20. Kalen
20
Kalen
“ Y ou, my sweetness,” I begin as I pull Sahara against me. “…look adorable, and when I get you home, I’m going to dip my chip into your salsa.”
“Um, I know there’s a sexual innuendo in there somewhere, but just no…” She laughs and tosses her head back, and dammit, I love putting a smile on this woman’s beautiful face.
Leaning in and not giving a shit about any public displays of affection, I drop a soft kiss onto her red lips. Something about them tonight, perhaps it’s the color, reminds me of the girl in the secret library closet. It’s crazy that after all these years I still think about that girl. Sahara inches back and with the tip of her finger, wipes her lipstick from my lips. “Doesn’t go with your big nacho chip.”
She opens her arms and glances around at our friends, who are all dressed up as well. “I’ve dressed as a lot of things over the years, but never a jar of salsa.”
“You’re sexy as hell.”
“No, I look like I’m in a potato sack. You’re…you’re…” Her gaze rakes up and down the length of me.
“I’m pulling off a nacho like a boss. Is that what you’re trying to say?” I smooth my hand over the very uncomfortable triangle nacho I could barely fit into.
She chuckles. “Something like that.”
“I guess the true test is when I hit the little boys’ room.” I give her another kiss. “Be right back.”
“Good luck.”
I head down the hall, and walk past some witch decoration that cackles and scares the shit out of me. I jump, hoping no one saw that and turn back to see Sahara making her way over to Taylor who’s chatting with Brighton. I can’t help but smile like a fool, because…well, because I’m happy and I haven’t been happy in a long time. Even the thought of visiting my father and Miles for Thanksgiving doesn’t quite sting so much.
What does sting is the thought that after tonight, my agreement with Sahara is over. But that’s not what I want, and dammit, I’m going to talk to her about that. I can give her another expiry date if she wants one, if that’s what she needs, but I hope to convince her that maybe we could give this a try for real.
Look at you, not being a chicken shit.
In the bathroom, I struggle to get my pants down and when I finally do, I figure I won’t have to hit the gym tomorrow because getting my dick out was a real fucking workout. Once I finish, I wash up and make my way back to the living room, where the party is in full swing. This time, however, I’m ready for the cackling witch.
I give her a wide berth and search the room. I spot Theo dressed as superman, and being obnoxious, as usual. He’s headed toward Gunther, who is dressed as Wonder Woman, which is hilarious and should win best prize. Gunther is quietly chatting with his childhood best friends Paisley—who is dressed as a witch. She’s visited him in Boston numerous times, and while he claims there is nothing between them, from the intense conversation they seem to be having, I think there’s a story there he’s not telling. Not my business, though.
I search for Sahara. The second I see Roman standing close to her, too fucking close, and she’s laughing at something he’s saying, my body tightens. He adjusts the firefighter’s helmet on his head, and I can’t deny that he’s pulling off that costume like firefighting was his calling—and he knows it. Fuck me.
I stalk across the room, and put my arm around Sahara in a real fucking possessive way and pull her to me. Roman grins at me, presenting those dimples that drive the women crazy. Yeah, he’s a handsome mother fucker and I don’t like that Sahara thinks so too. Jesus, I need to make this arrangement a little more permanent because after tonight, our deal is over and she’s free to go out with any guy she wants.
“What’s funny?” I ask, my voice coming out rough and deep.
Sahara’s eyes narrow. “Are you okay?”
Roman laughs. “If you ask me, I think he’s jealous.” He points to his dimples. “It’s these, Sahara. It’s a curse.”
“Well, while I think your dimples are cute, I like my men cheesy,” she jokes, and runs her hands over the big triangle nacho chip covering my body.
Roman laughs and puts his hand over his heart. “Girl, that cut deep.”
Sahara laughs at his antics and the blood running through my veins slows, calming me as she puts her hands on my cheeks, the warm look in her eyes doing crazy things to my heart.
“Look around, Roman. I’m sure there are plenty of women here who you can charm.”
He smiles and glances around. “Where’s Taylor?”
My jaw drops and I shake my head as he tortures me. “What the fuck, dude? Why do you get such joy in pissing me off?”
He holds his hands up and laughs. “You make it too easy, dude. Don’t worry, I’m kidding. I know all your women are all off limits.”
“Will you please stop fucking with me,” I grumble.
“That’s my job,” Sahara whispers, her voice light and full of suggestion, and it pulls a big laugh from Roman.
