She ripped the door open and took a deep breath. “You can’t give me a moment to think?”
“I wanted to see you,” Cade told her, “and I won’t apologize for that.”
“But you knew that I wanted space, and instead, you asked me to come out on your yacht?”
“It’s not a yacht.”
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I do.” He darted forward, and his lips were on hers, feeding that flaming vortex, which had, by this point, become a blaze, washing down her face, fueled by his tongue, pushing its way through.
It slid back, along the ridges and mounds, and rested on the back of her teeth. Their lips parted, just enough to cement that heat and transform it into more than just desire; it was desperation.
That’s why her fists clenched, she stepped away, and bashed him in the jaw. “Never do that again.”
She pushed him out and slammed the door, still reeling from the firestorm he lit inside her. This was dangerous. There were too many unknowns, and he had more power over her than she thought possible. He knew that, too. He saw the way she reacted, and he was going to use it against her.
20
Caldo de queso, known in English as cheese soup, for the white, crumbling chunks of queso blanco that melted slightly when they were placed in the broth. As far as Lori knew, Cade was the only person she’d met north of the border who even knew what that was, and they certainly couldn’t...she shouldn’t have dipped her spoon in. He made it himself with the green chile she loved.
The reason she loved it was because it added a smoky flavor to the broth that made her salivate, making it impossible for her to stop eating. It worked. She ate the whole bowl and spooned herself some more.
When she was done, she hated herself. She had to fight him. She couldn’t give in. She took a quick look at the time and debated for a moment about what she was going to do. “Fuck it.”
She entered the dance hall, wearing full makeup and the tightest pair of jeans she could fit into, and jumped into line as fast as she could. They were doing push ups, and Margot was stamping her cane in time with her count. “Twenty-five and...what are you doing?”
Lori was on the ground about to lift herself up, when she saw the tip of the cane stamp down inches from her head. “You have gall.” She took a moment to think about how she was going to respond. Margot hopped on that and shouted. “If you don’t want to be here, go. I teach dancers, not flakes.” Her cane thudded. “Up!”
Lori raised herself and turned to Harris, as soon as Margot moved on. “How are you?” she whispered.
“What do you want?” Harris whispered back.
“I just—I’m bored. I’m here alone, and to be honest...”
The cane went flying across the room like a spear. It crashed against the wall behind her, and Margot shouted, “Did I not just tell you where the door was?”
“You want me to leave?” Lori asked.
“I want you to decide. Are you going to commit, or are you going to flirt?”
“She’s making me feel uncomfortable,” Harris said.
“Good,” Margot broke into a hacking fit, and suddenly stopped breathing, her eyes bulging out of her skull. Lori wasn’t sure whether to offer her help. It wasn’t until the old woman shrieked that she realized that was her way of stifling a cough. Down!” the few poor souls trembling and struggling to hold themselves up off the ground fell with sighs of relief. “Up!”
“What do you want?” Harris asked, his knees touching the ground.
“To dance.”
“One more! Down!” Margot had made her way to the other end of the line, giving Harris a chance to respond.
“Bullshit.”
“It’s...”
Lori stopped herself when she saw Margot coming back around. She was using her cane to correct people’s posture. “Up!”
“Well, if you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen,” a deep, sing song voice rang out. It was Josh, who seemed to have taken over for Carlos as Margot’s assistant.
“Exactl—
Margot hunched over and erupted, shaking and flushed, spewing flecks of spit on the nearest student. She bolted towards the door. “Disgusting!”
“Hey, if you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
“He’s been saying that a lot, hasn’t he?” she asked.
“Fuck you.” Harris stood himself up with a grunt. She did the same, along with several others. Many of the students were still laying on the ground, their breath racing.
“Pair off!”
Harris immediately turned and started walking towards the mirror on the side wall. When he passed Margot, her cane whipped out, snagged him in the ankle, and he tripped forward, his legs flying out behind him. “The hell...?”
“FOXTROT!”
“Um, excuse me,” Lori raised a hand.
“You,” Margot let her cane drop on the floor in front of Harris. “You’re with her.”
“I thought...are you serious?” Harris rolled over and braced himself to stand.
“You have to learn with a partner,” she replied. “If you can’t do that, there’s the door.”
He took a look back, before ambling over to where Lori was standing, smiling in his direction, twirling her hair. “Why are you here?”
“FOXTRO—
Lori had to yell over the sound of Margot’s coughing fit. “I’m tired of Reina.”
“Join the club.” He rolled his eyes and rested on hand on the small of her back, so they could begin.”
“Step, step—slowly...I said slowly!”
Lori moved in time with the invisible beat, having learned the dance years ago. Harris did the same, his eyes resting on her cleavage. “See anything you like?”
Lori whipped around, faster than the dance called for, and he moved with her, flowing seamlessly. “People have been talking, you know.”
“Do I look like the kind of person that cares what other people think about her?”
