Chapter 9
Ryder
“Kylie is insatiable, man. Let me hook you up with one of her realtor friends down in San Diego. Apparently she was in a sorority down there during college and has a few good options for you.” I had been keeping in touch with Tristen by phone and he seemed to be warming up to the idea of being set up with someone.
Kylie and I had hung out a handful of times and she was fun to be around. She never asked about my past and seemed to be content just going with the flow and living in the present. I knew she was happily single and moved to Los Angeles from San Diego three years before and had three brothers who were all younger.
She didn’t mind watching football with the guys and me, even going as far as making game day snacks for us. Her booty shorts and cut off jersey were distracting to well, everyone, but no one complained and I didn’t really feel too possessive of her. I knew she’d be with me after they left and she seemed to be enjoying herself.
She and I weren’t a ‘thing’ but we were sleeping with each other. We didn’t talk about relationships but hung out enough for me to know she wasn’t seeing anyone else. It was convenient that we lived in the same building and had similar schedules.
Work was picking up significantly and I had signed a hot, new up and coming author who wrote a book on a destructive bad boy who was tamed by the virgin next door. People ate up the bad boy/virgin story and the author was already working on a spin off for the next book. New authors took up more of my time than my experienced clients but it was worth it when they became new bestsellers.
I was finally getting into a routine that seemed to work. Lorelei and I were an amazing team that saw eye-to-eye on most authors and that made work easy. Tristen and I were talking a few times a week and I was set to go down there a few weeks later. Kylie was someone I could talk to when I needed to vent and was the least clingy girl I had ever met. I was still not sure how she saw our relationship but I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up. I was finally getting to the point to where I didn’t think of Payton every time I got in bed with Kylie. That was definitely progress.
Payton
It felt good to be back home. I missed Chloe and she was pissed when she found out I went to The Bahamas without her. She demanded that we have a girls’ day to catch up on my whirlwind of a life. I met her at a boutique near downtown so that she could find a new dress for a fancy dinner Grayson was taking her to that night.
“Tate met Ryder? How did those two worlds collide?! Wait, how did Ryder find out about Reece? Tate doesn’t know about the book, right?” She already had a handful of dresses in her hands within moments of walking into the store. Anything looked good on her so she didn’t have to search for just one style that worked. Lucky bitch.
“Yes, they met, but they don’t know who the other person really is. Ryder doesn’t know Tate was in my book, and from what I know, Tate has no idea I wrote a book about him. Ryder found me with Tate and went all caveman. It was really kinda sexy. Then he dropped the bomb that he knew I was Reece. I was so pissed I’m not really sure what words were said after that, but I’m pretty sure Ryder’s been the one sending me the letters. They all were stamped with a wax ‘R’.” She made her way back to the dressing room and I was following her lead, hoping she wasn’t going to spend an hour debating which one to get.
“Whoa. I still don’t get how he found out or why he would bother with the creepy letters. It sounded like if he just kept his damn mouth shut, he could have had you. No offense babe, I know you said you weren’t giving in to him but I’ve seen you change since he was around then suddenly not. You like him, and even though you’re upset at the situation, you still care.” Chloe had tried on three dresses that all looked stunning on her. I was bored, sitting on the floor cross legged in the dressing room, checking my Facebook notifications while she tried on dress number four.
“It’s over and done with now. I haven’t gotten anymore letters so maybe he’s moved on. I have definitely worn out my welcome in Vegas and doubt I’ll be going back there for a long time. You should get the gray dress and play it up with some sexy heels and jewelry. It makes your tits look perky and we all know how much of a boobs guy Grayson is. Does he not realize girls can see him staring at their chest when he’s talking to them? He does it all the time! Just because he’s ‘taken and isn’t interested’ doesn’t make it okay to eye-fuck other women. I had to bend down to catch his attention the other day, Chloe. I mean, come on!”
