Fool For You

by Megan Noelle

  It wasn’t just me that Gram had ignored. She’d given equally indifferent treatment to my mother too. We were nothing more than the family she wanted kept in the shadows. As a result, I couldn’t help but wonder if my mother had purposely run the Inn into the ground. Either way, it still infuriated me, as it was the reason I’d been forced back to this hellhole.

  When the Inn came into view, the admiration was impossible to deny. The property was beautiful with Okame Cherry Trees lining the pathway and drive at the entrance. It was a quaint little find that my Grandparents had turned into an elegant establishment. From the outside, the main building resembled an old Southern estate with a wraparound porch, wide windows and tall white columns. Over the years they’d added on more bedrooms, a dining room and most recently, a grand banquet hall to house the growing number of events held here. In the distance was also the brand new horse stable. I wished had been there while I was growing up. That might have made my childhood a little better—maybe.

  The aromatic Okame trees delighted my senses making it all the more difficult for me to dislike the Inn. I already hated that my breath was taken away by the sheer beauty of the place. Forcing myself, to look through objective eyes the charming perfection was impossible to deny. After making my way inside, the first thing capturing my attention was the large wooden desk with the deep crimson contrast wall adding a brilliant pop of color to the lobby. Standing behind the desk, was a woman that looked to be a little older than me with soft brown hair pulled away from her pale skin. Her hazel eyes lit up as I walked in, though she looked overworked and exhausted. This had to be the woman I was there to see.

  “Bailey?” With a smile I approached the desk. She flashed a smile back and came around the desk, to shake my hand. Bailey stood a few inches taller than me, and was clad in a black business coat and pencil skirt. I could practically feel the heat rolling off her taking me captive in the humid air.

  “Yes hi, you must be Danielle!” With a nod I confirmed. “It’s so great to have you here.”

  From the look of fatigue in every line of her face I could believe it. With a little sleep and a little additional makeup Bailey really could be the girl-next-door. No—not the “porn star” version but the leggy, caramel blonde, adorable smile, type. My Grandma told me a little about Bailey and the best way I could sum her up was a worker bee. On countless occasions my Gram had offered her a managerial position but Bailey turned it down. She loved being an assistant without having the extreme duties that were now resting on my shoulders. Except I had a feeling she’d been doing much more than her share of work while my mother was “in charge.”

  “Thanks.”

  I tried to say, ‘it’s good to be here,’ but the words wouldn’t come out.

  “Let me give you a tour!”

  Bailey called someone to take over the front desk while she led me around the all-too familiar Inn. The majority of the Inn was different since I’d last set foot in there, but some things remained the same. The rooms were updated, the wood-paneled floors had been completely buffed out and the walls were all the same shade of crimson covering the accent wall in the lobby. We toured the new banquet hall, my office, the stables and the grounds. The place was impressive and the way Bailey’s face lit up while she showed me around I could see the love she had for it. One could only hope that someday I would feel that way about the Inn. One thing I could do without failure was put my business foot forward and like it or not the Hamilton Inn was my next project.

  “Do you always work Saturdays?” I asked as Bailey walked me out to my car.

  “If necessary.” She confirmed with a nod. Judging from the bags under her eyes, I could only imagine that was a yes.

  “Thank you for being here today to show me around.”

  “Of course, it was my pleasure.”

  “Hey listen, it’s Saturday night and I don’t really want to sit around my house. Do you know of any good bars around here? I’m in desperate need to let my hair down and don’t know of anywhere good to go.”

  The look she returned; gave me my answer. “I don’t go out a lot but I know there is a bar called The Underground. It’s about ten minutes from here and I’ve heard they have good drink prices.”

  Before climbing into my stifling car, I flashed her a smile. “Thanks, I’ll check it out. See you Monday?”She nodded. “See you, enjoy your weekend.”

  “You too, Bailey!”

  Driving away, I noticed it was lunch time; before going home, I needed to stop at a Food Mart to load up my cupboards. It would also keep me from pigging out on greasy food that I shamelessly indulged on with Gabby.

  I had my shopping cart loaded when someone called my name. Honestly, it was the particular voice speaking that had me stopping in my tracks. My heart was beating fiercely, while the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. This couldn’t be happening. I wasn’t ready to hear whatever it was he had to say!

  A rough calloused hand pressed against the base of my neck, and, immediately, a mind-numbing tingle spread from the point of contact. I had no choice but to turn around.

  Ollie looked even better up close, causing my mind turn to mush. A pair of dark jeans and a gray T-shirt stretched across his body showing off his bulky muscles that definitely weren’t around in high school. His damp blonde hair fell across his forehead and the smell of body wash mixed with another intoxicating scent crept into my lungs.

  “I thought that was you!” His arms wrapped around my waist, pressing me into his rock hard chest. I stifled a whimper at the feeling of being back in the arms of someone I’d tried to convince myself I hadn’t missed—every single day.

  “It’s me,” I mumbled lamely.

  Ollie’s hands gripped my waist and shifted me back as he blatantly looked me over from head-to-toe. My cheeks and neck flushed. I prayed I wasn’t suddenly covered in some disgusting foreign substance.

