation, and I groaned. Troy was right. He was starting to become a little too controlling. I knew he meant well, but he’d stepped over the line last night when he called to say I was out too late. He was insecure about Troy, but that was no excuse, and I needed to let him know I didn’t want him to track my phone anymore. I just had to figure out a way to do it without offending him.
I got out of bed and made myself a cup of coffee and then cooked a quick breakfast of toast and bacon. As I sat at the table and ate, I contemplated how to handle Robert. The biggest issue right now was his paying for my bodyguard services.
Lord, what do I do? I don’t have the money to pay for this on my own.
As soon as I’d lifted the prayer up to the Lord, I knew what had to be done. I had to find a way to pay or discontinue services altogether. Nothing serious had happened since Troy started guarding me, which meant Robert and I had probably overreacted. It was nice having the extra security, but it didn’t seem like I needed it anymore. The police still hadn’t found the guy who attacked me in the parking lot after the concert, and he seemed to have disappeared. At least he hadn’t tried to hurt me again.
The call I’d received from the man who’d said, ‘You don’t have a prayer,’ was concerning. Just thinking about it sent a wave of anxiety through me. Made me nauseous and brought back all sorts of memories. He hadn’t called again, but it was too coincidental that the guy who killed Daniel said the same thing that night. That right there made me want to hold on to Troy’s services a little longer.
Ugh. This was an impossible situation. Get rid of my bodyguard and not be indebted to Robert, or keep Troy and feel like I owed my friend. I shouldn’t have accepted his help in the first place. His friendship meant a lot to me, but helping me out financially gave him a level of control I wasn’t comfortable with.
I didn’t have a job scheduled for today, so I took care of things I’d neglected lately such as going through unopened mail. I cleaned my house from top to bottom, and when I came to the guest room where all of Daniel’s clothing hung in the closet, I let out a heavy sigh.
It was time to let his clothes go.
I didn’t know why I felt ready. I just did. Maybe it had to do with Troy coming into my life. Even if nothing ever took place between us, I would always be grateful for the impact he’d had on me. He made me want to start over. To give love a chance again.
If a relationship wasn’t possible with him, maybe it would happen with someone else one day. The thought gave me hope and made me sad at the same time. I really wanted more with Troy, not some future guy, and I hadn’t had feelings like this since Daniel. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to feel this way about another man.
A deep sorrow fell over me as I contemplated parting with Daniel’s belongings, but there was a strong sense of peace as well. I didn’t need to get rid of everything. I would keep a few things to remember him by; his journal would stay, for sure. But if I didn’t follow through on this, I would always be stuck in the past, and Daniel wouldn’t have wanted that for me. He had a special place in my heart, and I looked forward to seeing him again in heaven one day.
But God had kept me alive, and it was time to live my life in the here and now, not just go through the motions but really embrace the present.
I began the process of taking the clothes out of the closet, folding them, and putting them in a couple of boxes I’d found. Once I finished, I put the boxes by the entryway so I’d remember to take them to a local thrift shop.
Looking at the empty closet brought on feelings of loneliness, but I had the strongest sense that I was doing the right thing. Now that I’d dealt with the clothes, there was one last issue. My ring. I didn’t feel completely ready to take it off, but I decided to try it on a trial basis. I would remove it for a few days and see how that went, and if I felt like it was too hard, I could always put it back on. With that resolved, I slipped it off and placed it in a jewelry box on top of my chest of drawers.
Later that evening, I got a call from my agent, Ava Damcot. “Kayla, how are you doing?” She didn’t wait for me to reply but continued talking. “I wanted to let you know about an audition tomorrow that I think you’d be perfect for.” There was excitement in her voice, and my spirits instantly lifted.
“Really? What—”
“It’s not what we talked about exactly, but it could open a lot of doors for you.”
“Okay… What is it?”
“There’s a new reality show starting up called Country Star, and they need a host.”
My heart sank to my stomach and disappointment flooded through me. There had been so much excitement in her voice that I’d thought I’d have another opportunity to open for another singer at a concert. Everything I had been doing had been geared in that direction, and I wanted to get big enough to draw a crowd on my own one day.
She was right, this definitely wasn’t what we ha
d talked about. My dream of becoming a popular country singer didn’t involve a reality show. Truth be told, I hated reality television because it wasn’t real life even though it pretended to be, and it usually involved a whole lot of drama I didn’t need. “Ava, I don’t know.”
“Just hear me out. You’re waiting for someone to discover you, and this is the perfect way to do it.”
“But will I get to sing?”
“You’ll be following other country stars in their daily lives, and I’m sure there will be an opportunity for you to showcase your voice.” She paused. “Just go for the interview. You never know what will come of it.”
“All right, I’ll go.” There wasn’t much enthusiasm in my tone, but it wouldn’t hurt to meet with the producers of the show. The chances of getting the job were small, but if I did get it by some miracle, it might solve my problem with finances.
It occurred to me that this could be an answer to prayer. A way I could pay for the bodyguard services on my own.
Suddenly, I was ready to give it my all. Reality television wasn’t my favorite, but I could make it work, especially if it killed two birds with one stone. A way to be independent of Robert. And an opportunity to showcase my voice.
Watch out world, here I come!
***
“So, why do you think you’re a good fit for the show?”
I’d just completed a screen test while Troy waited in the next room, and I was now meeting with Country Star’s producers, Mark Lemon and Sheryl Allen. They’d been shooting questions left and right for the past twenty minutes, and I was doing my best to impress them while still being genuine and forthright. I sat up straighter in my seat and contemplated Sheryl’s last question.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved country music.” I paused for a moment and smiled. “I keep tabs on who rises to the top in the country world, and I also know what it’s like trying to make it in this business. That gives me a leg-up when it comes to relating to the singers you choose for the show. For those who are just starting out, I’ll know the kind of thoughts going through their minds. What challenges they face. If you bring on singers that are more well known, chances are I’ll already have a million questions to ask them.”
Protected By The Bad Boy (Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1) Page 10