by C. Morgan
He looked at Amara. “What did we just talk about?” he said.
“Dad,” she whispered. “Please, stop.”
“Do you visit all of your customers at night?” Hank asked.
I shrugged. “Not always.”
“But you came here to see Amara, right?”
I got the feeling I was being interrogated. “I did,” I said. I wasn’t going to back down from the guy. “Is that a problem?”
“Yes, actually, it is.”
“That’s unfortunate. For you.”
He didn’t look happy. I doubted he was used to anyone talking back to him. He was the kind of man that expected people to bow and kiss the ring. I kissed no man’s ring. I licked no man’s boots. He could stare at me all he wanted and flash his fancy Rolex. It was lost on me.
“I thought you told me there was nothing between you two?” Hank accused Amara. “I specifically asked you. You said you were focusing on the business.”
“I am. My business is fine. Nothing has distracted me.”
I raised an eyebrow, smirking at the man. “Doesn’t seem like there is anything wrong with the business,” I commented.
“You don’t know what you are talking about.”
I shrugged. “Maybe not, but I don’t see a burning building. She’s doing fine.”
Hank scowled at me. He really didn’t like the idea of me sticking up for his daughter. I waited, challenging him to say something more.
He opened his mouth, but instead of saying anything to me, he turned to her. “What’s going on between the two of you?”
I looked at Amara. I was interested to hear what she had to say as well. She looked like she would rather be anywhere else except for where she stood. I felt a little bad for her. She looked torn. I wanted to tell her it was okay, but my guard was up.
She gave me a quick look before facing her father. “Nothing, Dad.”
I refused to show any reaction. Old memories that I had buried a long time ago threatened to come to the surface. Memories of kids at school making fun of the fisherman’s kid with jeans that were always just a little too short to be cool. It wasn’t just the fact I was the son of a fisherman. It was my family. My dad didn’t have the best reputation in town because he grew up dirt poor and loved a good bottle of liquor. The blackened Hannes name followed me from the very moment I took my first breath. It made me harder and stronger—most of the time. There was still a hint of vulnerability that I couldn’t always ignore.
Hank looked at me with a smirk on his lips. “Nothing. There is nothing between you and the lobsterman.”
“No,” Amara said again, sounding much more confident in her denial. “Dad, it’s time for you to go.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I think it’s time this young man and I had a conversation.”
“Didn’t we already have a conversation?” I asked him. I refused to back down. “You remember, right? You came down to the dock. Was that to check me out?”
“What?” Amara gasped. “You went to talk to him? When?”
I waited for Hank to answer.
“It was after the dinner with Nick,” he admitted.
“Dinner with Nick?” I questioned.
The guilty look on her face told me all I needed to know. I had been played.
“It wasn’t like that,” she said.
“You don’t have to defend yourself to this guy,” her father chimed in. “This is why you don’t want to date Nick?” He nodded at me. “Amara, you can do better. You deserve better.”
Again, I felt like I had been slapped. I refused to let him see me react.
“Dad, stop, please. This is none of your business.”
Hank turned on me, stepping close as if he could possibly intimidate me. It was laughable. I was younger, bigger, and a hell of a lot stronger than him. His perfectly manicured nails, the five-thousand-dollar suit and the five-hundred-dollar haircut might mean something in his world, but if he thought it would intimidate me, he was dead wrong.
“I think you have overstepped the boundaries just a bit, don’t you?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Are there boundaries?”
He nodded, his gaze holding mine. “Oh, yes, there are. You know that. You know Amara is way out of your league. You need to stay in your lane.”
“And what lane would that be?”
“The lane that is far from hers. You are not the man she needs. Amara comes from a family that is used to having nice things. She’s educated and is going places. She doesn’t need dead weight bringing her down. I understand young girls get ideas in their heads about the guys from the wrong side of the tracks. I won’t let that happen to my little girl.”
“Dad!” Amara scolded. “You are way out of line and you are embarrassing me.”
He ignored her. “You are a lobsterman. That is your lot in life. It’s a respectable job but it does not give you the right to date my daughter. Leave her alone. She’s not for you.”
Amara stepped in front of him. Her attempt to block him from my view was futile. I easily looked right over her head, staring down the man that had decided I was scum. “You have some pretty strong opinions about me. I’ve met you exactly one time.”
“I don’t need to know you to know what kind of man you are.”
I nodded. “Interesting.”
He wanted me to get mad. He wanted me to show him I was a barbarian, just as he suspected. I refused to give him the satisfaction. I would save it all for later.
“Leave and don’t come back. I’ve already arranged for another supplier for the restaurant.”
Amara stepped out from between us. She wouldn’t look at me.
“Is that true Amara?” I asked.
“I guess,” she said in a voice so low I barely heard her.
I’d had enough of the bullshit. I wasn’t going to stand there and let old Hank insult me another minute. “Amara, what’s going on here?”
“Leave her alone,” Hank hissed. “You don’t get to mess with her head.”
