by M. H. Soars
“Like I said, I’ve been stressed out. I know, it was a rookie mistake to mix the two.”
My heart wants to believe her words, but my brain is having a hard time buying the excuse. Mandy is anything but stupid and I’ve never seen her do anything impulsively. But there’s no use pressuring her now for the truth. I really thought that without Connor here she would feel comfortable to be honest. Maybe tomorrow if I get the chance.
“Was Connor mad?”
“No, of course not. He was worried sick. I sent him home, though. He was exhausted.”
Mandy makes another scrunched up face, so I’m quick to try to dispel her worries.
“Don’t stress about Connor. He’s a big boy and can handle a few curve balls. It’s the middle of the night. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
Mandy nods. “I am pretty tired. I’m sorry you got the short stick and have to spend the night with me.”
“Hey, I’ve slept in worse places than this. Stop worrying and get some rest. I’ll be fine.”
Mandy finally closes her eyes and I watch her fall sleep before I return to the couch. I pick up my phone to check if I have any text messages and I’m disappointed when I don’t see any from Oliver. What did you expect, Saylor? The guy might be an asshole who only wants to get into my pants, but he helped me yesterday, twice, and I was a cow to him. Maybe some good will come out of this mess. Maybe Oliver will realize I’m not worth the trouble and he will leave me alone.
As soon as the idea enters my head, sadness takes over. I want him to leave me alone, right? Right?
Twelve
SAYLOR
Connor doesn’t appear to relieve me of my duties until ten a.m. I’m not mad at him. He told me he would visit his grandmother first. But I am more than ready to go home by the time he comes through the door. I stretch my arms up and let out a yawn. Mandy is still sound asleep. I, on the other hand, have not been able to shut my eyes for more than an hour.
The smell of coffee hits my nose before I eye the tray in his hand. I feel ten times better already.
“I figured you would want something other than the dirty water they call coffee here.”
“Give me, give me.” I make grabby hands. “What’s in the bag?”
“Donuts.”
I take a tentative sip of the coffee and I almost gag. “What’s in this thing?”
“Almond milk. Isn’t it how you drink your coffee?”
I make a disgusted face. “Who in the world drinks coffee with almond milk?”
Connor’s face turns ten shades redder before he looks away. “Uh, I guess I got confused. I’m sorry.”
I wonder if he confused my taste with someone else’s. The idea of Connor hooking up with another girl doesn’t make me jealous in the least. Nevertheless, I’m pissed that he ruined my coffee. It’s my sacred drink.
I give him a tight smile. “No worries.” I try another sip and it’s hard not to grimace. “I’m gonna take off. Tell Mandy I’ll come back later, if she doesn’t get discharged soon.”
“Okay, thanks for spending the night.” He doesn’t make eye contact with me, not even when he takes a seat on the couch, preferring to stare at his cup instead.
If I were a nicer person, I would ask what crawled up his butt. But I’m not and he ruined my coffee. So I bail without saying another word, dumping the hipster drink in the first garbage can I see.
I’m jonesing for real coffee with foamy milk and I wonder if the Uber driver will mind stopping at a Starbucks on the way home. I pull my phone out of my bag and login to the app, keeping my gaze locked to the screen as I walk out of the building. I’m about to request a driver when I get the eerie sensation that someone is staring at me. I look up and find Oliver standing on the other side of the drop-off curb with a smirk plastered on his gorgeous face. My belly flutters, my heart flitters, and I sound like a fucking Disney princess.
In my defense, the guy looks mighty delicious wearing designer jeans and a casual T-shirt. His eyes are hidden behind the sunglasses, but I can feel them devouring me just the same. Hell and damn. I probably look like I’ve been hit by a garbage truck.
I don’t stop walking until I’m standing right in front of him. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you might need a ride home.”
“What are you now? My personal chauffer?”
“If you want me to be.”
“You’re beginning to act like a real stalker, but I’m too fucking tired to care at the moment. A ride will be great.”
