13. Blake
Blake
You would think after a week to think it over, I would have come to my senses and told Luke no.
“Blake! What were you thinking?” Ana scolds from the other end of the line.
“I wasn’t thinking. That’s the problem.”
“Do you have feelings for him?” she asks.
“I’m attracted to him.”
“Blake, you act like you have feelings for him. What happens when everyone else goes home and you’re in the woods with him by yourself?”
“Nothing, Ana. Nothing happens. We go fishing, and come home.”
“Have you ever been fishing?” She is clearly judging me now.
“No, but there’s a first time for everything.”
“You’re ridiculous. You’ve never once talked about fishing, and never would have if he wasn’t the one suggesting it. I’ll tell you this one more time. This is a BAD idea.”
“Well, it’s too late to cancel now. I’ll call you when I get back,” I say quickly and end the phone call.
Ana’s warning sets off alarms in my mind, but I ignore them.
Taking a pity invite has never been my thing, but being with him, in any capacity, makes me feel better, happier. So here I am in the passenger seat of his truck, wondering what in the hell I’m thinking.
“90’s Alternative?” I ask as No Doubt blares through the speakers. “Are you going to bust out your old CD collection and argue anything after 1999 isn’t actual music?”
“I listen to pretty much everything,” he informs me in a playful voice. “Don’t talk shit when you know it’s true. The 90s were iconic in every music genre.”
“Ok, old man. What’s next? Back in my day…” I tease. “You make talking shit too easy. You get all irritated, and your face gets so serious.”
“I get irritated because you bust my balls every chance you get. Always have.”
“Should I not bust your balls? Would you rather I do something else with them?” I ask, immediately regretting the insinuation I didn’t intend.
“Stop it, Blake,” he scolds with his eyes glued to the road and the slightest tick of his jaw.
“Sorry, it came out wrong. I won’t reference your balls the rest of the weekend. I’ll keep my mouth ball free.”
“Blake!” he shouts with a laugh and a shake of his head.
I laugh and turn up the music.
Sure as shit, he literally listens to just about everything.
He has the most eclectic playlist I have ever heard.
The rest of the drive was spent engrossed in the music with little conversion, ignoring the thick tension growing in the truck.
You could cut it with a knife, and I’m not sure how to make it less uncomfortable, which is a bad thing.
Discomfort makes me socially awkward and I say dumb shit like, “I’ll keep my mouth ball-free. ”
I mentally palm my forehead scolding myself for that dumb mistake.
Being with Luke is easy most of the time, but there are situations like this when I end up feeling like his little sister’s friend when we’re together. The annoying nuisance he has to put up with.
It takes me back to the memories of him being my highschool crush.
“Hop in,” he told me, his eyes piercing. It was our senior year, and we spent very little time at school during our lunch break.
April’s car was in the shop, and I couldn’t afford a car, so she begged Luke to pick us up and take us to the McDonald’s up the road.
“Thanks,” I yelled over the music.
He just nodded in response, not paying me much attention as he continued to bop his head to the music. I was crammed in his backseat so April could sit upfront.
“I love this song,” she smiled at her big brother like being with him was the best thing in the world.
“That’s because you’re a badass like Gwen Stefani.” He ruffled the hair on her head, like big brothers do, and she punched him in the side. It was playful, but she did not find him messing up her hair funny.
“I have to go back to school, Luke.” She pulled down the mirror and attempted to fix the giant mess he made.
I sat in the back seat watching their exchange, but every time he moved I could smell his soap, and it was intoxicating. His hair was still wet from his shower, and the way it curled at the ends made him so irresistible.
His phone rang and when he answered it his words felt like a dagger, the reality check I needed.
“Hey, babe… oh, nothing, just taking my sister and her friend to get lunch.”
Not even Blake, just his sister’s friend.
The feeling of being “his sister’s friend” intensifies when we arrive at camp and he introduces me to his buddies from work.
“Hey guys, this is my little sister’s friend Blake.
