“He’s the kind of guy that makes a girl forget her own name.”
“When do I get to meet him?” she asked.
“Granny!” I exclaimed.
“And you still haven’t told me what’s not fun about him.”
“It’s hard to explain. He was just moody. He was super sweet one minute and storming out of the room the next. He seemed to be highly unpredictable, like he didn’t know how to act around me or something.”
Granny laughed. “He’s been bitten by the Dara bug. This should be an interesting summer.”
I couldn’t keep myself from rolling my eyes. Bitten by the Dara bug? That’s what Granny always said when she thought somebody was smitten with me. I understood why she said it. She was a doting grandmother, and she was very good at making me feel special. But I wasn’t ten anymore. Stone may be many things, but bitten by the Dara bug was not one of them. Heck, he wouldn’t even pretend like he was interested in riding in the same car with me. He was so not smitten.
“Honey, I’m going to go to the grocery store. You need anything?”
“Not that I can think of,” I answered, finding it hard to concentrate on anything but Stone.
She went in the house and came out a moment later with her purse. I handed her the car keys, knowing that she had been waiting all day to go see Mr. Milton. As she backed onto the main road, I waved goodbye, amused at her eagerness.
A soft breeze blew across the porch, sending the wind chimes into a tinkling rhythm. When Granny had driven out of sight, I went inside, desperate to escape the heat, and texted my two best friends, twin sisters named Crimson and Scarlet Cruze.
Stone
After leaving the book store, I rode my motorcycle along the Black Snake, the most winding, mountainous road in the area, a great place for motorcycle enthusiasts who wanted a challenging ride. It helped clear my head. While I was navigating the Black Snake, it was just me and my bike, nothing else could penetrate my mind. And considering how much shit I had floating around in my head, it was no wonder that I visited the Black Snake often.
To help clear my mind even further and wash some of the tension from my body, I followed my ride up with a steaming hot shower and then made plans to meet Mike Waters at Awesome Sauce, the local teen hangout.
When I entered the building, I saw him sitting in a booth by the window, a mountain of fries in front of him.
I sat across from him, and we bumped fists across the table in greeting. Mike would also be a senior next year at Quail Mountain High, and he was the one person that I had known before I started attending school there.
“What did you do to Jessie?” he asked, right before he crammed two French fries in his mouth.
“Jessie? I didn’t do anything to her. She canceled on me tonight. Why?”
“I saw her in here at lunch today. When I asked where you were, I thought she was going to burst into tears. She seemed like she was upset about something. I figured you must’ve done something to make her mad.”
I laughed. “Jessie is not a burst-into-tears kind of girl. She’s the eat-you-up-and-spit-you-out-on-your-ass type. You know that. She probably was pissed off about something, but it didn’t have anything to do with me.”
I motioned for the server to come to our table and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a sweet tea. When she left, I glanced back at Mike. “So how’re you going to spend your summer?”
“Chasing skirts,” he said, looking at me with exasperation. “How else would I spend it?”
“I thought you would’ve tired of that by now, since you’re always chasing them, but never actually catching any. They do scientific experiments about guys like you. You know that, right? See how many times you’ll get shocked, even though you never get the cheese.”
He chuckled. “Dang, Stone, you know how to kick a man in the gut, don’t you?”
I ignored his question. “Hey, do you remember that girl that dated Chance Murray?”
“You mean Dara Golding? Of course I remember her. She’s hot.” He pointed a fry at me. “Now there’s a skirt I’d like to catch.”
“Tom hired her.”
The server delivered my tea, and Mike stopped eating and looked at me. “She’s working at Quail Mountain Books?”
“Yeah, today was her first day. I’ve got to say she looked smokin’ hot.”
“I guess I’ll have to come buy something tomorrow.”
Dara Golding. Every time I thought about her, I saw those shimmering pink lips. I couldn’t get them out of my freaking mind.
“I’ve been thinking about asking her out.” The words came out of my mouth before my mind could stop them.
Mike studied my face, his brown eyes assessing me. “She doesn’t seem like your type.”
“My type? What’s my freakin’ type? She’s gorgeous, and she has a great bod. That is my type.”
“You know what I mean, Stone.”
Why did everyone always assume that I didn’t measure up? “No, I don’t think I do know what you mean. Are you insinuating that she’s too good for me?” I could feel my blood pressure rising.
Mike held his hands up in a conciliatory manner. “Of course not. I’m saying that you usually go for the girls who just want a little fun, not the kind of girls that want relationships. And speaking of relationships, isn’t she dating Chance?”
“Not anymore.”
“Well, when you ask her out, see if she has any friends that want to double date.”
“So now it’s not enough that I find my own date. I have to find you one, too?”
“I wouldn’t turn it down, if you did,” he said, chuckling. “And she has some hot friends.”
The server delivered my order, and I took a sip of my tea. The conversation turned to other things, but Dara’s sexy mouth was never far from my mind.
