by Tia Wylder
Dana pulled the man over to them. “Decky, this is Simon. He’s my newest pet.”
“Simon. Simone. I’ll answer to either.” Simon touched the tip of Dana’s nose with his finger.
“Oh, honey is this your first time?” Dana looked Hayley over with an appraising eye. Hayley was still looking around with wide eyes. “She is just precious.”
Hayley noticed the Adam’s apple bobbing on Dana’s throat for the first time. Dana was so beautiful that she hadn’t paid attention to it at first. Deckland gave her waist a squeeze. “Dana is the best in the business when it comes to transformations. She can take someone and make them completely unrecognizable.”
“I still don’t really understand.” Hayley looked up at him with doe eyes.
“You want to see your mom, right? You can’t go out looking like you. The press will stalk you like crazy. This way, you can still go see your mom, but you’ll be safer. Plus, I’ll be right there with you.”
“Do I finally get to give you a makeover?” Dana walked over and patted Deckland’s cheek. “You have skin smoother than a baby’s bottom. I could just eat you up.”
“Hello? I’m right here.” Simon put his hand on his hip.
Dana just rolled her eyes and ignored him. “What do you need today?”
“Nothing too drastic. Just enough that we won’t be easily recognized.” Deckland glanced down at Hayley. She was still gazing around the shop in wonder.
“I have just the thing.” Whirling away from them, Dana plucked down a short, dark-haired wig cut into a bob. From another section, she pulled out a black, spiky wig and some hairpins. Tossing the spiky wig to Deckland, she let down Hayley’s hair and set to work winding her blonde locks into tiny pinwheels. Once Hayley’s hair was pinned in place, Dana slipped a thin wig cap over her hair and positioned the bob on Hayley’s head.
Glancing in the mirror, Hayley didn’t recognize herself. She had always had blonde hair. The contrast of the darkness with her light skin made her seem paler than usual. “It doesn’t even look like me.”
Deckland wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. He whispered close to her ear so that his breath tickled her skin. “I like your natural hair better.” Pulling out his phone, he snapped a picture of the two of them.
“Hey, I wasn’t ready!”
“What are you talking about? You’re beautiful.” He flashed her the screen so she could see the picture.
Hayley looked down at her feet. “You really think I’m beautiful?”
Lifting her chin, Deckland stepped in closer. His eyes lingered on her lips. “Yes.” As he leaned in, Hayley forgot how to breathe. Just before their lips touched, Deckland’s phone rang. The sound jolted them out of their moment. Hayley jumped and stepped away, startled. Deckland answered it a little aggravated at the timing. “Yeah? Okay, thanks.”
“Everything okay, Decky?” Dana watched him with mournful eyes.
“It’s fine. Mother has been hounding Jim about where I am. We should go.”
He started to reach for his wallet, but Dana stopped him. “Honey, don’t insult me. Just bring her back sometime. I like her. She’s much better than the usual girls I see you with. Hang on to her.”
“I plan on it.” Deckland waved and scooped up Hayley’s hand as he headed for the door.
He planned on it? Distracted, Hayley quickly waved goodbye. “It was nice to meet you!” Dana and Simon waved back happily.
“Sorry, sir. She’s being very insistent.” Jim apologized as they climbed back in the car.
“It’s not your fault. I’ll take the heat for it when we get back. Right now, we have somewhere more important to be.” He turned to look at Hayley. She was blowing the wig’s bangs out of her eyes. Deckland brushed the hair away from her face with a gentle stroke. “Tell your mom you’re going to make it after all.”
Hayley’s eyes lit up with admiration. “Really?! Won’t your mom be upset?”
“You let me worry about my mother. So, where are we going?”
“301 Mockingbird Lane.” She said the address loudly so Jim could hear it.
The car moved easily through the heart of the city towards her mother’s neighborhood. Hayley couldn’t stop smiling. Patsy Reams was on her hands and knees pulling weeds out of her flowerbed when the car pulled into the driveway. She wiped some sweat from her forehead and squinted into the humid air. Hayley bounced out of the car and raced to hug her mother.
