A Reason to Leave

by Melissa Ellen

  “It never is, Valerie,” she said with a sigh. “You need to find a new agent.”

  “But–”

  “Goodbye, Valerie and good luck,” she said before hanging up on me.

  “Ughhh…,”I let out a frustrated scowl. I glared at the phone in my hands, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do now.

  “Should I leave you to fume alone or do you want my help? I have places to be.”

  I flicked my eyes back to the sexy asshole standing in front of me, ready to take out all my anger and frustrations on him. Although his words were harsh, his face suddenly seemed less hardened after witnessing my call. He was obviously feeling sorry for me.

  I didn’t want his pity, but I did need his help. I’m sure someone else would stop to help me, but I didn’t really want to wait for that to happen. Just in case it didn’t.

  “Yes,” I said under my breath, hating to admit to this infuriating man that I needed his help.

  He smirked. “What was that, princess?”

  Again with the princess. Put your pride aside, Val.

  “Yes, will you please help me?” I forced out through my clenched teeth.

  He smiled in satisfaction as he stepped towards the car.

  “Pop your trunk. I assume you have a spare?”

  “I’m not sure.” He looked at me quizzically. “It’s not my car,” I said moving to open the trunk for him.

  This seemed to surprise him, but he didn’t comment on it. I opened the trunk and leaned against the side of the car near the flattened tire as I watched him work efficiently changing it.

  It was a warm, summer day, and between the sun beating down on me and watching his muscles flex as he worked, I was feeling slightly overheated. Despite him being a jerk, he was hot. There was something about this brooding bad boy that had my insides fizzling.

  He wasn’t like the refined boys I had dated in the past. And I say boys because compared to him, they were boys.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Liam,” he responded without looking up at me. He didn’t bother asking me mine, either. Okay. Obviously this was going to be a one-sided conversation.

  “Well, Liam…what do you do?”

  He didn’t respond. He just shook his head with a smirk as he finished tightening the last bolt on the spare tire. I huffed with annoyance at his dismissal of my question. He stood and gathered up the tools and the damaged tire, putting everything back in the vehicle. I walked around to the back of the car as he closed the lid of the trunk.

  He grasped the hem of his t-shirt, wiping his hands on it and then lifting the bottom to wipe the sweat off his face, exposing the washboard abs that had been hidden below. I had to fight to keep from fanning myself. The things I wanted to do to those abs. Licking them, for one. Whoa. Calm down, Val. Where did that come from?

  I heard his cocky chuckle, causing me to rip my eyes from his abs to his smirking face. It was too late to hide my shameless gawking, so I just gave him a shrug with one of my shoulders, pretending to be unimpressed. I was definitely impressed. My body was definitely impressed too, feeling all needy and greedy. I leaned against the trunk, letting it support my weakening knees.

  “You will need to get the spare replaced as soon as possible. Don’t drive on it for long. It’s a temporary fix.”

  I nodded my head in understanding. Still spellbound by his abs.

  He watched me for a minute as if wanting to say more. I glanced at his lips, hoping he would. Then, suddenly hoping he wouldn’t. Instead, I wanted them silent and on me. I had never wanted to be kissed by a man so badly. He was only a foot from me. If I lifted my hand, I could touch his rock hard body.

  I was like a fish being baited. He seemed all yummy and delicious, but he was bad news. He was reeling me in and I was falling for it. Hook. Line. And Sinker.

  Sensing my desperation, he leaned forward his hands resting on the trunk of the car, trapping me between his strong forearms. His body grazing mine. His face inches from mine. My lips parted, as I took in a small inhale of air. His eyes darkened, transfixed. He leaned in, placing his face beside mine.

  “I’m not your knight in shining armor, princess,” his whispering breath brushed my ear. That masculine voice was soft and sultry, causing me to forget myself and ignore his warning. He said it as if he was not only trying to convince me, but himself. My core throbbed. I felt light-headed from the thought of feeling him pressed against me.

