by Amber Nation
Eden snickered at me, “Oh, Julia, I missed you and your attitude so much!” She threw her arms around me and I returned her hug. Eden was the only one who knew the real me, the one person who I allowed into my deeply guarded heart. Dean wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing my tender side, there was no use.
“Why?” He sneered. “Eden, I don’t get it, you and Julia are two completely different people. But yet, you’re the best of friends. You aren’t a bitch to anyone unless it is completely warranted. On the other hand, Julia exudes bitchiness. Are you really such a cold-hearted bitch?” He spat my way with venom and authority as if it would affect me. My steel armored heart threatened to crack but I kept my mask firmly in place. I used to be a woman who wore her feelings on her sleeve, but that woman was gone. Long gone. Now, it was often said that I didn’t have feelings.
Shrugging my shoulder nonchalantly, “What you see is what you get. I don’t sugarcoat things. Call me what you want if it’ll help you sleep at night, I’ve been called worse.”
Four empty glasses were placed on the table in front of us, along with the pitchers of beer. Maisie then placed my two shots and my margarita in front of me along with a plate of limes. I looked up at her and flashed a smile and sweetly said, “Thank you.” See, I could be nice.
She said nothing as she left us to it and I handed off one of the tequila shots to Eden. “You know, she probably spit in your drink,” Eden chuckled as she leaned into me.
“More than likely,” I retorted. Reaching towards the middle of the table, I snatched up the salt shaker and licked my hand right above my thumb and sprinkled a hefty amount over the wetness. Eden and I each took a slice of lime and clinked our shot glasses together. My tongue snaked out licking off all the salt from my flesh while my eyes connected with Dean’s. He continued to stare unabashed as I placed the glass to my lips and quickly tipped my head back, letting the tequila slide down my throat, igniting a fire on its trail. The clear liquid warmed me up from the inside and I finished by biting into the crisp piece of citrus. The way Dean’s eyes flared and his corded forearms flexed told me everything that I needed to know and exactly what I expected. The man couldn’t cover up his obvious attraction to me. I unnerved him, this much was true, but he definitely liked what he saw.
I grabbed my margarita and quickly gulped it down within two swallows. I needed to feel something other than just wanting to grab him by his face and fuck his mouth.
After another round of drinks I felt myself loosening up, I was having fun. Nowhere near drunk, but I was feeling rather tipsy. I tried my best not to look at Dean and I certainly hadn’t talked to him anymore.
It startled me when Dean rose from the table and turned towards me, “Do you want another round?” Craning my neck up at his large frame from my place at the table I simply nodded. A lump formed in my throat. Christ, but the man was beautiful. If only he could keep his mouth shut. “I’m going to go grab another pitcher.”
Watching his retreating form as he moved towards the bar, Eden bumped into my shoulder and pleaded in a whisper, “I know you don’t really like Dean, but please play nice…for me.”
“Well, if you give me no choice. But I make no promises. If he says some douchy remark, I can’t be held responsible for what comes flying out of my mouth.” She knew I was lying through my teeth but didn’t press on.
A few minutes later Dean came back to the table, placing my margarita in front of me along with our shots. He sat down a stack of napkins and the top one caught my attention, or rather what was written on it.
It was Maisie’s name along with a telephone number enclosed in a heart. I couldn’t hold it in and busted out in a full blown laugh. Everyone looked at me as if I had just stated that I was a man.
“I’m sorry,” I waved a hand in front of my face. Then sat the napkin in front of Dean. “Maisie wants you to call her.”
Another smug look crossed his face and it made me wonder if he had any other expressions in his repertoire. “How about that, got her number without even trying. This must be my lucky night.” He smiled triumphantly and carefully folded the napkin and shoved it into his pocket. I wanted to vomit.
“Riiiight.”