“Whoa, I really like this one, Kalen. Don’t fuck it up.” He leans into me and adds, “I was just keeping her company while you were off in the little boys’ room playing with your nacho.”
“I wasn’t playing with my…Jesus.”
Roman leans back. “Dude, it looks like you need the jaws of life to get out of that thing. What were you thinking?”
“Roman, go somewhere else,” I mutter and just shake my head. He laughs and saunters off. “He’s not wrong about the jaws of life,” I tell Sahara.
She doesn’t laugh. Instead, she leans into me and says, “You were jealous.”
Between gritted teeth I answer with, “So what if I was.”
“Now I get it.” There’s a softness in her eyes, warmth mingling with amusement as her gaze moves over my face.
“What is it you get?” I ask, and put my hand around her back, needing her close, needing to show possession. I can’t seem to help myself.
“You didn’t introduce me at the Nook that day.” She pokes my chest. “You were worried.”
“I never know what’s going to come out of that guy’s mouth and I didn’t want him saying something to upset or offend you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“…and yes, I was worried. Women flock to that guy. Have you seen those dimples?”
She burst out laughing. “Dimples are overrated.” Brady comes into the room, and starts up a conversation with Tuck, who is dressed as a pharaoh, and I can’t help but notice how Maria keeps glancing at Tuck. Sahara goes up on her toes and gives me a kiss, and I growl, wanting to deepen it, but now is not the time or place. “We should mingle,” she whispers.
I take her hand before she can move away. Okay, here goes nothing, and everything. “First…”
“First what?”
“Listen, I know we said we’d have fun these last couple of weeks, but what if I said I’d like to extend it. You and me, exclusive, until…”
“Until we’re not,” she finishes, and a worried look moves over her face as she tugs on her bottom lip with her top teeth.
Fuck, she doesn’t want that.
Heart thumping, I try to keep my voice even, like I’m okay with whatever she wants. “Maybe that was a dumb?—”
“I like being with you too, Kalen. I’m just not…not looking for anything serious. I’m new in town, and work, and…and…”
“I never said anything about being serious, sweetness,” I counter, a lightness to my tone that I don’t feel. “I just thought we could hang out a little longer, maybe until Thanksgiving, but if you don’t?—”
“I do. A little while longer sounds about right.”
I bite back a smile. “Come on. You’ve met all the women, now it’s time to meet the guys. You already know Ash.”
“And Roman,” she teases.
“And Roman,” I grunt out.
When we reach Tuck and Brady, I introduce Sahara and she holds her hand out. “Nice to meet you both in person.” She falls into easy conversation with them when they turn the conversation to her and ask about her play. Elias joins in and tells the guys how great she was. Worry moves into her face, when Ash tells her how excited Gina and the other WAGs are to see her upcoming play. Is she nervous that they’re all going to watch her?
I lean in and encourage her. “You’re going to be great.” She gives me an odd look. Did I read her wrong? Was that nervousness not about her upcoming performance? What else could it be?
She turns back to the guys, and focuses on Brady. “Brady you made a great save in the third period the other night.”
“I couldn’t do it without my team,” he says and I grin, because I know he’s been through some shit, carrying all the team’s losses on his shoulders when our games are a team effort. Melanie really helped him see that. Maybe Sahara was right about a few things when it comes to my past hurts. Had my father been hurting as much as we were at the time and just reached out for love? It was a mistake, sure, but is it worth forgiving? And did he let us go to Darien because it was what was best for us, and not because he wanted to get rid of his kids to start a new life?
I stand back, my heart beating a little harder as past hurts don’t sting quite as much as they used to. Sahara laughs at something Tanner says when he walks over and I stand back and smile, loving the way she so easily fits in with my friends.
Taylor comes over, dressed in her Wednesday costume. She spins in a circle so we can all admire her, and I’m just glad Roman isn’t next to me, ogling her, just to piss me off. The guy is a real shit disturber, and maybe one of these days Elias and I might have to take him outside to teach him a lesson about fucking with me.
Actually, Elias is dressed as a sheriff, so maybe we could take him out and hog tie him. I chuckle at that thought as Elias swings his handcuffs around his fingers, his gaze moving to Taylor as she laughs, which is completely out of character for Wednesday.
“Okay, time for more drinks,” Gina announces, and brings in a tray. “We have bloody Marys and witch’s brew.” I lift my beer. “I think I’ll stick with this.”