“So what if he likes tits? If it makes you feel any better, whenever I catch him doing it, I make him go down on me and then am suddenly too tired to return the favor. He always seems to have that glimmer of hope that I may put out so he agrees. He goes to bed pissed but then it’s the best morning sex the next day. I’m well rested and usually have already forgotten about his ogling to protest.”
Gross. I didn’t need to think about Chloe and her boyfriend being intimate together. “I’m walking away now. I’m heading over next door to get a chai tea latte. Want anything?”
“Sure, get me a shaken passion iced-tea lemonade? Love you!” she called out as I headed out of the store.
After Chloe got her new dress and we had drinks in hand, we made our way down the street to Swizzlesticks Bakery. It was actually a guy in his early thirties who owned it and made the best desserts in town. Adding liquor to everything, he gave a male twist to your normal desserts. I ordered a Whiskey and Coke cupcake while Chloe got a Buttery Nipple truffle. Thomas was quite the flirt and usually sat and talked with us for a while when we stopped by. He was a sweetheart and always wanted to know what we were up to. Most customers probably assumed he was gay, but after turning him down four times, I had determined he liked women at least a little. He didn’t seem to have hard feelings about it but still brought it up on occasion.
“Payton, that tan makes you look edible right now. Where have you been the past few weeks? I’ve missed you coming by!”
“I needed to get away for a bit, you know? I am back to normal now, though, and you will be seeing me every week again. You know I’m addicted to anything you make, right? I’m surprised I haven’t gained ten pounds from your alcohol filled, well, everything. You shouldn’t be allowed to put my two favorite things together into a dessert, Thomas, it’s just cruel.”
I seriously had a problem because I never left there without a box to take home and said box never had less than six cupcakes, all for me. I would make myself feel better by just eating half a cupcake at a time, but may only wait an hour or two before getting my next fix.
“I have something special for you to try. I’ve been experimenting with some new flavors and would love to see what you think. I’ll be right back.”
“Man, I love when he experiments and lets us try. The amount of alcohol he uses in the new stuff is always more than when he puts it out for sale. I hope it’s a Long Island ice cream or Mai Tai-ype of cake.” Chloe was just as much a Swizzlesticks supporter as I was but was more disciplined. Whenever one of us stopped by to get a few desserts, we made a promise to get the other a couple pieces as well. I somehow brought them to her more often than she did to me, but I had seen her sneaking in there when she thought no one is looking. She would play it off like she only treated herself on occasion but couldn’t fool me.
“What is your go-to drink in Vegas? Is it anything different than when you’re here?”
“I stick with Chocolate Martinis or Colorado Bulldogs when I’m there. They make them extra tasty and I can’t help myself when the waitress stops by and offers one. It’s like I can’t say no to them. Whenever I’m here you know I stick with Long Island Iced Teas or Whiskey Sours.”
“Alright, ladies, I hope you like it. The first one is a Chocolate Martini bon bon and the second is a Whiskey Sour tart. I’m still working out the kinks but I think they taste pretty good.”
Chloe and I stared at each other for a good minute, speaking volumes to each other without saying a word. Thomas was a sweet
guy, but what are the odds that he picked two of my favorite drinks? We didn’t know each other well enough that he would know my preferences and we had never gone out together. Red flags were going up but I didn’t know what to do about them. Thomas waited patiently for us to try his new desserts and I secretly prayed that we weren’t being poisoned by a hot baker.
I slowly picked up the bon bon and smelled it before popping it in my mouth. I hoped Thomas thought I was smelling the chocolate and not checking for a bleach smell but it smelled fine so I figured the hell with it. Chloe followed soon after me. They tasted just like the drink and I was impressed. He was able to infuse the flavor without losing the texture of the product. I smiled up at him and gave a thumbs up since my mouth was still full of tart.
“It’s awesome, Thomas. What was your inspiration?” I knew from the sound of Chloe’s voice that she was playing detective. She was like a drug dog sniffing to find the hidden cocaine.
