Chris cleared his throat and smothered his smile. He went back to her film collection.
Chris recognized most of the titles because he had them back home, in his apartment at Darcy’s.
The fridge was mostly crowded by leftovers in neat plastic pots and cans of Diet Coke. No beer or wine. On the fridge she had a list of things to buy on her next trip to the supermarket and a bunch of magnets that lent some color to the mostly white space.
The cupboards were well stocked. She liked to cook but wasn't used to cooking for one, even after years living alone. So, either she had her friends over all the time or she had spent her formative years cooking for a lot of people. If he had to guess, Chris would say it was a blend of the two options.
He imagined her cooking. He wondered what it would be like to watch her move around the kitchen. He pictured her humming as she went along, her hands working with the certainty of someone who is used to cooking. He saw himself helping her, all clumsy fingers and hesitant movements. He saw her smile at him. He imagined them eating together, their naked feet touching and rubbing under the table. That vision left a dull ache in his chest, right where his heart should've been beating.
Chris stopped. Why was he thinking these things? It wasn't like he was going to eat anything she cooked. He couldn’t digest food. He didn’t even like the smell of food. It all tasted and smelled like rot to him.
Chris took one last look around. He thought he had learned just about everything he could learn from this place. Time to check out Miss Not Interested's workplace.
Chapter 11
Evie was keeping her head low and her eyes on her work when she felt that tingling feeling crawling right under her skin.
She stopped and looked up. Her jaw went a little slack and her eyes wide.
It was the guy from Moonlight.
He stopped at the door, his arms bracing the doorjambs like he owned the place. If Evie had already wanted to screw him senseless in the dark nightclub, now she was reduced to a needy puddle. How could he possibly look better under the warm lights of the café? While everyone else was dressed in frumpy, comfy and worn clothes, he looked like he had stepped out of a photo-shoot. His hair was a blonde wayward mess that just made Evie want to reach out and play with it. His square jaw was covered in a light coat of stubble and petulant mouth was begging to be kissed. His bright eyes travelled lazily around the café until they fell on her. They locked stares and his lips stretched into a dazzling smile.
Evie's heart thudded in her chest, her body flooded by hormones. Traitor body.
Everyone turned to him, especially the women. Whispers, giggles, and sighs followed, but he seemed immune to them. He made a beeline for Evie, standing in front of her.
"Hi," he said, his voice deep and seductive. "Can we talk?"
She gaped at him, most of her brain out for the count. A small part of her registered that she was staring at him like the proverbial deer caught in headlights. Evie shook her head and lowered her eyes. She cleared her throat.
"How did you find me here?" she whispered.
"I was walking down the street and thinking of you," he said, giving her a well-worn but stellar smile. "I looked up and there you were."
Evie looked up, frowning. She felt a fresh wave of tingling in the back of her neck. This guy was lying to her.
"What are you doing here?" she said, her voice strong again.
He hesitated, probably sensing a shift in her. His smile was faltering now. "I told you. I came to talk to you."
She took a step back and took a deep breath. This guy would be perfect if he didn't open his mouth.
"Thanks," she said. "But whatever it is, I'm not interested."
He shoved a hand through his hair, his whole demeanor imploding a little. "I don't usually have to work this hard, you know."
Evie's lips twitched into a smile. It was so much easier to deal with this guy when he was being a jerk.
"Oh, I'm flattered," she said, sarcasm dripping from every word. She waved towards the door. "Now, off you go."
He watched her with no small amount of fascination. Feeling like some exotic and rare animal, Evie sidestepped the guy and went to a patron who was calling her. She wrote down the patron's order and turned around, half expecting the guy to be long gone. Instead, she found him staring at her, rooted to his spot. She took a deep breath and started towards him, determined to ignore him long enough for him to get it.
"Let me get one thing straight," he said. "You're attracted to me."
Evie froze. She could feel all eyes on her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Could she hit this guy in the back of the head and get away with it?
"Excuse me?" she asked, twisting around to look at him.
"You're super attracted to me," he said, grinning. He seemed to brighten up at her discomfort. Bastard. "But you still won't give me the time of day."
Evie narrowed her eyes at him. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why should I?"
He blinked, caught off guard.
"Listen-" she tried to remember his name.
"C-Chris," he volunteered.
"Listen, Chris. There are a million hot guys out there," she said. "You want my attention? Do something worth paying attention to. Right now, you just look like a douche. All I want is to run as far and fast as possible."
He stood there, his eyes lost in the distance. Calculating, thinking. His face set in deep, thoughtful lines. He seemed to be hearing her for the first time. Then, he turned to Evie and gave her a sharp nod.
"You're right," he said.
Evie hesitated. She wasn't really expecting him to agree with her.
"Good." She shifted on her spot, unsure what she should do or say now. "Goodbye, then."
He smiled at that and shook his head as if Evie was a petulant child he was indulging. He turned around and walked to the only free table in her section. It was her favorite table too. It was on the bay window seat that let her look outside from time to time. He removed a worn pocket book from his coat's inner pocket and started reading.
Evie cocked her head to the side, watching him. What the fuck? How could he possibly just sit there? She said he was a jerk to his face. Why had he sat at her section? Was he trying to prove a point? Of their own accord, her feet had taken her to his table.
