The Score (Massey Security Duet Book 2)

by S. Nelson

  Not a word from me before I turned and walked out the front door, stopping on the porch so as not to appear completely rude. I waited for her to close the door and walk past me toward the vehicle.

  Cara walked around to the passenger side as I approached the driver side.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, confused about why she hadn’t opened the back door.

  “I’m tired of sitting behind you. I wanna sit up front this time.” She folded herself inside before I could think of a reason why that wasn’t a good idea.

  After I started the engine, I glanced over at Cara, prepared to make idle chitchat but then thought better of it. Besides, she typed out a text to God only knew who and would probably make some sort of snide remark if I started talking. Best to stick to our normal routine of me driving and us keeping the conversation to a minimum.

  I reached over and switched the satellite station to jazz, keeping the volume at a reasonable level so we could talk, if the opportunity presented itself.

  “Do you listen to anything modern?” she asked while keeping her eyes glued to her phone screen.

  “Jazz is modern music.”

  “If you say so.” Her response wasn’t sarcastic, which threw me for a loop. Cara appeared to be in good spirits, and there could only be one reason for her mood.

  Cody.

  Gripping the steering wheel, I took a deep breath. Then another. I’d been so distracted when she climbed into the front seat that I briefly forgot where I was taking her.

  “You okay?”

  “What?” I kept my eyes straight ahead.

  “Your knuckles are turning white. You should let up on the wheel.” Silence was my response, but I’d soon come to regret keeping quiet. “Listen, Ford.” She stretched her seat belt wider so she could shift in her seat and face me. “I think we need to lay down some ground rules for when we get there.” Cody had agreed to meet her at Bistro Bay, which was located along Three Mile Harbor overlooking the water. The restaurant was cozy yet upscale, and thankfully not far from the house at a twenty-five-minute drive. I had to respect that he didn’t ask her to trudge back to the city for their date, but that’s all the props I was going to give him.

  “What ground rules?” My curiosity gave me a budding headache, and I hadn’t even heard these “rules” of hers.

  “Cody spent a lot of money to go on this date with me and I don’t want anything to go wrong. Which means, I need you to be on your best behavior. No rushing over if you think he’s getting handsy or interrupting us and shoving a glass of water in my face if you think I’ve had one-too-many drinks.” She leaned closer, and even though I kept my eyes on the road ahead, I could feel the weight of her stare. “I mean it, Ford. Oh, and you have to keep your distance.”

  “I’m gonna be close. I have to have an eye on you at all times.”

  “I know, but I need you to sit far enough away that you don’t make me uncomfortable.”

  “Don’t you mean so that I don’t make him uncomfortable?”

  “Both of us.” Her words were clipped, and I knew if I pushed, we’d end up arguing, and I didn’t think I had enough emotional reserve for another one of those.

  “I’ll give you privacy, but I’m gonna be close enough to interfere if I feel I should.” I heard her gasp, so I made the clarification before she threw a fit. “I’ll try not to overstep.” It was the best I could give her.

  “You better try hard,” she warned, situating herself back in her seat so she faced forward.

  We arrived not long after, and Cara hopped out before I could hand the keys to the valet, Cody waiting for her by the entrance. If I wasn’t in such a shitty mood, I could’ve appreciated the large covered patio that overlooked the bay. Or how cool the sunset looked that evening. But I didn’t allow myself to fawn over how nice the place was because the only reason I was there was to chaperone Cara’s date.

  And try not to strangle someone tonight.

  * * *

  Cara

  “You look beautiful,” Cody greeted, pulling me in for a quick embrace before planting a lingering kiss on my cheek. His compliment helped to erase some of my nervousness.

  Stepping back, I looked him over from head to toe, much like I’d done when I walked up to him seconds ago. He wore black jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt. A simple enough outfit, but he looked amazing.

  “So do you.”

