Carina grabbed her Louboutin sequined clutch, slipped on her Jimmy Choo slingbacks, and strode from her room. Without acknowledging Dylan, she swept out of the apartment with Sheila.
As soon as they were in the elevator, Sheila poked her arm. “Did you see the look he gave you?”
“No, why would I care? He can smirk and laugh at me all he wants.”
“He wasn’t happy. I’ve never seen him so tense.”
“Whatever. I’m not involved with him.” Carina opened the lobby glass door and walked out of the building. Dylan had better be worried. If he was going to flaunt a date in her face, she’d do the same to him.
“Where do you want to go?” Sheila pointed to a quaint wooden building with iron signs, a water trough, and hitching post. “Great burgers and beer. Or would you like to go somewhere more artsy?”
“I need to find a man wearing a tie.” Carina sniffed. “This place looks like a dive.”
“I don’t know where we’d find men wearing ties in Berkeley on a Saturday night.”
“How about San Fran? We can take the BART and call a cab back if you don’t want to drive.”
Sheila hip bumped her. “You’re on. Got your fake ID?”
“Oh, yeah. Let’s party!” She linked arms with Sheila and sashayed toward the Downtown BART station.
~ ~ ~
Dylan threw up his hands and palmed the sides of his head. “Did you see how she was dressed?”
Jessica rolled her eyes, chewing on a chicken drumstick. “So? Looks like she’s out for a good time.”
He peered down the hallway, but the elevator doors had already shut. His stomach felt as if a nest of wasps had lodged inside. Carina could get into all sorts of trouble out there. She had no idea what that dress would do. Add the heels and her outfit screamed ‘fuck me’ in capital letters.
“I’m going after them. Can you let yourself out?” he called back to Jessica. “She’s so young and I feel responsible.”
Jessica marched to his side, hooked him by the elbow and dragged him back into the apartment. “Calm down. You’re acting like my father when I turned thirteen and discovered boys.”
“She’s vulnerable. Upset. It’ll be my fault if anything happens to her.”
Firmly, Jessica shut the door and leaned against it, her arms crossed and her eyebrows furrowed. “Dylan Jewell. You’re in love.”
“Wha-what?” He raised his hands palm up. “No, I’m concerned. She’s my roommate and it’s her first time living far from her parents. She has no clue what she’s doing.”
“Look at you. You’ve been amped up since I came through the door, trying to get rid of me. Then you just about had a stroke when she walked by without speaking to you.” Jessica led him by the hand and seated him at his table. “Eat, and then we’ll discuss what to do about you.”
“I can’t just sit here and eat. I have to make sure she’s safe.”
“She went out with a friend, didn’t she?” Jessica opened the refrigerator and handed him a beer.
“I wish she hadn’t walked in on us.” Dylan opened the beer bottle. “She thought I cooked for her. I hurt her feelings.”
“Hey, what about me?” Jessica said.
Her words slapped a splash of cold guilt over his face.
“Uh … gosh. I’m such a jerk. I … I don’t know what to say. I like you Jessie, I do, but …”
Spikes of adrenaline jittered behind Dylan’s solar plexus. He didn’t want to hurt Jessica or any of the other women he knew on a casual basis. But maybe he was fooling himself. Was it possible to keep feelings out entirely while having sex?
“Look.” Jessica shrugged her hair over her shoulder. “I knew I wasn’t the one for you, so no worries. But seeing the way you looked at Carina tonight, I’ve decided I want a man to get that dazed, desperate expression on his face for me, and I’m not settling until I find him.”
“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry. I ruined your evening. What do we do now?”
Jessica tilted her head and took the beer from his hands. “We can have some fun. You wanna chase her down, let’s go for it.”
~ ~ ~
“There they are. Looks like they’re going to the City.” Jessica tugged Dylan’s hand and pointed down the corridor of the train station.
“Don’t let them out of your sight.” Dylan slipped his credit card into the machine to add fare.
“You’re going to owe me big time.” Jessica rolled her glossy green eyes and flipped her honey blond hair over her shoulder.
