Contradictions (12 page)

Each of the guys received my death glare as I finished dealing the cards. With Adam’s encouragement, Trent appeared oblivious to my mood. His arm remained on the back of my chair whenever he wasn’t placing a bet. I could have made him move it, but that would only have enlisted more razzing from the guys. Every once in a while, his fingers would brush against the bare part of my neck, presumably by accident. I showed no reaction and managed to hold on to my cards those times.

As the night progressed, I found myself more and more comfortable with the feel of his touch. It was nothing but a stroke of his fingers, and never lasted longer than a couple seconds, but definitely made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. And caused goose bumps on my arms. Everything inside me hummed with awareness. I shifted in my chair, hoping to encounter his hand so it would remain on that small, lucky patch of skin that had every other part of me envious. Who knew it was possible to be jealous of your own skin? His hand always seemed to be just beyond my reach. If it had been anyone else, I would have said he was deliberately toying with me, but this was Trent. I’m sure he had no idea what he was doing.

Even though my concentration was shot to hell, I eventually cleaned everyone of their money, with the exception of Trent, who turned out to be a decent player. Derek, Adam, and Tim grumbled about being hustled and then scooted their chairs to the side so they could watch Trent and me face off against each other. Taking the game more seriously than I had all night, I moved my chair to the other side of the table, which Derek had just vacated.

No more innocent touches. I was in this to win.

Adam agreed to deal as Trent leaned forward on his side of the table. We’d decided this would be the winner-take-all hand. I insisted on five-card draw, so there would be no up cards to see.

“You ready for this, Geek Squad?” I asked, holding my cards close to my face. I was feeling pretty cocky. I was sure I had figured out his tell and this hand would prove it. “I’ll have fun spending all the cash I win tonight,” I taunted.

“You sure your mind is in the game?” His eyes glistened with confidence. My eyes narrowed as he smiled wickedly.

“Don’t worry about me, Spock.”

“Oh, I liked him in the new
Star Trek
movie. Very cute,” Adam interjected.

“Not now,” I said.

Trent’s smile widened as the others giggled like hyenas. They all deserved a knee in the nuts or, better yet, something that involved honey and fire ants.

Ignoring the trio of grinning idiots, I turned my attention to the cards in my hands. I had the worst hand imaginable. What the hell was I going to do with a six of spades, a two and four of clubs, and a five and nine of diamonds? Talk about a colossal bank-busting hand. Deciding I had nothing to lose, I kept the two clubs. I placed my bet, accepting my three cards. I waited to look at them until Trent took his turn. That fact that I discarded three cards was a pretty good indication that I had a crap hand.

Trent looked me in the eyes. He indicated he needed no new cards, that butt licker. I was screwed. He looked away before placing his bet. That was his tell. Or so I thought. Of course, I could be way off and he could be holding four kings.

I looked down at the three cards in front of me that were still lying facedown on the table. Scooting them to the edge of the table, I slid them up without looking at them for a moment.

My eyes started to focus on them when I felt my leg being nudged under the table. “Really?”

He grinned at me. “It was worth a shot.”

“I’m going to shoot you,” I threatened, moving my leg away. I managed to stomp on his foot for good measure. He grunted but didn’t say anything. “You okay?” I asked sweetly, finally glancing down at my cards. I looked at them in disbelief. It was as if angels themselves had picked my cards. I’m pretty sure I could hear cherubs singing above our heads. I went from having nothing to pulling a straight flush. I really wanted to get up and get my groove on, but I remained still.

Before placing my bet, my eyes moved to Trent’s to gauge his reaction. His eyes flickered and he glanced away. He was totally bluffing me. I forced a look of uncertainty on my face before pushing all my chips in. I gnawed my lip for good measure.

“All in?” He looked worried for the first time.

I shrugged casually. “Last hand, right?”

“That’s pretty rich,” he commented.

I held my breath. If all went well, maybe he would think I was bluffing. After a long, drawn-out moment, he finally scooted his chips to the center of the table. I wanted to crow with delight, but controlled myself as the others leaned in close. “How about we up the stakes?” I offered coyly.

“What do you have in mind?” He looked at me with curiosity, pushing up his glasses.

“Just a little friendly wager,” I said, feeling some of my wild persona returning.

He waited for me to continue. I could hear Adam’s murmur of approval.

“Are you game?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“I get to pick my side of the bet.”

I felt the first stirrings of wariness. “Deal,” I answered cautiously. “What do you want?”

“Let me hear yours first,” he said.

“If I win, you have to show up at the next Bears game without one of your geek shirts on, or any other clothes for that matter.”

Derek whistled his approval.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to go to a football game completely naked?”

