Inevitable

by Angela Graham

  “Hey, I tried calling you about twenty times this morning,” Hilary said, stepping beside me while I stocked up on Kleenex. “Are you all right?”

  I turned and smiled. “Yeah, sorry I turned my phone off. Just needed a day to myself but I’m good, promise.”

  She looked at me intently, studying my expression as if trying to decide if she should push the subject. I cocked an eyebrow and made a face. She relaxed and turned her focus to the tissues in front of us in the narrow aisle.

  “So, Caleb called me last night,” she said, as if it were the most natural thing and not something she’d dreamed of half her life.

  “I didn’t know you gave him your number.”

  “I didn’t.” Her nonchalant expression began to falter, a smile tugging at her lips. “He said he has ways to find out things worth knowing.”

  “How cocky of him.” I laughed. My cart was full so I began walking toward the register. “So what did he want? To prove his stealthy abilities at getting a phone number in a town of less than a thousand people?”

  She rolled her eyes. “He’s having a thing at Haven this Saturday and wants me to come and bring you along.”

  “What kind of thing? He just had his opening. I didn’t realize Caleb was going to be livening up the town with parties every weekend.”

  “It’s not a party, it’s an…event.” Her tone was soft and slightly embarrassed. What was she not telling me?

  “What kind of event, Hilary?” She now had my full attention.

  “Will you promise to come with me?”

  “Not until you tell me what it is.”

  “Please, Caleb wants me to help out and inviting all my single friends will really help him.”

  I frowned, so much for Caleb’s interest in her. Yet she didn’t seem to notice.

  “Hilary—” I warned.

  “Promise you’ll come with me and I’ll owe you one, please.” She gave her best sappy face that left it impossible to deny her. Damn her!

  “Ugh. Fine, I’ll go,” I groaned. “But I’ll collect this debt when you least expect it.”

  Hilary nodded with an excited grin.

  I began unloading my cart on the conveyor belt of the register and smiled over at Miranda, the cashier. Having no idea what I’d just agreed to I braced myself for the worst.

  “Don’t freak out—” Hilary said slowly, “it’s speed dating.”

  “What!” I yelled louder than I intended. “Speed dating! No, not happening.” That was far worse than I could have imagined.

  “Come on, you can’t back out now, you promised.” Hilary smiled as she scurried away and quickly retreated toward the front doors. “I’ll see you Saturday at eight. I’ll meet you there. And wear a dress!”

  I bit my tongue and turned back to Miranda. She was our age and single—and the look on my face must have been enough for her to read my mind.

  “I’m not going.” Miranda laughed. “I actually just started seeing someone.”

  I shook my head and sighed.

  “That will be sixty-eight dollars and thirty-two cents,” she said. I handed her my debit card.

  “Have a good day, Cassandra, and good luck.” Miranda grinned as I walked out.

  “Tell me again why I let you drag me to this?” I pouted. Hilary and I stopped in front of the small table set up with pens and name tags. If only I had not been born and raised in this town I could get away with writing a phony name. Hmm. Alexandria had a nice ring to it.

  I grinned, lost in thoughts of the possible personas I could conjure up for tonight’s grueling event, when Hilary snatched away the sticker in my hand and filled in my rightful name. She was no fun tonight.

  “Oww,” I said, exaggerating it for full effect when she slapped the sticker roughly on my upper abs. The low cut of my dress left no other place.

  Pulling in my brows, I shot her a look of annoyance. “You know, I have better things to do than spend my Saturday night with a bunch of pathetic guys looking for a frivolous one-night stand, right?”

  “Don’t be so negative.” Hilary leaned down to fill in her name on the tag. “I’m sure most of the guys here tonight are looking for a deep, emotional relationship.”

  I could hear the snicker caught in her throat and couldn’t help but smile. Maybe she would be fun tonight after all. Standing up straight, she looked down at her strapless turquoise dress that was accentuated by her full breasts and frowned. Nowhere to really place the sticker.

