Claiming Callie: Part three

by Rion, Paige

  Chin up! It’s good he’s here. Maybe a little flirting is exactly what you need.

  “How could I not?” she says, meeting his bold gaze with one of her own.

  “Well, I’m hoping that’s a good sign, because I came here in the hopes that I might persuade you to have dinner with me tonight and work on convincing you to take me up on my offer of a position at Prudential. I’m so sick of working in an office of mostly men.”

  Talk about timing.

  “Actually, I was just thinking about the position. I haven’t made any decisions, but I might be interested in hearing more about it.”

  Brian smiles. “Perfect. Dinner at seven, then? I can pick you up.”

  His blond hair falls lightly over his forehead as he leans toward her, and Callie can smell the masculine scent of his cologne—pine and something rustic, rich and musky—much different than the sunshine, citrus, and sandalwood of Dean’s skin.

  Dean. She doesn’t want to think of him right now, but she can’t help herself. The thought of him flutters in her stomach. The two men couldn’t be more different. Brian, with his perfectly-tailored suits and designer shoes. Dean, with his hoodies and jeans, his basketball jerseys and athletic shoes. Brian, with his emerald green eyes compared to the slate blue of Dean’s. Brian’s California-bronzed skin and bleach-blond hair, compared to Dean’s fairer complexion and his mess of chestnut locks.

  Brian is absolutely gorgeous—there’s no doubt about that. He looks as if he’s just stepped from the cover of GQ, but it’s the thought of Dean that sends Callie’s heart into convulsions, not him.

  “Come on. Just dinner. No pressure,” Brian prods. “Although, I may woo you with tales of sunny beaches and Santa Ana winds.”

  “I don’t know,” she says stupidly. Callie fidgets, enjoying the attention, unsure of what to do. It shouldn’t feel like she’s cheating on Dean, but somehow it does. And she hates that.

  When she still doesn’t answer, he continues, “You don’t have a boyfriend. Do you?”

  “Yes. No…sort of.” She wrinkles her nose, knowing she sounds as confused and idiotic as she feels.

  Brian laughs. “Okay. I get it, but whoever this guy is isn’t doing you justice, or you wouldn’t be hedging. So, give me a chance. It’s just dinner.”

  Her heart is screaming that she wants Dean. His lips are the ones that trail shivers down her spine. His touch is the one she craves. But her mind is telling her it’s impossible. You can’t have your best friend’s brother, especially when he’s hung up on someone else. And so with her head and heart waging a war, she makes her decision. After all, maybe Brian’s kiss will send her into a fever. Maybe he can make her forget this crazy thing she has with Dean.

  “Okay.” This time, the smile that spreads over her face is genuine. This is exactly what she needs. What better way to get over her feelings for Dean than to go out with a drop-dead-gorgeous successful executive like Brian Galveston? It certainly can’t hurt. Besides, with the way things are going at GGF, she may need that job at Prudential, after all.

  “Yes, I’ll go to dinner.”

  Who knows? Brian might just be the man—and the job opportunity—I’ve been waiting for.

  CHAPTER TEN

  DEAN

  After-dinner hours bring in the late shift. College students churn in with red-rimmed eyes from midterm preparation or late-night study sessions. Couples looking for a low-key date, flirting over a cup of coffee.

  Dean puts the last of the new Buzz merchandize they received earlier in the day on the shelf—brightly-colored T-shirts with the bee insignia across the front that say, “Get your Buzz” or “Need a Buzz?” They’re cute and he hopes the customers move them. They could prove to be a useful marketing tool and money maker, which is why Dean strategically priced them low.

  Turning, Dean’s gaze lands on a young couple sitting in the back of Buzz. Their heads are bent together as they talk quietly, so as not to be heard in the nearly empty coffee shop. Every so often the woman laughs and they hold hands.

  That should be Callie and me.

  And it would be, if he hadn’t completely blown Operation Get the Girl. They’d be the ones flirting and laughing under their breaths. Instead, he’s stocking shelves alone, and she’s… I wonder what she’s doing right now?

