The Perfect Match: A New Adult Erotic Romance (Inseparable Book 2)

by Chal, Bella

  “It’s fine,” he said.

  “I’ll feel better if you’re around tonight. Trey got a little crazy when Polly talked to him.”

  “So what happened?” he asked, glad his curiosity wouldn’t come off as morbid.

  “Apparently he was pissed because she was in there with you half-naked, but that all went out the window as soon as she mentioned a Jennifer somewhere in Europe. He tried to play it off like you were telling lies about his ex-girlfriend, but Polly stuck to her guns.”

  “Good for her,” Kurt said. “I’m glad she didn’t let him snow her again.”

  “Then when she mentioned looking on his phone to read his texts, he went completely mental and started accusing her of sleeping with you today. She tried to explain you were wrecked after working all night, but he wasn’t having it. After he stormed off, Charlotte and I had to calm Polly down for a bit.”

  “So I’m the bodyguard and driver?”

  “Yes, it was the only way we could get her to go out. She needs some liquid perspective, and frankly, so do I.”

  “I’m ready to go when you are,” Kurt said and Julie hugged him tight.

  * * *

  Kurt wasn’t worried about Trey trying anything directly. For all his big talk, fighting wasn’t his thing. Spending a decade on a ship learning how to command working men taught him to read people pretty well. And if push came to shove, Kurt had enough experience with tough guys on the docks to handle himself with Trey.

  The women were dressed up and ready for a night out. Julie had called Cathy and Camden to give them a heads up, so Kurt didn’t feel slighted when they ignored him in favor of entertaining Polly on the ride over. Besides, he had Sunday afternoon to look forward to as their sly winks confirmed.

  He dropped them off at the front door of Dave and Buster’s, then went to park the minivan where he could. The place was hopping for the Friday night before Christmas, and Kurt had to squeeze his way through the crowd to find a place to kill some time. He found a small table near the main bar and sat where he could keep an eye on the entrance while he waited.

  A waitress came around to take his order, so Kurt asked for a soft drink and a some chicken wings. She was friendly and pretty, but too busy to hang around to chat with him. The big city certainly had much nicer scenery than his small hometown, he thought as her swaying walk took her away.

  Time crawled by as Kurt read on his phone and watched the crowds in case Trey tried to sneak in. It was well after dark when his phone rang from an unknown number.

  “This is Kurt,” he said when he answered.

  “Kurt, this is Evan Johnson. I hope I’m not calling too late?”

  “It’s fine, Mr. Johnson. What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to speak to you before my family and I go on our Christmas vacation. Bo Tidewell had some very positive things to say about you this afternoon.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I really liked working with him.”

  “Listen, I gotta tell you the truth. The only reason I brought you on was because we were short for that run and you walked in at the right time.”

  Kurt chuckled and nodded to himself, knowing he hadn’t intended to keep working there either. “I figured as much.”

  “After talking with Bo, things have changed on our end. Instead of calling to let you go, I want to make you a real offer to work for me. He said you handled the crew like a pro, and for the record he has never let anyone solo their first time out with him before. The fact he took a nap with you at the helm says more about you than you know.”

  Kurt sat stunned in the middle of the noisy bar, the hairs on his arms rising on their own. “That’s... I don’t know what to say,” Kurt mumbled.

  “You don’t need to say anything. I’m gonna send you an email with a formal offer letter attached. Think it over during the holidays and let me know what you want to do after New Years.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I really appreciate the offer,” Kurt said as his manners returned.

  “You may think you do now, but you certainly will when you get it,” he said with a laugh. “Have a happy holiday and I’ll talk to you next year.”

  Kurt sat the phone down as his mind reeled. He had never seriously considered leaving his Uncle Charlie’s company before. There had been daydreams, but they’d never seemed real. As he sat there with his phone in his hand, he got an email notification beep. Opening the offer letter, his jaw dropped at amount of the base salary.

