Nineteen
Summer of 2008
19 years old
“U m, excuse me,” said a girl’s voice, patting me on the shoulder. “Can you tell me which one of those guys is Carter Matheson?”
I turned around from the table I’d just served and saw two girls standing in front of me. They were chewing bubble gum, smiles wide as they shamelessly gawked at a table in the far distance. I sighed for the tenth time today only because I’d answered that question for the tenth time today.
“The one in the black—”
“Leather jacket,” one of the girls interrupted with a squeal. “I fucking knew it, Anne. The hottest one is him. Ohmigosh! Thanks, Melanie.”
Melanie?
I looked down at the name on my uniform. Ugh, I’d taken Mel’s one again. She’d been doing her clothes at my place since her washer broke. By the time I opened my mouth to correct them, the girls were long gone. Probably at Carter’s table already, so they could fawn all over him. I avoided staring in that vicinity, only because my jealousy levels might have turned me into a homicidal maniac.
Just seven months after Fatal Rebellion was formed—and man I hated that name—they were somewhat of a household name in Abbotsford. At least for the younger generation anyway. The bar was overrun by college goers, and so, so many girls. Like flies to shit, Carter was a popular piece of eye candy.
Just like I predicted.
Just like I hoped.
Rome’s parents were loving it. Business was booming, the band was getting a nice slice of the pie per night, and I guess I was the only one having a little bit of a problem about it. The problem involved scantily clad girls around a man that refused to call me more than a friend, yet fucked me hard most nights until I was crying into the pillow, riding out the most earth shattering orgasm.
Yeah, pretty blunt shit like that was going on inside that head of mine.
No big deal.
It was fine.
“You’re looking all depressed again,” came Mel’s voice in my ear.
I plastered on a fake smile and turned to her. “No, I’m not depressed. I’m just… spectacular.” If spectacular meant bitter and pissy.
She raised a dark brow. “Spectacular?”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s Carter again, isn’t it?”
I didn’t respond.
I looked around the bar, hoping to God someone would raise their hand to me and demand my attention. The last thing I needed was Melanie talking my ear off about Carter. From not wanting to tell her anything to realizing she was like my other half, she knew a little too much, had become my best friend since I’d started working here, and I guess I got carried away finding a confidante in another female.
But she was great. An absolute life saver in a world of testosterone. It was good to be away from Carter and Rome every now and again, especially in the beginning when they argued non-stop. At least now things had cooled off tremendously, and they got along around the time Rome started jumping girls. I always suspected Carter finally let the resentment go when he didn’t view Rome as a threat anymore, but that was completely wishful thinking.
Because with Carter, who the fuck really knew? His shell was impenetrable; if it were a metal, it’d have been made of chromium.
Turning to Mel, I quietly asked, “Is he flirting?”
She looked over my shoulder and I tried to make out the answer in her face. Her thin lips pursed, and her eyes flickered to mine. I saw sympathy in her expression, and my shoulders sagged.
“I can’t say that he’s flirting per say, but he doesn’t look like he’s discouraging the girl who’s talking to him,” she explained.
“Which girl is it?” I lifelessly asked.
“Some blonde girl with big tits in a red skirt.”
“What’s Big Tits doing exactly?”
“Trying to shove said tits in his face.”
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s talking to Leo across the table and she’s leaning over so that her big tits are in his vision.”
I shut my eyes and breathed through my nose.
It was fine.
Whatever.
He wasn’t doing anything wrong. I knew it would come to this. Women were going to throw themselves at him, and it had happened several times, but I didn’t have it in me to watch. Maybe it was my insecurities that worried I’d see him lusting for a girl that wasn’t me. After all, these girls were beyond gorgeous and had started flooding through the door with the sole intention of seeking him out.
He’d been so carried away with the music, it sort of became his obsession. He had finally used it as an outlet, letting the world in. But now that they had so many songs under their belt, he was a lot more social than ever before, and that feasted on my insecurities.
I didn’t expect it.
Then again, just what did I expect? That things were going to be the same?
“Are you guys still sleeping with each other?” she then asked me.
I nodded. “Nothing’s changed.”
“How can he expect you to be okay with this then? He should be pushing these chicks away the second they get a foot near him.”
I chewed on my lower lip and muttered, “We’re not officially together. He doesn’t label us, so I don’t feel like I have any right to tell him he can’t talk to other girls. Plus that just makes me sound like a crazy person.”
“But you guys are together. I see him all over you at your house.”
“Yeah, at the house, not in public.”
“Doesn’t matter. You need to insert yourself at that table right this second and get that chick to back off.”
“But—”
“There’s no but about it. He needs to make you his girlfriend and start warning these bitches away.”
I sighed. “He doesn’t look at it like that. He’s not—”
“That kind of guy, I know,” she interrupted. “I heard him talking to Rome and Jared about it every time they mention their latest fluffs. Says he doesn’t want to label shit, but the thing is, he’s all over you and I bet you he certainly wouldn’t be happy with you chatting with random guys. Or would he?”
I shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea. At this point I’ll be friend-zoned with sexual benefits ‘til I’m ninety.”
“You’d be a sexy ninety-year-old,” said a deep voice.
I jumped and turned around, my face bursting into flames when I saw a guy standing there with an empty glass. He was incredibly good looking. Black hair, dark eyes, and a smile that was… ah, well, it was making me a shiver a little.
“Um…” Dear God, then it occurred to me that he heard me.
“Sorry for eavesdropping,” he said, humour dancing in those dark eyes. “But I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes.”
“Oh?”
“Noticed your back was turned.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s alright. Just wanted a refill of beer.”
I nodded quickly. “Okay, sure.”
I took the glass from him and watched him turn and make his way back to his table where a couple of other guys sat. Melanie burst into laughter behind me, and I smacked her arm as I hurried to the bar. So not only did I have to endure some girl shaking her boobs in front of Carter’s face, but a sexy man had to hear me talk about my friends with benefits type of relationship.
This was going to be a long night.