"So," Caylen tried to play it off. "You'll have to excuse my ignorance, I've been in and out of town a lot lately and Herbert has been taking care of the software upgrade. When are we set to change over?"
"Monday I'll have a tech come in to hook up the links. I'll download and update your software remotely." Tanner said.
"I see."
"Caylen you will be their direct contact during the change over." Herb said. Caylen raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"May I bring you another round?" Tanner asked when she noticed Caylen was holding an empty glass of ice.
"Oh…uh…sure." Caylen didn't want to walk away with her, out of fear and nervousness, but she did it anyway.
"How have you been?" Tanner asked.
Caylen chanced a look into the gray eyes staring back at her. God, does she have to look at me like that right here? "Not bad, working a lot."
"I know how that is. I haven't worked less than sixty hours since I started. Hopefully things will slow down this month though. We're finally getting caught up."
Tanner ordered a dirty martini for herself and the bartender had Caylen's glass of bourbon already waiting for her. Tanner flashed a grin when she saw the exchange between Caylen and the young bartender.
"Well then."
"What?" Caylen asked sipping her drink.
"There are two hundred people in this room and she remembered your drink, plus made sure you noticed her taking inventory of your parts."
"Jealous?" Caylen asked. She wasn't sure going down the road of flirtation was a good idea. Tanner Bryce was dangerous and didn't have to push any buttons. They were permanently held down when she was around.
"Maybe." Tanner winked. "Are you still seeing that girl?" She sipped her martini, never faltering from their shared gaze. Caylen couldn't lie to her no matter how hard she tried.
"No. We were better off friends. I don't think I'm the dating type." Stop looking at me like you're fucking me with your mind.
"I see."
The DJ played a good fast song and Caylen felt her foot begin to tap the floor. She was not about to ask Tanner to dance with her. She wouldn't be able to hold it together long enough. She still couldn't understand why this one woman had so much power over her. Besides, Tanner was still ‘in the closet', so she wouldn't dance anyway.
"Your boss is coming this way. He looked pretty close to you earlier."
"Jealous?" Tanner raised an eyebrow.
Caylen never batted an eye. "No. I don't compete with men."
"Good, because I don't sleep with them. As a matter of fact, I don't just sleep with anybody, Caylen."
"I don't either."
"Hello ladies," He said walking up a little too close to Tanner as he slid his hand into the small of her back. "Ms. Jarrett, if you will excuse us, I have a few other clients that I'd like to introduce Ms. Bryce to."
"No, please, have a good night."
Tanner winked at her as she was whisked away. Caylen wanted to rip his hand off and shove it down his throat until he choked on it. Where the hell did that come from? She shook her head and downed the rest of her glass. Herb was across the room talking to the mayor so Caylen ordered another drink and made her way over to the two men.
The bartender slipped her a napkin with her drink this time. Caylen winked and slid it into her pocket when she noticed the phone number written in the middle. A night of noncommittal sex with the young bartender was at the top of her list at this point. The fact that she was on her third glass of bourbon after drinking two glasses of wine at dinner probably helped that idea along. Luckily, she had snatched her name tag off early so the bartender had no clue who she was. Her buzz was humming along and her night had taken a decent turn.
"There you are," Herb said as Caylen joined their conversation. She smiled and fell right in step.
An hour and a half later, the party had dwindled and the bar was closing for the night. Caylen was on her way back over to the bar when Tanner caught up to her.
"You're not taking little Miss Teen USA home with you, are you?"
"What's it to you?"
"What happened to ‘I don't just sleep with anybody'?"
"Nothing. I don't, but I'm also not looking for a relationship right now. Why the hell am I explaining myself to you? We aren't dating." Caylen walked away from her. She saw the hurt in Tanner's eyes and felt the pain tear through her heart. She took a deep breath and turned around, but Tanner was already gone. God damn it! Caylen straightened her shoulders and made her way around the bar.
"Hi." The young woman with light brown eyes and long blond hair smiled.