  Covering his mouth with his hand, he read the letter over and over, afraid his mind was playing tricks on him or flipping the numbers around. He wished there was someone around to read it for him just to confirm what it said. I could buy a new car, he thought, Hell, I could even buy a house with a salary like that.

  * * *

  He was still trying to get his mind around the implications when hands covered his eyes and a female voice giggled behind him. He could smell the fruity scent of alcohol on her breath as she leaned in to whisper, “Guess who?”

  “Give me a hint,” he said to avoid guessing Cathy when it may have been Camden.

  The clue apparently involved sucking on his earlobe, so Kurt tilted his head to invite her to continue. She moved down to his neck, licking and kissing around until he had to reach into his pants to straighten himself out.

  “Having trouble?” she whispered, her breath warm except where she’d left her saliva.

  “Yes,” he growled.

  “Good,” she said as she uncovered his eyes and pushed his chair back to sit on his lap. Camden put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, drawing back with a sigh to leave him breathless.

  “Hey,” he said as he panted a little. “I think I hear the alarm on the minivan going off. Want to come out and check it with me?”

  She grinned and put her hand on his cheek. “Can’t. I was sent to check on you. Cathy gave me five minutes before she comes to get me.”

  “Let’s not waste time then.” Kurt leaned in to kiss her, holding the back of her neck to keep her from moving away. She responded by mussing his hair and slipping her tongue along his lips and teeth. Finally, she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed away with a grin.

  “I’ll tell them you’re fine,” she said as she hopped up with a grin.

  “Is Polly doing okay?” he asked.

  “So far,” Camden said. “It took a few drinks to get her in the mood, but now she’s named all the zombies Trey and has spent about twenty bucks standing at that video game with the plastic gun. Boom! Click-click. Boom! Click-click. Boom!”

  Kurt had to laugh at her imitation of Polly blowing away Zombie Trey with a shotgun. “Good for her! Tell her to kill a few for me.”

  “I will,” she said and skipped off through the crowd, her lithe figure swaying in the most delicious way. Kurt shook off the thought to give his body time to relax so he could sit comfortably again.

  The night passed slowly, but Kurt was glad have the time to think. There were choices to be made now, and if he wanted he could change the course of his life. It felt like he was standing at a crossroads and every direction had it’s own possibilities.

  Staying in Morgan City didn’t feel like a trap now that he was confident he could leave if he wanted to. He did love living around his family and enjoyed the sleepy pace of life there. He’d had the money to move out on his own for years, but the inertia and fear of change had kept him in his old room. With his new perspective, he could imagine moving out now if he wanted to try.

  Moving to Houston was a real option, too. Nothing he’d done to help his Uncle Jack would affect the offer from Johnson and Abernathy. He really could go to work there and make his job into a career. Uncle Charlie had never paid him a huge salary and Kurt had never really asked for a raise, but seeing that offer made him realize how valuable his skills were.

  After finishing three soft drinks, he heard the siren song of the urinal calling him to the men’s room. On his way back to the bar he discovered
Julie and Polly standing near the women’s restroom having a quiet discussion. Not wanting to intrude, he intended to step around them without a word but Polly stopped him.

  “Kurt, wait,” she said, interrupting Julie. “I’m not feeling good, but I don’t want to make everyone leave. Can you sit with me so Julie will go back and have some more fun?”

  Julie rolled her eyes at Polly’s comment, but before she could say anything Kurt said, “Sure, why not?”

  “Just because we’re having fun doesn’t mean we can’t go now. We can always come back another time.”

  “No, you said this was my night and I’m making this call. I just need to get out of the heat and noise for a while. That last round of shots was one too many for me.” She did look a little green to Kurt. “Maybe we could go sit in the van for a while. The night air is what I want more than anything right now.”

  “Fine,” Julie said. “Suit yourself. We’ll be out in a while if you don’t come back, though.”

  “Thanks,” Polly said as they walked out the hallway to head outside. Walking slowly, Kurt offered his arm to keep Polly steady. She’d drunk enough to make walking a straight line difficult, but still seemed to have her wits.