“I swear, you’re the best friend ever.” Dylan gave her the updated fare card.
“Sure, I’m a chump. Guess I’ll be taking care of myself with Bunny tonight,” Jessica said, referring to the rabbit-eared vibrator she often brought to their sessions.
“Night’s not over yet. Maybe you’ll meet someone special.” Dylan held her hand as they scrambled after the trains destined for San Francisco.
“You think?” She smiled and ran her hand down her waist, accentuating her sleek figure. “Maybe we’ll both get lucky tonight.”
“Uhmm, sure. You deserve better.” Dylan headed toward the section Carina and Sheila were waiting in front of.
“No, let’s stay back so they don’t see us,” Jessie said. “You want her to be safe, but she’ll think you’re an idiot if you charge in there and stop her from going out.”
“You’re right.” Dylan shrugged and they stepped into the same car Carina and Sheila entered, but through a different set of doors.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jessica whispered. “Whenever they’re looking, I’ll kiss you and they’ll think it’s someone else. I have a lot of hair you can hide behind.”
“Okay, I should have worn a baseball cap or something.”
“Oh … they might be looking.” Jessica latched onto Dylan and tongued him. Her lip ring zinged against his teeth and ordinarily, he would have given it a few nips, but his stomach lurched as the train started rolling and he couldn’t help but remember Carina’s sweet, shy kisses.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the back of Carina’s and Sheila’s heads, their glossy, smooth black hair blending together as they giggled at a private joke.
He disengaged from Jessica. “They’re not looking now.”
“Keep being distracted and I’m going to ditch you tonight. Find myself another hot man.”
“Coolio. No jealousy allowed.”
“Right.” She stuck her pinkie at him and he shook it. “Pinky swear. I am so going to ditch you tonight. Don’t get all caveman on me.”
“Gosh, Jessie, you’re so understanding.”
“Oh, they might be looking, here’s a big, wet one.” Jessie slanted her face to fit in tight. “Hum … mmm …”
The rest of the train ride alternated with Jessica cracking jokes and kissing him while he observed Carina and Sheila. They stood as the train approached the Civic Center/Union Plaza Station.
“Bet they’re headed to 11th and Folsom where all the clubs are.” Jessica’s bosom heaved as she stretched from the seat.
“Yep.” He grabbed her hand and tailed the two women. His heart was crushed inside his chest and he could barely breathe. What would he do if Carina were to walk off with another man? Maybe Sheila could help.
~ ~ ~
“This block has all the clubs,” Sheila said as she and Carina got out of the cab. “See all the men? Dressed to a T.”
“Which one? I’m still hungry.” Carina tottered on her heels. The bag of chips she’d grabbed at the train station hadn’t alleviated her hunger pangs one bit.
The clubs didn’t look anything like the shining, glitzy places with neon lights she’d expected. They were on a street lined with warehouses, although music vibrated from the buildings and people thronged the streets.
“Are those drag queens?” Carina tried not to stare at a couple of women with large shoulders preening before entering a two-storied brick warehouse with pop-open windows.
“Stop looking like a
tourist.” Sheila laced her fingers through Carina’s hand. “This is San Francisco after all.”
“I see some financial types going in that one.” Carina pointed to a building with papered windows.
“Glad you dressed up, because this one has a dress code.” Sheila took out her driver’s license.
The Filipino bouncer glanced at Sheila’s ID and hooked his thumb toward the inside. Carina bit back a sizzle of nerves when she handed her fake ID to him.
He lowered his sunglasses and caressed her body with his gaze. “Yum, but you look like a baby.”
Sheila hooked her arm around Carina. “She’s mine tonight.”
Returning the ID, he brushed her fingertips, held on and tugged, then leaned to whisper, nipping her ear lobe. “Let me turn you with my stick, baby dyke. I get off at two.”
Ewee, yuck. Carina shrugged him off and followed Sheila into the club. A cold chill ran down her spine and her heartbeat shuddered. “Why are we pretending to be gay?”
“So the nasty men won’t bother us. Let’s grab a seat at the bar and get you fed.”
