by Mia Hoddell
The only problem was I didn’t have any icing sugar. And with no internet connected yet to order shopping online, and no ability to drive to the shop, I didn’t know how to get any. I’d been living off the food I ordered ahead of moving into the flat. I had deliberately purchased as much as possible, but baking never even crossed my mind, and as I hunted through my cupboards, I realised how sparse they were.
Grumbling about my situation and lack of independence, I leaned back against the counter and wondered if asking Dustin whether he had any icing sugar would be a lost cause. He didn’t seem like the baking type. Then again, he had been calling me by another girl’s name when he woke me up drunk, so I thought maybe she’d have some. And with any luck it’d be her who opened the door since I didn’t feel like having my good mood ruined by having to deal with Dustin.
I hobbled out into the hallway and knocked on Dustin’s door. When it opened my heart sank and then spiked. My lips parted as I took in Dustin’s dishevelled state and bare chest. A smattering of dark hair coated his chest and a thin trail disappeared into the waistband of his jeans along with a V of muscle. There probably wasn’t a millimetre of fat on his body, and even if he might not have been as ripped as the guys you see on the front of romance novels, he clearly looked after himself.
Somewhere in between my brain and my mouth my words became lost because all I could produce was a croak.
“Is everything okay?” He moved his hands, drawing my gaze back down to the waistband of his jeans where he shuffled a deck of cards. His fingers flicked through them, drawing them out into different shapes with the expertise of a seasoned magician. “Tazia?”
I blinked up at him, realising too late I’d been caught staring. A blush bloomed on my cheeks and I forced myself to remember why I’d knocked on his door in the first place. “You don’t happen to have any icing sugar do you?”
“Um…” He threw his gaze to the ceiling as though mentally recalling every item in his kitchen. He appeared none the wiser when his eyes met with mine again. “I have no idea. Raine might have bought some at one point. I’ll check.”
Dustin started to walk away. When he peered over his shoulder to see I wasn’t following he stopped. “You can come in. Knowing Raine she’d have hidden it somewhere strange so it may take a second to find.”
I crept into his flat and shut the door softly. A blanket of awkwardness at being in a stranger’s home for the first time settled over me. I followed Dustin to the kitchen, taking in the rooms as I went. Cards were scattered across the living room floor, empty liquor bottles sat on the table, clothes were strewn across the back of the sofa, and there was a noticeable dent in the wall.
What the hell? I attempted to mask my true thoughts, yet I must have failed because when I entered the kitchen Dustin regarded me with shame as he looked over my shoulder.
“Sorry about the mess. I’ve been out of the country and haven’t had time to clean up.” He scratched his head, his floppy locks drooping over his forehead. “I wasn’t in a good place when I left and I only got in last night.”
“I’ll say,” I scoffed, then realised what I’d said. I raised my hand to cover my mouth. Speaking without thinking was a bad habit of mine and one I really needed to work on. “I’m sorry, that was rude. I didn’t mean it.”
Dustin shrugged. “You did and you’re right. You don’t have to apologise.”
He rummaged through the cupboards, the muscles in his back tensing as he stretched to reach the highest shelf.
I bit down on my lip. For some obscure reason I wanted to run my finger down his sinewy back then skirt the waistband of his boxers sticking out above the low cut denim. At least until I noticed a faint cluster of green and yellow almost healed bruises on his lower back.
“It was icing sugar you wanted, wasn’t it?”
I lifted my gaze abruptly from where I had once again been staring. When my eyes found his he smirked at me knowingly, like he knew exactly what had been going on inside my head.
“Uh, yeah.” I coughed in an attempt to clear my throat. Believing a change of subject was desperately needed, I asked, “Where’ve you been then?”
“Hungary.” The sound came back muffled by the wooden walls of the cupboard.
I scrunched up my nose, thinking he hadn’t heard my question. “No, not really. It wasn’t long ago I ate.”
A bark of laughter echoed from the lower cupboard. He dipped his head, careful not to bang it on the counter as he extricated himself. His lips curved at the corners to banish the weariness previously straining his expression. “No, I was in Hungary.”
“Weird place to go. What were you doing there?” My words once again came out sharper than I intended them to, my embarrassment fuelling my bluntness and causing my cheeks to burn. I focused on the floor and only when his shoes squeaked on the tiles signalling he’d turned away from me again did I glance up.
“I had a race.”
I couldn’t stop my jaw from falling slack. Out of all the answers he could have given me that was not what I expected. I had no idea why it came as a surprise considering how little I knew about Dustin, but it did. Maybe it had been the drunken stupor I’d seen him in causing me not to link him to a career in sport.
“You’re a racer?”
“Yup,” he popped the ‘p’.
“What kind?”
“GP2, nearly Formula One. Why?”
“No reason. It’s not a common career so I didn’t expect it.”
Dustin stared at me with an arched eyebrow. “Don’t hold back on my account, Tazia. You’ve been blunt since I met you so don’t stop now. I can take it.”
I bent over the kitchen counter, resting my chin on my palms. “Sure you can.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged.
