“Devlin gave me a big beautiful bouquet of these once……….sigh…”
But, Kesha was out of patience now, and she didn’t hesitate to let me have it, like only a true friend would:
“Girl, you have got to forget him, already! You fell in love with the wrong man. Period. It happens. Do you think he’s pining away over you? I seriously doubt it. He’s probably been pierced-dicking everyone and their sister, because he’s a manwhore, just like you said. You need to stop acting so pitiful and move on now.”
Deep down, I knew Kesha was right. I was so certain I would have heard from Devlin by now. Especially after hearing all the stuff my mom told me about. Like all the sweet things he said that Richard had mentioned during their first meeting; how he had such special feelings for me. But nope……nothing at all. Just silence. How could he be like that? Maybe Richard had made up a bunch of shit the way all politicians do.
At that moment, the vibration and buzzing of my phone in my back pocket, made me jump and alerted me to a text message. I figured it was just momma sending me more photos of her yachting adventure; probably more sea lions on buoys. I pulled the phone out of my jeans and looked at the screen. Oh my god!
It was Devlin! His message was brief…
“Cali I need to see you.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DEVLIN
Still no reply from Cali. She hadn’t responded to any of my texts or calls. My mind went through the usual desperate list of possibilities: Maybe her phone was broken. Maybe she got a new number. Maybe she was out of the country. Maybe she had amnesia. Of course, I knew none of those reasons made sense. Maybe she was just done with me, for good. Now that one made sense!
As a last resort, I went onto the PacificMed website and did an online booking for a 4PM physical therapy appointment that afternoon. I made it under the fake name of Cliff Hanger. If I had to pay to see Cali, so be it! All day long, I rehearsed what I was going to say to her to get her back. She was sure to give in, once she saw me, and heard my heartfelt apology. She would have to agree it was all just a colossal misunderstanding; nothing but a simple breakdown in communication.
Or maybe she was just plain sick and tired of my misunderstandings, excuses and apologies. Maybe I had completely blown all my chances with her. Who could blame her?
Heading down the hallway to the PT offices, I couldn’t help but think back on the first time I had followed Cali back there. An involuntary smile spread over my face as I thought about her adorable, sexy ass bobbing back and forth in front of me, while I trailed behind her like a little puppy.
Just then, the office door swung open and out strutted Travis Whatshisname. And he looked at me like the cat that just ate the canary. Something told me he obviously had some sort of bad news that he couldn’t wait to taunt me with. I hated that super-smug idiot.
“If you’re looking for Cali Jamison, she’s not here. I heard her tell her partner Kesha, an hour ago, that she was leaving. So, I guess you’re just shit out of luck, Darren.”
Travis sounded exactly like a bratty child in a sandbox. I almost expected him to stick out his tongue at me and go, “So there! Nah nah nah nah nah nah!”
But if what he said was true, then I really was SOL at the moment. I would have to wait even longer before I saw Cali and talked to her. Come to think of it, I hadn’t noticed her car in the parking lot, when I pulled in. My anger started to get the best of me again.
“First of all, my name is Devlin and second, why don’t you mind your own business, asshole!”
“Don’t you want to know where Cali is? Probably out with the guy I saw her with in the parking lot last week. Guess you didn’t make a very good impression on her if she’s already moved on, huh?”
Like a bull, I was seeing red now. I might have even been snorting steam out of my nose. I grabbed Travis by the collar of his workout jacket and slammed him up against the wall. Kesha must have heard the racket in the hallway, prompting her to pop her head out for a look-see.
“Hey! You two better break it up out here before I call the cops!”
I decided I should let go his collar before I actually hurt him.
But when she did, the idiot got right back in my face for another round. Only this time he went way too far. He made his first mistake by poking me in the chest repeatedly. His second mistake was insulting Cali:
“Face the facts, soldier boy! She’s fucking some other dude now and there’s nothing you can do about it! I’ll bet she’s probably sucking him off right now!”
He sealed the deal with his fist, throwing a suckerpunch to my gut that damn near knocked the wind out of me, and he was moving in to follow it up.
My blind rage was immediately ignited. Before I could even blink my eyes, I’d caught his next punch and countered it with a savage blow to Travis’s face, sending him flying back against the wall and onto his ass. He was still conscious but he had a lot of blood coming out of his nose and upper lip. I stood over him, still seething with anger. It took every ounce of military discipline I had not to jump on top of him and slam his head against the tile floor.
I could have easily killed him.
“You mother-fucker! You can say whatever you want to about me, but if I EVER hear you say anything crude or disrespectful about Cali Jamison again, I will rip your fuckin’ arms and legs off!”
“Yeah, I heard you asshole! And so did my witness over here. He just assaulted me AND threatened to kill me? Right, Kesha? You heard him didn’t you? I’m gonna sue your fucking ass off. I’ll bet your rich daddy would rather settle out of court too, rather than have a nasty public trial. You are SO fucked. You’re gonna be sorry you ever put your hands on me!”