  “Did you just move back?” The smile on his face hadn’t faltered as I tried to form a coherent thought.

  “Only temporarily.”

  “So where did you go after graduation? At the end of the summer I realized I hadn’t seen you around. When did you leave?”

  It took all my strength not to become a blubbering mess in the middle of the cereal aisle at

  Food Mart. It'd been the beginning of the summer when I ran, and the whole trip to New York

  I'd cried for him. Here I thought we'd shared something special, and it turns out he had no idea I

  hadn't even been around!

  I needed a drink. A strong one.

  “New York City.” “The Big Apple, huh?” His eyes brightened for no reason in particular while I nodded my head.

  “Yup.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I gotta run but we should get together sometime soon.”

  Oliver’s hands released my hips and I half-expected my wobbly legs to knock me down to the hard tiled floor. Instead, I managed a forced smile.

  “Okay.” He gave my cheek a squeeze before walking away.

  I felt my world crumbling around me. Years ago I’d been sure I had successfully stopped loving this man. Of course I thought about him all the time, but only because he was such a staple in my past. Running into him and having his arms wrapped around me, only brought me back. I’d missed him and he hadn’t missed me.

  My body lifelessly finished the task of getting the groceries, driving home and putting them away before I flopped down sideways on the chair in my bedroom. After taking my phone from my pocket, I typed a text to Gabby since I wasn’t ready to trust my voice to be steady.

  Me: I miss you like I miss the hot summer sun on a cold winter night!

  Tears began to sting, threatening to spill over. My first day back was far from what I’d hoped for. Not that every single day in New York was good by any means but at least back home I had Gabby. Here—I had no one. My phone chirped with a new text and a few stray tears broke free from the barrier holding them inside.

  Gabby: I mis
s you more than I miss N*sync and Britney Spears in the 90s!

  The text made me laugh because if you knew anything about Gabby—this was a huge thing to her. When we’d pampered ourselves before a club night it was always old school Britney she’d made us listen to.

  Me: No way!

  Gabby: Yes way—now please tell me you’re not sitting at home sulking on a Saturday night. You know if I was there I’d force you to go out with me!

  She was right on both accounts and truth be told, I didn’t want to stay in. Staying in would do nothing but make me dwell on the meeting with Oliver and that was the last thing I wanted. Then I recalled my conversation with Bailey and knew what I had planned for that night.

  Me: Nope! I’m going out to have fun… and forget ;) Gabby: That’s the Dani I know and love!

  Distractions

  Running into Ollie turned out to be much more than I was ready to handle. After going years without seeing him, talking to him or anything else—I’d thought I was finally free of him. Now for the first time since I was 18, I couldn’t fool myself I was over Oliver. That thought…scared me senseless. Right then though, I was ready for a little fun. After the emotional rollercoaster my cheating ex-Vince mercilessly put me through and now this Ollie crap—I needed to let loose.

  I’d promised myself before leaving New York that I wasn’t going to let myself get involved in a relationship. Gabby supported me, but she believed it was also important to maybe get involved in something…not so serious. After having had every single past relationship end up in utter failure, I was finished. Of course I’d said the same thing more times than I cared to admit but for the first time I felt some steam behind the words. Things were different. Along with a few drinks what I really needed was a good, random, roll around in the sack. Never before had I been the casual sex kind of girl but maybe this was the time to try. That night seemed as good a night as any; being stressed out, on edge and recovering from running into Oliver—I needed a distraction. Preferably one that was deliciously sexy, muscles a plus, maybe some facial scruff—not that I wanted to be too picky.

  The bar Bailey mentioned, The Underground, I was able to find online; websites claimed it was a great spot for the 20 to 40 year olds to hang out on a Saturday night. It appeared to have all the right ingredients to find my potential one-nighter, and drown away the chaos of my life. Just wanted a small escape—that wasn’t so much to ask for, right?

  Typically, I didn’t go out to bars looking to get laid, but my wardrobe still housed plenty of outfits—thanks to Gabby—that would pull off just the look I was going for. Sexy-slutty. Finally, after tearing through all the clothes I’d just spent hours organizing, I made my selection. Settling on a black lacy bra, a white short-sleeved zip up shirt that formed perfectly to my decent sized chest and tiny waist. The zipper ran a little past my cleavage making the bra still partially visible. The shirt stopped a few inches below my belly button, revealing my summer tanned skin. Paired with that, I threw on a pair of my dark tight fitting jeans showcasing my bubble butt and great legs. That was something I could thank New York for; I don’t think I ever worked out a single day that I was there. Simply walking everywhere was an intense work out in itself; keeping my body toned to my liking.

  Finishing my look, I slipped on a white belt and a pair of my bright purple pumps—because why not—I was going out to have fun, right?—plus they added 3 inches to my 5’6 frame. After straightening my multi-toned blonde hair, I let it hang long to the middle of my back.

  There was no way I was going to get drunk tonight, a good buzz—sure—but I needed to be coherent. It wasn’t as if I wanted to pretend I didn’t know what I was getting myself in to. It was important for me to

  be sober enough to remember the night, and of course—say no if panic set in with my rash decisions.

