“I’d like that.”
Chase opened the door to the wine bar and stood there looking so damn handsome as Shayla walked past him. She exhaled a breath, looking around the sleek, cool room with rich leather couches in pockets and a bar that spanned the entire left side.
“Nice,” Chase said.
“There they are,” came Sebastian’s voice from somewhere to her right. She turned and found him with Desiree and Ashe, the three of them looking like a piece of art themselves with their unique styles—Sebastian with his classic prep, Ashe with his sleek look finished with just a touch of eye makeup, and Desiree with her black hair braided intricately and swept up on top of her head. Suddenly, the confidence Shayla felt in her leather jacket waned a bit.
She hugged each of them, Ashe and Sebastian kissing her on the cheek, and Desiree holding onto her for a long time. “I’ve missed you, sweet friend.”
God, these people were nothing like anyone she’d ever known. When Bo had introduced her to them when he first started hanging out with them about three years ago, she’d been baffled at first at how they fit with her redneck brother, but after just one night with them, it all clicked into place. They were genuine and caring, despite their perfect and unique appearances. She’d only met them all a handful of times when she’d been home to visit here and there, but they always made her feel like a part of their circle.
Shayla squeezed her back, wordlessly. Ashe pointed at her. “What happened to you on Facebook? I mean, you never really posted anything but you were always around with your stoically hilarious comments on my pictures. I could just hear you saying them. Then one day, I was like, where’s my Shayla love? And I searched for you and you were gone. Now, I know you didn’t unfriend me.”
“No, of course not. I just got off of there. I got sick of the politics.” That was an excuse anyone could believe.
“I just unfriend,” Desiree said. “Even if it’s someone I liked. I can’t take the division.”
“I’m a fan of the unfollow,” Sebastian said. “That way I don’t have to see their crap but I don’t have to possibly get confronted by anyone wanting to know why I unfriended them.”
“There’s my boyfriend!” came a loud, female voice from across the room. Marigold, with her beautiful, flowing blond hair came running across the room on light feet and jumped up into Chase’s arms with her legs tucked to her, and he held her there like a human ball.
She kissed him on the cheek with a loud, “M-wuah!” and then hopped down. “I haven’t seen you in like a month. Where have you been?”
“I know where he’s been this past week,” Sebastian said under his breath, and Desiree and Ashe both smiled like they had a secret.
Shayla turned to the group and said in a low voice, “You all know we’re not dating, right?”
“Oh, of course,” Ashe said, and then exchanged a look with Desiree.
“I’m serious.”
Sebastian tapped her on the arm. “We know, sweetie.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head at them.
“Oh, my God. Shayla,” Marigold said and then swept Shayla into her. She pulled back and squeezed Shayla’s arms. “Finally. I’ve only texted you to come meet us like eight thousand times. Why have you not come to see me?”
“She’s not come to see any of us, for the record,” Sebastian said. Shayla gave him a look, and he said, “What? You haven’t.”
“I’ve been busy with the business with Bo gone and all.”
“When are they getting their asses back down here?” Marigold asked. “It was cute, him going up there to win her back, but over two months now? Is she nuts? It’s Bo Harrison. He would have had me at I’m here.”
“Most do,” Ashe said, and Marigold shoved him.
“He’s back as of yesterday,” Shayla said.
“I texted Maya,” Sebastian said. “They’re still getting settled but will meet us somewhere soon.”
Marigold motioned around the room. “What do you all think? Is this not awesome? I’m going to need rehab after a month or two of this.”
Chase gave Shayla a closed-mouth smile, and Shayla shook her head discreetly, letting him know she didn’t think anything of it.
Marigold looked at Chase and Shayla’s empty hands. “You two need vino. Come.”
They followed her to the bar, and she turned back to them. “You both like Pinot Noir, right?” They nodded, and she ordered for them. “I’m going to find Fiona. This is her bar. I want you both to meet her.” She walked away, and they waited for their wine.
“Your friends are really kind people,” Shayla said.
“They’re your friends, too.”
“Thanks to Bo. How’d you get into this crew?” she asked.
“Shit, I don’t know. Through Blake, I guess. He and Seanna should be here,” he said, glancing around. The bartender slid two glasses to them and they thanked him. Chase turned back toward her with a look that made her stomach fizz, or maybe that was the wine. “I like Big Love.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely…curious.”
He shook his head. “One woman is tough enough, three would do me in.” She smiled and took a sip of her wine. “I didn’t mean to sleep in your bed like that. I hope you know that,” he said.
“It’s your bed, actually,” she said.
He gave her that little sideways grin that was so cute she could lick it. “I think it’s yours now. After having you, it would never take me back solo.”
“I thought you’d never slept in it,” she said.
“I haven’t, actually.”
“Ah,” she said, setting her gaze on the many wine bottles behind the bar.
“Ah, what?”
“You haven’t slept in it,” she said.
He considered her. “Why do you do that?”
She looked down at her wine glass, feeling caught. “What’d I do?” she asked, knowing the answer.
“You bring up me and other women.”
She twirled her wine glass. “I don’t know. Maybe it helps me establish boundaries with you.”
