Break Away (4 page)

Ugh, I hated guys like that. They thought they were God’s gift to woman, and we should consider ourselves lucky to get a chance to be with them. No thanks.

It was the perfect reminder of why I’d sworn off men.

I turned on the shower, enjoying the blast of cold water on my overheated skin before it finally warmed up. I’d run farther than usual that morning in an attempt to ease some of the tension that was radiating throughout my body. Normally the endorphins helped. Not nearly as much as fighting did, but it was the next best thing. Today, though, it just wasn’t cutting it.

My morning run was one of the only times that I actually felt at peace. It was quiet, and I didn’t have to deal with people… at least, not usually. Today was different, though, and my unexpected encounter with the girl near the pier was the best part of my day so far. I hadn’t even gotten her name, but I found myself thinking about her during the run back to my house.

No doubt she was attractive. In fact, she was fucking sexy. But it was her feisty “I hate men” attitude that really grabbed my attention. I could tell she was attracted to me, and while most women couldn’t resist me when I turned on the charm, she wasn’t having any of it.

So, why the hell was I still thinking about her? When a chick gave me the brush-off—which frankly wasn’t very often—she was instantly forgotten, and I was on to the next one. Yet, my thoughts kept drifting back to the girl from the beach. Her long blonde hair… gorgeous blue eyes… full lips… long legs… perfect, tight curves…

My dick immediately started getting hard at the thought of her, reminding me of another way to relieve my tension. I reached down, grabbing my firm length and slowly stroking it up and down. I thought about those plump lips wrapping around my cock, moving my hand faster as I pictured her kneeling in front of me and taking me into her hot mouth, sucking me hard and deep while she looked up at me with those big, blue eyes. I began pumping faster and within minutes I came. Hard.

I stood under the stream of the shower and braced myself against the tile wall, catching my breath and calming myself down. I couldn’t remember the last time that I jerked off to a complete stranger, and I sure as hell couldn’t remember anyone having this kind of impression on me. What the hell had gotten into me?

I really needed to get laid.

Later that morning, I went into the small auto repair shop where I worked as a mechanic. It wasn’t what I’d planned to be doing with my life at this point, but I liked working on cars. There was something therapeutic about it that calmed me down and got me out of my own head. Engines were simple and straightforward. When something was wrong, the problem could be diagnosed and fixed. No matter how complicated or messed up it was, the broken components could be repaired or replaced, and the engine could be put back together again. Good as new.

If only life were that simple.

The shop was owned by my buddy, Nate, who I’d known since high school. He inherited the business from his dad and devoted most of his time to working on cars. I’d devoted
my
life to the Marines, but when I was forced to retire last year and had nothing else to do, Nate had given me a job.

It was still early in the morning, but when I walked into the garage, he was already waist deep under the engine of an old Ford Mustang, one of his pet projects that he was always tinkering with.

“Hey, man,” I greeted him. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

“I’m avoiding the house,” he said, rolling out from under the car and wiping his greasy hands on a rag. “I ended it with that girl Kelly I was seeing, and now she won’t leave me alone.”

“What are you, scared of this girl? Tell her to get lost.”

“She’s a little… unpredictable. I figured I’d give her some time to cool off.”

“You mean she’s bat-shit crazy,” I corrected him. “I’m surprised you stayed with her as long as you did. Although… the crazy ones are usually pretty wild in bed, so I get it.”

“You’re such a dog,” he said, shaking his head at me. “Kelly and I didn’t click, that’s all. I was trying to force something that wasn’t there.”

While I preferred things simple and uncomplicated with no strings attached, Nate was the type who wanted to settle down and shit. “Whatever. I’m just glad you’re single again,” I told him. “I’ve been stuck without a wingman for over a month while you ‘experimented’ with a relationship. It’s seriously affecting my game. Last weekend, I had a hot chick on the hook, all ready to go, but she wouldn’t leave the bar without her damn friend.”

“So you had to go home all alone, eh?”

“Hell no, I took them both home,” I grinned wickedly. “Turned out to be a pretty great night, actually, but you’re missing the point.”

He laughed. “Oh, you poor thing… and I’m supposed to feel sorry for you, why?”

“Dude, it’s not easy handling two girls at the same time. There’s twice as much ground to cover! Do the math… it’s a lot of work. I’ve only got two hands and although my dick is incredibly efficient, I still only have one.”

“Yeah, until it falls off. Considering all those dirty skanks you go home with, I’m surprised it hasn’t shriveled up and died already.”