  There was a reason Cody was one of the hottest men in Hollywood right now. With his thick, dark locks, his piercing green eyes, and a killer smile, the man was unstoppable. Add to that list his incredible talent, his ability to play any character wonderfully, and I should be the happiest woman in the world to be on a date with him. And while I conjured up the mood to try and enjoy myself, I couldn’t fully appreciate the experience because of the man following closely behind us.

  Ford dressed all in black. Inconspicuous wasn’t what he was going for, and I had to argue with him to leave the shades in the car. It was bad enough Cody knew there’d be another guy on our date, I didn’t need Ford drawing constant attention to himself. Although, he drew unwanted attention wherever he went, shades or not.

  Cody wrapped his arm around my waist and escorted me inside. The place was crowded, but we didn’t have to wait to be seated. Looking around, I didn’t see a place for Ford to sit, other than at the bar, which had two empty seats. But that would mean, he’d be ten feet from our booth, and I didn’t think that would be a good idea.

  “Can we see if there is a place outside on the patio?” I asked, first to Cody, then to the waiter as he led us toward our seating.

  “We’re all full out there,” the waiter answered, placing our menus on the table before stepping to the side. I looked over at Ford and swore I saw a smirk on his face, but I didn’t look at him long enough to determine if it was true.

  “Are you okay with sitting here?” Cody stood by the edge of the table, waiting for my answer.

  “Of course. I just thought it might be nice to get some fresh air.” I scooted into the booth before looking back at Ford. He sat too close for my liking, but there didn’t seem to be a damn thing I could do about it now.

  We placed our drink orders, and I swore I heard Ford mumble something, but thankfully the sound of the other patrons drowned him out.

  “So, have you had your detail long?” Cody asked, tilting his head toward Ford. “He looks thrilled to be chaperoning our date.” He laughed, but there was a twinge of edginess behind his words when he glanced back over at Ford.

  “Not long. My father got paranoid so he hired him to watch over me.” Our waiter brought our drinks, and I grabbed mine before he had a chance to put it on the table. I took a mouthful, then another. Cody remained silent, watching the way I licked my lips, tasting every drop of my wine. Waste not.

  “You in some sort of danger?”

  “Yes. No. Well, maybe.” I couldn’t figure out which answer was the truth. Deep down, I didn’t think anything would come of the threat, but if there was a chance some lunatic was out for revenge against my father, Emily and I being the real targets, then I’d learned my lesson when Ford set up my kidnapping.

  While I’d been livid at him for doing it, I hadn’t tried to ditch him since. And trust me, I wanted to take off on him the first chance I got just to get back at him. Rebel and all that shit, but I didn’t. Was that called growth? Or fear?

  “I don’t know what that means, but if there is something going on, a chance you could be hurt, then I’m happy you have someone to watch out for you.” He took a sip of his beer. “He looks intense.” He snickered when I rolled my eyes. “What? You don’t like him?”

  We both looked over at him, and sure enough, he was watching us. Not a raise of his brow, or a nod, or a glimmer of a smirk. Nothing. Typical.

  “It’s complicated.” If Cody had asked me that question a few weeks ago, I would’ve shouted, “No, I don’t like the surly bastard.” But now my answer wouldn’t be as cut and dry. It was difficu
lt to wrap my head around, but Ford had grown on me, and our interactions weren’t as harsh as they had been. We still had our moments, but I couldn’t hate someone who’d given me their support when I needed it most.

  The second my eyes landed on Steph’s father, I thought I was going to pass out. But instead, I reached behind me and grabbed onto Ford. He hadn’t flinched. He hadn’t pulled away. He had no reason to support me in any way, yet he had.

  Cody clapped his hands, pulling me out of my own head. “Let’s get to know each other, shall we?” He leaned back in his seat and flashed me a genuine smile. He was boy-next-door-meets-sexy-as-fuck movie star.

  “Well, you’re enthusiastic.” I laughed, the sound bittersweet to my ears. Cody had a charm about him that put me at ease in his presence all while doing strange things to my body. And while I was attracted to him, and truly wanted to make the effort to get to know him better, he didn’t hold a candle to the man sitting too close for comfort.