  He’s replayed their encounter in the car a million times. Over and over he’s tortured himself with regales of her pushing his check back at him and telling him that this thing between them is over, and while a part of him is still sure that it’s because she does have feelings for him, there’s that other half—the best friend’s brother in him—that fears otherwise. There can only be two reasons she would call it quits now. 1) She has feelings for him and thinks he’s into another woman, so she’s backing out before she can get hurt. 2) She has absolutely no feelings for him beyond friendship, and she genuinely believes Maya wants him back, so she figures she can exit now and get back to her real life.

  God, he wants it to be option one. But what if it’s not? And even if it is, if she’s claiming she needs time apart to get her life together and figure things out, then that means she’s questioning what she feels. What if her distance from him gives her the space she needs to convince herself that this is just a passing thing? What if during her time away she finds someone else? Dean can’t let that happen, which is why he insisted on continuing their charade until he could solidify her feelings for him. Before he tells her the truth, he needs her totally head-over-heels for him in the same way he is with her.

  Glancing at the clock, Dean notes the time. Seven o’clock. One more hour till closing. Thank God.

  The door buzzes and in walks Jinny. Dean smiles, grateful for the company, until he realizes that she’ll likely pummel him to death for being a wuss and not telling Callie the truth when he had the chance.

  “Hey, bro,” Jinny says, sauntering over to him, a mean gleam in her dark eyes.

  “What’s up?” Dean moves back around the counter, needing a barrier between him and his sister to fend off any attacks to go along with the murderous look in her eyes.

  “So… You didn’t tell her, did you?” She picks a mug up off the counter, examines it, then sets it back down and crosses her arms in front of her body.

  “Hear me out.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Dean exhales, wondering why he should be afraid of his sister. She’s more than a foot shorter than him, and he outweighs her by nearly ninety pounds. “She called everything off and said she needs a break… She said she has to clear her head and get her life together, plus she mentioned Maya and how she approached her and that I can be with her now…” He trails off, realizing how idiotic this all sounds.

  Jinny shakes her head, her mouth a tight line.

  “She’s backing out. I need to make sure, Jinny. This is not the time to wing it. This needs to be a slam dunk. I can’t afford to shoot and miss the hoop. She’s either questioning her feelings for me or they’re not real. I need to make sure they’re clear as a bell.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot of euphemisms. But here’s the thing, Dean.” Jinny places her palms on the counter and leans toward him. “This isn’t basketball!” Then she reaches out and smacks him upside the head. “You dimwit!”

  “Ow. You’re scary. And mean. Todd better watch out,” Dean says, scowling.

  “Of course she’s questioning her feelings for you! She thinks you want Maya. And you did nothing to convince her otherwise. Do you realize that?”

  Dean pauses. In all his analyzing of her feelings, he let his insecurities and doubts get in the way. All he had focused on was making sure that she held onto whatever she might be feeling for him, but instead of solidifying her feelings, maybe he should’ve assuaged her doubts about Maya first. For him, it’s obvious he cares for her. It’s obvious he doesn’t want Maya, but to Callie that’s forefront in her mind.

  Dumbass.

  Before he can say anything else, the door to Buzz opens and Mr
. Davis—the owner—walks in. His scraggy, round face is pale and he breathes heavily as he walks toward them. “Jinny. Dean,” he greets them.

  “Hi, sir,” Dean says while Jinny gives a small wave.

  “Dean, I need to speak with you a moment,” he says.

  “Sure.” Dean waits until Mr. Davis comes around the counter. He has a feeling he knows what this is about, and his nerves do jumping jacks in his chest at the thought.

  “You’re a month late,” Mr. Davis says, his tone gruff. It’s only supposed to be a payment twice a year. Are you having second thoughts? Because if so, I’ll probably prepare the business to sell over the next year.”

  Dean shoves his hands in his pockets and his gaze darts to Jinny to make sure she’s not listening. He keeps his voice hushed, though Mr. Davis is hard of hearing and isn’t exactly quiet. “I know. I apologize. I want this more than anything.”