"Hey," he said, giving her another heart-stopping smile. "I want a cup of coffee, please."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm ordering coffee."
Was he trying to be obtuse? Evie narrowed her eyes, suspicion taking deep roots inside her. Was he trying to make her life difficult? Maybe he hoped she would be rude to him so he could complain to her boss. Evie refused to make it easy for him.
She smoothed her ponytail and plastered a smile on her lips. "Of course. I'll be right back, sir."
She turned on her heels and walked up to Lucy, who was slipping her orders to the cook.
Lucy looked up at her, instantly on edge. Evie couldn't say she was surprised. She had avoided Lucy for most of the day - ignoring her texts, letting her calls go straight to voicemail and even walking away when Lucy had tried to talk to her. She was still a little mad that Lucy had just ignored her at Moonlight, even though she knew she shouldn't be that mad. Dan's bag of crazy wasn't Lucy's burden.
"I know I've been horrible to you all day, but I need a favor."
Lucy turned to her, a determined look on her face. "I'm in."
Evie chanced a glance at Chris. He was staring at her with this hungry gaze that both scared her and made her horny as hell. She turned her back to him. "Do you see that guy at the bay window seat?"
Lucy glanced towards the table. She perked up, a smile on her lips. She had seen him - Evie was sure. That dazzled, flustered look was a telltale sign.
"I need you to take his table. I don't want to talk to him," Evie sighed. This was the right thing to do. "He ordered coffee."
Lucy tossed Evie a glance, hesitating. "Are you sure?"
&nbs
p; "Yep."
"That's some serious man-candy, Evie," Lucy commented.
Evie poured the coffee in the cup, placed a tiny cookie on the saucer and handed it all to Lucy. "You have my blessing. Flirt away, please."
Lucy smiled and nodded, her ponytail bouncing. "I'm on it."
Evie bit her lip as she watched Lucy walk to the table. She placed the cup and saucer in front of Chris and smiled. He glanced at Evie, his eyes narrowing. A part of her wanted to look away, pretend she was busy, but she was too fascinated by him to do just that. He seemed both pissed and proud. He leaned forward and locked eyes with Lucy. She blinked, her face going slack. He said something to her and Lucy answered. He said something else and leaned back on his seat. She gave him an absent nod, picked up the cup of coffee and saucer and walked back to Evie.
Lucy blinked and shook her head as if she was clearing her head.
She handed the cup to Evie. "He won't talk to me. He said he will only talk to you."
"Lucy, please -"
"No, Evie," Lucy said. She shook her head, trying to add more weight to her words. "You can be mad at me all you want, but that guy is weird. Besides, I slept with his brother."
Evie could feel her anger bubble under her skin like lava. She marched to his table and dumped the cup of coffee in front of him.
"Why?" she asked. It was the only thing she could think of saying to him. "You're attractive. There. Are you happy now?"
"No, I'm not, Evie," he said. "Because you're absolutely right. Looks are only skin deep. There has to be something else to keep the attraction alive." His stare turned molten. His eyes were two blue flames heating her skin. "And even though you're sinfully hot, what you do is far more attractive. I can't leave you alone."
Evie was too dumbfounded to say anything else. Her breathing was coming out in short, harsh pants. Her brain was out for the count.
She took in a shaky breath and looked away.
Evie's heart thudded in her chest, all warmth leaving her. Dan was outside the café, glaring at her.
Chapter 12
Dan had thanked his lucky stars. He had feared Evie had moved out of town or changed jobs, but his girl stuck to her routine. She still lived in that brick building in that same old idyllic street where her grandma had lived. She still worked at the same café. He was waiting outside Evie's work, watching her work. Dan had to be reacquainted with her schedule, to find out who was in her life.
Besides, he wanted to be with her. Dan missed Evie too much.
He watched from a darken alley as she moved inside the warm little café. He saw her smiles and her words to the patrons. He hated that anyone other than himself deserved her smiles. Dan told himself Evie was working, that it meant nothing. As far as he could tell, she had no one in her life. Beating the crap out of that bozo she was seeing the last time had taught her a lesson. She was his and no one else's. She was waiting for him now. He could tell.
Dan shivered into his coat. The night was crisp, sharp. It had started snowing again. This place was nothing but snow and misery. He had no idea why Evie liked it here. Even Mom had loved it up here, always talking about how nice people were, how the country was gorgeous. Personally, Dan couldn't wait to leave this frozen hell behind. He wanted to go back home. He dreamed of being welcomed in Mr. Williams' garage once again, of sliding back to his routine of cars and Evie.
Amidst his daydreaming, Dan noticed the client gawking at Evie. The guy was sitting on the bay window seat. He was tall, with trendy clothes and that wayward hair girls seemed to love. And he was looking at Evie like he owned her. Dan's hands curled into gloved fists.
At first, Evie seemed eager to put as much distance between her and that guy as possible. She had even sent another waitress to that guy's table.
"Good girl," Dan muttered to himself.
