Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015

by Melinda Curtis

  “This hotel’s very confusing. Please?”

  “Okay, what room?”

  She hands me a keycard in an envelope with the room number. It’s Jay’s room. Bile and pain shoot up my throat. Who exactly is she?

  “Are you sure that’s the number?” I question her. “That room’s still occupied.”

  “My fiancé gave me this card before he took my luggage upstairs. Perhaps you know him? He used to play with the Tigers in Korea. Ahn Jay-Pak?”

  She’s lying. Jay was just in my room knocking out Preston. He couldn’t have been taking her luggage to his room.

  “Who are you? Jay never said he was engaged.”

  Her lips spread and she tips her chin up. “He hasn’t? Oh my. I must apologize to you on his behalf. I’m Bae Su-Bin. You must not read Korean because our wedding announcement’s plastered in all of the Korean newspapers and websites.”

  The blood drains my head and everything goes black. My sexy, romantic, charming Jay lied to me. Lied like the rattlesnake his team’s named for.

  The rookie had played me—a rookie in love.

  Chapter 10

  ~Jay~

  Jay ran down the stairs and streaked through the lobby. He had to get as far away as he could. The hot desert air blazed over his skin as soon as he pushed out of the air-conditioned building, but he didn’t care.

  His steps took him to the stadium, empty and dark. He threw himself against the chain linked fence, kicking and punching. Damn her. Damn her to hell. She played him good, telling him she needed him to get over her ex-boyfriend, and then inviting him over so he could see her getting hot with him.

  How could she be so cruel and vicious? He hadn’t expected that from Jessica. Su-Bin, yes, but Jessie? She’d seemed so innocent, a real sweetie, someone he thought he could trust, maybe even love.

  He scaled the fence and dropped onto the warning track. Kicking at the cinder particles, he wrenched open the gate to the bullpen. He grabbed a bucket of balls, kicked his leg up and threw ball after ball at the padded backstop. Thud. Thud. Thud. Anger burned through his arm and a sharp, searing pain gouged his left side, but he kept throwing. He should never have let himself lose track of his goals. Pitching in the majors was all that mattered.

  He wasn’t in love. Not at all. Jessica hadn’t gotten under his skin. He could live without her. He’d been fine before he knew her. Thud. Thud. Thud. She couldn’t hurt him. Ever.

  But the image of Jessica wrapped in the arms of her ex-boyfriend ripped a hole in his rationalizations. Damnit. Damnit. He kicked the turf. Why, oh why had she called after him, her voice strained, acting like he’d hurt her instead?

  Two bright lights shined in his eyes.

  “Put your hands up and don’t move.” A man’s voice barked. He didn’t sound friendly, and the hairs prickled on the back of Jay’s neck.

  “Jay Pak Ahn?” the second man said, coming into view. Police officers.

  “Yeah, I’m a pitcher for the Rattlers. Getting in some practice.” Jay relaxed and shook his tight shoulder. “Warming up.”

  “In the middle of the night?” the first officer said. “We have a complaint from the hotel. Care to tell us about it?”

  “I did nothing wrong,” Jay said. Adrenaline coursed through his blood but he knew better than to appear aggressive.

  “Did you assault a gentleman in a hotel room? You broke his jaw.”

  Good. The asshole deserved it.

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “We’re taking in you. You have the right to remain silent.” One of the officers whipped out a set of cuffs.

  A grinding headache blinded Jay momentarily. Images of Jessica backed against the shower wall pounded through his mind. Nope, he had nothing to say. Even though she’d done him wrong, he’d never expose her to the media, never tell what he saw. He’d take his right to remain silent to the grave.

  ~Jessica~

  “Jay’s been arrested.” Todd catches his breath, standing at my door. “Preston has a broken jaw and he’s pressing charges. Going to sue Jay and the Rattlers.”

  I lose my balance and stagger into the hallway. “But it’ll ruin his career. This isn’t right.”

  Todd catches me and guides me back to my room. “Tell me what exactly happened.”

  “No, I have to go to the police station. Jay’s innocent. He misunderstood. He didn’t mean to hit Preston.”

