The Scheme

by Mia Kayla

  “Here, I have this. Two for the eight o’clock showing.” He reached for my hand and held it tight.

  I squeezed his harder, surprising him, and threw the ten through the window. But Brian reached for it and shoved the cash in between my cleavage. My jaw dropped as I stared at him.

  Unbelievable.

  The teenage boy, no more than sixteen, laughed at our interaction.

  I went in to reach for it, but Brian took my free hand captive. “Don’t.” His eyes were stern, and I gave it right back to him, jutting out my chin.

  “You don’t tell me what to do.”

  “You’re not paying,” he said with finality, his voice hard, causing a havoc on my pulse. “I was raised better than that. It’s what we do. Just let it happen.”

  I rubbed my thighs together, getting heated at the look in his eyes. There was something about his stance that demanded authority, and it was a total turn on. I’d only seen him act like that in the bedroom.

  A second later, his eyes softened as he bent down to peck my lips then

  his finger dipped into the span of perky cleavage peeking out of my black shirt, leaving goose bumps prickling my skin. He took the money out and placed it in my hands. “Thank you, Princess.” He winked and nodded to the attendant.

  I decided to let things be. I’d make it a point to get the next movie we saw together. “Chivalry is not dead after all. I’m telling your mama she raised a good boy.”

  I was awarded with his sexy-ass smile.

  ***

  BRIAN

  Once we stepped into the theatre, Kendy tugged us up the stairs toward the back row. I noticed the bounce in her step. I loved her aura, the energy that surrounded her. She always seemed to have it, even after her long shifts at work.

  “When was the last time you watched a scary movie?” I asked, trying to keep her pace.

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Right before I left Bowlesville.”

  “Are you leading us to the very top, so we can make out?” My eyes focused on her perfect apple ass, admiring the sexy sway as we made our way up.

  “But of course,” she said, twirling her thumb up and down the inside of my palm, making my cock twitch. She turned toward me and raised her shoulder to her chin flirtatiously.

  She chose the center of the top row. “Best seats in the house are at the very tippy top. Plus,” she angled herself in my direction, “if the movie gets boring, maybe I’ll let you take advantage of me.” Her devilish smile lit up the room like a meteor shower in a dark sky. Hell, I couldn’t breathe. There was no way I could not be affected by this woman, even if I tried. She was seeping into every part of my life, and I had to admit I was enjoying it.

  When her stomach growled, she laughed and curled in. “Me needs food.”

  Since we were cutting it close to show time, we had decided I’d get snacks after we’d claimed our seats. “Okay, I’m going to grab us some grub.”

  Her nose wrinkled in the cutest way when she was confused. “I’ll go get it. I can’t live without popcorn, and of course butter, lots of it. And I have to have my cherry Slurpee.” She raised a finger for an exaggerated effect. “Let’s not forget the hotdog.”

  She stood to leave, but I placed my hand on her arm. “It’s okay. I told you I’d grab it. I promised you a meal.”

  She leaned down quickly, pecking me on the lips. “I’ll do it, babe.” Then she winked and skittered down the aisle, skipping down the steps.

  I blinked at her retreating back.

  She’d just called me babe.

  And I swear I just died a little, because she just broke her own rule, and was so damn sexy doing it, too.

  ***

  The movie was way more cheesy than scary. Bad actors, horrible makeup and costumes, and fake as hell. A few people even got up to leave and never came back.

  Though I yawned twice already, bored out of my mind, what I did enjoy was watching Kendy’s engrossed reaction. A half hour ago, she’d gripped my shirt, fisting my sleeve with one hand like her life depended on it. Her other hand was holding the armrest on the opposite side like she was going into labor. Her tight grip on my shirt cinched my sleeve and was beginning to cut off my circulation.

  “No! Don’t go there!” she yelled, causing the people in front of us to shush her. With one finger, she pointed to the screen. “Movie is in front of you,” she sassed before smiling her adorable smile.

