by V. Kelly
“A knight in shining armor?”
“I was going to say a festering mole, one of those big hairy ones that ruin a person’s face.”
“You want me on your face?”
My cheeks burn. “Not my face, another person’s face. A person who is not me. I don’t want you anywhere near my face. Ugh, why are you so impossible? Fine, you’re like a disease--one that creeps up on you and you can’t seem to get rid of.”
“Oh, trust me, you don’t want to get rid of me, Everly. You love our little encounters just as much as I do.”
“I thought we had a talk about this stalking thing, Caleb. You can seriously go to jail for a long, long time.”
“How am I going to jail when you were assigned to do community service at my business?” He winks, then smirks, and my heart does a stupid backflip again. Why does he have this damn effect on me?
“I don’t know. I have a feeling you are somehow involved in all of this. I’m sure you heard about my accident and the DUI. You figured I would ask for community service and talked to the judge before I went in for my court date.”
He looks a little shocked and I laugh. “Fucking figures,” I mumble.
“You can’t say you aren’t a little happy to see me. After the whole debacle with that stupid Irish asshole, my guess is that you’ve been thinking about me quite a bit.”
“I so have not.” I so have.
“You can’t fool me, Everly. That look in your eyes says it all. You like me just as much as I like you.”
“I’d like to throat punch you. Maybe take a spoon and carve out your eyes.”
“So brash . . . so vulgar . . . I just adore that about you.”
“You adore my vulgarity?”
“No, I adore the defense mechanism you try to use to fight off our growing affection for each other.” He looks over at the chalkboard and smiles. “Tell me you don’t want me to throw you up against my chalkboard and fuck the shit out of you. We can make your ass print a permanent part of my board. I would like that.”
“In your dreams.” I roll my eyes.
“Oh yes, I have quite a few dreams of you and me alone in this office.” He nods to his desk. “I picture you bent over my desk, papers spilled across the room as we race to get our clothes off. Your jeans are too tight so it takes me a moment, but once they are off, your ass flashes me; then I take you hard from behind. All of my employees will crowd outside my door with their ears to the wood listening to you scream my name. I know about their little pool; I’ll get you that thousand dollars quickly.”
“You’re disgusting.”
He points to the couch to my left. “Over there, you ride the shit out of my dick. Like seriously, I can’t keep up. You can’t even imagine the sound of our bodies slapping together, you’re fucking me that hard.”
My entire body inflames as his arms encase me into the chair. Unwillingly, my legs open for him, allowing him some room to fit between my thighs. Everything he’s saying has me wet. I’m so damp, I’m surprised my jeans aren’t soaked through.
He leans forward, his mouth tickling my ear as he whispers into it. “I picture you in this chair, just like this. Only, you’re wearing a dress, not jeans. This is where I eat the fuck out of your pussy, Everly. You would like that wouldn’t you? My hot mouth pressed to that sweet clit of yours. Dipping and diving into that pretty little puss, making it mine again? I bet you’re wet right now just thinking about it.”
“Caleb,” I gulp.
His tongue flicks out and gently traces my ear lobe. “I’m going to like having you here, Everly. You’re going to open up to me, just like your legs.”
I whimper. His hand comes down and he begins rubbing rough circles against my jeans. It doesn’t make direct contact, just enough to drive me crazy.
“Caleb,” I whisper.
“What, Everly,” he whispers back, nuzzling my neck with that sexy nose of his while his hand keeps moving across my jeans. Excited shivers roll up my spine. I’m slowly unraveling, allowing him to break down this gigantic wall I have up around me. If I don’t break his spell now, I’m going to let him fuck me on every surface of this office. I’m pretty sure that’s why my pussy is suddenly throbbing for attention and practically purring between my legs. I need to act fast.
Think of something to ward him off, Everly. Do it now, before he has your pants off.
