by Kari March
She exhaled a deep sigh. "No, I'm not. I don't think I could ever leave him. Even if he refuses to marry me," she admitted. She loved Kyle more than anything else in this world. She would do anything to make him happy, even if that meant sacrificing her own dream of getting married. "I just wished he wasn't so damn stubborn."
"Shay, you are just as stubborn as he is and you know it. You push each other too hard sometimes and when you do, you both explode. Just like last night," I told her.
"Hey! Last night was not my fault. All I did was make a general comment about men and he just assumed I was talking about him," she squealed defensively.
"I know, but you do ride him a lot about the whole marriage thing, and you know how he feels about it. Maybe you should just avoid the subject for a while, play it cool, like you don't even care about it. You're both battling here and he's winning. He knows you want to get engaged and you know he doesn't, and pestering him about it is getting you nowhere." Shay looked at me like I was crazy. "Look, Shay, I know Kyle loves you, and I know that if you didn't bug him so much about this, he would've probably asked you months ago but you won't let up. He's so stubborn, it's like he is holding out just to prove a point."
"So, are you saying I should try pretending like I don't want to get married?" she asked confused. I could tell the wheels were turning but she wasn't quiet putting the pieces together.
"Yeah, try some reverse psychology on him." I shrugged. "It isn't like you have anything to lose at this point. What harm could it do?"
"Hmm, that might just work. Thanks, Cara," she said cheerfully.
"Anytime, hooker," I chuckled. "Now, since I helped you out with your little dilemma, how about you help me out with mine?"
"Name it," she proclaimed with a smile.
"Accept the manager position." She started to hold up her hand in protest but I continued speaking—she had to hear me out before she turned me down again. "Please, Shay," I pleaded with her. "Do this for me? You are the only person I trust enough to hire and you would be great at it. You already do the job anyway, so why not get paid for it? Please?" I looked at her with big puppy dog eyes begging her to accept.
Chewing on the tip of my thumb, I waited for her to respond but she didn't. Silence filled the room and I swear I could hear crickets chirping outside. She wasn't going to accept my offer, I knew this, but she could at least answer me instead of making me sweat it out like this.
Rolling her eyes and shaking her head she finally spoke. "You owe me, Cara Pratt, do you hear me? You owe me big."
No way? Did she just....Does that mean...?
"Oh my God! You're kidding me? Are you accepting?" I asked in disbelief.
"Oh, and I want Fridays and Wednesdays off," she demanded with a huge smile on her face.
"You got it!" I exclaimed as I stood up and walked around the desk to give her a hug. "Anything else you would like to negotiate with me?"
"Umm, yeah, how about a big ass pay raise," she added with a smug smile.
"I think I can arrange that," I said happily as I held her at arm's length. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. What made you change your mind?"
"Well, I have to do something to keep my mind off harassing Kyle if I'm going to trick him into proposing." The mischievous grin she was giving me made me snicker. You could see her brain working double time, conjuring up the ultimate plan.
"I love how your mind works, Shay. Now come on, we can work out the details tomorrow. Right now, we need to get the bar set up because we open in less than an hour."
"Come on, Cara. I'm tired," Shay hollered at me. "Can't you finish your paperwork tomorrow? It's already after 3am. I've been in this bar for over twelve hours, and unlike you, I don't like living here!"
It had been a week since Shay became a manager and things were going great. Royce was happy, I was happy and Shay, well, she was always happy. Her plan with Kyle seemed to be paying off. They hadn't fought all week and Shay was more chipper than ever. I, on the other hand, seem grumpier than usual. My run in with Cam was a thing of the past but his smile was still engrained in my memory, making for some very sleepless nights.
"Just go on without me, Shay. I'll be fine," I shouted back.
Shay appeared in the doorway to the office, leaning up against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest. "You're kidding me, right? You know Royce's rule. Plus, Dane already left for the night."