“I am very observant in what people enjoy. Making desserts from drinks is a way to express my love for a person. The Whiskey and Coke cupcake y’all like so much was inspired by my grandpa. I get my inspiration from my friends now but I try to please the people I care about.” I could tell that wasn’t a good enough answer for Chloe but didn’t want to see how it would turn out if she kept questioning him. I needed to get her out of there before I found out something I wasn’t prepared to hear.
“Come on, Chloe. We need to leave so we can make our appointment.” I stood up, giving her the stare down, hoping she would take the hint.
“I don’t have an appointment and want to keep chatting with Thomas here. Thomas, what’s the first thing you think of when you see Payton?”
Before Thomas answered, I grabbed her forearm and starting pulling her away. “Thanks for the treats, Thomas. Bye!”
Once we were a few stores away from Swizzlesticks, I stopped walking and waited for Chloe to let me have it. I knew where she was going with her questioning and did not want to go there at the moment. She couldn’t help herself in prying for information, though.
“What the hell, Payton! He’s already had a crush on you and he just went into ‘I’m a creepy stalker, here want some candy, too?’ territory. Did you not see all the red fucking flags? He has to be the guy sending you letters. I was close to finding out, too!” With how short she was, it really was amusing when she got fired up.
“Come on now, Scrappy Doo, let’s get you home before Grayson has a fit about being late. I’ll stay and help you get ready so you can brainstorm ideas of how to get revenge.” I needed a distraction from all the stalker talk and was hoping by the time we got to her place, all would be forgotten.
I loved going over to Chloe’s house. As a high school graduation present, her parents got her a Mediterranean style two-story, three bedroom home with a pool and gym that was located in a gated community. I didn’t need anything that big or luxurious but my eyes still lit up every time I walked in.
“You know it’s him,” Chloe nonchalantly mentioned as we walked into her place. Guess we weren’t done talking about it after all.
To be honest, the idea of Thomas being my creeper was less nerve wracking than some of the other guys that popped into my head. Thomas was harmless at least. The other guys I imagined worked for the mob, just got out of prison, or wanted to do disturbing things to me since they knew about my sexual relationships. I could definitely handle Thomas. I had already let him down gently so I’d had to try another tactic but I wasn’t too worried.
We headed for my car and I could still see Chloe processing everything in her head. I wasn’t sure why she was so caught up in it. “It’ll be fine, Chlo. We know Thomas. If it was him, we just need to talk about boundaries and hopefully he’ll drop it. I know he’s nosy, so we need to start being more careful about what we say around him.”
“You mean to say we’re actually going to go back to that guy’s bakery after what we just found out? You are insane! He was always too kind for my tastes. I can’t believe we didn’t see it before.”
“First off, we aren’t positive that it is him sending the letters. Second, would you rather it be Thomas or my creepy neighbor that conveniently leaves his robe undone while getting the morning paper? I feel far more safe thinking it’s Thomas, even though it may not be him. Stop thinking about it and let’s get you dressed!” We drove home in silence, listening to Avril Lavigne playing in the background, which was pretty appropriate.
I helped Chloe style her hair so that most of it was up with just a few strands hanging down, allowing her diamond earrings and necklace to be the focus. She was putting on her make up when I heard Grayson set his keys on the counter and head toward us. I loved Chloe but hated having to deal with Grayson.
“Hey there, Payton. Man, you look stunning as always. You ready to go, Chloe? You look fine and I don’t want to be late.” It was like it didn’t matter what she looked like to him; she was just the arm candy. He was already dressed in a suit and seemed to be bothered by the fact that she was sticking everything she might need in her purse, needing only another minute or two to be ready. I felt bad for her having to deal with his douchiness all the time. I felt his eyes on me and hoped we didn’t have to chit chat while he waited. I was ready to bail if things got awkward.
“Haven’t seen you around in a while, Payton. What have you been up to?” He was sure enough staring at my tits even though I had on a t-shirt and jeans. What clothing I wore didn’t seem to matter to him.
