Loving Mr. Kale

by Nicole Casey

  "Yeah, you're welcome." He grinned brightly and knocked some of his drink back. "Anyway, it's not so bad here, is it? Maybe it's the booze talking but I'm actually starting to look forward to tomorrow now. I'm starting to think that it might be a laugh."

  "If the groom makes it..." I nodded over to Felix who was starting to look worse for wear. "You might have to suggest that someone take him to bed in a minute, if he's too hungover he won't even be able to wake up tomorrow, never mind read out the vows."

  "Yeah, you're right, and they've written their own. Hey guys!" he yelled to everyone else. "Someone sort Felix out! Look at the bloody state of him. He's supposed to be marrying my sister tomorrow."

  Everyone snapped into action as if they hadn't even noticed Felix falling apart, and a strong sense of disappointment overcame me. I knew that we also needed to be fresh faced for the wedding in the morning, but I was having such a good time. I wasn't ready for it to be over yet.

  Luckily, and much to my surprise, as everyone else left the bar, Bryant made no sign of going. He simply slid back in his seat, grabbed his glass, and grinned at me.

  "Now that those losers have gone, the real party can start."

  I laughed loudly and happily, the way I had been doing all evening long, and started to relax. Now the guy that Bryant hated had gone, he appeared to be a lot calmer, which was wonderful news. As far as I was concerned, I was only interested in hanging out with Bryant anyway, so the fact that everyone was gone only fed into that.

  "Thank God for that, what a load of bores." I clinked my glass against his in the 'cheers' gesture, and we both took a sip. There was no telling which way this night could go now, and I found that incredibly exciting...

  Chapter Seven

  Bryant

  After that initial moment of eye contact with Tony, I hadn't even noticed him.

  It was a miracle really.

  He was sitting in the same bar as me, at the same table with the guy he'd cheated on me with and I didn't even care. The knowledge that I wasn't even interested in what they were doing had me flying higher than air. From the very first moment that I heard Tony would be at Sally's wedding, I'd been freaked out, but now I was discovering that was all for nothing.

  I wasn't sure how much of that was me being over Tony and what happened, and how much of it was to do with Max being by my side, but I was more than happy to go with it. It made me feel strong and powerful, like I could do just about anything.

  Of course, there was the crappy moment where Desi found it appropriate to come up and try and speak to me at the bar, but I'd gotten over it pretty quickly. I wasn't sure what he thought he was going to achieve by asking me how I was doing, and seemingly checking up on my life, but it hadn't worked. I did get snippy and a little fired up, but then I got revenge by sending them all away to look after Felix, leaving me and Max alone to have all the fun.

  A part of me wanted to race to the bathroom, to call Hayley and tell her what had happened, but the bigger instinct inside of me wanted to stay right where I was with the one person who was making me feel amazing.

  "Max, you're really cool. You know that?"

  Shit, the drink was getting to me now.

  I was accidently very close to admitting how I really felt about Max. I'd been trying to push it down earlier because I was so concerned with seeing Tony again, but now that was done and it hadn't turned out in any way how I'd been expecting, I felt okay with feeling things for Max.

  He was hot, really sexy as well as cute, and awesome to be around too.

  "I guess I didn't expect you to be so cool."

  "Then Hayley didn't sell me very well, because I'm awesome!" he said.

  When I first picked Max up, and on the car ride over, he'd been very chilled and made it easy for me to relax and have fun around him, but I enjoyed this side of him too. The more that he opened up, the closer I felt to him, and I didn't want that to end.

  It was possible that I was having my very first initial spark with someone, and that felt amazing.

  Maybe that was the way that I always should have been dating. Maybe all this 'being friends forever first' business was where I was going wrong. Maybe with Tony, there hadn't been enough chemistry to make things survive.

  There certainly wasn't any issue with chemistry here. There were oodles of it between me and Max.