“Seriously, Tazia. If you have something to say—”
“It’s nothing. Just from first impressions, racing isn’t the career I’d have put you in.”
Dustin sighed. He rested his hands on top of the granite counter and hung his head. For a second he remained there with his eyes screwed shut. He took deep breaths in through his nose and exhaled loudly through his mouth. The muscles in his arms repeatedly bunched as he curled his fingers against the worktop.
I wanted to say something, although firstly I had no idea what would make him feel better. And secondly, I thought he might break if I did.
Eventually, he opened his eyes. When he peered up the brief flicker of happiness had been masked by pain. “I’m not usually like that. I’d been given some really shitty news when you saw me and I wasn’t handling it well.”
I desperately wanted to ask what had happened. However, I restrained myself since my bluntness and curiosity frequently landed me in trouble. Dustin didn’t seem like he was in the mood to share either, and really? Who ever wanted to spill their guts to a stranger, especially one they’d no doubt see often since they moved in next door?
Instead I offered the only thing I could. “Want to pretend that day never existed and start again?”
Dustin’s eyes crinkled warmly and he exhaled in relief. “That would be great. Really, really great.”
“Don’t get too excited, you don’t know what you’ve let yourself in for. You’d have probably liked me better if I still hated you.”
“You hated me?” He frowned.
“Eh, it was a close call. I wasn’t sure what to make of you, but there were more negatives than positives.”
Dustin chuckled, the warm sound seeping into my bloodstream like a hot drink on an icy winter day.
“Well, I’ll happily forget all about it.” He held out his hand. “I’m Dustin Coates. GP2 racing driver, royally fucked up human being, and brilliant magician.”
My lips quirked. “Tazia Nixon. Baker and also a royally fucked up human being who overcompensates by trying to be an eternal optimist.”
I reached out to take his hand and beamed up at him. We sounded like two of the world�
��s worst dating profiles, yet our statements were honest. They had me beginning to think Dustin wasn’t really the jackass I’d seen on day one.
When he dropped his hand and stepped away from the counter to shut the cupboard it surprised me to find I missed the warmth of his touch.
“Sorry, I don’t have any icing sugar. I thought Raine might’ve bought some since she has a sweet tooth, although she prefers fudge.”
Despite telling myself it was none of my business, I couldn’t help wondering who Raine was. The first idea I had was a girlfriend, which led me to consider whether she’d caused his foul mood when we met.
“No worries. It was a long shot. I guess I’ll have to go to the shop.” Curiosity got the better of me. “Who’s Raine?”
“My old roommate.”
“An ex-girlfriend? Is she the reason you got drunk?”
Dustin barked a laugh, the sound devoid of any humour. “No, Raine’s my brother’s girlfriend. No doubt soon to be fiancée if he has his way.”
I tilted my head to one side. “And she lived with you?”
“We were friends. He met her through me and when their relationship turned sour she moved in with me. She recently moved back in with him so I’m back to living alone.”
I hummed. “Were friends?”
“We’re still mates. Things are just complicated.”
“Oh, did you like her too?” I winced. “Did I put my foot in it by bringing it up?”
Dustin shook his head. “You’re incredibly nosey. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I did warn you your life would be easier had we hated each other.”
“No, I’ve never liked her as more than a friend. She has always been and always will be Teo’s girl.”
I opened my mouth then stopped myself when a connection slipped into place. “Wait, Teo Coates, as in the nation’s favourite driver?”
Surprise registered all over Dustin’s face. “You follow Formula One?”
“No. I follow the gossip magazines.”
Dustin groaned, raising a hand to scrub his stubble coated jaw. “Please don’t believe everything you read in those. They spin stuff.”
“I know. So you’re both racers? Who’s the better driver?” I teased, wondering how easy he was to wind up. If we were to be friends I needed someone who didn’t take me seriously and I could have a laugh with.
“Me of course, he just got lucky first. Next year I’ll show him.”
I hummed in disbelief despite the happy creases around my eyes refusing to dampen. Something about Dustin made me happy. His story drew me in and the more he spoke the more I wanted to know him.
I caught a glimpse of the time. “Shit, I’d better go if I have any chance of getting to the shop before it closes.”
“Yeah, okay. What did you want it for anyway?”
“I told you, I bake. I wanted to make macarons,” I called over my shoulder as I moved to the front door.
“Fancy making extra?”
I chuckled at the hope in his voice. “We’ll see—”
I stopped in my tracks at the sight of Perry at my door. A brief flicker of confusion crossed his face when I stepped out of Dustin’s flat. “Hi, Tazia.”
“Hey, Perry. What’s going on?”
He thrust a paper cup at me. “I wanted to check on you and see if you’d settled in. I also bought you coffee. I thought since you didn’t want to go for lunch until your leg healed I’d bring the drink to you.”
I took the cup and attempted to hide my suspicion. The last thing on my mind was searching for another relationship, and Perry appeared to be trying to fill that spot in my life.
I held the cup against my chest. “Thanks. I was about to head out to the shops actually.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I’ve got her, Perry.” Dustin’s hand landed on my shoulder and I snapped my head in his direction to fix him with a perplexed stare. “We were going to take my car, weren’t we, Tazia?”
