Nobody's Prince Charming

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  “Thanks,” I said. When I stood up, I caught Milo’s speculative look and decided to nip this in the bud before things went too far. I had enough going on in my life without getting caught up in Milo and Andy’s games.

  I gave Milo my best disarming smile when I stepped up to the counter. “Please don’t spit in my coffee,” I said after I placed my order and paid for it.

  Milo’s eyes widened in shock and his face blushed a soft shade of pink. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “I was only talking to Andy about a rehab project and nothing more. Besides, I have a guy.”

  “It’s not my business,” Milo said then turned around to make my coffee. Maybe it wasn’t his business, but he sure wanted it to be. When he finished, Milo returned to me and said, “One medium salted caramel mocha hold the spit.” His smile assured me that we were in a good place.

  “Who’s the sexy daddy you were talking to anyway?”

  “Oh, that’s the new superintendent the district hired. His name is Romeo Bradley. Sexy, right?”

  “Very.” I noticed the time on the clock and needed to get going. “I better get to work. Take care, Milo.” I waved at Andy as I left and sent up vibes that those two would quit wasting time circling each other.

  The morning was every bit as chaotic as I thought it would be. I hoped that most of the busybodies came and went before Wren showed up, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. I was used to people, especially the ladies, being disappointed if he wasn’t in the salon during their visit, but the dissatisfaction was greater than usual.

  “I think he’s off for the rest of the week,” I started to say at one point. The last thing I needed was these people to flock back into the salon later that afternoon or the next day. I was fast losing my ability to distance myself from the situation. I didn’t want to anger our clients, but Wren had a right to his privacy. I regretted the lie immediately because it would be disproved in a few hours and it only ramped up the excitement.

  “I bet he went to LA to be with his dad,” one lady had said to her friend.

  “That’s the last we’ll see of him. No way he’ll return to Blissville after seeing what LA has to offer,” the friend replied.

  I knew that Wren was in his apartment sleeping off an orgasm instead of leaving on a plane for the west coast, but doubt started to creep into my mind. Falcon could give him the kind of life that most people dreamed of, and it was selfish of me to wish anything different for Wren.

  “Nah,” a third lady piped in. “I read in the paper this morning that Falcon’s Descent has announced that they’re taking some time off from touring. The guys have been doing it for almost three decades and need some time to relax with their families.”

  “And Falcon lives in LA,” the first lady countered then rolled her eyes like the newcomer was dumb.

  “Falcon is from Cincinnati and the article specifically said that he was returning to his roots. But a person would need to read to know that,” the third lady fired back.

  “Are you implying—”

  “Ladies, please,” I firmly said, cutting them off. “Please don’t get into a cat fight in the salon over this. Wren’s personal life really isn’t anyone’s business, nor is Falcon’s. Being a celebrity doesn’t mean that his private life should be up for discussion. Instead of focusing on things that won’t impact your life in a positive way, let’s talk about things that will.” It might’ve sounded like a piss-poor sales pitch, but it worked when flattery was added. “This nail polish would really show off your slender fingers,” I said to one. “Your hair looks lovely today. It would be a shame if the wind messed it up,” I said to another. “An hour-long massage is just the thing you need to put a smile back on your face. Josi is the absolute best at making all your tension melt away. Would you like to look at her pamphlet to see what services she offers?” I asked the third lady. I sold the polish, the hairspray, and booked an appointment for Josi.

  After that exchange, I needed a few minutes of quiet. Wren was due to arrive and I didn’t want him to see how aggravated I’d become or he’d blame himself. He found me at the coffee pot in the kitchenette when he arrived.

  “How’s it been so far?” he asked.

  When I was trying to win Wren’s affection, I blurred the lines at work all the time. I wanted to continuously plant myself in his way and imprint myself on his brain. Earning his affection didn’t change that, but it did make me realize that there’s a time and place for everything. I wanted to throw my arms around Wren’s neck and kiss him until we both forgot about the last twenty-four hours, or my newest fears, but I didn’t. Instead, I poured him a cup of his butch coffee and smiled warmly at him. “It’s fine.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Wren said, backing me up against the cabinet. “Is it the busybodies or something else that’s troubling you?”

