The Prick
THE PRICK
CAM
My phone pinged at 11 o’clock last night, but I neglected to check it until the morning. I almost dropped it when I saw there was a message from Rachel. It was a photo of her smelling the weeds I sent her.
Kicklighter
The flowers are beautiful! You really shouldn’t have! Although, if you picked these from your yard, you should probably fire your landscaper.
Several deleted replies later, I settled on hearting her text.
Still didn’t know what to say. I’d never been so speechless around a woman in my life. A busy day at work should help to purge my mind of the constantly churning thoughts about her.
I walked in the bakery’s back door, greeted Jenn, and set my things down in time for Shay to float through the kitchen.
“Hey, hero,” she said. “Those new maple scones you made are a hit. They’re already gone.”
“That’s great. I’ll start on more a little later. Anyone going after the lemon berry petit fours?”
“Sold half of those.” Shay restocked trays with cookies.
I craned my neck to see what business was like in the front. “What else is going on?”
“Tom is installing the new espresso machine tomorrow. We got a big order for a corporate luncheon at the Marriott, oh, and someone’s on the patio waiting for you.”
“Who?” I asked as I was about to sling my apron over my neck.
“Yellow sundress,” Shay purred.
My knees wobbled slightly as a soft thrill curled through my body. The urge to fix my hair overtook me, and I checked my face and teeth in the refrigerator reflection.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jenn asked.
Shay chuckled. “Girl out there waiting for Cam dropped a love bomb on him.”
“What?” I scowled at Shay. “No. I …”
“She’s wearing a hot pink jumpsuit this time, sitting at a table nine on the patio. She’s trying to act casual, but we all know why she’s here,” Shay said, winking at Jenn.
“Are there any dirty tables out on the patio?” I asked.
“A couple,” Shay said. “Some people just left.”
“Perfect.” I grabbed some cleaning supplies and headed out the front.
She had her laptop out and was sipping coffee with her perfect lips. How could the state of Arizona allow this beautiful woman to run around unchecked and unsupervised?
At first, I pretended not to notice her as I bused tables. Once I got to the table next to her, I cleaned it and turned toward her as she glanced up.
She pulled down her sunglasses, a flicker of amusement dancing across her lips. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Grumpy Groomsman.”
“Kicklighter?” I set my bus tub and supplies on a nearby cart. “Can’t stay away, huh?”
She shrugged. “Sugar & Spice makes a decent cup of coffee, and it has a lovely patio, so … Who makes your éclairs?”
“I do.”
Her long lashes fluttered. “You? Not surprising since I found the one I got the other day a tad pedestrian.”
“And yet …” I started, pointing at her plate. “You’ve ordered another one.”
The corner of her mouth curved. “I thought I’d give it a second chance.”
“Ahhh, and how’s this one?”
“Jury’s out.”
“I’m on the edge of my seat with the Google review that might follow.”
She nodded to the wrought iron chair across from her. “Can you take a break from your duties?”
“I suppose,” I said, pulling the chair out and sitting down. “Glad you enjoyed my flowers. I thought they really captured your essence.”
“Glad you like the calendar. I thought it really reflected your special energy.”
“I love it. All my friends are jealous.”
She leaned back and spread her arms wide. “I told you I have a knack for knowing what people will like. And speaking of that …”
“Yes, I know. My mother loved her gift.”
“The wedding is this weekend at the Encantado.”
My eyes traveled up and down her face before getting stuck on those lips. “I’ll think about it.”
“Which is technically not a no .”
I cocked my head. “I thought you didn’t like weddings?”
She took a bite of her éclair and licked a bit of frosting off her lips. “I don’t, but I might enjoy this one if I actually had a plus one.”
Even though I couldn’t get enough of the way her cheeks dimpled when she smiled, a feeling of unease started to crawl up out of the pit of my stomach at the thought of attending another wedding so soon. “I need to check my schedule.”
“If you don’t come with me, I’ll most certainly die alone at the singles table.”
My eyebrows tented. “Sounds grim.”
“Beef, chicken, or fish?” she asked. “Just in case.”
“Beef. Anyway … thank you for helping my mom with her house. She was raving about you when she texted me this morning.”
“She’s amazing. I can’t wait to get started on helping to make her new space a home.”
I rubbed my chin. “Hmmm, now that I think about it, we didn’t really vet you properly. You’re not going to put up wallpaper with pink coyotes on it? Or maybe you’re thinking llamas with hats?”
“Well, both those themes are on the table,” she said with a giggle. “I was thinking of finishing with a giant hand-carved Gila monster sculpture for the entrance. Oh, and I thought magenta cabinets and lime green countertops.”
“Perfection. Next, you can decorate my house. Any thoughts or inspirations there?”
“For you?” She wiped her mouth and then picked up her coffee, holding it with both hands. “Charcoal walls, floors, and furniture.”
I rested my mouth on my tented fingers. “Sounds intriguing, I guess, if that’s what you think I’d like.”
“Matches your personality.”
“I assure you it doesn’t.”
“We’ll see.”
The suffocating cloud of cheap cologne was the first sign that we weren’t alone. Rachel’s smile fading into a scowl was the second indication that someone was approaching our table.
.
