by Harper Sloan
He drops his clipboard onto the empty bar top before turning to lean with his ass against the wood to focus on me completely. "Ember always tells me to just start from the beginning, man, so I figure you could go with that, and then we can muddle through it together."
"We sound like two chicks ready to paint our nails and gossip about the new cute boy in class."
Nate laughs, a deep belly laugh that echoes around the empty club. "The day you ask me to paint your nails is the day we break up. That is reserved for only my special ladies."
Easing the tension from my shoulders, I let out a burst of laughter before sobering. "It's Nikki." I open my mouth, ready to explain more, but close it when I realize I really just don't have the fucking words to explain further. With a sad as hell shake of my head, I just hold his gaze and offer him a shrug.
"Well, isn't that a relief. I figured as much, but Ember was all 'don't bring it up, honey' but waiting for you to bring it up would've taken years. Thanks for bringing that up, man. I'm so glad we have the kind of relationship where you feel like you can come to me and all. As annoying as you can be when you're acting like a pouting baby, it sure is entertaining to watch the mighty Shane Kingston crash and burn. Before I start enriching your love life with my words of wisdom, I feel like I need to tell you that if I ever see your cock again, I'm going to have to bleach my eyes. That just doesn't sound like a fun time, so no more cock sharing, okay?"
"Nate, what the fuck?"
"Two weeks, one week, three? Fuck, I don't know how long it's been, but the last time Nik crashed at our house, Quinnie got her hands on Nik's phone, and man, I thought we were pretty close before, but that was before I knew what your dick looked like."
"Jesus Christ, you've been waiting this whole time to slip in that you saw that, haven't you?"
Nate's smile grows, mischievous little shit.
"She been around?"
"Nikki? Uh, yeah. She lives in Hope Town. Where else would she be getting around?"
"You're a pain in my ass, Nate."
His booming laughter rings out. "Saw her this past Wednesday when Ember went to her place for their weekly gab fest, but I haven't spoken to her since the day I saw your dick."
He wags his eyebrows, and I know instantly what he's implying. I ignore the anger that I instantly feel knowing he had to have also seen the picture Nikki had sent me that night. I don't like how out of control this girl makes me feel. Not one fucking bit. For fuck's sake, Nate's the happiest married man I know. There's no way he saw that and thought about her sexually, but just knowing he did see that part of her is enough to make me want to put my hands back on her ... to mark her as mine.
Fucking hell.
"I feel like this is the part of our little chat when I point out you didn't deny you've crashed and burned over a woman."
"I haven't ... what the fuck are you talking about?"
"Shane and Nikki, sitting in a tree," he belts out, moving his hands as if he was conducting a band to his silent tune.
"How old are you again?" I drone, grabbing the clipboard and picking up where he left off.
"So are y'all like a thing?"
"No," I answer.
"You gonna be a thing?"
"No."
"You sure about that?"
"Nate, seriously, shut the fuck up."
"We could double date. Don't girls love that kind of stuff?"
"I think we need to go do something manly, Nate. You're around too much estrogen at home. Clearly, you need more guy time."
"If you have a boy, you'd better keep him away from my princess."
"What the fuck? Who's having a baby?"
"You should probably just call her. Stop breaking shit around here and go get your willy wet."
"Something is seriously wrong with you," I tell him, wide-eyed yet annoyingly entertained.
"All jokes aside, why don't you just call the girl, Shane? I know I said a lot of shit about you starting something with her a few weeks ago, but if it's what you both want, go for it."
"I'm not interested in a relationship, Nate. You know the shit I went through with Lacey. It got so bad after we moved here and Dirty opened; she hired a PI because she was that fucking convinced I was cheating on her. Not sure why she didn't do that shit back in Athens, but something about this place made her go insane."
Nate laughs dryly. "Yeah, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black."
"You've got that right." I put the clipboard back down and turn to lean against the bar, looking at Nate. "We're going to do this girl talk shit, aren't we?"
He holds his arms out wide. "Come on, girlfriend, tell Nate Dog all your troubles."
