Page 8 of Cold Snap
And now she’s acting like she’s in pain somehow, like maybe I might have caused it. Or maybe that’s just my guilt over flirting with her so uninhibited, all the while knowing nothing can come from it. All this time, I thought she was with me, but maybe…she was taking it more seriously than I had thought. All the little smiles and touches, could they have meant more to her?
I keep going over her words. The part about being all alone stands out for me, almost like it’s an echo of what I feel sometimes when the bar is closed and I’m not on call. When doubts start to creep in, and I wonder what the hell I’m really doing with everything. Sometimes it feels a little like I’m hiding here in these four walls. Is it like that with Teresa? I doubt it. She’s young and fun and uncomplicated in the best ways.
But all I do all night long is lie up and think of her and what I heard in her voice. The question she asked me that I couldn’t answer: What are we doing?
Chapter Six
Teresa
When Waylon suggests taking his relationship with Oakley public to draw the bastard scaring her out, I, of course, suggested we go to Land’s End. I have a dual purpose. I want to see Landry again. I miss him. Speaking on the phone isn’t the same as being in his presence. I love the sound of his voice, but seeing those eyes…that’s like what I imagine getting high is like, all addictive and floaty.
Because my brother is with me, I have to keep it fairly PG-13. Even so, I keep the skirt short and the neckline sweetheart-shaped so it accentuates my boobs, and I add a sparkly little body chain that wraps around my neck and drapes down between my breasts. I shouldn’t keep doing this, shouldn’t keep pushing him, tormenting myself, but when I’m around him…when our hands brush or he’s so close I can almost press our lips together…it’s like magic. Being around him is like magic. Who wouldn’t want to stand next to that?
I make my way over to him and note he doesn’t seem to be as…easygoing as he normally would be. His eyes still follow the little body chain I have on down to where it can’t be seen anymore.
“What’s up?”
“You here for more heartbreak relief?”
“Hmm, not tonight. Tonight, I’m just here to help watch Oakley.”
“You need to be careful.” I back up a little at the warning. “Seems to me, Waylon can take care of Oakley just fine, and you’d only be putting yourself in harm’s way.”
I lean forward and grab him by the hand, stopping him dead. “You’re worried about me.”
He turns our hands so he’s the one holding me by the wrist, and my heart speeds up so fast I think he must be able to see my heartbeat in my throat. “I’d kill someone if anything happened to you.”
My mouth falls open, and my breath stalls. We might be in a bar full of people, but it feels like it’s just me and him. He didn’t say it very loudly, but his words still vibrate through me like echoes. Hope blooms so fast and hard, I feel like I’m almost floating.
“And how your brother let you wear that out of the house is beyond me.”
“What?” What the hell does Waylon have to do with what is happening right now between us?
“He’s all caught up in Oakley, so I guess it’s up to me to make sure everyone keeps their fucking hands off.”
And my little sailboat of hope springs a leak. “You…are worried about what I’m wearing and if I’ll get hit on tonight?”
“Among other things.”
And I hear the bubbles as the fucking thing sinks into the ocean, or maybe that’s my blood boiling. I pull my hand away from him and narrow my eyes at him.
“I can take care of myself, Land. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Maybe.” He sets one of the fruity drinks I like so much on the bar in front of me. “Maybe you need more watching than you know.”
I take the drink and turn away from him. When I think about being so…stunned that he would kill for me, only to have him tell me he’s doing what my brother would have done had he not been all caught up in Oakley, just…burns. By the time I'm back at our table, I’m good and mad.
“I want to dance.” I want to scream right in Landry’s face. I want to tell him he’s an ass for treating me like I’m a child and nothing more. I want…to show him what he’s going to miss because he’s a stupid man. “Come dance with me.”
I look at Oakley, who has eyes only for my brother. “Oh, I don’t…”
“Come on.” I end up pulling her out to the floor so both of us can dance and have a good time.
It’s like old times for a little while, and then the music changes. Waylon comes out on the floor to take Oakly in his arms, and I’m left without someone. I skitter off the floor after telling one of the guy’s Waylon works with that I don’t want to slow dance. I make my way over to the bar to pick up a water andrun into Aarons and at the same time. I see Landry buddying up to some beautiful blonde hanging on to every word he says.
“Hey, Terry. How’s it going?”
Shit! I really don’t want to deal with Aarons while watching Landry flirt with some woman at the bar. Not really on my sucky-night-bingo card.