  I wanted to say, “Don’t leave me for LA. I can sparkle brighter than any overcrowded city.” Instead, I replied, “It was a busy morning, but hopefully it will settle down a bit this afternoon.”

  “Hmmm.”

  I could tell he wasn’t buying it, so I moved to distract him by changing the subject. “Listen, I ran into Andy at Books and…” My words trailed off when Wren made a sour face. “What?”

  “Andy the carpenter that all the guys are hot for?” He tipped my head back so he could stare into my eyes.

  “I’m not hot for Andy,” I said honestly.

  “I’m not hot for Andy either,” Josh said as he breezed in. “Pay no attention to me. I just need to grab a glass of water, and I’ll be on my way.”

  Wren kept his gaze locked on mine the entire time Josh poured himself a glass of water. Was he trying to peer into my brain to see if I was lying? Well, I wasn’t. Andy was a good-looking guy, but he wasn’t the man I wanted. Everything I desired was standing right in front of me.

  “What were you saying about Andy?” Wren asked when we were alone again.

  “I told him about my remodeling ideas, and he would like to come over at six to look at the space. I told him that I’d needed to check with you first. You probably won’t be home by then, but I can use my key to let him in if that’s okay with you.”

  “It’s your apartment,” Wren said, but that wasn’t much of an answer.

  “That you’re renting,” I replied. “It would be very rude of me to traipse Andy through your apartment without giving you proper notice.”

  “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

  “It does.”

  “Then it’s fine with me but stay out of the bedroom.”

  “Oh, did you leave your Fleshjack out or something?”

  “No, but there’s a bed there, and I don’t want Handy Andy to become Handsy Andy.”

  I snorted. “I’m not sure what that guy ever did to earn his reputation, but he’s only been nice to me, never flirty. He could’ve made all kinds of jokes when he ran into me at the sex toy store, but—”

  Wren’s growl cut me off. “Sex toy store?”

  I lowered my voice. “I ran into Andy the day that I bought the butt plug. I went out to my car, and the battery was dead. Andy jumped me—my battery—and followed me to the parts store so I could get a new battery. He even installed it for me.”

  “Is that so?” Wren didn’t sound all that impressed.

  “Hey, you were doing your damnedest to put some distance between us at the time. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable calling you, and I sure as hell wasn’t calling my mom to come pick me up.”

  “I can understand that,” Wren conceded then let out a sigh. “Okay, so Andy is a nice guy.”

  “He is, and I think you’ll like Andy if you give him a chance.”

  “For you, I’ll try anything once.”

  I smiled wickedly as a dozen ideas popped into my head.

  Wren groaned softly. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

  “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” I said then wiggled out from where he still had me pinned t
o the cabinet. I blew him a playful kiss before I left him alone in the kitchenette looking at me with smoldering eyes. Was he counting the minutes until we could be alone like I was?

  Before I knew it, February arrived with more snow but thankfully less drama. The town stopped whispering as I walked by and quit referring to me as the Rock Prince. Hell fucking no. I meant what I said to Dare; I was nobody’s prince of anything. My response to the ridiculousness was a silent sneer or glare to let them know my displeasure, and the townsfolk eventually left me alone. On the outside I was a grimacing, angry man, but on the inside… I was smiling, laughing, and loving my life for the first time in years, maybe ever. Only Dare got to see that side of me.

  I’d never experienced any of the emotions that I shared with Dare. My insides never lit up like a Christmas tree when someone entered the room until he came into my life. My abs never felt sore from laughing so much until I was introduced to his sparkling wit. And the passion… I never felt the driving need to physically connect to anyone the way I did with him. My sex drive didn’t begin the day I met Dare, but it was forever altered. Sex was about more than chasing orgasms now. It was about long kisses that melted my frigid heart and tender touches that I felt to my battered soul.