He leaned closer to me, invading my space, making me inhale his strong cologne which made my knees wobble a bit underneath the table. “You know, I think you’re just jealous. Jealous because it seems people here are immune to your charms and bullshit. You come off as some spoiled little rich bitch who dresses like Sally Streetwalker and thinks she always has to get her way. Well, look around, sweetheart, you aren’t in Kansas anymore. I don’t think you’ll be getting any men to eat out of the palm of your hand here.”
I leaned in even closer, making our faces only mere inches apart and sneered. “Is that a challenge? You think you know me? If there is one thing to know about me is that I never back down from a challenge. What you see is what you get. You think because you got a number from the town whore that makes you somebody? Please, I could get a measly number in my fucking sleep.”
Chapter 6
Dean
Her eyes turned menacing and I knew that I had severely pissed her off. It wasn’t necessarily my intention, but the woman knew how to push me to the edge. I was just barely teetering on the brink of losing my sanity. I could’ve cared less that I got Maisie’s number, she’s a frigging slut, but I didn’t make that little fact known. It bothered Julia and so I just pushed her further until her breaking point.
She scooted back from her chair and brought the shot glass full of tequila to her lips and swallowed, slamming the empty container back on the table. My pants tightened under the table at the vivid picture she painted with her lips wrapped around the glass; I knew that later I’d be picturing them around other things. She huffed and started walking towards the stage.
Karaoke had started about thirty minutes ago and the bar was filling up rather quickly. Apparently she knew exactly what she was doing, because she went straight to the computer that was set up with the karaoke equipment and began clicking around until a song started blaring out through the speakers.
“Is she drunk?” I asked, finally looking towards Eden who had a death glare of her own plastered to her face.
“Great, Dean. You’re an asshole you know that?” Eden groaned, throwing a hand up in exasperation.
My eyes bulged and I was utterly flabbergasted. I replied, “ME?!”
“In order to be drunk you have to let your guard down and she doesn’t even let hers slip. She doesn’t get drunk, she gets angry, and then she gets even. You’ve done it now, I hope you’re ready to reap the consequences.” Her brows knitted together with anger. I didn’t like pissing Eden off. Now that I was made to feel two feet tall, I picked up my glass and quickly downed the rest of my beer, needing to feel the effects from the alcohol streaming through my system more than it currently was.
Julia started singing “Masterpiece” by Jessie J and I literally almost swallowed my tongue. She may not have been drunk, but she was definitely feeling the after effects of the liquor. Something that Julia said stood out to me. What you see is what you get. Even though she could come across as inebriated, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she would still be doing this very thing stone cold sober.
It amazed me how I could have such a hard-on for someone who could give the Antichrist a run for his money. I sat back with my arms crossed over my chest and just listened to the words of the song. She was stating that she wasn’t perfect, that she was continuing to work on herself, but it was a major work in progress.
I glanced around the bar noticing all the men who had their eyes glued to her form, watching her like a beacon. I knew there was some truth to her song choice. It drew me in even more to the enigma that was Julia Caldwell.
Eden said that she never let her guard slip, but during this song I saw a glimpse. A peek of the lonely woman that she didn’t want to portray. It made me want to get to know her, her true self. I wanted to peel away h
er resolve layer by layer and learn her innermost secrets. What made her the cynical woman that stood before me? I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, be the gentleman that I knew I was and see how she took it.
She completed the song and then shouted into the microphone, “Now, who wants to buy me a drink?” And added a naughty little wink at the end.
Oh yeah, she knew exactly what she was doing. She climbed down the stairs of the stage and marched directly towards the bar, swaying her hips seductively as she crossed the crowded room. She perched her ass in an empty seat and several guys followed after her like puppy dogs until they were crowding around her back.
I had an insurmountable need to ball my hands into fists underneath the table to try and calm my nerves from the very sight. A wave of jealousy hit me head-on and I wanted nothing more than to stalk over to her and throw her over my shoulder, caveman style, just to get her away from prying eyes. I had no right to pound on my chest like an errant caveman because men were fawning over her. She wasn’t mine.
