“Surprise,” I said.
“Did you get fired?” Cali asked, cringing.
“No,” I said, fake cringing back at her.
She was in a red, checkered pattern shirt - not flannel - and had a basket hanging off her arm that matched. Along with a pair of shears in her hand. And gloves that matched the basket.
I pointed.
“I’m going to cut some flowers,” she said. “Make my own arrangement for the dining room table.”
“Well then,” I said. “Welcome to the rose garden.”
Cali pointed the shears at me. “Don’t be a bitch about it.”
“I’m not. You know how I feel about flowers,” I said with pain in my heart.
“I know,” Cali said. “And how long are you going to stand there and not actually enjoy the garden? I told you the place is yours. I meant it. Everything is yours.”
Except your husband, right? Ohhh… burn…
“I appreciate it,” I said. “The basement is fine.”
“Carter wants to have another sleepover,” Cali said. “He loves the idea of sleeping over Aunt Candice’s and then just walking upstairs in the morning to be home.”
I laughed. “He’s something. You’re in trouble with that kid.”
“Why?” Cali asked, frowning with her classic defensive face.
She would have made a kickass lawyer if she didn’t bail on law school to be with Keith. That was the biggest and most rebellious thing she had ever done in her life. And I was so proud of her for it. Even if she never did anything risky like that ever again.
“Carter has the brains of Keith,” I said. “And your attitude. That’s deadly.”
“That just means he’ll be able to take care of himself.”
“Oh, he will.”
Cali moved toward me, the shears still pointed at me. “You’re upset.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“About what?”
“That fucker that owns that cafe,” Cali said.
My eyes went wide. “Not a fan of Gregor?”
“Not the way he treats my sister. Then again, my sister should just stand up for herself, kick the guy in the balls, and leave.”
“What have you been drinking today?” I asked. “You’re fired up. And now you’re going to cut some flowers for fun.”
“Don’t turn this on me. What did he do now?”
“It actually has nothing to do with Gregor,” I said.
“Then what is it?”
“Can’t I just have a blah day?”
“You’ve had a lot of them lately,” Cali said.
“Cali, I’m not in the mood.”
“Fine,” she said. “Do what you want. Whatever works.”
As Cali walked by me, giving me her guilt laced attitude, I put my head back and sighed.
“Trent texted me today,” I said. “A bunch of times. That’s all.”
Cali nodded. She pursed her lips. Looked at me. Looked away. Looked at me again.
“I know,” I said. “You asked. I told you. I know.”
I’m not talking about the rock star that showed up and fucked up my day… or the fact that I can’t get him out of my mind.
“Not to bring up another sore subject… but Clark…”
“Oh, Cali,” I said. “Why did you do that?”
“What?”
“You set me up on a date?”
“I talked about you. Bragged about you. That’s all. He’s a nice guy. Perfect for you.”
“What makes someone perfect for me?”
“Why do you have to be so self-righteous?” Cali asked. “You hate that your life is so flawed yet you embrace the flaws. You love them. You secretly love everything wrong.”
I swallowed hard. My right hand twitched as I considered slapping Cali. It sucked now that we were adults and she had a husband and a kid that me slapping her would be such a bad thing.
“I’m sorry,” Cali said. “I’ve had a long day too. But you said you would go out with him. One date. Not even a date. Just dinner. What’s the problem? If you don’t take a chance…”
“You’re telling me to take a chance,” I said with a laugh.
“Fine. You’re right. I opened my mouth. I stuck my foot in there too. I got caught up in a moment… I was with Keith and Clark was there and I had this vision of the four of us together. I messed up, Candice. There? Happy now?”
“Actually I am,” I said. “And for that, I will go on your pity date.”
“Pity date?”
“Yeah. It’s a pity date. I’m going to show up. I’m going to talk, laugh, order something expensive, and then leave before the check comes.”
“Candice…”
“No,” I said. “That’s how this goes. That way I can say I went out with Clark, okay? Then everyone can complain about me. How bad I am and all of that.”
Cali sighed. “You can’t just give it a chance?”
“I said I’d go. Okay?”
“I’ll give him a call,” Cali said. “And then I’ll text you his number.” Cali took two steps and paused. “You know this Trent thing isn’t going to end well, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” I said.
“I’m torn on it, Candice.”
“Well, good thing it wasn’t your heart broken into pieces,” I said.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes you did,” I said. “Go enjoy your rose garden, Cali. It’s really a beautiful thing.”
I looked down at the coffee, which had to have been cold by then.
I pictured Dex standing on that table, ready to drop his jeans.
It didn’t make sense how one day could be so fucking crazy.
Then again, all it took was one day to change everything in your life.
* * *
I went over the purchase orders then made sure both Betty and Misti were getting everything organized for tomorrow morning already.
It had been a slowish kind of day, but that wasn’t always a bad thing.
