Unsound

by Chantal Fernando

  “I guess you’re going to take credit for that?” I ask, smirking.

  He turns to me and chuckles. “I take credit for fifty percent of it. Minimum.”

  My lip twitches. “Do you get on with her mum?”

  I was prying, I knew it, but I was curious.

  Tag sighs softly. “We get on as well as exes can get on, I suppose. We’re amiable for Bella’s sake, you know? It’s about her now, not us.”

  Yep, he is a great dad.

  We arrive at Knox’s Tavern and walk in together. I don’t miss the curious look Summer gives me, but I choose to ignore it. Tag heads into the back with Ryan while I put an apron on and start taking orders at tables. Summer lasts an hour before she questions me.

  “I know I’m being nosey, so feel free to tell me to shut up, but are you and Tag dating?” she asks in a low voice, looking around as if to make sure no one can see us.

  I shake my head. “No. We’re just friends.”

  “He got you this job, right?”

  “Yes,” I say slowly, wondering where she is going with this.

  “Apparently, he said you were a friend of his, but then you told Ryan you’d only met him once or twice…”

  “I had.”

  Summer narrows her eyes. “Have you slept with him?”

  My eyes widen, and my cheeks flame. “No! I haven’t. And I’m your employee I can’t believe you just asked me that.”

  Summer grins, shrugging. “We’re all friends here. We aren’t cracking any whips.”

  “This is awkward.”

  “It isn’t. Tag sleeps with everyone. If he hasn’t slept with you… Hmmm. I think he likes you.”

  “Likes me?”

  “Yeah. Like… likes you, likes you.”

  Right, because that cleared that right up.

  “Summer?”

  “Yes,” she replies, leaning closer like I was going to tell her something juicy.

  “I’m going to go back to work now.”

  She sighs, disappointed. “Oh alright.”

  I hide my grin as I walk away.

  “Tag!” I yell from the bathroom, where I’m currently standing on top of the closed toilet seat. “Tag!”

  The door suddenly opens. “What? What is it? Are you okay?”

  He glances around the room, body alert, as if looking for an intruder.

  “There’s a cockroach,” I tell him. “Can you please kill it?”

  “A cockroach?” he repeats, looking confused.

  I point to the floor.

  “That’s not a cockroach,” he says, amused.

  “Whatever it is please, can you get rid of it?”

  He looks at me, smirking. Then, as if just noticing what I am wearing, he does a slow perusal of me from head to toe. “What do I get if I do?”

  Seriously?

  “How about I don’t kick you in the balls?” I offer.

  He pretends to think it over. “No, that won’t work for me. How about a kiss?”

  “Fine. On the cheek,” I reply.

  He grins. “Deal.”

  He disposes of the bug, taking it outside. He didn’t even kill it! Now it’s probably going to come back and get revenge on me.

  I get dressed, and when I walk into the kitchen, Tag is standing there, looking at me expectantly.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I want my kiss.”

  Oh, right.

  My stomach flutters.

  I walk up to him and pucker my lips, about to place a kiss on his cheek when he turns his face so my lips land right on his.

  I pull away and shake my head at him. “Really?”

  “Was so worth it,” he rumbles, eyes sparking.

  When he leaves the room, I touch my fingers to my lips.

  I want more.

  *****

  “I told you that I would pay rent. I’ve gotten paid twice now, and you haven’t taken anything from me. This is bullshit!” I say with my hands on my hips.

  Tag sips on his beer and raises his eyes to me. “And I told you, save your money. I don’t need it. You’re being stubborn and fuckin’ ridiculous.”

  “I’m not the only stubborn one in this room,” I snap, crossing my arms over my chest. “I can’t just stay here for free… it feels wrong.”

  “You help out, Clara. It’s not like you’re an inconvenience in any way,” he says, shrugging. “Plus, I like having you here.”