A small, curious crowd of gym members was starting to gather now, but Kesha had been the only witness to Travis’s ass-whooping. Good ol’ Kesha. She looked straight into his now blackened eyes, and deflated his little bubble.
“I’m sorry Mr. Walsh, but I saw a man defending himself. I watched you hit Mr. Danes first. And if you don’t stop causing a commotion right now, I’m going to call the police and have you arrested!”
She turned and headed back into her office.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CALI
There was no way in hell that I was going to do Physical Therapy on Devlin Danes, today. And that stupid fake name he used; Cliff Hanger? Come on! Did he really think we wouldn’t know that was him? Kesha could take him, if she wanted to, but I had to get out of there. Devlin was a persistent and tenacious guy, though. How long could I avoid him? I wanted to see him, but just not yet. Not until I had a little more time to think things through.
Why was he suddenly contacting me? It couldn’t be just for PT. It definitely sounded personal. Was he trying to start things back up with me by reestablishing our patient-therapist relationship? Did he just want to be friends now? Or did he just want to fuck me and humiliate me again? His texts and voice messages sounded like that of a desperate man. I was reasonably sure he was trying to lure me into taking him back. But did I really want him back? My heart was tired of all the emotional gymnastics.
Just then, I heard my phone vibrating and buzzing in my purse. I had a suspicion it was a text from Devlin, but I was afraid to look at it. I should have assigned a special ringtone to his phone number, then, I wouldn’t have had to guess. I kept threatening to, but I just never got around to doing it.
Reluctantly, I checked the screen. I relieved to see that it was only Kesha, asking me where I was. I quickly shot a message back to her that I was down by the bay, sitting on a park bench. She responded with a request for the details of my location and texted that she was heading right over. What was the urgency? My curiosity was piqued, to say the least.
About 20 minutes later, I spotted Kesha’s favorite orange sports cap coming out of the Convention Center parking lot. I waved to her and she joined me on my waterfront bench. Unfortunately, the perfect view of Coronado Island, that I had been enjoying minutes ago, was now a
lmost completely blocked by the Dole Pineapple barge. The barge was a regular inhabitant of the port, so I wasn’t at all surprised to see it. I just wished it would’ve docked a little later.
“What’s going on Kesha? Didn’t Devlin show up for his PT appointment, after all? I thought you’d still be with him? Oh, wait a minute, what am I saying? Excuse me………I mean Cliff Hanger! Didn’t Cliff Hanger come in?”
We both cracked up over that name, again. We’d been laughing about it all day.
“Girlfriend you would not believe what happened after you left! I just had to come down and tell you in person. Devlin did show up, but I didn’t treat him. He did have quite the workout with Travis Walsh though!”
Kesha spent the next 15 minutes describing the altercation that happened between Devlin and Travis, along with a lively reenactment of the brawl. It was quite entertaining watching her play both parts. And she was right. I could not believe what I was hearing.
“Kesha, that whole thing sounds crazy! Men, fighting like, that is so barbaric! I love how you castrated Travis in the end. That was awesome! He had it coming, though. I can’t stand that guy.”
“The main thing is, Cali…….. the reason I came down here…….is to tell you I have been completely wrong about Devlin Danes. He’s really a great guy.”
“But Kesha, you just now told me how he came down to our office, all angry, and acted like a big, tough brute. And how he bloodied a guy’s face! Granted, that face belonged to butt-wipe Travis, and he certainly deserved it. But still, I don’t think I need Mr. Macho Man defending my honor by beating up everybody who rubs him the wrong way.”
“Devlin and I talked for about 10 minutes, after the incident, Cali, and he has been pining away, all this time, over you. He is one sorry and heartbroken man. I’m telling you. He was practically on the verge of tears, describing how he was sure he had ruined all chances with the woman he loved, by not telling you how much you meant to him.”
“Wait. Back up a minute. Did you say Devlin called me ‘the woman he loved’?”
“Uh huh. Didn’t you know that? You honestly didn’t know he loved you? If you couldn’t tell that, then I don’t know what to say? That is one lovesick guy. As your friend, who wants only the best for you, I think you should give your relationship with him another chance, Cali. I really do.”
I decided, at that moment that I needed to share the full story of Devlin and me with Kesha to see if the complete truth about him would alter her opinion at all. I told her about our one fateful night, six years ago and also about our amazing evening at the Pacific Vista. I didn’t give her “every inch” of the sexually explicit details, but I presented a pretty clear picture of his sexual appetite and ability. Finally, I ended with what happened that Sunday, out in front of the Del. Then, I apologized to Kesha for being so closed-lipped about it all, and waited to hear what her final judgment was.
“Wow, Cali. This story just blows me away. I have to say I’m a bit hurt over this; the fact that you couldn’t trust me with your inner-most feelings, after all these years. I thought we were tighter than that.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better Kesha, you’re the only person I’ve told all this to, now. I’m just not used to feeling so vulnerable and so confused. Devlin has rocked my world in a way that I’m not quite comfortable with. He’s made me question everything I do and every value I have. My feelings for him scare me.”