  “I’m not a princess,” I countered. My response coming out breathy and needy.

  He pulled back, dragging his eyes over me before connecting with mine.

  “Yes. You. Are.” He delivered each word slow and deliberate, before moving away from me. I exhaled the breath I had unknowingly been holding.

  He gave me the once over, shook his head, and then got back in his car and disappeared. Just like that. Leaving me desperate, pissed and alone. Jerk.

  CHAPTER 2

  I walked into Sweet Beans, dropping my bag on the stool next to me as I flopped on my own stool at the coffee bar across from Lexie. I crossed my arms on the counter and buried my head in them. Blocking out the world. Life sucked.

  “Audition go bad?” Lexie asked.

  “I wouldn’t know. I didn’t make it,” I grunted out through the muffling of my arms, not bothering to expose my face to her. When she didn’t respond, I was forced to look at her.

  Lexie was a pixie like girl with thin, dark hair and brown eyes. But don’t let her tiny figure fool you. She was tough. A rocker chick with a diamond stud nose piercing, tattoos –mostly concealed by her clothes or her mid length hair – and an attitude to match. She was a walking contradiction. She was outwardly beautiful, yet rough around the edges, genuine and sweet, yet far from prim and proper. She was as loyal and feisty as they came. Protective of her friends to a default. One of the reasons I loved her so much.

  If you stood the two of us next to each other, based on our outward appearances, you would never guess we were friends. Ava loved her instantly. Rhett, on the other hand, demanded she go through a background check, regardless of the fact I had already known her for a year before she moved in with me. I was afraid she would run for the hills, but she was unbothered by my brother’s demands and took it in stride. In the end, she had found a place in his heart, and he could be just as protective of her as he was of me.

  “So you’re saying I worked your shift for nothing.” She put her hands on her hips, cocking her head down at me.

  “Pretty much. Sorry,” I apologized and gave her my best don’t hate me pouty lip.

  “What happened?” she said releasing her arms, shaking her head as she grabbed a rag to wipe down the bar top.

  “Flat tire. Broody jerk…the norm,” I said feeling defeated by the day and it was barely half-way over. She gave me a sympathetic smile.

  “You have the worst luck with cars. Maybe you should take your brother up on his offer of giving you a personal driver. You might actually make an audition and it would give us a DD for when we went out,” she teased.

  “No. Way.”

  She laughed. “Okay…. so, tell me about the broody jerk,” she leaned towards me with her forearms on the bar, flashing a big smile and inquisitive eyes. “I at least need to know something was worth me picking up this extra shift for you.”

  “Not much to tell. He was just a jerk that changed my tire,” I said not looking directly at her, trying to keep my cheeks from flushing as I remembered his voice, lips and firm, sweaty abs.

  “What a jerky thing to do,” she said sarcastically. “You know you are a horrible liar, right. Never play poker.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She glanced at my finger that now had my thick, golden and dark brown hair twisted around it. When did I do that?

  “Anytime you are lying, you play with your hair.”

  “I do not.” Shit. Do I? I would have to be more aware of that in the future.

  “You so do. Plus, your cheeks a
re bright red right now.”

  “It’s hot outside.”

  “Right.”

  “Quit being a jerk and get me a water.”

  “Ouch. You’re being bossy. He really got your expensive panties in a wad, didn’t he?”

  “No! He didn’t get anywhere near my panties.”

  “So that’s the problem. You wanted him to,” she goaded me some more. A grin spreading across her face as she began to laugh, again.

  I flipped her off at her accurate guess. She laughed harder. “Okay, what did he do then?”

  “He called me princess.”

  “Oh, no!” she faked being flabbergasted, throwing her hand over her gaping mouth. “Not princess! The nerve!”

  “You can be such a bitch sometimes, Lex,” I huffed. She continued to laugh. “It wasn’t just that he called me princess. It was how he said it and looked at me as if I wasn’t worth his time.”