Fifteen minutes. That’s how long I had to sit there watching various men dote over her, trying to flirt their way into her panties. Once she finally finagled herself away from her newfound suitors, she came sauntering back with a sly smirk on her face. She threw down what looked to be at least four different phone numbers onto the table in front of me and then took her seat with a satisfied smile.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Ms. Tillie herself made her presence known at our table. Tillie had been the owner of the Tavern for as long as I could remember, her husband buying it for her before he passed. She was nearing eighty and chose to dress in very loud-colored velour pantsuits with bright red lipstick painted on her lips. She was a sweet little thing, often lending her ear to anyone who needed it.
“Eden, darling, I was hoping I would find you in here,” she raved placing a wrinkled hand on Eden’s shoulder. “I know you have so much going on with the wedding coming up this weekend, but I was hoping I could ask a favor of you?”
Julia’s eyes lit up at Tillie’s loud outfit; it seemed as if today’s lucky color was the blinding chartreuse, and I could see the hint of a small smile playing on the edges of her lips. Tillie had that effect on everyone.
“Sure, what is it, Till?” Absolutely no hesitation was found in Eden’s voice. She always tried to accommodate everyone. If you needed something from her, she would try her best to make it happen.
“Well, as you may know we have the annual auction being held here on Wednesday night and I was hoping you’d be the emcee?” Tillie glanced around the table with a twinkle in her eye, until she landed on Baylor; that’s when she made a pout, protruding her bright red bottom lip out. “It won’t be like it used to be with Baylor not in it, but we can count on you, right, Dean?” She glanced at me and smiled one of her brightest smiles which made her face crinkle at the edge of her eyes.
In all honesty I was hoping that I could get out of the auction, but it was great for the community, so I couldn’t exactly turn it down.
“Yes, Ms. Tillie, I’ll be here,” I reluctantly agreed.
I could see Julia’s brows crease out of my peripheral view, her interest piqued, “What sort of auction are we talking about here?”
Tillie wasted no time jumping into the details; she lived for this auction. “Every year we have the most eligible bachelors of Cottage Grove grace the stage to be auctioned off to the highest bidder,” she leaned a little closer to Julia as if she was getting ready to inform her of a scandalous secret, her heavily glossed lips right at her ear and whispered, “for a date.”
Her eyes immediately widened and this time Julia’s brows almost disappeared into her hairline, “What is this, 1983?”
Tillie placed a hand on Julia’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, “I know it seems a little archaic and no doubt a bit sexist, but it brings in quite a bit of money that we put back into the community. It’s all in good fun. And even though Baylor won’t be up for bid this year, a bunch of the ladies I play pinochle with are ready to get their hands on Cottage Grove’s sexy new divorce lawyer.” I felt my face heat up as Tillie looked at me and blew a kiss my way.
Julia threw her head back and released a sound that I felt all the way to my dick. “Oh my God! I have to see this,” she slammed her open palm down on the table before pointing her forefinger at Tillie, “I am definitely there.”
“I’ll be there too,” Baylor’s brother, Bentley Jenkins chose this moment to interrupt as he crouched down in between Julia and myself. He extended his hand and Julia reluctantly grasped it. He quickly flicked his wrist and placed a lingering kiss on the back of her hand before showing off his trademark smile. “I do hope you’ll be bidding.” I saw a fire ignite in Julia’s eyes at Bentley’s unmistakable charm. He ranked up there pretty high with Maisie in the competition to be the town whore. And even though Julia was almost seven years his senior, Bentley wasn’t opposed to getting with cougars.
Come to think of it, Julia was older than me as well. And I sure as shit wasn’t turned off.
“Bentley, keep it in your pants, you charmer,” Tillie joked. “So will you do it?”
Eden couldn’t really refuse. I was surprised to see her hesitate for a brief moment before giving in. If anything, she would be needing the distraction in the next few days. Perhaps it would keep her stress level in check and her pre-wedding freak-outs to a minimum. One could only hope.
