Meadowlarks 3 : Endless (4 page)

“We have a convention coming next week, the biggest one of the year. Maybe you could bring your buddy from Wyoming here, and show him how the big dogs do it. Send him home with an advantage, ya know?” Josh says with a cheek full of scrambled eggs.

“Him?”

“Yeah, you said the guy’s name is Riley?”

I snort. “Riley’s a woman.”

Josh swallows. “What type of woman?”

“Well, this new breed. Great ass, nice rack…”

Josh rolls his eyes. “Are you fucking her?”

“Shit, I wish. She’s just…everything I’ve ever wanted. But she won’t give me the time of day.”

“She sounds awesome. Can’t wait to meet her.”

“Fuck off,” I growl while smirking. “She’s also married.”

“And that means what exactly?”

“It means…nothing,” I say, just as my phone rings and I see it’s Bob. I let it go to voicemail.

“Right,” Josh says, tipping his glass to me again. “So, listen. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about how Big Joshy parties…those girls…well, it won’t happen again. Tonight we’re going out, to a new club. No puking, I promise.”

I narrow an eye. “Okay…” I respond, reluctant but inquisitive.

“Some new band that the staff around the office are raving about. Thought you might like it since they’re supposed to be a little country.”

“Oh, perfect! Then I can finally bust out my boots.”

“I knew you brought them.”

My cellphone starts ringing again, and when I pull it from my jacket pocket my eyes light up when I see it is Riley calling.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Riley…”

I try to sound calm, but little does she know my insides are flipping at the sweet sound of her voice. “Hey, how are you?”

“I’m okay. Listen, Weston…that building you bought…just burned to the ground.”

I blink. “Pardon?” I heard her, but my mind isn’t processing.

“It was vandalized yesterday, then sometime last night it was burned down. I’m so sorry. I resigned yesterday, then this happens…I don’t think she would have—”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“How did they vandalize it?” I ask. Josh’s ears perk up at my words and he sits in his chair, listening to me.

“Spray paint, smashed the windows. They also wrote “asshole” on the front door.”

I pale.

“Weston?”

“Yeah, I’m here. That stupid bitch…” I clench my jaw. “What did Elsa say when you resigned?”

“She said I was making a mistake. You would ruin my career and no one in Wyoming would hire me after walking out on her.” Riley exhaled loudly. “It erased any doubts I had. I couldn’t work for her any longer.”

Through the drama, she makes me smile. “I’m happy to hear that. Listen, I have insurance. We’ll get another building. Maybe we weren’t meant to be in Buffalo after all.”

“Okay,” she says softly.

“And listen, don’t say no just yet but, there’s a big convention in New York that I think would be beneficial if you attended.”

“The last home show I went to…” Riley starts.

I grin, but try to sound reassuring. “This isn’t typical home show. This is for investors, financial bigwigs, the type of realty I’ll be part of here.”

“So why would I need to come?”

There are so many ways I could answer that question, if I changed the setting of the conversation. But, I since I’m public, and sitting across from another man, I chose the non-sexual answer. “If you’re going to blow Elsa out of the water, make my agency number one, and create a name for yourself, you’ll be in New York next week.”

Josh raises his eyebrows and grins.

“Sound good?” I ask, adjusting in my seat.

“I’ll have to talk to Alex about it.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll need to know by the end of the day. So I can make all the arrangements.”

“I’ll call you later then…
Boss
,” she says with a little bite, and it makes me picture her smart mouth…and all the filthy things I want to do to it.

“Bye, beautiful.”

Riley hangs up, and I put my phone back in my jacket pocket. “What?” I ask Josh, who is staring at me with an unreadable face.

“You’re whipped.”

“Hardly.”

“You gave her an option. She’s your employee, you’re not supposed to give her an option. You’re really hung up on this one, eh? Now I’m dying to meet her.”

The thought of Josh’s eyes looking at her, the way I do, or him touching her, makes me want to jump across the table and stuff the centerpiece on the table down his throat. Then again, I realize that I’m absolutely insane. If her husband only knew how badly I want her…I’d be the one in the morgue with fresh hydrangeas lodged in my esophagus.

“Problems back home?”

“Fire destroyed my new building.”