“Hayley? What happened to your hair?!” Patsy’s face was horrified. She tried to hide her initial reaction by putting on a strained smile. Hayley had never gone through a rebellious phase. Maybe she was just a late bloomer.
“Don’t worry, Mom. It’s just a wig.”
Patsy was visibly relieved. “Oh, thank goodness! Why are you wearing a wig?”
“Uh, it’s a bit of a long story.” Hayley moved back so her mother could see Deckland. “Mom, this is Deckland. He’s my…” She hesitated, not sure what to introduce him as.
“I’m her boyfriend. It’s very nice to meet you. You raised a wonderful young woman.” Deckland held out his hand to shake Patsy’s. He ignored Hayley’s furious blushing.
“Boyfriend?! It’s very nice to meet you. How long have you two been dating?”
“It’s just been a few dates.” Hayley tried to tuck her hair behind her ear, but the wig was too short.
“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Deckland.”
“The pleasure is all mine Mrs. Reams.”
“Miss not Mrs.” Patsy glanced past Deckland to where Jim was sitting in the driver’s seat.”
Deckland nodded in acknowledgment. “Hayley said you were wanting to go get some flowers today. Would it be okay if I tagged along?”
“Yes, of course. Will your friend be joining us?” Patsy gestured towards Jim.
“Unfortunately, he has a few errands of his own to run. He’ll be back to pick us up later.”
Patsy waved playfully as Jim backed out of her driveway. “That’s too bad.”
“Mom!” Hayley shuffled her feet in embarrassment.
“What? He’s an attractive man. I’m your mother. I’m not dead.”
Deckland chuckled. “Are you two lovely ladies ready to go shopping?”
“Just let me grab my purse.” Patsy darted inside quickly.
Hayley glanced at Deckland after her mother went inside. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Jim was flattered.”
“Alright! Let’s go!” Patsy came back out of the house smiling ear to ear. Her car keys jingled in her hand.
Deckland held open the front passenger side door for Hayley. Her mother was nothing like what he had expected. He was expecting someone as conservative as Hayley, but it was clear her mother had a bit of a wild streak in her. Hayley must have regulated herself a lot when she was little. Deckland remembered her telling him about how her mother worked so much. Being left alone that often had forced her to mature more quickly than other girls her age.
He sat in the backseat watching the two of them sing along to the songs on the radio. Hayley’s face glowed when she was with her mother. Deckland wondered if he had ever been that happy with his own mother. His family had never been really close. His brothers looked down on him as the irresponsible younger brother, his father always seemed disappointed in him, and his mother—even though she loved him—saw him as a means to an end. That’s what had gotten him into this situation in the first place. Everyone wanted something from him except for Hayley. The only thing she wanted was to share her passion for the kids at Saint Catherine’s. It suddenly struck Deckland that with all of the pressure on him to be a better person, the only one he actually wanted to be better for was Hayley. She didn’t judge him on his past mistakes. All she saw in him was the potential to help others. The nervous flutter in his heart told him he didn’t want to let her down.
“We’re here!” Hayley’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. Had he bee
n staring at her? Deckland quickly averted his eyes.
The flower market filled the air with the scent of earthy fertilizer and fresh bloomed plants. It was an array of color that Deckland had never seen before. A crooked smile skated across his lips as he watched Hayley bend over to smell some small yellow flowers. Her eyes closed as she breathed in. Her ability to find happiness in the smallest things was refreshing. Deckland plucked a white flower from a nearby plant and walked over to her.
Hayley stood up and tilted her head to the side. “Are you okay?”
“Never better.” Deckland tucked the flower behind her ear.
Biting her lip, Hayley fought to keep her composure. Butterflies whirled in her stomach. “We should…we should go find my mom.” Her eyes scanned the flower stalls.
