Charm School After Dark: Lesson 1 (23 page)

“You did that for me?” Another long pause. “Caelen, do you think… I mean, will you…” The soft tone dropped away and Dare’s arrogance seeped back in. “I want my two days. No take-backs.”

Thank God.
She liked Cocky Dare, but Pissed Off Dare was a whole different story. She understood his pain. She remembered his childhood and his abusive father, but was she willing to put up with his temper? Usually, they’d go toe to toe no problem, but tonight he’d really disappointed her. Hurt her.

Admit it, you coward. You’re pulling away, because he’s starting to get too close.

“I know I was as asshole.” His voice deepened as he said, “Don’t give up on me. Just
… don’t.”
He paused and let out a long breath. “Give me the next few days. I’ll make it worth it. I swear.”

In that moment, she knew with a surety she hadn’t felt in a long time, she didn’t want their agreement to end. But she wasn’t going to put up with suspicion, anymore. She’d had enough of that with Victor. “I meant what I said, Goldie. For our time together, these next few days, it’s only you and me. I promise. But you have to decide, right now, whether you believe me or not.”

“I do.”

Bzzz. Bzzz
.

She looked down at her phone and she heard Dare curse. Perfect time to see if he meant what he said.

“Starting now.”

“Caelen…”

“No. Don’t say another word. You’re going to have to put your money where your mouth is.”

“What?”

“We say goodbye, right now, and you are going to prove that you believe me by not getting pissed or asking me any questions about who called. Not one question. Got it?”

“But I have a question.”

“Didn’t you just hear what I just said?”
Grrr.
“What?”

“Tell me you forgive me.”

“That’s not a question.”

Bzzz. Bzzz.

“Do you forgive me, Betty? I need to hear it.”

“Almost. Now, beat it. I
might
have a text to answer.”

Caelen held her breath, waiting to see if he’d balk. The quiet stretched so long that she thought he’d hung up. Right before she put down her cell, she thought she heard a deeply rasped, “I’ll be thinking about you.”

Chapter 23

‡

One Day and Counting…

I
AM SUCH
a bitch.

How, how,
how
had she made such a mess of things? Promises obviously meant nothing, not even to herself.
Keep things impersonal. Don’t get involved.
There was no way she could forget the raw words Dare had shared with her. His ex-wife cheating with another firefighter! And here she was judging the woman—What was her name? Janie. Caelen was no better than his ex. Wasn’t Janie, who Caelen wanted to kick in the ass with her sharpest stilettoes, just the other side of the same philandering coin?

Oh man. I really, really am a bitch.

If Dare ever found out that she had cheated with a married man, he would hate her forever. No way, after what Janie had put him through, would he ever forgive her. Dare lived in absolutes; it wouldn’t matter that she’d been lied to or that she’d thought Victor was legally separated. It made her feel slimy even thinking the excuses aloud, let alone explaining them to him.

First Athena, then Brynn and now Dare. She continued to hurt the people she cared about, and Athena and Dare didn’t even know the truth. The right thing to do would be to confess everything, but—
But…
she wasn’t in a relationship with Dare. Just because he’d shared personal information, he’d never indicated he wanted anything more than a temporary arrangement. The only thing he’d insisted on was fidelity during the four days they were together, and nothing more.

She owed it to Ms. Belle to finish the experiment. Even before she finished the thought, Caelen wanted to tear her hair out.
Be honest.
Her newfound commitment had more to do with the slow glide of her tongue on Dare’s cock, rather than her concern for Ms. Belle’s school.

And the feel of his hard thighs against her questing fingers. And the strong firm hand he used to press against her—

“Hi!” Dacey said with an annoying pep in her step, as she flitted through the room.

Caelen felt her cheeks heat up as Dacey plopped herself, and her oversized bag, on top of Ms. Belle’s desk.

“Hey.” Caelen picked up her laptop and moved to the small loveseat next to the desk, making room for Dacey. The office had become temporary headquarters, while they continued with the arrangements for the class and party taking place at the end of the week.