  Todd shakes me and presses me onto the bed. “Tell me what happened. What was Preston doing in your room?”

  “He, he walked in on me while I was showering.” My entire body shakes at the memory. “Then Jay came in and punched him.”

  “Did Preston hurt you?”

  I nod, a lump in my throat blocks me from speaking.

  “Shit!” Todd slams his fist onto the bed. “Let me rephrase this. Preston assaulted you and Jay hit him. Now Jay’s in jail. Did you speak to the police?”

  “N-no. There wasn’t any police.” I tell him how I ran into Su-Bin, Jay’s fiancée and blacked out. When I came to, everyone was gone.

  “Jay has a fiancée?” Todd wipes his fingers over his face and shakes his head. “Damn.”

  “He lied to me, but he never led me to believe this would be more than a one week fling.” I clutch my chest, my heart in deep pain. “I’m the stupid one. Just like with you, I started imagining a future with him. I let him steal my heart when he wasn’t even trying.”

  Todd clamps his arms around me and kisses the side of my head. “Jessie, you have a big, warm, loving heart. You just keep giving it to the wrong guy.”

  “That’s not true.” I snuggle into his embrace and breathe in his hot, stimulating scent. “You thought this little gig would help me get over you, but it isn’t working. You’re still the nicest guy I know.”

  Todd slips a finger over my lips. “It’s my fault for staying in the closet so long. I’m so sorry I can’t be that guy for you. I really thought Jay was the right one. I really did. I must be losing my touch, because he gave off all the right vibes—love at first sight, smitten, head over heels.”

  “He had me fooled too.” I rub my cheek against Todd’s lips, wishing things could have been different. “Jay never said he loves me. It was always me loving him, doing things for him, fitting into his schedule.”

  Todd hugs me long and sweet, the way he always did, ever since we fell in love as children, like brother and sister. It wasn’t until we tried to turn our relationship into a romantic one that Todd discovered his body wasn’t wired to desire me.

  “Let’s not worry about that,” he says. “What pisses me off is Preston.”

  I wipe a tear from my face. “Me too. I can’t believe Preston would try to hurt me. I thought he was my friend. I mean, I knew he was strange, but he’s never been violent before. Never.”

  “Shhh …” Todd smoothes my hair. “It’s a good thing Jay walked in on you guys.”

  My heart shoots hot panic into my bloodstream, thinking of Jay and what he believes about me, that I’m a low-down dirty slut.

  “Can you drive me to the jail?” I grab my purse. “I need to talk to Jay. I can’t have him sitting there thinking I did him dirty. Even if he’s going to marry someone else, I want him to remember me in a nice way.”

  “Whoa, wait.” Todd holds me back. “I’m sure it’s too late for visiting hours. We need to touch base with his lawyer to get us in.”

  “But we can’t let Jay spend the night in jail. Is someone bailing him out?”

  “I’m sure the team’s taking care of it.” Todd adjusts his glasses. “I’ll talk to his lawyer and get you in tomorrow before your flight. Why don’t you finish packing and get some sleep?”

  “Sure, thanks for coming by.” I kiss Todd on the cheek and squeeze him tightly. “We’ll always be friends, won’t we?”

  “Best friends. Forever.”

  ~Jessica~

  I finish packing and slip into my bed. There’s no sleeping tonight. My heart pounds too fast and my head a
ches. I have to do the right thing and report the assault. Preston can’t get away with what he did to me, and Jay shouldn’t be charged when all he did was to defend me.

  My phone rings with Jay’s ringtone. I fumble out of bed and answer it. Maybe it’s his single phone call.

  “Jay? Are you okay?”

  “It’s Su-Bin,” a quacky woman’s voice says. “Jay needs your help. His lawyer says he’s going to plead guilty and ruin his life because he doesn’t want to tell the world he saw your slutty little ass having sex.”

  My heart clenches for Jay. Ever so honorable and concerned about me. He can’t ruin his career because of me. I have to speak to him and let him know I’m reporting Preston. Then they’ll let him off, hopefully.