  Over the last two weeks, Tag and I have gotten closer. We spend pretty much all our time together, or with Bella. And then we see each other at work. He’s become the main focus of my life in such a short time. He hasn’t brought any women home, and I don’t know what I’d do if he did. I liked him, a hell of a lot. I’ve seen him staring at me, his eyes lingering, but he’s never done anything about it. He’s never made a move. And I am too shy to make the first move. What if he doesn’t want me? I guess he doesn’t, because Tag is the type of man that isn’t shy with women. According to Summer, he is kind of a man-whore. I’ve seen women approach him at the bar, but he always tells them he isn’t interested. I don’t know what to think.

  “Fine, I’m just going to pay for all the groceries then,” I say, pouting.

  “Come and sit down woman,” he says, tapping the seat next to him.

  I sit down. He offers me some of his beer, so I take a sip. When he slides his arm around the back of the couch, I go still. “I’m taking you out tomorrow night.”

  “You are? How about asking me instead of telling me?” I say, pursing my lips and arching an eyebrow.

  “If I ask you, you won’t come. You’re a homebody. A hermit. A—”

  “Yeah, I get the picture,” I cut him off, speaking in a dry tone.

  He casually wraps his arm around me and grins boyishly. “You’ll have fun, and you deserve a night out. You’ve been working your ass off.”

  I am a hard worker in general, but I really wanted everyone to see that I was worth taking a risk on. I don’t want to let anyone down.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, turning to look at his handsome face. I find his brown eyes already on me.

  “It’s a surprise,” he says quietly, gaze dropping to my lips.

  Feeling a little self-conscious, I look away until his hand cups my cheek and turns my head back to him. “Why do you have to be so beautiful?”

  “Wh-what?” I stutter, now trapped in his gaze.

  Did he want to kiss me? I wanted him to. I swipe my tongue along my lower lip.

  His eyes darken.

  Having no idea where my boldness was coming from, I lean forward, wanting a taste of him.

  “Fuck,” he grits out, pulling back slightly and looks me straight in the eye. “Clara, you know we’re friends, right?”

  I nod, not liking where this was going.

  “If you and I… if we… fuck. I don’t want to ruin anything, you know?” he says, rubbing his head and looking frustrated. “I’m not good with commitment, and you don’t seem like a one-time girl.”

  I wasn’t, but for him…

  Could I be?

  Tag pulls away, removing his arm and putting more than just a physical distance between us. When he stands up, I sigh in regret.

  “Night,” he murmurs, leaving the room without a backwards glance.

  Well, I got the message loud and clear with his rejection.

  We were friends, and friends only.

  *****

  The next day at work, the place is packed out. I started working night shifts with Tag because it was easier to go in when he did. I hated him having to make unnecessary trips just for me. I told him I had no problem catching a bus, but of course, he wouldn’t have that. Things between us have been slightly strained since last night, although he’s still been his usual, sweet self. I don’t think anyone looking in from the outside could notice the change, but it’s there. I can feel it. It’s in the slight hesitation before he touched my arm this morning, and the way he looked like he wanted to say something but
didn’t. I wish I never tried to kiss him. I’ve decided I’m going to pretend last night never happened and act normal, in hopes we can move away from it. I allow myself to take a glance at him at the bar, serving a group of women. He laughs and is his charming self, which usually amuses me, but now annoys the hell out of me. It’s only a matter of time until he brings a woman home. I need to move out, like now. I think if I save money for a couple more weeks, I’ll have enough. I might even just rent a room out in a shared house; it would be much cheaper and less pressure on me.

  I clear one of the tables, wiping it down and picking up two glasses. “Hello gorgeous.”

  I look up and to my left at the man approaching me.

  “Hello,” I say, my tone friendly, but professional.

  When I turn to leave, he gently grips my upper arm. “Dance with me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m working and not available, but I’m sure you can find someone else.”

  “I don’t want someone else,” he says, eyes lowering to my chest. “I’m Richard.”

  I pull my arm away and move to turn.

