Dream Boy

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  And I already don’t like where this is going.

  Nova remains calm in the face of my scowl. She gives me her best attempt at a nonchalant smile. “Reesie and I were thinking it would be fun to introduce you two.”

  “Tonight,” Reese spits out.

  My pulse kicks into high speed. “What?!” I bark loudly.

  “They’ll be here any minute now,” Reese adds and when I shoot her a deadly look, she thrusts her finger in Nova’s direction. “It was her idea!”

  Nova rolls her eyes and takes another leisurely sip of her drink. Her mocha skin glows against the sparkly red top dripping from her shoulders. “And it was a brilliant idea. I take full ownership of it.” The song changes and she wiggles in her seat, her shoulders moving in time with the music.

  I reach for my purse and pull out my phone. “No—it’s an ambush. You didn’t even run it by me first. Not cool.” Bubbles of anxiety fizz in the depths of my stomach as I check the time on my phone. “The 61 bus passes at the intersection outside, right? I think the next one is in three minutes so if I hurry—”

  Nova grabs hold of my wrist, annoyance in her expression. “Your unerring knowledge of this town’s bus schedule creeps me the hell out.” She releases my wrist and relaxes in her seat. “It’s not a big deal, Soph. Don’t psyche yourself out by thinking of it as a set-up or a blind date. We’re just a group of friends hanging out at a bar. No pressure at all.”

  My gut tells me not to trust her. She’s downplaying the gravity of the situation. I glance down at my body and my anxiety ratchets up a few more notches. It’s so cliché for a woman to be self-conscious about her post-baby body—I know—and I hate perpetuating that cliché. But honestly, right now, I’m not at my best.

  I glare at my stupid, stupid garbage bag leggings. Why on earth did I wear this?

  I used to have clothes. Nice clothes. But after I got pregnant, they ended up stuffed into my closet like museum exhibits, relics from my past life as Josh’s arm-piece.

  So, I had a garage sale.

  And besides, none of those designer clothes possessed the level of elasticity necessary to accommodate this newfound ass of mine, anyway. My post-baby body has curves. Thighs that do a little jiggle when I walk. Boobs that spill over the neckline of my shirts like a fountain drink.

  All that to say, I don't feel pretty. I don't feel sexy. My feet hurt.

  I’m definitely not ready to meet someone tonight. I don’t know when I’ll ever be.

  Reese seems to read all the turmoil on my face. When she bends forward to gently squeeze the back of my hand, her chandelier earrings bounce against the sides of her face and her silver tank top makes her dark eyes sparkle. “Relax hun,” she says with a soft, open smile. “He’s only going to be in town for a little while. From what Leo says, he never stays put in one place for too long. But he’ll be in our circle while he’s here. So you’re going to see him from time to time—like at Leo’s birthday cookout this weekend—so just say hi to him, be cordial and if you guys hit it off, then great. If not, no harm, no foul.”

  Nova nods in agreement. “Yeah, no pressure.” She pushes my cocktail closer until the cold glass presses against the side of my arm. “Charlie says his nickname in the military was Sergeant Good Times because he was all about having fun. So at worst, you can have a little fling with him. And you need it, Soph.” Her expression overflows with earnestness. “I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…Obamacare doesn’t cover vagina atrophy. Every now and then, you need somebody to make your girlie bits tingle.”

  The three of us explode. Shots of laughter hurtle across the table. I jab her in the shoulder.

  “The past few years haven’t been easy for you,” Reese reminds me, “but you’ve rocked your trials with grace and grit. I’m so proud of you, hun.”

  “And that’s why you deserve a bed-breaking orgasm or two. M’kay?” Nova motions to my martini again. “Now, drink up.”

  I push out a sigh in concession. Then, I suck down my alcohol in a gulp. “Fine. I’ll stay and say hi to him.”

  Ready to burst from excitement, my friends rush over to my side of the table and fling their arms around me. I gasp at the sudden assault and get a mouthful of Nova’s hair as Reese’s flapping elbows crash into my ribs.

  "Oh my gosh, You guys are suffocating me," I shout, laughing and heaving for air. “So, what’s this guy like anyway?” I ask as I push them off of me.