"When can you get out of here?" Caylen asked.
"Now." She tossed the towel on the bar and led the way towards the door. Caylen didn't see Tanner watching her, but she did catch her uncle staring. She waved at him and kept walking behind the young girl. She could barely take her eyes off of the tight ass in front of her. The woman was about two inches shorter and had a nice athletic build on her petite frame.
"What's your name?" the young woman asked.
"C.J. Yours?"
"Amanda."
"How old are you?" Caylen asked.
"Twenty-one." She smiled stepping closer to Caylen. "Would you like to see my ID?"
"No." Caylen smiled and tilted her head down. Their lips met questioningly at first, then they eagerly explored each other. Caylen pulled away. "Did you drive here?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Do you live close by?"
"Uh huh." Amanda linked hands with Caylen and led her to a brand new looking Toyota Camry.
Ten minutes later, they were walking into a small apartment in the middle of the city. Caylen shed her jacket, laying it on the arm of the chair. The small apartment had one bedroom and one bathroom with very eclectic and colorful furniture. Amanda was definitely a college student. Caylen noticed the laptop on the small dining room table next to a couple of text books. Caylen wasn't about to break her rule. She never asked more than a name, except for an age in this circumstance. She was a little nervous. Until now, Tanner was the youngest girl she'd ever been with.
Amanda wasted no time. She began unbuttoning Caylen's blouse as their lips met once again with their tongues exploring the crevices of each other's mouth. Caylen picked the smaller woman up against her. Amanda wrapped her legs around Caylen and threaded her hands into Caylen's hair. Caylen put Amanda against the wall. Her insides were burning and her clit was throbbing. She was soaking wet and ready, but something in the back of her mind said stop. That's when Tanner's face popped into her head along with her hurt filled sad eyes. Caylen squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force the image from her head. Damn it! She couldn't take it any longer. Caylen set Amanda back on her feet and pulled away from her.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't do this. I'm sorry." Caylen began buttoning her shirt back up.
"I thought you wanted this?" Amanda asked.
"I did. I'm really sorry. I have to go." Caylen walked out the front door with her shirt half buttoned holding her jacket over her arm. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and dialed a familiar number on her cell phone. The call was answered on the second ring.
"C.J.? What the hell? It's one in the morning. Are you okay?" Margo was half asleep.
"Can you come get me?"
"Uh…what…yeah…where are you? What's going on?" Margo stumbled out of bed towards the dresser.
"I'm at the entrance to Windsor Apartment complex off of North Fairview. Take the 101. I'll explain when you get here. Hurry up." Caylen closed her phone and sat on a bus stop bench. She was still keyed up; her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour in fifty directions. She barely noticed the car pulling to a stop in front of her. She looked completely disheveled. Her shirt was loose and only buttoned halfway and her jacket was laying in a heap next to her.
"What the hell happened to you?" Margo said jumping out of the car.
"Don't ask," Caylen said as she slid into the f
ront seat of the Lexus sedan.
Margo looked at her with raised eyebrows as she pulled away from the curb. Caylen threw her head back against the headrest and sighed.
"I don't even know where to start."
"How about the beginning?"
"Tanner was at the convention."
"Okay? Was that her apartment you were in?"
"No."
"Now I'm really confused. Spit it out, Caylen." Margo handed Caylen the extra cup of coffee that she'd brought with her. Caylen took it and looked at her wide eyed. In all of their years as friends, the only time Margo ever called her by her first name was when she was being straight forward and serious or pissed off at her. Both of which rarely happened. Caylen took a few long swallows of the hot coffee and felt her body relax slightly. That's when she realized the radio was playing Milli Vanilli. She busted out laughing.
"What the fuck are you listening to?" She bobbed her head with the beat.
Margo slammed the radio off quickly. "XM weird ass station. Don't change the subject."