I ignored him. “Amara, look at me.”
She lifted her eyes to finally meet mine. “Fulton, I’m sorry.”
“Are we seeing each other?” I asked her the only question that mattered.
She wouldn’t look at me. Her hands twisted together before she slowly shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
I nodded and looked at Hank, who was smiling with a great deal of satisfaction. “Take care,” I said and walked out with as much dignity as I had left, which wasn’t much.
She didn’t try and stop me. She didn’t call my name and ask me to wait. She didn’t apologize or say it was all a misunderstanding. I kept walking. I didn’t trust myself to stay in their presence another second. I was raging on the inside. Hurt tore through me. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so betrayed. I’d never felt it before because I’d never allowed anyone to get close enough to make me feel like that.
I started my truck and looked toward the restaurant. I could see them both standing there. They were talking. She was probably telling him she didn’t know why I thought we were dating. She was apologizing to her father for fraternizing with the riffraff.
I threw the truck in reverse and headed for home. Stanley had been right. My initial suspicions about her dallying with the guy from the wrong side of town had been confirmed. I felt naïve for thinking a woman like her could ever really want a man like me. She was curious. Rich girls like her wanted to know what it was like to be poor. I provided her with a service and that was that. She wanted cheap lobster because that was how the rich stayed rich. They always wheeled and dealed.
I was the dumbass who fell for the pretty face and the innocent routine. She knew exactly what she was doing when she met me that first day. I had to laugh at myself. I prided myself on being this hard ass and I got fucked over by a pretty face.
It was a lesson learned. I would never put myself in that position again. I would go back to being the way I had always been. It worked for me. This
whole relationship and feelings business was a load of shit. I preferred it the way it was. I could find sex anywhere. It wouldn’t be quite the same, but getting off was getting off.
I got home and headed directly for the shower. I needed to wash away the day. Tomorrow was a new start. I would do my thing and not think about Amara. It was done. There was no point in trying to fix something that wasn’t mine to fix. It sucked to lose a client, but I survived without her before. I would do it again.
By the time I fell into bed, I was beyond exhausted. It wasn’t just a physical exhaustion. I was drained in every way. The one time I let myself think about a future with a woman, I got fucked. The one time I ever let myself feel a little something more than a casual relationship, I got my ass handed to me. Not my ass, my heart. She’d rejected me in the cruelest way possible.
That was fucked up. That was not something I’d expected from her. It just proved I didn’t know her at all. She was not who I thought she was. She’d played me from the very beginning. She pretended to be this down-to-earth, average woman. She was anything but average. She was wealthy and spoiled and had no problem using people to get what she wanted.
She had no qualms using her looks, which was something I absolutely detested. I couldn’t stand shallow women that cared more about their image than anything else. I was foolish for not seeing through her bullshit. She’d snowed me and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
My eyes were wide open now. The bridge had been burned and I had no intention of ever repairing it.
Chapter 34
Amara
I was sulking. Nothing felt right. I was miserable. My dad’s demand that I focus on the restaurant was going to backfire. He’d created drama where there didn’t have to be drama. Now, I was stressed out and the very last thing on my mind was the restaurant. I had no desire to go to work. Thankfully, today we were closed. For now, we were going to stay closed on Mondays. It was the slowest day of the week and it gave everyone the day off, including me and Kerri.
I rolled my head to the side and looked out the window. It was a nice day out. I imagined Fulton was out on his boat, fishing and doing his thing. Was he mad at me? Did I hurt him? Did he even care?
I already knew the answer to all of those question. Yes. Yes to all of it. I had seen the look on his face. I was a horrible human being for what I had done. I couldn’t even bring myself to look in the mirror after my shower.
“Get up, Amara,” I said aloud. I still had some unpacking to do. With the restaurant and hanging out with Fulton, settling into my apartment had been pushed to the back burner. I looked at the boxes that were pushed into a corner with the goal of being out of sight and out of mind. It wasn’t working very well.
There was a knock on the door. I sprang up from the couch with energy I didn’t know I had. I rushed to the door and jerked it open, hoping to see Fulton standing on the other side. I would throw myself at him and beg for his forgiveness.
“Oh,” I said, my shoulders drooping. “It’s you.”
“Gee, with that kind of warm welcome, I can’t imagine why I don’t come by more often,” Kerri said with a small laugh.
“Sorry.”
“Who did you think it was?”
“Fulton. I didn’t think you were him, but I hoped you were him.”
“Girl, I don’t want to be rude, but you look like shit.”
I looked down at my stretched-out and faded sweats and the shirt I had worn about a hundred times too many. “I wasn’t planning on seeing anyone.”
She sighed, shaking her head as she walked inside the apartment. “I knew this would happen.”
“You knew what would happen?” I asked and shut the door.
“He would dump you. I tried to warn you he wasn’t the kind of man you are used to. He’s a different breed. They don’t value commitment and long-term relationships. The sea is his mistress and always will be.”
I flopped down on the couch. “Well, that’s where you got it wrong.”