A line of men with metal threaded through their faces and muscular arms blue and black with tattoos stood at the bar eyeing them. There wasn’t a single unoccupied bar stool and the booths were full. The main floor was playing hip-hop and the smoothly waxed dance floor was jammed with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Sheila tugged Carina up a set of stairs to the loft and found a spot in the corner at the upper bar. House/techno music blasted from the DJ’s booth, but the dance floor was separated from the bar by colorfully lit translucent plastic partitions. They ordered chicken satay on skewers and a pitcher of beer.
A few men hovered around the edges of the dance floor, but most of the dancers were women dancing with each other. They were dressed hot, showing thighs and cleavage, vamped with heavy makeup and spikey shoes.
Carina chased the chicken with a swallow of beer. She scanned the crowd and considered which man she’d ask to dance. All she needed was a tie to hang on her door. That would show Dylan she wasn’t waiting around for him.
After they finished eating, Carina pulled out a wad of twenties and counted enough for the food and drink. “I’m ready to have a good time.”
“Oh, no, look who just walked in.” Sheila tapped Carina’s shoulder. “Dylan and his date.”
Carina caught sight of the tall blonde snuggling up to Dylan, probably slobbering in his ear. He didn’t look their direction but headed straight to the dance floor.
“This was a bad idea.” Carina poured herself another glass of beer.
“I don’t think so. Since he’s playing games with you, let’s show him something.”
“I don’t really care.” Carina hopped off the bar stool. “I’m going to ask that bouncer to sell me his tie.”
“What for?” Sheila picked up her clutch.
“So I can hang it on the door and when Dylan comes home, he’ll think I have a hookup tonight.”
Sheila rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a pussy. Forget the tie. Let’s show him we can have a good time without him.”
A pair of men materialized as they worked their way to the dance floor.
“Hey, hottie.” A guy with a goatee, wearing a v-necked white t-shirt and black jeans stepped in front of her. “How about me and you on the floor?”
His companion, an Asian man with slicked-back hair clapped an arm around Sheila. He snapped his fingers at a bartender. “Buy you girls a drink?”
“Uh, no. I’m already drunk.” Carina backed toward the wall. “Er … Actually, I’m looking for a man with a tie.”
“Oh, you’re into that? You wanna tie, I’ll find one.” Mr. Goatee elbowed his friend. “The lady here wants a tie.”
The man with slicked-back hair pulled at his leather vest. “I don’t got one, but if you girls wanna come home with us, we’ll tie you down good.”
“No, thanks. I have to go.” Carina slid toward Sheila and eyed the exit.
“Whoo! Let’s do it.” Goatee Guy trapped Carina against the wall and ground his crotch into her belly.
“Stop.” Carina pushed against him while his stale breath clouded over her face. “Get away from me.”
“Oh, no, honey, you asked for it.” The man pressed her against the wall. “No backing out now.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Carina panicked. “I didn’t mean anything.”
Someone lifted the man away.
“I believe the lady said no,” Dylan said.
“Who are you?” The man with the goatee bounced on his toes and clenched his fists.
While Dylan confronted the man, Sheila yanked Carina aside, speaking into her ear. “What the heck are you doing asking for a tie? If you wanted a tie, you should have told me. I have a few at my place.” Sheila’s eyes almost rolled to the back of her head. “Sheesh.”
“Heard you’re looking for a tie.” Someone looped one around Carina’s neck and pulled.
She gagged, her hands at her neck and found the tie attached to none other than James Sweet, Stanford. His eyes narrowed and burned through what little clothes she was wearing. “Wooot! I didn’t know our Carina was so sexy. Hey guys!”
Great. Just effing great. Four or more interns from Mogul Bank gathered around. Thankfully, Van was not in the crowd. Imagine him telling her parents.
Oh no! Someone raised his cell phone and snapped pictures while James roped her in.
“Man, you’re better than a model and a bottle.” He handed her a drink. “Cognac VSOP, the best they have here.”
“Uh, sure. But can I borrow your tie?”
“Only if you drink up.” He removed the tie from her neck and dangled it in front of her.