***
I slept late the next morning. When I pulled into the parking lot of the store, I saw Dara’s hideous ride parked in the corner of the lot. I whipped around the side of the building to park my bike where I always parked it, under the carport. I removed my helmet and that was when I first noticed her.
She was wearing a pair of skintight blue jeans and a green, fitted shirt that accentuated the color of her eyes. She wore strappy, leather sandals that showed off her freshly-painted, hot pink toenails. Her blond hair hung just past her shoulders, and today it was straight and silky. I decided right then and there that Dara would look good no matter how her hair was fixed and no matter what type of clothing she wore. Hell, she could make Tom’s plaid pants and geeky glasses look sexy.
Apparently, she had made a trip to the dumpster and was on her way back into the store. She walked toward me.
“I saw you riding a wheelie through the parking lot yesterday.”
I looked at her, but didn’t respond. Was that supposed to be news to me?
“You think you’re a real badass on that thing, don’t you?” she asked, coming to a stop just a few feet away.
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” she asked, sounding like she didn’t believe me.
“I don’t think I’m a badass on this thing. I know I am.”
A change of emotion flickered across her face. I could tell Dara hadn’t experienced anyone quite like me. But then few girls had.
“Conceited and a badass,” she spouted. “Now there’s a combination.”
I shot her the most endearing grin I could muster. “Everybody has something they’re good at. Your heartthrob boyfriend knows his shit when it comes to football. I’m no running back, but this?” I motioned to the bike. “This is my shit.”
I placed the helmet on the mirror and got off the bike. I walked toward her, her lips still parted in surprise to my response. The closer I got to her, the wider her green eyes opened. She stood her ground as I approached. I bent close to her, my face just inches away from hers. I could smell her perfume, and it drew me nearer.
Damn, it wouldn’t take much for me to lean down rig
ht now and nibble on her lower lip. I could tell that she wanted me to. Her eyes were beautiful, her lids highlighted with shades of pink. Dark eyeliner had been applied under her eyes, starting out as a thin line on the inner part of the eye and widening as it reached the outer corners. Long, dark lashes framed the vibrant green irises. She was watching me closely, silently, unsure of my next move.
I held my position. I wanted to keep her wondering. I wanted her to hope desperately that I would close the gap and touch my lips to her own. I wanted her to be aware that I was watching her as closely as she was watching me, to know that I was taller, stronger. I could see her pulse beating wildly along the slender column of her neck. I wanted her to want me.
Once I was satisfied that I had left her breathless, that when Dara Golding heard my name, her heart would skip a beat and heat would unfurl in her body, I took a step back.
“I’m conceited and a badass,” I said softly. “You’d best not forget it.”
Dara
My heart was beating out of my chest again, thumping so loudly that I wondered if he could actually hear it. Why did he have that effect on me?
Afraid that I would shatter into a thousand pieces if I moved, I stood motionless as I watched him turn away and walk into the building. My chest began rising and falling rapidly and only then did I realize that I had been holding my breath. I inhaled deeply, trying to regain my composure. When he watched me so intently with those wintry eyes, I was mesmerized, his gaze penetrating me to my very core.
He scared me. When he was near, I lost all control, all conscious thought. I was under his spell.
When my breathing finally returned to normal, I reminded myself why I was here. I desperately wanted to save enough money to buy my own car, and if I continued to let Stone distract me, Tom was going to fire me. Speaking of Tom, he was probably wondering what was taking me so long.
I took one more deep breath before I went through the back door in search of Tom.
I found him in his usual spot, slumped over the computer, working on spreadsheets and inventory.
“Tom, all the cardboard boxes have been broken down and put in the dumpster. What should I do now?”
He looked up from the computer screen and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Just watch the cash register. I gotta go out for a couple of hours and run some errands. You think you can handle it by yourself?”
I felt the panic swell in my chest. There really wasn’t that much to do, though. The cash register was pretty easy to work. “Sure. I can handle it.”
“Good. If you have any problems, Stone can help you. I’ll let him know that I’m leaving and that you’ve got the cash register covered.”
“Okay.” Stone was in the back of the store somewhere putting out inventory. I didn’t really want to have to ask for him help, terrified that I would have the same reaction that I did a moment ago.
Time ticked away.
With every customer that I checked out, my confidence grew. It felt great to be able to handle business on my own, and I was beginning to understand just how satisfying a job could be.
I hadn’t spoken to Stone since Tom left. I wasn’t sure if he was intentionally avoiding me or if it had just worked out that way. I thought I might actually make it until Tom returned, but then a customer presented me with a ten percent off coupon.
Darn. I hadn’t yet encountered a coupon, and as I stared at the cash register, I realized there was no way that I would be able to complete the sale without assistance from Stone.
I smiled at the middle-aged lady as she looked at me expectantly. “I’m sorry, but I’m new. Let me get someone to help me with this coupon. I’ll be right back.”
She smiled back at me. “That’s fine.”
