Page 6 of Elusive

And now that I’m thinking about it… need to check my entertainment center, no idea what Presley was hinting to ‘ask my girlfriend’ earlier.

“You’re not going to touch me while you’re thinking about her.”

“Didn’t ask to touch you, asked you to get some sleep. Stopped you from touching me if memory serves.”

She sits back down on the edge of the bed and speaks calmly, as though unaware she’s recently lost a few marbles… and really should start looking for them ASAP. “Don’t get mad, I’m not. I just don’t want to be the fool left in the dark. What’s her name?”

“Presley,” I mumble, ready to pierce my own eardrums — with a painfully sharp object — and she’s only just begun her second round of “research.”

“How long did you guys date?” Knew it. Let the fun commence.

“Three times,” I laugh. “If you wanna call it dating. She’s JT’s cousin, so I know her from around. Went to the same concert as her once, went home with her, but nothing happened. We’d both been drinking. Another time I took her home from JT’s girl’s place, but again, nothing happened… because again, she’d been drinking. The third, and final, date, saw her at a party at JT’s parent’s house. That’s it, the whole relationship, wrapped up in what, thirty seconds? Short and sweet. You’re making it a much bigger deal than it was.”

“You didn’t say ‘nothing happened’ the last time,” she hedges.

“No, I didn’t.” And I won’t — lie or elaborate — not a “Kiss and Tell” type of guy. Or the type that’d ever disrespect Presley.

“She’s very pretty,” Hailey baits me, fooling no one. I know damn well those are far from the words she wants to say.

But, she opened the door, so I nod and walk through it. “Yes, she is. So are you. Come here.” I smile warmly and hold out my arms, hoping, as she catapults herself across the bed to fall into them, that maybe the storm’s passed. Resting my chin on her head, I place a quick kiss on her hair. “We all have people in our past, Hailey. Presley and I haven’t spoken in months. She didn’t know about you. Now she does, she won’t be back. Not her style. She just,” I chuckle, “stopped by on the off-chance I’d be down for a booty call. I’m not, she’s gone, and you’re still here. Let it go, I already have.”

She tilts her head to look up at me, eyes now brimming with pleased vindication. “So you’re not hung-up on the Amazonian beauty with endless legs and floatation devices for boobs?”

Oh, Hailey… you forgot full, ripe melon of an ass that doesn’t quit and a magnetic personality to lure the saints... but I think it best not to “help” her with the list.

“Actually, I’m ready to go to sleep with this adorable little blonde in my arms. Maybe you know her? She’s got a cute button nose, beautiful blue eyes, perfect, perky tits, and a tiny ass I can fit in my hand. Know anyone like that?”

“Maybe,” she giggles. “But I’m not ready for bed, I’m hungry. You said we were going out to eat.”

“That was before all the… commotion. Can ya cut me a break? Raincheck? Plans obviously got a lil’ rearranged and I have to be at work in a few hours, could really use some sleep if I’m gonna toss drunk dudes around all night. You’re more than welcome to anything in the kitchen, or order something in, my wallet’s on the dresser.”

“It’s fine,” she huffs, climbing off the bed as disruptively as possible. “I’ll just get something on the way home. Call ya tomorrow.”

Guess I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead.

“You know I’m not about to let you walk to your car alone.” Just like Presley; stayed far enough back to give her space, close enough to ensure she made it safely inside her car. I drag my ass up and throw on some clothes. “Let’s go grab ya something to eat, then you can just drop me off at work.” Few hours early, that I could be spending sleeping.

“Okay!” She squeals, doing some bounce/clap thing, too happy she got her way to notice how — what I consider selfish — she’s being.

For tonight though… I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt… and amnesty. She did get knocked off her game by Presley’s surprise visit; gotta be why she’s acting so annoying. If I was a woman, I wouldn’t want to go up against Presley Beckett either. And Hailey’s not totally off base — there is something special about Presley that outshines any and everyone else in the room.

But she’s not in the room, Hailey is, so, I force on a smile, wrap my arm around her shoulders and speak kindly. “Let’s get you fed.”

And it damn near works, the whole “reset” in both our moods… until I turn to close and lock the front door behind us. As if standing right beside me, I hear Presley’s voice ring in my ears and my eyes steer themselves to the entertainment center.

What. The. Fuck?

Amnesty, “grace period,” or benefit of the doubt over. Non-existent.

Sure enough, front and center on the middle shelf, sits a framed picture — that I’d never noticed — of Hailey. And a dog. In my apartment. This shit was done before Presley showed up. Meaning… I’ve got to cut the crazy strings.

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