Shallow (5 page)

I knew it would be laying it on a little thick, but I went ahead and threw in, “Besides, you don’t know that you aren’t my only number that counts. Maybe you’re my last.”

“Wow.” She shifted her jaw to the side. “You’re not as bad as Jessie said. You’re much, much worse.”

Jessie may have cock blocked me, but I knew how to manipulate this situation. I was educated on how to get the girl because I had done it so many times. I also knew that the alcohol was getting to her a little more and I shamelessly planned to use that to my advantage. I slid my palms from the sides of her hips to the small of her back and pulled her closer. I leaned in to her ear and whispered against it because she had already as much as admitted how much it turned her on.

“We have this crazy attraction thing going on and we didn’t even have to work for it. It just happened naturally. It’s more work to keep it under control than it is to just go with it. What if we’re perfect for each other and we missed out on the opportunity because we didn’t try things out? That would be a tragedy.”

She didn’t give me an immediate ‘no,' so I took that as a good sign and continued my attempt to persuade her. “All I’m asking for is a chance. One date and I vow to be on my best behavior. Cross my heart.”

Our slow song ended and ‘Scream’ by Usher came on, but I didn’t let her go as we stood in the middle of the dance floor and I waited for her to agree.

“No.” That was all she gave me as she pushed away from me and then I watched her as she left me on the dance floor without looking back.

5 Sweet Dreams Doll Face

Payton

Gah, I could hurl at any moment. Yeah, I definitely drank those Long Islands too fast, but I couldn't blame Cooper entirely for this whirlwind drunk. What started as a mission to forget about him quickly turned into something else. Something called Nick Hawke and I wasn’t ready for that so soon after Cooper.

When I stumbled back to our table, Jessie took one look at my face and knew something had happened between me and his Collinsville friend. “What did Hawke do to you?”

He really did assume the worst out of his friend and I almost felt obligated to defend him. “He didn’t do anything except ask me out on a date.”

“Tell me you turned him down.”

“Of course, I did.” I nodded as I answered and that was a mistake because it made me feel like I needed to worship the porcelain god. My alcohol level had climbed suddenly and the room began to spin so I reached for the table to steady myself. I shouldn’t have had those Long Islands that fast. My mistake.

“You okay?” Claire asked as she got up from her seat to stand at my side and I grabbed her arm for support.

“I’m good,” I lied. “I’m going to step outside for a minute and get a little fresh air.” I really didn’t want to be in this club when my stomach contents decided to blow.

Jessie got up from the table to act as my escort. “You’re not going outside to a club parking lot alone, so don’t even think about it. You’re not badass enough for that no matter what you think.”

“I’ll take her,” I heard Nick volunteer from behind me. “Stay and have a good time with your girl.”

No way. I didn’t want Nick with me when I blew chunks. “I really don’t want you to be a witness to what’s probably going to happen out there, Dude.”

He took me by the arm and started walking me toward the exit without my permission or objection. “We’ll consider it a bonding experience.”

“The only thing you should consider yourself is warned because I’m predicting this will get ugly,” Once outside, I was a little disoriented, but Nick led me in the direction of my car. “It’s so freakin’ hot out here. All I want to do is sit in my car with some cold air blowing on my face. I think that will make me feel better.”

I used my keyless entry to unlock my car and Nick opened my door for me. I started the engine and turned the A/C to full blast with the vents aimed right at my face. My hair was blowing wildly in every direction but I didn’t try to tame it. I was just too freakin’ sick to care.

He walked around to the passenger side and sat next to me. He turned to look at me as my hair blew wildly. “You’re wasted and you better not try to drive tonight or I’ll beat you black and blue.”

Did this guy think I was suicidal? “I may be drunk but I’m not stupid. Jessie isn’t drinking because he’s our driver tonight. It was my turn to be the DD but apparently he thought I needed to get trashed and take a vacation from my pathetic life for a brief moment in time.”

He leaned forward and turned his passenger side vents in my direction. “Yeah, what’s up with that? Anyone can see that you’re looking to drown the thoughts of someone. Who’s the lucky bastard?”

I leaned in closer to the vents in the center. “I don’t know if I want to talk about it.”

He leaned closer to me toward the center of the car and I’d almost swear he sniffed my hair. “Let me guess. Some dumb ass hurt you and you’re drinking to forget about him?”

“You could say that. I got dumped.”

“He’s out of his mind, whoever he is. Who should I be thanking?”

I don’t know why, but Nick had this way of making me want to tell him what had gone down with Cooper. “My Ex-holes’s name is Cooper Sinclaire. He was the guy sitting at our table hanging all over the brunette.”

He looked at me in disbelief. “You’re shitting me, right? You mean that pansy sitting at the table with us? You can’t mean that you got dumped by a guy that
chose
to dress in Polo khakis and a Polo button-up for a dance club? Doll Face, his plaid shirt is pastel. I said pastel and he’s wearing loafers. I bet he’s even wearing lacy panties under his wrinkle-free twills.”

I pictured Cooper in a pair of frilly panties and began laughing. If Nick was trying to make me feel better, it was definitely working.

“So, what happened?”

“He gave me an ultimatum. Have sex or get dumped. The funny thing is that I was ready. I was going to do it until he told me I had to and something snapped in me. I’m not known for giving in to other peoples’ demands.”

“You have really low standards if you went out with that dude so it gives me hope that you will eventually say ‘yes’ to me. I’m gonna ask you again when I think you’re ready, but not tonight because my poor heart can only take rejection in small doses.” That caught my attention and I turned to look at him. “You don’t realize it yet, but we’re gonna happen.”

