A Sea of Smoke_A Dark Romance

by Karen Lynn

  A couple of bottles of the finest champagne sat in the middle of their table, tempting her. She could practically taste it, feel the relaxed state of mind it promised to provide. But she was determined to be strong—the only one at the table, perhaps in the entire restaurant, that would remain coherent and not under the influence that night.

  Since the blonde wasn't there, she found Logan considerably more attentive to her. His gaze locked on her, he kept moving in to kiss her face. Jonny watched like a hawk while, as usual, Nick was lost in his drinks. The night endlessly stretched before her, but at least her ravenous appetite was satisfied by the delicious food. A temporary solace.

  “Hey, what are you thinking about?” Logan whispered in her ear.

  She'd been in a trance most of the evening. Snapping out of it, she searched his eyes in brief reflection. “I really wish you were ugly.”

  He burst out laughing, unaware how serious she was. As his laughing tirade continued, Jonny and Nick became increasingly uncomfortable.

  “What's the joke?” Jonny moved in to ask her.

  Refusing to look at him, her tone stayed emotionless and cold.

  “I have no idea, but it must be hysterical.”

  Nick couldn't take the endless cackling and shook Logan's arm.

  Jonny took advantage of the distraction. “Ya know, Kristen, I can see why Jakey-boy is always moping around since you left. Yeah, it’s obvious now.”

  Shocked, her misery grew. All she could do was stare at him, visualizing the droplets of drool leaking out of his mouth. It was a toss-up between throwing up on him or die laughing. Instead, she chose to keep her mouth shut.

  “Yeah, with the exception of that hot piece of ass, he was a mess.”

  “Jonny, I really don't want to hear about this.” She lowered her voice, sneaking a look at Logan.

  “Hear about what?” Logan chimed in. He downed his drink between coughs, his laughing fit ended.

  “Nothing—”

  Jonny cut her off. “—I was telling Kristen how much her friends back home miss her. I almost forgot how popular she was, but thinking back, yeah, I can see why now.”

  “Really? Too fucking bad I have her all to myself now, huh?”

  Jonny straightened up, more annoyed than shocked by Logan’s cold glare and sudden change in demeanor. “Yeah, right, you got her under control then?”

  Nick clamped Logan's arm. Ripping it away with a vicious hiss, his elbow sent a wine glass crashing to the floor.

  Startled, Kristen jumped, inching away from Logan. Biting her trembling bottom lip, she hugged herself to contain the violent shivering. Logan’s reddened face, clenched jaw and arms did nothing to relieve her nervous tension. Glancing at Jonny’s hardened face, sent her mind racing in all directions.

  He can’t possibly remember that time with Jake in the storage room, can he? What if he brings it up? I can’t let that happen. I can’t let this blow up!

  “Baby, calm down, remember what you told me. Please!”

  Logan twisted around in his seat to face her, a big, silly grin on his face, and shrugged. “It's all good.” When he returned his attention to Jonny and Nick, they all chuckled, but the tension was evident.

  “Walk me to the bathroom, please.” She tugged at his arm.

  Logan frowned, shaking it off until he noticed the intense look on her face. “Duty calls.” He attempted a grin, taking her hand.

  They strode off in silence, stopping outside the ladies’ room.

  “What's up?”

  “You need to chill out, Logan. Remember how dangerous you said they were?”

  Logan snickered. “That was all bullshit to scare you, Kristen! I can't believe you think I'm scared of them!”

  Stunned, she rolled her eyes. He is unbelievable! And I actually begged him like an idiot! “Why would you do that?”

  “So you forget about that loser.”

  “That doesn't make any sense, Logan!”

  Grinning, he threw his hands up in surrender.

  “So you don't care about losing business—”

  “—We won't lose business. I've got it all under control.” His sudden over-confidence left her mute.

  He took her face, squeezing it between his fingers. “I'm not gonna stand there and let that asshole taunt me... or you.” He kissed her with increasing passion. “Go!”