Chapter Eight
Dustin
“I’ve got her, Perry.” The words slipped from my mouth impulsively. I could feel Tazia’s burning glare, but I kept my hardened stare on Perry. “We were going to take my car, weren’t we, Tazia?”
Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. I didn’t know where the words came from, yet backtracking wasn’t an option. In my flat I had every intention of letting her go shopping alone then continuing with my wallowing. However, the thought of Perry within even a metre of her ignited a fire within me.
“Are you sure? Tazia doesn’t look like she knew of this arrangement.”
“Of course I’m sure. How else did she plan on getting there? It’s not like she can drive, and I was heading out to get a few things anyway.”
I was? That was news to me. My evening plans had been pizza and cleaning.
I straightened my back, drawing myself up to my full height. Bracing my arm on the doorframe, I rested it behind Tazia’s shoulder. She thought nothing of the possessive gesture, although Perry did. His jaw clenched hard enough I thought his teeth would crack.
“Why don’t you both ask me rather than talk about me like I’m not here?” Tazia snapped. Her mane of silk whipped back and forth as she made the point of glowering at us both.
“Okay, beautiful. Who do you want to go with?” Perry asked.
I barely contained my eye roll and I muffled my laugh with a cough. When I banged on my chest trying to clear my throat, Perry seethed. I couldn’t help it, at his fury my lips quirked smugly. And it just so happened the second I did, Tazia fixed me with a glare.
Typical.
Her whole body stiffened, the muscles in her shoulders locked. “You two are unbelievable. I’ll go on my own like I planned to. I don’t need either of you.”
The restrained anger in her voice smacked the expression from my face quicker than I thought possible. I reached for her, closing my hand around her upper arm gently to prevent her moving.
“Don’t be like that, Tazia. Let me give you a ride.”
The fact she didn’t slap me or fix me with another furious glower felt like an improvement. Then again, I reminded myself not everyone was like Elora. Elora’s knee-jerk reaction to being stopped from doing something was to lash out, mostly at me. While I knew normal people didn’t, I had a feeling it would take a while to get used to.
Tazia flicked her eyes to the ceiling and huffed. I took it as a victory and waited for her verbal agreement because I knew she had no other option. Taxis weren’t cheap and they didn’t give her the flexibility.
“Fine, but you leave me alone in the shop. You have to go and do your own thing.”
“Deal,” I replied instantly even though I had no intention of following through. If I drove her she was stuck with me until we returned because for the first time in the last few weeks I felt lighter. The cheerfulness I exuded was genuine, and I had stopped thinking about what could have been.
I forced the thought from my mind. I refused to go back to the dark pit I’d been in all week. Placing my hand on the small of Tazia’s back, I disregarded Perry’s presence completely. I kept my body between them and pressed Tazia forward to force her feet to move.
“Come on, beautiful, hurry up.”
Her body became rigid beneath my hand. Her steps faltered and she fixed me with a stubborn glare. I didn’t think it was possible for her black irises to become darker, but somehow they did. Like pools of anger, the irritation seeped from them.
“Don’t call me that,” she spat and for the first time the Tazia I’d met disappeared, giving me a hint of there being more to her story than she let on. I only said it to mock Perry, though obviously something about the name affected her deeper down. Or maybe she didn’t feel comfortable around me yet.
“Okay, how about princess?”
Her nose bunched in distaste, although she didn’t bite my head off a second time.
“No? Sugar?”
She feigned gagging and relief surged thr
ough me at the return of her more jovial side.
“Baby?”
“You can call me Tazia or Taz. No pet names.” She tried to sound serious. However, the teasing in voice dampened the effect. “And allowing you to call me Taz is a big deal. That’s usually only reserved for family.”
I raised one hand to my heart, splaying it on my chest. “It is an honour to be included in such a selective group.”
Tazia playfully swatted my arm. “Don’t take the piss.”
“I’m not. I wouldn’t want to be kicked out of the club only seconds after gaining membership. This is some serious shit. I wouldn’t dare mess with it.”
“You’re a dork.”
“But I’m a cute dork.”
“Cute is what you say about a kitten, it’s not sexy. Cute gets you friend-zoned.” She drew both lips into her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. Turning away from me, she hobbled down the hallway and called over her shoulder, “I’ll meet you downstairs. You may want to put a shirt on before you leave the building.”
I glanced down, surprised to see she was right, then peered up at her with a grin. I’d noticed the way she’d been staring at me—now and earlier. “I think I’ll go like this and prove you wrong.”
She shrugged, no doubt attempting to feign nonchalance. However, the blush tinting her cheeks betrayed her real thoughts. “Your choice, it’s not like you’re going to be walking around with me.”
I didn’t bother to correct her and caught up in a few strides. She was mistaken if she thought I was letting her go without a fight.
I hardly knew her, yet already I felt I needed her. Something about her presence soothed my wounds and numbed the pain to a barely noticeable level, and I planned to take full advantage of every reprieving second.