  I angled closer to whisper in her ear, “Do you want to get us kicked out?”

  Without warning, she turned and jammed a handful of popcorn into my mouth to silence me. “Quiet, I’m watching.”

  I laughed as a few kernels fell to the floor. After her gaze went back to the screen, she jumped onto my lap in one leap, pulling her knees to her chest as she threw her hands over her eyes and peeked at the movie between her fingers.

  I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her, simply holding her tight.

  When the zombie caught the human, Kendy buried her head into my neck, her breath tickling my skin when she exhaled. “Stupid girl. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” she murmured into my collar. She peered up to take a peek at the screen and then cowered into me again.

  I pulled her closer against me, secretly wishing the movie would never end. I liked being her protector, especially since she gave off this rough and tough persona. Part of me hoped she’d have nightmares and ask me to sleep over just to watch over her. I inwardly laughed as I imagined declaring a solemn oath to protect her from the zombies, to be her zombie-slaying hero.

  When I returned my attention to the movie, I stifled a groan. The zombie was eating a woman’s limbs. It was gruesome and stupid at the same time. Kendy peeked up at the screen again as the zombie went to town, chowing on the human like it was Thanksgiving.

  My hand threaded through the ends of her hair as she whispered how stupid the now dead woman had been. I exhaled heavily, a weightlessness spreading through my limbs.

  I could get used to this.

  I kissed the top of Kendy’s head and relaxed as she pressed into me.

  When the scene ended, she began to maneuver to her own seat, but I tugged her back against me. She complied and relaxed in my arms, making my insides soar.

  I linked my fingers together against the cotton of her shirt, and as I tightened my hold, my stomach rolled. I didn’t know where this was heading or what the future held. All I knew was that I never wanted this to end.

  There was an internal struggle inside me. I was afraid of getting hurt again, afraid of rejection, so the possibility of being in love with this girl absolutely scared the shit out of me.

  ***

  When the movie ended, we waited outside for a cab. The air was charged with good energy, and I loved that I felt this intimacy growing between us. I gazed down at her as her blonde curls blew in the wind. Her laugh was euphoric. It was like working out. It gave me a high, and I needed her to do it again.

  I whispered something unintelligible in her ear, and she laughed again, causing that same feeling to bubble in my chest and my cheeks to hurt from matching her smile.

  She wrapped her hands around my waist and peered up at me, resting her chin against my chest. My breath caught as I took in how unbelievably beautiful she was, in a non-trying kind of way, unlike most women I’d met.

  The gleam of the moon cast a light upon her.

  “I had fun. Thank you for taking me to get my zombie fix on.”

  “Anytime.” I cupped the side of her face, my hand cradling her chin, my thumb lightly grazing her soft skin.

  She rested her cheek on my hand, relaxing in my hold. It was crazy how she fit perfectly against me, almost short enough that I could tuck her under my chin. And holding her like this felt crazy right.

  She closed her eyes briefly and, when she opened them, she suddenly looked tired, worn down. Very un-Kendy-like. I knew she’d been busy at the hospital, but my gut told me it was something more.

  “What’re you thinking?” I grazed her c
hin gently with my thumb.

  “I miss home.”

  I could see the sadness in her eyes. For all the sass that Kendy had and however worldly she pretended to be, there was still a sweet innocence about her. All that rough around the edges young woman was gone, and all that remained was a small town girl.

  “Where did that come from?” I asked, dropping my hand and wondering how her mood could change so easily.

  “It’s been months since I watched a movie. I used to do it every weekend with my mama.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t think I’d miss her so much when I came here, but I do. I miss everything. Having hot cocoa with her before bed. Watching our late night talk shows together. I even miss fighting with her. Maybe . . .” She hesitated as she fidgeted with her fingers.

  “Say it.”

  She peered up at me, looking vulnerable for the first time tonight, which tightened my chest. “Maybe I rushed into things. I wanted to move to a city where no one knew me, but now I just want to go home. Every part of me wants to go home.”