"Fine." Caylen finished the coffee and desperately wished another cup would miraculously appear. "I talked to Tanner. Uncle Herb hired her company to do our software upgrade. I've been so busy that I just agreed to what he was telling me. I had no idea it was Intelitech that he chose. Anyway, her boss was a little too friendly with her. That was odd to watch."
"Hmm…okay so why did I just pick you up from the ghetto?"
"I went home with the hot little bartender, who is a twenty-one year old college student." Caylen hung her head.
"Oh my God, C.J. What the fuck were you thinking?" Margo swerved to make the turn that she just about drove past.
"I don't know. Don't wreck the damn car." She put her head in her hands. "She was cute and flirting with me all night and Tanner was there and I can't get her out of my damn head!"
"Wow, so you decided to fuck a college kid? This isn't like you. I mean random women I understand, but usually they are out of diapers."
"I didn't sleep with her. I stopped myself."
"Well, I guess that's a good thing. What the hell is going on with you and Tanner? Who, by the way, I still haven't met yet."
"Nothing! That's just it. But, she has this power over me. Anytime I'm around her I feel like my insides are going to explode. I'm scared to death of her, Margo. I don't know what the fuck to do."
"I think you're in love with her," Margo said as she pulled up in front of Caylen's condo and cut the engine.
"You're crazy!" Caylen practically fell out of the car, she got out so fast. "I don't, I can't fall in love with anyone. I'm never going through that again. No way." Caylen was shaking her head back and forth and her normally pale blue eyes were dark and large.
"I'm not saying you have to marry the girl, but why don't you try dating her? I seriously doubt she's here to stalk you."
Caylen took a deep breath but it didn't help. She dropped her keys when she fumbled with the door. "Damn it!" She picked them up and finally succeeded in opening the door. "How do you date the one person that you hoped to never see again? Margo, that night with her was the one and only time I have ever really made love to anyone. It was too perfect. How do I compete with that? Dating her will only turn my angel-like dream to dust when reality sets in. Do you know what I mean?" Caylen tossed her jacket on the stair rail and made her way over to the liquor cabinet. No more alcohol. She told herself as she kept going into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. There was no way in hell she was going to sleep any time soon.
"I think I understand what you're saying. You're afraid that the pedestal that you put that night on will disappear when you move past it? Am I right so far?"
"I think so. The person that I was that night isn't me. I've never felt or even seen that side of myself. It seemed to be the same way for her too. I just don't want to lose that one perfect time in my life."
Margo completely understood why Caylen was so scared. She would never let herself love anyone because of fear that they wouldn't love her. That one night stand showed her the passion and love that she dreamed of and now having the woman as a reality in her life made the dream seem fake somehow. No wonder she was confused.
"I'm sure she doesn't even know about the battle you have going on in your head."
"Nope." Caylen padded up the stairs to her loft bedroom to change into a pair of loose pajama pants and a t-shirt. Margo had their coffee waiting when she returned.
"Maybe it's time to let go of flirting and fucking with no strings. I haven't met this girl," Margo reiterated for the tenth time. "But she seems to have abducted my best friend's heart without her even knowing it."
"I can't believe I was going to sleep with some college kid tonight. God, maybe I need help." Caylen leaned against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.
"No, you need to talk to this woman and let yourself be happy for once in your life."
"I have to work with her on Monday and probably Tuesday."
"What?"
"They are installing that new software in our system and Uncle Herb put me in charge. I think he's going to retire in a couple of years. He's been acting weird lately. Plus, I could swear he was pushing me and her together tonight. If he only knew."
"Hmm…at least he got to meet her."
"Oh give it a rest already." Caylen smiled.
"So, will she be at your office or…"
"No, but I'll be on the phone with her throughout the entire process."
"Did she see you leave with the teeny bopper?"
"Yeah." Margo smacked her hard on the thigh. "Ouch!"
"You dummy."
"I wasn't thinking clearly. I'd drank way too much. My mind was racing and my libido was on fire. Cut me some slack. Uncle Herb saw me leave with her too. I'm sure he'll be on my ass Monday anyway."