“Follow me, milady.”
He parked nearby and when I slide into his sleek leather car seat, the smell of fresh brewed coffee hits my nose before I spot the white paper cup with the green logo on it. I have the cup to my lips before Oliver can close the door. Delicious, creamy coffee hits my tongue and I moan in pleasure. Oliver chuckles.
“You like coffee that much, huh?”
“You have no idea. I could kiss you right now.” I regret my words the moment they leave my mouth.
“Is that so?”
“Sorry. Slip of the tongue.”
“Fuck. Don’t tease me, sugar.”
My stomach decides to rumble loudly just then and my face feels like it’s in flames. What’s up with my body betraying me like that in front of Oliver all the damn time?
“Hungry? I know an awesome place for breakfast nearby. What do you fancy?”
I should just ask Oliver to take me home, but the idea of getting food is too tempting to pass. In my hurry to get out of the hospital, I forgot to grab the donut Connor brought.
“I could eat pretty much anything right now.”
“Anything?” I don’t miss the innuendo in his tone.
“God, does your mind always make everything dirty?”
“When it comes to you? Always.”
I don’t know if it’s the statement or if it’s the way everything out of Oliver’s mouth sounds like a sexy proposition I’d be crazy to refuse, but I find myself turned on as hell. I stare out the window and keep drinking my coffee.
OLIVER
I take her to a little café in Hermosa Beach that I discovered many years ago. It’s low key and has a friendly vibe. I try to come here every time I’m in town and want a break from the glamorous celebrity life. It’s one of those places frequented mostly by locals and at this hour, it shouldn’t be too crowded, not on a week day anyway. What I like the most about the place is the carefree attitude of the staff. No one bats an eyelid at me, which is why I kept it a secret from most of my party friends. This is the type of place that would be ruined if too many celebrities frequented and some blogger decided to list it as the newest trendy spot in town.
As I predicted, there are only a few tables taken, mainly by people working on their laptops like ferocious bees. I pick a booth at the back and far away from the front windows, where most people prefer to sit. I want to keep Saylor all to myself.
I let her walk ahead of me and, boldly, I put a protective hand on her lower back. Saylor’s body tenses when I touch her and I don’t like it. I find myself wishing for the day when she will melt under my touch, when she will beg for me to run my hands all over her body. I get turned on at the thought and I have to adjust my pants to try to hide it.
She slides into the booth seat and pushes her sunglasses up her head. I sit across from her and stare without shame as she pulls her hair up, makes a twist out of it, and does something to secure her mass of curls into a loose bun at the base of her neck. She catches me gawking and I love how her cheeks turn a shade redder.
“What?”
“Nada.” I glance at the menu just to give her a break from my lustful gaze. I always order the same thing when I’m here.
“So, what’s good in this place?” she asks and I glance at her again. The answer ‘me’ is on the tip of my tongue, but I refrain from saying it.
“Everything, but they’re famous for their egg sandwich with eggplant sausage.”
“Eggpl
ant sausage?” Saylor scrunches up her nose.
“Trust me, it’s delicious.”
She clearly doesn’t believe me and continues to read the menu, making a little pout with her lips in the process. I know the expression is not deliberate, I’ve been around too many girls to know the difference. But even so, my cock stirs in my pants and desire runs rampant through my body. I want to kiss her so badly, it hurts.
In the end, Saylor ends up ordering a bacon and cheese omelet, a croissant, and a big cup of coffee. I stick to my usual fare, breakfast burrito with a big side of guac. I’ve tried their signature dish once because Bas made me. It wasn’t bad, but I prefer the burrito. You can’t get a decent one in the UK.
“How is Mandy?”
A shadow crosses Saylor’s face and she drops her gaze to the table. “She’ll be okay.”
I sense she doesn’t want to talk about her suicidal friend, so I quickly change subject. “Tell me about your band.”
Saylor shrugs. “It’s a garage band, really. Nothing to talk about.”
