Chapter 2
“I’m in love with her.”
“You don’t even know her real name.”
“Who cares? Names don’t mean anything. There’re thousands of other Sammys in the world but not one of them is entirely like me.”
“That’s true. There is no one like you. Let’s hope the gods keep it that way.”
I recline on a poolside lounge chair in the backyard of Damien Cortez’s house, the same man who has no sympathy for my romantic plight.
“I’m telling you. I love this woman. Can’t you help me? Don’t you want to see me all happy and gooey like them?” I wave toward the people in the pool.
Aspen Baumann, a mountain of a man, an Earth Elemental, and one of my best friends, stands chest-deep in the salt water. In his massive arms, he cradles my other best friend, Rafael Aguado, a Water Elemental who doesn’t seem to mind that his boyfriend is periodically dunking him under the surface. Their girlfriend, Cat Byrne, a Fire Elemental with a temper almost as short as her stature, clings to Aspen’s back and laughs as Rafael pretends to protest the manhandling.
They’re so adorable it borders on disgusting. I love that for them.
But I want it for myself, too.
“That is more than enough of that,” Damien says as he tips his chin toward the three.
“You are no help.” I roll off my chair and settle on the lip of the pool, my legs in the water, hoping the liquid will sooth my tormented emotions. Small waves rise and fall around my legs in response to my proximity and the pull of my magic. When I’m wretched, water answers easily to my slightest movement, swirling and dancing for me as if the liquid wants to gain my notice. I feel a strong kinship with my element.
For a brief shining moment, I thought I’d finally gotten Pearl’s attention. And I did.
Only badly, it turns out.
She hated the necklace.
What other reason would she have for not only rejecting it but doing so by tossing it into my drink?
I used to be better at this. Wooing women. In college, I barely went a night without a bed partner.
But were you really wooing them? Or was your money?
The harsh, internal voice has me rubbing a sore spot on my sternum.
The truth is, I don’t know. I never seem to know when someone truly likes me.
“Cat,” I call out to the redhead, and she turns her flushed face my way, her grin staying firmly in place. I love that she smiles at me now. For the longest time, I thought Cat and I had a teasing, torture-each-other-because-it’s-funny relationship. Turns out she actually wanted to torture me because she hated my guts.
One more example of my apparently shitty ability to form a genuine relationship with a person.
But I apologized, sincerely, and I’ve worked on being someone the Pyro might like to spend time around. From the way she’s softened toward me, I think I’m making the right steps.
If I can win Cat over, then maybe I can figure out a way to get Pearl to give me a chance.
“What’s up?” she asks, detaching herself from Aspen’s back to drift my way.
“You’re letting her get away!” Rafael wails dramatically reaching for Cat as if they’re shipwrecked in the middle of an ocean instead of playing in a luxurious pool in the backyard of a house in Phoenix, Arizona.
Aspen heaves Rafael into the air, and the Squid lets out a bird-like squawk before landing in the middle of the deep end. Meanwhile, the Petal Pusher appears behind Cat, grabs her by the waist, and lifts the woman onto his shoulders, where she sits, giggling and digging her fingers into her boyfriend’s shaggy brown hair for balance.
Now I’m staring up at her deceptively sweet face as she asks, “What’s up, Sammy?”
“What’s up is that I will give you anything if you tell Pearl that I’m not an asshole.” I clasp my hands in front of me and try to appear as pitiful as possible. Cat is a waitress at The Jewelry Box, which means she has access to Pearl in a way I don’t. “What do you want? A boat? I’ll buy you a big boat. A yacht.”
She rolls her eyes. “We live in the middle of a desert. What am I going to do with a boat?”
“We’ll put the boat in the water…somewhere. Then you take these two lucky bastards for a sex-cation on the water. You and Rafael can geek out on all the fish”—they work at the local aquarium—“and Aspen can make sure you don’t get lost at sea. Then when you return, all three of you can stand at the altar beside me as I marry Pearl, the woman of my dreams.”
Cat stares at me, a sardonic expression on her face, not seeming even slightly tempted by my willingness to arrange a sex-cation for her on a luxury yacht.
“Her name isn’t even Pearl,” she says.