Yes, I knew the rule, but really, we're grown ass women for fuck’s sakes. It's not like we're helpless victims that can't walk to our cars by ourselves. Royce's number one rule of the bar—all female employees must be escorted to their vehicles after closing time. He even paid Dane, our bouncer, overtime to stay until we had all left for the night. "Shay, it's just one night. It'll be fine. I really need to finish this."
"I'm not about to go and piss off Royce. So either I sit here and pester you until you're finished, or you drop what you're doing and leave now. It's your choice, but I warn you." She looked at me with her eyebrows raised and a shit-eating smirk on her face. "I can be overwhelmingly cheerful when I'm tired," she said in a sing-song voice.
The one thing about Shay that bugged me the most was her over-the-top zest for life. Not everything was always sunshine and rainbows but with Shay, she could turn the darkest day into light, and it bugged the shit out of me. I love the girl to death, but when she starts busting out Disney songs, it makes me want to vomit and by the way, she just practically sang the end of that sentence, I knew that's exactly what she intended to do.
"Don't you dare! You know I hate it when you sing those stupid songs. You hang out with your nieces way too much," I scolded, giving her a dirty look. "I have to finish this paperwork and I don't need you buggin' me. Just go—"
Before I could get out what I was trying to say, she started singing "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen at the top of her lungs, and I immediately cringed. That song, in particular, was my least favorite. Last month I had spent an entire afternoon watching Shay's eight-year-old twin nieces and they replayed that song over and over again until I thought my ears were going to bleed. I wanted to kill Shay for suggesting that movie before she left, and I should have known something bad was going to come of it when she winked at the girls.
As she continued to belt out the lyrics to the most annoying song on the planet, I knew there was only one way I could get her to shut up. "Ugh, fine! You win. Please, just stop singing," I pleaded as I dropped my pen and covered my ears—waiting for the blood to start pouring out. I was way too tired for this crap and Shay knew it. She started to laugh uncontrollably because she knew she was winning this battle. "I hate you," I mumbled under my breath as I stood up, grabbing my purse.
"No, you don't. You love me and you know it. Now hurry up, slow poke, I'd like to get home before the sun comes up." Tossing her arm around my shoulders we walked side-by-side down the hall, stopping to turn off the lights, before making our way to the exit.
After locking the door I slipped my arm through Shay's and we headed out into the cool night air. The parking lot was nearly empty, as it was every night. Shay and I parked in our usual spots—the back of the lot—right next to each other. It was eerily quiet as we made our way across the blacktop. The only sound you could hear was our uniform footfalls on the pavement and they echoed in my ears. We were about halfway to our cars when we jumped sky high from the loud bang of a car door closing behind us. Shay clutched my arm a little tighter as I slowly looked over my shoulder. In the dark corner of the parking lot I saw a man emerging from the shadows and he was walking our way.
The only thing I could hear now was the beating of my heart as it slammed into the walls of my chest. Shay tugged on my arm, urging me to pick up my pace. Trying to remain calm, I reached into my purse and grabbed my stick of mace. I had no clue what this man was up to but I was going to be ready for anything. I could hear his footsteps rapidly thumping across the parking lot as we reached our cars. I was beyond relieved when I saw Shay jump into the passenger si
de of my car instead of getting in hers.
Quickly, I got in and just as I was about to shut the door and lock it, I heard a strangely familiar voice call out to me, "Cara!" I closed my eyes as the deep, smooth tone made every part of my body come to a halt. It has been a week since I had heard that voice but I would still know it anywhere.
"Cara, what are you doing? Shut the door, let's get out of here!" Shay yelled at me frantically, still scared that we were about to be attacked.
I closed my eyes; the uncomfortable feeling of humility consumed me as flashes of last week replayed in my mind. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to show up here. No longer frozen, every nerve in my body was burning with anger. I never thought I was going to have the chance to tell Cam how big of an ass he was and hearing his voice had my mind spinning. As much as my body craved him, there was no way I was letting it take control.
