A Little Bit of Trouble (14 page)

     Click, click.

     “Lucas?” Loryn snaps, I look back at her. “I asked what you’re doing here.”

     I motion to the mess of a store, “Overseeing this.” I don’t meet her eyes for fear of losing it where my lust is concerned. It’s bad enough being able to see her at all. “I’m gonna get stuck in.”

    
She startles a little and frowns, “Oh right… yeah. Umm… Me too.”

     “Why don’t you go sit down upstairs, it’s going to get messy and dusty. Don’t want you getting sick. Plus there should be someone in soon to plan out the air con.”

     Loryn knocks a bit of dust from her jacket and shrugs, “Yeah. Sounds like a good idea.” Her face becomes indifferent. “I’ll be seeing you then.”

     I can’t be affecting her that much… can I? Why does her cool indifference make me want to kiss her, claim her? Show her exactly what she’s missing? “I want this done properly and as quickly as possible.” My fingers find hers but she pulls her hand away from my grasp. “Now go. Let me do man stuff.” She doesn’t even smile at my joke before walking away.

     By the end of the day, not much gets done but that’s to be expected. Today was mostly the preparation of the actual renovation. Now everyone knows what they’re doing I can let them get on with it, I’ll just pop in every day.

     I leave and pick up my daughter. Without saying bye. I really am an asshole.

Maya
: Dinner at ours this Thursday.

Lucas
: I’ll be there.

     One hour later

Loryn
: Wow...I don't even get a goodbye? Screw you Lucas

Lucas
: I was late to pick up my daughter.

     Yep. I’m definitely an asshole.

The Green Eyed Monster

     “Auntie Maya!” Amelia squeals as usual when we enter James and Maya’s home. She runs straight to her aunt and hugs her tight. “Me and daddy went to the park today.”

     “You did?” Maya grins and kisses me on the cheek. “Loryn’s here.” What?

     And then she’s gone, I guess I’ll see myself in. I head through to the room and sit straight on the sofa by James. Where’s Loryn? I hear her laugh come from the kitchen, great. Just great.

    
She comes into the room about five minutes later, smiles at me like I’m nothing more than a friend and my head hasn’t been between her legs. What’s worse is she is followed by male number one. My blood is fucking boiling. So… she’s dating already. She catches my eyes before sitting at the end of the sofa. Dickhead sits beside her, effectively creating a barrier between myself and her.

     “Hey y’all,” Marie says and walks from the kitchen next. She takes the seat between myself and dickhead. “Hey Lucas. You’ve met Gary right?” Gary? Oh, she means dickhead.

     “Yup,” I grumble and snatch a beer from James. He puts a game on. I’m not following it, I’m listening to dickhead reminisce with Loryn. “Is dinner ready yet?” Shit… Amelia… Loryn… Shit.

     Amelia comes running through with two drinks in her hand, she gives them to Loryn and Dickhead. “Daddy, Loryn said she’s going to do my hair.”

     “That’s great sweetie,” I say softly and pull her onto my lap.

     “She’s going to do pretty braids and make me look like a princess,” Amelia grins excitedly. “Aren’t you Loryn?”

     “If that’s ok with daddy,” Loryn responds weakly. I shrug, I don’t even look at her. This is stupid.
So fucking stupid. “Where’s your other little girl?” The room seems to go silent. Everyone seems to stop breathing. “Bring her along too.”

     I nod, “Thanks Loryn.” Fuck.

     “I’ll be right back,” she says and stands. I watch her walk to the bathroom and enter. Everyone gets tied up in their conversations. I sulk. Yes, I actually fucking sulk.

     “What’s wrong with you?” Maya hisses as I help her set the dinner table. “You’re acting like a dick.”

     “Me?” I scoff. “Why’d you invite her?”

     “Why not?”

     I narrow my eyes, “You could have fucking told me first.” I snatch a plate from her hands and place it on the table. Lowering my voice I add, “You know exactly what you’re doing.”

     “Stop being such an idiot,” she whispers back and rolls her eyes. “If you like her so much, enough to have this reaction then don’t you think you are being an idiot? She likes you. You’ve been the asshole not her.”

     “It’d be nice to be able to come to a family dinner without being set up.” I snarl back and slam the plate on the table. “Next time tell me if she’s here and I won’t come.”

     “What’s the big deal Lucas? Scared she’s going to actually touch your heart?”

