by Regan Claire
“Where’d you park?”
“Uh, the far side of the lot across the street.”
“Are you good to walk that far in those shoes?”
I smile. He noticed my shoes, and the only time straight men notice my shoes are when they’ve been checking out what’s above them.
“I should be fine as long as no one is chasing me,” I tell him, truthfully. If someone tries to chase me in these suckers, my only defense is to try and land a front kick and impale them with the heel, because there’s no way I can do anything faster than a catwalk pace in these puppies.
“Now there’s a tempting thought,” Rhys says. He’s facing me now, and is close. When did that happen?
A shiver goes down my back. It is definitely a tempting thought.
I lean towards him just a bit, close enough that if he closed the distance, we could kiss. “Well, temptation is basically my middle name.” With that, I turn around and start walking to my car.
I shouldn’t be flirting, but I can’t help myself around him. Maybe his middle name is Temptation.
He catches up to me. “Now that I believe. I’ll walk you to your car, just in case someone else decides to chase you. What time do you get off tomorrow?”
“What? Oh, I think 4:30.”
We make it to my car, and he leans against the back door while I open my front door. I never locked my car; there is nothing of worth inside and I’d rather burglars find tha t out before they break a window to look. Rhys is just leaning there, looking like a model for a jeans brand, only better. Maybe he’s waiting around so he can kiss me again.
I kind of hope he does. I inch a little closer to him so when he kisses me, he won’t have to pull me in so far.
“Cash or check?” he asks.
“What?” Is he insinuating—
“For helping out tonight. Cash or check?” he asks again.
Oh yeah. “Definitely cash. I don’t have a bank yet, and cash spends everywhere.” Why isn’t he trying to kiss me? He isn’t even touching me, and we’re so close. All he has to do is lean a little forward.…
“You really helped a lot tonight. Thank you.”
I laugh. “Whatever. I’m pretty sure I just made things more difficult. You still have to pay me though.”
“One more thing,” he says, then puts a hand on my lower back and pulls me in until I’m locked against him before he finally brings those gorgeous lips down on mine.
Yes.
I meet his kiss on tiptoe, bringing one arm up to wrap my hand around the base of his neck, and hook the other around his side so I can feel the rippled muscles of his upper back.
He pulls away before I’m ready, so I grab him by the front of his shirt and pull him back.
“Tartarus,” he says like a swear, before giving in. His kiss is suddenly more intense, more passionate, and I can feel the entirety of his interest. I open up, tendrils of my power inching out and wrapping around him. The little voice in my head is telling me to stop, but my hands are under his shirt now and, oh my goodness, his skin feels like silk. I can’t help myself. The part of me that is always hungry is convinced that he can finally feed the part of me that is always wanting, and before I can stop myself, I feed that beast inside. I sink my power into him even as he sinks his body closer to mine, and drink, and as I drink, a flood is opened. I put more of myself, and take more from him than I’ve ever done before. This is further than lust, or infatuation. This is the stuff from the deepest part of the heart, and an area that even in my darkest days, I never dared touch.
Rhys pulls away, this time with a small growl, and I’m so drunk with power that I don’t fight him. He looks at me with the same half-crazed need that I feel, and with the same look of blind adoration that I’ve seen so many times before.
Then he very slightly shakes his head and the look is gone.
I’m dazed by the amount of energy I just pulled from him. By the fact that he is able to literally shake off something that should have left him declaring his eternal love.
He kisses me again, this time soft and gently, and now I’m dazed by the contrast, so much so that he can push me down into the seat of my car without my noticing.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, April.” He shuts my car door, and I’m left watching him through a cracked windshield as he walks away. He stops once to look at me, and something in my center jolts at the sight of him, cloaked in the darkness of the parking lot and staring back at me with such intensity. Then he just disappears.
Needs a Bestie
I look around a bit more for Rhys, because certainly he didn’t disappear out of thin air, then realize the light is too bad to find him. I sigh. My hand reaches for my purse where my keys are when I realize I left it inside.
With a stranger.
I’m such an idiot. Panic hits me while I get out of the car and I spend the walk back to the club reminding myself that there is nothing of worth in my purse.
But it would seriously suck if that Eros guys stole it, because then I’d have to get a rideshare back home to get my spare, and I absolutely don’t have the money for that.
I’m almost to the door when a small crowd walks out. Theo is leading the way, and I tense up while preparing a few choice insults in case he decides to hit on me again. It’s unwarranted, since he has an arm around a rather buxom brunette and his eyes are looking nowhere near my direction. It’s hard to see when you’re staring down someone’s dress.
Eros isn’t in the group walking out, so I go around them and head inside. He’s not in the booth from before, either. Crap. What if he left already? But no, I see him at one of the smaller cocktail tables surrounding the dance floor. He’s talking to another man, and as I walk towards them, the other guys goes off to a group of girls and asks one of them to dance.
Eros, meanwhile, is watching my approach.
“Please tell me you still have my purse,” I say when I get to the table.
He answers by lifting the purse off the stool next to him, where it was hidden by the table.