Carina tilted her head back and swallowed the entire tumbler worth of cognac. She couldn’t tell whether it was good, bad, or ugly. It burned down her throat.
She set the glass on a bar table and grabbed at the tie only to have James jerk it from her reach.
Laughter erupted from the other interns as they trained the backs of their cell phones at her. “Wait till the boss sees this.”
“You, gimme that tie,” Carina shouted. Her head throbbed to the beat of the electronic dance music, and the room spun, full of mocking faces.
Sheila grabbed her arm. “We better go.”
“No, no. I want that tie. I want to have fun. Fuck Dylan Jewell. I want to dance. I want to get a guy.” Carina allowed James to loop the tie around her neck and wobbled with him to the dance floor.
~ ~ ~
Dylan pushed the jerk with the goatee. “What were you going to do to her?”
“What’s it to you?” the man said, and then pointed at the dance floor. “Look what you did. She’s with that preppy guy now.”
“Ah, forget about her,” the Asian guy said. He flipped Dylan the bird and led his friend away.
Jessica tapped Dylan and pointed across the bar. “That guy just gave Carina a large glass of alcohol, and she downed it.”
“Oh, crap. She’s not even legal.” Dylan spotted Carina sandwiched between three guys wearing business suits. She stumbled and weaved, barely staying on her feet. One of the men reached around her and ran his hand over Carina’s breasts.
Dylan sucked in his breath as adrenaline sizzled through him. She looked so freakin’ hot and sexy, the way her body moved side to side and up and down. But no way was she supposed to be displayed for those douchebags. Add to that, several tourists had their cell phones pointed at the scene she was making.
Enough was enough. Carina’s reputation would be toast if her pictures were posted on the internet. Dylan elbowed his way over and yanked Carina from the blond guy and his friends.
“We’re going home now.” He guided her off the dance floor.
Carina walked unevenly, so he swept her into his arms. Surprisingly, she didn’t utter a word of protest.
Dylan wove his way between the crowd and carried Carina down the stairs and out the front door. He signaled for a cab and
when it arrived, he put Carina in first, then climbed in followed by Sheila and Jessica.
Jessica told the driver to take them back to Berkeley, then turned to Dylan. “That was fun. I got enough material to write a short story.”
“Don’t you dare. She’s underage, drunk, and being sexually abused.” Dylan tucked Carina tighter into his chest. “Are you okay there?”
She didn’t reply. Instead, her shoulders shook gently and he realized she was crying.
No one said anything for many miles. Jessica directed the driver to her place first, then Sheila was dropped off at her place, leaving Dylan and Carina.
He carried her into the apartment and held her in front of the toilet while she retched. And when nothing else came up, he turned on the shower. Then gently, he took off her clothes and held her under the stream of water. She was unresponsive as he soaped her, rinsed her off, and wrapped her in a towel.
By the time he laid her on the bed, she was half asleep. He tucked her in and lay down next to her. Everything had been his fault. Carina obviously cared about their bed buddy contract and couldn’t handle the nonexclusive clause. He should never have agreed to it. And her virginity was too precious to fling away on a dare.
Chapter 16
Thump. Carina blinked at the sunlight streaming through the window. Dylan set a mug of coffee on the table. He hadn’t bothered to pour a foam heart and she didn’t give a crap anyway. She was groggy and achy and she needed to go into the office. The nutty, complex taste of the perfect cup of coffee held her in a momentary spell.
She closed her eyes and inhaled before blowing lightly on the sweet-smelling crema over the dark woody flavors. Her mental fog cleared at the edges, but she held the cup in front of her face as if it were a shield.
Dylan stirred matcha green tea powder into a bowl of oatmeal and handed it to her, then sat across from her, his elbows on the table.
“You were pretty wasted last night. Are you feeling better?”
“Sure, thanks.” She couldn’t meet his eye. Not when she felt like she’d been turned inside out. Her stomach was still queasy, but she sucked on the coffee, swallowing to keep it down. Last night was the most embarrassing night ever.
Whole Latte Love (The Jewells) Page 16