“You know, just having fun and taking care of me. I gotta run, Chloe. Have fun tonight, guys. Text me later, babe.” With that, I picked up my purse and headed for the door. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
“Bye, Payton! We’ll talk tomorrow over breakfast. Newk’s at ten thirty sound good?” I didn’t have plans and still missed her from being gone so long. “Sure thing. ‘Night, girlie.”
I went the long way home, enjoying the night air with my windows rolled down. I hadn’t thought of Ryder once and was proud of myself. Baby steps.
Chapter 10
Ryder
“You ready to be back?” Kylie and I were driving down to San Diego to meet up with Tristen and one of her good girlfriends. Her idea was to get a feel for Tristen before trying to set him up with McKenna. Apparently, McKenna had particular tastes in men and Kylie was trying to make sure it wouldn’t be a disaster by throwing them together. It was sweet and I felt the need to protect Tristen from another heartache if I could.
“I was down here a few months ago, actually. Got to catch up with Tristen while I was here. It feels good coming back, though; it’s like my second home.”
We were driving down in my SL63 AMG Roadster and Kylie insisted on having the top down on the drive. It was mid-October and getting cooler but still felt nice as long as the sun was out. Looking over at her, she had a smile on her face and legs kicked up on the dashboard. She was so easy to be around but I couldn’t help but wonder why she was so content in our non-existent relationship. I wasn’t going to complain; any guy would be lucky to settle down with her.
The fact that I would be seeing Tristen in a few hours was enough to put me in a good mood. I knew there was a chance I would see Payton while there but it was a big city so I figured the odds were slim, although if I was honest, I wanted to see her again. I wanted to see how she was doing and if she had moved on. Did she ever think about me? I hated wondering ‘what if’ but damn it, I didn’t get a fair chance with Payton and I had a thousand ‘what ifs’ going through my mind. What if I had never told her I knew? What if I didn’t walk out her hotel room and made her confront the issues she was spewing out? What if I never saw her with that other guy?
“Where’d you go, handsome? I lost you for a sec.”
“Huh?” I glanced over at her and couldn’t tell anything from her expression since she had on those damn bug sunglasses. They covered half her face and I couldn’t tell if she was upset, concerned, pissed, or happy for that matter. “I’
m good. Just getting lost in the drive. I think we should take Tristen to dinner tonight and get him in a casual setting so you can see how he normally is.”
I hoped that was enough to get her off my back. She didn’t know about Cami and I doubted that Tristen would bring it up. I noticed a mom and pop candy shop billboard that said it was just three miles off the highway and it seemed like a good spot to break up the drive and get my mind back on the lady sitting next to me.
Without saying a word, I exited the highway, taking a left at the stop sign. I could feel Kylie looking over in my direction and I just smiled in return. “Trust me.”
“You better not be taking me out to the middle of nowhere to chop me up into little bits and pieces, Ryder. That was not what I signed up for.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at how nonchalant her statement was.
We pulled into the parking lot and the store looked like a cabin that had been there forever. The neon Open sign was lit and there were probably twenty cars in the small lot. I took that as a good sign and began getting out of the car, wondering if Kylie was going to ask any questions or just go with it. I could see it going either way, quite frankly.
“Oh, I hope they have rock candy and those vanilla cream caramel bullseye thingies!” She was skipping to the front door, leaving me a few steps behind her and I couldn’t help but smile. I wanted some gummy bears and something with chocolate and peanut butter but wasn’t too picky. Kylie on the other hand? She was on a mission for particular candies. I grabbed a wooden basket and made my way over to the barrel she was currently staring at. “Should I stock up? I mean, rock candy doesn’t go bad, right? Oh my gosh, they have the dark red ones!” I could feel the basket getting heavier already. She had the biggest grin on her face throughout the whole store, stopping at barrel after barrel to get a little of her favorite things. I found some candy buttons that Cami used to love and grabbed a few strips and some gummy worms that I would enjoy during the rest of the drive.
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