The real deal who left me in the dust. Again. Jade Bitch Face isn’t interested in me whatsoever. Despite how close I came to kissing her. I would’ve. I would’ve kissed the fuck out of her if that asshole Gabe hadn’t interrupted us. Some friend. His timing is for shit.
And then Jade bailed. Left me standing there like a loser with my limp dick in my hand. Not literally but man, it felt like it. I thought Gabe was gonna bust a gut laughing at me. His date for the night told him he was mean. I agreed with her.
Didn’t stop my best friend from laughing at my expense though.
I went home, jerked off—again—and fell asleep before midnight. Like I was Cinderella and my skin had an orange tinge, I rushed home, disappointed in the party. Once Jade left, I had no interest in staying.
What does that mean? I won’t be satisfied until I have her naked beneath me at least once? I hope that’ll solve this problem and I hope it happens fast because this case of blue balls I have going on sucks.
Once I find a parking space, I start toward the row of shops, surprised at how crowded it is, though I guess I shouldn’t be considering it’s a Sunday. Somewhere among all the homegrown shit they sell downtown I should be able to find something for Mom. It might be kitschy and useless, but Mom likes that sort of stuff. Sometimes.
Christ. I may as well just flush my cash down the toilet.
I find a candle store and go inside because hey, she likes candles. What woman doesn’t? My sister Victoria almost burned the house down when one of the curtains in her room caught fire, all from a lit candle that sat on a nearby table. She’d planned to seduce her boyfriend that night and lit up her entire room with a bunch of tiny votives, going for the romantic look.
Yeah. Talk about an epic fail.
The moment I enter the building, I’m assaulted by a variety of scents that makes my nose twitch. One of those table fountains that used to be so popular when I was a little kid sits near the door, the sound of running water pleasant if you like that sort of thing.
Which I guess I do. But my family always took it to the next level. I’ll see your tabletop fountain and create a rock wall water fountain that takes over the entire family room.
True story.
Slowly I move through the store, cracking a smile at the new age-y music playing in the background, the giant baskets set on a glass table at waist level, full of a variety of healing crystals. I’m starting to suspect this place is a front for a medical marijuana facility when I hear a voice ask if I need any help. A very familiar voice that makes my skin prickle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Whirling around, my suspicions are confirmed.
“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me,” Jade mutters, her hands going immediately to her hips.
I grin at her. I can’t help it. This is a lucky streak for sure. “You work here?”
She’s wearing a red T-shirt that says Light My Fire across her chest—the name of the store—and there’s a nametag pinned to her shirt that reads Jade in swirling, feminine handwriting. “Don’t act like you don’t know this. Somehow with all your money and connections, you found out where I work. So creepy. Can’t you just leave this bet thing alone?”
“You think I hired someone to track you down?” Hell, I can’t work that fast. I’ve been sleeping pretty much the entire time since I saw her last and that was only last night.
“How else would you keep popping up where I am? You’ve crossed a line this time though, asshole.” She turns on her heel and starts heading toward the register counter at the back of the store. My gaze drops to her ass, which looks mighty fine in those khaki shorts she’s wearing. And her legs…damn they’re long. “I’m calling the cops.”
“What? No.” I chase after her, grabbing her arm before she can make a grab for the phone on the counter. “I’m not having you followed or whatever you’re accusing me of doing. This is total coincidence. I swear.” Awesome coincidence for me, not so much for her, I guess.
And really, why does she hate me so much? I don’t get it. Any other girl would be falling at my feet, begging me for something. Anything.
Not this one.
She tugs out of my hold and rubs her arm in the exact spot where I touched her. Trying to rub away those sparks? Because yeah, they’re there. My fingers are still tingling. “Please. This is the third day in a row. And I’ve never seen you before in my life.”
“Really?” I find that hard to believe. I know her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, whatever she wants to call Joel the Wuss, has definitely gambled at our place before, which means at the very least, she had to have heard about me.
“God, you’re such an egotistical ass.” She waves her fingers at me, as if flicking away an annoying bug. “Get out of here. I’m serious. Before I really do call the cops.”
“But I came in here to buy something.”
She rolls her eyes and flicks her head. Today her hair is in some sort of bun thing on top of her head. She looks like a ballerina minus the tutu. It’s sort of a shame, all of that sexy red hair restrained like it is when it should be wild and free. I prefer it wild and free.
I’d also like to take her somewhere more private and slowly pull every pin out of her hair as it falls past her shoulders, piece by vibrant piece…
“What in the world would you want to buy here?”
“Uh, candles.” I glance around. “We’re surrounded by them, in case you haven’t noticed.”
She ignores my jab. “And who are you buying this candle for?”