Hayley spotted her mother just as a man with a camera walked up to Patsy. Hayley froze. She couldn’t read their lips, but it was clear that he was asking her mother some questions. Patsy looked up from the man as if trying to find something. When her eyes landed on her daughter, Patsy smiled and waved Hayley over. Standing there frozen in fear, Hayley watched as a malicious smile twisted the reporter’s face.
Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed her wrist. “We need to go!” Deckland pulled her behind a row of potted plants and wove his way through the vendors.
“How did they find us?!” Hayley struggled to keep up with him. His legs were longer than hers, and he was much faster. Her feet kept tripping over themselves.
Deckland had a pretty good idea of who would tip off the paparazzi. He made a mental note to confront his mother when he got home. Right now, he needed to focus on getting Hayley out of there. He dodged past a row of vegetable plants and garden gnomes. Hayley was lagging behind him. Suddenly, he felt her weight drop to the ground. Spinning around, he saw her clutch her ankle. The reporter was gaining on them now. They would never make it like this. In a split-second decision, Deckland picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Hayley cried out, startled.
Deckland broke into a full run. Hayley’s body was draped over him. She wasn’t heavy, but the curved silhouette of her ass in his peripheral vision was distracting him. Seeing a row of buildings up ahead, Deckland struggled to run faster. If he could break line of sight with the guy chasing them, then they would have a chance.
Darting between some of the buildings, Deckland found an alley cloaked in shadows. He set Hayley back on her feet and pinned her into the deepest shadow. His chest pressed her back against the rough brick wall. He could feel her heartbeat jarring against her chest. Every time she breathed, he felt her bosom rise and fall. Hayley’s hot breath seeped through his shirt. Something about the exhilaration of escape and the thought of possibly being caught made him want her. Deckland felt himself becoming aroused. If she had been any other girl, he would have already had her pants off.
Hayley listened for the man’s footsteps. She clutched at Deckland’s shirt and buried herself in his chest. She felt him begin to get hard, and her fingertips started to move towards the front of his pants. She had never wanted to touch a man like that before. As she started to move her hands down, the reporter’s footsteps echoed close to them. Hayley stopped herself. Neither of them dared to breathe.
After a few minutes, the reporter cursed under his breath and stomped off back towards the flower market. Hayley felt the tension in her body release. With the immediate threat subsided, her ankle began to ache with each pulse of her heart. Hayley winced.
“How’s your ankle?” Deckland knelt down to look at it. He gently rolled up the bottom of her pants. It was already swollen and tinged light purple. “It looks like you just twisted it. Come on, I’ll put some ice on it when we get to my house.” He pulled out his phone and texted Jim the address for him to pick them up.
Hayley took a tentative step forward and collapsed. Deckland caught her and hoisted her back up. “I don’t think I can walk.”
“Here. Get on.” He turned around and bent his knees so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Deckland hoisted her up onto his back, hooking his arms under her knees. He walked towards the far side of the street where Jim would be arriving soon.
“I have never had a piggyback ride before.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Hayley laughed, and her light tones vibrated against his back.
“See? I told you that you would have a lot of firsts with me.” Deckland smiled to himself as she rested her head on his shoulder. Having her so close to him was driving him crazy. Her body teased him as she squeezed her thighs around his waist to hang on better. Deckland took a deep breath to calm himself down.
A few minutes later, Jim pulled up in the black car that Hayley was beginning to know so well. “Everything alright, sir?” Jim rolled down the window in amusement. He had never seen Deckland carry another person before.
“Just a twisted ankle.” He helped Hayley down and opened the car door for her to slide in. “Take us home, please.”
Jim nodded with a smile sparkling in his eyes before pulling back out into traffic. Hayley pulled up her pants to look at the damage she had done to her ankle. It was puffed up on the sides. She poked it with her finger and winced. It was still very tender.
“Thanks for carrying me back there.”
“Don’t mention it. Here, prop your foot up on my lap.”
“What?”
“It’ll help with the swelling if you keep it elevated.” He guided her foot gently up onto his thigh.