  I started putting Dare’s wants and needs before my own such as accepting Andy’s presence in our lives. Admittedly, we didn’t spend a lot of time around him when he started renovating my apartment, but I still knew he was there. Which reminded me of another new emotion Dare brought to the surface—jealousy. I’m not talking about the mild annoyance that some people experienced, I mean the white-hot burning kind. I wasn’t about to beat anyone up or commit a violent act, but I made sure to mark Dare as mine at every opportunity. I wanted his DNA to be altered to include me as surely as he changed mine.

  One afternoon while eating lunch together at work, I glanced up at Dare and it hit me that I was in love with him. Me, hard-ass-never-let-anyone-too-close Wren Davison, was in love for the first time. Some guys would smile and reach across the table and take their sweetie’s hand and confess their feelings; I choked on my bite of ham and swiss on rye. Not like a sesame seed almost went down the wrong pipe kind of choke either. This wasn’t the type where you knew you’d be okay after making an ass of yourself and drinking half a gallon of water. No, this was a hunk of sandwich lodged in my throat and I couldn’t breathe kind of choke.

  Dare’s eyes widened in alarm as he leapt from his chair and circled around to mine. “Stand up!” he shouted. “I know the Heimlich.”

  This bastard wasn’t coming out without help, so I either stood up and let him help me or I risked death. If the latter happened, at least it would be with his arms around me. Fuck! I didn’t think or talk like that. How long had my oxygen been cut off to my brain?

  “I got you, Wren,” Dare calmly said, placing his fist beneath my sternum then covering it with his other hand. “Here we go.” After two sharp pushes against my diaphragm, the hunk of sandwich dislodged from my throat and shot out of my mouth to land on Dare’s plate. Luckily it was empty.

  “Gross,” Dare said then poured me a glass of water.

  I greedily chugged it down and wiped the droplets that clung to my mouth and beard with the back of my hand. “You saved me,” I said, my voice as rusty as if he pulled me from the desert after days without water.

  Dare shrugged like it was no big deal. “I took first aid classes before I moved in with Grandpa. I couldn’t be the reason something bad happened to him.”

  I leaned forward over the chair in front of me to recover and Dare wrapped himself around my back, resting his forehead between my shoulder blades. “You’re the man,” I said, aiming to lighten the mood as I accepted the comfort he gave me. Of course, I never stopped to think about what the position might look like to anyone who entered the kitchenette.

  “Oh, excuse me,” Meredith said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted some chamomile tea.”

  I stood up so fast that I nearly knocked Dare on his ass. “It’s not what it looks like,” I told Meredith.

  “It never is, sweetie,” Meredith replied then winked playfully.

  “Why don’t you sit down and rest your feet and let me make you a cup of tea,” Dare said.

  “Don’t fuss,” Meredith told him. “I’m pregnant, not suddenly incapable of doing things for myself.” Mere had recently informed us that she and her husband, Harley, were expecting a baby in July. They’d waited until she reached the second trimester to make the announcement. We were all thrilled for the couple, even me who felt awkward as fuck around tiny little humans.

  “This isn’t about strength or capability, Mere,” Dare said softly, as he guided her to the chair. “It’s about you standing on your feet all day and taking a few minutes to rest in between clients.”

  “Yeah, okay. I appreciate—” She stopped suddenly. “What the hell is that?” She pointed to my partially chewed chunk of ham sandwich.

  “Ham, swiss, and Dijon mustard on rye bread,” Dare answered casually as he carried his plate to the trash can to dispose of the offensive glob. “It was lodged in Wren’s throat and I was forced to give him the Heimlich. That’s what you walked in on, not playtime.”

  “We keep that separate from work,” I assured her. Well, mostly. I thought there might come a time when we took advantage of that little mixing room after hours if we were ever alone.

