by Liz Lovelock
“I don’t want to discuss it.” Gah! She’s a hard head, one determined girl, and when she doesn’t want to talk about something she shuts down, and this is what she’s doing.
“Don’t think you’ll get away with it that easily,” I say back.
“The one thing I’ll tell you is that I met someone after you left, and we’ve been seeing each other, and things didn’t end so well.”
“Please tell me it wasn’t Chad?”
“What? Heck no!” I sag in relief. I know she wouldn’t, but I had to ask. She did lose her job like I did, which is strange.
I can tell she won’t tell me more, especially not with Seth here.
“Fine, but I want more answers soon.”
Her answer is a nod before she takes a sip of her coffee.
“Perhaps I should get going.” Seth’s voice pulls my attention from Janie, who’s now calmed down. When her gaze falls on Seth, she looks as if she could devour him. Yes, he’s divine and very easy on the eyes; she’d better watch herself, I saw him first. My jealous streak comes out full force. I clear my throat to get her attention, she doesn’t miss it either. Seth catches the exchange as well, and gives a slight chuckle.
“Okay, was there anything else you needed? Did you want to stay for dinner?” I know what I need, but it’s not going to happen now.
His stare turns hungry, causing me to swallow hard, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. “Ah … I think I’ll leave you two to catch up.”
“Thanks, Seth, and please thank Sherri for the meal.” I give him a soft smile, which he returns with a wide knowing grin which indicates that maybe our previous conversation isn’t over. I couldn’t wait to finish it.
He turns to leave, but stops, swinging back to me. “Oh, there was one thing. Sherri asked me if I had any work for you at the garage, just until the café opened.”
“Oh yeah, we did speak about finding me a job. I didn’t get around to handing out my resume, I’ve been too busy with the café renovations,” I reply.
“Well, I have some bookwork I could use your help sorting out and just general admin stuff, if you’re interested.” He shrugs.
“That would be amazing!” I say, jumping up and throwing my arms around him.
“Geez, calm down, Chloe,” Janie says.
“Oh, shut it, you. Drink ya coffee.”
“Okay, great. Well, I’ll call you later about days and stuff. It looks like you’ve got your hands full.” He gestures toward Janie, who doesn’t seem to notice because she’s busy taking in her new surroundings.
“Sounds good. I’ll walk you to the door.” We turn, heading towards the door.
I open it and step out with him. “I’m sorry about earlier. Things got a little heated. Not that I minded.” My lips curve up into a seductive grin.
He steps into my space, placing his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. The warmth of his body makes mine shiver with anticipation. “I’m not, but I do wish it went further. Not to worry—our time will come. I’m taking you out next week, so don’t make plans with anyone. Your friend needs you right now so I’ll leave you to help her.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, our faces so close I can feel his breath.
He closes the space between us, pressing his lips against mine. Pulling away, he whispers, “Until next time, my lady.” He gently glides the back of his hand down my cheek. My body breaks out in goosebumps at his touch.
With one more feather-light kiss to my lips, he turns and leaves, and I’m left once again, wanting more.
Spending the week with Janie has been great. I can’t believe it’s been a week already. Sherri loves her of course and, like with me, Sherri knows something is going on, she always gives positive advice. She has a heart of gold. Janie still hasn’t mentioned what brought her here and I don’t push her any further. She’ll talk when she’s ready.
Sherri has given me a day off to relax with Janie. Yesterday we had the painters in the café; we’re letting it air today. The bright colours look fresh and inviting. I also ordered some bookshelves and books for our reading area, so today, I went and helped Seth out at the garage. It was one hell of a mess. Talk about paperwork everywhere. I have no idea how he knew where everything was. After organising it into months and years, it became much more manageable. Seth couldn’t believe how tidy it was. There was also a lot of flirting going on; it was a challenge to concentrate when he’d walked into the office all greased up and glistening with sweat, his perfectly defined arms, just wow! How is a girl supposed to get any work done? It got finished eventually. Now I’m lying on the beach, soaking up the warm rays.