Then I get a brilliant idea. I start coughing. He backs away. I seriously just spit phlegm in his ear like a cobra, and it’s adorable how he tries to wipe it away. “Whoops! It looks like your disease has been contracted. Guess you’re gonna have to stay away from me. My guess, forever. This disease doesn’t look like it will go away.”
He laughs, that quirky smile of his is back. He grabs a tissue to remove the rest of my spit. “You’re right, it’s not going anywhere.”
I get up from the chair and smile smugly. “Well, if that’s all you needed from me, I best be going.”
“Everly, I need more, so much more.” His eyes hold mine with longing. I shake off the thoughts running through my head and hold my ground.
I spot a piece of chalk on the chalkboard shelf and pick it up. I look over at Caleb and smirk as I carefully write the words playing on repeat in my brain. I will not fall into Caleb’s trap again, and it’s not going to matter that we are spending the next six months working together. I can resist him. I’ve done it this long . . . what’s another six months?
As I leave, I look over my shoulder and give him a wink. I proudly admire my parting words, I so delicately scribbled across the chalkboard . . .
Chapter Twenty-Four
Every chance Caleb has, he tries to seduce or mess with me. I’m having a hard time differentiating between the two since it’s happening so often now. A little flirtatious comment here, a slight jab at an inside joke there. I’ve tried to hide the fact that we’ve been together before, but the other staff members have noticed his growing affection towards me and they aren’t liking it. Especially Kristene. She’s made it her personal mission to ruin my day every time I see her.
This morning is no different. I’m turning the corner with a cup of coffee in my hand and Kristene pushes her chair out, purposely knocking it into me. Of course, my coffee ends up an abstract design across my shirt, burning my tits in the process.
“Whoops, that was an accident. Sorry,” she giggles. The three other bitches sitting with her follow suit, chuckling at my expense. I feel like I’m in high school all over again.
“It’s fine, Kristene. Next time, when you back up that wide load of an ass, you may want to find a flashing light to fasten to your head and make an obnoxious beeping noise with your mouth; that way people know they need to make room for that ginormous derriere of yours.
She gasps, “Why you little . . .” A kid comes skidding around the corner, one of mine to be exact; it’s Hopscotch. Kristene holds her tongue and glares at me.
“Hopscotch, are you okay?”
She whimpers and scampers off.
“As much as I want to continue this battle of wits with you, Kristene, I know your IQ can’t withstand the gigantic beat down you’d receive in the process. I tend to use big words and unfortunately, there’s not enough room in that mound of red frizz for anything else but empty space.”
“You’re a bit . . .”
I cut her off. “Bitch? It’s so cute that you actually think that’s a cuss word.” I pat her head. “Nice try, Sweetie. Now run along and let the grownups talk.”
The growing scowl on her face makes me laugh. I don’t give her a chance to retaliate. First rule in insult 101: Never let your opponent get the upper hand.
I find Hopscotch outside, jumping around on a premade hopscotch grid. She’s crying and doesn’t stop when she sees me.
“Can I play?”
She shrugs her shoulders and just keeps jumping. I grab a stone from a rock garden to my left and toss it. It lands on number seven. I jump across the board, purposely using both feet when
I hit the seven eight combo.
“No, you can’t play like that,” she tells me.
“Oh?” I question, playing stupid. “How do you play?”
Hopscotch takes her rock and throws it. It lands on the number five. “You have to skip over your rock. Then come back and pick it up. Like this, watch me.” The tears on Hopscotch’s face have disappeared. She demonstrates how to play, and I follow her example, playing correctly this time.
“You’re good. No wonder they call you Hopscotch.”
I notice her hair is a mess. I wonder when the last time it had a proper brushing. She’s wearing more clothes than usual, way too many for this time of year.
“Do you want to tell me why you were crying?”
“No,” she answers quickly.
“Well, I’m here if you want to talk, okay?”
“Okay.”
We play hopscotch for another twenty minutes or so before she gets bored. I’m just about to take her in and offer to brush her hair when a ginormous man appears.
“It’s time to go home,” he growls. “I’ve looked all over this maze for you, girl.”