I held the coupon tightly between my thumb and my index finger and went in search of Stone. I found him at a back endcap, stocking CDs.
“Stone, I hate to bother you, but a customer gave me this coupon. I don’t know how to ring it up.”
He looked at me, and it was all I could do not to physically squirm.
He motioned down the aisle, his biceps visible with the movement. “After you.”
I walked back to the cash register with him following me. The lady was still waiting patiently as I hurried up the aisle.
“Hey, Mrs. Foster! How’re you today?” Stone asked, greeting the customer. I noticed that he called her by name, and I wondered if she was a regular.
“I’m good, Stone. You?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
“How are your parents?”
“They’re doing just fine. They should be back in time for the Fourth of July.”
“Oh, good! I’ll have to drop by and see them.”
“You should definitely do that. They’d love to see you.”
He turned his attention to me then. “Just scan the item, press the coupon button, then scan the coupon. It will automatically take off the appropriate amount. After that, all you have to do is hit your total button.”
He was standing directly behind me, watching my every move. I tried not to be self-conscious but failed miserably. I followed his instructions and completed the transaction. When Mrs. Foster left the store, there were no other customers.
Stone crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, grinning at me, his black pullover shirt contrasting with his light blue eyes. “I’m awesome sauce, aren’t I?”
“Because you know how to enter a coupon?” I asked, slightly annoyed that his conceitedness was showing again.
“Because you, Dara Golding, find me irresistible.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Admit it. You do.” His angular jawline softened as he grinned.
“I’ll admit no such thing, you pompous rakehell.”
“Rakehell? Ouch. Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day. You had to dig deep in your vocabulary for that one, didn’t you?”
“Not as deep as you might think. For some reason, I’ve had a lot of words swirling in my head today, like rogue, cad, asshat…you get the picture.”
“You wound me.” He slapped his palm against his muscular chest as if I had shot him with my words.
“Yeah, well, if I’m lucky, you’ll crawl in a corner and die.”
He laughed, a genuinely carefree laugh that almost made me want to smile. Almost.
“If I did that, you’d have nothing to look forward to.” He pushed himself off the counter and walked away.
My mind worked furiously to form a comeback, one that would really kick him in the seat of his pants, but it came up empty. What scared me the most was that he was right. Well, not that I would have nothing to look forward to, but that I did look forward to seeing him. I hadn’t really dated much. Chance and I had been together for a very long time, so I had grown comfortable around him. Stone was nothing like Chance. Chance was the all-American guy, a phenomenal athlete, the sweet, polite date that every girl’s parents would love. Stone was much darker and more mysterious, aloof, and maybe a little unpredictable. He seemed to be in an unusually good mood at the moment. I had a feeling that he would be much more difficult to get to know. And if I did get to know him, would I like him or would he prove to be an arrogant jerk?
I probably wouldn’t get the answer to my question anytime soon. Stone avoided me for the rest of my shift. I felt awkward around him, but I tried to focus on the fact that I needed to save money for a car.
I called Granny after work, and she assured me that she didn’t need the car and encouraged me to meet up with Crimson and Scarlet. We met at Awesome Sauce, a local restaurant that was a favorite of the younger crowd.
We piled into a booth and ordered drinks and a large order of nachos. Crimson and Scarlet, whose mother named them after shades of her favorite color, sat across from me. They had an exotic look with their olive skin, long hair in a rich, chestnut color, and dark brown eyes. They were true identical twins, and the only way most people could tell them apart was by the tiny scar ab
ove Scarlet’s right eyebrow. The rest was word association. Scarlet had the scar. It was kind of lame, but it worked. Well, except for the occasional bonehead that couldn’t seem to grasp the concept.
Crimson and Scarlet were a year older than me. They had graduated from the cosmetology program at our school this past year, and they planned to open their own shop on Quail Mountain. I had known them my whole life, and I was with them the day that Scarlet had furiously pedaled her pink princess bicycle into an overgrown holly bush and had to go to the emergency room to get three stitches for the small gash above her eye. She had been six years old and had screamed so wretchedly loud that I thought she was going to die.
“Look, Dara. What do you think about my eye makeup?” Scarlet asked, closing her lids and leaning over the table, so that I could get a closer look.
Scarlet was the creative one. She was always coming up with unusual ways to use makeup. She had a dark, smoky gray eye shadow in the outer corner. Her brow was highlighted with shimmering white and the inner lid was a dark purple. Knowing her, there was no telling how many colors she had blended to get that exact look or how long she had worked on it, but it made her eyes look gorgeous. “It looks awesome. Are you going to do a video on how to get that look?”
“You know she is,” Crimson piped in. “She can’t pass up the chance to put her ugly mug in a video.”
“That really hurts coming from you,” Scarlet snapped. “It’s a little difficult to insult my looks without insulting your own. You do realize that, don’t you?”
Crimson smirked. “Shut up, Scarface. I’m the pretty one.”
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