Shades of Sydney (Sydney West #1) (10 page)

Chapter Twelve

“Syd, do you wanna hang out tonight?” Amelia asked, braiding her hair in my doorway.

I was texting Nikki from Dark Temptress. With the message sent, I sat the phone down to look at my friend. “Sure, we can go to The Heart—”

She twisted a pony at the end of her braid and tossed it behind her. “I should’ve been clear. Hunter and I are going out to eat. Do you want to come too?”

My heart sank into my stomach. I didn’t want to eat as those love birds giggled and whispered to each other. “I’ll pass, but thanks.”

“Hunter said Jason will probably come.” She wiggled her eyebrows, as if I was a dog and Jason was a juicy bone.

My cell phone pinged. I read the new message.

Nikki:
We should hang 2nght.

An evil plan came to mind. Nikki came back from tour last night and wanted to go out with me. I could take him to the restaurant and make Jason leave me alone.

“Can I bring a friend?”

She exhaled and gave me a disappointed look. “If you must,” she said bitterly and walked down the hall toward her room.

I texted Nikki back and hoped he’d come even though he wouldn’t know what game I was playing.

Me:
My friends & I r going out 2 eat. U wanna join us? It’ll be fun.

Nikki:
Sure…if we can be alone after.

I licked my lips and thought about adding another rocker to my list of summer boys. That sounded like I was a groupie and I didn’t even need to attend a concert.

Me: Deal. I’ll get the details & let u know the where & when.

Nikki: Looking forward 2 it.

***

Nikki met us at the front door of Italian Garden. I wrapped my arms around him. He grabbed my ass and kissed me hard. His stubble scratched my face. As the five of us waited for a table, I sat on Nikki’s lap and laughed as he told me something about what his guitar player did to a hotel room.

I wasn’t paying much attention because I kept looking at Jason. He stood alone by a painting of grapes. He crossed his arms over his chest, making his muscles bulge and strain the sleeves of his t-shirt. Jason didn’t look at anyone. He kept his head back and eyes closed. I watched him swallow and envisioned my lips kissing his chest again.

Nikki squeezed my knee, bringing me back to reality. “Our table is ready,” he said.

I nodded and stood up. We followed the blonde hostess to a table in a corner of the restaurant. The waiter gave us samples of some red wine to taste and left so we could figure out our order.

“Nikki,” I cooed. Jason cringed at my tone, making me smile inside.

“What, baby?” he breathed onto my neck. His fingers kept going up and down my inner right thigh. Nikki could make me wet, but he didn’t make my heart burst.

“Would you like to share some chicken fettuccine with me?” I batted my eyelashes at him, and Amelia kicked me under the table with her heels.

I glared at her. She flicked her eyes to an upset Jason and mouthed, “Stop it.”

She was no fun. I downed my wine, Amelia’s, and Nikki’s. None of them were a fan, and I was helping them out. Why waste good wine?

The waiter took our orders and came back with drinks and breadsticks. I took a swig of my soda and placed a breadstick on my plate before they were all taken. Amelia and Hunter were talking about going to the beach. Jason stared down at his plate as he ripped a breadstick into confetti. It was time to make my move.

I dug my nails into Nikki’s spiked hair and pulled him in for a kiss. He tasted like the bread. We kissed deeply, almost sloppily. He liked to force his tongue as far as it could go down my throat. I wanted to gag, but Jason was watching. I slid my hand down his arm, and laid it on his knee. His fingers were more adventurous and were going under my skirt.

Amelia kept sighing, trying to hint I should stop. I ignored her and kept making out.

“Excuse me.” I broke away from Nikki and looked up at the stern faced waitress. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. “This is a family restaurant. Please wait until after your visit to do such things. Thank you,” she said and walked away with a few empty wine glasses.

I leaned back against the chair and broke my piece of bread in two. It was cold, so it wasn’t going to taste as good. After taking a bite, I stole a glance at Jason.

His eyes burned my flesh, like melting a marshmallow held low to the flame. He didn’t approve of how I lived my life. It was written all over his face.

I didn’t see the point in settling for one person. If you gave them your heart, you were giving them power to break you. They can either crush you or die on you. I didn’t want to deal with that. My solution was better, but it didn’t hold the seal of approval by today’s society.