Hopscotch cowers behind me. I notice right away how much this man intimidates her. Reluctantly, she scampers over to him. He grabs her by the arm a little too hard and pulls her behind him.
“Hey, don’t manhandle her like that.”
“Shut up, this doesn’t concern you,” he growls.
“Like hell it doesn’t. Don’t fucking touch her!”
When I go to grab Hopscotch’s arm away from him, he cocks back and goes to smack me. Luckily, I duck before he does.
“You fucking asshole. You tried to hit me.”
I’m about to jump on his back and gouge out his eyeballs when Caleb comes bursting through the back doors. He looks at Hopscotch and me then at the man who just tried to hit me.
“Donald, I think it’s time you leave.”
“I was leaving. This bitch was trying to keep me away from what’s mine.”
“She’s a little girl, not your damn property,” I snap.
“Tell that to the State,” he grumps. Then he looks over at Caleb and smiles. “Why don’t you reel your bitch in, Caleb, before somebody gets hurt. It looks like you let this one off the leash a little too much.”
“You can’t let him take her, Caleb. This guy is abusive.”
“Everly, my hands are tied. Unless you have proof, we can’t do anything.”
“I know he’s a certified asshole. Does that help?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Donald, why don’t you take Hopscotch home. I’ll talk to Miss McGowan and get this settled.”
“You do that. The only proper place for a bitch is on a leash. Right, little one?” He looks down at Hopscotch. I can see the fear in her eyes. This guy is hitting her, or something. Nobody shakes with fear unless something is going on at home. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I won’t allow anybody to hurt this little girl.
I watch helplessly as Dick Donald takes Hopscotch through the doors.
“Are you just going to let him walk away with her? Something is going on Caleb. He’s doing something to her.”
“Come with me,” Caleb grabs my arm and drags me into The Youth Center, through the crowd of people that formed outside, and straight to his office.
“What the fuck, Caleb?”
“Calm down.”
“I will not calm down. That dickweed is doing something to that poor little girl, and you’re trying to tell me to calm down. Fuck you.”
“If that’s what it takes to get you to calm down, then by all means, I’ll fuck the shit out of you.”
“Is there a day you don’t think with your dick? This is important!”
“I only think with my dick when I’m around you. I realize this is important, but I can’t go around accusing people of shit because you don’t like the way he holds his daughter.”
“His fingers were digging into her arms. He tried to hit me. What part of that am I supposed to like?”
“None of it. You have to remember what kind of neighborhood we are in right now. People don’t take too kindly to outsiders trying to Robin Hood their way through the trenches. You can’t save everyone. Trust me, I know from experience. “
“I can’t believe you just overlook this kind of shit.”
“Unless I have concrete proof a child is being neglected or abused, my hands are tied. Hopscotch won’t open up to anyone. She likes you, maybe she will tell you something. But until then, you’re trying to start a fire without matches. Nothing you do right now is going to matter.”
“That’s stupid!” I shout. “I don’t care what the rules are. I’m going to find out where that mother fucker lives and spit down his damn throat after I kill his ass for trying to harm me and that innocent little girl. So help me Caleb, I vow right here, right now . . . that piece of shit is going down. There isn’t a thing you can do to stop me, either.”
He stops my awesome rant with his lips. I’m still talking into them for, at least, four seconds before I let go and kiss him back. All the anger bristling down my backbone recedes. I find the familiarity of his lips comforting.
My tongue is searching his mouth before I can stop myself. My fingers curl into his hair as his grip my waist. Everything that should be so wrong with Caleb, feels so right. Why do I constantly fight this nagging attraction I have towards him?
Before I have a chance to even think a second thought, he speaks and I’m reminded of exactly why I’m so opposed to a relationship with him.
“I knew you’d come around.”
My hands slam into his chest and I violently push him away.
“Was it something I said?” he laughs.
“Everything. I can’t believe I let you kiss me again. I’m so stupid. I’m not sure why I even allowed myself to get involved with you.”