Being caught up wasn’t good enough.
I liked to be ahead of things.
As I walked to the counter, I saw the picture of Dex and Gregor on the wall.
I shook my head and kept myself distracted.
Betty stepped up next to me. “Want me to make your day shitty?”
“Try me,” I said.
“Customer just called to tell me the women’s toilet is clogged.”
“Called you…?”
“Yeah,” Betty said. “She must have done something and then got embarrassed and left.”
I looked at the bathroom door and shut my eyes and sighed. “Okay.”
“I’m not going in there,” Betty said. “Not with Misti here. I have seniority over her.”
“I’m not sending Misti into the bathroom,” I said. “She’ll end up staring at herself for hours in the mirror.”
“Trying to figure out why there’s two of her,” Betty said with a laugh.
I smiled. “That’s terrible.”
“That’s true,” Betty said.
“Let me just call Otto.”
Otto lived in one of the apartments above the building and he took care of all the maintenance… and emergencies. He would never come take care of a toilet for anyone but me. Nobody else was allowed to call him personally but me. If there was one thing in my life I learned it was that everyone had a purpose. And I hated the idea that Otto got treated as just the maintenance guy. Without him, the building wouldn’t function.
He picked up on the third ring with a his gruffy, aged voice.
“‘ello?” Otto yelled into the phone.
“Otto, it’s Candice.”
“Well, hey there! I take it you’re not calling me for a hot date?”
“Well… you can have a hot date with the bathroom issue down here.”
Otto laughed. “Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?”
“Of course I did,” I said, smiling. “Still w
on’t work.”
“I’ll be right down, Candice,” he said. “Don’t let anyone else touch anything in there.”
“Otto, you’re the best ever,” I said.
“You mean that?”
“Definitely. Three sugars, no cream, and a blueberry muffin to go?”
“You’re trying to get to my heart through my stomach, aren’t you?”
“I’m smarter than I look,” I said.
“You’re as pretty as you are smart too, Candice. I’ll be right down.”
Otto never said goodbye.
The call would just end.
I rang up the coffee and muffin because god forbid Gregor gave something away to someone like Otto for free.
It was the least I could do for bothering him in the middle of the day.
Otto showed up ten minutes later and had the toilet fixed in even less time.
When he was done, he strutted to the counter with his work belt filled with tools around him, waddling with a limp on his left leg that he swore didn’t exist. He smiled with his bushy mustache and his thick eyebrows lifted when he smiled. If you asked him his age he’d tell you he was once only twenty-one. Gregor told me he was in his seventies. But Otto didn’t look a day over fifty.
His fingers were thick, calloused, cracked, and had that forever dirty look to them because he had worked with his hands all of his life.
“All fixed?” I asked.
“Of course,” he said.
“Here you go,” I said, pointing to the coffee and muffin.
Otto reached for money and I stopped him.
“Candice…”
“Otto…”
“I don’t take handouts.”
“I didn’t hand it to you,” I said. “I slid it to you.”
He growled at me.
“Are you going to write this up?” I asked him.
“No,” he said.
“And why not?”
“Because you know who will get mad that you didn’t do the work yourself.”
“Otto…”
“Candice,” he said. He swiped the bag with the muffin off the counter. Then he took the coffee and sipped it. “Perfect. As always.”
“Thank you, Otto.”
“That’s all I need to hear.”
Otto waddled to the door.
He opened it and I felt like smiling.
But that went away.
Really fast too.
Otto held the door for someone.
Dex was back again.
* * *
“Don’t pull a knife on me again, sweetie,” he said. “I’m just here for another meeting.”
I kept the counter between us.
“You can sit anywhere. I’ll have someone take care of you.”
“Really? Someone is going to take care of me right here? You know, that usually costs a lot…”
My nostrils flared. “Someone will bring you something to drink. Or eat. Whatever.”
“Has to be you, sweetie.”
“Why?”
“You’re not starstruck.”
“I don’t care what you want.”
“I’m meeting lawyers again,” Dex said.
“Good for you. I assume you got yourself into trouble.”
“Trouble sort of finds me.”
“That’s the dumbest thing to say, ever.”
“Is it though? What about if I said the sky was purple and elephants had necks like giraffes? That seems dumb.”
I sighed. “What do you want?”
“Not sure yet, sweetie. I have to impress these lawyers though. And Toby. He manages the band.”
“I’m so impressed right now,” I said.
Dex backed away from the counter. “I think I have something up my sleeve. Just make sure you come to the table. I promise if you do that, I won’t make a scene. I won’t chase anyone out. I won’t ask anyone to flash me, including you. And I swear on my life I won’t reference my dick once.”
“Fine. Deal.”
Dex winked and walked to a table.
A minute later in walked the same three people from the day before.
Toby and the two lawyers.
This time, Dex seemed a little calmer. More welcoming. More…
“Why the fuck am I watching this?” I whispered to myself.
