The Indie – Summer
THE INDIE
SUMMER
Several hours later
Whiskey was absolutely disgusting without juice, but I couldn’t stop drinking. It was the only way I could make my brain stop spiraling into doom every time I looked at my empty bookstore.
Scrolling through my contacts, I hit dial on Adrian’s name.
He doesn’t have any friends anyway…
“It’s three thirty-four in the morning, Summer.” His deep voice warmed me all over. “Is this some type of emergency?”
“If it was, I wouldn’t be calling you.”
“Then why are you calling me?”
“Because you’ve stolen all my friends and employees,” I said. “You even stole my sister.”
“Your sister vividly told me to ‘fuck off’ when I tried to offer her a job.” There was a smile in his voice. “I didn’t steal her away.”
“But you can finally admit to stealing everyone else?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“You found out how obsessed my sister is with sweepstakes, so you sent her away from me on a luxury cruise,” I said. “Just admit it.”
“I had nothing to do with her winning a cruise,” he said. “But I’ll keep her sweepstakes obsession in mind.”
“Of course, you will.” I knocked back my sixth shot. “Why don’t you just give me some boilers about your upcoming plans to ruin what I have left?”
“Spoilers, you mean?”
“That’s what I said.” I nodded. “Ssssss…spoilers.”
“Are you drunk, Summer?”
“I am a fully functioning person,” I said. “I just want to know how else you plan to juice me. I mean ruin me.”
He sighed. “Are you at home or at your store?”
“My store is technically my home now,” I said. “I can’t afford to waste time resting at my condo when I’m fighting the competition.”
He let out a low laugh that made my body betray me. Tingles raced up and down my spine, and my heart stumbled for a couple beats.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“That you still think you’re my competition,” he said. “It’s cute.”
“Thank you for reminding me why I hate you…I’m hanging up now.”
I leaned back and groaned.
“Asshole,” I muttered. “I don’t understand why someone can’t stomp his smug ass into oblivion or—”
“I’m still on the phone, Summer…”
Oh, shit. “Well, uh, now you’re not.” I tried to tap “end call” but I couldn’t get my finger to cooperate. “Can you hang up for me? It’s the least you can do…”
“No,” he said. “How many drinks have you had?”
“Not enough.”
“I could’ve sworn you had an anti-Adrian Sinclair rally tomorrow afternoon?”
“I do.” I noticed the room shifting from side to side. “I should be sober by the time it starts.”
“Hmmm. Want to give me a sneak peek of your speech?”
“Ha!” I stumbled to my feet. “There’s not a single nice word about you in it.”
“I find that quite strange,” he said. “I’ve never said anything negative about you publicly.”
“You’re too busy saying it privately.”
His laughter returned again, and I leaned against a table.
He continued talking, but the room was spinning too fast and I couldn’t focus on two things at once.
I gripped the edge of the table a little tighter, and as I was trying to home in on reality, a man who looked just like Adrian stepped in front of me.
Does he have a twin?
“Let me take you home…” He grabbed my phone and placed his hand against the small of my back.
“I don’t want your help.”
“No, but you need it,” he said. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Then I’m not giving you my address.”
“It’s on your employee file at my warehouse.” He smirked. “I already know it.”
“Kidnapping is a crime, Adrian.”
“Saying things you don’t mean should be as well.” He held me against his side, and I couldn’t help breathing in his scent.
“If only you treated me as well as you smelled.”
“Come again?” He looked at me.
“I said I like your cologne.”
He smiled. “Thank you.”
Escorting me through the side door, he clicked his key fob and the headlights on his custom Ferrari flashed.
He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door.
“You know what?” I asked, liking the way his fingers felt against my hips a little too much. “I think I’d rather catch a cab. Can you just walk me to the main street and wait with me?”
“No. You’re barely standing.” He gently pushed me forward, and before I could protest again, he helped me into the seat and secured my seatbelt.
He shut the door before I could say a word and moved to the driver’s side.