     “Don’t be ridiculous, she was just sex. That’s it. Nothing more.”

     “You’re an ass.” She looks at me in disgust.

     “It’s not like she didn’t get anything out of it. She got some great friends and a new store. I’m not the bad guy here.”

     Maya laughs angrily and flips me off, “You’re an idiot Lucas. I’ll invite who I want.”

     “Well then, maybe next time I’ll invite Paul and not tell you or James.”

     “That’s completely different and you know it!” she practically shouts. Why am I arguing with Maya? Christ I’m in a foul mood.

     “What’s so different? I was fucking her for fun, you were fucking him for fun. Same thing, mine just didn’t last as long.” I watch Maya’s eyes go wide.

     “She’s stood right behind me isn’t she?” I mutter, my body tenses. Maya shakes her head but it’s not aimed at me. I turn slowly and splash.

     Red fucking wine hits me straight in the face, no doubt ruining my crisp white shirt.
I definitely deserve that. After quickly using my fingers to drag the wine from my eyes I look at Loryn, she looks… hurt. I really don’t like this look on her face. Shit. I am most definitely, one hundred percent, an asshole.

     “Come on,” Gary says and puts his arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to take her home.”

     Maya nods and leads them to the door. I fucked up. Really fucking
badly. Shit, fuck, shit, fuck and shit.

     “Well, that was interesting,” Marie says and runs her finger down my cheek before sucking it into her mouth. “Tasty.” With an eye roll I turn away from her. “Come on. Let’s go
to yours and have a drink.”

    
I nod, figuring Maya wouldn’t want me here right now anyway.

     “Leave Amelia,” Maya practically spits at me. “Go cheer the fuck up. I really, really don’t like you at the moment.”

     That hurts more than it should, Maya has never been angry at me before. “Maya…”

     “Save it Lucas,” she snaps and holds her hand up. “Go.”

     I turn to James who just shrugs, “I’m thinking chocolates and flowers are in order.”

     I’ve succeeded in pissing off almost my entire family. This just sucks. They’re right though. I have been in a foul mood. After five minutes with Amelia I leave her with her aunt and uncle and set off with Marie.

Step one: Get this fucking female out of my mind.

     We go straight to mine, Marie automatically pulls out a bottle
of Vodka. We drink it straight.

     “Do you think it’s sad that my closest friend is a girl?” I ask, effectively breaking the silence.

     Marie looks at me curiously, “Who? Maya?” She’s so dense sometimes.

     “I’m talking about you.”

     “I don’t think that’s bad. We have a mutual understanding, you don’t judge me. I don’t judge anybody. Simples.”

     This is true. I sigh, Loryn flitting through my mind, my daughter flitting through my mind.

     “You want me to be honest?”

     “Not really,” I snort and down my tumbler of Vodka, coughing a little when it burns.

    
“You’re an idiot and she’s an idiot.” Here we go. “You want her to chase you, she wants you to chase her. You’re jealous as fuck, sexually frustrated and I think you can see a future with her and that’s why you’ve suddenly become pissy. It’s also the reason you don’t want to tell her about Crystal and Annie. Because you feel like if you tell her… you’ll be asking her to replace them. Plus, relationships come with restrictions, marriage, babies… how can you have another kid after what happened to Annie? How can you get remarried after Crystal? So what do you do… rather than let yourself be happy, you run and hope she can convince you to come back.”

     I laugh out loud, “That’s such bullshit.”

     “Really?”

     “Yeah.”

     “Explain.”

     “Loryn isn’t my type, it’s nothing but an extreme sexual attraction. How can anybody get all of that information in their head from just a couple of weeks of knowing a person?”

     Marie shrugs, “That’s what happened to James and Maya.” What? “Hasn’t he told you how he and Maya met?” I shake my head. “She was sixteen, he was nineteen. He ignored her completely for three years, he knew she fancied him but knew nothing could come of it. He never thought she’d end up the way she did. She left for Europe and came back a different person.” I make her stop.

     “If James wants to tell me he can tell me.”

     “Whatever. You should ask him though. It’s horribly romantic.” She starts giggling. “Christ that sounds odd coming from me. Romance… I don’t know the meaning of the word.”

     Should I ask? “Why are you the way you… umm… are… with men?”

     “Why do I act like a whore?” she looks up at the ceiling in thought. “I enjoy sex. I don’t enjoy sex with the same person more than a few times. I lose that spark, you know the shivers you get when someone new touches your skin.” I nod. “After a few times the sparks die and I get bored. This is my way of enjoying myself.” I don’t believe her but I leave it at that.

