THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 23 of 44
Muse
Description
Sophia Hayes is an artist, albeit a struggling artist with a day job working as a cashier. She knows she’s going to make it big one day, though. When she does, she plans to move out of her overbearing cousin’s apartment and never work in customer service again. All she has to do is find the right inspiration, and in a city as beautiful as hers that shouldn’t be too hard. After all, she is talented and has a great personality despite the curves that are concealed under it. Anyone should love to be her muse.
Enter Dylan, Sophia’s unknowingly perfect angel of art. Despite meeting under strange circumstances, they hit it off immediately. So unlike her, he’s a military man through and through. His only problem is breaking his leg in the line of duty and being medically discharged from the Navy. Meeting Sophia isn’t on Dylan’s to-do list, but neither is being stood up by her cousin who so happens to be in a relationship already.
Through a series of unexpected twists and turns, two opposites attract and something more than a one night stand forms.
*****
Shuffling through the kitchen cabinets absently, Sophia frowned deeply when nothing stood out to her. It was about that time when hunger began to make her irritable and distracted, and she didn’t want to go through it. She’d pick a fight with her cousin again, and then Jocelyn would call her boyfriend to back her up. Just thinking about it made her already sluggish limbs hang a bit more limp at her sides.
“There’s never any snacks... I want snacks... Snacks, snacks, snackety-snack-snacky snacks.” Sophia let her head droop until the nice, shiny refrigerator came into her peripheral vision. She knew there wouldn’t be anything in there either, though. Jocelyn had been the one to go grocery shopping and she hated snacks and junk food of any kind. At this point Sophia would be willing to settle for some baked, low sodium potato chips.
That was the problem with living with a food nut, she supposed. It was also the reason she kept her personal stash in her bedroom where her cousin couldn’t find it.
“Sophia! You left your bedroom door open again!” The angry call seemed to burst Sophia’s pleasantly annoyed mood, and she rolled her eyes with a slight huff. Jocelyn was so up-tight that it was suffocating at times. Rules littered the floor like tar and if she wasn’t careful Sophia might get stuck. Just like with her lack of snacks, it was something she simply had to deal with. Living with her cousin meant she didn’t have to pay rent, and the ability to save money was awe inspiring.
“Yeah, yeah… I left my door open again… For two damn minutes.” Shuffling her way back through the living room of their shared apartment, Sophia grumbled to herself. Today was her only day off from her pitiful job, and she didn’t want to spend it listening to Jocelyn whine about trivial mishaps. Reaching the hallway that led to the bathroom and both bedrooms, her frown morphed into a slight scowl. The door she claimed as her own was only open an inch, if not less.
Even so the smell of her marijuana seeped through the small crack.
Sophia slipped beyond the barrier and shut the door gently before leaning on the door to glance around. Her personal space was so different than the rest of the apartment. On either side of her walls stretched out the color of a child left unattended with markers. There was no rhyme or reason to the bright display. She’d just splattered paint over the bland white that once dominated the room. Under her feet, the floorboards were healthy and rich, leading to a plain, black futon that served as a couch.
Before Sophia continued her inspection, her gaze fell onto the low coffee table in front of the futon. The glass surface was neat, holding only her cell phone and a smoking pipe she fondly thought of as her favorite. The hand-blown glass was supposed to be a pink dolphin, but she used it so much the fins had worn away. Against the bright light pouring in front her bedroom window it looked like a slug or worm. Somehow even looking at the object made her frown smooth out.
Unfortunately, Sophia didn’t understand why Jocelyn objected to her habit so much. Surely it didn’t smell as awful as her cousin made it out to be, and she didn’t push her lifestyle onto anyone else. Most of the people she knew didn’t even know she smoked, so it couldn’t have been noticeable.
It didn’t even bear mentioning that Jocelyn’s boyfriend asked her for an occasional bowl pack. Sophia didn’t like him all that much anyway, but he always tried to get out of paying her for it.
