Date and Dash

by Susan Hatler

  Gazing into his eyes there was no pressure, no judgment, just concern.

  My stomach bubbled as I sucked in a breath. “When I was seven my Grammy moved in with us. My dad was an E.R. doctor. He had a hard time dealing with losing patients and started drinking pretty heavily. Those were hard times. I know now that he was in pain, but back then all I knew was to stay away from Daddy when he was drunk.”

  A breeze blew across the park, moving some blond strands across my line of vision, and Trevor brushed them back gently, tucking them behind my ear.

  “When my dad drank, he’d scream and yell at my mom and my sister and me. Sometimes he’d throw things. He ended up losing his job. Hey, I guess we have that in common, huh?”

  “That must have been awful,” he said, stroking my hand with his thumb.

  “It got worse after my grandma passed away. A bunch of bills piled up so my mom sold Grammy’s bracelet. And it had been so special to me . . .” My voice drifted off, and a dark blanket tightened around me as I was brought back to my childhood and that day. Tears burned my eyes. I could hear Grammy’s reassuring words like an echo—that with the bracelet I could be brave and strong. My lips felt numb as I fought to form words. “My dad had scolded me for bouncing on my pogo stick inside the house. I’d broken my mom’s favorite vase and he’d screamed at me, warned me to never use the pogo stick in the house again.”

  I closed my eyes, hearing his shouts in my mind, and my shoulder blades pulled together. A bird squawked, the sound ringing across the park bringing me back to the here and now. And to Trevor.

  I opened my mouth again. “My dad’s friend, his drinking buddy, had been over the next week. My dad went to the garage for more Scotch.” I shuddered, remembering what happened next. “I’d been bouncing on my pogo stick outside and came inside the house for a glass of water. I bounced through the living room and bumped into my dad’s friend’s beer and knocked it over. He . . . lost his temper. Before I knew it, he’d shoved his palms into my chest, knocking me across the room until I hit the fireplace.”

  Trevor made a quiet noise beside me and I looked up to see his jaw tighten, the muscles pulsing. “Did you report him?”

  I shook my head, numbly. “All I could think was that I shouldn’t have disobeyed my dad. If I told anyone then my dad would know I disobeyed him and I’d be in trouble. Maybe he’d tell me I deserved what I got.”

  “Did your dad ever hit you?”

  I shook my head, hot tears escaping down my face. “No, but he’d yell and it would make me afraid. I couldn’t tell him or anyone.”

  “Oh, baby.” Suddenly, Trevor’s arms were around me and he pulled me against his chest. I buried my head there, inhaling the outdoorsy sent of pine that smelled like him. The tears fell for minutes that felt like hours. When I was done, a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.

  I sniffled. “I hope I’m not getting snot on your shirt.”

  His chest vibrated against my cheek as he chuckled. “How do you think of such things?”

  “Compulsive about keeping clothes clean?” I suggested with a giggle. “After it happened, after he pushed me, I ran to Grammy’s room for comfort. I went to her after I starting having nightmares, too. She had this special bracelet she always wore and she’d clasped it around my wrist. She told me as long as I wore that bracelet then nothing could hurt me. I believed her.”

  Trevor was silent for awhile. Then he said, “You don’t need your grandma’s bracelet to be brave, muffin. You can do that all on your own.”

  “I don’t know that.”

  “I do.” He brushed his mouth over the top of my head. “I’m sure Grammy believed in you, too. She just used the bracelet as a reason for you to believe in yourself. I get it, though. I really am sorry for the way I behaved when I first found out that’s what you wanted to do with your money.”

  I shook my head, swallowing the tears that remained. “You couldn’t have known.”

  “I really can be a bit stuffy, huh?”

  A burst of laughter escaped. “Don’t make me bring up the police report again. I’ve finally put that behind us.”

  He chuckled, placing his finger under my chin and lifting my gaze. When I looked up at Trevor, there was such intensity in his gaze that it stole my breath. “You are stronger than you think,” he murmured.