Hayley watched him quietly. Deckland had a sweet side that she was sure not many people had seen. His fingertips rested lightly above her swollen ankle. His attentiveness made her feel safe and cared for. Having grown up the way she did, her general outlook on men was skewed. They had always been a subject more of concern than of comfort. Looking at him now, she could feel the walls of her heart starting to fall.
Each bump on the drive to Kyle Manor jostled her ankle and made her wince. Deckland tried to be as gentle as possible with her, but Hayley was still at the mercy of the road conditions. When they arrived, Jim pulled up as close as he could to the Manor’s entrance. With Deckland’s help, Hayley was able to hobble inside. He offered to pick her up again, but she shook her head no. It would be too embarrassing to meet his family during a piggyback ride. She would rather take the pain.
A flurry of skirts moved across the room. “Where have you been?” Charlotte’s eyes glared pointedly at her son, but her lips were curved in a polite smile.
“Mrs. Kyle, I’m sorry. It was all my fault. I wanted to go see my mom. Deckland was just trying to be a gentleman.” Hayley bent her head apologetically.
Glancing quickly from her son to the hobbling girl in front of her, Charlotte’s eyes glittered mischievously. “A gentleman? My Deckland?” Her vexation melted away almost instantly. “Honey, what did you do to your ankle? Deckland, go get the poor girl some ice.”
“I just twisted it while we were running away from some guy with a camera. It’s nothing, really.”
“You poor, sweet girl. Is there anything I can do for you? Maria!” Charlotte yelled the name shrilly. A woman tottered out of a back room. “Put fresh sheets on Deckland’s bed please. He has a guest.”
Horrified, Hayley started to protest, but she was cut off by Deckland who was holding an icepack in one of his hands. “Actually, Maria, could you make up a guest room for Hayley?” Maria nodded and headed upstairs. “Why don’t you come sit down so we can ice your ankle.”
“Thanks.” Hayley wobbled her way over to him. She lowered her voice so only he could hear her. “For the ice and for the room.”
Chuckling, Deckland helped her sit down on the couch and pulled her leg into his lap. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of you.”
His light blue eyes locked on hers, and Hayley felt her heart leap in her chest. She couldn’t quite catch her breath. The cold icepack touched her ankle. Hayley jerked instinctively away from the cold. Her heel slammed into Deckland’s crotch. He let
out a high-pitched cry and stiffened.
“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine.” Deckland croaked the words as he fought back a groan.
“Here.” Hayley took the icepack and placed it on his injury.
Typically, Deckland was all for women fondling him, but the icepack and the throbbing pain was giving him mixed feelings. It was cute how worried Hayley was, but it would be cuter if she hadn’t kicked him in the balls in the first place. The ice was starting to numb him, but he didn’t want her to take her hand away.
“Maria should have the—oh. It looks like I’m interrupting something.” Charlotte averted her eyes from the couple on the couch.
“Oh, no. I’m not. This isn’t…” Hayley’s face turned bright red as she pulled her hand back.
“What were you saying, Mother?” Moving the icepack to a better location, Deckland tried not to wince too much.
“The guestroom should be ready if you want to take Hayley upstairs.”
Standing up slowly, Deckland offered Hayley his hand. “Ready?” Hayley took his hand and hobbled up the stairs with him. She started giggling and looked at him sideways. “What’s so funny?”
“We look pitiful.”
“What? Are you telling me today wasn’t the best date you’ve ever been on?” Deckland pretended to be offended.
“Today was a date?”
“Ouch, well that hurt my feelings.” He helped her up the flight of stairs one step at a time.
“No, what I mean is it didn’t feel like a date today. The past couple of dates we’ve been on you were so focused on impressing me that it felt a little forced. Today just felt natural. It was fun.”
“You had fun?” Her words caught him off guard.
Hayley grabbed the black wig off of his head and shook it in front of him. “Are you kidding?! It was a blast. Climbing out of a window. Getting makeovers. Having my first piggyback ride.”
“I think you’re forgetting the part where the reporters were stalking you, you almost missed out on time with your mom, and you twisted your ankle.”