  “Finish your lunch,” Dare said to me, pointing at the few bites that remained of my sandwich.

  “Bossy,” I said, but picked up my sandwich and took another bite.

  “You two are really cute together,” Mere said. “It’s good that you pulled your heads out of your asses to make room for other things.”

  I almost choked again.

  “Meredith, you are wicked!” Dare said like she had truly shocked him, but his delighted smile said he was saving her line to use on me in the future.

  “Wicked good,” she countered as she stood up and accepted the cup of tea. “I’ll let you guys finish your lunch together. Besides, my empty salon chair is more comfortable than these hard ones.”

  Dare made himself a cup of coffee and sat back down across from me. He sighed happily after the first sip which made me happy too. That reminded me of my earlier revelation, but I didn’t choke or panic the second time around.

  “What made you choke?” Dare asked then took another sip.

  Another guy would probably make something up and save his declaration for a romantic moment. Not this guy. “I realized that I’m in love for the first time in my life.”

  Dare spat his coffee across the table then sputtered. I thought it might be a bad sign that we both nearly choked on the realization that I was in love with him.

  “Dude!” Dare said, wiping the table. “You need to warn me when you’re about to get romantic.” He glanced up suddenly as if a horrible thought occurred to him. “You were talking about me, right?” I nodded. “Wait! You realized that you’re in love with me and it made you choke? Loving me is that bad?”

  I couldn’t resist him another second. Work, clients, and coworkers be damned, I hooked him under his arm and led him to the mixing room.

  “We won’t have long,” Dare said breathlessly.

  “I don’t need long.”

  “A ringing endorsement if ever I heard one,” he said sassily.

  “Not for sex,” I scoffed. “For this.” I backed him against the door, cupped his face with both hands, and lowered my face until my lips hovered above his. “I love you, Dare. I didn’t know I was capable of loving someone until you came into my life. You’re the absolute best thing to ever happen to me.”

  Dare’s breath rushed out of him in a soft, “Oh.”

  “Better?”

  “Much.” He smiled up at me with so much love.

  “And?” I prompted.

  “Um, and kiss me?” Dare guessed.

  “That or you could tell me how you feel too.” Panic started to race through my
blood. Had I misread the signs? Fuck! What if he didn’t feel the same way? Shit! “Not that I need you to say anything, especially if you don’t feel it too.” I started to drop my hands and take a step back, but Dare wrapped his hands around my wrists and stopped me.

  “Wren, I’ve known for a while now that I’m in love with you.”

  “We’ve only been dating for a month. It’s too soon for me to even know it.”

  “Yet, you do,” Dare pointed out. “We didn’t just meet a month ago. We’ve known each other for more than a year. This has been building up slowly like an amazing orgasm since the first time we locked eyes on one another. Falling in love with you was the ultimate delayed gratification.”

  “You’re very wise for someone so young,” I told him.

  “I’m only three years younger than you.”

  “Still, most guys your age are still clubbing on weekends.”

  “That wasn’t the life I wanted before I moved in with Grandpa, so don’t worry that I feel like I’m missing out. I have the life I want, and more importantly, I have the man that I want.”

  There was a soft knock on the door. “I don’t mean to interrupt your choking again, but Wren’s next client is here.”

  “Be right there, Mere.”

  “He doesn’t take long,” Dare added, making Meredith giggle and earning a swat on his pert ass.

  “You’ll pay for that later,” I warned.

  “With flesh,” Dare added eagerly. I figured the best punishment would be denying him my dick, but that wasn’t about to happen.

  “We’ll just have to see about that.” I gave him one long kiss that left him wanting more and returned to the salon. Dare wasn’t the only person who received my genuine smiles, but he was the one who got most of them. The teenage boy sitting in my chair always pulled a grin from me. “Hey, Mark,” I said, bumping his much smaller fist with mine. “Your hair is growing out nicely.”

  “Thanks! I can’t wait until the top is long enough for you to give me an awesome cut.”