“It’s so beautiful here.” Janie says while she lies beside me, her face under a massive floppy hat. I’m on my stomach, allowing my back to get some natural bronzing.
“Yep, it is.”
“Have you heard from Seth today?” she asks.
“Not yet. Ya never know with him, he pops up unannounced most of the time. It’s what he does.” I laugh.
“I like him. Not because of how super fine he is, but because of how he makes you smile.” He does make me crazy, sometimes in a good way, but also in an annoying way.
“He’s awesome.”
“Pfft … he’s more than that. So, have you slept together yet?” Her prying tone peaks.
“Ah … no, not yet. Who knows when that’ll happen, if it happens at all.” How I’d love to strip his body bare though. Those thoughts are never far from my mind––my hand sliding over his perfectly smooth and proportioned body. Oh, to have his hands wrapped around me and tangled through my hair …
“It’ll happen soon. I can tell.” Janie pulls me back to the present. I go to respond when my phone rings. Leaning up on my elbows, I pull it from my bag. Inhaling, my chest rises with delight when Seth’s name meets my eyes. My hands start trembling and my heart hammers in my throat. The phone continues to ring, while I stare at it.
“Who is it?” Janie asks excitedly. I look to her and I’m sure my eyes are about to pop out of my head. She quickly sits up and snatches the phone from me, answering it.
“Chloe’s phone, how can I help you?” she sings, giving me an eye roll as if to say ‘Why didn’t you answer it?’ I simply shrug; my emotions got the better of me. “Sure, she’ll be ready and yes she is.” She giggles. “Okay, thanks Seth, see ya.” She disconnects and tosses the phone back to me.
“Well?” I prompt.
Janie makes me wait while she gets up and begins to pack up. “Come on, you need to get ready for a date tonight.” Wait, what?
“What’s going on?” I jump up from my towel.
“You. Are. Going. On. A Date. With. Seth.” She speaks slowly and pauses after each word, talking like I’m not understanding her. Which I wasn’t at first, but now … oh man! A date. A proper evening with Seth
“Really?” I squeal.
“Yep, so let’s go get you ready and he also said to make sure you wore jeans. I’m not sure what that’s about. Perhaps he wants a challenge to get into your pants.” They totally wouldn’t stop him, I bet he’d get them off in seconds.
“I’m going on an actual date with Seth,” I repeat, the reality of it slowly sinking in. Yes, I know we’ve been around each other heaps and kissed. Heck we would have done so much more if Janie didn’t show up … though I’m glad she did.
We collect our things and head back to the cottage. Excitement bubbles within me. Tonight, we will have no interruptions and it’ll be perfect for us to get to know each other on a different level. I can’t wait.
“Settle down, Chloe, and sit.” Janie demands. I’m pacing around the living room; my nerves are bouncing around inside me. I mean I feel like a girl going on her first ever date. Well, technically I am, but I’m going out with someone who really makes every nerve in my body dance, as though an electric shock is coursing through my veins.
“I can’t, I’m so nervous.” Seth’s effect on me is something most girls dream about and I have it right in
front of me. I’m thrilled. A resounding knock on the door alerts me of his presence, I jump up and down on the spot while Janie gets the door. His cologne hits my nose and my insides churn with a swarm of bees. His familiar woodsy scent wraps around me; there’s also a hint of berries. It brings a smile to my face.
“Hey, pretty lady,” Seth greets. His face walks into my line of sight. My knees become like jelly and want to give out from under me, but I push myself forwards and find my voice.
Stopping before him, his hands come up and rest on my waist; he pulls me into him and I go willingly. Gently, he places his lips to mine. Pulling back, he gives me a devilish grin, “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Seth leans in again and is about to claim my lips, but stops when Janie clears her throat.
“Excuse me, how about you go on the date first.” She laughs, while walking away from us. Seth removes his hands from me and I miss them instantly. He steps aside allowing me to walk before him.
Stepping onto the porch, my stomach plummets to the ground beneath the deck. “You’re kidding, right?” I spin and see the mischievous look in his eyes.