"Something really is wrong with you."
He shrugs. "My dad tells me that daily. Come on; we've got an hour before the crew shows. Let's get your love life settled so we can finish this shit and get out of here early tonight."
We share a look, knowing there isn't a chance in hell we're getting out of here early tonight. Not with Dent, our full-time manager and bartender, out sick, and five other employees down with the flu.
"How much do you know about her ex?"
"Seth, king douche?"
"I guess. I only met the guy a few times over the years, but the way he's still sniffing around, I didn't think they had split."
"Looks like we got another pot in the room," Nate sniggers.
"This isn't even close to the shit I've got going on with Lacey."
"Isn't it, though?"
"Explain, Nate."
"She scraped that fool off right around the time Ember and I got solid. I don't remember all the details. I was distracted by tears and a lot of ice cream. Not to mention, I was public enemy number one just because I had a cock, so I got out of that convo between her and Em real fucking quick. Something about him cheating, but if you ask me, he was treating her like shit long before that."
"And he's been around because she took him back?"
He reaches out and smacks my forehead with his palm. "No, dumbass. Just like you with that cheating bitch Lacey, she keeps trying to get the dude to leave her alone. Both of y'all have exes with their teeth clamped tight."
"Which is exactly why I'm not fucking calling her. Combined, we've got enough baggage to sink the Titanic ... again."
"Or because you'd rather be a little bitch than figure out what is between the two of you."
"Or maybe because it's easier to crave something you got a taste of than deal with the stomachache that follows when you indulge your sweet tooth too much."
"You know, before Ember, I probably would have agreed with you. Shane, man, who's to say you'd have to deal with that kind of ending? Nikki isn't like most girls. Maybe you need to ask yourself if she isn't worth at least seeing what's going on between y'all, why she's been able to affect your life this much just by the silence coming from her end."
Nate drops his hand to my shoulder, giving a solid pat and a cocky smile before walking away from the bar. His words tumble through my head while I finish inventory. Long after the club opened for the night and I had finished the paperwork on my desk, I was still thinking about what Nate said.
Nikki might be different than most girls, but I haven't met a single one who could handle my job. Jealousy is a nasty bitch that taints everything in its path. Different or not, I doubt Nikki Clark is immune to it. If she makes another move, we can play, but play is all we'll do.
"LANDON, WHY WERE YOU POKING Tara with your pencil?" My knees cramp as I kneel, watching one of my favorite students as his face gets red with embarrassment. I peek around him, making sure the other students can't hear. "You're not in trouble, sweetheart. I just need your help to understand what happened."
"I like her," he whispers, big brown eyes wide. "And she looks really pretty today."
"I'm sure you do, Landon. She's a sweet girl."
He nods, looking like a pint-sized bobblehead.
"That's nice that you like her, but you shouldn't poke your
friends with pencils. Maybe next time you want to get her attention, you can try using your words?"
"But that's not what Daddy does."
My head turns slightly as I regard my student. "What does Daddy do?"
He takes a huge gulp of air. His little body rocking with the force of it. "When Mommy is pretty, she gets the tip. Daddy says so. He doesn't use his words with Mommy all the time either. He just pokes her with his finger and tells her she's gonna get the tip later. I didn't want to hurt Tara, so I just gave her the pencil tip kinda like Daddy."
Oh. My. God. This isn't happening.
"Landon, honey, how about next time Tara looks pretty, you just tell her. Leave all that other stuff to your daddy."
"So tell her she's gonna get the tip?"
"No!" I hold my breath and say a quick prayer for some kind of divine intervention. "Sorry, Landon. I didn't mean to raise my voice. I thought I would fall over." I wobble my balance, my knees still protesting while I keep myself at his level. "Maybe just say 'you look pretty' and leave it at that. No need to bring any tips into it."
I can't believe I just said that.
"Okay." He nods and smiles, but that smile quickly slips. "What happens when I wanna tell her I like her booty?"
Lord, kill me now.
"You know what? How about we color a picture?"
"Ms. Clark, you're really funny."