  “She’s not interested,” comes a deep, menacing voice from behind me. “And don’t fuckin’ touch her again.”

  Richard swallows, nods, then loses himself in the crowd. Smart man. I turn around and raise an eyebrow at Tag, then walk past him and into the kitchen. I’m placing the glasses next to the sink when he comes up behind me. “Stay behind the bar with me. Someone else can do the tables.”

  I turn around and give him an ‘are you kidding me’ look. “I can’t do that. Reid told me to do the tables.”

  “Reid will change his mind.”

  “They’re going to want to fire me.”

  Tag crosses his impressive arms over his even sexier chest. “They won’t fire you.”

  “Tag, I can handle a few drunk, flirty men. It’s no big deal,” I say. “It, unfortunately, comes with working in a place like this.”

  His eyes narrow. “You’re fuckin’ stubborn, you know that?”

  “And you’re unreasonable,” I sniff.

  He runs his fingers over his goatee. “Unless you like the attention?”

  Was he fucking serious?

  “Yes Tag,” I purr. “I love all those random drunk men paying attention to me just because I have a pair of boobs. Really, it’s the best compliment ever.”

  I don’t think my tone could be laced with anymore sarcasm than it is.

  “Bar,” he growls then turns and storms out.

  Rolling my eyes to myself, I follow him and stand at the bar, a few steps away from him. He closes the space between us. “I haven’t slept with the same woman twice in a long ass time.”

  My eyes flare at his admission. “I don’t think that’s something to be proud about.”

  He flashes me a sheepish grin. “I didn’t say I was proud. It’s just the truth. Last night… Trust me. I wanted to, but we can’t. I wouldn’t do that to you, okay? Plus, you’re young and it would feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

  I blink slowly. “I’m not that much younger than you. And you aren’t taking advantage. It was me that tried to kiss you last night. Remember?”

  I can feel my cheeks heat at the reminder.

  He sighs, rubbing his hand over his bald head. “This whole thing is messed up. I’ve only hooked up with one woman since you moved in, and I normally…”

  He trails off when he sees the look on my face. He’s been with a woman while I was living with him? I know I have no claims on him—trust me, I know—but it still hurts. Here I was, crushing on him like crazy, worshiping his every move, and thinking that he was spending all his time with me and only me. Fuck. How stupid am I?

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he says quietly, frowning. “Clara, we aren’t together. You can’t get upset.”

  I open my mouth, then close it. He’s right, and I hate it. “You’re right,” I mumble, looking away from his gaze.

  “I have needs,” he says in a low tone, so only I can hear.

  And I can’t fulfil them because he won’t let me.

  I force a smile and look back up at him. “I get it, Tag.”

  We aren’t anything but friends, and I had to accept that. He’d been good to me, better than anyone else had been, and he shouldn’t feel guilty over something I had imagined in my head.

  “Clara—”

  “I’ll hopefully be out in a week or two anyway,” I say, shrugging. “You can go back to bringing women home or whatever. I didn’t mean to put a damper on your sex life.”

  “Fuck Clara. That isn’t what I meant. You know I love having you living with me.”

  A customer walks up, so I turn to serve her, ignoring Tag. “What can I get you?”

  She orders two squashed frog shots.

  “I’ll make them,” Tag says, grabbing two shot glasses.

  “That’s fourteen dollars,” I tell her, take her money, and hand her the change. Tag slides the two shots over to her before turning back to me, clearly eager to continue the conversation. I, on the other hand, am happy to avoid it.

  “We aren’t done talking,” he says, narrowing his eyes on me.

  But we are. Because I wasn’t having any more hopes when it came to Tag and I being more than friends.

  My mum calls me again the next morning. Groaning, I put my phone on silent. Growing up, I always thought I had the best family, but then I found out the truth. My dad had another family. He had a mistress and two children from her—I had two step-sisters that I hadn’t met. Apparently, the affair started when I was about five and was still going strong today. When I was eight years old, my mother found out the truth about everything; however, instead of leaving my father, she stayed. I didn’t find out until two years ago.