“Oh, come on now. I’ve heard you guys kill in the college scene. You are way more than just a garage band.”
Saylor looks me in the eye and gives me a humorless smile. “Drunk college students are easy to please.”
“I suppose. But I’ve seen your videos on YouTube. You guys are good.”
She sits up straighter and her eyebrows rise. “You have?”
“Of course. I needed to know if your cocky attitude was justified.”
Her lips split into a smile and a glint of pride makes her eyes sparkle. “We blew your socks off, didn’t we?”
I lean forward, making sure my gaze conveys the meaning of my next words. “No, you did, Saylor.”
She doesn’t break away from my stare. Instead, her gaze turns as intense as my own. The world around us ceases to exist and I’m tempted to jump across the table and kiss the shit out of this girl. But the waitress comes in with our coffees, ending the charged moment.
For the next hour, I pepper Saylor with questions. Never in my life have I ever showed any interest to learn more than a girl’s first name—information that I often ended up forgetting anyway. But Saylor is different. There’s something about her that draws me like a moth to a flame, something that calls to me on a raw and deep level.
I could stay here with her chatting for hours, but time flies when you wish it would stand still. Saylor’s cell phone flashes with an incoming text, drawing her attention to it.
“Holy shit. It’s almost noon. I have to get home.”
I nod even though I don’t want to. “I’ll get the bill.”
A minute later, the waitress places the small leather folder in front of me and I wait for Saylor to offer an argument. When she doesn’t, I raise an eyebrow at her.
“You’re not going to demand we split the bill?”
She snorts. “Of course not. You invited me. You pay.”
“But that will turn this into a date.”
“No, it won’t. This was just two friends having breakfast together.”
“Oh, so we are friends now?”
The girl shrugs and leans back on the booth. “Sure. You’re fun to hang out with when you’re not trying to be an ass.”
I place a hand over my chest. “Ouch. Go ahead, tell me how you really feel, why won’t you?”
As we walk out of the cafe, I let Saylor take the lead once more. I’m not being gentlemanly. I just want to check out her ass. Old habits are hard to break. I’m not hooking up with other women, she has my undivided attention, but I’m still a fucking asshole. It’s in my nature. Then why I don’t listen to Bas and leave Saylor alone? I’m going to fuck this up like I do everything else in my life. I destroy whatever I touch. But I can’t stay away.
By the time we get to my car, I’ve made up my mind. When she stops next to the passenger’s side door, I spin her around and trap her between the vehicle and me.
“What are you doing?”
“Something I’ve been dying to do since the last time.”
I push her sunglasses up her head and capture her face between my hands, crushing my lips against hers. There’s a sharp intake of breath from her, but no resistance. She curls her fingers around my T-shirt, pulling me closer as her lips part for me. Fire. Liquid fire is coursing through my veins. Her kiss is as delicious as I remember. I want to devour her right here in the middle of the street. My cock is throbbing in my pants and it takes a paramount effort on my part to not grind my pelvis against hers. I move one of my hands to the back of her head, and tangle my fingers in her hair, keeping her in place. Her hands leave my T-shirt to clasp behind my neck. We only break apart when someone whistles behind us. I take a step back and that’s when I notice how fast my heart is beating. I’m fucking breathless. I can’t remember the last time I felt this rush, this euphoria, and I want more. So much more.
Thirteen
SAYLOR
With everything that has happened in the last forty-eight hours, I’m not even surprised when I find my car parked in front of the Ogata’s house. I don’t ask Oliver if he’s responsible for it. In fact, I don’t even look in his direction as I bolt out of the car without a glance back. My mind is still reeling from that kiss. That damn intoxicating kiss.
The house is mercifully quiet as I make my way toward the back. As I pass the kitchen, I see a note on the fridge for me. I can eat at the restaurant if I want to. I think about it for one split second before shaking my head and heading to the guest house. I’m tired, I’m confused, and I need time to formulate a plan. Finding a new job is top priority. Actually, a hot shower is top priority.
