The Trouble With Scarecrows (The Trouble With Men Book 2) (7 page)

Chapter 12

Neal stumbled as he pulled up his pants and crossed the hallway to his apartment. “It was just sex. It was just stupid sex. I knew better. I knew better than to get involved with another woman I can’t have.” Then his words disgusted him. “I don’t want her!”

He went inside his apartment and slammed the door.

“What an arrogant bitch! Took advantage of her, my ass! She threw herself at me after a couple of compliments. I didn’t even have to buy her a drink. Not technically anyway.” He fisted his hands at his side. He could feel the anger that had built surge through his body and he wanted to hit something. He was headed toward his weight bench but then stopped when he heard his name.

He relaxed his hands, thinking for a second that Brenda was there to apologize. He turned toward the door.

Zadora stood in the open doorway. “I thought I heard you say come in.”

He hadn’t even heard her knock.

“Are you okay?” Zadora asked, not making a move out of the doorway.

He shook his head. Of course Brenda hadn’t followed him. She was still in her apartment sharpening her claws. “Just stupid,” he said, his anger returning at the thought that he’d wanted Brenda there even now.

“What’s the matter? You seem upset.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re walking into a bee’s nest right now. I’m liable to say something you don’t want to hear.”

“You can talk to me.” She stepped inside and shut the door.

“That fucking bitch,” he yelled and felt all his blood rush up to his face. “That’s what the matter . . . sorry.”

“Did she say we had to leave again? Did she go back on her deal?”

“No.” He stopped at the couch, falling back and closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he felt Zadora sit down next to him.

“Well, what did she say?”

He rubbed his eyes trying to ease the tension. “My cousin Rocky couldn’t make it last night, so I went in his place to play scarecrow. Well, one thing led to another and last night . . . well . . .” Neal waited for Zadora to put the pieces together. After she didn’t say anything, he looked at her. She stared at him, like she was waiting for him to finish his sentence. So he did. “We had sex.”

Her mouth curled up in disgust and let out a little, “uh,” from her throat. “Really? Why?”

“It just happened.”

“With Brenda? I doubt anything
just happens
with her.”

Neal sat up, giving Zadora his full attention. “What are you saying?”

She frowned and then a second later, she shook her head and smiled. “Nothing. I’m not saying anything. It’s none of my business.” She stood up. “I’ve got to go.”

“Okay? Wait. Why’d you come over?”

She picked up a clean plate from his coffee table. “I brought this back to you. You know, for a refill.”

“Thanks.” He took the plate, and she didn’t look him in the eyes. Somehow things had become awkward between them. He wondered if he’d embarrassed her, and he suddenly felt bad for saying anything.

He thought about apologizing, but by the time he’d opened his mouth, she was at the door saying goodbye.

After she’d left, he let his head fall in his hands and growled to himself for a moment. The day was already horrible and it wasn’t even ten A.M. He jumped up and went to take a shower. As he washed his body, he tried to think about the evening prior and found himself wondering if he had actually done what Brenda had accused him of doing.

Had he taken advantage of her? She had been drinking, true. Brenda was in a very vulnerable state of mind right now because of Larry, but putting Brenda and vulnerable in the same sentence was somewhat of an oxymoron. And Neal knew how sexually charged he’d felt ever since he’d first laid eyes on her. But he would like to think that he wasn’t that much of a jerk-off to take advantage of someone who wasn’t in her right mind.

“No,” he said out loud. She’d been into it as much as he’d been. There had been no hesitation when he’d kissed her. No hand going up to stop him from laying on top of her. No “waits,” no “stops” when he’d explored her gorgeous, smooth body. Not one time had he ever gotten the idea that she did not want him. Not once had it crossed his mind that she’d been too drunk to make a clear decision. They were two consenting adults who’d had a couple of drinks and then enjoyed being together. Now she had to go and accuse him of taking advantage of her. “That’s messed up.”

As he dressed, he kept thinking about the Brenda from last night. The one who’d made him realize how empty his life had become. Last night’s Brenda had been soft and feminine and free from inhibitions. She had not been that uptight bitch she’d turned into overnight. As far as he was concerned, she needed alcohol all the time. And he should tell her that.

But really, what would that accomplish, except getting him kicked out of the house? She still had control of the situation, and there was nothing he could do about it. Because she did seem like someone so easily lit that she’d turn around and renege on the plan they had set forth. He yanked up his pants as he realized what he had to do. He had to apologize. “Shit.”