Caleb takes a step back and sits on the top of one the chairs in his office. His grin is equal parts annoying and sexy. “That’s easy; you like me.”
“I do not.” I stick my tongue out at him and silently curse him in my head.
“Your lips said otherwise,” he smirks.
“My lips were assaulted—viciously attacked by an asshole who doesn’t know how to stay out of my bubble.”
“I popped your bubble a long time ago.”
“Yes, please don’t remind me.”
“Why, because you liked it?” he asks. I can’t argue that fact with him. I loved it—every naughty second of it. Sleeping with Caleb was like seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time, hearing a Shakespearian sonnet, or watching a baby animal being born into the world—pure artistic poetry.
When I don’t say anything, he smiles even wider. “So about that ass print on my chalkboard?” He motions over to it.
That stupid chalkboard, on any other day, and with any other guy, I would love to be fucked against it. But not today. Not with him. Definitely not now.
“Why don’t you ask Kristene? That girl has the hots for you. I’m sure she’d love her ass to be branded with your chalk stain of shame.” I smile back at him. There’s nothing sweet about my smile; it’s laced with condescending, snark-filled sarcasm
“The only shame is the fact you are still against this.”
“Against what?”
“Us, Everly. One of these days, you will wise up to our chemistry. I’m only afraid that by that time, it will be too late.”
Chapter Twenty- Five
Two months has rolled by since the dickweed incident. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get Hopscotch to open up to me. Things are getting easier with all of the other girls, especially NJ. The more I allow her to help me wrangle in the girls, the nicer she is. I think she realizes that I was never here to take the girls away from her, just to help out. To her, they’re her family. They might not be blood related, but every single girl latches on to the other and relies on them to work through the trenches, as Caleb so diligently called them.
> Caleb has decided to try the silent treatment with me. I think he’s purposely going out of his way to make me jealous, chatting up every girl in this damn place, especially Kristene, who I have nicknamed TGB, or The Ginger Bitch.
When I walk in today, they’re flirting at the front counter. He knows exactly what time I get there, and I notice his eyes following me as he chats up TGB.
“So, I was wondering, Kristene. I have this big fight coming up. I was hoping to invite all the staff to come with me. During that time, I have a before match dinner and need a date. Are you interested?”
Is she interested? That bitch opens her legs like a goddamn clam every time he gets near her. I swear; it’s like she needs to feed the bushy beast between her legs oxygen just so it can survive her matted jungle puss.
The worst part about all of this, is that she has no idea he’s only egging her on to get to me, and it’s actually working. That stupid jealous green-eyed monster is raging inside me. I’m ten seconds away from going full Hulk on this chick and claiming Caleb like a god damn rawhide bone. I bobbed his bone. It’s mine, damn it!
Caleb must see his plan is working because he leans in and whispers into Kristene’s ear. She giggles making me want to smack her and punch him. I can’t watch this train wreck anymore, so I stomp off, desperate to find any place but the lobby to wait for my girls. I end up at the playground, kicking myself around on the merry-go-round, while my thoughts play suicide with my brain.
If you asked me four months ago what I wanted in a man I could name off five traits immediately: accent, easy-going, makes me laugh, selfless, handsome. Four out of those five traits fit Caleb perfectly, but the more I hang out with Caleb, the more he gets under my skin. He’s like an infection, every inch of me is consumed with him.
Just as I expected, a few minutes later the sex god himself graces me with his presence.
“Out here stewing in your jealousy?”
“I’m not stewing in anything. I’m spinning around.” The sun practically blinds me, but I manage to glare at his silhouette anyway.
“No, this is spinning.” Caleb grabs the bars on the merry-go-round and starts running. I lift my legs up and grab onto the bar, pulling myself towards the middle. I’m trying not to laugh, but I haven’t done something like this since I was wearing overalls and pigtails. After a few seconds, I can’t contain myself any longer. I laugh loudly, a happy vibrant laugh, as Caleb jumps up next to me and we spin like fools.