  She stopped laughing and looked at me remorseful. “Sorry, Val. He does sound like a jerk and not worth your time.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, not sure if I agreed. I knew he probably wasn’t, but I couldn’t seem to get him out of my mind. The whole time I was waiting to get the tires replaced at the tire shop, all I could think about was him and how my body responded to him.

  “Cheer up, lady. We have some shopping to do this afternoon. We are going to find you a killer outfit for your twenty-first.”

  “What is the plan for my birthday?”

  “Well…I was thinking we pre-game tomorrow night at the apartment and then head to the bar at mid-night.”

  “You really think they will let me in the bar at mid-night?”

  “They will at this bar. Jake’s friend works the door there.”

  “Where are we going exactly?”

  “It’s a dive bar off Silver Lake Blvd, there is a new upcoming band playing that I have been wanting to hear. Jake says they are bad ass. They have been playing there regularly as the headliner the last few months. He is going to go with us and probably some of his buddies will meet us there.”

  Jake was Lexie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend from high school. Apparently, they were on-again. He wasn’t my favorite person, only because he seemed to always be messing with Lexie’s head. But I tolerated him for her.

  “Sounds fun. You about ready to go?”

  “Yeah, let me just wrap up here, and then we can head out.”

  “What do you have left? I can help…seeing how you are covering for me and all,” I grinned at her.

  “I knew I kept you as my friend for some reason. Go bus those last couple tables for me,” she said nodding towards the main seating area of the coffee shop.

  Sweet Beans was in an old warehouse building. It was one large, open, industrial-style space with small nooks of cozy seating along with various sizes of eclectic tables and chairs through-out the main seating area. There was a long coffee bar where customers could sit and enjoy their cup of joe while watching the baristas work. The consistent brewing of coffee and the wide selection of cakes and pastries left a comforting aroma in the air all day.

  The place wasn’t far from campus and had a constant flux of college students loitering and studying. I was one of those students. I was often here on my days off, studying or just hanging out with Lexie as she worked. It had become a second home to me.

  The two of us worked quickly at finishing up her duties before leaving the coffee shop in Ethan’s hands, who had just clocked in for the late shift. Ethan was one of the few guys we hung with outside of work. He had grown up in the area like Lexie and was the epitome of a California surfer with his toned, golden skin, blonde hair and blue eyes and a personality so laid back, you often wondered if he had a care in the world. Something told me the dubious amounts of pot he smoked helped with his carefree demeanor.

  “See you tomorrow night!” I said as we waved good-bye to Ethan and headed out the door to Ava’s car which now had four new tires. I decided when I dropped it back off at Rhett and Ava’s home, I would keep that little tidbit to myself. I had the shop put four new tires on just in case he noticed the difference of the one tire. Fingers crossed he didn’t notice all four.

  Lexie and I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for our outfits for tomorrow night. She insisted that I needed the sexiest ensemble we could find. I didn’t disagree. It was my twenty-first birthday. I planned on having the best night of my life and looking my best while I did it.

  With my crazy school, work and audition schedule, I rarely had time to enjoy myself the last few years. Not to mention, anytime I wanted to go out and my brother caught wind of it, he would insist on one of his Herculean security guys escorting me.

  I don’t have to explain what a buzz kill that could be for a young college girl trying to participate in some underage drinking and/or have a little promiscuous fun. In case you weren’t sure…it was a total buzz kill. Dead. As in my libido became non-existent.

  But not tomorrow night. Tomorrow night I was on a mission. I was going to drink my stresses away - including the latest one of losing my agent - and maybe even wake up in a random guy’s bed. It had been awhile. And after my run in with the not so gallant Liam, it was obvious I needed to dust the cobwebs off my lady bits. It was the only reasonable justification to why he had me in such a desperate state.

  We sifted through the clothes racks in one of the boutiques on Rodeo Drive. I had decided this was an emergency, and I was dipping into my trust fund for this little shopping spree. The sales lady was less than pleasant towards Lexie, obviously deciding she didn’t belong in a place of this stature.