She works at the bar you guys go to, so I thought it might be nice for you guys to get to know each other.
” Opposite of us are two guys and the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.
Her jet black hair is cascading in waves from below a beanie and hits just above her shoulders.
She has long black lashes and a natural glow I can imagine is only enhanced by makeup.
She catches my eye first because she is staring at Luke the same way I do.
I know the look well and every intention behind it.
My stomach turns as he leans in and gives her a hug, one lasting a little too long for my comfort.
“Hi,” I clear my throat, when my voice comes out unsteady. “Nice to meet you all.”
“You’re his little sister’s friend?” the woman asks. “So you’re also quite a few years younger right?”
Luke answers before I can even open my mouth, “Yeah, she’s 26.”
“Oh man, I remember 26,” one guy reminisces, bringing his beer to his mouth. “Those were the days when I was too young and dumb to worry about shit.”
They all laugh and my heart sinks slightly as the sound of Luke’s laughter reaches my ears.
“We’re in our early 30s, Ty. It’s not like it’s been that long. You’re still too dumb to worry about shit most days,” the shorter, darker haired guy jokes.
“Sorry, Blake,” Luke apologizes as he places his hand on the small of my back. “Ty got carried away before I could finish introducing you. This is Ty, Keith, and Isabelle.”
Isabelle.
“Isa,” she corrects. “We’re not with patients.
I like to be a little less formal in my personal life.
” The words flow off her lips in the most sultry manner, and I find myself captivated by her voice, strong and sensual, just like Selma Hayek.
This woman exudes nothing but sex appeal from her voice to each curve you can clearly see beneath her sweats and hoodie.
The three of them walk away after a few moments to start a fire in the center of the tents scattered about. There are about 6 other tents, and I can’t help but watch the sway of her hips as she moves. I watch her for a moment as she talks to a tall blond woman by the fire.
“She’s gorgeous… and sexy,” I point out as he unloads the tents and bags from the bed of his truck.
“Yeah,” he confirms, glancing in her direction and then going back to work.
“I think she has a thing for you,” I proclaim.
“Yeah? Why do you think that?” he asks as he lifts the cooler out of the truck.
“She looks at you like a teenage girl with her first crush. Trust me, I know that look well.”
“Aw, you had a crush on me?” he teases as he bumps my shoulder. “Just kidding, I know you did. April made sure she told me every chance she got.”
“Bitch,” I joke with a laugh. “Some friend she is.”
We joke and laugh the entire time we set up our tents, and when I look up, I realize we are a little farther back than the rest of the group.
“Why are we so far away?” I ask.
“I hate when smoke gets in my tent. I like to be away from the fire. Plus, I’m old. If I go to bed before everyone else, I don’t want to hear the noise as much. Do you want me to move yours closer?”
“No. This is great. We can have our own brief escape.” I smile.
“Want a drink?” I ask as I bend into the cooler, and when I peek through the space between my elbow and hip to look in his direction, I see his eyes glued to my ass.
I’m pretty sure he doesn’t see me looking, because he isn’t even trying to hide his stare.
When he doesn’t answer, I look away, feeling the heat between my legs, and ask one more time, “Want a drink?”
“Umm…” He clears his throat, “Sure.”
Standing, I hand him a beer and make my way inside my tent. “I’m going to change into something a little warmer,” I say.
As I zip the tent closed, a smile erupts across my face.
“I don’t see you like that,” my ass. I chuckle. The sight of Luke’s eyes on me is the hottest thing I have ever experienced.
I change into a pair of black sweats and a matching hoodie, take my hair out of the pony, and run my fingers through it. I hate when cold air brushes my neck. Unable to know how crazy it looks, I decide to grab a baseball hat out of my bag and put it on just in case.
As I emerge from the tent, I hear Luke just a few feet away having a conversation with who I assume is one of his coworkers.
I zip my tent and spin around to see Luke’s bright hazel eyes looking right at me over the shoulder of the guy he is talking to.