“I need to make it big already.” Dropping heavily onto her bed, Sophia sprawled on her back against the tie dye comforter with a big sigh. Of all the things she’d done with her life living with her cousin seemed like the biggest mistake. Jocelyn didn’t appreciate her artistic talents just like Sophia didn’t appreciate her cousin’s athleticism. One piece was all it took for her to go down in the history books, and she knew how good she was. Not many people received a full scholarship to the New York Art Institute, after all.
Really she was going to waste. Unlike Jocelyn’s common argument it wasn’t that Sophia smoked marijuana, either. If anything it made her think more creatively. Lately it hadn’t been working as well as it usually did, though.
Staring at the ceiling, Sophia reached up lazily to blot out some of the tiny, raised bumps that broke up the white paint. Oftentimes, she wasn’t even home so early in the day and didn’t know what to do with herself now. Searching constantly for that one blur that would become her muse was tiring, and working a day job was torturous. It was one of Jocelyn’s many ‘conditions’ to living here, as sad as it was.
“Knock knock. I’m going in the shower, Sophia. Can you keep an ear out for Paul? He should be here soon.” Sophia lifted her head but the door didn’t open. Jocelyn didn’t even wait for a response before the sound of her footsteps heading away could be heard. Sitting up, she ran her hand through her short blonde bob while another frown overtook her lips.
If she didn’t have it so good here, Sophia would’ve left. Maybe she wouldn’t have even moved here in the first place. Like her mother loved to point out, being an artist meant struggling and very little payout. She’d have to die to become famous and even that wasn’t a guarantee. Chances were she’d fade into oblivious like every other undiscovered genius.
When Paul eventually showed up Jocelyn was out of the shower, so Sophia didn’t bother getting up to welcome him. Instead, she packed her pipe and filled her lungs. Smoking wasn’t something she did all day every day, but with nothing else to do it didn’t seem like a bad past time. At the very least her analog clock would tick by faster. Once her head was starting to feel light and airy she picked up a sketch pad and a pencil and hunkered into her bed. There was no intent to get anything done. More than likely she expected to sit there for a while as the heaviest part of her high slowly rolled over her.
At least it drowned out the sounds coming from the other bedroom.
“So… hungry...” Groaning out the complaint, Sophia let her pad and pencil slip from her grasp to sit up straight. Procrastination wasn’t going to solve her problem. It took a second to really gather the energy to stand, but she managed and made it to her bedroom door in no time at all. Grasping the shiny, brass knob, she frowned lightly before turning it and opening the barrier.
Almost instantly the sound of Jocelyn’s ‘workout’ hit Sophia’s ears, and she tried to block it out. Her cousin coveted any type of health even if it wasn’t healthy. Surely Paul liked Jocelyn well enough, but Sophia would bet money she didn’t have that, it was the sex that kept them together. Really it was pitiful, but she refused to go down that road. Any conversation about it wouldn’t end well at all for her. If she did bring up their tumulus relationship she’d probably get kicked out.
Jocelyn was stuffy like that. It was a wonder they were related at all.
Shuffling to the kitchen once again, Sophia paused near the small, four-person table to glance around in dismay. Everything in this roo
m was something she’d have to physically work to cook. Even thinking about it made her want to go back to her bedroom, but she’d be back here soon enough.
Leaning over the counter as Sophia waited for water to boil, she stared into space and wondered about her failing career. It should’ve been so easy to find that one thing she needed. In theory it was, but putting that theory into practice definitely wasn’t. Lately she found herself working as a cashier at her local McDonald’s, coming home and sulking about her inability to find that one thing. If she were truthful with herself, it was that very cycle that stopped her from being successful.
Nothing was easy in a life that went at maximum speed, though. To live she had to work. To work she was distracted from her passion. It was never ending.
Less than half an hour went by before Sophia happily shoved wheat spaghetti into her mouth. Music blared from her cell phone and kept other less appealing noises at bay. Still, it didn’t drown out the sound of her own chewing, nor was it loud enough to make her oblivious. Should Jocelyn find the mess she made before she had a chance to clean it up she’d be in trouble. It might’ve only been a single pot, but it was still a mess.