  He angled his head closer to me, and his gaze searched mine. I leaned nearer, knowing what he wanted, and wanting it too. His mouth brushed mine in the lightest butterfly touch. I responded instantly, weaving my fingers through his soft hair and kissing him back.

  I loved the feeling of his mouth on mine. When he deepened the kiss, fire shot through my belly and I tasted him over and over—never getting enough and still trying for more.

  When we finally broke apart, he wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head. I had a hard time staying still, in the moment, because my flight or fight instincts told me to run. That he’d hurt me just like Rick had back in college when he’d cheated on me.

  But my heart had already bypassed my head.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time I got back to the office, I hadn’t worked even half an hour before it was time for lunch. I gathered my keys and purse from my desk drawer while Elliott was trying to convince Tara to have lunch with him. She claimed she wanted to work through her break but now she seemed to be considering his lunch invitation.

  Did Elliott like Tara in a lunch date turns into dinner turns into a romantic weekend in Tahoe way? The thought took the word ick to a heightened level for me. The two were polar opposites motivationally-speaking and I could already see him letting her do the dishes and the laundry while he watched a football game with his feet propped on the coffee table she’d just cleaned.

  Ugh. Now I was projecting. The more time I spent with Trevor, the worse I felt about not standing up to Elliott and not telling my boss about his false claim to my work. Watching Elliott trying to woo Tara made me nauseated, so getting out of here to grab a bite to eat was a must before I lost my appetite completely.

  In order to avoid the office longer, I drove to my favorite sandwich shop downtown and Trevor’s kisses replayed in my brain. Best smooches of my life—hands down. My feelings for Trevor were sending me into a tailspin, but I’d let him in and now I was blissfully happy like a schoolgirl with her first crush.

  I arrived at the sandwich shop, placed my order, and decided I’d head down to the concrete park with the gold miner statue to eat because the day was just so beautiful. I also wanted to reminisce over the kiss Trevor and I had shared there after we’d won the scavenger hunt. Just as I stepped out the door, I caught sight of the man in question across the street coming out of a restaurant.

  My belly fluttered at the sight of him and I opened my mouth to call out his name when a woman I immediately recognized stepped out in front of him as he held the door open for her. It was Wendy Watts from Romance Revealed.

  I gasped audibly, watching them in shock.

  Trevor turned to Wendy with the same smile he had given me dozens of times and I ducked back into the sandwich shop so they wouldn’t see me. My mind started spinning. He’d acted like he’d liked me not two hours ago and now he was having lunch with our competition? What was going on?

  I peered through the window as he walked down the block with her. They stopped in front of a white Mercedes SUV, which I assumed was her car since I knew from my insurance representative that his was still in the shop. Also, I really didn’t see him forking out money for a second car let alone an expensive car when he could be donating that money to charity or whatever. But what did I really know about him anyway? I certainly hadn’t thought he’d move on to the next girl by lunchtime.

  My fists balled as he placed his hand on the small of her back. How could I have been so stupid? I’d dismissed my one-strike-and-you’re-out rule and let him play me. If I had kept my guard up like I normally did, then I would’ve stood by his strikes and would never have le
t myself get close to him.

  But I had let him get close. And my heart squeezed in my chest to prove it.

  Wendy Watts with her confident smile and her sleek, dark hair cut stylishly beneath her chin.

  She was known as the queen of Realtors around Sacramento, and her Realtor photo appeared on many billboards across the city. She was like the perfect woman and I’m sure there was no way she’d let a guy take credit for her work.

  I watched her move graciously in an obviously expensive navy blue pants suit, which made her look impossibly elegant. Trevor still wore the suit he’d had on earlier and the two of them made a good-looking pair. She was just the right height to complement him, and the way he leaned in as he spoke to her had my stomach coiling.

  Trevor opened the driver’s side door for her, then he walked in the opposite direction with a stupid smile plastered on his face. At least he hadn’t kissed her before he got in on the passenger’s side. That would have been too much for me to handle.

  When they drove away I slipped out of the shop, unsure about what to do next. No longer hungry, I dropped my sandwich into my purse and started to walk aimlessly through downtown.