  She watched Lexie like a hawk as if she was concerned she would steal something. I was about to come to her defense after the snobby woman wouldn’t stop hovering, but Lexie stopped me saying it wasn’t worth it. I decided she was right. I wasn’t spending my money there, even if I would have gotten some satisfaction from dropping my black card on the counter in front of her. Instead, we left. Lexie was sure to give her the finger on the way out the door, leaving a horrified sales clerk with her mouth and eyes wide open.

  “I thought she wasn’t worth it,” I giggled once we were out on the sidewalk.

  “Well, she wasn’t worth you getting upset, but it was definitely worth me shocking her pretentious ass,” she smirked.

  “I just couldn’t believe how rude she was. You would think she would want to make the sale.”

  “People can be judgmental jerks. They judge no matter if you’re rich or poor, Val. You just have to learn to not let it get to you,” she looked at me with a determined stare.

  I knew her aim. She knew how offended I got by people’s perceptions. Most people would expect me to be used to it by now. I grew up in the limelight, but my family kept me sheltered from it as much as they could for most of my life.

  It wasn’t until I got older that despite their best efforts, I became more aware of the harsh critiques and unwarranted opinions, in addition to their greed and superficial attitudes. I knew it was just how things were, but it didn’t mean I had to like it. I gave her a small smile. She gave my hip a friendly bump with hers as we continued to walk.

  The next shop had more couth, making us both feel welcomed and offered a better selection of dresses. I grabbed a few that appealed to me to try on and headed to the changing room. The first few were a no-go. But the fourth dress had me feeling giddy and excited for the upcoming night. It was perfect. It had the right amount of sex appeal and class.

  It was a bright red, form fitting dress with spaghetti straps that dived into a plunging V-neck line, showing just the right amount of cleavage. The back of the dress matched the front, exposing more skin. It hugged my curves in all the right places, showing off my toned body that I worked hard to keep. It stopped just above my knees, accenting my favorite part of my body. My legs.

  “Val?” I heard Lexie searching me out through the closed curtain of the dressing room.

  “In here,” I said, popping my head out
. I pushed the curtain aside the rest of the way as I plastered a big smile on my face. “What do you think?”

  “Holy, shit. You look hot.”

  “I know. This is the one,” I said barely holding in my excitement as I twisted and turned to view myself from all angles in the mirror. “What about you?” I turned back to face her.

  “I would have to sell my left nut to afford anything in this place.”

  “You don’t have a left nut.”

  “Exactly my point.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Pick something out, Lex. My treat.”

  “No, way. It’s your birthday. You aren’t buying me anything.”

  “I want to buy you something. Consider it part of my birthday present to myself. I want my best friend looking just as smoking as me,” I winked.

  “Your lack of self-esteem is appalling, Val.” Her voice was saturated with sarcasm as she shook her head in dismay. I laughed.

  “It’s a Blackwood trait. So is stubbornness. We aren’t leaving here until you’ve found something.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, but it didn’t deter my insistence. Lexie never accepted anything from me willingly and most of the time, I gave in to her defiance. But not this time. I was hell bent on buying her a knock-out dress. Something that would show Jake that he better wise up, before she decided he wasn’t worth her trouble.

  “Get out there and find something,” I demanded, pointing my finger towards the sales area. “If you don’t, I will pick it for you.”

  “Fine,” she said, throwing up her hands in surrender. “I’m going.”

  She went out into the store and was back in less than five minutes holding a dress. One she obviously already had her eye on. It was a cute little number with a fitted bodice and skirt covered in a snake skin pattern. It had a high front slit in the middle of the dress and a haltered neckline. It fit her spunky personality.

  “Well, what do you think?” She strutted mockingly out of the dressing room like a runway model.

  I chuckled. “You look sexy. It fits you perfectly. Now we just need shoes.”