Pieces (Riverdale #1) (12 page)

     
Cara couldn’t wipe the grin that played
upon her face. It was official, Jake and she had broken down the barriers and
were officially a couple. It felt surreal and she wouldn’t lie, she was kind of
waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely, she wasn’t entitled to such
happiness, and when the powers that be figured it out, her happily ever after
would be ripped from under her.

However,
she could enjoy it while it lasted and that’s exactly what she planned to do.
Now that they were back in Riverdale, after the most amazing weekend, she was
back tending to the bar at Rudy’s.

     
The bar was decently packed for a weekday
and she was the only bartender due to a few call outs. She was pouring three
fingers of scotch for the man at the end of the bar, Billy. He was a regular
that constantly tried to sway Cara to date him. Sam walked in carrying balloons
and Cara slid Billy his scotch and treated him with a wink before leaving him
to meet Sam.

     
“Happy belated birthday,” Sam beamed,
placing the balloon weight on the bar.

     
Cara laughed and naturally when she looked
around the bar, all eyes were on her. The chorus of Happy Birthday began around
the bar, and her regulars lifted their glasses to commemorate her. She felt her
cheeks flush with embarrassment, but graciously thanked everyone before leaning
over the bar and smacking Sam’s hand.

     
“I could kill you right now, but thank
you.” Cara said as she smiled.

     
“Well I would’ve loved to have seen you on
your actual birthday but my brother seemed to have other plans.” Sam made
herself comfortable in the bar stool and then peered at Cara curiously. “I
suppose I should ask; how was it?”

     
Cara bit her lip contemplating on whether
or not she should be the one to let the cat of the bag. “It was great.”

     
“I knew it!” Sam exclaimed, slapping her
palm against the wooden bar. “You totally got some!”

     
“You knew that by three little words?”

     
“No it was a hunch, and you just
confirmed. Thank you very much!” Sam leaned in. “I’d ask for all the juicy
details but its Jake and that would just give me nightmares. So instead I’ll
ask, are you finally dating my brother?”

     
Cara lifted her gaze and watched as Jake
walked through the door. Her heart raced at the sight of him. He was dressed
casually, in jeans and fitted hoodie. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows
and his hair was slightly mussed from the wind she figured. He wore the biggest
grin, and hers matched it. His eyes locked with hers and she couldn’t help but
completely ignore her surroundings.

     
Sam swung her head around and caught the
exchange between Cara and Jake, before she rolled her eyes. “Oh boy, you two
got it bad.” She sang.

     
“Hey, Sis,” Jake said, his eyes still on
Cara as he placed a quick kiss on his sister’s cheek.

     
Cara bit her lip, and wondered how he
would greet her. Usually a peck on the cheek like he gave his sister would
suffice. Would he kiss her in front of all these people? Did she want him to?
Of course she did, she wanted more than anything for him to claim her as his
own. Maybe then she wouldn’t be hit on every second she worked.

     
Jake leaned over the bar and grabbed her
face with both hands, placing his smiling mouth over hers. Well that answered
that, she thought for a moment before responding to the kiss. Her hands wrapped
around his wrists, and her lips worked his softly. It was quick, but the
message was well received. He wanted everyone to know they were together.

     
“Hi.” She whispered against his mouth.

     
“Hi yourself,” Jake said before releasing
her face.

     
“Well that answered my question.” Sam said
as a matter of fact.

     
Jake smirked as he turned his attention
towards his sister. “What question would that be?”

     
“I asked if you two were a couple, but
before she could answer me you did.” Sam said as she studied her brother and
after a moment she beamed back at him. “I’m so happy for you guys!” She threw
her arms around him and he laughed.

     
Cara rubbed her face, wondering if she
could rub the rosiness of her cheeks away.

     
“I’m happy for us too.” Jake said and
looked over his shoulder at Cara. “So what’s with the balloons?”

     
“Sam brought them for me. Did I even thank
you for them?”

     
Sam shrugged. “So how was Mary Poppins?
Did Jake sit through the entire show?”

     
“Yes Jake sat through the entire show,” He
said mockingly as he referred to himself in the third person.

     
“It was great, even better than the
movie.” Cara added and threw Jake a smile. She still couldn’t believe he
remembered how much she had wanted to see that show.

     
“Hey sugar, can I get another scotch?”
Billy crooned from across the bar. When Cara glanced over at him he sent her a
beaming smile, while holding up his empty glass.

     
“Sometimes I forget I actually have to
work.” Cara thought to herself but said aloud. “Excuse me.” She said to them
and puckered her lips towards Jake before fulfilling her customer’s needs.

     
Jake knew his sister was rattling off
questions aimed at him, but he ignored her. He didn’t like the fact that the
jerkoff at the end of the bar was blatantly flirting with Cara. He knew it
happened all the time, he wasn’t ignorant. What ticked him off most was that
Jake was pretty sure the guy was only doing it to test Jake. The whole time
Cara served him, he would shoot Jake a glance. Obviously this prick, didn’t
know how short of a leash he had.

     
Jake ground his teeth, trying his best not
to stalk over there and beat the living shit out of the guy. Sam must’ve
realized that he was ignoring her because she turned her attention in the same
direction as Jake’s.

     
Sam snapped her fingers in front of Jake’s
face, forcing him to meet her scrutiny.

     
“What?” He growled. She cocked one eyebrow
and he rolled his eyes. “Oh please, he’s deliberately fucking with me.”

     
“Maybe but you’re going to have to get
used to that. She works in a bar for God’s sake, not a convent.”

     
He hated when his sister was right,
probably as much as she hated him endlessly teasing her.

     
“I know.” He sighed heavily. “I just don’t
like it. Half these people are used to her being fair game. How many times have
I sat here and watch while someone slipped her their number?”