“I know,” I groan, digging my fingers into my hair and only restraining myself from pulling it out by the roots because Carlos, my barber, is very proud of my hair and will Sweeny Todd me if I come in with stress bald spots.
“Hey, man.” Rafael appears at my side, heaving himself out of the pool and throwing a wet arm around my shoulders. “I know what it’s like to pine.” He waves a hand toward Cat and Aspen, the two people he loved since high school but didn’t get with until a few months ago. “But it seems like you’re tying yourself up over a woman you don’t know. Did you consider you might be in love with the idea of her, but not actually her?” He gives me a reassuring squeeze. “For all you know, she could be super annoying and self-centered.”
“She’s not, though,” Cat says offhandedly, proving that she knows Pearl. Knows her real name. Has spoken to her. Hell, they’re probably friends.
“Cat.” Rafael sighs. “I love you, but you’re not helping me get Sammy over this woman.”
The Pyro shrugs, her lips tilting into an evil smile.
“Why do you like her?” The question comes from Aspen, the most levelheaded of the bunch.
He’s also a lawyer, and probably best able to talk me out of my infatuation.
But if he could turn me off of Pearl in a single conversation then I don’t deserve to know her, do I?
I know my friends think I’m only interested in Pearl for her appearance. When I’ve been a self-described one-and-done guy for most of my life, I can’t blame them.
In their minds, I’m a playboy.
But I haven’t had a one-night stand in two years. Haven’t slept with anyone at all in that time. Sure, I still flirt like it’s my job. I can’t help it. I like flirting. And teasing. And joking. Plus, I’ve never been great at taking life seriously.
Which is why, even when I talk about something or someone I’m serious about, I still sound like I’m playing up the dramatics. But I do care about getting to know Pearl. The real woman off the pole and behind the mask.
“I freely admit, my initial attraction was all about the physical. She’s gorgeous. And that ass…” Thoughts of Pearl’s round behind, all peachy and plump and asking for a bite, threaten to distract me. I push the image to the back of my mind and continue. “But then there is the fact that she wouldn’t take my money. What’s up with that?” I glance at Cat, but the Pyro shrugs again, though I get the sense that she knows, or at least has an idea. “Then there’s how she dances. Sexy, true. But skillful. When she’s on the stage, it’s like the dance is all she cares about. And if she makes a mistake, even a small one, her lips pucker in this adorable frown. Like she cares about perfectly executing her performance more than provoking a reaction from the randy crowd. And her laugh…” I sigh at the memory of the breathy, reluctant chuckle.
“You heard her laugh?” Aspen asks.
I nod eagerly. “About a month back, I spilled my drink on my lap. When I stood up it looked like I pissed myself. Pearl was on stage, and I heard it. The most beautiful fucking sound.”
She still hadn’t met my eyes that night, but her gaze landed on my crotch for long enough that I knew why she was giggling. Long enough that my dick didn’t care it was covered in ice and tequila.
“You’re in love with her because she doesn’t want your money and she laughs at you?” Damien asks, disbelief coloring his voice while he roasts peppers on the grill for whatever dinner he’s making. The Squid is a grill master in addition to always being the host.
And he doesn’t get it. I can tell none of them do.
Damn it to a hell dimension, maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m piling all my longing onto the idea of a woman. But I can’t help thinking that despite wearing a mask, Pearl reveals more of herself on stage than any other stripper at The Jewelry Box.
That she’s independent and driven. Talented and strong. She doesn’t take shit and has a sense of humor.
Plus, she’s curious.
When I placed that jewelry box on the stage, it was the first time I truly earned her attention. Not because I’d found the expensive item that would finally buy her affection. But because I set a mystery at her feet, and she wanted to learn the answer. As unimpressive as that answer ended up being in her eyes.
Gods, and the way she rejected my gift. Not simply walking away, offering her normal cold shoulder.
No, she went for brutal. Showed me exactly how much the three-thousand-dollar necklace was worth to her.
She’s honest.
Pearl—with her stage name and mask—has more secrets than most people I’ve come across, but I don’t think the woman takes naturally to deception. And brutally honest is one of the hottest things a woman can be as far as I’m concerned. I’ve had too many false friends in my life.
“She might think you’re creepy,” Rafael offers.
Present company obviously not included.