“Nope, you’re riding in style tonight.” He moves around me heading down the stairs. “Come on then,” he calls, without looking behind him.
Sitting in my driveway is a Suzuki motorbike, all shiny and inviting, yet still scary as hell because I’ve never been on one. I watch Seth walk towards it, lift two helmets off the seat before tucking one under his arm and extending the other to me. It’s then I realise I still haven’t moved from the deck.
“Come on, Chloe, it’s not that scary.” He laughs waving the helmet at me. My feet start moving towards Seth. Now I understand the reason why he wanted me to wear jeans, totally not what I was thinking.
“I’ve never been on a motorbike before.”
Seth steps up to me and hands me the helmet that I place over my head. “You’ll be right, I’ll keep you safe.” He winks, causing my chest to swirl with exhilaration. I watch him as he climbs on, his jeans become tighter on his arse, it’s alluring. Once he starts the engine, he taps the seat behind him. I don’t hesitate climbing on and wrapping my arms around his warm body.
“Hold on tight,” he shouts over the noise, placing his hand over mine that sits firmly on his stomach. My grip tightens, I’m so freaking nervous about falling off. Seth moves us to the road and takes off slowly at first. I shut my eyes not wanting to see what’s going on. Once we’re on the move, I open them again. We drive along the familiar street that the café is on. It’s exhilarating, the fresh air surrounds us. After about fifteen minutes, we pull up outside a pub.
Wow, that was a thrilling experience, as nerve-racking as it was. I loved every minute on the back of Seth’s bike, and being able to wrap my arms tightly around him, drinking in his scent, was a bonus. Every stop we made, he would run his hand over mine. It was blissful.
Once inside, I can now see the bar is called Catfish. I’m surprised at how busy it is. My gaze swoops around the place, and there are a few familiar faces I’ve seen around town and been introduced to by Sherri. Seth releases my hand and places his gently on my lower back; it’s as if a heat pack has been set there. I can feel the heat through my shirt.
Our night of almost, before Janie arrived, hasn’t been forgotten. We haven’t had much alone time since then because I’ve been working and getting ready for the grand opening of Huggamug Café. Yeah, I know it’s a funny name, but seriously, what do people do when they drink a hot drink? They hug the mug, especially in the cooler seasons. Kind of brilliant, I think. Anyway, it’s been almost a week since that night with Seth, but now we can talk about what happened between us. I want to be near him; he fills me with so much pleasure.
I want to feel his arms securely wrapped around me, devouring my lips, tasting him. Whoa, I’d better redirect my train of thought, or I’ll find myself tearing his clothes off right here and now.
Janie has been staying indoors mostly since she arrived. I had to force her to come out with me for a few hours earlier this week. I’m not entirely sure what happened since she doesn’t want to talk about it, but I can clearly see it’s affecting her personality. I’ll get to the bottom of it, eventually. I questioned if it was work; she only responded by telling me she wasn’t going back to work, especially for a man like Chad. I swear if that bugger hurt her, I’ll drive back and wring his scrawny neck. I’ll get it out of her eventually.
Sherri suggested I should get Janie working at the café when it opens. Since it seems she’s here for a while, it’ll help take her mind off whatever has caused her to be depressed.
“Do you want a drink?” When Seth whispers into my ear, a bolt of desire shoots through me, from the top of my head, to the tips of my toes. He’s moved directly behind me and his hands rest on my hips. We stop while we look for an empty table, taking a gamble, I sink back into his arms. In response, they slither around me, securing my body against his chest.
“Yes, please,” I reply, breathless.
“What would you like?” he asks seductively against my ear.
I nearly answer him with, ‘You, all of you.’ And there goes my adventurous mind once again. “Umm … whatever you’re having.”
“I’m not drinking because we’re on the bike, so I’m only having non-alcoholic beverages tonight.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“How about you go claim us a booth over in the corner?” His lips connect with my cool pink cheek, and a devilish grin crosses his face.