Next Maeve comes in with a tray. “We also have graveyard cupcakes, brain-shaped Jell-O molds, and mummy-wrapped hot dogs.”
I snatch up a small hot dog and toss it into my mouth. “Delicious,” I compliment when she waits for a response.
“Who wants eyeballs?” Melanie asks. I glance at the grapes on the end of the stick, which are decorated to look like veins popping out of eyeballs.
“Sure, why not.” I snatch one up and toss it into my mouth. “Not bad.”
Sahara grabs a bloody Mary, and the door chimes. “Oh, good she’s here,” Gina calls out an excited look on her face as she hands her tray to Ash, and heads to the door. I turn as she opens it and invites in a woman dressed in a fortune telling outfit. Is she one of the girlfriends? I don’t recognize her.
Gina leads her into the living room. “This is Tamara, a real-life fortune teller. She’s the best in the business.”
“Yeah, it’s a business,” Roman yells.
“She’s the real deal,” Gina assures him.
He makes a fist and mumbles, “ fraud ,” as he coughs into his hand.
Tamara grabs his hand, runs her thumb over his palm, and says, “You don’t need to believe in me, dimples.” Her smile widens when he gives her a charming grin. “But believe in this. You won’t be the one to run, but she will.”
He scratches his head, some of the humor leaving his face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Time will tell.”
“Wait, are you saying a woman is going to run out on me?” He snorts out a laugh and so do the rest of us because we know he’s always the first to leave.
“You’ll see,” she answers, leaving him hanging.
As Roman frowns, Gina leads Tamara to a big wing back chair. “Who’s ready to find out what their futures hold?” she asks and while the men grumble and grouch that they don’t believe in it, the women are chatting excitedly, anxious to find out. Well, every woman except Sahara, who’s standing back, nibbling at her lip.
I step up to Sahara and put my hand on the small of her back. “You don’t want to give it a try?”
“No, I don’t really believe in fortune tellers, or psychics,” she tells me.
“All the more fun to do it then.”
“Are you doing it?”
I shrug. “Sure, why not. It could be fun.”
Taylor is picked first, and she sits in the chair facing Tamara and holds out her hand like Tamara asks. Tamara runs her fingers along the lines of Taylor’s hand and many different expressions move over her face, everything from worry to joy.
“Do you have any questions?” she asks Taylor.
“Well,” she murmurs quietly.
Before she can answer, Tamara says, “Yes, he likes you too, but it’s…complicated.”
Who likes her too?
Taylor’s eyes go big. “That was my question, how did you know?”
Who cares how she knows, what I want to know is who likes her too. “Do you know who the guy is?” I ask Sahara.
“Ah, I…she has a crush,” she answers and my brows punch together. Sahara touches my arm gently. “She’s a beautiful girl, and you need to stop being so overprotective,” she tells me.
I grumble some more, and I know she’s right. “As long as it’s not Roman,” I grunt out.
“Deep down, you know there’s nothing wrong with Roman. He just hasn’t found the right woman to settle down with, but when he does, it’ll change him. Right now, he’s having fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“You,” Tamara announces, and everyone moves to the side as she points her finger at Sahara.
“What?” Sahara asks, her lashes fluttering rapidly. Tamara crooks her finger.
“You,” she announces again.
Sahara takes a step back, but Taylor comes running over, loops her arm around Sahara’s and tugs. “Come on. It’s fun.”
“I…I…”
Taylor doesn’t give her a chance to back out. She drags her along and sits her in the chair. Tamara angles her head, her gaze carefully assessing Sahara, and then Tamara’s gaze lifts and locks on me for a second. I almost stumble backwards, her gaze hitting like a gust of wind. I don’t believe in any of this, but I have a strange feeling curling around me at the moment.
She turns her attention back to Sahara and takes her hand. She studies it deeply, and leans in, and says something to Sahara, her words for her and her alone.
She lets go of Sahara’s hands and Sahara is pale as she turns. “What did she say?” Taylor asks. Sahara’s gaze cuts to mine, her eyes holding a measure of worry.
“She is a woman with many faces,” Tamara answers with a smile. Oh, I get it, she knows Sahara is an actress, a great one at that. But why did that seem to upset her so much? Maybe she’s worried about her new friends watching her. Or maybe it upsets her that her own family doesn’t respect what she does.
If only they saw her, they’d see how incredible she was, and that her talent should be respected. Maybe there’s something I can do about that…