  With a helpless sigh, she walked into the restroom and leaned on the countertop for support. When she reflected on her image in the mirror, she recognized fear. If they were as dangerous as she believed they were, Logan could easily get the two of them killed.

  JAKE

  Marty gazed at him like he was a super hero. It was unsettling, and he found himself drinking more than he wanted to. Even with the buzz, the conversation was strained, although it was better than with Tia, where it was non-existent.

  He looked at Marty and did feel aroused, but wasn't sure if it was from the combination of the liquor and repressed sexual tension, or that she brought back memories of Kristen. Somehow he felt she sensed it and feared it was too obvious to hide.

  “Hey, I really like you...” He secured her hands in his, searching for the right words.

  “But? Usually that leads to but—something.” She attempted a smile, but it was impossible to hide the sadness in her eyes.

  Jake exhaled deeply. Busted again! I hate myself for being so awkward at this. “Yeah, I, eh…guess it’s just after Tia, I promised myself I would take a long break.”

  Her eyes tore into him, making him fidget even more.

  With a slow, calculated motion, she removed her hands. “I understand. It's been rough for both of us. You with Kristen, me with Ray...”

  “I guess we both have our issues to deal with.” He bowed his head, averting her gaze.

  Marty felt the sting of tears in her eyes, the image of Ray fresh in her mind. She finished off her beer.

  “Want another?” A part of him dreaded ending the night so soon, even though he wasn’t sure what he wanted from it.

  “No. I probably should go.”

  “Okay.” His sigh of relief took him by surprise.

  Marty’s nervous giggles brought a deep red flush to her cheeks. “I'll be right back.”

  After she rushed off to the restroom, Jake’s mind wandered. Without realizing it, he scrolled through his texts, stopping when he came to the one Kristen had sent months earlier while he was still in Oregon. Even as he read it for the hundredth time, he knew he should delete it. By now, he should be desperate to wipe out the painful memory of the end of their relationship. As long as she was alive in his mind, he could never move on. When he looked up, Marty stood in front of him.

  Shit! Why am I such a big jerk? Too embarrassed to acknowledge her, he gulped, shut the phone, jammed it back into his pocket, and threw a tip on the table.

  They walked in uncomfortable silence for a few blocks. He had no idea where she parked, assuming she'd driven. It was aimless.

  “Did you drive?” He stopped to look at her.

  “Yeah. Over there.” She pointed down the block.

  “On 10th?”

  She nodded.

  “I'll walk you over.”

  It didn't take long to get to her car. She leaned against it, staring up at him with an expectant gleam in her eyes.

  He was quiet. It had been a rough weekend filled with too much beer and dark thoughts. His head ached. He was fatigued and disillusioned.

  “Did you say you live nearby?”

  Taken off guard by the question, Jake struggled to read her mind without success. Maybe he was too tired or just out of practice. Perhaps the knots in his stomach were too distracting. Whatever the reason, her subtle hint flew right over his head.

  This never happened with Kristen. I could always… stop it, Jake! She’s gone.

  He blinked to focus on Marty.

  “Yeah on 9th. Listen, why don't you give me your number and maybe we can do this again?” He had to rush, needed to avoid a
ny complications, to be alone and safe again.

  “Sure. I'd like that.” Marty extended her hand to take his phone.

  For a second he was confused, then it registered, and he hesitantly handed it to her.

  “I think I gave it to you before, though.”

  He thought about it, then felt like an idiot when he remembered she was right. “Give it to me again—just in case.” A vague recollection of her number on a post it came to his mind. Where he put it was another matter for him to deal with at some other time.

  A dark cloud hovered over him as she input her number. Somehow it didn't feel right, like an invasion of his personal space. When she finished, he hurriedly put it away.

  “Do you want to give me yours too?” Her eyes were wide with innocence and hope.

  Jake rubbed his forehead, then clumsily pushed his hair back. She thrust her phone at him. He took several deep breaths before finally entering his number. After handing it back, he peeked at her bashfully.