  “Well? Are you going to get your boyfriend to drop the charges or what?” Su-Bin’s voice irritates me like squeaky markers on a whiteboard.

  “That’s none of your business.” I end the call. What to do? Should I call the police station or wait to talk to Jay’s lawyer and get our story straight?

  My phone rings with the generic ringtone and I ignore it. A few moments later it rings again. Unknown number. My heart thuds against my ribcage. It could be Jay, or maybe it’s his lawyer.

  I answer the call.

  “Don’t … hang … up,” Preston says, his voice garbled and slurred. “Please. I’m g-going t-to make … you a deal.”

  “I don’t have anything to say to you. I can’t even believe what you did,” I scream at him. “What will your father say?”

  “Please, he can’t know. I-I swear. I’ll withdraw … the charges.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re coming to your senses. What were you thinking? I thought we were friends.”

  “We are. That … that fiancée of Jay’s … put me up to it. S-she set me up so Jay can walk in on y-you guys. But J-Jay punched me and … and the doctors reported it. I-I’m afraid I might g-get arrested.” Preston’s voice is difficult to understand. Of course. His jaw’s broken and it must be paining him to speak. Too bad.

  “You should. You forced yourself on me.”

  “It was an … an a-act. S-Su-Bin was hiding in your closet. She heard you talking to Jay, so she called me to make a little j-joke. She was going to make a video.”

  “No, this is looney-tunes. Preston, are you an idiot? You could get thrown in jail for attempted rape.”

  I hear snuffling sounds over the speaker. Preston’s crying. “I thought it’d be a funny video. S-she paid me.”

  “Then why is she calling me, all worried about Jay? She wants me to go to the police station and report you.”

  “M-me? She set me up. Please don’t tell on me. Please. My father’s heart will break.”

  “What you did to me was not funny. Not at all. You’re going to drop those charges or I’ll send your ass to state prison for attempted rape. Believe me, a pretty boy like you isn’t going to last long.”

  I end the call.

  Chapter 11

  ~Jay~

  It was just after dawn when Jay and his lawyer, a friend of Ryan’s, stepped out of the courthouse. The charges had been withdrawn and the police released Jay with a warning. He was glad to get out of the cramped holding cell filled with drunks. The yelling, pounding, and banging on the bars had kept him up all night.

  The lawyer dropped him off in front of the hotel. “Believe it or not, Ryan was really worried about you. Stay out of trouble.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Jay waved and ambled up the steps to the lobby. His lawyer had told him Jessica’s willingness to testify against Preston had caused him to drop the charges. The implication was clear. Preston had forced himself on Jessie, and Jay was wrong about her. He owed her an apology.

  His gut clenched at the thought of her being frightened and abused, and then having him hurl insults at her instead of comforting her.

  Needing a gift to soften her, he woke the hotel manager and asked him to open the gift shop. A “Heart of Cartier” pink gold heart with a single diamond in the center caught his eye and he purchased it, hoping like heck he wasn’t too late to make up to her.

  While in the elevator, he dangled the necklace, studying the glittering diamond from all angles. The 18 karat pink gold would match the warmth of her medium brown skin tone, and the diamond would sit perfectly on her collarbone.

  He punched the button for her floor. Even though his clothes smelled stale like the jailhouse and he needed to shower, he had to see Jessica before she left. Without his cell phone, he had no choice but to head straight for her room, racing toward her door in case she’d already left for the airport.

  He knocked and announced himself.

  “Jay!” Jessica opened her door and rushed into his arms.

  Relief swarmed over his tense muscles as he held her tightly. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. Forgive me?”

  “Of course.” She was still dressed in a nightgown, her hair rumpled. “You saved me from Preston.”

  “But I got jealous and thought you’d gone back to him. You told me you were over him.” He kissed her forehead, sniffing her fresh morning scent. His heart swelled with love and it was clear. She was the woman for him, always had been, always will be.

  Jessica’s eyebrows bent and she shook her head. “No, not Preston. Not at all. He’s just this weird guy who’s always had a screw loose. He says Su-Bin, your fiancée, set him up. She paid him money to walk in on me and she was going to video it until you barged in.”