"I suggest you take the rest of this weekend off. Don't think about Tanner or JFC for a whole two days. Monday, you'll be well rested and ready to hit the ground running."
"Uh huh, what the hell did you put in your coffee?" Caylen raised an eyebrow. "I haven't stopped thinking about her since the day she walked into my office. I practically had to beat the men off of her. I don't know how I held it together while I had a regular conversation with her."
"Take it slow. Don't be alone with her for a while. Go to dinner, go to the movies, go to the bar, whatever you have to do. I think you should step back and get to know her."
"Easier said than done. I trip over myself around her. I'm thirty-three goddamn years old and I'm scared to have a relationship with a woman I find perfect in every way. What the hell is wrong with me?"
"You have a lot to protect, C.J. Don't beat yourself up over this."
"Could you imagine if Uncle Herb found out she was a dancer? Shit would hit the fan. I'm in line to head up that company in probably a year or two and I don't need some kind of scandal."
"I'm sure she doesn't want the world to know how she paid for college either. It's a secret only the two of you know about, am I right?"
"I think so."
"Then forget about it. She has a great career going for her and she's independent. She sounds like the perfect mate. If I had met her, I could give you more details." Margo ducked when Caylen swatted her with a throw pillow from the couch.
"Hey, I forgot to tell you, I bought the basketball tickets the other day."
"How many games?"
"They're weekend home games, I think two or three."
"Cool. Email me the dates. Nice change of subject by the way."
"I was due for one." Caylen laughed.
Eleven
"Ms. Jarrett, you have a call on line one," Sara's voice announced over the intercom. Caylen saved the spreadsheet she was putting together on her laptop and picked up the receiver to the phone on her desk.
"Caylen Jarrett."
"This is Tanner Bryce with Intelitech Communications. My technician arrived an hour ago and he has your router hooked up. I need to test the li
ne."
Caylen caught onto Tanner's cold voice. She's clearly upset with me. I'm such a fool. "That's fine, go ahead and do what you need to do. We have our system off line until two o'clock this afternoon so that we are able to get this upgrade completed smoothly."
Caylen stayed on the line and waited for the line test and the initial start up of the software. A few minutes later, Tanner came back on the line.
"Ms. Jarrett, I'm going to reboot your system remotely so you may see your computer act a little funny for a minute or two."
"Okay." Caylen listened to Tina Turner on the hold music. She was singing along to Freeway of Love when Tanner came back on the line.
"Excuse me?" Tanner asked.
"Sorry, you caught me singing karaoke to your hold music." Caylen laughed. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Oh, yes, you should be booted back up and ready to go. The technician left help manuals for everyone in the office with my direct line on all of them. Please have anyone call me if they experience even the smallest problem. This software parallels the one that we upgraded you from so there shouldn't be too many difficulties with it."
"Thanks," Caylen said.
"No problem. You have a good day, Ms. Jarrett."
Caylen heard her about to hang up. "Tanner?"
"Yes?"
"Are you upset with me?" She paused. "No, wait, that's a stupid question. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's your life, C.J. and you're free to live it however you choose."
"I didn't sleep with her."
"Who are we talking about? The high school looking bartender that you left with? Or the others that are waiting in line?"
Ouch. "No one. I haven't slept with anyone since I was with you."
"Somehow I doubt that. Look, I'm really busy here. I have two other businesses that I need to get up and running today."
"Are you free for dinner tomorrow night?"
Tanner sighed. "As far as I know I am."
"Do you want to meet me somewhere or may I pick you up?" Caylen held her breath until Tanner said her address.
~
Tuesday afternoon Caylen rushed around trying to finish her day early so that she had enough time to run home and change clothes before picking Tanner up for dinner. Herbert asked her to stop by his office when she had a free minute. None of which she actually had at this point, but she made time to see what he wanted. She was surprised he hadn't bothered her the day before.
One Night Page 7