When my bread was gone, our dinners were served with more bread. I took a warm piece and bit into it. So much better than the first.

The noodles that came with the chicken fettuccine were long. I got Nikki to play along with me. He ate one end and I ate the other until we met in the middle and kissed.

I giggled and pat my lips with a napkin. Amelia shook her head. Hunter looked at his plate like it was a math problem he needed to solve. Jason threw money onto the table and left.

My whole being went numb. I went too far. Why did I keep pushing him to the breaking point?

Nikki wanted to do the noodle trick again, but I waved him off. The rest of dinner was awkward and too quiet.

After dinner, Nikki walked me to the car. We kissed before getting in. I looked at Amelia as she got into Hunter’s truck and watched him open the door for her. They acted like they’ve been dating for years.

How Amelia hung all over Hunter still puzzled me. To settle for one guy was bizarre. The worst part was she hadn’t known him long. Love at first sight was a myth, made up to fool the simple-minded. I wasn’t going to drink the Kool-Aid. I knew how the world functioned. It didn’t give a damn.

In Nikki’s BMW, he squeezed my left thigh and backed out of the parking lot. He was on the fast track to his condo so we could have ‘dessert.’

We fucked around on his velvet sheets in a California king-sized bed. Nikki was a pleasant lover. He liked to be handcuffed to the bed and lick whipped cream off my breasts. When playtime ended, he rolled over to go to sleep. That was my queue to get dressed and call a cab.

As I stood on the corner waiting for a yellow taxi to take me home, Jason came to mind. My plan with Nikki worked, but it was over the line. Hell, I couldn’t see that damn line anymore. I chased Jason away and for some reason my heart felt like thorns were hugging it, cutting deep wounds that would leave scars forever.

Chapter Thirteen

Amelia and I weren’t talking for the moment. She was pissed at me for how I treated Jason at Italian Garden. To escape her icy glares, I went to the mall. Families buzzed by, talking amongst themselves. Teens walked hand-in-hand, flirting and being too lovey-dovey. There were a few wannabe punks in sagging Tripp pants with chains.

A girl with bright pink braids walked past me with a pretzel. It made my mouth water just smelling it. I hadn’t had one of those pepperoni pretzels in over a year. It was time to indulge. The restaurant that made them was on the other side of the mall. I window-shopped as I walked over there. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw someone I knew.

He was tall, toned, and...

Holy shit, the guy was Jason!

My pace quickened. I needed to leave. My body felt exposed. At any moment, he could look up from his cell phone and see me. What I needed to do was duck into a store for a few minutes and put space between us.

The first shop to my left was a baby store. I wasn’t going to waste time in there. I raced to the store before it, Veronica’s Secret. In my dash to hide, I almost mauled a guy wearing a baseball cap. He was probably waiting for his wife. I apologized and quickly went inside.

Countless sweet scents from perfumes and lotions bombarded my nose. A display case with pink roses held the newest fragrance. I walked over to try it on. A sales lady pounced on me as I sprayed it on my wrist. She had fire red hair and smiled her professional smile.

“May I help you find something?”

“Just looking,” I said, avoiding eye contact and placing the perfume back. If you ignore them, salespeople usually wander away.

“Okay, let me know if you need anything.” She disappeared, ready to help anyone who asked or didn’t.

I drifted toward the bra section, looking for my size. It never hurt to have a new bra and a sexy lace one was all the better. My hand rested on a blood red bra. It was tasteful, yet I wasn’t sure if I wanted something that bold. What shirt would I wear it with?

As I went back and forth in my head, someone touched my shoulder. I thought it was the saleswoman again and was about to say,
I’m doing fine, but I may need a dressing room soon
, but the words died when I saw who the hand belonged to. Jason stood next to me. My stomach dropped to the floor.

“Why are you avoiding me?” he asked. His face was screwed up in frustration. Damn Jason was hot when he was upset.

I bit my lip and turned back to the rack of bras. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I saw you see me and dash into this store like your life depended on it.”

“They are having a sale and it’s so hard to find my bra size.” I lifted the red bra in my hand to make a point.

He looked at the bra before shaking his head. “Nice try, but I wasn’t born yesterday.”

My mind raced for something to say, anything to make him leave me alone. “Why are
you
here?”