“I want you to streak across the field,” I said mischievously, wondering if he would fold. Bluffing with cash was one thing. Having your junk hanging out for the world to see was a different story.

“I’m not into football, but that’s a game I might have to go to,” Tim interjected, earning a playful swat from Adam.

“Completely naked?” Trent repeated like he was trying to find a loophole.

“As a newborn baby,” I laughed with delight. I missed this part of me.

“It’s not like you’ll see me with your activities probation.” His words took a little wind from my sails.

“I think it would be worth the risk.”

Derek looked practically gleeful. He’d played enough cards with me to know I had this one in the bag.

Trent wavered for a moment, and I was sure he would fold. “Deal,” he said. “But if I win, you have to go out with me.”

“You have to do better than that,” Adam interrupted. “You’re risking being naked against a date? Come on, raise.”

“Okay, I get a kiss too,” Trent said.

“On the lips and open mouth,” Adam added.

“Stay out of this, Kewpie doll,” I teased Adam.

“No, he’s right. A date and an openmouthed kiss on the lips. If the stakes are too high, I guess you’ll just have to fold.”

I weighed his words. I was almost positive I had the winning hand, but if I did lose, it would basically kill two birds with one stone. It would get Brittni off my back and maybe show Trent once and for all how wrong we were for each other. “Deal.”

“Show me yours,” he said. Heat flared through me like a firework. His statement was meant for my cards, but my mind went immediately to the gutter.

I fanned out my cards and sat back in my chair, smiling.

“A straight flush,” he said approvingly.

“Yep, luck of the draw I guess you could say.”

“Very impressive.” He studied my cards. I felt the kiddie urge to clap my hands with glee. Victory was mine.

Derek laughed, clapping Trent on the back. “Don’t feel bad, dude. She’s taken us all to the cleaners before.”

“She’s definitely a fine player and very lucky, but—” Trent said as a grin spread across his face. He laid down his hand and the blood drained from my face as I eyed the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of hearts—a royal flush. Who gets dealt a hand like that? I’d been hustled by fate.

“Holy hell, he totally played you,” Derek chimed in, sounding more impressed than necessary.

“Shut up,” I muttered, looking at Trent. I expected him to at least look remorseful for conning me, but he looked downright pleased with himself. The bastard even had the nerve to wink at me.

“Dude, that was freaking epic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen our girl here lose,” Derek praised him.

“That’s because I don’t lose,” I said through gritted teeth. “Not since I started playing my dad back when I was thirteen.”

“There’s a first for everything,” Trent said, smiling. His meaning was clear—he would be collecting on all aspects of the bet.

Derek continued to jabber away about my loss like a kid hyped up on caffeine. Without acknowledging him, I continued to straighten up, still not believing I’d fallen for Trent’s bluff. The guys pitched in and within minutes our living room was back to its previous state.

Adam and Tim hugged me before turning to shake Trent’s hand with gusto. Without even asking me if it was okay, they invited Trent to join us for the next game. I took it all in stride, not wanting to look like a sore loser. They said their good-byes, leaving Trent and me alone in the living room. Even traitor Derek had slipped away to the bedroom.

Trent shrugged into his jacket, but didn’t make a move to leave. I had pretty much ignored him since the game ended, but now that we were alone, it was a bit awkward. He stood watching me like he had something he wanted to say. If I didn’t know him better, I would almost think he felt guilty. If that was the case, good, it served him right to feel guilty. I didn’t care if I was being a hypocrite. It wasn’t my fault my plan to toast his ass at cards had backfired. That justification sounded better in my head.

“You played me,” I said, breaking the silence.

“Yep.” He looked downright pleased with himself, without the slightest hint of guilt. “I’d do it again if the opportunity presented itself.”

“I’m learning more and more about you. You’re not the good boy you pretend to be.”

“Whoever said I was pretending to be good? I had an opportunity, and I took it.”

“All for a date that’s sure to be a disaster?” I reminded him.

“And a kiss,” he added quickly.

“And a kiss,” I repeated. “I figured maybe you’d let me slide on that one since, technically, it wasn’t your idea. Anyway, I’m sure you won’t be as excited by the time the date is over.”

“Why do you think that?” He made the bold move of stepping closer to me. “And don’t tell me it’s because we’re opposites.” He moved even closer. He seemed to like invading my space, but I made no move to step away.

“I’m completely wrong for you,” I answered.

“What if I say I think you’re mistaken?” He leaned toward me, testing my boundaries.

“I may not have your brain, but I know this kind of stuff. You’ll be bored with me within an hour.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, reaching his hand toward me. I waited, holding my breath. His hand hovered by my cheek for a moment, stroking it with a featherlight touch before snaking around to caress my neck.

My breath began to wheeze out from the anticipation of what was coming. “I’d be bored within an hour,” I threw out in a weak attempt to halt his progress.