Organizing the details for the party had been a snap. That was her specialty. Parties and making plans were two of her favorite things to do. What she needed Dacey’s help with had more to do with all the financial obstacles to the school, with one challenge front and center.

How to deal with The Devil,
handsome or not
.

Today, she and Baby D were going over all the dirt Dacey had dug up on the mystery man. She couldn’t wait to hear what she’d found out. Thankfully, Dacey was the resident computer genius, because she was the only sister left Caelen wasn’t either avoiding or brawling with.

So far, she’d been lucky enough not to run into anyone. Athena hadn’t set foot in the school since Mr. Brown’s meeting. Caelen knew the time would come when she’d have to confess her affair to Baby A; she was just putting it off as long as possible. And Brynn, well, they still hadn’t spoken since their blowout two day ago. The fight weighed heavily on Caelen, but at this point because she was just a black-kettled brew of pain, guilt, and anger, one more emotion added to the pot wouldn’t really make a difference.

She needed this school to work, and she was not giving up.

Yup
.
Total bitch.

Bzzz
.
Bzzz
.

Caelen didn’t even bother to reach forward.

“Is that the asshole, again?” Dacey set her tablet on Ms. Belle’s distressed, shabby chic desk.

“Probably.”

“Why don’t you just turn your phone off?” Dacey said as she flicked her springy curls over her shoulder.

Both girls glanced at each other and laughed.

“All right. All right. But we’re
functioning
addicts, right? I can quit anytime, I swear!” Dacey leaned forward and turned on her tablet. “What the hell does he want?”

Caelen cleared her throat. “Me, I guess.”

“What do you mean, you guess?”

“I stopped reading the messages, and I only checked that one by accident.”

“What? Why?” Dacey crossed over to the small white couch, littered with soft pastels pillows, to sit next to Caelen.

“He’s not very creative. Trust me.”

“Aren’t you dying of curiosity? Here, let me see.” Dacey snatched the phone from her but paused before pushing any buttons, raising her eyebrows in question.

“Go ahead,” No surprise when Dacey had her phone unlocked and was scrolling within seconds. Baby D had set up her cell, so of course, she could access it, no problem. “But I hope you’re not expecting Shakespeare. He has about a five word vocabulary.”

“Really? Let’s see, you have him listed under. Vic the Dick?
Classic.
Twenty-two texts? Since
yesterday?
Wow. That’s crazy.” She touched the screen and started reading.

Miss you.

Need to see you.

Do you think about me?

Why won’t you talk to me?

I need you.

“It just goes on and on. Uh, I hate to tell you but I think you have him pegged all wrong.”

Caelen lifted her head from the back of the couch, willing her over-sensitive nerve endings to chill-the-hell-out. “Why?”

“He has one text that is
at least
six words long, not five.”

Caelen laughed, because she knew her sister expected her to. “I stand corrected.”

“Why haven’t you texted back? How about something to the effect of, ‘Take a hike, Captain Long Shlong.’”

Now Caelen laughed for real, her sister always had the most amazing comebacks. “First, it’s not that long. Second, you don’t know him like I do. If I respond, even once, he’ll think I want him back.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I really know how to pick ’em. If you ever want to hookup with a self-involved, narcissistic prick, I’m your girl. I can spot them in a crowd. But beware, I seem to have an insatiable urge to date them and then get text-stalked by them, so if you want exclusivity, then maybe I shouldn’t help.”

Dacey should’ve at least smiled, but she didn’t. It was one of the things Caelen loved most about her. She never bothered with social conventions or doing anything she was supposed to do. It just didn’t compute with her. She said it felt like lying. If you wanted a sympathetic ear, you went to Brynn.
Usually.
If you wanted the hard cold facts, Dacey was your girl.

“You deserve better.” Dacey nodded along to her words, her springy, blond-brown curls dancing around her face. Dacey had inherited their father’s café au lait skin along with his crazy curls. However, the color of her hair and her green eyes were all mom. The tint of Dacey’s eyes were a hazel green with yellow flecks darting around, and it was a lovely contrast to her skin. Baby D was also on the petite side, unlike Athena and Brynn, but she still had an inch on Caelen, a fact she rubbed in her sister’s face daily.