We walk in opposite directions; I choose the booth farthest in the corner. Taking a seat, I face towards the entire bar area and its patrons. It has wood furnishings, and the smell of beer fills my nose. It reminds me of Trent’s bar.
“Catfish will bring the drinks over shortly.”
“Seriously? What kind of name is Catfish? I mean, I know it’s a nickname. Well, I hope it is.”
He laughs at my comment. “Trust me, you’ll understand soon enough.” He has me intrigued. “How’s your friend?”
I release a huge sigh. “She’s okay, I think. She hasn’t opened up about what’s gone on yet. It’s frustrating.”
“So, she just shows up, bawling her eyes out, and won’t tell you what’s wrong?”
I nod in reply.
“Well, just so you are aware, I told Chance to go over there tonight.”
“You did what?” My voice rises with each word, though not loud enough to warrant people staring at us. I swear my eyes are bulging out of my head.
“Yeah, I happened to mention to him this week about your friend and then suggested perhaps he should introduce himself to her.” He simply shrugs, thinking he’s clever and that it was the right thing to do.
“I’m going to message her, just to prepare her. Janie needs a warning if that fella is going to turn up at the cottage.”
Seth’s roar of laughter is enough to make me laugh as well. “Gee, you’ve got him pinned, don’t ya?”
“The thing is, Captain America, I was once good at picking friends, then I happened to pick the wrong kind of people and so I thought my gift was gone. I’m thinking I just needed time to work things out and a fresh start.”
“I can relate to that.”
Oh, interesting …”Oh really? How’s that? You seem to have it all together.” He shakes his head.
“Nope, I’m not going to talk about it tonight. Perhaps I’ll fill you in someday.”
I pull my phone from my bag, as it sounds with a message.
Janie: Umm … some random guy named Chance is here demanding I let him in.
“See? She needed a warning!” I turn my phone to face Seth, and he grins at the screen.
“He’ll help her feel better, and ya never know—he might get her to open up. He’s good at that.”
“Is Chance good at that kind of talk? I find that very hard to believe. He’s a fun-and-games type of guy.”
“There’s more to him than meets the eye.”
/> My fingers get busy typing a reply to Janie before she freaks the hell out.
Chloe: He’s okay. He works with Seth.
Janie: You could have given me some warning! I look like death has visited and stomped all over my face, leaving me with dark eyes and in homeless clothes.
Chloe: Don’t blame me. You can blame Seth. I didn’t know anything about it.
Looking back up to Seth, his cheesy grin plastered on his face. “You’re so going to get it when Janie sees you next. I’m blaming it all on you, and you alone.”
“I can live with that. He’ll be good for her—a breath of fresh air in the form of a man named Chance.”
“You’re crazy.”
Janie: By the way, Chance is HOT, and tell Seth I said thanks.
“She said thanks.” It looks like I was wrong in thinking she’d be mad.
“She’ll be singing my praises soon and so will you. Or is that my name you’ll be calling?”
I go to respond, but the words are caught in my throat.
“Who’s calling whose name or whatever?” This comes from a big burley guy, tall, with tattoos up his arms. He’s kind of scary-looking with ice blue eyes and blond hair. I’m guessing this is Catfish. He places our drinks on the table before us.
“Oh nothing. Catfish, this is Chloe. Chloe, Catfish.”
I greet him with a smile, not willing to speak.
“Enjoy your night, you guys. If yas need anything, give a shout.”
“Thanks, mate,” Seth replies.
When Catfish is out of earshot, I break out in laughter. “Oh, my goodness, now I totally understand his nickname.” Seth’s laughter is uncontrollable. “He looks sort of like a damn catfish.” My voice is hushed.
“Yeah, I know, poor fella, but he’s married with some baby catfishes.”
“You totally didn’t just say that. Do they look like him?”
“No, they got their mother’s looks, thank goodness. He’s got a heart of gold, though.”
“You could have given me some warning,” I say, playfully.
“I thought I had.” He takes a gulp of his drink, while I sip mine.
“How are you going?” he asks out of the blue.