“If I’d known I was going to be carrying this around all night, I would have worn different shoes.”
I reach out for it. “Thank you so much. I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Well, I don’t blame you for sneaking off with Rhys. You two clearly have chemistry.”
Heat washes up my neck. “It wasn’t like that. I was working.” At least, it wasn’t like that until the end.
“You’re not doing it right if it’s work,” he responds.
“I mean, I was getting paid.”
Eros raises his eyebrows.
“Oh my god, I mean he was working and paid me to help him out.”
He starts laughing. “You keep digging that hole deeper.”
“You are purposely taking this the wrong way!”
He’s still smiling. “Or are you purposely saying it the wrong way?”
I laugh. I know Eros is giving me a hard time, but not in a mean way.
“Okay, I’ll stop. What did the dangerously sexy Rhys have you do for him?”
I look quickly back at the door and think about going home. I have work in the morning and do need to get some sleep. But Eros is…welcoming. And not in a “he just wants to hump me” type of way. I haven’t had a lot of friends in the past, and he feels really familiar, so I pull out one of the stools and sit.
“I helped him lure a guy out so he could get him without causing a huge scene.”
“Sounds thrilling.”
I nod. “Actually, it kinda was. His girlfriend popped up and smacked me before Rhys showed up.”
“I don’t think you could pay me enough to help out Rhys with a job.”
I give him a look.
“No offense to him. Sometimes things escalate when he’s around, through no fault of his own. The same thing seems to happen around me.” He shrugs. “People like us bring out the passion in others.” He winks. “It can make for interesting days.”
“You’re telling
me,” I say, mostly to myself. I know all about bringing passion out in others, and as proof I get a quick shiver thinking about the kiss I just shared with Rhys. “Well, I need the money too badly to say no. Besides, I incorrectly thought it would be a breeze. Just crook my finger at a guy and lead him outside. How was I supposed to know his girlfriend was around and he wouldn’t want to leave my side once the cops came.”
“April, right? By now, you should always expect that sort of thing,” Eros says. I laugh, because he’s right.
“So, are you and that Theo guy friends?” I ask, because my impression of Eros is at odds with the idea of his being friends with a jerk like Theo.
He laughs. “No, I wouldn’t say friends. He was asking me for a favor, which I do far more frequently that I should.” He shrugs, like he’s not thrilled with the idea.
“Why do it then?”
“Theo is a hard man to say no to. Most people would agree. In fact, you’re probably the only person I’ve seen say no to that man in a long time.” He smiles.
A strange man takes the opportunity to walk up to our table and stands way too close to me. “Can I buy you a drink?”
I roll my eyes, but before I can open my mouth to tell the guy to go away, Eros takes care of it for me. He touches the guy on his arm to get his attention.
“You know who looks like she needs a drink?” Eros asks. Then he takes an exaggerated look at a woman standing off to the side of the dance floor. She’s watching everyone dancing, but I don’t know if she’s watching because she has friends dancing, or because she wants to be one of those people.
The man looks too, and he’s transfixed. He just nods his head, then walks away. As he walks, Eros makes a little hand-gun motion with his fingers, and like magic, the girl turns her face towards us, or, I should say, towards home-boy.
Less than a minute after he hit on me, he’s talking up some other girl. I try not to let my pride hurt.
“How did you know that would work?”
Eros turns his head to the side. “It’s not so difficult to match up a couple of lonely people. They’re not soul-mates or anything, but that hardly matters for tonight.” He looks over at the now dancing couple, then back at me. “I have a feeling you’d be a natural at it, too.”
I don’t know what to say, and Eros doesn’t feel the need to say anything else for a few minutes.
“So, you’re desperate enough for money to work with Rhys?”
The change in topic causes a bigger delay in response than I’m proud of. “Uh, I wouldn’t say desperate. I mean, my apartment is completely unfurnished except for a chair I literally found, and I don’t get a paycheck for another week, but desperate?”
We look at each other and laugh.
“Okay, yeah, I’m desperate.”
“Well, I might have a job for you,” he says, leaning back from the table.
I lean forward. “I’m listening.”
He puts his hands out. “It’s far from glamorous or anything, but my partner and I are looking for a dog walker a couple of times a week. You think you could manage that?”
I think for a minute. “How many dogs are we talking?”
“Just two. The little one isn’t the friendliest, but I’m sure you can make him love you in no time.”
What an interesting idea. Can I make animals adore me the way I can people?
“How much and how often?”
“Uh, I don’t actually know. Tell you what, come by my place this weekend and we’ll discuss it. We should probably make sure you and the boys get along before we make a decision anyway.” He makes a face, like he knows the idea is a little silly, but still true.
“Well…”
“And before you start getting the wrong idea, while you are absolutely stunning and it has been longer than I care to admit since I’ve had a pair of nice legs wrapped around my face, I’m in a very committed relationship. You’ll meet him this weekend.”
I snort in laughter. So, he’s bi? But knowing he’s in a relationship does make me feel better. And while I don’t get the murdery vibe from Eros, I’ll still bring my pepper spray.