  My entire life was a lie. The foundations that made me me were all based on falsehood.

  I know I should be angrier at my father, and I am, but I am also disappointed in my mum. I just wanted to be away from that whole situation, so I left and haven’t been back since. I call my mum on her birthday and on holidays, and that’s it.

  “You okay?” Tag asks as he walks into the house, pulling me away from my thoughts.

  “I’m fine,” I say, smiling widely when I see who is standing next to him. “Bella, don’t you look pretty.”

  She was wearing a pink dress with black shoes and holding a tiny handbag.

  “Hi Clara,” she says, dimples showing. “Daddy said I can come play.”

  “What are you going to play?” I ask her, lifting onto my lap as she comes in front of me and tugs on my pajama pants.

  “With you!” she says.

  I look at Tag who shrugs. “I thought we could go to the zoo or something. If you don’t have any plans?”

  He was using his daughter as a weapon. I was planning on avoiding him as much as I could, and he knew it. “I was actually going to call Summer and…”

  “Please Clara,” Bella begs, sticking out her bottom lip. I can see Tag trying to fight a grin, and failing.

  “Okay,” I tell her. How could I say no to such a face? “Let me have a shower and get ready first.”

  “Yay!” she yells, wiggling happily in my lap. Her enthusiasm contagious, I giggle and put her down.

  “Give me ten minutes, Bella,” I say then look at Tag. “We’re still not talking about it.”

  “Fine,” he replies, lip twitching. “Just a nice day out with my daughter.”

  I nod. “Deal,” I say, heading to the bathroom to get ready.

  *****

  “We better go. We start work in an hour and a half,” Tag says, popping a grape into his mouth. We were sitting on the grass at the zoo, having a snack. Bella was exhausted after walking around and seeing all of the animals.

  “Do we have to, Daddy?” she asks, her eyes fluttering. Yep—she was definitely going to pass out in the car.

  He leans forward and kisses her forehead. “Clara and I have to work, so yes.”

  �
��Okay,” she pouts.

  “This is my first time at the Perth zoo,” I say, eating a fry. “It was pretty awesome.”

  Tag grins. “Bella loves coming here. It’s one of her favourite places.”

  I could see why. “Saturday night. It’s going to be packed tonight.”

  “Definitely. Luckily we have loads of staff on, so it won’t be too bad,” he replies.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “Why did you go out of your way to get me the job?” I ask, our eyes connected. He chews on his bottom lip, hesitating. “Be honest,” I add.

  “Well, for one, I wanted to make it up to you for knocking into you and spilling your drink all over your white shirt, especially since it went see through and I could see your black bra and your nipples poking through,” he says casually.

  My jaw drops open, my gaze quickly darting to Bella who was already asleep, her head resting on Tag’s thigh. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

  He chuckles, not sorry at all. “You were beautiful, Clara, and you needed help. I’m a man.”

  “And?”

  “And,” he replies, smiling at me. “That’s just how I’m wired. I wanted to help you, and it was in my power to do so, so I did. It’s not a big deal. You’re a hard worker, and everyone loves you.”

  I look down, smiling shyly. “Well, thank you. If you didn’t offer me the job, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”

  “You would have sorted something out,” he says, a gentle look on his face.

  “That much faith in me, huh?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t think you’re the sort to give up so easily.”

  “I don’t know,” I reply slowly. “If I was rejected, I don’t think I’d be volunteering for a second dose of that.”

  Fuck.

  Now I was the one bringing it up.

  “I didn’t reject you,” he says, sounding exasperated. “Have you seen you? No man would fuckin’ reject you!”

  My eyes widen at the compliment, but it doesn’t change the facts. “You did.”

  “I was trying to do the right thing,” he says, running his fingers over Bella’s hair. “Now stop being angry at me and trying to avoid me because it isn’t going to work.”

  “Bossy.”

  “Stubborn.”