  “I don’t see the point in name tags. We’re not children. If you’re old enough to go on a date you should be old enough to not need a name tag,” I scoffed. My short, white, summer dress looked silly sporting the bright-red sticker. It took long enough to convince myself to put on the damn thing in the first place for an evening like this, and now it was marred with a hideous tag.

  She placed hers on her small tan handbag.

  “That’s cheating.” I frowned. “If I have to look ridiculous so do you.”

  I pulled it off her bag and slapped it on the center of her large chest. Her low-cut flower print dress then looked less sexy and more awkward, but at least we were going into this as equals.

  “Thanks,” she grumbled. “Look, I never thought I’d be spending my night speed dating either, but Caleb asked and you know he’s not the easiest person for me to refuse.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed you have that problem.” I tried to stifle my chuckle when a large group of women began shuffling in the doors, pushing us forward.

  Caleb was certainly going to be thrilled with the turn out. I grimaced. I’d never realized there were that many single people in Harmony.

  “Are you going to make a move with Caleb tonight?” I asked. “Or continue playing the sweet friend eager to help out?” I hadn’t seen Hilary since the supermarket on Monday, but I did receive multiple texts from her throughout the week about hanging out at Haven to lend a hand at setting up this event. “At some point you have to confess you are in love with the man. Preferably, before one of those bright-eyed, bushy-tailed tramps sink their claws in him.”

  We walked toward the crowded room filled with singles, all holding drinks, and wearing similar name tags. I cringed; this was not where I wanted to belong, among every other person incapable of finding love.

  “He asked me to come here for speed dating. Does that sound like a man interested in me?” Hilary sighed.

  “Whatever you say.”

  Sifting through my purse I turned my phone to silent, not that I’d hear it over the music.

  “Oh. My. God,” Hilary giggled. I looked up to find her facing the bar. “Look who’s here. Never thought a guy like that would need help finding a girl.”

  Great, so apparently I did fall into the box of people that needed help. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for a night spent talking to guys with clichéd pick-up lines that still lived with their parents. I followed Hilary’s gaze to see who she was talking about when my eyes widened at the sight of Logan.

  Could I not have one night out without having to deal with this guy? He seemed to be everywhere.

  Tonight he was sitting at the bar, staring straight at me wearing a devilish smirk.

  Logan raised his glass—of what appeared to be hard liquor—in my direction causing my body to stiffen and my pulse to race. Wild flutters crept through my stomach and my breath caught in my suddenly dry throat. Why did I still feel this way around him?

  I had jogged every morning, but had not seen him since the beginning of the week. I did notice him leaving about the same time I left to go run. Instead of a bare chest, shorts, and tennis shoes, he was wearing a dark suit and tie.

  He didn’t even look in my direction the one morning he drove right past me. It was as if my cold shoulder to him had turned him off. I was no longer any fun. I should have felt proud and relieved instead, there was a tiny ounce of something unknown and bewildering tugging at my chest.

  I was the one avoiding him, not the other way around. He would
be lucky to have me groping him in his foyer like Katie did.

  “Guess he’s getting lazy with his pick-up efforts.” I laughed. “He gets them served up on a platter tonight.”

  Logan cocked an eyebrow and my inside took a dip. I grabbed Hilary’s arm and pulled her into the nearby restroom.

  “What the hell?” Hilary snapped when I released her. I struggled to regain my composure, ignoring the stares of the few women standing around the mirrors. I hated that this one man caused my body to react like that. I spent all week feeling so proud of myself.

  “Why does he have to be here tonight?”

  “Caleb said he’s a regular at the bar most nights.” She gave me a wry smile. “Okay, what’s really the problem? You think he’s hot and you had that dirty or shall we say delicious dream about him, so why not, you know, get to know him?”

  Oh, the things she’d have to say if she knew exactly how many dirty dreams about Logan I’d had. The things he did to me in my slumber were mind-blowing. I shook my head, groaning.

  “What part of him being a dick did you not understand the other day?” I answered, throwing my hands in the air. “I’m not going to be another notch on his bedpost!”