Sliding behind the wheel, he cranked the engine and looked over at me.
“Be honest,” he said. “How many drinks did you have?”
“I remember seven shots and maybe two makeshift margaritas.”
“Did you eat anything with those?”
“Yes, Dad,” I said. “This isn’t my first drinking rodeo.”
“I didn’t know you were into Daddy play,” he said. “You don’t strike me as that type, but if that’s what you like, I’ll oblige…”
“That’s not what I was trying to—” My cheeks burned. “I was just implying that you don’t need to worry. I know how to drink.”
“Hmmm.” He pulled off and steered onto the street.
As he drove, I tried to think of something to say. I needed a benign conversation starter that could keep us cordial until he dropped me off, but somehow “I wish I could strangle you to death” didn’t seem appropriate.
My eyes drooped in weariness with every block he passed, so I decided keeping my mouth shut was my best bet.
I started to lean against the window and steal a few minutes of rest, but then I noticed Adrian had missed the turn.
“My place is back there,” I said. “Make the next left.”
He didn’t.
He continued driving.
“Okay, seriously,” I said. “At the next light, make a right so I can get home.”
“Okay,” he said, keeping his gaze straight ahead as he slowed at a yellow light. He didn’t flick on his turning signal, though.
When the light flashed green, he sped straight ahead.
“This is exactly why I wanted to get a cab.” I looked over at him. “If you think for one moment that I’m going to let you take me to your house so you can take advantage of me…”
He slammed his foot on the brakes before I could finish my sentence.
“You honestly think I would do something like that, Summer?”
No. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“I don’t have to kidnap any woman to convince her to come home with me,” he said. “And from what I recall from our last encounter, I could’ve easily gotten you to come home with me then.”
“For all of ten seconds until I realized I was kissing the enemy.”
“That’s not the point,” he said. “Whenever you want to cross the line, I’ll happily cross it with you, and I’m sure you know that…”
“My condo is back there,” was all I could say to that. “Like ten blocks back and fifteen over.”
“I’m aware,” he said. “I’m just making a few important stops up the street first, if that’s alright with you.”
“You could’ve said that a while ago then.”
“I did.” His smile needed to be made illegal—along with his stupid, perfect dimples. “You probably didn’t hear me because you’re drunker than you think you are.”
Am I? I didn’t fight his comment.
“Can I continue driving, or do you need to accuse me of something else?”
“I really wish I could strangle you to death…” I said. “You deserve to know that.”
“BDSM and Daddy play?” He laughed. “Interesting…”
He turned on my heated seat before driving again, making it even harder for me to fight my exhaustion.
Several minutes later, Adrian pulled in front of a gourmet eatery called Tate’s.
“I’ll be right back.” He stepped out and I watched him walk straight toward a bar and chat with a man in all gray.
The man looked over at me and waved, but all I could do was nod.
Adrian returned to the car with three taupe tote bags and placed them on my lap.
“That’s breakfast, lunch, and a hangover kit you’ll definitely need later this afternoon.”
“Thank you…”
“You’re welcome…” I peered into the first bag, spotting a gourmet chicken breast with garlic and lemon garnishes.
Adrian pulled onto the street once more, this time turning toward the direction of my place. My eyes couldn’t stay open for much longer, though.
My eyelids burned in agony, and before I knew it, everything went black.
I woke up with rocks in my brain and an elephant stomping on my chest.
Groaning, I rolled over to see the sun peeking through my windows.
I slowly sat up and pushed off the covers, realizing I was wearing a T-shirt and silk shorts. A hazy memory of changing after Adrian left flickered through my head.
The tote bags from Adrian were sitting atop my nightstand, and there was a note etched on the front.
You’re very welcome for the ride home.
—Adrian
P.S. Let me know if you’d like to discuss the Daddy & BDSM play any further when this is all over…
P.P.S. I can’t stop thinking about your lips. Let me know when you’re sober. I’d like another taste. Both sets.