Do I deserve better?

“Is that what Dare’s like?”

“Like what?”

“A text stalker? A self-involved, narcissistic prick?”

Caelen groaned, not ready to have this conversation. “Dare doesn’t count because he’s temporary.”

“Does
he
know that?”

“Of course. Why?”

“’Cuz he always liked you. Like, really,
really
liked you.”

Dacey’s words were like a blow to the solar plexus. Caelen paused, shocked. “That’s not true. We hated each other.”

“I think The Persuaders wrote it best when they penned “Thin Line Between Love and Hate.” Her sister immediately launched into the old-school song. Dacey was not what a person would call “vocally gifted.”

“Cut it out. That’s not true.”

Dacey sobered up quickly. “I have two words for you: Bobby Hiverton, your high school boyfriend that got a little handsy.”

Caelen rolled her eyes. Why the hell was everyone bringing him up? First Brynn, then Dare, now Caelen. “What does he have to do with Dare?”

“Well, after that night Bobby hit you? Dare tracked him down and kicked his ass. Like, the same day.”

“He didn’t hit me; he pushed me.” Caelen winced, falling into a very familiar pattern of defending Bobby.
Old habits die hard.
“Wait. What? Dare kicked his ass? Why?”

Dacey just raised a brow in response.

“But how did Dare even know about it? Nobody found out ’til later.”

“Don’t know. But when he found out, he kicked his ass from here to Sunday. Didn’t you ever wonder why Bobby suddenly stopped calling?”

“I thought it was because I told him off.”

“Puh-leeze.
If it weren’t for Dare, he’d probably still be calling you. Then you’d have two stalkers. Maybe you do need an intervention, a ‘relationship’ intervention.”

“Dacey, focus. How could that have happened, and no one told me about it? Who told you? And when?”

Four solemn, musical notes reverberated through the small office. Ms. Belle’s doorbell was obnoxiously loud, and it always made Caelen jump.

“Who’s here?” Caelen asked after she removed her hands from her ears.

“Maybe Ms. Hattie got locked out again.”

“Bring your tablet so you can fill me in on The Devil. Don’t forget my phone.” Caelen’s heart skipped a few beats at the idea it might be Dare, but he never rang the door. Guess she’d have to put the news about him kicking Bobby’s ass on the backburner, for now.

“Okay.”

Caelen headed toward the front of the large Craftsman but was surprised to see a few people sitting in the front ballroom. There was an elderly couple seated by the fireplace, and two women with matching track suits sitting across from them in a velvet loveseat.

The ballroom was where Ms. Belle had held all of her parties and formal get-togethers, and it was the area Caelen had decided to hold the sex classes. It was a large space with sparkling hardwood floors and Oriental throw rugs scattered around small chairs and tables. All pieces were easy to move when a large group was arriving.

Caelen laughed, surprised to see the sunny faces seated inside. “Hello, ladies and gentleman.” The infamous Ladies that Lunch had arrived. Plus one.

“Hope you don’t mind, dear. We let ourselves in,” said Babe, who was dabbing a large powder puff full of white cakey make-up all over her pale skin, which was a sharp contrast to her jet-black hair.

“We only rang the bell so you would know we were here.” Babe’s sister, Nancy, chimed in. She had similar make-up with her severely red hair teased into a ’70s helmet-shaped ’do.

Caelen paused, realizing that meant the whole gang probably had their own key. She shrugged at the idea, unconcerned, this school was as much theirs as hers. They were welcome anytime.

“When we heard the Quads were here, we just couldn’t resist coming over. Silly me, I haven’t even introduced my new gentleman friend.” All three women laughed, but the male remained silent. So silent, Caelen had to resist the urge to check him for a pulse.

“This is Henry,” Scarlett continued. The white-haired woman with the face of a cherub was dressed head to toe in neon pink, right down to her florescent walking cane.

“Nice to meet you, Henry.”

“Caelen, dear, we wanted to get a little information from you.”