  “Well if you need to talk about Kristen or anything like that...” She took her key out.

  “Yeah, you told me that before. I don't see the point...” He stopped in mid-sentence when she surprised him by standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I still have her stuff up there...” he continued with a feeble grin.

  “I have Ray's too. I get it, Jake, don't worry. We're friends, right?”

  Then she was gone and he stood alone in the shadows.

  “Fuck!” His frustrated shout reverberated into the darkness.

  Damn you, Kristen!

  After a few seconds, he came back to life and slowly headed back to his apartment.

  LOGAN/KRISTEN

  Once again, Logan was so wasted he was about to land flat on his face by the time they left the restaurant. At least it had gone relatively well for the second half of the evening. It took Kristen by surprise that Nick was the one suggesting they end the night without an invitation to extend it further. As much as she hated his presence and tried to ignore it, his aggravation and embarrassment over Logan's behavior was obvious.

  Logan’s weight on her shoulder proved too much to handle, so the ever righteous Jonny volunteered to help get him to the car. The instant she dug the keys out of Logan’s pocket and unlocked the door, he collapsed onto the passenger seat.

  Jonny lingered behind her. “So, Kristen, I'll make sure to say hi to your friends for you.”

  “Please don't,” she snapped, zooming in on Logan as his snoring filled the parking lot.

  “Maybe if you give me a little kiss, I'll reconsider.” Jonny’s face loomed before her, his thick black mustache twitching like a treacherous snake ready to strike.

  Appalled, Kristen jerked backwards, bumping into the car. Her hands reflexively shielded her stomach. His sinister laughter rang in her ears.

  “That's not happening. Do whatever you want. It doesn't matter anyway.”

  She fumbled with the door handle, glancing up at him whenever she had the chance.

  “Suit yourself. Hopefully your boy here straightens up. Getting so wasted all the time is bad for business,” he snarled, narrowing his eyes.

  Not wanting to prolong the conversation, she rushed into the car just as Nick wandered over. The minute she settled in, Logan slumped over, his head and shoulder pressing down on hers. Nick eyed him briefly before turning his attention to her. She watched in disgust as he coughed up a glob of saliva, spit it onto the ground and raised his eyes to leer at her.

  “Tell him to call me when he sobers up.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. Look who’s talking! The worst piece of shit influence that could exist.

  Logan’s snoring tapered off. She listened to his rapid breaths, took a deep one of her own, shoved him back onto his seat and buckled him in. He grunted, a drunken smile frozen on his lips as he touched her hand. Twisting around to deal with Nick, she was relieved to find they had all left the parking lot.

  “You okay, Krissy?” Logan mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

  “No, Logan…I’m not.” She had no idea if the words actually made it out of her mouth and could care less. Blinking the tears away, she hit the gas, flinching as the car shot forward.

  MONDAY

  KRISTEN

  It was almost 1 p.m. and Logan was still sound asleep. She knew she shouldn't risk trekking down to the beach alone with the sky so threatening. The huge black clouds hovering over the beach would probably erupt into an another tropical storm way before he woke up.

  The warm breeze stroked her body as she dug her toes in the sand. Unexpectedly out of breath, she decided to rest on the nearest bench. An unusual feeling of peace fell over her as she gazed out at the turbulent ocean. A couple of surfers took advantage of the waves. She could hear their voices drifting along the water. Lost in thought, she didn't realize her phone was vibrating until she happened to look down at it.

  “Kristen… I almost hung up.”

  Jake!

  Astonished, her heart pounded frantically. “Jake—I was just walking on the beach...” It slipped out. Her hands trembled. Why did I tell him?

  “The beach? Where?”

  What does it matter if he knows? “Florida.” Her eyes closed, it was too late to care.

  “Florida! Miami?”

  She could hear the eagerness in his voice. Off in the distance, the rumble of thunder followed by a bright flash of lightning forced her eyes up to the sky.