  Even with that plan in place, I figured calling a cab was still the best way to go. While I waited, I

  switched my wallet, mascara, keys and lipstick into my black clutch then added some silver hoop

  earrings. Before heading out front, I checked my reflection in the mirror and let out a snort. Good

  Lord—how pathetic! My outfit screamed what my mind was thinking-you're a slut. Oh well, it would

  most likely end up being a one-time thing anyway, especially when I realized casual sex wasn't all it's

  cracked up to be. But at least it would be out of my system.

  The cab drove into the driveway, I locked the front door and ran outside. The driver’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he caught a glimpse of my outfit, or lack of, I should say. Well, even if the night was a total failure, I could at least say the 60-something cab driver appreciated my efforts. That had to be a win on some level—right? Eventually we pulled up outside a brick building with no windows, a few random smokers loitering about and a single sign that hung over the door that read: The Underground. With a deep breath—I was ready.

  “Thank you for the ride.” Slipping the driver his cash and a tip with a wink, I opened the door. He nodded, unable to say anything else.

  The smokers were too immersed in their conversations to notice my entrance. The place was exactly like I imagined it would be; pool tables, dart boards, a few tables, low lighting and most importantly a nice looking bar. There only appeared to be one bartender working at the moment and everything else was pretty quiet. For a Saturday night though, nine o’clock was still pretty early— I had no doubt the place would heat up. After a quick scan of the room, I made my way to the far end of the bar and plopped myself down onto the stool.

  “What can I get ya?” The bartender asked from the middle of the bar, as I took my seat.

  “Rolling rock—bottle.” I answered, but continued surveying the groups of people. My eyes first wandered to the pool tables which were always a good place to start. They usually drew in the attention of male bar goers and there was always at least one testosterone battle raging on. Only a few guys mingled around them now and my New York pickiness immediately ruled them out. The only people in the booths were groups or couples and the dart boards were empty, but I didn’t let myself get disappointed. There was plenty of time for the man of the night to walk in.

  “Looking for someone?” The bartender inquired while uncapping my beer when I turned around. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed him immediately upon entrance; great body, attractive face and killer blue eyes. He stood a couple inches north of six feet and had short brown hair slightly gelled up in the front. The best part was I didn’t get the impression he put more than a minute or two into his appearance. Which to me, was very sexy in a guy and a totally opposite from the men I’d dated in the past.

  My eyes casually drifted down to his faded jeans hanging low on his hips then back over his toned biceps and strong neck—the man was downright mouth-watering. Honestly though, I was most impressed with the tattoos scattered across his deliciously muscular arms. It was a damn shame that black T-shirt, obscured my view from the rest of his tempting body; really, I saw no point why he needed to wear a shirt in the first place.

  His full lips were fixed into a smirk, as he noticed me checking him out. “Sort of,” I said finally responding to his question, before taking a long pull of my favorite beer.

  “I know just about everyone that comes in here; I could tell ya where they’d be if you’d like.” He rested his elbows onto the bar, shifting marginally closer. The scent rolling off him was a mixture of soap, cologne and another smell I imagined was just him.

  I shook my head with a smile. “Unnecessary.”

  Those blue orbs stared at me with a level of intensity I’ve never seen before. It probably should have made me uncomfortable, but it didn’t. In fact it had just the opposite effect, as I felt my body become warm in unexpected places.

  After a minute he stopped the scrutinizing, shrugged his shoulders and backed away.

  “You plan on starting a tab tonight?” He called back over his shoulder.

  I fished ou
t a twenty from my clutch and handed it to him. “Stop me before I spend more than this; if there is anything left over when I’m done—it’s yours.”

  “Fair enough.” The smirk on his lips was still present and provided me with a sense of relief. Should all else fail during my search, I might have a shot with the bartender.

  An older man sat down at the opposite end of the bar and waved him away from me. My eyes couldn’t resist checking out the back view when he walked away—I was definitely not disappointed. However, I wasn’t ready to simply settle on the first good-looking guy I laid eyes on tonight; I returned to scoping out the guys scattered about the bar. After another ten minutes of no success, the bartender returned with an unopened Rolling Rock in his hands.

  “Want another?” With a shrug I answered, “Why not.” The cap was off in seconds and the drink rested in front of me. After tossing my empty bottle underneath the bar, he made no move to leave.

  I stopped my male evaluation of the other guests when I realized he wasn’t walking away.

  “Did you get stood up?”

  “Oh, I’m not waiting for someone.” He raised a single eyebrow before crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Sure looks like it.”

  “What’s it to you?” This guy was beginning to put a serious damper on my plan to scope out the place. With my luck his incessant questioning would cause me to miss the ‘perfect’ guy walking in and another desperate chick would snatch him up.

  “As I told you earlier, I know just about everyone that comes through here. So, why don’t you tell me who it is you’re looking for, and I’ll give you the run down on who might be ditching you tonight.”

  With a roll of my eyes, I dodged his question and shot back another. “Spend a lot of time here?”