  Nova wiggles with excitement at my show of interest. "Archie was in the military with Charlie and Leo. The three of them are best friends." She scoots across the bench until her hip is squished against mine.

  "He got injured pretty badly on his last deployment so he's been in a dark place," Reese explains. "Leo and Charlie have been trying for months to convince him to come to Copper Heights. And a few nights ago—boom!—out of nowhere he popped up at our front door."

  "The three of them had a hell of a reunion." Nova smiles solemnly. Cupping a hand around her mouth, she whispers. "There were man-tears involved." Reese confirms it with a nod. "Anyway, he's working for Charlie now. Not on the big projects. On some smaller jobs. Just to ease him back into regular life and to keep his mind off the depressing stuff. So, he doesn’t stay holed up in his motel room all day.”

  “Charlie doesn't want to strain him." Reese picks up her wine goblet from the table. "Y'know—sometimes I can't stand my brother, but he really does have an extra-large heart."

  A wicked smile touches Nova's lips. "Oh Reesie, all the best parts of your brother are extra-large. Trust me."

  Reese's smile capsizes into a scowl. "You're gonna need to stop." That’s a threat.

  Still smirking, Nova turns to me. "Anyway, this Archie dude is really good-looking."

  "Yeah, you'd be so cute together," Reese pipes in.

  They make it sound so simple but every bone in my body is protesting the idea. I’m gonna need some more liquid courage to deal with this.

  I squirm around in my seat as I gesture at the waitress for a refill. Jeez, these plastic leggings are uncomfortable. I’m sweating between the thighs. I suddenly have a newfound respect for any actress who has ever played Cat Woman.

  In a flash, the waitress slips my drink in front of me—Wow, this woman is on the ball!—and I take a greedy sip to calm my nerves.

  When I look up out the window, I catch a glimpse of Leo’s car pulling into the parking lot. My stomach jerks with anxiety. This Archie person is about to walk through the door any second now. Suddenly, I’m not so brave anymore.

  I grab my purse and nudge Reese out of the booth. “Bathroom break.”

  Nova eyes me like she's got me all figured out. "Just another excuse to run to the bathroom and call to check on River."

  I shrug a shoulder. "I miss my kid. Sue me."

  The second I'm inside the ladies' room, I prop my butt on the counter and send Angie a text.

  Sophia: What are you guys up to?

  Minutes tick by. She doesn't answer.

  Panic sets in, mounting with each passing second. Oh my god—what if something happened to my baby girl? Here I am at a bar, worrying about meeting some guy when my kid is in danger. What kind of mother am I? River needs me. I have to go to her.

  My hand is already curled around the door handle and I’m ready to dash out of here when my phone pings. I look down and a brand-new picture of my little girl glows up at me. A closeup of River sleeping contentedly on the bed in Angie's guest room with her favorite doll cuddled to her chest. My hearts fills right up, relief flooding my chest.

  A second later, a text message from Angie pops up.

  Angie: sorry it took so long to answer. was getting the princess all tucked in.

  I start typing out a reply but before I can finish, my sister answers the question I was about to ask.

  Angie: and yes, i barricaded her with pillows on all sides. she won’t roll off the bed :)

  Angie: stop worrying

  Angie: go get drunk and make so
me bad life choices

  I roll my eyes. I've made my share of bad life choices and we both know it.

  Sophia: You're the best. Love you.

  Smiling to myself, I set my phone on the counter. I lean in close to the mirror and examine myself. I’ve got some concealer-proof dark circles under my eyes and my skin is sickly pale. I reach up and pluck something out of my hair. Jeez, is that green pea puree? A short laugh flies out my mouth.

  Trying to make myself look sorta presentable, I comb my hair with my fingers and reapply the audacious red lipstick Angie must have tucked into my purse when I wasn’t looking. Then, I straighten my shoulders and look myself in the eye. The sound of my own voice fills my ears, rising above the low din of music seeping into the room from the dance floor. “You’re a hot babe. You’re a hot babe. You’re a hot babe. A little mashed peas in the hair never hurt anybody. You’re a hot babe.”