“I don’t think you will.” He eyed my lips, slowly moving toward me. I could have stopped him. He was giving me that chance. His lips loomed close to mine. I was shocked and appalled at how badly I wanted them to touch mine.

The front door of my apartment flew open, effectively killing the moment. Cameo stomped inside in a fit of rage as Trent and I sprang apart like two preteens who’d gotten caught groping each other in one of their parents’ basements.

I was surprised to see my usually cheerful roommate looking so upset. Considering everything that had happened the past few weeks, I immediately expected the worst.

“Cameo, what happened?” Suddenly, I no longer gave a damn that we were at odds with each other.

She looked frantic as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Her mascara was running, leaving a trail of midnight black down her cheeks. Whoever had upset her would answer to me.

In all the time I’d known Cameo, I’d only seen her cry once, and that was when her mom called to tell her that her cat, Sam, had died. This was so much worse. It was as if floodgates had been opened in her eyes as the tears poured out at an alarming rate. I reached my hand out to comfort her. She looked at it for a moment before gripping it tightly. I led her over to the couch, tugging her gently down beside me. By that time, Derek had appeared from the bedroom.

“Cameo, what happened?”

A broken sob bubbled out of her throat. “We-e-e broke up,” she finally got out as sobs shook her petite frame.

“You and Chad?” I asked, not quite understanding. Cameo had gone through so many boyfriends since I met her a year ago. She had always handled the breakups with indifference, most times already scouting for a replacement before the previous boyfriend made it to the parking lot. Tears were never part of the equation until now.

“Yes,” she wailed brokenly as more tears fell. Her nose began to run from all her crying. I’d no sooner processed the thought of getting her some tissues when a box was being pushed toward me. Looking up, I smiled gratefully at Derek, who was hovering beside us. I took the tissues and noticed Trent as he mouthed a good-bye at me. He held up his phone, wanting me to text him later. I nodded my head, then turned my attention back to Cameo.

It took nearly an hour to get the complete story out of her since she would dissolve into tears anytime she started to talk. Eventually, she ran out of tears and was able to get through the whole sordid breakup. It turned out Chad had broken up with her because he walked in on her while she was playing a drinking game with a bunch of frat boys. Cameo claimed they weren’t doing anything wrong. Chad had taken it completely out of context when he walked into the basement and saw one of the guys with his arm around her shoulders.

Listening to her version, I could only imagine what it must have looked like to Chad. Cameo was an affectionate person and was always hugging, giving love taps or lingering kisses on everyone’s cheeks. She was very touchy-feely. Seeing your girlfriend with some guy’s arm around her would be an ego slayer for any guy. Still, I would have thought Chad would know Cameo by now. I wondered if maybe Chad was dealing with his own demons like I was. My life wasn’t the only one affected by David’s death.

I kept those thoughts to myself and provided Cameo the sympathy she needed as she told me everything. She soon ran out of steam and slumped back against the couch cushions completely spent. I placed a throw pillow on my lap and tugged her so she was lying down. Running my hand over her head, I soothed her like my mom used to do for me. After a few minutes and a few more suppressed sobs, she fell asleep, much like a child who had cried herself out. I waited until her breathing was even before I slid her head off my lap and placed it on the couch where I had been sitting. Pulling the heavy quilt off the back of the couch, I covered her up.

For the first time in two weeks, I felt like my roommate and I had a common bond. Switching the lights off in the living room, I tiptoed quietly to the bathroom so I could get ready for bed.

Derek was lying on my bed scrolling through Facebook when I silently crept into our room. He had walked away, thinking it was best for Cameo and me to be alone.

“Is she okay?” he whispered as I lay down next to him.

“She fell asleep, thank goodness.”

“That’s good. She was pretty upset. Sorry to bail, but I wasn’t sure what I could do.”

“It’s all right. Believe me, I have experience with this,” I said, making him feel better.

He nodded. “Cameo would have shut down if I was out there anyway. You know how she hates for people to see her cry. She’s just like you.”

He was right. In that regard, Cameo and I were mirror images of each other. Tears translated to weakness, and showing weakness wasn’t an option.

Derek and I chatted late into the night. Both of us were floored that our roommate, who followed a no-attachments guideline when it came to guys, had fallen hard. I hoped Chad was equally miserable and would realize what he had witnessed was just a misunderstanding.

•   •   •

Shockingly, the next morning Cameo acted like nothing had happened. She was up before Derek and me and had showered away all the evidence of her meltdown. We woke to the sound of her vacuuming in the hallway outside my room. Derek and I staggered out, surprised to see her not only up out of bed, but also cleaning. Saturday chores were a thorn in all of our sides, and we had gotten into the habit of sleeping in late to avoid them just a little longer.