The guy and the waitress talked briefly while Evie watched them, chewing her bottom lip. Dan watched her. She shouldn't be looking at the guy and fidgeting with her hair like that. She shouldn't be blushing every time his eyes met hers. She should be annoyed. She should look like she hated that guy's attention.
The waitress blinked at the guy and nodded. She walked back to Evie and they talked. Evie frowned, clearly not happy, but she ended up walking to the guy's table.
"No, no, no," Dan said to himself. "Go back, Evie. Walk away."
Dan watched Evie and the guy talk. He was shamelessly flirting with her, his eyes burning holes into her. She seemed mad at first. Then, her face fell and she looked flustered. Her cheeks warmed, turning a lovely shade of pink. The guy licked his lips like Evie was something to eat.
Dan felt his blood boiling in his veins. Who the fuck was this guy? And why was Evie ready to spread her legs for him? Did he have to send this guy to the hospital too? Maybe he should just use his fists on Evie again. Maybe then she would learn her place.
Evie raised her eyes. She stopped moving, her face going pale. It took Dan a moment to realize she had seen him. He looked around. In his rage, he had stepped out of the shadows in the alley and was standing right in the middle of the street.
He smiled at her.
Evie started for the door.
Dan turned around and dashed back into the alley. This was not the right time. He had to make things perfect. He sped away from Evie even when she called him. He rushed to Mom's car even when he heard the screeching of tires in front of the café.
It was not the right time.
"Just a little longer," Dan said once he was behind the wheel and driving home. "Just a little longer."
Chapter 13
Chris frowned. Evie had just run outside. She looked around, spinning on her heels slowly several times. Then, she froze.
She was just standing there, in the middle of the street. Her eyes drifted to the café. Their eyes were locked.
Chris's eyes drifted down the street. The old pickup truck was rushing to Evie, skittering on the icy street. It looked like the driver had lost control. Evie looked terrified, her eyes wide and her face pale. Her shoulders shrank, bracing for impact. It only made her look small and fragile.
For a moment, Chris saw what would happen next. The car would hit her head on, the impact sending her flying several feet away. Her body would hit the cold pavement. Her blood would fall around her, painting the snow in shades of red and pink. The fire that burned in her eyes would disappear and her smell would fade into nothing. At that idea, Chris felt something inside him snap. He couldn't let that happen.
Chris acted before he really thought about it.
He sped out of the café, his feet barely touching the frozen ground long enough to slide on the snow and ice. The headlights of the car hit his eyes, but it wasn't enough to blind him. He saw Evie squint under the lights, her eyes scrunching shut. The big, old pickup truck sped towards them, unyielding and aimless. Its wheels were useless on the ice. A nice looking old man with tons of wrinkles on his narrow face and wide, scared eyes was behind the wheel, trying to reign in his beast of a car.
Chris reached Evie. He had seconds to save her life. His arm circled her waist and he pulled her close. It took her a second to realize Chris was next to her. In the chaos of the moment, her eyes seemed to take forever to find his face. Her lips parted in surprise. He pulled her close, flurry drifting around them. Her skin was covered in deep shivers. Chris growled when he realized she was wearing nothing but her uniform.
Chris wondered what she had seen outside, what had made her snap and walk out of the café. He made the mental note to get to the bottom of it later.
He twisted his body out of the car's path, taking Evie with him. He used his body to shield her, wrapping himself around her like an ivy. The pickup truck rushed past Chris, a wall of cold air hitting his back as the pickup truck passed them by. It probably had missed him by a hair.
Now that the pickup truck had missed Evie, he couldn't care less what it hit. Still, he felt her shiver as the truck hit the wall a couple of blocks down the street. Chris
felt Evie's knees give out under her. He held her close, supporting her. Chris wrapped his coat around her, pulling her back flush against his chest. The fabric of her uniform felt too thin. It was fucking useless to keep her warm.
For a few precious seconds there was nothing but the feel of her. Her smell around him, like warm caramel bathing his skin, and her breathing tickling his arms.
He felt her struggle free. It was feeble, but she wanted to be free of him. Chris dropped his arms. He felt oddly bereft without her warmth. He told himself he didn't care about her. A small voice told him that he shouldn't care. He took a step back and watched her shiver, her eyes trailing to the truck. It had hit a storefront.
"I should go there," she whispered.
"Why?" Chris said. He sounded angrier than he had the right to be.
She turned to him, blinking in surprise. "I have to make sure the driver is OK."
"Why do you care?"
"Because he could be hurt," she said, frowning. "It wouldn't be right to leave him."
Chris shoved his hands in his hair, his anger rising. "He almost killed you."
"He didn't mean to." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth chattering. "H-H-He... p-p-probably..."
"For fuck sakes," Chris muttered. He removed his heavy, useless coat and draped it around her shoulders. He rubbed some warmth into her arms. "Why did you leave the café without your coat?"
Evie started speaking, but her words trailed into nothing. She became more alert and her head snapped around, looking for something. Her heartbeat picked up in her chest. She was afraid of something - or someone. Chris was this close to try his luck and try to glamour her again. He had to know who was scaring her. He had no idea why he needed to know it, but he did. He heard people leaving the café, taking in the accident.
Her Blood Sings: Episode 01 Page 6