  There! Instant self-confidence!

  My phone pings again and I snap it up, thinking it might be Angie again. But when I check the message, it isn't Angie at all. Oh boy...

  Clara: Hi Sophie-Belle. It’s me, Clara. I just wanted to check in and make sure you got the tea set I sent River. For some reason the mailman brought it back and I was just wondering if you'd moved. Anyway, I'm so excited to have a tea party with my grandbaby and give her all the cuddles. Sending you my love, darling. Muah!

  My stomach is a mess of knots as it is every time Josh's mother reaches out to me. And she's been reaching out a lot lately.

  In the months after the wedding was called off, my ex's parents kept their distance. I guess they were embarrassed that their son is such an epic package of shit. But when word got around that I was pregnant, Clara called once or twice. She offered money and gifts but I didn't accept them. Even in my most financially desperate moments, I knew accepting her help wouldn't be right.

  Josh isn’t River’s father. I know that with certainty because he didn’t touch me for weeks before the wedding. Yet another red flag that I ignored.

  Anyway, recently, Clara’s been much more persistent in her efforts to see River. It probably has something to do with those divorce rumors that are going around about her and her cheating husband. Anyway, I’ve returned all her gifts but eventually, I'm going to have to face her and that's really not something I'm looking forward to.

  Distractedly, I swing the bathroom door open and step out into the dim hallway. My eyes are still on that text message, my mind filled with anxiety over how to handle Clara.

  I crash full-body into a human wall. Big and hard but vibrating with heated vitality. My skin bristles violently and my nose fills with a manly cologne that's too familiar.

  I lift my eyes slowly and my brain struggles to register the face in front of me, a face I never thought I'd see again.

  A torrent of shock whips at me, so strong it nearly knocks me off my feet. Am I dreaming?

  He looks just as stunned as I feel when the words stumble from his mouth. "Holy shit...Daisy?"

  4

  Archie

  I'm not losing my mind.

  This isn’t just my head playing tricks on me again.

  This is very real. It's her standing in front of me. It’s Daisy.

  And she's gaping at me like she's seeing a ghost.

  "You're...you're..." Her fingers cover her parted lips, smearing her sultry red lipstick. "Oh my god. Tony? Oh my god." The words echo a mix of shock and relief.

  Fire shoots up and down my system, the discomfort normally chewing at my left side amplified by the mind-fuck of seeing her again. "Daisy...I can’t fucking believe it’s you."

  She launches forward, throwing herself into my arms. “You didn’t die!” She spits out a sound of relief as her tiny body squeezes to mine. My hands clench on her shoulders, her back, her hips on a quest to confirm that she’s the real deal.

  And she is. It’s really her.

  This isn’t like all the times when my mind fooled me into mistaking someone else for her.

  Her curves are more luscious and defined than they were two years ago but god knows she feels just as good—if not, better—in my hands.

  I laugh under my breath as I hug her. “No, I didn’t die. I’m really here. And you…Fuck, Daisy.” I squeeze her tighter.

  I didn’t want to come here tonight. But Charlie and Leo showed up at my motel room and insisted they weren’t leaving unless I came out to have a drink with them at this fancy lounge just outside of Copper Heights.

  While I was in the bathroom taking a piss, I overheard them saying something about some girl they wanted me to meet. It felt like a set-up. I told them I wasn’t interested. But eventually, they convinced me it would just be a group of friends hanging out.

  Anyway, here I am. And Daisy is standing in front of me.

  "I'm so sorry. I don't usually throw myself at people like that." She stares at me in the dim light of the corridor, her dark eyes full of wonder.

  She looks amazing. Sexy and sweet. The lace of her bra teases me from beneath her sheer black blouse. My cock throbs the way it did when I unhooked her bra and cupped her breasts that night in Vegas. Tonight, her curvaceous thighs are plastered against some tight, shiny-ass pants. I can’t help but think back on the way her legs felt around my back when I pushed up the hem of her dress and sank into the heat of her pussy two years ago. When her heart-shaped lips stretch into a smile, my mind drifts back to the way her mouth felt dancing with mine beneath the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip.