  I tried not to let those words slam into me like the reality they were. Maybe she wouldn’t stay here; maybe New York City wouldn’t become her permanent home. And I would lose her if she didn’t stay.

  Then an idea came to me. I breathed quietly, trying to keep my racing heart in check. “Want me to take you home to Bowlesville?”

  I waited for her instant rejection, for her to bring up those fucking FTF rules again, argue that friends that fuck don’t take their temporary lovers home to meet the parents or friends.

  But she didn’t do that.

  She smiled.

  It was small at first, and then grew until it lit up her whole face, and it made me want to bust out my credit card and charge two tickets to Chicago right this second.

  “You’d do that?” she asked, her voice filled with awe.

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” I replied honestly, feeling like I was laying my guts out on the table.

  She bit her bottom lip, which was the cutest thing, and everything in me wanted to do the same thing, so I did. I leaned down, caressing the side of her face, and captured her lips with mine.

  I kissed her softly, sweetly, and poured my feelings into that one action. I wanted to savor her, take it slow. She molded into me and, once again, she fit perfectly against my chest between the span of my shoulders. So crazy perfect.

  And I knew I was in deep shit.

  When I pulled backed and glanced down into those stark blue eyes, in that instant, I knew I was screwed.

  I’d fallen in love with this girl.

  The girl who only wanted to play the game.

  FOURTEEN

  KENDY

  His kiss left me breathless, making my heart pitter-patter against my chest, and there was something behind it that I couldn’t put my finger on. It was the type of kiss that was frightening yet addicting all at the same time. Either way, it made me want more, something I wasn’t used to.

  We stood under the moonlight, lips locked like we were on our own movie set. I sensed people around us, passing us by, but I didn’t care as I melted into his arms. After a moment, he slowed to a few pecks, pulled back, and the look he gave me made goose bumps break out along my skin. There was such reverence in his eyes; his look alone made me feel . . . cherished, a feeling that seemed so foreign to me.

  Letting go of my face, he reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. As he stepped away, the energy from that kiss left my body.

  My shoulders slumped, my body exhausted from the long week. I was overworked, tired of constantly chasing James, and tired of missing home. My feet hurt, my back hurt, and I needed sleep.

  “I’m tired.” It slipped out before I even had a chance to stop it. I sounded like such a party pooper, when I had practically begged him to go out.

  “I’m taking you home,” he said sweetly.

  I laughed, because I didn’t think he’d heard me correctly. “I said I’m tired. I think taking me home is going to equate to being more tired after you work me out. Plus, you have that proposal and big client meeting tomorrow.”

  He let out a low chuckle. “I just wanted to make you some homemade hot cocoa. You know, bring some Bowesville here.”

  Homemade hot cocoa? Made from scratch?

  I swooned, my knees growing weak. The selfish yet homesick side of me wanted him to come over, but my reasonable side didn’t want him to be tired at work.

  “Plus,” he said, “I need to run to the grocery store, since I’m out of condoms.”

  I pulled back so I could see if he was kidding. “We’ve used a box of condoms? How big was the box?”

  “Pretty big.” His smile turned devilish. “And yes . . . we’re out.”

  I shook my head, smiling. “You know what? Hot cocoa sounds so good right about now.”

  ***

  BRIAN

  As the cab pulled up to the local mart, I took her hand again, stepped out, and led us through the doors.

  Funny how easy my lie had been. Now she thought I knew how to make hot cocoa from scratch. Hell no, I had no clue, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

  Before we’d hopped into the cab, she had excused herself to take her evening call from her mama. That’s when I’d Googled how to make authentic hot cocoa. I would fake it for this girl. It was that or go home, and I wasn’t ready to leave her yet.

  I was conflicted because I had that important call and proposal, but being with Kendy, spending more time with her, outweighed work at the moment. I’d probably regret it tomorrow morning when exhaustion hit me, but right now, it didn’t matter.

