Any Way You Want It

by Farrah Rochon

  Dale responded with a reluctant nod. “I’ll see you next week.”

  As he watched Kendrick jog toward his truck—a top-of-the-line double-cab pickup that no high school kid should be driving—Dale couldn’t fight the nasty feeling that continued to fester in his gut.

  He hated to see Kendrick get caught up in the mess he had. He’d seen it happen to too many. Not just to himself, but other kids who came out of the Deep South, where football reigned supreme. They were all kings of the field…until they were not.

  As he picked up the orange cones he’d brought for running drills, Dale pondered what action, if any, he should take. Should he mention it to Lowell Robertson? Should he go directly to the school?

  No. He knew better than to go to the school. The powers that be at Maplesville High knew exactly what went on back when he played ball. Dale wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of Kendrick’s coaches who’d recruited that other kid to write the term paper for him.

  Some things just never changed.

  “But they need to,” Dale muttered.

  If he were coaching high school, he would never allow the cheating that ran rampant in sports programs back when he played. And apparently still went on.

  He pulled in a deep breath in an attempt to tamp down the annoyance that threatened to bubble over. Sooner or later he’d have to decide what route to take regarding Kendrick’s cheating, but there was nothing he could do about it right that second.

  Besides, there were other things on his plate that called for his attention. One thing in particular that Dale knew he would probably also live to regret.

  Meeting up with Nyree was the exact opposite of what he should do tonight—or any night.

  He shouldn’t want to see her. The problem was that he always wanted to see her. He just didn’t want to deal with the consequences, which usually included a painful hard-on and an eventual cold shower.

  “You could tell her you got sick,” he said to himself.

  But there was no way he would do that, because despite the fact that he knew he should walk away from the temptation that was Nyree Grant, he didn’t want to.

  That’s why when she’d texted him late last night, asking if he wanted to go see Simone Thibodaux in concert, Dale hadn’t hesitated with his reply. And while he was looking forward to seeing the local R&B artist perform, the soulful Simone had nothing to do with the real reason why, after a grueling day of framing the new interior walls for the massage clinic at the Whitmer House and this afternoon’s practice with Kendrick, his body was practically humming with excitement instead of exhaustion.

  Dale threw the cones in the bed of his truck and slipped behind the wheel. He dropped his head onto the steering wheel and thumped it several times.

  “Just say no. Just say no. Just say no.”

  If he were to sit here and come up with all the reasons why he shouldn’t meet with Nyree tonight, he’d be here until morning. The fact that he worked for her was bad enough, but even that didn’t rank as high as knowing who her brothers were.

  Yet, neither factored in as much as the sobering truth Dale couldn’t deny.

  He just wasn’t good enough for her.

  Not once had she even hinted that she felt that way, but just because she didn’t see it yet, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t one day wake up and realize that she could do a lot better than a washed up college football star with a worthless degree and a bucketful of regrets.

  How could she not see how mismatched they were? She had so much going for her, while he…well…didn’t. He could have, but he’d squandered his chances a long time ago.

  Yet, the understanding that Nyree was way out of his league didn’t so much as enter his mind when he lay in his bed at night, thinking about her. Imagining what it would be like to have her petite body next to him, on top of him.

  His groan reverberated around the truck cab.

  He wasn’t just asking for trouble. He was luring trouble over with a nice big juicy steak. Taunting it. Begging for it to follow him.

  But he would have to contend with whatever consequences he faced, because he wanted her. He wanted to be with her.

  Nyree was a breath of fresh air. A change from the stagnant place he’d been stuck in for the past few years. He hadn’t had a steady girlfriend since college, back when he’d foolishly thought himself in love.

  Dale huffed out a humorless laugh.

  His career-ending injury had taught him many lessons, but one of the hardest was learning how quickly people turned their backs on you when they deemed you useless. Tiffany had broken things off with him the same day doctors told Dale that he’d never play in the NFL. She didn’t even wait for a second opinion.

  Dale hadn’t even tried to explore a serious relationship since then. He was fine with the occasional hook-up.

  Until now.

  He wasn’t interested in just hooking up with Nyree. There was more to what they had going on. And despite his attempts to fight it, there was something going on between them.

  The past week he’d spent way too many hours—hours when he should have been sleeping—texting Nyree while she covered for yet another of her coworkers on the nightshift at the lab. Back when they first started renovating Whitmer House, she would be in one part of the house while he was in another. But not anymore. When feasible, she brought whatever project she was working on to whatever room Dale happened to be working in.

  They spent every second talking about some of the inanest topics, but he loved it. Just the day before they went back and forth, debating everything from who shouldn’t have been killed off on The Walking Dead to which of Maplesville’s only two sushi restaurants served the best California roll. Even when he secretly agreed with her, Dale claimed the opposite, just to get a rise out of her.

  It had been so long since he’d felt that type of connection with a woman. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever clicked with someone as quickly as he and Nyree had. Sure, there was a thick layer of lust covering everything they said, but it went beyond simply lusting after her body. When it came to Nyree, he wanted more.