  My cock is lumber in my jeans. “No worries.” I smile as I reach out and pluck a piece of green muck from her glorious raven hair.

  Distractedly, she brushes her fingers through her tresses, getting rid of the rest of the fluff herself. She stutters, "What...what are you doing here?"

  I reach for her hand and thread our fingers together. "I just got into town. Visiting some friends. Military buddies."

  When I say that, everything shifts in the air.

  Daisy freezes. Her skin blanches. Her eyes go wide. She wheezes softly for air. "Oh my god..." She pulls her fingers from mine and grips her stomach lightly.

  I step closer, right into her comfort zone. "Are you okay?"

  “I-it was nice seeing you.” Her smile hardens up like instant concrete. "I-I have to go.” She tries to slip under my arm and get away.

  What the fuck?

  I block her path. “Daisy—what’s going on with you?”

  Her body is practically vibrating with nervous energy. “I’m sorry. I have to go. I have to get home.”

  Hell no. That's not how this works. This woman has haunted my dreams for two years. And now she's standing in front of me—something I thought would never happen. She doesn't get to just walk away.

  My hands clamp down on her hips and I hold her in place. "Come back to my hotel with me." This moment is too important. This conversation is too important. We don’t need to have it in a piss-scented hallway with the blare of pop music and glasses clinking and strangers buzzing all around us. We need privacy.

  There’s just enough light in the narrow hallway for me to see the dark shadow that covers her features at my invitation. She looks away. “That’s a line I’ve heard from you before.”

  And all of a sudden, it occurs to me that I have no idea how her world has changed since that night in Vegas. She could be living a completely different life now. Or not. Something like dread builds in my gut.

  "Fuck—you went back to him…" The words taste like bile on my tongue. “Please tell me you didn’t go back to that asshole.”

  Her gaze snaps up and her expression twists with repulsion. "Who? Josh? No! No, I haven't seen or heard from Josh since he stood me up.”

  Those words shouldn’t make me feel as much relief as they do. But that relief is quickly followed by rage. What a coward! He didn't even have the balls or the decency to come back and give her an explanation for why he left her.

  Knowing that he treated her like crap just creates more urg
ency inside of me. I want to take care of her. I want to hold her and find a way to make everything better. I want it so bad it makes me forget I’m broken myself. "So what's the problem? Come to my hotel." I say it a little too loudly.

  A group of giggly 20-somethings slink by and Daisy grows self-conscious. Color rushes to her cheeks and her long, long eyelashes flutter.

  A world of frustration sits on her shoulders. "I know I gave you a certain impression the night we met. I didn’t put up much of a challenge before I left the bar with you. But I'm not that kind of girl. I don't normally just fall into bed with men I don't know."

  "But you know me."

  "Uh, no I don't."

  "Daisy, I told you things about me that night. Things nobody else knows."

  “You don't know me," she insists, folding her arms over her chest. "Case in point, my name isn't Daisy."

  A playful feeling creeps up my chest. “So, what is it?" I smirk, stepping closer and planting a hand on the wall above her head to lean over her.

  She pauses, uncertainty on her face as she blinks up at me.

  I wait.

  "It's Sophia," she says hesitantly and shifts her weight from one leg to the next. Did her pants just squeak at me?

  When she says that a little smile comes to my mouth. Sophia, the daycare lady...

  She sucks in a long breath that causes her shoulders to lift up to her ears. "And you're Archie."

  Wow! Word travels at the speed of light in small towns like this, huh? "I'm Archie," I confirm.

  "Fuck..." she mumbles under her breath. Her eyes drop and she shakes her head.

  I dip my face to hers. "Hey, hey, hey...What's that all about?"

  "I need to go," she says simply.

  My grip stays on her slim waist as urgency mounts in my veins. "You say you don’t know me. Well, get to know me. Let's get out of here. Go grab some dinner. Or go for a walk. Or something."

  "I can't just leave here with you. Imagine what people would say.”

  Hmm…Seems she still has that problem of giving a fuck what other people think of her. We’re gonna have to fix that.