  Well, almost anything… He continues, “I will have the money to you soon. I had some unexpected expenses this past month and so I’m a little behind. I’ve been taking extra shifts, though, and should have it to you in a few weeks.”

  Mr. Davis peers at him, the wrinkled skin below his eyes drooping as he frowns. “Okay. I’ll give you a month. Then if I don’t have the seven thousand you owe me, our deal is off. I’ll be sad to see this place go, but we both know I can’t hold onto it any longer.”

  Dean nods, his mouth tightening into a thin line. “Thank you, sir. A month is all I need.”

  “Okay, then.” Mr. Davis pats him on the shoulder and then heads for the back room. “I’m just going to grab the accounting books and stuff, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

  Dean watches as Mr. Davis disappears through the swing doors into the stockroom. Not even a second passes before Jinny’s in his face. “What the hell is that about?”

  Dean sighs and rolls his eyes. “Do you have to eavesdrop all the time? Don’t you realize that some conversations are private? For someone who doesn’t want to be in the middle of things, you sure are nosy.”

  “You owe that old crow seven grand? What the hell for?” Jinny takes a step back and crosses her arms. Her dark eyes mean business.

  “Just a deal we made, that’s all.”

  No one knows about his transaction with Mr. Davis, and Dean would like to keep it that way. He’s not sure why he holds this secret so close—maybe because he’s afraid of jinxing it?—but he doesn’t want to tell anyone. Especially not Jinny. The second she knows, she’ll go blabbing to everyone. And this is important. This is his thing, and he doesn’t want to ruin it.

  “That’s it? A deal?” She raises her brows, incredulous. “What is he, some kind of old-man drug dealer? Or are you into gambling or something?”

  “Why do you assume it’s illegal?” When she doesn’t even blink, he sighs. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Dean shifts on his feet, staring at his unrelenting sister. When Mr. Davis returns to the front of the store, she glances at him and smiles, then whispers, “If you won’t tell me, maybe he will?”

  Growling, Dean grits his teeth. “Fine!” As Mr. Davis opens the door to leave, Dean shoves a hand through his hair. “I’m buying Buzz.”

  Jinny’s frown twists. “What?”

  “Mr. Davis’s wife is sick. She’s not doing well… He came to me a year ago and told me he was going to sell the place, but he’s always liked me. We have this bond, plus I’m the acting manager, so he offered it to me first. Of course, I’m a broke college kid. I told him I’d love to have it but had no way of paying for it, and he came up with an agreement. Each year until I graduate, if I work here, save my wages, and pay him seven thousand every six months, at the end of graduation he’d help me get a business loan to pay for the rest, then sell it to me for half of what he would normally list it for. My payments from now until then are a down payment for me and a form of security deposit for him. That way he knows it’s sold, that I’ll follow through with the loans. If I don’t, if I stop making payments, he’s free to sell it. He wants to travel with his wife before her MS gets even worse.”

  Jinny’s jaw drops. She’s speechless for once, and this makes Dean grin. “So, you’ve already paid him…”

  “Fourteen thousand dollars. My third payment was due last month, but I missed it.”

  Jinny stares at him a moment, then shakes her head. “Because you gave Callie that money. You might have sacrificed your future for hers.”

  Dean shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “Hers was more imminent than mine.”

  “Bullshit.” Jinny sighs and paces the floor a minute before she stops. “Why would you do this to yourself? You have an incredible opportunity, and now you might’ve screwed yourself over. And for what?”

  “For Callie,” Dean says, his tone harsher than intended. Jinny won’t understand. She can’t. She has no idea what it means to care about someone like that, to love someone so much it feels like shrapnel to the heart.

  “She needed help, and I was able to give it.”

  “What about you, Dean?”

  “I’ll figure it out.”

  The couple that had been flirting in the back exits tries to avoid looking at Jinny, who’s staring daggers at Dean. Making his way to their table, Dean grabs their empty coffee cups and notes the hint of a headache forming at the base of his skull, and suddenly he just wants to be alone. “Listen, if the only reason you came here tonight is to get on my ass about everything, then you’ve probably covered your bases,” he says, grabbing the mugs and turning back to her. “You can probably go.”