“Rachel,” he said, standing with his back to me. “Your mother thought I could find you here.”
Rachel kept her focus on me, and she remained silent as she took slow, deliberate sips of her coffee.
“RiRi?” insisted.
“What are you doing here?” she finally said. “And don’t call me that.”
took a step closer. “I know how this looks, but you haven’t been answering my texts.”
“I blocked your number,” she said, keeping her eyes steady on me. “I have nothing to say to you, Andrew.”
“I want to talk to you. Five minutes. Just give me five minutes.”
My heartbeat ticked up. I don’t consider myself overly confrontational, but was now at my business, interrupting my time with Rachel. “She said she didn’t want to talk to you.”
“I’m not talking to you, asshole,” spat.
My chair screeched across the brick patio as I stood, chest puffed and fists clenched. His posture shrank as I was a few inches taller than him, and by the looks of him, he skips arm, abs, and leg day.
Rachel stood and put her hands up. “Cam, it’s fine. Andrew, you’ve got two minutes.”
She walked to the sidewalk with him, wrapping her arms around herself, and when his hand grazed her back, she recoiled, taking a step away from him.
I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but I could tell that she wasn’t giving the response he was hoping for. His hands became more animated, and when he realized my eyes were firing bullets at him, he moved Rachel further around the corner of the building until they were just out of sight.
I checked my watch. I would only intervene if and when I heard Rachel cry out or when two minutes were up. Both occurred at almost the same time.
“Let go of me!” Rachel shouted.
My heart thudded in my ears when I rounded the corner. had grabbed Rachel by both arms and was shaking her. She wriggled free in time for me to seize him by the shirt one-handed and slam him up against the front of the bakery.
“Time’s up, jackass,” I growled.
coughed, trying to catch his breath. “What the fuck?!”
“Get the hell off my property.” I released him and stood in front of Rachel as pushed himself off the wall.
“I have every right to be here,” he shouted. “You don’t own the sidewalk.”
“Technically, because of city ordinances, I own four feet of the sidewalk in front of my building so, no, you don’t have a right to be here, and you especially don’t have a right to hassle my patrons.”
“Oh, so what, Rachel, you’re with this guy now?”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a step toward him. “She’s with me.”
I put my hands on my hips. I was going to give him exactly thirty seconds to leave before I forcibly removed him.
“I will see you at the store,” he said, pushing his hair back into its coif.
When he got into his douchemobile, I turned to Rachel. “Are you okay?”
She took a long inhale. “Yes and no.”
“C’mon.” I motioned for us to return to our seats, but she only did to gather her things.
“Thank you,” she said, her voicing quivering. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with him twice now.”
“Nothing to apologize for. What did he want?”
She wiped under her eyes, and when she reached for her laptop, her hands shook so she could barely get a grip on it. “Nothing.”
“He wanted something if he stalked you. What did he say?”
“He …” She brought her hands up to her temples. “It’s not important.”
“It is important if it upset you like this.”
“I’m not … I’m fine.”
I stopped her by taking her hand in mine. “You’re still shaking.”
Her breathing increased as she peered up at me, her eyes searching mine. In my head, I was pleading with her not to cry because that sound would absolutely rip my fucking heart right from my chest. Watching her cheeks flush and her eyes water though, the desire to take her in my arms overtook me, but she turned away before I had the chance.
“Sit down for a minute. I’ll get you some water,” I said, my hand hovering over her back.
She sniffed and finished stuffing her things into her messenger bag. “I have to go back to my store. My mother … has now hired Andrew to work weekends at my store.”
“Wha …what the hell? Please sit for a second.”
She shook her head. “No, I have to go figure this out.”
“I’m going with you.”
“That’s okay. I can handle it.”
“You obviously can’t since I’ve had to step in twice.”
Her eyes flared. “Something now I wished you hadn’t done.”
She stormed off the patio toward a Chevy Tahoe parked a few spaces down from Sugar & Spice. She opened the door and pulled herself up on the assist step, tossing her bag on the seat. I took a step in front of her before she could slide all the way in.
“You didn’t seem to mind me stepping in the first time when you kissed me.” I leaned in and she didn’t retreat. “I know you liked it.”
Her gaze fell to my mouth. “You were standing there, so I used to you to get away from my ex. What I want to know is … why were you really there?” My skin warmed from her breath feathering my cheek. “Your mom said her birthday wasn’t until November.”
My lips grazed hers and I paused before whispering in her ear. “I like to stay on top of things.”
A faint whimper escaped her, which delighted and tortured me at the same time.
“You seem like the kind of guy who enjoys the bottom.” There was almost no distance between us, her lips brushing against my jaw. “By the way, it’s going to be a mixed review of the éclair. Filling was good, frosting was pretty dry.”
My body was a live wire flailing around in a hurricane. “I’ll be sure to alert the owner.”
“You do that,” she said with a smirk. “He might want a heads-up before my Google review drops.”
She pushed me out of the way and shut the door. I didn’t move until her car was completely out of view. My phone buzzed three minutes later.
Kicklighter
Since “I’ll think about it” is not a definitive no and since your mother loved her gift, meet me at the Encantado Resort at 4 p.m. Saturday. Be sure to wear a suit that fits. I won’t be bringing scissors.