Cameo flashed us a smile that might have fooled someone who didn’t know her as well as we did. Derek started to give her a hug and tell her it would work out, but she squirmed out of his arms, refusing to talk about it. He shot me a look, but I shrugged my shoulders. There was no reason to push her. Cameo would talk to us when she was ready.

None of us mentioned Chad the rest of the morning as we tackled cleaning the apartment. Cameo was like the Tasmanian Devil, buzzing around the apartment like a hundred-pound tornado. Derek waited until she left the apartment carrying a load of laundry down to the washer and dryer on the second floor before commenting that a crazy cleaning Cameo wasn’t entirely a bad thing. I nodded my head in agreement. Not that I wanted my friend to have her heart ripped out. I’m just saying a nice clean apartment isn’t a bad thing, especially since I had to work today.

Thanks to Cameo’s early-morning-vacuuming wake-up call, I managed to arrive not only on time, but actually early to work. I sat in my Jeep trying to coax what little heat I could out of the vents while I waited for Larry to arrive and open the doors to Javalotta. I warily pulled my phone out of my pocket while I waited. My phone, which had been my life-force practically from the day my parents had gotten me one for my fifteenth birthday, was something I tried to avoid lately. I had yet to log on to my Instagram or Facebook accounts since the accident two weeks ago. I debated whether I was ready to face social media again or if I should text Trent. Neither were very appealing choices.

After a night of rest and with no booze flowing through my veins to cloud my judgment, I was hyperaware of what almost happened before Cameo stormed in. I tried to tell myself it was a fluke. I mean, from a guy’s perspective, his timing was perfect. It had been ages since I had hooked up with anyone, and I had to admit, I was beginning to feel the urge. It could have been any guy standing there. Of course, what did that mean for our date? It would finally make my friends shut up, but I owed Trent a kiss too, and I’ve never welched on a dare or a bet. How the hell did I let this happen? It was like I was going on this date as a favor to Brittni and to pay off my bet to Trent. The only one not getting anything out of it was me.

Despite feeling like I’d somehow been hustled, I sent a text to Trent. He answered immediately, which was a little shocking since he never seemed to have his phone on him whenever I was with him. Our texting conversation went pretty much how I expected.

Hey

Hey. How’s your roommate?

She’s better.

That’s good. I’ll pick you up tonight?
No beating around the bush. I swear, he could stand to take some texting etiquette classes.

I work until nine.

That’s fine. How about I pick you up at your place at nine thirty?

Fine

See you then

And that was how we set up our date. Not in the mood to deal with social media, I stowed my phone in my pocket and turned up my radio to a near-deafening decibel. The bass vibrated through the metal floorboards of my Jeep, traveling up my legs until my entire body felt like it was a part of the song.

I was so lost in the music I didn’t notice my boss Larry had arrived until he rapped against the window. Jumping, I turned to look out the window. I pulled my stomach out of my throat and turned off my car.

“You scared the crap out of me,” I complained, opening my door. A blast of northern wind cut through my double layer of clothes, making me swear. It was mother-sucking cold. Why did I love Maine so much? I bet my friend Ashton was lying on the beach in Florida drinking margaritas while I froze my nips off.

“I’m surprised you heard me. Your music was so loud I could see your Jeep rocking from across the parking lot. Loud music is bad for your hearing,” Larry said, pulling his keys out of his pocket so he could unlock the back door of the coffeehouse.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Isn’t that just an old person’s scare tactic because they’re out of touch with the superior generation?” I scooted past him, chuckling. It was common knowledge that the owners of Javalotta considered themselves hip and in touch with the youth. Teasing them about being old was always a surefire way to keep things interesting at work.

Today was no exception. Larry turned up the volume on the coffeehouse speakers a couple notches louder than usual. I bit back a grin as I readied Javalotta for the day. He was almost too easy.

Reanna, another part-timer, came in ten minutes later, apologizing to Larry for being late. He gave her his classic warning, but let it go since she was technically only a few minutes late. Tardiness was frowned upon, but as long as you didn’t make a habit of it, Larry was pretty cool about it.

Reanna joined me behind the counter where I was filling the industrial-sized coffee makers and espresso machines. She looked flustered as she tied her apron on.

“What’s up?” I asked, nudging her with my hip.

“I hit another damn mailbox. My dad is going to have a fit.”

I had to laugh at her. Reanna was singularly the worst driver I had ever met. During normal driving conditions, she was known to hit a few obstacles. Add in some bad weather and she was a total terror on the road. “Whose was it this time?”

“My nitpicking old bag of a neighbor. She’s always complaining about something. Me hitting her mailbox will not go unnoticed when I get home.”