It was finally Wednesday and as much of a pussy as it made me, I was ready to see Julia again. The girls were gone most of Tuesday shopping or whatever it was they do and didn’t get home until late. Baylor and I were each indulging in a beer and watching an action movie on TV when they came bounding in the door giggling over some nonsense. Once Julia’s eyes connected with mine, her laughter ceased immediately and she quickly came up with the excuse that she was tired and all but rushed off to her bedroom.
I didn’t have any clients that week, but I found myself at the office just for something to do. Otherwise my mind would stray to thoughts of Julia. As much as she got under my skin, I came to the conclusion that I wanted her. So there I was walking around Tillie’s trying to make small talk with folks from the town, one eye never straying from the door so I could get a glimpse of Julia as soon as she walked in.
Tillie’s was almost packed to the max and there was a police officer stationed at the entrance, making sure they were still under capacity. I had come straight from the office and was more than ready for a drink to quiet my brain, but I fought my way through the crowd first to try and locate Baylor and Eden. And if I was being honest, I was anticipating the thrill of going head to head with Julia.
After a bit of walking around, I felt eyes on me and I turned around to find Julia in my direct line of vision. How I had missed her entrance, I didn’t know, but seeing her standing before me was utterly breathtaking. My heart rate increased, much as it always did in her presence, and I felt my palms begin to sweat. Many thoughts raced through my mind at the very sight of her.
I wanted to go to her.
I wanted to drag her down into the darkest part of the hallway and devour her.
I wanted to make her mine.
If only we didn’t hate each other.
Chapter 7
Julia
Eden had told me earlier in the week that this benefit event was on the semi-formal side, so I couldn’t wait to bring out one of my party dresses that I had packed, hoping for an occasion such as this. If Dean thought that the tame outfit of jeans and a simple top that I had worn to Tillie’s made me a Sally Streetwalker, I couldn’t wait to see what he would say about what I was wearing this time.
I meticulously scanned the room checking out everyone in attendance. All of the men were in suits, but none of them piqued my interest. Much to my chagrin, my gaze instantly honed in on Dean as soon as we arrived. He was wearing a sleek, fitted grey suit, with a crisp white shirt underneath, and a simple black tie. He exuded authority with his el
egant movements and dominated the room with his tall frame. To me, he was the epitome of sex, it was just too bad he completely killed the mood whenever he opened his mouth.
I took off my coat, revealing my kelly-green long-sleeved lace dress, and placed it on the back of the chair at the table Baylor indicated was ours. When you looked at me from the front, you would think my dress was extremely conservative in taste. But lord almighty, when I turned around, the back was virtually nonexistent. This dress made me feel bold and confident, and if I dared to disclose, even a bit sexy. The material gathered at my shoulders before exposing the other ninety-five percent of my back, stopping at the curve of my ass. My hair was pulled in a side bun with curly tendrils flowing along the side of my face. I was completely in my element.
Holding onto my second glass of champagne, I walked around and idly chatted with a few people who Eden introduced me to. All while my gaze never strayed from Dean for too long. He was spending his time mingling around the room and openly flirting with every woman in attendance. Everyone except me…I didn’t even get the satisfaction of a smart ass comment. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much that he hadn’t been paying attention to me, but it did.
Eden announced that the festivities were to begin within the next ten minutes or so and for everyone to get their money ready. That was my cue to hit up the ladies room, seeing how the champagne was going straight through me.
While I was minding my own business in the stall, I overheard two women barge in, stopping at the sinks.
“So, Miri, are you going to be bidding on Bentley?” Lady number one asked, her voice a bit distorted but sounding oddly familiar. I imagined she was probably reapplying her lipstick.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Maisie.” Oh, so it was the slutbag. I didn’t know why the thought of her being there had never crossed my mind. Maybe perhaps because it was a bit above her class. “I’m not going to buy a date from him.”