I went back to being busy for a minute until I had to go to the table.
When I got there, the tension was intense.
Dex reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Get these guys anything they want, Candice. Okay?”
I pulled my hand away.
Was he being nice?
This wasn’t a real restaurant, so it was two coffees and one tea.
They were all deep in conversation as I brought their drinks to the table.
Dex reached for my hand again.
I tried to pull it away but he rubbed his thumb down the middle of my palm. The chills it sent through me…
I didn’t realize the tips of my toes could get chills.
And I did not like nor want my body to react like that.
It made me freeze in place.
“So I need to make a bold statement,” Dex said. “Right?”
“Right,” Toby said.
Dex stood up.
He stood next to me.
He then moved his hand and interlocked his fingers to mine.
When I tried to pull away, he squeezed tighter.
“How about this for a bold statement,” Dex said with a grin.
He looked at me and winked.
Then he addressed Toby and the lawyers.
“Candice and I have been secretly engaged… and it’s time to tell the world about our love story.”
5
Dex
Not only did she rip her hand away from mine, she wiped her hand on her apron and then took a swing at me. Her aim was way off and instead of slapping me across the face, she hit Toby upside the head with a half closed fist.
Toby fell to his left, crashing into Barry.
Candice gasped, covered her mouth, and looked ready to cry.
“That’s actually not the worst proposal I’ve ever had,” I said to Franklin.
“I’m so sorry,” Candice said to Toby. “I’m… he…”
Toby waved to Candice. “It’s fine. You have a hell of a hit there, Candice. Maybe grab me some ice?”
“Of course,” she said.
She looked at me and scowled before running away.
“See you soon, sweetie,” I yelled to her. I laughed. “She’s fucking wild, huh?”
“This is insane,” Barry said. “Have you lost your mind, Dex?”
“What?” I asked. “You wanted a statement, there it is.”
“That’s not a statement,” Barry said.
“Actually, it is,” Franklin said. “It could work.”
“What?” Barry and Toby asked at the same time.
We all turned our heads and watched as Candice came rushing back to the table.
“I am so sorry about that,” she said to Toby.
“It’s fine,” Toby said. “A lot of people want to hit Dex. Even me.”
“Don’t be so worried, sweetie,” I said to Candice. “You’re protected now. With me, nothing bad can ever happen to you.”
Barry scoffed.
I reached for the knot on Candice’s apron and tugged at it.
She grabbed my arm and dug her nails hard into my skin.
“Don’t,” she said.
“She’s so serious at work,” I said. “I love that about her.”
Candice stepped back. “I don’t know what this is… but it’s never going to happen.”
“We can’t get into another fight,” I said. “I might end up doing something crazy again.”
“That’s on you,” she said to me. “Not me. You. I’m sending someone else out here to take care of you. And if you do something else, I’m calling the police. I don’t care if you’re here with lawyers.” She looked at Barry and Frankli
n. “You two should know that anything he says is bullshit anyway.”
She spun around and her dirty blonde hair danced behind her.
I smiled, appreciating her hair… but mostly her ass.
That thing just moved left to right… left to right…
If that was how she walked when she was pissed at me then our engagement was going to be filled with a lot of fights.
Not to mention how good angry sex was…
Toby snapped his fingers a few times. “Dex. New plan. You tried. Time to talk real for a second.”
“Which is throw yourself into an apology tour,” Barry said. “Hit every radio station, TV show, magazine… social media influencer… we line it up and you take the hard questions and tout sobriety.”
I laughed. “Sobriety?”
“It’s the only way out of this,” Barry said.
“I like the fake engagement better,” I said.
“She doesn’t,” Toby said, pointing toward the counter.
“She’s just confused,” I said.
“She hates you,” Barry said.
“Well, it doesn’t have to be her,” Franklin said. “I mean, it could be anyone. Right? The idea works.”
“Listen to this guy, Toby,” I said.
“How does it work?” Toby asked.
“Dex is the hot, bad boy rock star,” Franklin said. “He’s wanted… in more than one way. So imagine he pops out in the public eye with a pretty girl on his arm, wearing a diamond ring. Everyone will lose their minds over it. And from there Dex just spills the story.”
“We can have Olivia write it,” I said. “Look what she did with Nash. Saving the band’s ass.”
“What is there to write?” Toby asked. “The questions… they’ll see through it.”
“Not a chance,” I said. “Candice and I had been together for a while. We kept it secret because of my life. The way the rock star life really is. I can paint the dark picture of drugs and booze, but go beyond it. The fans. The cameras. The gossip. I never wanted her swallowed up in that. So we kept everything hidden. The recent situations… it was because of that. Unable to hold my fiancée’s hand outside. Take her to dinner. Go get a drink like a normal couple.”
“In other words, deflect,” Barry said.
A FILTHY Engagement: a filthy line novel Page 4