  "Yeah, she told me you were boring. She begged me to bring you with me..." I teased, before shaking my head and laughing. "No she didn’t tell me that, but sometimes her judgment can be questionable."

  "I wonder why she'd never introduced us before," Max mused, spiking fear through my body. I knew why.

  I'd been too caught up in bloody Tony for far too long.

  "I met her a while back at the gym. She must have known that we would get along." Max said.

  "Well, she's very flaky, I suppose." I needed to change the subject, and very quickly before he started to dig around. I could sense a real perceptive nature in there, which made me even more grateful that I didn't care anymore about Tony. I felt like he would have picked up on that immediately.

  At least that wasn't an issue anymore, and it meant that I could have some real fun tomorrow.

  "Anyway, you need to tell me more about this writing career. You seem like a very ambitious person, so I'm amazed that you haven't made it happen yet. I can't believe that you've written more than one book and only your mom has read them."

  "I guess I'm afraid of putting myself out there," he shrugged, trying to act casual, but I could tell there was a strain there. Maybe this was a touchy subject, one that I shouldn't have jumped on. I didn't want to make things difficult between us.

  "It's scary to face rejection, which is why I haven't sent my book to any publishers yet. I'm scared they'll tell me it's crap, and I'll start to believe it myself."

  "Yeah, I see..." I replied, even though I really didn't. "No, actually, I don't see." The mask fell away, I allowed myself to just be honest. "I'm not ambitious or passionate about anything. I just skate by each day, getting through life, having fun."

  "Well there's nothing wrong with that!" Max shot back in a heartbeat. "At least you don't miss out on life because you're so busy working. I couldn't imagine anything worse. Imagine getting to your deathbed and realizing that you hadn't had any fun, or seen the world, or had any memorable experiences because you'd spent your whole life obsessed with the next paycheck.”

  I nodded slowly, a wonderful, happy feeling consuming me. Tony had always thought that my lack of drive was an issue. He kept telling me that I just needed to find what it was that I wanted to do, but maybe Max was right. Maybe my passion was life outside of work, and I was happy for that.

  "Yeah that's true actually, and at least I don't have to go through the self-torture that you're suffering!" As he laughed at me, I felt a stirring really deep inside of me, one that seemed to pitch a tent in my heart.

  Was this the start of something new?

  Was this me moving on in a real way?

  Maybe I wasn't just letting go of Tony. Maybe I was reaching out to someone else at the same time. That thought was very unexpected and utterly scary, but really exhilarating too.

  "You're right, maybe I need a Soup tattoo to keep me going."

  "Oh ha ha, you're so funny!" I replied sarcastically with a big smile on my face. "I think it's your round, isn't it? Go and get that sexy ass of yours to the bar and stop taking the piss out of my tattoo. I thought that it meant courage, and that's all that's important here. I never should have told you that story!"

  I lightly brushed his arm, and my heart rate kicked right up a notch. Electricity tore through my body, and emotions danced through my veins. Whatever I'd been feeling before was amplifying by the minute and I wasn't sure how much more of it I could take.

  If I wasn't careful, I'd end up grabbing him and kissing him, and I wasn't sure if that was the wisest move for me. On the one hand, it could be the best thing ever, but on the other it could turn the who
le weekend on its ass. If I was reading the signs all wrong and he rejected me, things could get very awkward...

  Chapter Eight

  Max

  As I brought the drinks back to the table, my heart was jumping all over the place.

  Things were going amazingly between Bryant and me. This was a date like no other, and I was glad that we were still carrying it on.

  I actually wanted something to happen here.

  I had the desire to kiss this man and it was more powerful than anything I'd felt in a very long time... maybe even ever.

  Not only was he gorgeous, but he seemed to just like me for who I was. Everything I opened up to him about, he simply accepted, it didn't seem to put him off me at all.

  "This is so much fun," I sighed as I sat back in the seat next to him. His leg was brushing against mine, and the intense chemistry was buzzing through my body. "I'm so glad that I decided to come."

