5. Shane
Chapter 5
Shane
R eturning to my apartment when Kaycia was visibly upset is harder than I’d like to admit. I barely know the woman. Her family drama is none of my concern. But I understand strained family dynamics and missing home better than anyone, so the urge to comfort her shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Raquel is helping herself to a beer from the fridge when I walk in. At the counter, Jamila artfully lays out cheese, meat, and fruit on one of my cutting boards. In addition to bartending, she moonlights with a catering company. I enjoy the benefits of her experience with delicious foods and risk getting my hand slapped when I snag a few bites while she opens another package.
“I thought we were ordering takeout?” I ask around the cheese and cracker I shoved in my mouth.
“Raquel was already bitching about being hungry, so I brought this to keep her civil,” Jamila replies, winking when Raquel makes a face. “Don’t act like you aren’t a brat when you’re hungry.”
“I’m never a brat,” Raquel lies, nipping at Jamila’s bare shoulder. Jamila smiles indulgently at Raquel, continuing to arrange the food.
“I’m not complaining,” I add, snagging some pieces of dried fruit and taking the extra beer Raquel holds out to me. “I invited Kaycia over,” I say, giving Raquel a warning look. “Be nice.”
“Fuck yeah, you did!” Raquel bumps me with her shoulder. I hold my beer aloft so she can’t hit it with the bottom of hers. She’s notorious for causing messes and making it overflow to fuck with me. She narrows her eyes at being thwarted and adds, “And I’m always nice.”
Jamila snorts a laugh, hiding it behind her hands with a whispered, “That’s a damn lie.” She unpacks the last of the food from her cloth bag as though she’s said nothing, earning a glare from her partner.
“You know what I mean. Don’t reveal anything you’re not supposed to while she’s here. I’ll have to remind Max, if he shows up. Best behavior.”
“I won’t scare away your cute new girlfriend, Shane,” Raquel assures me.
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just my neighbor.”
“Riiiiight,” Jamila pipes up, reaching for a beer from Raquel now that she’s finished with her charcuterie construction. “Nothing more than the nice neighbor you mention in passing every single time we’ve seen you since she moved in.” Her warm brown eyes sparkle with glee when I grimace in response.
“Regardless, she doesn’t know the truth about me. I need you to keep it under wraps. I don’t want her to be frightened. We both have to live here.”
“Okay, Dad . Best behavior,” Raquel promises with a sarcastic scowl. “You don’t actually think I’m going to let it slip that shifters exist in front of a stranger, do you?”
“No,” I admit, glancing around the apartment for anything that needs to be cleaned up before Kaycia arrives. “Just… behave yourself,” I mutter, piling the empty containers in the trashcan under the counter and eying the few dirty dishes in the sink.
“Are you nervous ?” Raquel asks, dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Let’s go outside!” Jamila redirects. “It’s a perfect evening. Grab the board.” She nods for me to carry the tray while she gathers a handful of napkins and her drink. I catch a glimpse of Raquel grinning and sneaking a kiss when Jamila scoots past her. Jamila giggles when Raquel nips at her throat and they stand smiling at each other for a moment.
I look away quickly, sliding the door open to the balcony. The ease of their touch and the love in their eyes when they smile at each other tugs at my heart. Raquel may be a pest sometimes, but I envy the happiness she’s found with Jamila. I hope to find something similar one day.
* * *
T en minutes later, we lounge on the balcony waiting for Kaycia to arrive. A light tap at the door has me on my feet, striding quickly through the apartment to open it. This time, Kaycia waits patiently for me to answer, causing me to stifle a chuckle. When I open the door, the chuckle escapes fully. She stands holding a potted plant in one hand and a half-drank bottle of wine in the other, the stem of her wineglass dangling between her fingers.
“You need some greenery in this man cave,” she explains with a shy smile when I raise my brows at the plant. “It’s a pothos, you can’t really kill it.”
I’ll admit, compared to the lush walls of greenery in her place my apartment does look a bit “bachelor pad”, but it’s comfortable and easy to clean. I may not win any decorating awards, but at least my mattress isn’t on the floor and I have matching plates and some art on the walls, unlike some guys I know.
Kaycia bites her lip as she holds it out to me. Our fingers brush as I accept the gift, sending heat through my chest. All I can think about is how I want to be the one to bite that lip instead.
“Than—” I begin, before we’re spotted.
“Oh, she’s bringing in a plant! That’s the first step!” Raquel crows through the sliding door from the balcony, intruding on the moment.
Fuck my life.
Kaycia’s smile falters at the joke, as though she’s worried she’s overstepped some invisible boundary, but the change in expression is so brief I wonder if I misread it. She quickly regains the smile that I can’t get out of my mind. Brushing off Raquel’s teasing, I cradle the ceramic pot and usher Kaycia into the kitchen.
“I figured seeing you in your towel earlier skipped us ahead a few steps, so you’re stuck with the plant,” she jokes, pulling the cork from her sweating bottle of wine and refilling her glass. She puts the rest of the bottle in the fridge door and beams a bright smile at me when she catches me arranging the plant on the kitchen counter.
“Thank you. Come on, let me introduce you.” I grab my beer from the counter and lead the way through the loft to the open door where Raquel and Jamila sit on the balcony wearing their sunglasses and matching smiles.
“So, you’re the neighbor. It’s about time you joined the fun,” Raquel greets Kaycia when she steps outside.
The golden hour light peeks over the skyline and paints the side of our building in a pretty glow, masking the ugliness of the city street below. The fading sun makes Kaycia’s light blonde hair gleam as it limns her body, almost like a figure in one of her paintings. I catch myself staring for a moment too long until Jamila clears her throat with a knowing smirk over her beer bottle. Kaycia changed from her overalls into a cream-colored crocheted tank top and a loose pair of printed pants. Amusingly she still isn’t wearing any shoes, so her polished toes peek from the hem.
“Raquel. Jamila. This is Kaycia,” I announce, pointing to each of them in turn, then sitting in the farthest chair so Kaycia can sit next to the other women instead of forcing her to sit by me.
“Nice to meet you both,” Kaycia replies, extending her hand to shake theirs with a broad smile. “You look familiar,” she says to Jamila, studying her.
“Oh? Let’s compare notes.” Jamila brightens and gestures for Kaycia to sit. “Where could we have crossed paths?”
As she takes the open seat next to Raquel, settling into the thick cushion, I catch Kaycia’s eyes drifting to me, running from my hand holding my beer, and all the way to my feet before they return to my face. When she catches me watching her, she looks away with a shy smile, forcing my lips to quirk up in response. From my seat across the balcony, I can admire the blood rushing to Kacyia’s cheeks when she sneaks another look at me, knowing full well I’m still watching her.
Biting her lip once, she turns to the other women. They begin to talk quietly, Kaycia’s attention now wholly focused on Jamila while I remain enthralled by having her on my balcony until Kaycia exclaims, “Red Lark! Yes, that’s it!” The sudden outburst snaps me back to reality and Raquel snickers at my uncharacteristic lack of composure.
“Oh, yeah! I’ve done a lot of bartending for their receptions. What a coincidence!” Jamila answers.
I lean back, crossing my ankle over my knee, and relax into the chair to enjoy the sunset, still stealing glances at Kaycia. Raquel continues to snack, listening to Jamila and Kaycia while sipping her beer and making faces at me. Everything seems like it’s smooth sailing as Jamila starts to ask about Kaycia’s current project. Just as Kaycia parts her lips to answer, the shriek of a peregrine falcon interrupts their casual conversation.