“You did at the pool,” he replied, still staring.
She laughed. “I have a phobia of the water.”
“That is ridiculous. What are you doing here?”
“OK, that’s getting annoying,” Lori said, and it’s not funny. Look at me.”
“Quick! Quick!”
He did. “I’m not falling for your crap. You’re loyal to her.”
“You know how irritating she can be.”
“Yeah, but you have a special place in hell reserved for men who act on their natural instincts.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Slow, slow. Slower!”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” he said.
“Harris, is it so hard to believe that I just want a hookup?”
He shifted his jaw. “If you bring her around...”
“You think I want her knowing about this? No, it’s just you and me and just tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s nobody else I can hookup with without compromising my morals.”
“Your morals?” he laughed, still dancing. “I’m taken.”
“You know damn well you’re not.”
He shrugged a gesture worthy of assault. “You’re trying to humiliate me.”
“We’re supposed to go to the wave pool tonight,” Lori lied. “Instead, I was thinking we could come here.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he asked.
“Does it really matter? You both want to go your separate ways.”
“You don’t know what she can do. She’ll ruin this whole thing for me, especially if she finds out about this. It’s not even worth it.”
“But you’re not having any luck. Don’t try to deny it. I heard about what happened at yoga.
“You know,” he said, “we’re not even together. I’m not cheating.”
“I agree,” Lori said, “and sometimes people stay together longer than they should.”
“It’s not a
crime to try to move on.”
“No, and I don’t think it was fair of her to humiliate you like that.”
“It wasn’t. But I still don’t believe you. I think you’re up to something. I mean, look at you. You look like you’re about to do a catwalk.”
She smiled and turned away, covering her mouth. “You think?”
“Don’t bullshit me. What is it?”
“NO TALKING!” Margot screamed from the other end of the room. Lori waited, until the woman went back to her conversation with the man that’d been calling out before. They were saying something to the girl with him, and her head was bowed like she was about to cry.
“Well?”
“It’s the captain.”
“You just lost all credibility,” Harris laughed.
“He’s my ex. I didn’t even know he was here. I thought it was—he’s been filling my room with things, showing up. He tried to kiss me today, and he won’t stop, not unless I do something drastic.”
“You’re no good at lying.”
“It’s true,” she said, “and I have a room filled with precious jewels and dresses and a fucking servant following me around. Come to dinner. I get everything free.”
He narrowed his eyes. “It’s just not believable.”
“Watch,” with a quick look in Margot’s direction, she pulled him by the sleeve to call an apologetic Reina. She felt guilty leading her friend on, but it worked. As soon as Harris heard her arguing about wanting to go to dinner instead, he knew that Lori was telling the truth. He agreed to meet her later that night for the couple’s ball that evening, but only under one condition. “You have to use me for sex.”
“That’s why I’m going. Now get changed. You stink.”
21
On her ears, she wore two knots of gold, frosted and gleaming, paired with the scent of lilac—accent pieces to her emerald gown. It was too ornate for her taste, but it was the perfect thing to wear to the couple’s ball—a nightly gathering, where wives pressured their husbands to put down the drinks and get on the dance floor.
It wasn’t the ideal evening. There was a lot of guilt, a lot of worrying—the prospect of getting pinned down by a drunken misogynist, or worse—a public blowout with Cade. He wasn’t this dumb. He probably already knew what was going on. That was what Lori was banking on. She needed him to think that it was just a petty stunt, up until the moment she stepped inside Harris’s room.
There was no way of knowing how Cade would react or what he would do. He was always calm and easy going, but when things truly hit the fan, he could be bombastic, angry and sullen. She was taking a risk, but it was for her own survival.
Still, the guilt was there when she received the text from Harris, asking her to head to his room. She needed to be just as careful with him. She replied by saying that he was going to treat her like a lady and come to the door.
He wasn’t happy about that, but he was fast. In less than five minutes, he was waiting outside yelling, “I want to get there early.”
“Why should it matter?” Lori walked into the hall and stifled a gag. He was staring right down her collar, and this time, it wasn’t a joke. His jaw fell open, and he scratched at his crotch, sucking air in sharply through his teeth.
“We could skip dinner.”
“No, Cade has to see me,” Lori told him, knowing full well that he was watching.
“Is he going to attack me?” Harris followed her down the hall.
“He might, but you’re a big man. You can take a punch.”
“I could eat a whole pig, and I still won’t go over one-fifty.”
She didn’t try to hide her laugh. “You wear it well.”
“Damn right, I do.” He straightened the color of his black v-neck—the same shirt he was wearing during class.
“Narcissism is a universal turn-off.”
“Women never say what they mean.”
Any other night, she probably would’ve punched him, just so he knew who was boss when the time came to walk away. “That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard anyone say.”
“It’s true, though.”