  There was no way I could go back to the office yet to face Elliott.

  Somehow I ended up in the concrete park. As I sank down on the edge of the miner statue, I felt tears burning behind my eyes but I refused to cry. I needed to talk to someone. Briefly I considered calling my sister, but I knew Ginger would just give me a lecture of some sort. I decided to call Melinda.

  “You are never going to believe this.” My voice was raw and tight.

  “You sound upset. What’s going on?” Melinda asked, her voice laced with concern.

  “Trevor Brooks has been dating our competition the whole time behind my back. I just saw him on a lunch date with Wendy.”

  “I’m confused.” Melinda paused a moment and I heard voices in the background. “Avery said she saw you with Trevor earlier, here at the bakery. Sorry I missed you, but I was making a delivery.”

  Huh. I hadn’t seen Melinda’s barista—and our friend—Avery at Bernie’s Bakery. “Yes, we were there. He kissed me. Multiple times. But now I just saw him with Wendy Watts getting into her car.”

  “Have you talked to him?” Melinda asked.

  I puckered my face into a pout. “I’m not going to humiliate myself like that after what I saw.

  This is like a whole season’s worth of strikes and I don’t even like baseball.”

  “Take a deep breath.” Her voice was calm, which annoyed me. She should be rushing to my defense and confirming what a snake Trevor turned out to be. “Don’t get mad at me for suggesting this, but it seems to me like you might be jumping to conclusions before you have all of the information.”

  “What?” I pulled my cell from my ear, stared at it, then considered throwing it at the statue. I couldn’t afford to buy a new phone with my credit card maxed out, though. Sigh. “You have the perfect boyfriend, the perfect career, and you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be single with a sucky job.”

  “Sweetie, I’m on your side. I just don’t want you to make a mistake based on circumstantial evidence.”

  Did she think she was a freaking lawyer now? Well, this jury was so out.

  “Look.” I sucked in a deep breath, glaring at the bronze miner with his pick, who seemed to be staring at me with a knowing look. “Thanks for listening, but I need to get back to work. We film the third competition tonight and I need to come up with a game plan before then. I’ll talk to you later.”

  My heart ached as I hung up and headed back to the office. I felt colossally stupid. How had I not noticed this coming? I tried to recall Trevor showing interest in Wendy during filming, but came up blank. Surely there had been clues that I had missed because I had been so smitten.

  Then I remembered him paying close attention to her after the auction. Duh. I was beyond dense.

  Tonight was going to be an epic challenge. I still needed to look like I was falling in love with Trevor so we could win. We both needed that money. Even if I was furious with him, that didn’t mean I couldn’t support his cause. And I was going to get Grammy’s bracelet back. No matter what I had to do. This would take a lot of acting, but if it meant I’d get her bracelet back, then I’d do everything I could.

  ****

  Along with the two other remaining couples Trevor and I entered the ballroom of the

  Victorian house in downtown Sacramento where we’d be filming the third segment of Romance Revealed. I gazed around the room, which had the gilded trim of that era, and a polished parquet floor that shined as we walked to the contestant side of the room.

  I could imagine the elegant parties that had been thrown in here once upon a time, and the prospective spectacle that was about to take place. Around the edges of the room a smattering of chairs with high backs and deep red velvet seats had been artfully arranged. In the corner of the room a three-piece orchestra had set up, and I felt nerves flutter in my stomach. It was the perfect romantic setting, but sadly I had no romance to reveal tonight.

  I’d gone over Trevor’s lunch date with Wendy thousands of times in my head, trying to come up with an innocent reason why the two would be leaving in a car together. I came up with zilch.

  I needed to face the facts. I’d fallen hard for Trevor and he hadn’t fallen for me in the same way.

  Maybe his dedication to win for charity had made him purposefully deceive me, but deep down I didn’t believe that.