  The night was cold and clear, with a waning moon lighting the parking lot. Kurt clicked the button on Julie’s keys and unlocked the doors, then walked Polly around to seat her on the passenger’s side. After walking around and getting in himself, he turned the engine on to play the radio and keep a little heat blowing around their feet.

  Polly rolled her window down and looked up at the moon, not saying a word for a long time. Kurt got out his phone to smile at the offer letter again, unable to resist reading it through one more time. It seemed like a talisman for his new perspective.

  “I’m sorry,” Polly said quietly.

  “You ain’t done nothing to feel sorry for,” Kurt said.

  “Yes, I have,” she said. “I knew you liked me and I made you angry on purpose that day Trey hung up on me.”

  “It’s done and gone,” Kurt said.

  “I keep thinking what might have happened if I’d listened to my heart.”

  “It’s hard to hear it sometimes,” Kurt said. “And it’s easy to get wrong.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, turning her face towards him.

  “I been turning a problem over for months. It seemed to me that I was stuck in my life, like something outside was keeping me where I was. Everything looked like a trap to me; Kendall, my job, livin’ at home. Truth was I was just afraid. I didn’t really want to hear it, so for a long time I didn’t listen.”

  She nodded and thought for a moment. “I wanted Trey to be my perfect match, so I ignored my heart telling me he wasn’t.”

  “But he was exactly what you was lookin’ for.”

  She frowned and looked ready to say something sharp, but stopped herself. After gathering herself she said, “Tell me what you mean. I want to understand.”

  “Trey gives people what they want so he can get what he wants. That boy’s gonna make a lot of money in marketing and end up wonderin’ why the hell he ain’t happy someday.”

  Polly nodded and got quiet for a long time. She rubbed her arms a bit, so Kurt pushed the heat a little higher. After a deep breath, Polly asked, “So what about you? What makes you happy?”

  Thinking of Cathy and Camden, Kurt smiled and said, “Simple things, mostly. I ain’t very complicated.”

  “I don’t believe that anymore,” Polly said with a sad smile. “There’s more to you than I ever expected.”

  The sound of approaching footsteps ended their moment. Kurt looked around to see the rest of the girls coming toward the minivan. “Here comes trouble,” he said with grin as he got out to open the doors for them.

  “Driver, take us home!” Julie commanded with a gentle slur. “I need to wake up my husband and get some lovin’!”

  * * *

  The trip home involved plugging in Cathy’s phone to sing party anthems at insane volumes. Kurt laughed and sang along with them, dropping Julie off at home before continuing to Polly’s apartment to drop off Polly and Charlotte. Kurt couldn’t help hoping his date with Cathy and Camden might be starting a day earlier than planned.

  He parked near the stairs so he could watch Polly and Charlotte walk all the way to her door. After Polly got out, she went around to help Charlotte as she backed out of the side door.

  “You two gonna be okay?” Kurt asked through the open window. Polly appeared sober enough to manage herself, but Charlotte looked to be a little past her limits.

  “I had so much fun,” Charlotte mumbled as Polly pushed her gently towards the stairs.

  “We’ll be fine,” Polly said. “I was scared of being alone earlier, but I’m feeling a lot better now. I can’t thank you enough for driving. And for talking to me.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he said.

  Before turning to follow Charlotte up the stairs, Polly gave him a long, measured look.“Cathy, Camden, ya’ll take good care of him,” she said with a slight quiver in her voice.

  From the open side door, Cathy stepped out and walked over to hug her. A brief conversation followed where Polly kept shaking her head, but Cathy appeared emphatic about something. Kurt began to worry that his plans were about to change.

  Cathy climbed back in the van and shut the door. She and Camden were sitting behind him in the first row, whispering together too low for him to hear everything. It started with Cathy whispering with their heads together. In the rear view mirror, Kurt could see Camden shaking her head or rolling her eyes.

  “...because Polly is my friend,” Cathy said loud enough for Kurt to her the end. “... not ... hurt her.”