“Are you kidding?” I said, pulling on my coveralls. “I love my dick way too much to let that happen. I’m always careful. In fact, careful is my middle name. I’m clean as a whistle over here, don’t you worry.”

Nate poured himself a cup of coffee from the dusty, old machine on the work bench. “Okay, but I still think you need to get yourself a girlfriend. Not one of those dumb, bar sluts that you seem to love so much, but a nice girl that you can actually have a conversation with.”

My mind automatically drifted back to the girl from this morning. “Thanks, but no thanks,” I said, pushing those thoughts aside. “I’m not built for monogamy. Why be with one woman when you could be with lots of different woman… sometimes at the same time? Relationships are nothing but a headache.”

“Okay, Dex,” he chuckled. “But one of these days, you’re gonna eat your words.”

He had no idea how wrong he was. Even if I wanted to be in a relationship, which I really didn’t, I couldn’t subject someone to being with
me
. I was in no shape to be close with anyone that way, and I’d learned a while back that I was not someone who could be relied upon. Keeping women at arm’s length was as much for their benefit as it was for mine. After everything I’d done, I didn’t deserve anyone who was worth having, and I sure as hell didn’t deserve to be happy. All I would do is fuck it up like I’d managed to do with everything else I cared about.

It was better not to care. To be numb. Sure, I used women, but they used me too. It wasn’t like they gave a shit about me. They wanted the same thing that I did. To chase away the pain. To forget.

Even if it was only for a little while.

***

Once I’d stopped at the grocery store and stocked up on food, there was only one thing left for me to do. Get a job.

I had a little bit of savings, but it wasn’t going to get me very far. After paying for first month’s rent and security on the apartment, nearly half of it was already gone. Most of my money had gone toward paying for college, which wasn’t cheap. I’d been lucky enough to get in with a scholarship, but it only covered a portion of the cost. It was never a problem when I was with Steven because he always insisted on paying for everything. Not having to shell out money for rent, food and utilities had allowed me to pay off most of what I owed, but unfortunately, it hadn’t left much in my savings.

I used to think it was sweet and generous that Steven had insisted on taking care of me, I’d come to realize that it was just another way to make me reliant upon him. As long as I needed him, I wouldn’t leave. With Steven, it was always about control. Controlling the way I dressed, the way I acted, and even where I worked. He’d managed to disguise it as love, but now that I saw it for what it was, I would never make that mistake again.

People were unreliable. They would always let you down, if you let them. From now on, the only person I would depend on was me.

However, the first step to independence was getting a job, so I scoured the classifieds for openings. There wasn’t much to choose from but at this point, I wasn’t picky. I would do almost anything as long as it paid the bills.

I struck out with the first couple phone calls, as the positions had already been filled, but eventually got lucky with the Seaside Bar & Grille. It was right on Folly Beach, and they were looking for a waitress and bartender. I’d never worked as a bartender, but since I waited tables throughout high school, they told me to come in and apply with the manager.

I parked in the small gravel lot behind the restaurant and went inside. It had a great beachy, rustic feel with driftwood and surfboards lining the walls. There was a big bar at the center, surrounded by tables and chairs, and a small area sectioned off for a band. One wall was completely open and led to an outside dining area that overlooked the water. It was before noon, so the place was empty aside from a couple of staff members getting ready for the lunch crowd.

“Can I help you with something?” A friendly woman who looked to be about thirty or so approached when she saw me standing awkwardly near the entrance.

“I called earlier about the job opening,” I said. “I’m supposed to meet with the manager.”

“That would be me. I’m Sarah.” She extended her hand to shake mine. “You must be Olivia.”

“Yes, thank you so much for meeting with me.”

“No problem. You said you had some waitressing experience?”

“I waited tables at a diner for about four years. It’s been a while, but I’m sure I can pick it up quickly.”

“Oh, it’ll all come back. It’s like riding a bike,” she smiled. “So, we serve lunch and dinner, and then after the dinner rush, we clear out all the tables and usually have live music or a DJ for the night crowd. The position I have open is mainly for a waitress during the lunch and dinner shifts, but we may end up putting you behind the bar a couple nights a week. We’ll have someone show you the ropes, of course, since you’ve never bartended before, but it’s pretty straightforward. Think you’d be up for that?”

“Absolutely. It sounds great.” If it meant she was giving me a job, I would do whatever she wanted me to.

“Terrific! The job is only part-time for right now, but once the season hits and we get busy, you’ll be able to have as many hours as you want.”