  His phone chimed with an incoming text. A smile drew across his face when he read it.

  Leaving work. Heading to the park. See you there.

  Just seeing those words made him happier than he’d felt in ages. And to think he’d actually considered cancelling with a lie that he was sick?

  “Sick, my ass,” Dale muttered, starting up the truck.

  For the first time in a long time he was experiencing joy again. He knew it wouldn’t last forever. It couldn’t last forever. Nyree could do a lot better than him. Once she realized that, the little thing they had going would end.

  But he would enjoy her while he could.

  ~ ~ ~

  As the crowd continued to fill the small amphitheater at the park behind the old Slidell train station, Nyree stood on the outskirts, waiting for Dale’s text. He said he’d let her know when he’d arrived. There was still a small part of her that wondered if he would stand her up. Despite all the time they’d spent getting to know each other over the past month—working side by side on the renovation and sharing hundreds of text messages when they weren’t together at Whitmer House—he was still hesitant about taking things any further.

  It frustrated the hell out of her.

  When she’d asked him to come to the concert, Nyree had fully expected him to turn her down. His love of good music apparently superseded his ridiculous vow not to get involved with her.

  Yet, that’s exactly what had been happening, even if Dale refused to admit it. There was such an ease between them. Their conversations meandered from one topic to the next without ever feeling forced or awkward. How could he not see what was happening?

  “Because he’s stubborn,” Nyree muttered.

  He was totally stubborn, but he made stubborn look sexy. She smiled, thinking about the improvised version of Name That Tune they’d played a couple of days ago while munching on the cold pasta salad s
he’d brought over to the Whitmer House. After discovering how much their music tastes meshed, Nyree challenged him to test his skill against hers. Using the shuffle feature on iTunes, they went through half her playlist, testing which of them could figure out the song first. Having Dale admit that she was better at it than he was ranked up there with winning her high school Quiz Bowl tournament back in her junior year.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  Nyree yelped, clutching her chest. She playfully slapped Dale on the arm. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she said.

  “I didn’t sneak up on you.” He gestured to her phone. “Didn’t you get my text?”

  She hadn’t even checked. She’d been too busy thinking about how much fun she’d been having with him over these past few weeks.

  She took him by the hand. “The concert is about to start. Let’s go before all the good spots are taken.”

  There was no opening act. Simone Thibodaux didn’t need one. The artist could hold her own on any stage, and the local crowd loved seeing their hometown girl making good. The promoters—who had obviously underestimated Simone’s fans’ willingness to come out on a Thursday night—moved back the barricades, opening up more space in the park.

  With the added breathing room, Nyree took advantage, dancing to Simone’s newest release, an up-tempo dance track. It was a departure for the singer, who came from jazz roots. Her mother, Maddie Thibodaux, was New Orleans jazz royalty. Nyree could appreciate a mellow saxophone-accompanied ballad, but she thought Simone’s voice fit much better in the R&B genre.

  She turned to Dale, holding her hand out for him to join her.

  He shook his head.

  “Don’t be a coward,” she said.

  “I don’t dance.”

  She grabbed his hand. “You do tonight.”

  For all his scowling, he didn’t put up much resistance when she tugged him to her. She entwined their fingers and swung their arms to the beat.

  “See, this isn’t so hard, is it?” She winked, then turned to the stage, placing her back against Dale’s chest. She moved her hips to the music, her backside slightly brushing against the front of his jeans.

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her ear. “I know what you’re doing.”

  Nyree peered over her shoulder. “I’m not trying to hide it.”

  To put an exclamation point on her statement, she rubbed against him again, releasing a throaty chuckle at his painful groan.

  She didn’t feel an ounce of guilt at getting him worked up in the middle of a crowded concert. It’s exactly what he deserved for denying that there could be anything more between them. She was tired of talking; she would show him.

  It was as if fate was urging her in that direction as, a few minutes later, Simone Thibodaux switched from the up-tempo dance songs to slower ballads. As the soulful vocalist sang about newfound love, Nyree reached back and captured Dale’s arms, bringing them around and clasping his hands over her stomach. He squeezed her ever so slightly, causing a million heated tingles to travel along her skin.

  He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered, “You feel so good against me,” in her ear.

  Nyree looked back at him. “So why aren’t you holding me tighter?”

  He obliged, tucking her even more snuggly against him. There was no denying the bulge pressing into her spine. Her body shuddered with the sensations his arousal summoned within her. Nyree felt as if she would burst clear out of her skin as she waited for his lips to touch her skin. They were so close, mere centimeters from her neck. She just knew a kiss was imminent.

  But it never came.

  Much to her chagrin, when the song ended, Dale loosened his hold and stepped back several inches. It took everything she had within her not to scream in frustration.

  The concert ended just before nine, but Nyree wasn’t ready to leave. She took Dale’s hand and threaded their fingers together. They started along one of the walking paths that snaked throughout the park. The moon’s soft rays shone through branches of century old oak trees, casting shadows upon everything they touched.