  I fidgeted in my evening gown which Ginger and Melinda had helped me pick out. The gorgeous dress was long and blue with a fitted bodice and a sweep of faux diamonds down the skirt. It fit like a glove and the make-up girl kept telling me that I looked really pretty. Not beautiful, gorgeous, or stunning. Just really pretty. I’d bet money she’d say Wendy looked spectacular tonight since she always did.

  Mike and Maggie had been eliminated after the Clue in to Love competition, which left Chase and Wendy, Ross and Evie, and Trevor and me (with our pretend relationship). Not knowing what our challenge would be made me nervous. I’d run in heels during our last competition and that hadn’t turned out well. The only upside had been Trevor carrying me to the finish line and there was zero chance of that happening if my heel broke this time around.

  “Welcome, contestants.” Brandon Baker strode to the center of the ballroom. “Sit tight a few moments while we wrap up last minute details. Then we’ll begin the ballroom dancing couples competition, called Love and Romance.”

  Love and Romance? Ha. More like Date and Dash. Because I was so etching my one-strike-and-you’re-out dating policy in granite after this debacle with Trevor Brooks.

  I smoothed my hands over my dress again as Trevor turned to me. His eyes lit up and he smiled in a way that nearly broke my heart. He dropped a kiss on my cheek. “I have to say it again. You look amazingly beautiful.”

  Confusion rocketed through me as he put his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the maze of production equipment. If he had a thing going with Wendy then why was he acting like he had feelings for me? Oh, right. Cameras were all around us. It had to be an act for the competition. At least if I was buying it right now then the viewers would too, which would help us win. Yay, us.

  “How do you think our chances are tonight?” Trevor asked with a twinkle in his eye. “Do you know how to dance?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah, like club dancing.” I kept an eye on Wendy out of the corner of my eye.

  She was straightening Chase’s tie, and I wondered if he knew about her lunch date with Trevor this afternoon or if he’d been duped like I’d been.

  “Unfortunately, I have two left feet.” Trevor chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in an adorable way that I didn’t want to find appealing. “I’ve seen some of those Jane Austen movies where they waltz or whatever. How hard can it be? We’re going to rock it.”

  I watched his face light up in one of his grins that still made me feel wob
bly, but I forced my gaze across the room to Wendy. He touched my elbow, and I glanced up at him. When his gaze locked on mine I knew I couldn’t just un-fall for him. If only.

  “Sure. Yeah, we’ll rock it.” My breath hitched in my chest and I gave him a forced smile that nearly split my face in half.

  He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Want to practice?”

  I saw Wendy and Chase begin to practice, which was probably where he’d gotten the idea—from watching Wendy, the girl he really liked.

  “Yes, I suppose we should practice,” I mumbled, listlessly. I tried to mimic the way Wendy held her arms stiffly as Chase led her around the room. “One, two, three, four,” I murmured as I watched the couple spin across the floor.

  On the other side of the room, Evie and Ross were talking with their heads bent together. I saw Ross point to us then to Wendy and Chase, and I frowned remembering the first competition and the bullet that had been shot suspiciously early. Something was off about those two and I wondered what they had up their sleeves this time.

  “Ouch.” Trevor flinched as I stepped on his toe, then he raised his brows at me. “Everything okay tonight, Mary Ann?”

  “Peachy, hot stuff.” I tossed my blond curls over my shoulder, hoping that he’d ignore the edge in my voice and would accept the answer at face value. “I just really want to win. You know that.”

  “Okay. Just checking.”

  I almost felt bad for being so quick to jump down his throat but then I remembered the way he’d looked at Wendy before they’d disappeared inside her expensive SUV. “So . . . how do you think Wendy looks tonight?”

  “Wendy?” He shrugged. “She looks fine, I guess.”

  “Just fine? Not gorgeous?” I asked, unable to stop the bitterness from spewing out of my mouth.

  “She and Chase are pretty good dancers,” Trevor replied. Apparently he didn’t notice that I was trying to out him. That or he was just a really good actor. His forehead wrinkled and he gave me a side-glance before he twirled me. “Why the sudden questions about Wendy? You think they’re bigger competition than Ross and Evie?”