     “So, are you going to call her and apologize?”

     “For telling the truth?” I respond.

     “You’re really adamant that you don’t like her as more than a good lay?”

     I shrug, it’s the truth isn’t it? Just good sex.

     She gets a wicked glint in her eye, “Prove it.” What? “If that’s true then prove it.”

    “How?” Do I want to know?

    “If it’s true, that she’s nothing but sex then you’ll be able to have sex…” pause, her smile deepens. “With me.” Oh hell. “Without any backlash on your feelings.”

     I jump up from the floor as if burned, “I can’t sleep with you! Are you crazy? You’re like family or something…”

     “Stop being an idiot, I’m female, we’re friends… what is one time going to hurt?” the way she explains it… no… no. Not happening. I’m not sleeping with Marie. That’s just weird. “It’ll be no strings attached. Nobody will ever have to know.”

    
“Marie,” I say and take a step back. “I don’t think of you like that.”

     “I don’t with you either…” she snorts. “Unless you think I’m totally hideous.”

     I frown, “You know you’re gorgeous… it’s just weird.”

     “You like Loryn,” she chants over and over. Stupid female.
“You like…” I grab her shoulders and press my lips against hers. Wow, this is weird. I feel… nothing. Although my dick doesn’t seem to agree, it’s certainly working itself up.

     Her tongue seeks entrance against my lips, I open and push my own against hers. The way she’s leading me shows she likes to be in control. I don’t think so. I grab the back of her head and lower us to the sofa. She hums and starts laughing when I kiss her neck. This is so wrong, but I’m right, I know I’m right.

     “Tickles,” she giggles as I move down her collar bone. She pulls my shirt over my head, I let her and watch her eyes scan over my chest and abs. A lazy smile forms on her face, “Nice.” And her lips are back on mine. “Bedroom. More rolling space.” I can’t believe I’m doing this.

I must be crazy, why am I doing this? What is wrong with me?

     Right. I lift her up, her legs around my hips and take her to my room before throwing her on my bed. It’s like I’m experiencing an out of body experience. Nothing about this is right. I’m not giving in though, I don’t feel guilty. I don’t, I won’t, and I can’t. I’m a single man enjoying sex with an attractive female.

     Then those fucking brown eyes swim through my mind… Loryn. Shit. No, I can’t do this, my dick finally listens and instantly loses its power. Christ. What am I doing?

     I start to pull away when…
     “Jesus Lucas!” Marie says and starts giggling. “You’re almost better at kissing than Jacob!”

     Oh my god. I laugh,
and collapse on top of Marie. She releases her hold on my neck and starts laughing with me. “I can’t believe you’ve kissed Jacob!”

     “Shut
up, it was a moment of weakness,” she sighs and rubs her eyes. “I’ll be honest… I haven’t slept with anyone since him.”

     “You’ve fucked him?” I practically squeak. How did we not see this happening? They’ve always seemed so indifferent of each other.

     “I’m really digging myself a deeper grave here huh?”

     I narrow my eyes and lean on my elbows, remembering what she said a moment ago about not screwing anyone since Jacob. “You said you were with that married guy.”

     She shakes her head, “We never fucked
, just attempted to fool around. He’s ruined me for all other men. I’m pathetic.” I’m assuming she means Jacob has.

     My mouth drops open, “You’re kidding?”

     “Nope. That’s why I really need you to do this.” I immediately jump off her and step away from the bed. Not a chance, even if I wanted to I doubt I could. My conscience is really laying it on thick right now. God knows why! I hope Loryn hasn’t ruined me for all other… nah, that’s impossible. “Please… I don’t like him. Not like that. I know I don’t. It was just mind blowing sex.” A dreamy look comes over her face. Wow, how much denial is in that statement?

     “When did this happen?”

     “When Maya was pregnant. Not long after he went to that sonogram with us.” She smiles a little and sits next to me. “I’d been after him for so long. He finally did it to appease me I think. Well…” she wags her eyebrows. “He definitely had the hots for me but he hates my lifestyle. So we agreed on one night. We’ve been close friends since…”

     Shit. How did we not know this?

     “So, we can forget the whole sex between friends thing now?” I say and go to button up my trousers.
She laughs and nods, “Yeah. Fine. Still friends?”