  Ford didn’t put me at ease. In fact, the opposite was true. Every time I was around him, my limbs tingled, and my insides quivered. My breathing would accelerate, and a flush would overtake me. He didn’t seem affected by me, but I most certainly was by him. All the damn time. I hid my reactions to him and believed that for the most part, I pulled off the illusion of indifference.

  “Why waste an opportunity to connect with each other?” I must’ve unknowingly made a face because he spoke again quickly. “I didn’t mean for that to sound weird. It’s just that growing up in a small town, I didn’t get the chance to meet a lot of different people. I went to school with the same group, from grade school to high school. All the same people partied together, worked together.” He took a sip of his drink. “It was a rarity that anyone new came to town, so when I have the opportunity to meet someone new, especially a beautiful woman such as yourself, I want to genuinely find out more about them.”

  I narrowed my eyes and studied him. Was he telling the truth or was this just his shtick? Make the woman believe he’s truly interested in her, therefore making it easier to get her into bed. I’d ever cared about their intentions in the past with the guys I dated, not that this was a real date. The only reason I was out with him that night was because he’d had the highest bid. Although, a small part of me thought that maybe he would’ve asked me out, even without the auction. Maybe I was delusional or maybe it was a gut feeling. Either way, I’d never know for sure, and I wasn’t going to ask him, because no matter what answer he gave me, I could never be sure it was the truth.

  “Too much?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” I smiled before bringing the edge of my drink to my lips. After a small amount slid down my throat, I mirrored his body language and relaxed against my seat. “Small town, huh? I would’ve never guessed. You seem so… what’s the word?” I asked, snapping my fingers two times.

  “Hollywood?”

  “Yeah, but there’s something else about you that screams the opposite of small-town boy.”

  He leaned forward with intrigue. “Oh, this should be good.”

  “It’s nothing insulting,” I replied. Several seconds passed while I contemplated what to say next. “Damnit! If I figure out the word, I’ll let you know.” I swallowed another sip of my drink, careful not to overdo it. I’d thrown caution to the wind when drinking way too many times to count, but I wanted to have my wits about me tonight. Not only did I want to enjoy myself, but I also didn’t want to give Ford reason to feel he should interfere.

  Speaking of, I turned to look at him again and sure enough, his eyes were still glued to us. To me.

  “Man, he’s watching to make sure I don’t put the moves on you.” There was amusement in his tone.

  “What?” My eyes swung back to Cody. “I think he’s just making sure I don’t drink too much, or that you overstep and get handsy.” I winked at him, to which he smiled big.

  “I would never think of it.”

  “Really?”

  “You sound disappointed.” He chuckled, running his fingers up and down his bottle of beer. Before I could think of a comeback, our waiter approached and took our order. While Cody spoke to our server, I nonchalantly glanced over at Ford. He remained in the same position, only this time a woman sat next to him, chatting away, oblivious that he wasn’t paying attention.

  “So, what were we talking about?” Cody’s voice startled me. “You okay?”

  “Sure.” A few breaths passed my lips before I spoke again. “Now tell me all about this supposed small town you grew up in.” Some things about Cody I knew. Which movies he stared in. Whom he’d most recently dated, and I used that term loosely. That he was known as quite the ladies’ man. That he had a thing for fast and expensive cars. What I didn’t know was anything personal, including where he grew up.

  “Blowing Rock, North Carolina.” He drummed his fingers on the top of the table and watched for my reaction.

  “You made that town’s name up,” I challenged, pursing my lips and waiting for him to fess up.

  “Nope. I’m serious. That’s the name of the town I grew up in. Population… not many.” I laughed, caught off guard when he widened his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

  “Wow. The town’s name says it all, I suppose.”

  “It does.” He took a swig of his drink, the bottom of the glass clinking on the wood when he placed it back down. “I had a great childhood, though, and had a lot of fun there. Even though boredom was often my best friend. But I had a close-knit group of friends and a cool-ass family. So, I can’t complain. Not too much, anyway.”