  “No, jackass. That’s not the only reason I’m here. I’m on my way to hang out with Todd, but I had some information I thought you’d want to know.”

  “What is it, then?” Dean asks, thinking that this better be good. He was already in a shitty mood on account of Callie, and so far his mood is only swirling further down the toilet.

  “I came to tell you that Callie’s out tonight with some hot dude from work. He’s from some big-ass firm in California. The same firm she mentioned that she might work for after graduation, so if you want your shot, and you don’t want her moving across the country, you better take it. Now.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CALLIE

  “Thank you.” Callie accepts the seat Brian offers. She scoots her chair in as he moves to the opposite side of the table, where he settles in the seat across from her.

  So far the evening has gone well, nothing mind-boggling and nothing disastrous, for that matter—as to be expected for a first date. The conversation in the car on the way to the restaurant flowed nicely. They made a lot of small talk, him asking her about school, why she chose her major and wanted in the finance business, her asking him why he chose California and if he thought he’d stay with Paramount for the length of his career. Every once in a while she would catch her thoughts wandering to Dean and her chest would tighten, but she shut those thoughts out the best she could. After all, three’s a crowd, and there is no room for a third wheel here.

  He takes her to Isabela on Grandview, one of the upper scale restaurants in the city. As she takes her seat, she vacillates between thinking he is simply trying to impress her and that this type of scene is just the usual for him. Either way, she sits in the golden cast of light in the dining room, a little bit in awe.

  The huge windows of the restaurant showcase a breathtaking view of the city below. Towers and office buildings rise high in the evening sky, their lights twinkling in the night, and she can’t help but have her thoughts drifting to another such view. Similar, but even more breathtaking. The one from a rooftop in Mount Washington. And she thinks of Dean.

  Her chest swells with the familiar welling of emotion, and she forces the memory away before her recollections lead her to the unexpected excitement of the way Dean felt that night pressed against her, his taste, the heat of his skin…

  Turning away from the windows, Callie tries to ig
nore the similarities of this date with her last one, but it’s quite impossible with the window-plated walls.

  As if sensing her discomfort, Brian smiles at her. “Wine?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  Callie leans back in her chair and tries to relax as Brian orders them a bottle of wine and an appetizer. When the waiter arrives with the bottle, he pours Brian a taste and after testing it, he nods in approval and gives his thanks.

  “I’ve got it from here,” he says as he takes the bottle and pours Callie a glass.

  She waits until his is full, then takes a sip. “I was afraid that I’d come to pick you up and your apartment would be empty. I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised.”

  “Why would I stand you up?”

  Brian shrugs. He’s wearing a beige dinner jacket, white shirt, and pink tie. The lighter colors accentuate his tan and sun-streaked blond hair. “With your undefined relationship or whatever it is you have… I just figured there was a good chance you’d change your mind about tonight. I’m glad you didn’t, though.” He smiles.

  “Me too.”

  “So, tell me, Callie Cartwright, what would you be doing tonight if I hadn’t coerced you into going out with me?”

  Callie laughs, and the tension around her spine loosens its grip. “Honestly? I’d probably be sitting alone in my apartment finishing off the pint of Häagen-Dazs I have waiting for me, flipping through the latest issue of Vogue, or browsing the hot new releases on Kindle. I know, so very exciting. I suppose I should be thanking you for taking me out.”

  Brian smiles. “Not exciting, but certainly not boring. It’s cute, and I’m pretty sure that just about any guy in this room would pay to be the one sitting next to you on the couch while you read and eat the last of your ice cream.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Callie says, glancing away from him a moment.

  “I do.”

  Taking a sip of her wine, Callie feels the heat of a blush bloom in her cheeks. It feels good, being wanted like this. Maybe this is all she needs. Maybe all along it wasn’t Dean at all, but her need to have someone pursuing her, to feel desired, special, beautiful, even. Someone to share evenings like this with. “Okay, it’s your turn now. What about you? What would you be doing tonight, had I not accepted your dinner invitation?”