Both of them expected a crowd, and there was a back forth about going to the buffet instead. It was tempting, until Lori thought about how dangerous it would be to have George serving Harris, and Harris had a mouth on him.
Every time an eccentric passed, he had something to say, and he didn’t even bother to lower his voice. He just belted out as soon as they passed. There was more than one dirty look. It was starting to become a problem. Lori wasn’t even sure she wanted to be seen with him, and it wasn’t just his remarks. His reputation was a tangible force, apparent on the faces of nearly everyone that passed them by.
“That’s the prowler,” a bellhop whispered to a clerk, holding open the door to a boutique.
Lori laughed, and Harris turned to face her. “Don’t repeat that.”
“What? Prowler? Why do you care? You’re supposed to be mister nonchalant.”
“I would like to walk into a room without being called a predator.”
“Prowler,” Lori corrected him.
“It’s the same thing, and it’s a mischaracterization.”
“It’s about honesty and being true to what you really want.”
“Why are you trying to school me?” he asked her. “I thought you just wanted sex.”
“Because I think you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble if you just walked away.”
“It’s my business, and I’d like you to stay out of it.”
“OK,” Lori held two hands up, a gesture of surrender. “You’re right. None of my business.”
“I don’t trust this. What does Reina want?” He stopped in the corner outside of the dance hall, a safe distance away from the couples streaming inside. “I want you to be honest with me.”
“She doesn’t know, and she’s going to be pissed,” Lori said.
“Then let’s call her and figure that out.”
“No—please...” he was already pulling out his phone.
“I don’t want to tell her.”
He hit the call button, teeth bared in a devilish smirk.
“Jesus, stop! I’m no—
“Yeah, why is Lori ready to spread her legs?” there was a pause and he held the phone away from his ear. Lori could hear Reina screaming. “It’s for you.”
“You did that, not me.”
“Whatever,” he hit the end button and hooked his arm in hers, so they could wait in the line that was forming near the entrance. When they got closer, and Lori could see inside, she took a moment to admire the way the shadows danced in the low light, like a thousand apparitions, melding and parting, spinning, growing and dying.
The mirrors on the side wall had been replaced with a trellis laden with a roses so lifelike Lori could have sworn they were real until they took their table, and she got a chance to feel the waxy surface of the petals. They took up the entire wall, separated only at intervals by statues of maidens dancing.
Harris went to scour the buffet, leaving Lori alone and feeling vulnerable. She mostly watched the band, strumming away slow songs, while couples took their turn, clumsily shuffling their feet.
“You’re not going to chow down?” He was balancing a small mountain range of fried chicken, popcorn shrimp and crab salad.
“I don’t eat buffet food,” she replied.
“Why not? It’s no worse than anything else.”
“Half of it comes in barrels, and almost all of it is produced in shady farms and factories with little to no accountability.”
He popped a shrimp in his mouth, “You’re kind of stuck up.”
“If you had seen the things I’ve seen, you wouldn’t eat it either.”
“Eh,” he stuffed a few more shrimp in his mouth, before pushing his plate away and patting his stomach. “I will get back to you little guys in a bit.” He turned to Lori, who was watching the band play. “Hello,” he waved a hand in front of her face.
“What?” she turned her attention away from the music.
“You want to dance?”
She sighed, cognizant of the little cameras posted in every corner of the room. She was complacent, and Cade was probably starting to notice. “Definitely,” she replied and stood to her feet. Harris hopped up, and his arm slid around her waist.
“Don’t touch my butt in public.”
“I always shake gifts before I unwrap them.” He took a handful, and there was a flash of white and blue, rushing past the crowd, moving in their direction. People parted, the music stopped; passengers seemed to be making way for something, and with it came a blast of adrenaline.
The air behind her suddenly grew warm and still, but only for a tiny fraction of a second. Two men, both with buzzcuts and crew uniforms came rushing in, one on each side of Harris, who was standing, frozen and staring at something behind her.
She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him, and his aura—hot enough to melt her gown. “Two days—assault and harassment.”
“No, Ca—
“I’ve already had complaints,” Cade told her, and she could feel his words rush out and encircle her neck. “Besides, you can’t tell you wanted that.”
“I—
“I said you can’t tell me.” While he spoke, Harris’s eye were glued on her own, his expression neutral, as if there weren’t two men, pulling his hands behind his back, while the whole room watched—even the band, which had stopped playing at that point.
His lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile; it was a threat, meant for her eyes only. “Amend that. Till we reach port, to be turned over to autho—
“Ah, fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! FUCK YOU! God, ge—go! No!” Harris was thrashing and shrieking, struggling to get away, his body wriggling, while they took him by the arm and began dragging him backwards. His foot flew forward and curved to the side, a half-hearted attempt to kick the crew member to his right.
They both let go, and he lost his balance. He hit the ground with a thud, and a look of sheer terror came over him. “No, no, no, no, no....”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 34