“Which part?”
“All of it. I’m the one that ruined things. He has been nothing but kind and sweet and I was a total bitch to him.”
She sat down on the couch beside me. “Amara, I know you. You are about the furthest thing from a bitch I have ever seen.”
I looked at her, tears welling in my eyes. “Not this time. I was really awful.”
“Did you guys get in a fight over lobster?” she teased.
“No. My dad.”
She grimaced, knowing all about my dad trying to set me up with Nick. “What did he do?”
“My dad has asked me not to see Fulton. Asked isn’t the right word. He pretty much demanded it. He forbade me from seeing him. I lied to his face and told him there was nothing between us. Last night, he stopped by the restaurant to see the progress. Then Fulton came by.”
She twisted her face up. “Uh oh. That had to have been like a battle between the titans.”
“Surprisingly, Fulton said very little. I thought he would tell my dad to fuck off or say something to defend himself. He didn’t. He just stood there and took my father’s insults.”
“Why would your father insult him?”
“Because he thinks I’m too good for Fulton. He thinks Fulton is after me because of my money. Not my money—my father’s money.”
“Does Fulton even know about your family’s wealth?”
“No. Not that I know of. He’s never said anything about it. In fact, he has made several comments about how he understands what it is like to struggle like me. He didn’t know.”
“That sucks and that was not cool of your dad.”
I was ashamed, almost too ashamed to tell her my part in the situation. “It was awful.”
“Fulton isn’t going to hold your money against you. Tell him your father doesn’t speak for you. He’ll understand. He’s been dealing with that kind of condemnation his entire life. We all have. There is a huge divide in the classes around here. It’s always been that way.”
“Have I ever made you feel like that?” I asked, horrified at the very idea.
“No, you are one of the rare ones. The wealthy people that live around here like to flaunt their wealth. They act like their shit doesn’t stink. People like me and Fulton are used to it. We don’t let it bother us.”
I hated that she thought so highly of me. It only added to my shame. “My dad was horrible but what I did was worse.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“My dad asked me if I was seeing Fulton. I told him no.”
She bobbed her head. “That’s not terrible. I mean, yes, it sucks but you were only doing what was best in the situation.”
“Fulton looked me in the eyes and asked me the same question.”
She leaned away from me. I wasn’t sure she even realized she was distancing herself from me. “And?”
“I told him no. I denied him.”
“Judas!” she exclaimed.
“Hey!” I protested. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“I am your friend but that was harsh. I can understand why you feel guilty. That was not cool.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “You’re doing a great job cheering me up.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh. “I know you didn’t purposely hurt him.”
“I did hurt him, didn’t I?”
“Well, I can’t imagine it felt good to be shot down like that.”
“I feel so horrible.”
“We need to get you out of here,” she said, getting to her feet.
“What?”
“Let’s go grab a late breakfast. We’ll be the ones waited on.”
“You’re still going to be my friend after what I did?”
She smiled. “Sorry, hon, but you are stuck with me. You’ll have to do far worse than that if you want to get rid of me.”
“I don’t feel like going anywhere,” I mumbled.
“Which is exactly why we are going. You need to get some fres
h air. We’ll grab breakfast and do a little shopping. Retail therapy always does the trick for me.”
“The last thing I want to do is go shopping.”
“Come on. You owe me this.”
“Why do I owe you?”
“Because I have been busting my ass and I want to go shopping. Go change. It’s my turn to be pretentious. I am not going to be seen with you in that outfit.”
Sitting at home alone and hating myself wasn’t going to do anyone any good. “Fine.”
I went to my room, rummaged around, and pulled on a pair of shorts and a flirty blouse. I put on minimal makeup and rejoined her in the living room.
“Ready?” she asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We headed to a local restaurant and ordered deluxe breakfasts that, according to Kerri, wiped out any worries. While systematically increasing our risk of clogged arteries, I was sure. The breakfast helped lift my mood.
“What are you going to do?” she asked as we sat back in the booth and sipped the last of our coffee.
“I don’t know.”
“Will you apologize?”
“I’m not sure I will see him again.”
“You aren’t even going to try?”
“I don’t know. Part of me thinks this might be for the best.”
“Why would you think that?” she asked.
“Because I didn’t want a relationship. I was serious when I said I wanted to focus on the restaurant. I don’t want to be distracted. That’s what my dad is worried about as well. This thing with Fulton just kind of happened. I didn’t plan for it to be anything more than a one-time thing.”
“But it was,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but it doesn’t mean it was going anywhere.”
“You fell for him and don’t deny it.”
“Which is why it is probably a good thing it ended before it could go much further. Me and Fulton have nothing in common. He was bound to find out who I really was, and he would have dumped me.”
“Do you really think he would have cared about your money? Come on. I don’t even know him very well, but I don’t believe that for a second.”
“He might not have said it bothered him, but I think it would have. I’ve dated guys in the past that were bothered by it. Guys like to be the bread winners.”