“Why do you need those?” he asked.
She cut her eyes at him. “You know why.”
“I really don’t, but I’d love for you to tell me.”
She took another sip of her wine, staring down at the bar. She finally looked back at him. “What?”
“I’m waiting.”
She let out an exhausted breath. “You’re really going to make me spell this out for you?”
“I’m not a smart guy, not when it comes to women, clearly.”
She gave him a look, and he pinched her hip. “I want to know.”
She glanced down at her hip. “Don’t do that to me.”
“Pinch you?”
“Yeah.”
“How come?”
She met his gaze. “’Cause I like it.”
He smiled. “Well, if I’d have known that I might have tried to kiss you again last night.”
“That’s the whole problem.”
“What is?”
She shook her head. “Chase.”
“Mmm, see, now I like that.”
“What?” But she knew.
“When you say my name. You hardly ever do, so when you do, it makes me a little crazy.”
“You’re so full of shit.”
“I’m not. Have I not made it clear that I like you?”
She picked at the beverage napkin her wine glass was sitting on.
“When I saw you standing there at the airport, I couldn’t believe how good you looked to me,” he said. “I mean, I missed you when I was out in Vegas, but when I saw you, I was like, damn. I don’t want to be superficial, but you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Please don’t say that.” As the words came out of her mouth, she chastised herself. Change the subject. That was the rule her mother had given her when she was a teenager. You’re an unusually attractive girl, Shayla. People will tel
l you that. When they do, change the subject. The makeup of your facial features has nothing to do with beauty. That comes from within.
“I wouldn’t tell you that if I thought you already knew it,” he said.
She met his gaze, curious.
“You don’t seem to be aware of what you look like. Or, I take that back. I think you do know, but I don’t think it’s important to you,” he said.
She didn’t know what to make of that. “Why do you say that?”
“You don’t carry yourself like a girl who tries too hard. You don’t try at all. I’ve got that big mirror in the living room, I’ve never seen you check yourself in it. Every girl I’ve ever had in that house has checked herself in that mirror every chance she’s gotten. I love a confident woman, but the second I see them look at themselves in the mirror and pucker up, checking each side of their face, making weird expressions that they think are sexy or interesting, it’s a turn off. I’d rather sit and talk to a woman all night with a booger on her nose than have her do that.”
She giggled. She hadn’t giggled in years.
“I’m serious. I would. A pretty face is nice, but I’d much rather talk to a girl who’s focused on the conversation than on her own face.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You confuse me.”
“How’s that?”
“Because when you say something like this, you sound like someone who’s interested in women for more than their looks.”
He looked offended. “I am.”
“No you’re not,” she said.
He blinked, his body physically moving back from her a bit.
“You go from woman to woman. You don’t settle on anyone. You’ve not had a relationship since your wife, and you two divorced what, five, six years ago?”
His face took on a serious expression, and she knew she’d pushed too far.
“That’s why I bring up you with other women. That’s why I don’t want you to pinch my hip, or kiss me, or tell me you like me. Because one of these days, I’m going to cave. I’m dealing with a lot of shit right now, and quite honestly, the idea of sliding into bed with a guy like you who could make me remember why I used to love sex is tempting as hell. But I’m not a girl who can walk away from that, not with someone I think is a genuinely good and kind person. Not with someone like you.”
He stared at her, his brow furrowed, eyes intent.
“Pretty people.” Marigold’s voice woke her out of the bubble she’d been in with Chase for the past few minutes. She turned to find Marigold with a woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties dressed in all black, her hair cut into a sort of shaggy page boy. She smiled at Shayla with a natural charm that instantly calmed her. “I want you to meet Fiona. This is her fabulous bar.”
“Hi,” Fiona held out her hand to Shayla, and she shook it.
“I’m Shayla.”
Chase held his hand out next. “Chase O’Neil.”
Fiona lifted her eyebrow. “I am aware of who you are.”
Chase gave a contrite nod and picked up his wine glass.
Marigold snaked her arm around his back. “Everybody wants him but he only has eyes for me.”
Fiona smiled. “Well, I can certainly see why.”
Marigold squeezed him, narrowing her gaze. “Now, if I could just get him to sleep with me.”
Fiona met Shayla’s gaze with a smile, a hint of curiosity in it as she likely tried to figure out who belonged to who. Her guess was as good as Shayla’s.
Chase squeezed Marigold and kissed her on top of the head. “You know you’re too much woman for me. I could never keep up. Blake just walked in. I’m going to say hi. Nice to meet you, Fiona. This is a great place.”
“I hope to see you here again sometime.”
“I’m sure you will.” He smiled as he exited, but Shayla could tell his heart wasn’t in it.
Fiona watched him walk away. “That is what our mothers would call a tall drink of water.”
“Oh yeah,” Marigold said. “I’ve been working on him for three long years. He’s got so many notches on his bedpost it looks like he’s got termites, but he’s refused me every time I’ve tried. And trust me when I say, I’ve tried plenty.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Fiona said. “You’re beautiful.”