My gut churns at the thought that has crossed my mind more than once.
“Cat?” I hold the Pyro’s gaze, knowing she’ll give me the harsh truth. “Does she think I’m a creep?”
The redhead’s expression turns thoughtful as she idly traces her finger along the shell of Aspen’s ear. The Petal Pusher’s face goes hazy with happy contentment from the affectionate petting.
Lucky bastard. That’s what I want.
A partner to stroke and love and bicker with. A person that will call me an asshole when I’m being an asshole but then kiss me and tell me it’s okay because they still love me.
But then also tell me they’re going to peg me later because that’s the treatment assholes deserve.
My whole body clenches in wanting at the thought.
“If she does, it’s only a little bit. Not enough to truly bother her.”
“How do you know?” I press.
“We have a monthly meeting,” she explains. “Yasmin always asks the dancers to give her names or descriptions of customers that make them uncomfortable. Those people either get banned from the VIP section or from the club entirely. Neither has happened to you, so you’re not creepy enough to concern her.”
Not creepy enough to concern her.
“I was hoping for a slightly more enthusiastic, ‘No, Sammy! Of course not! Pearl doesn’t think you’re a creep at all. In fact, she has a crush on you and is too shy to figure out how to tell you.’”
The redhead smirks. “You want me to lie to you?”
“No,” I grumble. “I want you to tell Pearl I’m a cool guy that will worship the ground she walks on if she gives me the time of day.”
Cat flicks water at me, and I let the droplets land on my bare chest, my skin warm from the late spring sun. If I’d wanted to flick my fingers and send the droplets back at her, I could have. My water magic currently rocks through my body, a pulsing force wanting free. Doesn’t help that my powers are fueled by sadness, and I’m feeling quite melancholy at the moment. The pool, normally a still surface, rises and dips in agitated waves because I can’t seem to completely tamp down the magical force inside me.
That’s the thing about being an Elemental. We have these super cool abilities to manipulate an element, but the magic also randomly chooses one of our emotions to draw fuel from. Cat’s fire magic goes wild when she’s angry, Aspen tends to make nearby plants sprout and flower when he’s happy, and Rafael once set off the sprinklers in The Jewelry Box when he got jealous.
Meanwhile, I get mopey and the beer in my can starts sloshing around.
What kind of magic does Pearl have?
With the thought in my mind, I lean forward, bracing my elbows on my knees, sharing a glance between Cat and Aspen. Aspen works security at The Jewelry Box and likely knows as much as Cat about my mystery woman, but the guy isn’t chatty like I need my informant to be.
“What kind of Elemental is Pearl?” I ask. “Tell me that at least.”
Cat quirks her head. “Who said she was an Elemental?”
“She’s…” My mouth bobs open as I search for words. “W-what? She’s not one of us? B-but she works for Yasmin!”
“So?” Cat flicks more water at me. “Most of the staff are magical, but not all of them. And I’m not sharing that info about her either. Get it through your head, Sammy. I’m not about to crack on this. And throwing your wallet at Pearl isn’t going to win you any favors. Like you said—she doesn’t care.”
Cat is right. I know she is because Pearl’s lack of interest in my money is one of the things that got me stuck on her in the first place.
She might be human.
That’s not a deal breaker, but it’s also not ideal. My mom is a human and accepted my dad’s magical heritage. But she’s not exactly normal when it comes to interacting with the world. Humans don’t know about the magical people living among them, and if they panic when they learn, then a memory witch has to wipe all trace from their mind.
I don’t want to earn Pearl’s affection only for her to freak out when she finds out I’m a Squid. I really don’t want to have every trace of me erased from her memory.
But that’s a future worry for a relationship I can’t even figure out how to get started.
“Food is ready,” Damien announces, the guy never leaving off his grilling through all my romantic woes.
Aspen lets himself sink backwards into the pool, Cat squealing as she goes with him. Rafael gives my shoulder another commiserating grasp as he pushes to stand.
I don’t rush to join them for food, mind still stuck on how I can get Pearl to take notice of me.
She opened the box. Maybe she just needs another mystery.
An idea forms in my mind, and a spark of hope clears out my pity party and subdues my sadness magic.
Next time, I’ll have something new for my mystery woman.