*****
Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time to enjoy her hastily prepared spaghetti before a knock sounded throughout the room. Sophia didn’t really want to answer it, but even as she started to chew again, it sounded once more. Slowly pushing herself up from her chair, she held her bowl in one hand as she padded, bare foot, towards the front door of the flat.
“Hello?” Flinging open the barrier, Sophia eyeballed the man that stood on the other side. She didn’t know him, so that meant he was Jocelyn’s friend. Just considering it made Sophia roll her eyes. It was embarrassing being related to someone that would so easily cheat on their significant other.
Of course, Paul probably did the same thing, so it really canceled itself out.
“Hey, I’m looking for Jocelyn Hayes?” Refocusing her attention, Sophia frowned lightly before leaning on the door frame.
“Who’s askin’?” Before her the man was actually pretty good looking. Sophia liked that he wasn’t a severe bodybuilder or something similarly horrific. Those kinds of men were usually Jocelyn’s type. Scanning his plain, white crewneck t-shirt and faded jeans, she couldn’t imagine he worked out more than necessary. He clearly had muscle her eyes drank up greedily, but it wasn’t overly much for his tall frame.
“I’m Dylan. Who’re you?” Sophia’s gaze snapped up to Dylan’s face and her frown vanished as she scrunched up her nose in distaste.
“Dylan, huh? I knew a guy in middle school named Dylan. He was a total snot slinger. Grossest kid I ever met. Anyway, I’m Sophia, Jocelyn’s cousin. What do you want her for?”
The moment Dylan drew in a breath Sophia knew she wasn’t going to like what she heard.
“We’re supposed to go on a date tonight, actually. Is she around?” Sophia buried her bark of laughter under a mouthful of spaghetti before gesturing Dylan inside. She’d gotten too used to this scenario, though. Jocelyn would go on ‘dates’ with other guys, just like Paul would do with other women. They’d go to dinner or something, and then come back to have an all-night party for two. It was times like these when Sophia was eternally grateful she was a heavy sleeper.
“Where you takin’ her? Nowhere greasy, I hope. She’s the craziest health nut I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing.”
Dylan looked around the flat for a second before shrugging, and he shoved his hands into his jean pockets as he looked at her.
“Not particularly. I got a reservation at Michael’s Bay.” At the mention Sophia perked up and her bowl hit the table a little harder than necessary. Michael’s Bay was the best seafood shack in town and unless someone reserved it, there was always a long wait. She knew it was worth it though. Even remembering her last visit almost a month ago, made her mouth water.
“Michael’s Bay is so-o-o-o good. I love their crab cakes. And the lobster rolls. And the seafood mac-n-cheese… I’ve had almost everything on the menu at least once before, you know.” At the gush Dylan smiled a little awkwardly and glanced around again. Without his gaze on her, Sophia licked her lips before her own eyes wandered to her bowl of dry spaghetti. There wasn’t even sauce on it. The whole thing was pathetic.
“So… do you think you can go get Jocelyn? The reservation’s for 5pm...”
“Oh yeah. Sure. Be right back- don’t eat my noodles.” Sophia flashed a smile at Dylan before making her way across the living room but it soon dropped as soon as he couldn’t see her face. Usually if a new guy came over she didn’t get involved. Being in the middle left a bad taste in her mouth and sometimes he would even blame her for wasting his time. Letting out a soft huff on her way down the short hallway, she shoved her hands through her short blonde waves.
So close to Jocelyn’s door, Sophia was kind of surprised she didn’t hear anything anymore. Slowly she lifted her hand to knock, but even then hesitated slightly. She’d have to tuck tail and hide in her bedroom once Paul realized why Dylan was here. They both probably knew the other cheated on them, but coming face to face with the truth was different.
“Hey! Jocelyn- there’s a guy here asking you to dinner!” Speaking loudly through the door, Sophia listened for a moment as the calm before the storm washed over her. Inside she heard the bed creak before pushing herself away from the door to travel back to the living room. Dylan stood where she’d left him looking none the wiser. The mental image of what was about to happen made an overly wide smile split across her face.