Plus, I’m basically a loaded weapon when I choose to be. People can’t murder you when they’re so full of love they can’t see straight.
“Okay, this weekend. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, April. Besides, I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends. You’ll see.”
I smile, because I have the same feeling. It will be nice having a friend. More than nice, actually.
I don’t hang out long after getting his number. I do have to work in the morning, and need my sleep.
Sleep doesn’t come easily though. I feel wired, and I think about the rush I got when kissing Rhys. I fed from him, and was fed more thoroughly than I’d ever been before. My wakeful mind can’t stop thinking about him, about how differently he acts around me. After a couple of kisses, usually men are acting—well, they act differently than Rhys is.
I gave up having a regular relationship a long time ago; of ever finding a guy who could hold onto himself in the face of my power, because even when I’m not actively using my abilities, I affect people who get close to me. It makes it hard to let anyone at all get close.
Rhys is certainly acting like an exception, but I won’t hold my breath. I roll over in bed and sigh. I’m lonely. Maybe having Eros as a friend will help, though I’ll have to keep my distance even in a platonic relationship.
Eventually, I fall asleep and dream. I dream of walking out of an ocean, and being greeted along the beach by Eros. I’m scared because I’ve been summoned and I don’t know what is going to happen next. I feel like it’s the end of my freedom, but I have to answer the summons. Eros is there, holding a hand out for me to grab. I know he’s there for me, but I’m not scared anymore because, in my heart, I know he’s a kindred spirit. I know he’s a friend.
Needs an Umbrella
I wake up seconds before my alarm starts screeching. Well, everything sounds like screeching when I first wake up. I like mornings, but I like them to be quiet. I resist the urge to throw the noisy device when the screen doesn’t instantly recognize my touch, put my recliner in its upright position, then go to the kitchen to make some peanut-butter toast for breakfast. Peanut-butter makes everything taste better, even being poor.
I’m in the shower when I remember the weird dream I had last night. It was about Eros? It’s not unusual for me to have weird dreams, but nothing so clear as the one last night. It felt totally real, like a memory instead of random images my hopped-up brain put together. I felt nervous, and scared, and excited, and wary, and Eros showed up and made me feel like I wasn’t alone with my feelings.
That’s what I get for thinking about things before I go to sleep. I’m pretty sure there was a giant shell too, bigger than a person, or did it used to be a person? Dreams are so weird.
I finish getting ready and get to work fifteen minutes early. The sky is a dark gray, and it’s a step above misting outside. I sit in my car for a minute, just to prepare myself to get wet since I’ve brought no jacket or umbrella. My phone dings from a message from an unknown number.
*Good morning beautiful. Don’t forget to let me know when you get off so I can bring that money to you.
Oh, it must be from Rhys.
—Thanks. I won’t forget, that money is my new couch.
*Then I won’t caution you not to spend it all in one place. Have a great day today, April. I look forward to delivering your couch later ;)
I chuckle at his message and save his number before silencing my phone. I take a deep breath and prepare for what is now a steady rain and make a run for the front door where Cora is waiting to open it for me.
“It’s going to be an ugly day today,” she says for a greeting when I walk in. I break out in gooseflesh when the cool air hits, making me glad I remembered to wear a light jacket today. I follow her to the back room where it looks like she’s been for hours judging by the number of
pots that are already planted. She quickly shows me how to make a basic flower arrangement, as promised.
“It’s probably going to be slow today, which makes it a good time to transplant all these seedlings to bigger pots.”
I look at the stack of planters on the table with what looks like a variety of hundreds of little tiny plants.
“All of them?”
“Oh, fates no. Just until we run out of this size pot.”
There are several dozen pots waiting for little baby plants.
It’s a lot slower than yesterday, which means that by lunchtime, the apron I’ve donned to keep clean looks like it was buried in soil until recently. The door jingles, and I basically flee the scene to go help whoever just walked in.
“Oh hi! Smith, right?” I ask as the craftsman walks in with a box full of stock.
“Hey there. It’s nice to see you again, April. You guys doing some planting back there?” he asks, eyeing my dirt-covered apron.
“We sure are, Smith. I’ll turn her into a gardener before you know it,” Cora says. Apparently even she needs a little break from planting.
“I don’t know about all that. I just hope I’m doing it right.”
“I’m sure you are. It’s a proven fact that plants flourish with a little love. Just be your sweet self with them and they’ll grow fine,” Smith tells me.
I feel a small blush from embarrassment creeping up my neck. I hope Cora doesn’t think I’ve been flirting with Smith.
“He’s right, you know. They really do respond well to positivity,” Cora is beaming.
“Cora, I have this week’s shipment. I threw in a few more wind chimes. There’s a new design I thought you’d like.”
Cora pulls out the new chime, and squeals in delight. “I love them. Aidan is going to kill me, because there’s no way I’m not bringing this home.” The wind chime in question looks like an upside-down bouquet of oversized daffodils, with the middle part of the flower being the part that chimes.
“Those really are fantastic! How did you learn to make something so delicate out of metal?” I ask, mesmerized.