Marigold waved her off. “I know. I think he doesn’t take me seriously, and he probably shouldn’t. I’m a mess. If I got with him, I’m sure I’d find a way to fuck it up then I couldn’t have him as a friend. And I’m not willing to run that risk. I think if it came down to it and he agreed, I’d back off. I’m all talk.”
Shayla took heed of Marigold’s wise words. She needed to be thinking along those same exact terms.
Marigold turned to Shayla. “You two aren’t together are you?”
“No. I’m renting his pool house. I’m just getting settled back into town.”
“Where is it?” Fiona asked.
“Seagrove. It’s a beautiful place. I’m really lucky.”
“Yeah,” Marigold said, “I’m sure it’s torture for him having you steps away, floating in his pool in your bikini.”
Shayla huffed a laugh. “I haven’t worn a bikini since high school. Not with these hips.”
“Are you kidding?” Fiona said. “Look at me. I carry my weight in my stomach. I’d love to push it back to my rear.”
“I’d love to have a rear,” Marigold said.
Shayla smiled at the two of them. They both made her feel at home in this sleek wine bar that didn’t suit her redneck heritage. She’d always felt like a fish out of water on 30A, but that was self-inflicted.
“So this is all yours?” Shayla asked.
“Mine and the bank’s,” Fiona said, looking around. “Some girls choose the family route. I’m choosing wine.”
Marigold held up her glass. “Here, here.”
A tall woman with a strapless top came up to Fiona and kissed her on the mouth. Shayla had zero gaydar. She found trying to figure people out prematurely never panned out like she thought, so she quit trying.
“Angelica,” Fiona said. “This is Shayla.”
Shayla nodded at her. “How are you?”
The tall woman lifted an eyebrow. “Much better now. You’re a friend of Fiona’s?”
Fiona squeezed the woman. “We just met five minutes ago.”
The woman looked disappointed. “Oh, damn.”
Shayla scratched her forehead, feeling like a fish in a barrel. Marigold must have sensed her unease, because she wrapped her arm around her. “We need to go say hello to friends who just walked in. We’ll talk to you all in just a bit.”
The women nodded and Marigold and Shayla made their exit.
“I have no gaydar,” Shayla said.
“Fiona’s fluid. She’s harder to shake out. She just broke up with a man. A fucking hot as hell man, too. He was here earlier. They’re staying friends. Can you imagine?”
Shayla could not.
Marigold paused by a cocktail table near a couple of forty-something guys. “I’m starting to wonder if it’s the worst idea in the world. Fiona’s hot. A natural beauty. I have to go through eight beauty regimes a day to look like this. I was thinking about seeing if Fiona would let me take her for a test drive.”
Shayla laughed, looking around. “Marigold.”
“I’m serious. She’s hot. And I’m getting desperate. Do you know that the last guy I went out with said he forgot his wallet and at the end of the night asked me to give him a ride to the airport that following weekend? Who does that?”
Shayla smiled. She’d forgotten how much she liked Marigold.
Marigold leaned in. “How bad could it be? Did you see that show Episodes with Matt LeBlanc? Carol did it, and they lived happily ever after, or we were supposed to assume that, anyway.”
“I’m not saying don’t try it. I’m saying maybe don’t with the woman who you have side-by-side businesses with.”
Marigold rolled her eyes, glancing
around. “I know. You’re right. Maybe I’ll just keep it a fantasy. Give me and my vibrator something to keep us motivated.”
Shayla giggled, again. The giggling was getting out of hand. “That woman Angelica looked like she’d be game.”
“You think? I think she might devour me.”
They laughed, Marigold putting her forehead to Shayla’s. Shayla hadn’t felt this free in over a year.
She glanced over at Chase, who was watching them. He held up his wine glass, his smile not all the way there, and her guilt swallowed her. Why did she have to go after him like that earlier? She said too much. But she couldn’t help herself. He did things to her that she couldn’t control. She winked at him and looked away before she could see his response. She knew when she’d screwed up, and she’d have to apologize. Just not right now. Not when she felt alive.
Chapter Twelve
Chase watched Shayla and Marigold at the bar, two guys in their forties hitting on them. They were probably married, here with their families from Memphis or Birmingham, getting off on two hot, younger girls paying them attention…locals at that. Shayla had opened up her body, leaning against the bar with her elbows up on it, looking chiller than Easy Rider.
Marigold was egging it on as usual. She’d been keeping them all laughing, flirting with both guys shamelessly while Shayla just smiled and watched, the guys watching her. He could only imagine the fantasies these two dads were having about her, what they thought about doing to her body, what they imagined her doing to them while their wives sat back at their rented houses on the beach watching Magic Mike with the sound turned down while the kids slept. Every bit of the thought made him sick at his stomach.
“Right Chase?” Desiree said.
“Hmm? Yeah.” They all busted out laughing. “What?” he asked looking between his friends.
“She said you liked to wear your tutu when you sing songs from Annie on the roof of your house,” Ashe said, and they all broke out in laughter.
“Honey,” Sebastian said, putting his hand on Chase’s back. “I’ve known you a while now, and I’ve never seen that look in your eye.”
Heat rose up to his ears. “I don’t have a look.”
Seagrove Secrets (Love Along Hwy 30A) Page 13