His persistence was sexy. Hell, everything about this guy was sexy and I felt like I wanted to...puke. I quickly reached for the handle on my door and hung my head out of my car just in time to miss spraying the inside of my car like “The Exorcist.” Nick quickly sprung into action and was on my side of the car holding my hair out of the line of fire in a flash.

I felt wretched. I heaved time and time again in the direction of Nick’s shoes but they stayed firmly planted, prepared to endure a punishment they clearly did not earn.

I felt like I was finished heaving, but I was afraid to move for fear of the motion bringing on another round. I was still looking at the ground when it struck me to ask Nick about his motives. “Why do you want to go out with me? You’ve only known me a few hours and in that time I’ve insulted you, rejected you, told you my sob story and now you’ve been forced to hold my hair for me while I hurled pizza and Long Islands dangerously close to your shoes.”

“You didn’t force me to hold your hair. I did it because I wanted to.”

Classic. He managed to flex his tough guy muscle and dodge answering my question at the same time.

Some of my hair fell forward and Nick situated it into a ponytail on top of my head held in place by his fist. I was certain anyone walking by would have thought he was impersonating a caveman holding on to his woman.

I took some deep breaths and felt like I could finally lift my head without yacking. Nick let go of my hair as I straightened up and I looked for a place clear of partially digested pizza and Long Islands so I could step out of my car.

I was sure I looked like hell with mascara raccooning under my eyes, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. “I’m getting in the backseat since Jessie is driving.”

He moved back so I could step over the puddle of puke. “You could at least be honest about it. You’re getting in the backseat so you can pass out.”

I could see that I would never have to wonder what this guy was thinking. We could be dangerous for another. He opened the back door behind the driver’s seat and motioned with his hand like a chauffeur. He was honest so I guess I would be, too. “Okay. I’m getting in the backseat so I can pass out, but I don’t need you to stay with me. I’ll lock the doors and you go back inside. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving you out here alone.” He shut my door and then got into the driver’s seat. “I’m moving your car to a different parking space so Jessie doesn’t unknowingly wade through your puke to get in. That would not be cool.”

He pulled my car around to the back of the club and then turned on some music before he got out and slid into the backseat next to me. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to try anything with you.”

“I wasn’t worried.” I had done a bang up job of preventing this thing with Nick from going any further tonight because no one wanted a post puke kiss, no matter how hard up they were.

I shut my eyes as I leaned my head against the cool window and felt Nick grab my upper arm and gently tug me in his direction. “Here, put your head in my lap. You’ll be more comfortable and you’ll sleep better.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay.”

“Put. Your. Head. On. My. Lap. Stubborn. I’m not going to try anything with you,” he promised.

I hated being bossed, but I did as he said and lay on my side, putting the side of my face against his thighs. I told myself I did it because I was tired and needed the sleep so I wouldn’t be so hung-over the next day, not because it was what he ordered me to do.

My favorite Amos Lee song was playing and it helped me relax. As I lay there with my eyes closed, Nick began to stroke my hair and it felt really good. I began to relax more and was almost on the verge of nodding off when he asked, “What song is this?”

I loved his interest in my music. “It’s ‘Southern Girl’ by Amos Lee.”

“You’re really into music, aren’t you?”

Amos was singing about Mississippi mornings and angels in flight. “Yeah, you could say that I’m musically slutty. My taste in music gets around.”

“I like this song because Amos got it spot on. There’s definitely something about a Southern girl that makes me feel right.”

“Listening to Amos while you stroke my hair like that is going to put me in a coma if you’re not careful.”

“I’m not leaving so you can go to sleep if you want. It’s probably a good idea for you to sleep because you’re going to feel like shit tomorrow and I’m guessing Jessie and Claire aren’t leaving the club anytime soon.”

I probably needed to rest, but my current curiosity was stronger than my need for sleep. “I will, but I want to ask you something first.”

“Sure.”

I wanted to turn onto my back so I could see his face, but I was too scared so I stayed on my side. “Why do you call me Doll Face?”

He was quiet for a long time and I decided he wasn’t going to answer, but then he shocked me. “Because I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that coming from him. I had been told my whole life how beautiful I was, but there was something different about the way he said it. It felt intimate, like he was talking about more than my physical appearance and I suddenly felt completely bared to him.

He didn’t say anything else and I didn’t either as he sat with my head in his lap but things felt different between us. Neither of us voiced recognition regarding it, but we both knew that we had made a connection.

He continued to stroke my hair and I have no idea how long he did it because I eventually dosed off but not before I heard him whisper, “Sweet Dreams, Doll Face.”

6 Brotherly Advice

Nick

I could sit forever with this beautiful girl’s head in my lap and stroke my hand over her long silky hair as she slept. I leaned over to sniff the fruity scent of her hair. My shift of position caused her to stir and then she turned onto her back to face me.

Her breath was slow and steady, assuring me that she was sleeping deeply, and I couldn’t resist my urge to touch her face. I stroked the back of my fingers against her baby soft cheek and she turned toward my hand and nestled against it.

This couldn’t be the last time I was with this amazing girl. I had to see her again because I would go crazy if I didn’t.

Jessie had already made his stand on the issue clear and I couldn’t count on him to help me out so I started brainstorming on a way to get her digits. I looked over at her opened purse within my reach and knew what I had to do. I was going to get her number by calling my own phone from hers. It felt wrong to ramble through her personal belongings, but it didn’t stop me from doing it.

I found her cell and pushed the power button. Shit. I should have known she’d have it on lockdown with a pass code. I put her phone back in her purse without a minute to spare as Jessie, Claire and Dane walked toward her car at the back of the building.