Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty Five
KING’S POV
Yasuki didn’t want me in the meeting. He wanted me in fucking Chicago but he didn’t want me meeting this mystery partner he has my dad canoodling. It’s starting to seem like he’s tempting me with being here, baiting me for something to see if I’ll bite.
But I don’t, because then what? I can’t go looking for her just to tell her that I’m in her town for a few hours. I have nothing to offer her and this whole thing I’m stuck on might actually just be me. I mean, she’d said the words that night that kept me up the entire night with ideas and fantasies before we’d left to go back to our respective lives and realities, but it might have just been a heat of the moment thing and I’m just chasing ghosts.
Sighing, I call on the bar tender in the twenty four hours open bar I’d sort of stumbled into again.
“Another single malt scotch?” He asks when he comes over, half rolling his eyes and sounding bored out of his mind. I’m guessing he doesn’t know what else to do with himself now since it isn’t rush hour yet and it’s just me and a couple other guys at the back keeping him busy.
“Yeah.”
It’s not my fault he chose to work here, the least he can do is keep his contempt for it on the inside.
He walks away, slow like he has all the time in the world and for a second there, I have to remind myself that this isn’t New York and I can’t just deal with anyone my way. I can’t go around being a brute all the time, especially when it’s not in my territory. Funny thing about the damn universe is, if I decide to call bullshit on that discipline and do something as rash as take out my frustration on the bar tender, she’ll choose that moment to appear out of the goddamn blues like a dream and walk through the annoying front door with its stupid bell, a spring in her step and that naïve innocent smile plastered on her face.
And then she’d stare in horror at me and see me for who I truly am.
I won’t risk that.
“Here you go.” He says dumping my drink in front of me like a bad habit without a single care, turning to walk straight off into the back of his booth. I bite back my reaction, accepting it as one of those things.
“Don’t pay his attitude any attention, Jeff is usually an ass in the afternoons.”
I turn to the source of the voice to find that someone has taken the seat next to mine.
She looks young with her flowy brown hair and bold red lipstick. She has a knowing smile that does nothing for me and come hither eyes that screams pick me, pick me. Nah, not my type but there’s something about her that I’m trying to put my fingers on, I can’t place it just yet but it’s there.
“Good to know.” I bite off and it earns me a small laugh that lasts a little too long for my liking.
“I could tell you other things about him if you buy me a drink…” She says suggestively with a small shrug. “And I could tell you all about our little town too, you have out of towner scribbled all over you.” Another drawn laugh, it’s becoming irritating.
“Sure.”
I watch, bored out of my mind as she calls over the nonchalant Jeff that can’t be bothered and I watch amusedly as he turns into a puppy dog with her, lighting up like a damn Christmas tree as she places her order for a dirty martini, flirting a little with him. I see, the issue is me and my lack of flirtatious skills and that just makes me hate him more.
“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” She asks, taking a sip of her drink. I don’t miss her eyes as they peruse my entire body, clocking my suit, shoes, watch and every other thing on me that might indicate I might be loaded.
Aha, now I see what that hungry look in her eyes had been about. She finds me worthy of her attention because of what she assumes I might have in my account.
“Well, Jeff just got dumped by his girlfriend about a week ago and it was a messy one, everyone saw. He’s been kind of morose since then and highly irritable.” She takes another sip but instead of returning to her side, her hand comes to rest beside mine on the table.
“It’s not everyday we have fine ass men waltz in here in the middle of the day to drink though. Anything in particular drag you into town?” She makes a dramatic pause before whispering, “Or anyone?”
“No.”
Her smile falters at my curt reply but she picks it back up and fixes it back on her face like a mask she’s learned to perfect.
“I didn’t catch your name though.” She flashes her teeth, leaning onto the table, subtly hoisting her breasts to show more cleavage.
“Kingston.”
“Kingston.” She repeats, drawing it out. “I like that.”
“So……Kingston,” She drags on, her hand touching mine, barely, but touching.
“Can I maybe keep you busy while you’re here?. I like what I see and I want some.”
I don’t get to answer to that because that annoying bell attached to the door goes off, jingling every eyes to it. A quite familiar face walks through and my eyes follow it from the door to his final stop at her side. Everything makes sense now, her stupid face makes sense now.
Staring me down like I’m the enemy here, the new guy whose face I’ve wanted to put a fist through for weeks now leans down to leave a possessive kiss on her crimson red lips to warn me off, missing her utter disgust at his intrusion.
“Hey baby, sorry I’m late, I was caught in traffic. Is he bothering you?” He asks like he can take me on in a fight. I know my own strength so I know that even three of him won’t win me in any fight but it’s cute that he dreams big.
Ignoring him, I just throw the rest of my drink back, enjoying the slow, burning sensation following the trail to my stomach. I wonder what it is she saw in him. He doesn’t strike me, in anyway whatsoever, like the kind of man anyone would waste the number of years she did on with blind loyalty, let alone her.
And I see nothing worth the efforts this bitch over here put into stealing him. She sure as hell doesn’t want him for keeps if she’s already out here trying to sink her fangs into her next game.
I’m not mad though, if anything I’m thankful to them both because thanks to that gutter behavior of hers, I got to have one of the best couple weeks of my life.
Calling for Jeff the broken, I pay for my drinks and hers. I get off my chair, adjust my clothes and pick up my jacket. My first though is to walk out without causing any stirs but I’m too far from being a Saint. I like trouble, I crave it, I create it.
Putting a finger under her chin, I draw her closer to me and then I lean down to her ear while he watches in a beautiful mix of confusion, embarrassment and anger.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lindsay.” I whisper into her ear. “ I too wanted to see what the face of the worst friend on earth looks like. I wasn’t far off when I thought ugly, I guess.”
Her surprised face is an exquisite piece of art and it fills me with satisfaction.
When she tries to withdraw, I hold on fast.
“You and your swine over there should stay the fuck away from Candy. The moment you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll resurface like your worst nightmare and make your lives so miserable you’ll pray for it to end.”
And with that, I kiss her cheek and pull back.
“Bye love, guess I’ll take you up on that……” My eyes drop to her body to make a point, “ offer next time.”
I wink at her suggestively as both their jaws fight for first to kiss the floor, walking out the bar and leaving the chaos to begin in their doomed relationship.