  “Did it take you long to get used to the life you have now?” I asked, riddled with genuine curiosity. “Do you go home often?”

  “I don’t allow myself to get used to the notoriety part of my career. To be fair, my brothers said they’d kick my ass if I ever let it all go to my head. So, there’s that. And yes, I go home as often as I can. My dad’s sick, so I want to spend as much time with him as I can.”

  I reached across the table and put my hand over his. “I’m sorry to hear that.” My dad and I had our issues, but I loved him fiercely and didn’t want to think about what I’d do if something happened to him.

  Cody placed his free hand over mine and gave it a squeeze before pulling back and placing them in his lap. Clearly, the topic of his father was sensitive, so in order to lighten the mood, I switched the topic to one of his brothers. If they looked anything like him, I was sure the Caverly brothers were the talk of their small town.

  “How many brothers are we talkin’ here, and do they look like you?”

  “I’m the ugly one, if you can believe that.”

  “I don’t.”

  The waiter approached and placed our food in front of us. The Cobb salad I ordered was huge. Whatever doubt I had at just ordering a salad, fearing I’d be hungry afterward, was erased by the sheer size.

  “I hope you’re hungry. Damn,” Cody said, shaking his head.

  “Your meal isn’t small either.” A part of his steak hung off the edge of the plate, his baked potato the biggest I’d ever seen.

  “I’m a growing boy. I need to eat like this.” He rubbed his belly and wiggled his brows.

  “Growing boy? I think you hit your last growth spurt a decade ago.”

  “True enough,” he confessed, looking at me expectantly.

  “What?”

  “Are you going to eat?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, then.” Cody placed his hands on the edge of the table and stared at me.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I’m waiting for you to start eating. It’s rude for me to start before you.” He reached for his fork and steak knife after I reached for my utensil.

  “Is that Southern charm?”

  “I suppose so.”

  We dug into our meals, my stomach growling as soon as I brought a forkful to my lips. So as not to be rude and talk with my mouth full, I finished the first bite before asking, �
�Why don’t I hear an accent? A drawl. Or do people in North Carolina not have one?”

  He took a sip after swallowing a piece of his delicious-looking steak. “We do. Some are thicker than others. Mine was in the middle, I suppose, but I worked with a dialect coach to get rid of it. Mostly.” He shrugged. “Whenever I go home, it comes back.”

  “Say something for me,” I urged, leaning forward and lightly tapping his forearm. “Lay some of that sexy accent on me.” I found most accents appealing, from Southern to British. If you spoke differently than me, I was intrigued.

  “Ya’ll fixin’ to go ridin’?” The lilt of his words tickled my ear, and I immediately pictured him in nothing but a pair of faded jeans and a piece of straw hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

  “I like it.”

  “Thank ya, ma’am.”

  “Let’s not get crazy.” I laughed, bringing another forkful of my food to my lips.

  Over the next hour, our conversation flowed from how he got into the business to my goal of creating a fashion line. Cody turned out to be a genuinely nice guy. I had formed my own preconceived notions, mostly from what I’d read or heard about him, and while he could be all those things, he was much more.

  After dinner, he excused himself to visit the men’s room. As I watched him walk away, I noticed that Ford was watching Cody, as well, turning back toward me when Cody disappeared into the hallway underneath the Restroom sign.

  The woman who’d been flirting with Ford had disappeared soon after he refused to acknowledge her. When she walked away in a huff, I couldn’t help but be pleased, even though I had no room to feel any sort of way toward their situation. I was on a date with another man. I had no right to give in to jealous tendencies. The thought alone was ludicrous.

  Ford walked toward me, his hands folded in front of him when he stopped by the edge of the booth.

  “You ready?”

  “No.”

  He huffed. “How much longer?” His frown was indicative of his mood, but because I could never get a good read on him, he could either be bored, annoyed, or even jealous. The slight tick of his jaw did nothing to pinpoint any one of those emotions specifically.