  “Alrighty, where are we off to?” Kendy asked, stuffing her phone into her oversized purse. It was amazing how much shit a girl could fit in those things. The oversized accessory reminded me of my sisters.

  “Baking aisle.” I took a screen shot of the recipe. The first recipe I saw was Nutella Hot chocolate. It looked so damn delicious I couldn’t resist.

  If Google said it was the best, I doubted they’d lie. Hope rose within me, thinking this was one of the many ways I was going to win her over. By making her the best hot cocoa, better even than her mama’s. That was the goal, at least.

  “You’re going to make me homemade, fresh from scratch hot cocoa?” She popped her hip out and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “And I’m not talking about that dirt in a can that you mix with milk.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said with a nod. “It’s going to be the best. I can guarantee it. You allergic to nuts?”

  “Not your nuts.” She tugged on my belt suggestively, making me laugh.

  “Not the kind of nuts I’m talking about.”

  “Nope. I’m not allergic.” She laughed. “And I love all kinds of nuts.”

  ***

  KENDY

  Brian was on a mission. I couldn’t help but be impressed that this young man knew his way around a grocery store. I mean, it wasn’t hard to make hot cocoa, but still. How many twenty-five year old guys made anything but frozen meals at home?

  He searched the aisle twice before stopping in front of the baking section then grabbed the Hershey cocoa powder and cinnamon and placed it in the shopping cart.

  I tugged at his shirt, forcing him to look down at me. “Cinnamon?”

  “Trust me,” he replied, bending down to kiss me on the lips.

  “Okay.” I waved my hand for him to lead the way as I pushed the cart beside him.

  We walked a few steps down before he dropped another ingredient into the cart.

  “Marshmallows.” He threw me his boyish smile before walking ahead of me.

  I continued to follow him up and down and through the aisles as he dropped every ingredient in while also announcing to the world what it was.

  “Nutella.”

  “Vanilla Extract.”

  “Sugar.”

  My eyes zoned in on his tight ass. He was getting me hot and bothered. Anyone could tell he worked out, and he had the ass o
f Hercules. I loved the feel of it clenching between my hands when he’d come.

  “All right. I think we’re done here.”

  I curled my finger in a ‘come hither’ gesture. “We’re missing one last thing.” I pointed to the economy box of condoms that I’d grabbed earlier.

  His smile turned devilish, and I hooked one finger around the loop of his jeans. “You’re going to make me hot cocoa, which reminds me of home.” I kissed him gently, outlining his lips with the tip of my tongue. “And then I’m going to ride you like I’m at the rodeo, make you come, and bring you home.” I closed my eyes and kissed him with reckless abandon. I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing to me . . . but I liked it.

  ***

  Brian followed me into my place with his bags of goodies. The clock on the microwave flashed eleven-thirty p.m., and I released a silent sigh, thanking the heavens that I didn’t have work tomorrow. But then I bit the inside of my cheek, remorse eating my insides, knowing Brian had that big client call tomorrow morning.

  The selfish part of me wanted to spend all night with him, sweating up a storm, but I knew he had to get going.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, setting the bag down on my kitchen island. He pulled out the ingredients, placing them on the counter one by one. “What’s the sad face for, Princess?”

  I smiled at his endearment. “You need to get your proposal done, and I’m feeling a little guilty about forcing you to watch that zombie movie.”

  His eyebrows pulled together as though he was thinking of his deadline, but in the next moment, he shook it off. “Don’t worry.”

  “No, really, Brian, we have all the ingredients. Maybe we should just continue another night.”

  “I’m a big boy. I can handle my business.”

  He reached into my overhead cupboard for a pan. I didn’t know if I should feel happy that he knew where everything was, or if that indicated just how blurred our relationship was starting to get.

  “Brian . . .” I started to protest.

  He gave me a pointed look. “Push in that lip of yours, or I’m going to bite it.”