“Girlfriend, I think that’s called LOVE. Now stop messing around and talk to him. I’m even more sure than I was before that you two need to give it another shot. Hey, any guy who orders in French……please, if you don’t want him, I’ll take him!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
DEVLIN
Before leaving the parking lot of Bayside Fitness, I decided to just sit and compose myself for a few minutes. I really did like Kesha. We had a really good talk after I decked Travis, and I’m sure she’s on my side now. Not just about him but about Cali, too. I wasn’t afraid of any real repercussions from the knockout, but I thought I’d better give my dad a heads up anyway. Better to hear it from me than from his PR guy.
His secretary, Angela, put me right through to him. She was always good that way, and as loyal as they come. When my dad got on the line, I gave him a slightly skewed account of the fight at the gym. I might have downplayed Travis’s injuries, a tad.
“Well, thanks for calling me, Devlin. I’m glad you’re okay. I appreciate you telling me before someone else does. You know how I hate being blind-sided by the press. So, did you patch things up Cali, I hope?”
“No dad. That’s the worst part. I didn’t even get to see her because she wasn’t there. I don’t know what to do now. Hey…… how did you know I went there to see Cali?”
“Just a hunch, son. Danes men are always willing to fight for their women. So, why haven’t you talked to her mother, yet? A girl’s mother can be your enemy, or she can be your best friend. From what I know about Amari already, I’d say you should give her an opportunity to help you. I’ve never heard her say the slightest bad thing about you. You’ll find that she’s a pretty wise and understanding lady, if you’ll just give her a chance.”
I had to admit, that had never even occurred to me. I guess I just assumed Cali’s mom found me to be as unworthy of her daughter as I did. But maybe, my dad was right. Either way, I had nothing to lose. I suddenly felt an undeniable jolt of optimism and decided to head straight over to Dogz R Us.
“You know what dad? I’m gonna go talk to her mom right now! Thanks a lot!”
“Glad I could help, son. Good luck!”
I sped over to Amari’s shop going at least 30 mph over the speed limit, the whole way. If I hadn’t been a Navy SEAL, I think I would have had a great career as a NASCAR driver.
Amari’s SUV was parked out in front of the building so I knew she was still there, working. A little bell, attached to the top of the front door, jingled as I entered her dog grooming salon. It was obviously hung there to alert her to customers, which it did. Within 10 seconds she came walking out from the back room, wearing a soggy apron around her waist and a lot of soap suds in her hair.
“Devlin, what a nice surprise! If you’re looking for Cali, she’s not here. She should be getting off work soon though, I would imagine.”
“I didn’t come here to see her, Ms. Jamison. I came here to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”
“Actually, I’m right in the middle of bathing a dog. Why don’t you just come in the back with me and we can talk while I finish him up.”
I followed her to the rear of the store, where she had a dripping wet, scroungy-looking, little long-haired mutt in the sink. It looked up at me with its big sad eyes like it definitely wanted out, but Amari squirted some more shampoo on his back and lathered him up.
“It looks like Cali and I will be adding to our furry threesome at home with this little guy. He’s been wandering around the neighborhood for days. Nobody’s claimed him, so I guess I’ll take him home tonight. What did you want to talk to me about, Devlin?”
“I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to get Cali back. My father said you might be able to help me. I really don’t know what else to do at this point. I just came from her work. I didn’t see her though… She left early, probably to avoid me.”
“Ha! That sounds like my girl! Well, from what I’ve gathered, I think she’s confused by her feelings for you. I know she enjoys being with you, that’s for sure. Have you considered the possibility that she might want more from the relationship than you probably do?”
“But I DO want it to be more. I’m so in love with her, I can’t see straight. I just never told her how I felt. Do you think it’s too late? Have I missed my chance?”
“Devlin, I’m afraid I can’t speak for my daughter. I know she’s done a lot of soul searching lately and I don’t know what conclusion she’s come to. You just need to talk to her, and make her aware of how you feel. I’d say, as soon as possible too, to a
void any further misunderstandings.”
Amari towel-dried the dog and started to blow dry his hair. He still looked kind of pathetic but he was shaping up. As I pet his head, he looked like he was trying to give me his best smile. Poor little guy. I felt a sudden inexplicable simpatico with him. I think we were both tired of running around in search of love……
Amari generously agreed to call Cali. I didn’t want her running off again. It turned out she was at home, so thankfully, I only had a short drive to make.
Pulling up to her house, I got choked-up at the mere sight of her: She was watering her mom’s rose bushes with the garden hose, while her 3 dogs ran through the overspray. What an idyllic picture! Even more lovely, was the sight of those long, shapely, bare legs that ran clear up to her perfectly heart-shaped ass inside her tight little shorts. I was glad some things never changed. I took three deep breaths and got out of the car. I felt like I was facing the toughest mission of my life.
SEAL: A BWWM BAD BOY NAVY SEAL ROMANCE Page 12