  "Yeah, how did Hayley convince you to come on this crazy weekend?" he asked me curiously, his fingers edging closer to my body with each passing second. "I know that she's very clever at manipulating situations, but seriously... this is mental!"

  "Well, she sold you to me," I admitted.

  I almost left it at that. I almost just gave him a compliment instead, but at the very last second, I decided to actually be honest for once.

  "I needed a break from my shitty life too. Things really haven't been great." There was a weight lifting from my chest, and I hadn't realized how intense the pressure was on me until that moment.

  "I really do hate my job, and I'm genuinely afraid when it comes to actually following my dreams." I said.

  Bryant was sliding closer to me.

  I was acutely aware of every inch of his body.

  I needed to keep talking just to stop myself from freaking out about what could potentially be happening here.

  "I've just felt so bored and fed up with life for such a long time, you know? Nothing has sparked my interest. Even the dates I've been on have been boring…"

  What was I talking about? Was I opening up too much? Was I about to put him off me for good?

  I just couldn't seem to shut my voice off. It kept on coming regardless of what I wanted.

  But no... his body was still coming closer to me. Something was potentially really happening here, and I wasn't sure how to deal with any of it. My heart was pounding so loudly I feared it might burst out of my chest. I was even trembling a little with fear. However, the most powerful emotion was excitement. I actually really wanted this, however potentially complicated it could become.

  "Well maybe you don't have to be bored anymore," he practically whispered into my ear. I could feel his breath tickling my neck, which amplified everything even more.

  "We live in the same city, so we can hang out. And maybe you're worrying too much about the other stuff. Maybe you need to take a step back from it for a while, to see if reaching your dreams is worth the risks that accompany it."

  "Yeah, maybe you're right." I was trying to act like I was taking everything in, but it was all flying over my head while my mind zoned right in on what his body was doing to me.

  Every single bit of me was drawn to him, and all I wanted was for him to kiss me. There was an actual ache inside of me, crying out for him. "Maybe I do need to take a step back, but that isn't easy. How am I gonna pay my bills? "

  “Most writers have a day job too, but they still go for it. I think you should just try."

  "You haven't even read my stuff yet!" I forced a giggle out, acting weirder than I'd like. "You might hate it."

  "That's true." he said. "You will have to give me your books to read."

  Oh my God, was his hand on my cheek now? I couldn't even begin to turn around and look at him. I had no idea how I could even begin to control myself once our eyes met. Even the mere thought of having someone I liked so much reading my stuff made my heart pound anxiously. I wasn’t sure that it was good enough, I suddenly felt all self conscious, so I did the first thing that I could think of and changed the subject…

  "So," I coughed awkwardly, fixing my eyes on the ground as my face flamed fiercely. "You haven't told me much about you yet. I feel like I've spilled the beans on my life, but you're still a closed book."

  "What do you want to know?" Bryant asked cautiously, looking like this was a difficult subject for him. "I've already told you about my lack of ambitions, what more can there be?"

  "I don't know... maybe your family?" I screwed up my nose at that. No one ever wanted to discuss their families did they? Especially not when they were at their sister's crazy ass wedding. That was a bad topic idea. I needed to think of another one quickly. “Erm, or what about exes? I told you about my crappy dating life. Hell, I'll even tell you the tale about the date where I had to crawl out the bathroom window if it helps?"

  "You never did that!" Bryant gasped in shock, a small smirk coming back to his lips. This was obviously a safer topic. I needed to roll with that. "Are you serious?"

  "The guy was psychotic!” I laughed loudly, remembering the horrific time in my life. “He kept telling me about how he used to drown puppies when he was a kid. I figured it was either that or lose my life."

  "Yeah okay, that's fair enough." Bryant shrugged, finally seeing my point of view with that one. "Okay, well my dating life isn't very active, because my last long term relationship ended really badly."

