Page 17 of No One But You

“Yeah, we were.” Kora’s words were only a little slurred.

“Here let me get that for you.” I grabbed the pitcher and walked away. She’d follow without much complaint. I had her alcohol.

As the third pitcher of margaritas hit Kora’s system, she relaxed, and the night became more fun. Bryson and I hit it off and made plans to practice a bit Friday night at his house. Yeah, it was just cornhole, but there was no point in competing if winning wasn’t the goal, and Darlene and Kora were quite the entertainment once the tequila kicked in.

I learned all about what the girls were like in high school, and more about the town and the population than I really needed to know. Darlene and Kora went way back, and somewhere in there Bryson’s brother, Rowan, came into play, and Trevor was his best friend. Kora even talked about Trevor. They dated for two years in high school. That bit of knowledge caused a flicker of jealousy to lodge in my chest, and I watched their interactions closer all night. I caught hints of Trevor flirting with her, but Kora didn’t seem interested in any of his advances. That was good to know.

I pulled into the back lot of Shear Perfection after midnight and entered into the kitchen with the key I got from Diane. I was exhausted and wanted to hop in bed but unpacked first.

It was strange being at the hair salon alone. The quiet was deafening after the hours at the pub with the loud music and conversations. I put on some music, made the bed, and jumped under the covers, but sleep eluded me.

My brain was its typical hyper self and wouldn’t let me get the night out of my mind, or more to the point, Kora. She invaded my thoughts. That bra that peeked through her sweater all night teased me now that I was alone. Was it black or navy blue? How did it look on her without the sweater? How smooth was her skin?

“Fuck.” I raked my fingers through my hair. Sleep wasn’t going to happen. I needed to either work or take a cold shower. I picked up the sledgehammer and slammed it into the wall. Demolition was a great substitute for what I wanted to do to, or with, Kora. It should get my mind relaxed and off the brown-eyed beauty with a body that left me horny as hell.

I turned on some heavy metal, perfect for destruction, and got to work knocking down walls. Between the heavy music and the rhythm of the demolition, my mind became busy, I got quite a bit accomplished, my muscles grew tired, and soon I was ready for sleep. The clean-up process could wait until morning.

Chapter 7

Kai

My hours this week were long and kept me busy. I usually didn’t get back into Orlinda Valley until after dark, and Shear Perfection was always empty when I returned.

Part of the reason I worked later than I needed to was because I didn’t want to interfere in the workday of the salon, and it was a little awkward being there in the small room when there were still customers.

I hoped to hear from the bank soon and get the acceptance I was expecting for the property I looked at. As soon as I did, my camper would be out of storage, hooked up, and I’d have a place of my own. The one good thing about staying at the hair salon was that it made working on the new addition easier, and I reached my goal of putting in the electricity when I got back from work Friday night.

Once I was done, I hopped in the shower with plenty of time to get to Bryson and Darlene’s for dinner. I’d finish the electrical tomorrow, and Blake, the plumber, was coming over to get the new plumbing installed. Once that was all completed, the other steps would be easy.

Bryson and Darlene lived in a small subdivision just off the main square. Their house was brick, multi-story, and just about the same as all the ones surrounding them. It was a cute neighborhood if you didn’t mind your neighbors having the same house as you and knowing all your business.

I lived in this type of subdivision for a while when I was a kid. The embarrassment and humiliation after a night of one of my parents’ epic battles was legendary. The neighbors could hear every word they shouted, and the looks I got from the kids as we stood waiting for the bus boiled my blood to this day, and that was in elementary school.

No one ever talked about it or asked me any questions. Not even when I missed school for a couple days and finally showed up with sixteen stitches around my right eye. My mom was long gone by then, and we were living in a small three-bedroom apartment near Atlanta.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, I traced the half-moon scar, the remnant of those stitches. If I looked close enough, I could still make out the jagged edges made by the uneven break of my father’s beer bottle after yet another one of our epic arguments. I still don’t regret what caused the scar. It was either me or my younger siblings who would get the wrath of my father when he came home drunk and belligerent, and my goal was always to be the receiver of our fathers’ drunken rages. As long as he had someone to take his anger out on, he was happy, and it wasn’t going to be the twins if I could help it.

Got to go, Kai. I snapped the mirror shut and heaved my tired body from the car. This was not the time to go down shitty memory lane.

There were two other vehicles in the driveway. A large SUV, probably Bryson’s. It looked like a family vehicle, and the other was a black Nissan Rogue. It looked vaguely familiar. Could be Kora’s. The corner of my mouth ticked up. Bryson and Darlene, me and Kora. This could end up being a really good night.

“Hey, Kai. You’re here.” Darlene greeted me at the gate of their back yard with a one-armed hug. I gave her a slight hug back, even though I didn’t really know her and was a bit uncomfortable.

I glanced around the small fenced-in yard. It was cute and well maintained. A long picnic table sat under a pergola which offered some shade, and a small raised vegetable garden and a wooden playset were out in the yard. Kora was pushing Bryson and Darlene’s son on the swing. I tried to remember his name, but I couldn’t. Oh, well.

“Thanks for inviting me,” I answered, yet my eyes stayed on Kora across the yard.

“Of course. Bryson’s a bit over-focused on cornhole, and winning the tournament is his ultimate goal, so this was an important night, at least where he’s concerned.”

Kora joined them with the little boy in her arms. “Hey, Kai. This is James.”

I did a quick survey of her from head to toe and back again. James seemed to have the same thought as me, as he looked her up and down, then cuddled into her side. Lucky guy.

“We met at Shear Perfection last week,” I said as James glanced at me with lowered eyes. He still didn’t seem that sure of me. Not a big deal. If I had to be honest, I wasn’t so sure of him either. I have never been that comfortable around kids, not that I’d been around many.

Bryson exited the house from sliding doors with his arms loaded with a tray of what looked like raw burgers and hot dogs. “Thank God you’re here. I was getting concerned that you stood us up.”

“See, told you he’s a little over-focused on the tournament,” Darlene whispered.

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