"Thank you, Landon. If it's okay with you, can I talk to your mom? I bet she would be able to tell you all the sweet things a girl would like to hear from a boy who likes her. I'm afraid I won't be much help, honey."
Please buy it. Please buy it.
"How come you wouldn't be able to help?"
"Well," I say with a smile. "I can't help because I haven't found my prince."
Landon smiles and nods. "I can catch you a big frog then! I'll get my daddy to help, and then you'll have your prince!"
"That's okay, honey. My prince is just waiting to hop his way to me, so we have to let him find his path."
"I guess."
"Thank you for thinking about helping me, though. That was very sweet."
Landon nods again, his shoulders straightening as pride fills his tiny body. I lead him over to a group of kids drawing silently and help get him settled before walking over to my desk. My second graders are the best kids in the school, no doubt, but this whole week, they seem to be possessed by little demons. Landon is the fifth boy to discuss what his daddy does. Carpool line hasn't been the same since. Just yesterday, sweet little Cara-May Jenner asked me what bum fun was, and I honestly didn't think it could get worse than that. Looks like I'm in for another awkward as it gets chat with another parent tonight. I scribble a note to myself in my planner to give Landon's mom a ring later. Thankfully, she's one of the parents I'm closer to, and it will ease a little of the tension, but regardless, it isn't a chat I want to have with any parent.
The rest of the day passes without incident, thankfully. I make quick work of tidying up the room and getting the following week's lessons in order before packing up. After a week of craziness at work, I can't wait for this weekend. Much like my past couple of weekends, I plan on spending time doing a whole lot of nothing. Only this time it's because my students have broken my brain and not because a man broke my body ... deliciously. It was hard enough getting through the Friday after Shane's visit, but it took almost two weeks for me not to shift and feel like he was still touching me. I spent the whole weekend after he had shown up just lying on the couch with a sore body, watching reality television. His touch was as intoxicating as a drink to an alcoholic.
As much as I would love to have another round with Shane, I've had way too much time since that explosive night to think. About him. Just as I had worried, he's deeper under my skin after sleeping together than he had ever been with just a simple lust-filled crush. I would be a big fat liar if I said I didn't want another round with Shane, but is it worth getting hurt in the process? Plus, Shane's been keeping his distance as well, so maybe he wasn't actually interested in playing our little game anyway. Or I was just as bad in bed as Seth had always said.
Unfortunately, that reprieve I had just felt while packing my stuff was short-lived. The second I step out of the back door and into the faculty parking lot, I see him--Seth--leaning against my car with a stupid smile on his stupid face. And of course, he's here. I might as well have just conjured him up. This isn't the first time he's been here. Since I hatched my fake boyfriend plan, he's been annoyingly around--only without said fake boyfriend, he wasn't taking no for an answer.
"What do you want, Seth?" I ask in a dull tone, unlocking my car, popping the trunk, and dropping my schoolbag in before shutting it and crossing my arms, holding his gaze.
"Wanted to take my girl out."
I look around the almost empty parking lot, a trickle of unease making me fist my keys. "Unless you're waiting for someone else, I don't see your girl."
"Oh, come on, Nik! Stop playing hard to get. I fucked up; I know. I've said I was sorry, baby. Let's just put it behind us and move on."
"Sorry doesn't cut it. I don't know why you have such a hard time realizing that I'm not joking. You didn't just cheat on me, but you had been doing it for years, Seth. That isn't anything I would ever be able to forget. You made your choice, just as I did when I ended our relationship. I won't change my mind, buddy!"
His face goes hard, the carefree boy next door mask slipping off completely. "So you're just going to throw away years together because of my mistake?"
"Ding, ding! We've got a winner, ladies and gents. I'm so glad you're finally listening," I sarcastically exclaim.
"You don't have to be a fucking bitch," he forces through his clenched teeth.
"And you don't have to be a freaking stalker. It's over. It's been over. Give it up and move on."
"It's not over, Nik. If it was over, you wouldn't still be waiting for me."