“Awe, shit. What do the cops say?” Josh asks, tossing his napkin on his empty plate.

“I gotta call them. I’m not worried. The place was empty.” I shrug, trying not to let my anxiety show.

***

Bob’s voicemail was just as I’d expected. He called to tell me about the fire, and that someone from the Buffalo police department wants to speak with me. I called Bob back, apologized for
missing
his call, and then called the detective that Bob gave me a number for.

The cop had just as much information as Bob and Riley did. They thought it was just kids being vandals, but when it burned down they started to question their initial thinking.

I decided to leave out the freshly divorced part of the “about me” section of questions the cop asked. I’m going to get to the bottom of this myself, and when I do…oh, good Lord, that woman is going to need more than a new little puppet to come to her defense.

I flop down and sprawl out on the large leather sofa in Mark’s living room. The giant floor-to-ceiling windows let in all the afternoon sunshine, and I fall asleep for who knows how long. When I wake up, dusk is starting to slowly creep across the city. My mouth is dry, so I slowly get up off the couch and mope into the kitchen.

I feel like a bulldozer had been sitting on my body while I slept. I stretch, groan, and yawn. Not too sure if I’m up to going out tonight. Then again, Josh probably will come and drag me out regardless.

Speak of the devil…

“Hey, buddy,” I answer his call.

“Be ready for ten. I’ll send the car.”

“Aye, captain.”

Josh laughs. “See ya.”

No suit tonight. I’m just not feeling it. I shower, spending a little longer under the water in hopes my body will snap out of the funk it’s in, and then dress in jeans and a black t-shirt. When Josh texts that he’s downstairs waiting, I throw on my leather jacket and head down to meet him.

No driver this time. Josh is driving one of his cars. A new Cadillac SUV. I open the door and hop up and into the passenger seat.

“Expecting company?” I ask, looking back at the empty seats behind me.

“You never know.” He grins and pulls away from the curb.

The streets are surprisingly empty, and we drive in record time to the club. It looks typical from the outside, like most others in the area. But the ‘twang coming from the inside is clearly from another place. I swear I even hear a banjo.

While walking up to the entrance, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Riley: Okay. I’ll see you in NY. Don’t make me regret this.

I have to slow my breath, just to be able to reply to Riley’s text message.
Great. See you in two days.

Well, this night just got a whole lot better. When we walk in the club, I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it’s actually pretty decent. And, very busy.

Josh beelines for a group of people, and I follow like he’s pulling me on an invisible string.

“Everyone, this is Weston. My new CFO. Weston, this is Luke, James, Natalie, Alyssa, and Jolene. These are the people that can’t function without me.” Josh laughs.

Natalie, the curvy and gorgeous woman with dark hair and perfect teeth elbows Josh. “More like the other way around! And, it’s nice to meet you Weston.” She extends her hand to me.

“You as well, ma’am.” I put on the charm.

“Ma’am? Oh, my…” Natalie flutters her eyes and laughs sweetly. “You can’t be any friend of Josh’s.”

“Unfortunately, I am…”

“Did I also mention that Weston here is a newly freed man, and we need to stop talking and start drinking?”

“Freed? You were in prison?” One of the guys, Luke I think, asks.

“You could say that.” I smirk. “I was married.”

And with that, we find a table, sit, and start drinking. Eventually the three ladies leave and start to dance to the music the band is playing from the large stage. Josh manages to entice some other women to join our table, and soon enough he’s got an entourage of barely-clothed girls surrounding us.

I offer to get a refill on our pitchers, and Josh looks at me like I’m crazy for leaving the table full of sex in cut-off jeans and half t-shirts. I shrug, and slowly make my way up to the bar with my plastic jugs.

“Refill?” The genius bartender asks.

I nod, holding back a sarcastic remark.

“Lucien! Water, please!” a breathy voice attached to a sweaty body calls while leaning over the bar.

I glance down to the floor, and slowly trail my eyes up black cowboy boots, sleek legs, a perfect backside clothed in a tattered jean skirt, and long brown hair flowing down a bare back. Attached to the masterpiece is the face of a woman giving me the strangest look.