The look in his eyes leaves me dripping.
The guy’s back is to me, and because he is a few inches shorter than Luke, we can make uninterrupted eye contact as he gives me a swift, but not too discrete once over.
Noticing it as well, the guy turns around to see who has stolen Luke’s attention, and my stomach plummets to the ground.
“Hey Blake, come meet Cash,” Luke calls me over.
I stand frozen, not knowing what to do, as the two of them move towards me. The look on Cash’s face echoes mine as he shakes his head slightly to clear his confusion and precedes to pretend he doesn’t know me.
“Luke mentioned you’re friends with his little sister. Nice of him to let you tag along,” Cash voices, and I want to punch him in the dick.
“I actually invited her to come with me. She’s a great time,” Luke confesses, blind to the assumption in Cash’s expression.
“I can imagine,” the implication is clear in Cash’s voice accompanied by his devilish grin before he walks away. He looks over his shoulder one last time and lies, “Nice to meet you.”
I fucking hate that prick.
“How do you know him?” I ask. “He looks familiar.”
“Yeah, he plays baseball for the Padre’s.
You’ve probably seen him on tv. He’s friends with Ty.
I guess his team is partnering with a foundation here in town, and he’s going to be spending the next few months here off and on to volunteer.
I’m guessing Ty wanted him to meet everyone before he starts this week. He seems like a pretty cool guy.”
“Yeah, he seems to be. Why didn’t he partner with a hospital in San Diego?” I ask in a hushed whisper, raising an eyebrow.
“Cash was looking for an excuse to come back home, and convinced them to expand their partnership. He must pack a big punch to convince them to send him this far.”
You have no idea, it’ll hit you in the gut out of nowhere.
Cash spends the rest of the night playing it cool, pretending he doesn’t know me, so it’s easy for me to do the same.
For the next few hours, we all sit around the fire listening to music. I get so lost in conversation with Luke, I almost forget that creep is here, until he stands with a yawn, “It was nice to meet you all, but I have an early morning, so I’m going to head to bed.”
“Where the fuck do you have to be so early?” Ty asks.
“My buddy who just got married invited me over for breakfast. I haven’t really had the chance to catch up with him since I’ve been back.”
Fuck. I never told Ana what happened, played it off as a casual hook up. I never thought I’d have to see him again.
Does this mean he’s going to be a permanent fixture in my fucked up life?
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my knee and exhale loudly. “You ok? You look like you saw a ghost,” Luke asks.
“Yeah, fine,” I lie. “I’m just thinking about another drink. Want one?” Before Cash has a chance to walk away, I stand and walk towards the cooler.
“Sure,” Luke speaks up, with his eyes never leaving me.
“Keep your cool Blake, he’s not worth it. Keep your cool and don’t cause a scene.” These are the words I repeat to myself all the way over to the cooler.
I know I can overreact to rejection, it’s a real problem I have. I think it stems from feeling abandoned by my mom, but the drama is in the details, right?
“Blake, can we talk for just a second?” Cash whispers his request in my ear, and I’m sure to everyone around us, it looks like we are just making small talk.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I sneer.
“Blake, I don’t know these people, I want to make a good impression, please,” he pleads.
“A good impression?” I scoff. “Trust me you make a good first impression, it’s the ones that follow that you need to work on.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy, and it infuriates me.
“What are you talking about? I know you’re mad. The way you stormed out of the hotel cafe told me that, but I don’t know why.”
I let out a sharp scoff, “Yeah, I bet.”
Not in the mood for this conversation, I make my way back to my seat, and Cash stands there for a moment before he slowly walks to his tent, calling it a night.
When I return and hand Luke his beer, his fingers brush over mine, sending a shiver through my body. His back was to us, so I know he wouldn’t have noticed our hushed conversation.
I can’t let Cash get the best of me.
Deciding to let it go for now, I return my undivided attention to Luke. He consumes it anyway, I might as well stop fighting it, for now.