  “You’re right, sorry.” She shook her head as if suddenly remembering something. “Maybe he’s just here having a quick drink? He’s not exactly in need of a speed dating service.”

  Hilary gave me one last smile before turning to leave me in the ladies’ room that was now unoccupied.

  A deep breath, in and out, while I stood in front of the full-length mirror next to the bathroom door did nothing to clear the swarm of butterflies overwhelming my stomach.

  “Okay Cassandra, you can do this. He’s not that hot.” I whispered to myself while fluffing my hair and reapplying my favorite red lipstick. If he wanted to lurk behind me and throw around his good looks, so could I.

  “Hey Cassie, thanks for coming out tonight,” Caleb said as I approached the bar. Logan sat on the stool in front of him.

  Before I could reply, my gaze wandered down to Caleb’s arm wrapped around Hilary’s waist. That was new.

  I glanced up to see Hilary biting her lip, staring back at me with wide eyes, holding back a giant grin.

  “I’m sure we can find some poor schmuck in here for you to turn down,” Caleb chuckled.

  “Very funny, Caleb. I’m only here as a favor, so don’t tempt me to leave.”

  “Relax, I just heard around town you’re not the easiest girl to pin down a date with,” he explained.

  Where did he hear that? I rarely got asked out, but then again when I did, I was pretty good at coming up with a reason why I couldn’t. Not because I wasn’t looking but because the right guy hadn’t asked.

  “Maybe it’s because the people in this town aren’t used to women with standards. Something most women here tonight lack,” Hilary replied smiling at me. Her gaze shifted to Logan and she shot him a cocky smirk.

  I couldn’t help returning her smile. She never failed to have my back. I loved her for that. As much as I knew she was freaking out having Caleb’s body so close to hers and actually touching her, she still wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

  Caleb craned his neck to say something to Hilary but my mind was too preoccupied with the feeling of Logan’s eyes boring into me. I needed to say something or at least look at him but finding the courage was a larger task than it should have been. Why did he have to look so amazing tonight?

  He was still wearing a suit. The top few buttons were undone as was his tie and his jacket was thrown over the stool beside him. Thank the heavens above he was seated since his trousers were sitting snugly below his waist and I had no doubt they would show off a perfectly sculptured ass that drove me wild the day he carried me home from our jog.

  My heart began to race and heat shot from the tip of my toes to the top of my head. Breathe, Cassandra, breathe.

  I puffed out my chest, held my head high, and turned to face him.

  “Hello, Logan,” I said slowly before closing my lips into a tight line pulling up slightly on the sides to keep from looking like a total bitch. My cheeks burned as I forced the smile. The thought of him knowing just how much he left me flustered drove me insane.

  After a long tense silence he finally spoke. “Cassandra. You look stunning this evening.” His words were low and smooth as his eyes locked with mine. They were deep-blue and clouded with something that pulled me in.

  I swallowed hard hoping nobody actually noticed as his gaze trailed slowly down my rigid body. The tension was thicker than ever before and I couldn’t take another second of it. I was playing right back into his hands.

  “So, what brings you here tonight, Logan?” I said his name slower and softer than usual, hoping to capture a hint of seduction to see his reaction.

  He looked back up to me and lifted his drink to his mouth, smiling. “Beautiful women.”

  “I see.” I finally glanced away from him as I nodded for the man across the bar. “Well, I hope you have fun.” I mumbled quickly when the bartender stopped to take my order.

  I ordered a glass of wine, the same wine that was served the week before.

  “That’s on me, sweetheart,” Logan said, reaching for his jacket.

  “Thanks, but I can buy my own drinks.” I took my glass from the bartender and turned away walking toward some old friends without another word. I did however put an extra sway in my hips for good measure.

  I could feel his eyes on me and I smiled, it felt good to have the upper hand with him for once.

  “I don’t think she likes you.” I heard Caleb chuckle and glanced back subtly over my shoulder to catch Logan smirking as I sashayed across the room.