When I realize I’m completely gaping at her, I pull my mouth closed and look away.
Wow, you’re super awesome.

“You okay?” she asks me. “Thanks, Lucien.” She opens her bottle of water he hands her and sips.

“Me? Yeah, I’m good.” I brave the moment and look back into her eyes. Damn, she’s breathtaking. I could dive into those deep blues, drown, and die happy.

“Need some help with those?” she motions toward the pitchers, now filled with an alcohol and bar mix concoction.

“Sure?” I answer, feeling completely stupid, and for the first time…speechless.

She takes one of the jugs, and stands to wait for me to move so she can follow me.

Forget the booze, follow me home, baby…

I collect my nerves, grab the other pitcher, and start walking toward the table. Momentarily questioning my decision to accept her assistance, as I really don’t want her to see the women at the booth.

“Casey! Where the hell have you been?” Josh yells over the music that is now being played by a DJ.

I hold up a jug and set it down, turning around to take the other from my stunning stranger’s hands. “Thank you.”

She shrugs. “No problem. Have a good night!”

That’s it?
Have a good night?
Do I have something on my face? Is there something on my crotch? Why the hell hasn’t she fallen over herself like every other woman I’ve ever spoken to? Then again, I wasn’t exactly myself…more of a bumbling idiot, actually.

I set down the second jug, and look at Josh. He looks back at me, and furrows his brow. “Wait!” I all but sprint over to the woman who is now almost across the room.

“Yes?” She asks, turning to face me.

“Umm…I…” Shit, I got nothing.

“
You
. Okay…well…”

“Sorry. I just wanted to thank you.”

“For carrying your booze to your table of…lovely ladies?” She asks, leaning to see past me and smirking at the table Josh is at.

“Fuck them, I want to talk to you.”

“Sorry, handsome. I’m a little busy.”

“Ready?” A loud voice barrels from behind me, and a big, tattooed guy scoops the woman’s elbow in his hand and leads her up onto the stage.

She looks back, winks, and runs her fingers through her long hair, shaking the ends out.

No way…she’s the singer of the band? How did I not notice this before?

“Hey, who is that?” I ask another guy who had come back down the steps.

“South of Marshall. Don’t you read?” He says, obviously irritated, and points to the poster on the wall.

Ah, yes. There she is. South of Marshall, huh? When I turn to ask him who she is specifically, he’s gone. But the slow wail of a guitar draws me back to the stage as the band starts to play their music again.

This time, she’s got my full attention.

Her soft sway, her hand gently tapping the side of her thigh, and the way her mouth slightly parts right before she starts to sing…I’m entranced.

Throughout her song, everything fades into the back. Her sweet and sultry voice sings a song about a girl who thought she knew what she wanted, but didn’t. She thought she loved a man, but didn’t. Finally, she left that life, and started to fly…

I ignore the constant buzzing in my pocket. Josh, no doubt, texting to find out where I’ve disappeared to. He can wait.

She meets my eyes, and sweetly smiles between her lyrics. The tempo changes, and she gets a little louder, her grip on the microphone gets a little tighter, and damn if my pants don’t get too constricting all at the same time.

I should go and sit down. But, I’m locked in place. I stare back at her, and she doesn’t take her eyes off me once. If it weren’t for the security guards I would rush that stage and bend her down for a kiss. Taking her luscious mouth and making it all mine. Then again, anything they’d do to get me off the stage would be so worth it.

CHAPTER FIVE

There have only been two other instances where I’ve been momentarily rendered speechless…or suffered from some other immobility. Once, in a bathroom in Cheyenne, and the second time was in Lander’s grocery store. Elsa and Riley both made me feel this way. Now, the mesmerizing siren on the stage is sweetly pulling me into submission.

I swallow—hard—and decide that the third time has got to be the charm. Just as I’m getting deeper and deeper into the songstress, someone starts frantically shouting.

“Fire! Fire! Everyone out!”

Screams and an alarm all start to wail simultaneously.

I feel hands on my shoulders, tugging at my body, and I turn to see Josh trying to get me to leave with him and his…posse. My eyes dart back to the stage, but she’s gone. I fervently search all around my person, trying to see where she went, but I come up with nothing but blurred bodies scrambling toward the exit.