     
Sam nodded understanding. “All the while
you slipped a few girls your number.”

     
“Well shit’s different now.” He grumbled.

     
“But it doesn’t change that she works
here. Cara knows how to handle herself, so you need to trust that.” She said
while Jake stared back at Cara. Sam chuckled amused and he snapped his gaze
back towards her.

     
“I trust her, not them.” He said bluntly
as he crossed his arms against his chest. He looked down at his watch. He had
just stopped by because he missed her and wanted to see her before his next
client. Now as he watched a guy get all cozy with his girlfriend he wanted to
park his ass at the bar all night and guard her like a watchdog, to hell with
his work. Not to mention, his sister was getting her kicks in at his expense.

     
“Got room for one more?” Nick said as he
stood between Sam and Jake.

     
“No. Go away.” Sam said miserably.

     
Jake tore his eyes from Cara and
acknowledged Nick. “Hey man. What are you doing here?”

He
wondered if he could slip him a few bucks and beg him to stand guard over Cara
as he went to work.

     
“I live upstairs, what the hells with the
face?” Nick said half sarcastically the other half questioning.

     
“Jake got himself a girlfriend.” Sam said
sweetly, turning the tables on her brother.

     
Nick looked over at Cara then back at
Jake. “Oh yeah? Looks like, he picked the wrong girl, and is still pining for
his best friend.”

     
“Cara is my girlfriend, dickhead.” Jake
blew out a breath and watched Nick’s eyes widen and a naughty grin take over
his mouth.

     
“Well it’s about time.” He said and
slapped him on the shoulder, as if he just announced he won the Noble Peace
Prize.
 
Nick looked over at Sam. “So why
is he sulking?”

     
Sam shrugged as she tried to contain her
amusement. “He’s jealous.”

Nick
laughed out loud only pissing Jake off more.

     
“Are you two done?” Jake asked.

     
“Oh come on, you can dish it but you can’t
take it?” Sam taunted.

     
“Nick shouldn’t you be wooing her or
something?” Jake looked as his sister warningly, only for her to roll her eyes
in exchange.

     
“Oh please, it’s hilarious to think of you
brooding over a girl, and that girl being Cara. For years you played it off as
if she was just your best friend in the whole wide world.” She emphasized her
sarcasm. “Now in the blink of an eye I’m supposed to play it off like you
acting like the jealous boyfriend to Cara, is not completely new to me? Hell
I’m all for it, but you had to know we’d tease you mercilessly.”

     
Jake opened his mouth to speak, not sure
if he should go with the harshest thing that sat on the edge of his tongue or
to engage in the ridiculousness of this conversation. Happy he didn’t have to
decide, because Cara made her way over to him and made him completely forget
his antagonist of sister. Jake took her hand in his and watched as she smiled
up at Nick.

     
“Hey Nick, what’s up?”

     
“Hey sweetheart.” Nick said as he winked
at Cara. Jake kicked him in the shin, just for the hell of it.

     
“Sorry, I have a twitching problem.” Jake
said sheepishly as Nick grunted.

     
“Man you need to relax.” Nick said through
gritted teeth, shaking his leg out.

Cara
stared up at Jake, her eyes questioning him. Shit, was he really going to play
the jealous boyfriend? He wanted to kick himself just as he kicked Nick.
 

     
“Who’s the suit and tie?” Jake asked,
motioning to the man at the end of the bar. He watched Cara glance over her
shoulder and then look back into his eyes. She smiled at him before she pressed
her lips against his mouth. He felt like an asshole, especially now that she
was amused by the jealously that flooded his veins.

     
“That’s just Bill.” She pulled back and
stared at him. “He asked me to dinner, and I graciously told him I am very much
in love with my boyfriend.”

     
Jake couldn’t help but throw “Bill” a
dirty look. Cara cupped his face, and forced him to look at her. “Hey, I can
handle this.”

     
“I know you can.” He sighed aggravated
with himself. “I just don’t know if I can.” He admitted as he took her hands
off his face and kissed one and then the other. “I’m an ass.”

     
“You’re my ass.” She said as she grinned
at him.

     
“This is going to take some getting used
to.” Nick said to Sam as he watched Jake and Cara.

     
“Yes, and it’s going to be so fun to watch
Jake squirm.” Sam said as she blew a kiss to her brother.

     
Jake supposed he deserved her teasing him,
but he would never admit it. He chose to ignore her for now, once he gathered
his bearings he was going to embark on a relentless Nick and Sam attack. He
focused on Cara. “What time do you get off?”

     
“One o’ clock.” She said as she licked her
bottom lip. He wanted to lean in and take her lip between his teeth, but he had
a damn appointment. He cursed to himself.

     
“I have to go. I have a back piece I’m
scheduled to do in a half hour. I’ll pick you up.”

     
“I have my car.”

     
“So leave it here, we’ll go for a ride.
We’ll go to our place.” He wiggled his eyebrows knowing very well, she wouldn’t
say no.

     
“Okay.” She smiled at him and then he
leaned in and took her lower lip between his just as he wanted to. She wrapped
her arms around his neck, holding onto the kiss. He restrained himself from
kissing her like he wanted to. He may have been acting out, but he knew that
there were limits. Slowly, he withdrew himself from her.

     
“We’ll continue this later.” He promised,
loving how turned on she looked and knowing his simple kiss caused it. He stood
from his stool and looked over at Sam and Nick. “I’m leaving. Keep an eye on
her.” He told Nick.

     
“Well, if you’re leaving there is no way
I’m staying here with him.” Sam said as she pointed a finger at Nick.

     
Nick sarcastically waved goodbye at Sam,
before nodding towards Jake. “I’ve got you.”