  Chapter Seven

  Flirtation

  Standing in a small group filled with women I went to school with, I finally began to relax. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be all that bad. Surveying the room, there were a few men I’d never seen before and most were my age.

  Hilary was still at Caleb’s side, his arm wrapped around her waist, hand resting on her hip. She looked completely overjoyed and smitten. I was happy for her, she deserved a good guy and despite the mystery of Caleb’s extensive absence he had always been nothing less than a gentleman. Caleb was that one guy in high school every girl fawned over even though few held his attention, but he always treated them with respect which is why the girls continued to come around.

  Living across the street from him growing up, I’d seen the many girls coming and going with giant, bewitched grins covering their faces. To my dismay, I also saw the loneliness in him when he’d hang out around the block sneaking a smoke.

  Logan was no longer at the bar. It was as if he had just disappeared. I recoiled, why was I looking for him? The thought of him leaving should have calmed my nerves a little, instead I found myself wondering if he took one of the many single women in here home with him already.

  Caleb stepped away from the bar, Hilary at his side ringing a small bronze bell in her hand, smiling.

  “All right, let’s get this thing started, shall we? Ladies, you’ll each have a table to yourself. The men will be the only ones moving around, tonight…at least while you’re still in my bar. They’ll have five minutes at each table to convince you they’re worth your time. If you want another five minutes then just stay put till the next bell chimes or until the woman kicks your ass out of the seat. Now, some of you may find love or at least a good time.” Caleb cocked an eyebrow. “And others may end up with a drink thrown at ‘em. I’m looking at you, Pauly.” Caleb chuckled as did half the room. “Either way you’re all here tonight buying my booze and I’ve got a beautiful woman on my arm, so I couldn’t be happier.” Caleb squeezed his arm tighter around Hilary’s waist, pulling her into his side. A bright shade of red flushed over her cheeks.

  I smiled, picturing her face the next time we were alone, and she was able to unload her side of the evening on me. At least one of us was having a night to remember.

/>   Caleb continued, “Now let’s have some fun and remember no hassling any of these fine ladies here tonight, gentlemen.” Caleb raised his glass while Hilary rang the bell once more. The room instantly filled with soft laughter and shuffling feet as the women found their tables.

  Quickly making my way to the small table hidden in the far corner I sat down and waited for the first guy to approach. My glass of wine was nearly empty so I looked up in hopes of spotting a waiter instead my gaze landed on Logan.

  He was still there and walking straight for me. My stomach tightened, eyes locking with his, dreading the thought of being trapped attempting a conversation with him for five long minutes. I swallowed, the scorching heat rising in my body as he grew closer. Out of nowhere, a young man stepped in front of my table blocking my view. I blew out a deep soothing breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in.

  With a sweet smile, the young guy pulled out the chair across from me, taking a seat and clearing my view back into the room. Logan had stopped in the aisle, his expression dark, his eyes glaring at the back of the man’s head sitting with me. A curvy redheaded woman sitting at the table next to him whipped out her hand, grabbing his arm.

  I couldn’t hear what she was saying to him over the chatter of the room but without a glance up at me, he sat at her table, smiling. My stomach clenched again. I wasn’t sure what it was. Jealousy? I quickly wiped the absurd thought from my head and looked over at the guy in front of me.

  “Cassie Clarke, wow, it’s been awhile. Not sure if you remember me, Robert. I sat behind you in science, senior year.” He took a long drink from his bottle of beer and smiled.

  Sipping my wine, I looked up over my glass smiling. “Yeah, of course I remember. How are you?” I had no clue who this guy was, but he seemed sweet. He was no Logan but—I bit the inside of me cheek. What the hell was the matter with me? I shook all thoughts of my frustrating neighbor away, smiling uncomfortably back at Robert.

  His faded red T-shirt sporting a sci-fi show I’d never heard of, buzz cut, and measly attempt of a mustache weren’t doing it for me. I was never one to be rude, so I sat there trying to listen.