I could hear Shay yelling my name as I flung my door wide open and jumped out of the car. "Jesus Christ, Cam! What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted at him. He looked taken aback as I stomped up to him, rage and fury written all over my face. "I should spray this mace in your eyes just to teach you a lesson." I raised my clenched fist, waving it in his face. My knuckles were white from gripping it so tightly.
He took a step back, raising his hands defensively. "Easy there, firecracker. I didn't mean to scare you," he said evenly as he stared at me. "I'm really sorry." The look in his eyes almost knocked me off my feet. They were so unfathomable; pulling me in deeper every time I looked at them, making me wonder what was really behind them.
Shay's door slammed shut and the loud echo pulled me out of the trance I was slipping into. She walked around the back of the car and stepped right beside me. Folding her arms over her chest she looked Cam up and down with a deep scowl. It wasn't a pretty look for her. I was so used to seeing her smile that I laughed a bit at the expression she was giving him.
Cam looked uncomfortable under Shay's tormenting stare. "Damn, Shay! Stop looking at me like that. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh, that look isn't because you're a dumbass that sneaks up on two females in a dark parking lot in the middle of the night without saying a word. Nope, I forgive you for that."
"Then why are you staring at me like I just killed your cat?" Cam asked cautiously.
Shay started to chuckle. "Oh, I'm sorry. This is how I always look at assholes." With a tilt of her head she smiled sweetly at Cam, and then turned to give me a hug. "I'm out of here. Text me when you get home, sweetie, and make sure you keep that mace handy." With a quick wink, Shay began to walk away, calling out mockingly over her shoulder, "Later, Cam!"
Cam didn't say another word as Shay got in her car. He only stared in bewilderment. Truthfully, I was a little surprised by Shay's remarks. She never acted this way—I liked it. As Shay started her car, I heard Cam mumbling under his breath, "Who lit her tampon on fire?"
I rolled my eyes. How was it that this man could make me weak in the knees one minute and then want to punch him the next? I was starting to get dizzy from the merry-go-round of emotions and I had only spent a few hours with him.
Wound up and somewhat irritated I tried to hold back the frustration in my voice. "You came here for a reason, Cam, what do you want?"
He shrugged his shoulders awkwardly. "I don't really know. I was out driving around and next thing I knew I was sitting in the parking lot."
"At three in the morning?" I asked skeptically.
"Yep," he said as he took a step towards me. "It's just something I do when I need to clear my head."
"Did it help?"
What am I doing? I need to be ending this conversation not contributing to it.
"Not really," he chuckled as he leaned his shoulder against my car. "I think it actually made things worse." He sounded defeated and I could tell whatever was weighing on his mind, it was hard for him. The pain in his expression made my heart hurt and at that moment, I would have done anything to make that look go away.
"Well, that sucks. Is there anything I can do to help make it better?" A cocky smirk appeared on his face and his eyebrows lifted.
"Well, since you're offering."
"Oh my God, I didn't mean it like that!" I shrieked as I buried my face in my hands. "I just meant—"
"It's okay, firecracker," he interjected with laughter. "I'm just giving you shit. I know what you meant." I peeked out from behind my hands, my face flushed with color from my embarrassment. His gaze fell to the ground, his body language a telltale sign that he was hesitating. "But since you did offer, there is something you could do."
"Okay..." I cautioned as I uncovered my face.
"You could forgive me for walking away from you last week," he said as he took another step in my direction.
The tip of my thumb was now being pinched between my teeth as I watched him. He was slowly inching his way to me, almost as if he was scared that he would startle me if he moved too fast. I wondered if he really felt bad or if Blake had told him how upset I was when he left. Either way, he was acknowledging he did something wrong but there was no way I was going to let him know it bothered me.
"There's nothing to forgive you for," I lied, looking anywhere but at him. "We danced and when it was over you left. No biggie."
He closed the gap between us and was now so close he was pushing the limits of my personal space. Looking at me, he reached for my hand and pulled it away from my mouth. I inhaled a sharp breath. "You're not a good liar, Cara."