  I sighed deeply, and I got the strong sense that the memory still hurt his pride.

  "I was so in love with the guy. I was stupid enough to think that we would last forever."

  Oh God, I was starting to think that this was a mistake. The last thing I wanted was to ruin the night with a horrible memory from his past.

  "Anyway, as it turned out he didn’t exactly have the same plan as I did. He was cheating on me. He had this whole other relationship on the side."

  "How did you find out?" I gulped down the fearful ball that lodged in my throat at that moment. What if this was someone that he still loved? I was skipping about, assuming this was all going swimmingly, and Bryant’s heart lay elsewhere. I honestly wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to take that news.

  "I came home from work one night to be greeted by the pair of them. They were sat in my kitchen, holding hands, telling me that they were in love now, basically shoving me out of the picture.”

  "Wow, that sucks," I couldn’t relate. I’d never actually had my heart broken, but I couldn’t imagine that being anything but absolutely awful. "What a douche,” I got the impression that was putting it mildly! “How long ago was it?"

  "Almost a year," Bryant shrugged, which filled me with relief. At least he didn’t look too bothered by any of it. "That put me off guys for a while, so I've only done a little bit of dating. I certainly don't have any funny stories like you."

  Our eyes met once more, and I instantly noticed a spark rising in his gaze. That chemistry swirled between us both.

  "That sucks,” I practically panted, needing extra confirmation from him. “That you went through that, but I hope you're ready to move on now." I didn't word that as a question, but I was asking him all the same.

  "Oh I am," he confirmed with a smile, bringing that bright ball of happiness back into my chest. "That part of my life is long behind me now. I'm on the up for sure."

  I felt a naughtiness twinkling in my eyes, almost as if it was uncontrollable now. If there was ever a moment to make this happen, then it was now. I just needed to grab hold of the opportunity, to be brave for once…

  "Good," I couldn’t help but notice that my tone had taken on a seductive murmuring quality to it. "That makes it much less awkward for me to do this then."

  Chapter Nine

  Bryant

  The entire world shrunk down to me and Max.

  The bar disappeared; the few people still sitting around drinking merely vanished, even our drinks were no more. It was just the both of us, looking at each other, with emotions swirling and feelings
growing. My chest swelled warmly, my heart fluttered excitedly, and my lips grew wet at the thought of him connecting with them.

  "Do what?” I murmured, in a dreamy voice, but as it happened I didn’t need to.

  He was already going for it.

  He was slightly cocking his head and leaning in.

  This was it.

  It was go time. Things were really happening.

  This moment had been building up ever since we first laid eyes on each other. I'd felt a powerful bolt of lust right there and then, and now that was coming to fruition.

  I felt like we were being drawn together by an uncontrollable magnetism. I could almost taste him as his lips got close. He was almost a part of me, and that already felt incredible. I just knew that this would be the kiss to re-spark my zest for happiness, and my interest in relationships. Maybe once I got that, I'd go back to being more like myself. I could forget about Tony and Desi, and what they did to me. None of that would matter anymore. My passion, my desire for finding someone, it would all simply just come back…

  Our lips connected, and all thoughts simply flew from my mind.

  His soft mouth felt lovely next to mine. He had tingles running up and down my spine, and I felt wonderful. Then the kiss deepened, and I felt him claim me. His hands snaked around the back of my neck, and his tongue darted between my lips. He held me close to him and I melted. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven.

  He was mine, and I was his, and that felt incredible.

  I wanted to be his, I was happy for him to take control of me. There was nowhere else I'd rather be. I grabbed onto his waist, staking my claim too, and lost myself in the moment. Maybe people were watching, maybe not, I really didn't care. This felt far too good to stop.

  An involuntary moan escaped my lips, the desire taking control of me completely. I should have known that this would never work... there was no way that I could spend so much time with such a sexy guy that I liked so much, sleeping in the same room as him, without something happening.