My lips tingle and I remember Oliver’s mouth on mine. How his tongue turned my body into mush and liquefied my brain. I make a mental list of the restaurants and bars I can hit up to distract my mind from those memories.
My ploy doesn’t last long. I find myself reliving the kiss as I take a shower and with the memory, comes my reaction to it as well. My nipples become hard buds and the throbbing between my legs won’t quit. I’m horny as fuck and when my fingers brush my clit, I imagine Oliver’s hand there instead. I lean against the tiled wall for support and keep stroking myself. The orgasm hits me swiftly but the release doesn’t erase the aching need in the pit of my belly. Oliver has gotten under my skin and I’m beginning to realize I won’t be able to shake off the feeling until I act on it.
No. I can’t go down that rabbit hole. It’s not Oliver that I crave, but male attention in general. I need to get laid. It has been what, a couple of months? Oliver just happens to be the guy teasing me with promises of sexual bliss. It doesn’t hurt that the man is as hot as they come. Even so, it would be love suicide to succumb to him, a heartache I don’t need.
I have every intention to search for a job after the shower, but once I see my bed, I forget that notion all together. I wake up much later, recharged and ready for battle. I call a couple of establishments and manage to snag an interview at a pub nearby. It’s not the best of places—I wouldn’t eat there if you paid me—but beggars can’t be choosers. I need the money.
I stop by the restaurant to take Remi up on her offer of food. But I’m not looking forward to explaining to Ragna about the fiasco-day with Pepe. Mercifully, I don’t see the matriarch when I walk into the busy restaurant. Remi is busy waiting tables and only has time to point me to a seat at the bar. Dimitri, one of Remi’s many cousins, is manning it, and before I even park my butt on the stool, he already has a big glass of diet Coke for me. He’s my favorite because out of all of Remi’s cousins, he’s the only one who doesn’t hit on me, being one hundred percent gay and all.
“Thanks, Dimitri.”
“No problem, Saylor. Are you eating here? We’re slammed, so it might take a while.”
I look at the time on my phone and sigh. “I wish. I have an interview at O’Sheas in half an hour.”
“Yew. That place is a dive. What are you interviewing there for? I thought you already
had a job.”
“I got fired.”
Dimitri stops in his tracks and stares at me like I’ve sprouted a second head. “And you never thought to apply for a job here? I’m seriously offended, girl.”
“It didn’t even cross my mind. I thought it was a family business through and through.”
Dimitri puts his hands on his hips and stares me down. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Cancel your interview. You’ve got a job.”
“What?” I squeak.
“Drink your soda while I get you an apron. You start today.”
I watch Dimitri disappear through a door to the side of the bar with my mouth hanging open. I’m still processing what just happened when Remi materializes next to me.
“What did Dimitri tell you? You look stunned.”
“He just offered me a job.”
Remi’s eyebrows shoot up. “Here?”
“Uh-uh.”
Her face breaks into a grin right before she embraces me into a tight hug. “Yippee! We’re gonna have so much fun. And it’s in good time too, we’re freaking busy tonight. But, what happened to your old job?”
“It’s a long story.”
The Goulas might look chaotic from the outside, but it’s in fact a well oiled machine. The restaurant is packed, but the divine food comes out of the kitchen in record time and the staff has genuine smiles plastered on their faces the entire time. All that combined means happy customers which translates into big, fat tips. No wonder Remi never complained about working here. At the end of my first shift, I’m ready to pass out, though. It was intense.
Remi has to stay behind to finish closing up and tells me I don’t need to wait for her. We have late practice at Tabatha’s in half an hour. Maybe I can catch some Zs in the car.
I grab my phone as I walk outside. No missed calls or text messages. Would it kill Connor to send me a few lines with a status? Irritation simmers below my skin, but I suppress it before I call him. Being bitchy to him won’t help one bit. The phone rings a couple of times before Connor’s raspy voice comes through. Sounds like I woke him from a nap.