The warmth from his touch shot straight through to my core, awakening every nerve ending in my body, making goose bumps prick my skin. I prayed that he didn't notice the reaction my body had to his simple touch but by the way he just grinned, I'm guessing he did.
I turned my head to avoid him when he grabbed my chin and lifted it up. Firmly, he held it in place giving me no choice but to lock eyes with him. The pad of his thumb seductively brushed across my bottom lip and before I knew what was happening his lips were on mine.
Releasing my chin, he slipped his hand behind my neck while his other hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. I felt his tongue against my lips, asking permission to enter and I gave it to him. Swathing my arms around his neck, he entered with a desperate yearning and I accepted every reckless caress he gave.
As quickly as it started it ended. Cam pulled back, short of breath, and rested his forehead on mine. "So...you forgive me then?"
"Yeah, I guess so," I said, shrugging my shoulder.
"You guess so?" he said, pulling back a bit. "Stop denying it, firecracker, you know you can't resist this." He motioned to his body as he grinned playfully. "I can tell by the way you react to my touch." He slid his finger down my collarbone, leaving yet another trail of goose bumps in its wake.
I hated the fact that he was right. Since the moment I saw him last week, he's all I've been able to think about. Still, I wasn't sure I was ready for any sort of relationship. My past was still lingering in the back of my mind and I wasn't ready to face it.
Trying to fight my body's reaction I tensed up and opened my mouth to speak. "Shhh..." he said as he reached up with his other hand and cradled my face. Tracing the deep v-neck of my shirt with his finger, he leaned down and whispered, "Relax. Don't deny it, just feel it." Closing my eyes, I did as he said. I started to get lost in his touch.
Beep...Beep...Beep...
Ugh, are you kidding me? Who the hell could that be?
Beep...Beep...Beep...
"You should probably get that," Cam said as he stepped away from me a bit.
With a deep breath I reached into my pocket. Pulling out my cell phone, I huffed with aggravation when I saw I had two new text messages from Shay.
Just making sure U R still alive.
Call me soon or I'm coming back.
Quickly, I typed back a reply.
I'm fine :) Leaving now.
"I should probably get going, Shay is pretty protective and if I'm not home soon she may come hu
nt you down," I warned him.
"I think I can take her," he said as he started to close the distance between us and I panicked. The quick interruption was enough for my brain to take control again and I needed some space so I could process all of this. I didn't trust myself and I knew if he touched me again I would never make it home.
I didn't even have to tell him no—as soon as my hand touched his chest he knew. He exhaled, closing his eyes almost as if he were in pain. "Do you work tomorrow?"
"No, it's my day off," I replied
"Meet me here at five?" His question sounding more like a demand than an actual question.
"Why?" I asked.
He grabbed my phone out of my hand. "You'll see."
He started to type something into it. "And what if I say no?"
A few seconds later his phone chirped. "I have your number now, so if you say no, I'll just keep calling you until you agree." He handed my phone back. "Plus, I know where you work. Just think how annoying I could be showing up here every night."
Oh, God, no!
Not only would that be distracting it would make me fat from all of the cinnamon bears I'd have to eat. "Fine. Five, tomorrow," I conceded.
He opened my car door and I slid into the driver's seat. Leaning down he traced my neck line once more. "Remember, just feel it." He kissed the top of my head and I closed my eyes doing exactly as he said—I could feel him...everywhere...and it scared the hell out of me.
I tried to forget about her. I tried to push her out of my mind but it was no use. I never imagined it would be so hard to forget someone I barely knew...but it was. When I got behind the wheel last night, I figured I would end up in some deserted field, out east, like I always did. Not once did I ever see myself sitting in this parking lot, hoping that she would come walking out of Maggie's Place just so I could see her again. And when she did, I almost screwed everything up by not getting out of the damn truck.
I had no clue what I was going to say. Last time I saw her things didn't end so well. In the past week I had gone through a million different ways I could apologize to her for being such an ass and last night was not one of them, but it couldn't have gone more perfect.