  “Yes.” Did I actually say it out loud?

  “Nice. Are you alone?” His voice—so deep, sexy, masculine, sent chills along her spine.

  “Yes, but I should go. A storm's coming…” She stirred, getting nervous. The apartment was several blocks away.

  “Hey, I still have all your stuff here– your rings. What should I do with them?” He didn't care about the storm, or her rush.

  “Oh! You can sell the rings, Jake. Keep the money...” She felt tiny tremors rippling through her. It was a shock that he still had them after so long.

  “Are you sure you don't want them?”

  “Yes, I'm very sure.” She slid to the edge of the bench. The wind was picking up. A family trudged by her, struggling to hold onto a beach umbrella.

  “Do you have a new one?” He didn't know why he was being so nosey. For some strange reason, he didn’t want her to hang up.

  “No.” Her eyes trailed along her hands. “I don't need it.”

  “You don't wear a wedding band? Why not?”

  “No. It's, Jake, I have to go—it's raining. I'll try to call you.” She ended the call, scrambling to put the phone in her pocket. Trying to walk fast enough to avoid the inevitable downpour without slipping, she crossed the street. The baby began a merciless kicking campaign.

  Looks like you can tell your mommy is fucking up again. The thought would’ve made her smile, if it wasn’t wiped out instantly by misery.

  Logan was stumbling around the kitchen when she burst through the door out of breath. Her eyes quickly scanned his naked body.

  “Finally awake?” Struggling to catch her breath, she fell onto a chair at the table.

  “I guess so. I feel like shit though.” He pulled out a chair next to her, rubbing his eyes. They looked like two hollow blue holes dug into his ashen face.

  “Yeah. You drank way too much last night, Logan. You look like crap.”

  “Whatever.” He took a gulp of his coffee, spitting it out immediately.

  “Why's it cold?”

  “That's from yesterday!” She couldn't help laughing. “I'm cutting back, remember?”

  He scrunched up his face, dropping his head in a dramatic gesture onto the table.

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you want me to make some?” He looked so pathetic she almost found it hard to be mad at him.

  “Would you before I die, please, sweetie?” His moans grew unendurable. When she attempted to get past him, he grabbed her arm.

  “If you let me I will.” She grinned. It faded as soon as he p
ulled her onto his lap. “Oh my God! You need a shower!”

  He released her instantly, his eyes lingering as she walked away. “Where were you?”

  “On the beach. I had to get some air.”

  The aroma of coffee filled the room. She wanted some really, really bad.

  Logan viewed the menacing sky through the sliding glass doors. “Why would you go out in this weather, Krissy?” He adjusted his body in the seat to watch her as she washed dishes. “Maybe we should hire someone to come in to help you.”

  “I'm fine.” Battling the temptation to take a sip, she handed him the steaming mug.

  “Thanks.” He pulled her back down onto his lap, practically spilling the coffee all over them.

  “Oops. So why'd you go out?”

  “I felt like it. By the way, Nick wants you to call him when you are all sobered up.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, wincing when his soft hair brushed her skin.

  Why can’t I ever stay mad at him? I hate myself!

  “Fuck him.” He snuggled up to her. “Wanna take a nice hot shower with me?”

  “Not really.”

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “You don't remember what a jerk you were?”

  “Nope. If I clean up will you come to bed?” His arms encircled her waist.

  “It depends on how cute you look.”

  He clung to her, she shoved him off. When he protested she pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. He sulked. She didn’t waver, and he finally sauntered away.

  The wind howled. Without meaning to, she drifted to the balcony door, mesmerized by the torrent of water slamming against the glass. The conversation with Jake entered her mind. Her skin tingled as she heard his sensuous voice, pictured his handsome face, kind sparkling eyes, strong, hard body. She absorbed him, running her hands along every inch of that body. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her forehead to the cold pane, urgently wanting to call him back. Why had she revealed where she was? It wasn't in her plans. But when did her plans ever go the way she envisioned?