“She’ll be right out,” Sophia chirped and leaned on the edge of the table to cross her arms under her bust. Usually she didn’t revel in the stupidity of others. Most of the time she even went out of her way not to annoy her cousin.
This, though- this was worth watching and all of the crappy feelings she’d feel when it was over.
“Paul! Paul wait!” Jocelyn’s voice crackled as her shouting rang throughout the apartment. Sophia felt kind of bad when she glanced at Dylan, though. He seemed to know exactly what was going on. Retraining her gaze as Paul stormed out of the hallway, she kept the frown even though she wanted to gag. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and all that muscle was just plain unattractive.
“Paul! It’s a misunderstanding! Wait!” Dylan slid to the side a bit to avoid being mowed down, and Paul was clearly too angry to care about what Jocelyn had to say. Truly Sophia wasn’t sure if she should feel anything, so she just pulled a forkful of drying spaghetti into her mouth as the drama unfolded before her. They’d gotten themselves into this mess.
Sophia turned her gaze to her cousin and frowned passed her food. Jocelyn only had a pair of panties on, and they weren’t even that flattering. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were already puffy and red. No one really knew it but Sophia’s littler cousin wasn’t a pretty crier.
“P-”
“No, Jocelyn!” Paul was only a foot from the door when he whirled around and roared in Jocelyn’s face. It even made Sophia unknowingly scoot closer to Dylan. Her cousin’s now ex-boyfriend looked madder than mad. His hands were clenched into fists and even the vein in his forehead bulged as his face glowed an angry red.
“I fucking told you not to do this shit anymore. I told you the first time I found out, and you promised me you’d stop. I told you the second time that if I caught you again we were done. You just can’t fucking keep your legs closed, can you? Not even for a man you supposedly love. Well go to hell. You’re nothing more than a cum hungry slut and you don’t even have the personality to negate that.” With one last scathing glare Paul threw open the door and closed it behind him with a ‘bang’. Sophia couldn’t hold back her sigh of relief now that the tension was withering away. Turning her gaze to her cousin, she wasn’t sure if she should be surprised or not at the impudent expression on her face.
Jocelyn didn’t even pay her own bills, though. It was hard to think that she’d be capable of having a relationship.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Jocelyn turned to cast a glare of her own at Sophia. It was the smallest of signs, but it was enough for the blonde to do one thing she hated most.
Cardio.
Sophia dropped her bowl and let it crash on the tiled kitchen floor as Jocelyn tried to get at her. She could’ve used anything nearby to get away; even the kitchen table that was touching her butt. Instead, Sophia scurried her way around Dylan and wrapped her hands around his arm. Even though he wasn’t obligated to protect her, Sophia stilled closed her eyes tightly and held her breath. Against her bust Dylan’s muscles flexed, but all she felt was relief before the sound of a body hitting the floor sounded.
“If you want to fight, I’ll call the police right fucking now because I’ll kick your fucking ass, Jocelyn. And you- let go of me. Seriously. You’re not seven.” Cracking open her eyes, Sophia slowly let go of Dylan’s arm before he took a few steps back away from both her and her cousin. For a moment he just looked between the two, and it was at this point that Sophia felt guilt begin to bubble up inside her. She should’ve told him the moment she opened the door that this would happen. Not for Paul or even Jocelyn, but simply because Dylan wasn’t a part of their turbulent relationship.
“I’m out of here.” Making his way to the door, Dylan left Sophia with a bad feeling in her tummy and Jocelyn ready to explode on the floor. Before she even really had a chance to think about it she followed him out the front door.
“Wait! Dylan, I just want to apologize for that. I didn’t know Paul was being faithful.” Even to her ears Sophia’s excuse was a crappy one, but as she caught up to Dylan’s long strides it was the only one she had. Why this time was different she didn’t know, but now she was so far up a river without a paddle it didn’t bear thinking about. Jocelyn might even kick her out for exposing her dirty little secret.
THE HEALING HEART Page 74