I laugh, feeling a headache forming. "You think I'm waiting for you? That's rich, Seth, it really is. I'm not waiting on you. I wasn't the day I walked in on another girl--one who looked like she wasn't even close to eighteen, I might add--bouncing on your naked lap. I wasn't waiting the day I moved all your crap out of my apartment. And you'd better believe I wasn't waiting when my new man showed me just what I had been missing with you!"
Verbal diarrhea. I couldn't stop it if I tried, and now, with him giving me the nastiest glare ever, I can still feel more bubbling up, threatening to tip over and out.
"You're lying."
"Have I ever lied to you?" I ask. I might not have been the best girlfriend to Seth, but he never had to doubt my word because I had never lied to him before. So this is a massive stretch to say I'm not lying now, but Shane did kind of agree to a 'relationship'--even if it's been radio silence since--Seth just doesn't need to know about all the fine print.
"How come you aren't ever with this man of yours?"
"He's busy." I've been avoiding him.
"Nik Nac, baby, you don't need to lie to make me feel bad. I messed up. I know. Stop this and let's go have some fun." He reaches out, but I jerk my body away from his reach. "The fuck?"
"Seth ... I've been nice about it. I've told you over and over that it will never happen. It's been over a year! Enough already. Respect that I've moved on and do the same."
"You say you've moved on, yet here you are, lying about it just because you want to play games and make me pay for my mistakes. We both know we'll get back together. Just cut the act."
"That will never happen. Look, I've had a long day, and I just want to go home. How about you pick your stalking back up tomorrow when I've had a full night's sleep and I'm better equipped to deal with your crazy."
I push past him, ignoring the nasty things he's muttering about me, and squeeze into my car with the little space he's allowed between himself and my door. I don't look out my window, but I do lock the door before fumbling with my keys. I jump only slightly when Seth bangs his hand against my wi
ndow, but I keep my eyes forward and put the car in drive, thankful no one is in the parking lot to witness my ex spewing profanities.
The only thing I'm able to process on the drive home is that Seth must be dealt with. Clearly, he really isn't going to just leave me alone. Why, I have no idea, but months of this after almost a full year of having him out of my life is torture. Torture that I'm over. Not only that, but if he continues to show up at my school, acting like he did today, he's going to get me fired. It was one thing when he was just being an annoying texter and caller, but now, he's taking it too far. And quite frankly, it's getting a little scary. What's he going to do next? Show up during school hours and cause a scene? He knows just how much I love being a teacher, but he also knows that my position at Rosefield Prep came with a steep morality clause. Having an ex-lover's spat in public, in the school parking lot, well ... you can guarantee I'll be packing my office up if that happens and someone witnesses it. I wouldn't put it past him to do it just to hurt me either.
Joke or not, it looks like I need to talk to Shane. At this point, he's my only hope in scraping off Seth before he does something that changes my whole life. At least with him, the chemistry between us doesn't have to be as fake as the relationship. No, that's something we definitely don't lack.
"Call him," I mutter to myself, pacing the small area between my coffee table and television. "Just pick up the phone and call him," I continue, thumping the remote against my forehead.
Since I got home a few hours ago, I've called Landon's mom about her tip-loving son and husband, took a long bath, threw on some lounge clothes--the shirt I stole from Shane that night he danced for me at Dirty--and cooked myself a pathetic dinner for one. Now here I am at ten o'clock on a Friday night, watching Live PD and talking to myself between random rants at the screen to unleash the dogs. This is where my life is. At least Seth didn't follow me home; that's about the only thing that could make my night worse. I could call Ember. I should call Em. Other than her, there aren't any other options, which means she is the sole bearer of my troubles when I need to vent. I'm not proud of it, but she's probably the only real friend I have. Even with the time that's passed since my split with Seth, he successfully drove a wedge between any friendships I had because those 'friends' got sick of seeing me stay with someone who treated me like crap. Ember was the only one who refused to give up and loved me despite the man I was dating. And I think he only really let her stay in my life because, at the time, she was dating his friend. It's pretty pathetic that I haven't at least gained another friend since the breakup.