  “Aren’t you tired?” he asked. “You’ve been at work all day.”

  “So have you, but you look as if you can go for a few more hours.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know about that. I did make some pretty good progress on the house today.”

  Nyree shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about the house right now.” She’d talked to Reesa earlier today and learned that her friend’s landlord had found a new tenant. The added pressure of realizing that Reesa wouldn’t be able to return to her shop if the house wasn’t ready in time had been the source of mind-numbing anxiety today. “Pick another topic.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as…” She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something they hadn’t talked about yet. “Such as why you’re still single,” she said. The question had been swirling in her mind as she’d gotten to know him better over these past weeks. She couldn’t fathom how a man who was such a catch hadn’t been caught yet.

  Not that she was complaining or anything. Still, there had to be a reason.

  “So?” Nyree nudged him with her shoulder. “Why no girlfriend?”

  He shrugged. “I guess I just haven’t found the right person.” He tipped his head to the side. “To be honest, I haven’t really looked that hard since I broke up with my last girlfriend.”

  It should come as no surprise that he had an ex, yet just hearing him refer to her caused a funky feeling to settle in Nyree’s stomach. “How long ago did you two break up?”

  Dale looked over at her and grinned. “You’re just full of questions tonight, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, and I’m holding you hostage here until you answer them.”

  He peered out at the pond that was bordered by the walking path they’d taken. Delicate white petals from the star magnolia trees edging the pathway flittered across the still waters.

  “Pretty nice place to be held prisoner.”

  “It’s gorgeous here,” Nyree agreed. “Now stop stalling. When did you and your girlfriend breakup?”

  Dale sighed and stuffed the hand that wasn’t holding hers into his front pocket. “Senior year of college,” he answered.

  Nyree’s mouth fell open. “That was, what, like five years ago?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “You haven’t dated in five years?”

  “I’ve dated,” he said. “Or, I don’t know. I guess you’d call it dating.”

  “Ah.” She nodded. “You’ve spent the past five years hooking up with girls. That’s what you’re trying to say, right?” She laughed. “You’re more like my brothers than you realize.”

  Dale stopped walking and let go of her hand.

  She turned to him. “What?”

  “Keep up that kind of talk and I’m going home.”

  Nyree burst out laughing. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  He gave her a look that clearly said Yeah, right, but didn’t comment further.

  “So why haven’t you had a serious relationship in five years? Is it because you were so heartbroken over your last girlfriend?”

  His sharp laugh broke through the stillness surrounding them.

  “That was a legitimate question,” Nyree said, “But, by your reaction, I think I have my answer.”

  “You want the truth?” Dale asked.

  “Nine times out of ten, yes, I prefer the truth.”

  “Okay, so when would you rather I not tell you the truth?” he asked, amusement shimmering in his eyes.

  “When it’s just too depressing. In those instances, you have my permission to lie to me to protect my sanity.”

  He nodded, again with the smile. “Good to know.” Then he shrugged. “There was nothing too devastating about my break up with Tiffany,” he continued. “After my injury—when it was obvious I wouldn’t play ball again—she got the hell out of dodge. Guess sh
e thought plain old Dale Chauvin wasn’t good enough for her.” He paused for a moment. The sudden intensity in his gaze caught her off-guard. “A lot of people would agree with her,” he finally said.

  “A lot of people are assholes,” Nyree said. “Including your ex-girlfriend.”

  “Is she? She was a political science major, and had just been accepted into one of the top law schools in the country. What did I have to offer someone with so much going for them?”

  “Uh, let’s see,” Nyree said, ticking the items off on her fingers. “You’re hard-working, kind, funny, and sexy as the day is long. Need I go on?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, you’ve given my ego more than enough stroking.”

  “You’re welcome,” she answered with a smug grin.

  Nyree took his hand again, but when she attempted to continue their stroll, he remained standing there, the light from the moon casting a gentle shadow across his strong jaw.

  Dale looked down at their clasped hands then brought his gaze up to her face. “This has been nice,” he said.

  “Our date, you mean?”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s what this is, huh?”

  “Yes,” she answered. The first of many, if she had anything to say about it. “And now that we’ve established that this is our first official date, does this mean you’re done playing hard to get?”

  “That’s not what I’ve been doing,” Dale immediately objected, then he grimaced. “Okay, so maybe I have, but you know I had valid reasons before.”

  “And now?”

  “Now, I just—” He shook his head and looked out over the water, releasing an uneasy laugh. When his gaze returned to her, it held an earnestness that touched her heart. “This is getting too hard to fight.”

  Nyree’s chest tightened with an agonizing amount of hope.

  “You’re the one who chooses to fight it,” she reminded him in a gentle whisper. “It’s my job to make it harder for you, not easier.”

  “Do you have to be so damn good at your job? Oh, wait, I forgot I’m talking to the ultimate overachiever here.”