  “...not mine,” Camden answered in a hiss. “Not fair...”

  The conversation ended just before he turned into their apartment with Camden saying, “Fine, whatever.”

  By the time he parked at their apartment, Kurt already thought he knew what they had been talking about.

  Cathy leaned forward and said, “There’s been a change of plans.”

  “I figured,” Kurt said, trying not to appear too disappointed.

  “Are you mad?” she asked as she teased his hair around with her fingers.

  “No,” he admitted. “I remember how hard it was for me when she took Trey home that night. I had to hide out in the patio and drink myself to sleep.”

  “Why don’t you go back and see if she’s still awake?” Cathy said.

  “Did you tell her I was coming?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “How would I know that?” Cathy said and kissed his cheek.

  It was obvious Camden was not at all happy with her friend’s decision. She followed Cathy out of the minivan, but stopped and opened the driver’s door. After climbing up in Kurt’s lap to kiss him again, she put her forehead against his. “I’m very disappointed,” she whispered.

  “Me, too,” Kurt whispered back. The petite girl sighed and kissed him again, but this time with a tenderness that took away his breath.

  “I do understand, though,” she whispered where Cathy couldn't hear. “I’ve been where she is, and it sucks.” She climbed back down out of his lap and took Cathy’s hand. “She talked about you almost as much as she complained about Trey. If things don’t work out, I’d like to see you again,” Camden said as Cathy pulled her towards their apartment.

  “Good night,” Kurt said as he shut the doors. Watching them walk away was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

  * * *

  When he got back to Polly’s apartment, he could see lights were still on. Walking up to the door, he knocked quietly, counting the seconds until Polly opened it.

  “You didn’t have to come back,” Polly said, but her face showed such relief it confirmed Kurt’s decision.

  “I know,” Kurt said. “I wanted to.”

  She stepped back to let him inside, then locked the door behind them. Charlotte was snoring softly on the couch w
ith a sheet around her and a pillow under her head. Kurt stood there feeling stupid until Polly took his hand.

  “I wanted to tell you upfront, I’m not ready for... anything,” she said.

  “I don’t want that from you,” Kurt said, making her flinch with his tone. “That didn’t come out the way I meant.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, but it clearly wasn’t.

  “I don’t want to wake up Charlotte,” he said. “Can we go sit and talk?”

  Wiping her eyes, she led him into her bedroom and shut the door. She had already changed into sweats and a t-shirt, so Kurt kicked off his shoes to sit cross-legged on the bed with her.

  “What I meant to say is I want more from you than that,” he said to open things up. “I ain’t afraid to say you got to me.” He put his open hand over his chest. “In here. All I wanted was to get to know you better, and the little bit I know now just makes me want to know more.”

  She covered her face and sobbed as he spoke. “God, I’m so stupid,” she growled.

  “Look, I ain’t no treasure, I know that, but I love my family and I work hard. If you just give me a chance I could show you—”

  “Shut up!” she shouted. “You stupid fucking... man, just shut up!” The laughter that followed confused Kurt to silence. She took his hands and whispered, “This isn’t a job interview, but if it was you’ve already got the job. You’ve shown me more kindness than I deserve. Thank you.”

  “I just wanted you to know, that’s all,” he said, still confused, but happy she seemed happy.

  “Would you do me a favor tonight?” she asked. When Kurt nodded, she said, “I’m so tired, but I don’t want to be alone. Will you hold me? Just hold me?”

  Kurt nodded and said, “Sure.”

  It took a few minutes to work out the logistics. After brushing his teeth with her toothpaste and his finger, getting a glass of water, and having a little private bathroom time, Kurt turned off the lamp on the nightstand and settled into Polly’s bed with her. She was facing away, so Kurt pulled her close to make her the little spoon.

  Her hair smelled of her perfume, cigarette smoke, and some other, undefinable scent. It reminded him of sun warmed clothes or fresh fallen rain. With his eyes shut, he took deep breaths, realizing just before he drifted off to sleep that what it really smelled like was home.