  “What the heck? Su-Bin’s here?” Daggers of chills prickled his scalp.

  “Apparently she’s staying with you.” Jessica shoved him and ran into her room. “Using your cell phone.”

  “Wait, I didn’t know she’s here. She called me yesterday.” His mind was a dizzying mess of conversation fragments. He reached for Jessie. “I’ve been in jail all night. What’s this about her paying for a video?”

  Jessica shrugged her arm from his grasp and walked toward the window. Her suitcases were packed and strapped, and she looked like she was waiting to check out. He didn’t have much time.

  “That’s what Preston says.” She crossed her arms, not meeting his gaze. “I ran into her after you punched Preston, and she told me your wedding’s been announced.”

  “She’s lying. I broke up with her. There’s not going to be a wedding.” Jay fumbled through his pocket and extracted the heart necklace. “I got you something.”

  “I can’t take this. You’re not free from her.” Jessica’s voice broke and she blinked, taking a shuddering breath.

  His heart clenched and he fell to his knees. “Please Jessie, I’m over her. I want to start something with you.”

  “Do you love me?” She touched the side of his jaw, a sad, detached expression on her face.

  “I could see myself in love with you. You’re so beautiful, so much fun.”

  Her hands stilled and she swallowed tightly. “That’s not good enough, Jay. I’m not a demanding woman, but I need you to know deep in your heart that I’m your first priority, not that you ‘could’ see yourself in love with me.”

  He wasn’t reaching her, and yet, he couldn’t blame her. He was the one who hadn’t made a clean break. Even though he had no feelings for Su-Bin, he’d cared too much about appearances, and if he had to admit it, a little part of him had wanted the high profile endorsement of Lucky Moon to benefit his career.

  “I want to try.” He took Jessica’s hand and shook it, begging. “All night, sitting in that jail cell, all I could think about was you. How I hurt you by distrusting you. Even before I found out about Preston dropping the charges because you were going to testify, I had a sneaking feeling that I’d misinterpreted the scene.”

  “But you didn’t trust me.” Tears rimmed her almond-shaped eyes, puffy and red.

  Jay hated that he’d hurt her, but he needed her to understand. “It wasn’t you. It was Su-Bin. I kept flashing back to catching her in the shower with my best friend.”

  “Is that why you broke up wit
h her?” Jessie stroked his messy hair, sweeping it off his face.

  “Yes, and now she wants me back.”

  “Do you want her back?”

  “No, definitely not.” He got up from his knees and unclasped the diamond necklace. “I want you. Please say you’ll be my girlfriend.”

  Jessie’s lips quivered and she wiped her eyes as he put the necklace around her neck. “I can’t give you a commitment right now. Last night, I found out I wasn’t truly over the man I loved. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

  A thunderclap jolted through Jay’s chest and hollowed his heart. “Who is it Jessie? Who?”

  She retreated, her fingers caressing the smooth gold heart. “You still have Su-Bin to deal with and I have to get over my feelings for Todd.”

  “Todd? But, I thought …”

  “He’s gay. I know, but he’s the best friend I ever had, and I spent years convincing myself that I could win him over. He loves me too, but he just didn’t enjoy being with me the way you did.” She blushed and covered her face. “I can’t believe I admitted this to you.”

  Jay’s knees felt weak and his stomach tightened. She wasn’t ready for him to love her. But she’d opened up to him. It was a small step in the right direction. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her upper arms, waiting for her to continue.

  She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “The worst part of it? I thought it was my fault. When he finally told me he’d been faking the physical part all these years, it broke me to pieces. I thought I was frigid or not responsive enough, that somehow I was so bad in bed that I drove him to the other side.”

  He rocked her in his arms, swaying side to side. “Trust me, you’re awesome in bed. But more than that, you’re a true friend and a caring person. I’m sure Todd didn’t mean to make you feel less than the best.”

  “He didn’t, but he couldn’t help it.”

  “No wonder he tried to get us together.” Jay put his hand on the side of his head. “That evening at the Hot Corner when I invited you to the Pitcher’s Mound? Todd set it up. Told me you were twenty-two and looking to get to know me.”