Jason slipped his hands into his back pockets. “Like I said, I know you are avoiding me, and I want to know why.”

“So you decided to stalk me? Not the best move.”

“It’s not stalking. I wanted to talk to you.”

“So talk. I’m going to shop.”

A morbid idea came to me. I’d make him uncomfortable. After all, I was in Veronica’s Secret and guys rarely entered its doors. They liked to linger outside.

“Can you hold this?” I asked, holding the scarlet bra against his chest.

He grabbed it with both hands. “Umm…sure?”

I went back to browsing. To torment Jason more, I kept handing bras in various colors and styles. He kept taking them and following me like it was no big deal. It looked like I had to up the stakes.

He held the bras like they were any other clothing item, nothing to be embarrassed about. “I know you’re trying to get rid of me, but I’m not someone you can ditch when the sun comes back up. And you do remember our best friends are going out, right?”

A summer boy who wants more? That’s interesting.

I walked to a circular table and leafed through the brightly colored thongs. “So you think we should hang out because of our friends?”

Jason leaned against the powder pink wall and nodded. “I’m saying you can’t avoid me like some one-night stand. I want to talk about—”

“I need to try these on,” I replied in a rush. He said enough. I didn’t want to talk about us. There was no us. I grabbed two pairs of laced thongs and turned away.

The saleswoman who spoke to me earlier stopped me before I reached the dressing rooms. “Just a friendly reminder. Your friend needs to stay
outside
the room.” She gave Jason a quick once over before throwing her smile back on for another customer.

A small smirk curled my lips when I took in Jason’s expression. He was completely red and staring at the floor. I took my bras from him and he motioned toward a wall that stood between the dressing rooms and the rest of the store. I nodded him along and locked myself into the small room.

“What have you gotten yourself into?” I muttered under my breath as I stared at my reflection. I waited for her to give me some helpful advice. But alas, all she did was stare at me with her blank blue eyes.

After slipping my shirt and bra off, I tried on the bras first. The red one was too itchy. I traded it in for a silk black one that fit like a glove. Made my breasts perky yet didn’t form them into pointed mountains on my chest. It was hard to find a supportive and sexy 34 DD bra.

I wanted to take my time and hoped Jason would knock and tell me he had somewhere to go and would talk later. I had no such luck. After trying on a pink bra with white polka dots, which was too much like a Madonna cone bra, I snuck a peek at Jason through a crack between the door and the wall of the dressing room. He stood straight, looking down at his hands, making sure not to look at women in the eye or anywhere else for that matter. He looked innocent and kind of cute. What was wrong with me? I was hiding, wishing he’d get bored and want to play with some other girl.

I was a wreck. That was what was wrong with me.

Looking at the thongs, I passed on trying them on. They weren’t my taste, just something to grab. With all my bras tried on, there was only one thing to do. Get dressed and face the music known as Jason.

A sigh escaped from my glossed lips as I snapped my bra back on. With my shirt on and hair fixed, I checked myself over in the mirror. I appeared ready and a little annoyed.

When I opened the door to the dressing room, the saleswoman was on me like flies on dirty pigs. “How did it go?”

I forced a smile. “It was all right. I like this bra.” I lifted up the black one. “The others didn’t quite work out.”

“I’m glad one worked,” she said, taking my rejects and leaving.

Jason closed the distance between us and muttered, “Are you done yet?” His eyes darted to the exit. The store was getting under his skin. That made me smile for real.

“Not yet. I need to pick out a lotion.” I patted his arm and walked to the wall with all the perfumes and lotions on display. A girl could never have too many.

He trailed behind me like a little kid. “Really? Don’t you have a lot already?” he moaned.

I spun around, wiping my hair over my shoulder. “Excuse me? How do you know what I have or don’t have?”

He raised his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just saying, my sister and mother are always buying perfumes and lotions, even though they have a lot at home. Damn bottles are always falling on the ground because there is no more room on the bathroom sink.”

My anger eased up. He was comparing me to his family. He hadn’t snooped around my room. “Oh, for a second I thought you went through my stuff while I was asleep.”

“I’d never do that. My mama taught me to never snoop around a girl’s room or purse. She said I probably wouldn’t like what I found.”

I laughed. “That’s good advice. Your mama is smart.”

“Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “she is.”

We stood before the wall of lotions paired with their signature perfume and body wash. I wasn’t a body wash fan. My goal was to sample each lotion, even though I already knew my favorites and the ones I loathed, but I didn’t feel like doing it anymore. My stomach grumbled as I inhaled the strawberry champagne lotion. I was still hungry.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Jason asked, smirking at my upset stomach.

“No.”

“Me either. We can get something after we leave here. I was kinda thinking about getting a pretzel, but we can go wherever.”

I clenched my jaw to keep it from hanging open. Ironically he was in the mood for the same type of food I craved.

“Sounds good to me.” I still held the bottle of lotion in my hand. “Let’s go.”

I made my way to the register without looking to see if he was following. Something told me he was.

Jason stood silent as I purchased my bra and lotion. Once I had a pink Veronica’s Secret bag in hand, we left the store. I saw him let out a breath. It looked like he let go of some of the tension I sensed earlier by the dressing rooms.

“What kind of pretzel do you want?” he asked as we made our way through the heart of the mall to the other side.

“Pepperoni, you?”

“I like the normal salted kind.”

“Traditional.”

He smiled, making the skin around his eyes wrinkle. “Yeah, guess I’m that kind of guy.”

“I’m more a combination fan of the pretzel and pizza, both things I love at once. Sort of saves on the calories,” I joked.

“Mmm-hmm.” He didn’t seem to think my joke was funny. I guess calorie counting wasn’t something to laugh about. Most people were too uptight about such topics, especially in California.

“I’m dying of thirst. I’m so getting the biggest cup they have,” Jason declared.

“I want my stomach to stop growling. After that’s taken care of, I’ll worry about drinking.”

“You look like a Dr. Pepper girl,” he said, eyeing me.

I turned around, walking backward. “Yeah? Why do you say that?”

His eyes reflected the sunlight threading through the glass ceiling. “You have that look. Someone with great taste, but also has many different flavors.”

Something tugged at my heart. Could he see through my charade? I stopped walking for a moment. “Didn’t know I wore that on my sleeve,” I said sarcastically.

“I can read people,” he said with a shrug.

My eyebrows met in confusion. I walked by his side again. “You can read people?”

“Yeah, it’s a rare talent. I can see a person and guess how they are. You know, their personality, history, their likes and dislikes.”

“Kind of like a therapist?”

“In a way. I’m an observer. Always have been.”

“Hmm…”

Our small talk died when we spotted the pretzel place. There were three people in line ahead of us. Not bad. I went up to order and Jason stepped in front of me. “I’ll take this one. You want a pepperoni pretzel with what drink?”

I stared at him for a heartbeat, in shock that he was being generous. “A medium Dr. Pepper.”

“See, I was right.” Those eyes were dark pools. I looked away and found a vacant metal table in front of the pretzel place.

“Lucky guess. I’m gonna grab us a table.”

I walked to the small table so he couldn’t say anything else. I sat by the railing. Below, people wandered around the first level of the mall.

I brushed off crumbs from the silver tabletop and sat my stuff on the ground by my feet as he ordered. Jason came five minutes later with beverages and food in hand. I took my pretzel and ate it like I hadn’t tasted food in days. Jason stuck the straw into his cup and took a long sip. Silence laid upon us and it felt natural. We were taking care of ourselves and, dare I say, enjoying each other’s company.

He swallowed a bite and cleared his throat. “What brought you to the mall? Looking for some—”

“If you’re going to say a guy, I’m gonna hit you,” I said, glaring at him over my pretzel.

No one should judge me for playing the field. They haven’t walked in my heels. Therefore, they don’t know me.

Jason pressed his lips together until they disappeared. I shifted my weight. The comfort I felt earlier left. A cloud of uncertainty came over the table. I picked at the rest of my pretzel and said, “I don’t mean to lash out…I know what people think of when they see me.”

He grabbed his cup and motioned to me with it. “What do they see? If I may ask.”

His lips formed around the straw, sucking in the soda. My body trembled thinking of those lips on me, making me sticky and hot.

“That I’m a whore, a worthless girl who’s crazy. But what if I want to be a woman not afraid of her sexuality? Why do guys get to fuck a lot of girls and be deemed a player and a woman is thought of as scum and a slut?”