He walked through his apartment and opened the front door to Brenda. He wasn’t about to make any assumptions as to why she stood there, but he did want to get it out before he changed his mind. “I’m sorry you think I took advantage of you.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Was that supposed to be an apology?” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Already forgotten.” She pushed past him and into his apartment.

Neal stared out into the empty hallway and blinked the cobwebs from his head. Women. After a moment, he shut the door and went to the living room where Brenda sat with a stack of papers in her hand.

“This is a list of things I want completed,” she said all business-like. “I’m going to give a copy to Zadora. It’s like a mini-contract. It says what we’ve discussed. But I’ll understand if you want to run it by a lawyer first.” She held out the papers and a pen to him.

He glanced at the papers and then back at Brenda’s solemn face. So she was going to pretend like nothing happened last night. He shrugged. All right. Maybe it was a good idea. The best solution. After all, he’d gotten her out of his system, so there shouldn’t be problem. He grabbed the papers and the pen.

He flipped through the contract until he found the part where it said he got to stay rent-free until his graduation date, whether he graduated or not. However, if the work was incomplete as to how she saw fit by that date, he’d have to pay rent or move out but still complete the job. Her house renovated, free meals, and a dating service. He signed the papers and handed it back to her.

“The food part starts tomorrow,” she said, “and the scarecrow clause continues until I find the right man.”

Ouch.
Hit ’em while they’re down
, Neal thought, but bit the inside of his mouth to keep from saying anything that might give her any more satisfaction.

“You said you knew of a place that would be better for meeting men?”

“I’ll text you a list.”

“By the way, your truck should be here soon. I’m having it towed from the bar. Thanks for the ride.” Brenda stood up. “Well, that about does it.”

“I guess so.” He watched her walk out of his apartment, and then he sat back on the couch with a huff. He’d gotten what he wanted, a place to stay for free while he went to culinary school. He should feel happy. But for some reason, happy wasn’t what he felt at all. Neal closed his eyes and shook his head. Empty . . . now
that’s
how he felt.

Chapter 13

Sunday night, Brenda sat at the bar in one of the downtown restaurant/bars Neal had recommended. She sipped a beer, even though she didn’t like beer, but that was what this place served. Three hundred different types. She’d had no idea what to pick and was offered to sample as many of them as she wanted but knew it wouldn’t do any good. No matter the beer, she wasn’t going to like it.

She roughly calculated a sixty/forty men-to-women ratio. So the place did seem a better fit for the purpose of meeting men. But the bar was loud, small, and crowded. All of that didn’t bother her as much as the demographics: young, rowdy, and immature. Not her crowd. But it was probably Neal’s, and she thought it would be a good place to apologize. She’d spent most of the day thinking about her behavior and the reason behind it. Now she felt a little bad for accusing him of taking advantage of her. Neal had even looked a little hurt, which had put the first spark in her mind that she shouldn’t have reacted like that. Plain and simple—she had panicked. She didn’t regret sleeping with Neal, she would do it all over the same way. Truthfully, it had been what she’d needed and wanted. She’d wanted that closeness. She had needed to feel appreciated and cared for . . . loved, even if it was a fantasy.

But she couldn’t allow herself to think like that. No matter how she felt, Neal still wasn’t the man for her. So taking the contract over there this morning had been to show him that they could still be cordial business partners without even saying it. If she would’ve waited, it would’ve been awkward.

Even so, she could have been a little less
Brenda
. She really wanted to start being nicer, especially to the people she cared about. Even though they were incompatible as a couple, she cared about Neal. She wanted to be friends. So she had to apologize. But he’d been gone all day, and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to him.

The first thing she planned on doing, as soon as he stood in front of her, was apologize for accusing him of taking advantage of her. And then acknowledging the evening for what it had been, two adults enjoying each other’s company . . . for one night. But that was all it could ever be.

“Then why can’t I get him out of my mind?” Brenda whispered. She hated that she’d actually been watching for him to walk through the crowd. Every time she saw the top of a shaved head, her heart sped up. She couldn’t deny she liked his company, liked the way he looked at her, and loved the way he made her feel wanted. And she was really attracted to his vulnerable side. That’s the side she could really relate to. He hid it with that body. No one would believe anything had ever been broken inside. And he had opened up to her, and that was why she’d told him more than she should have about herself. But for some reason, he’d made her feel safe. And she hadn’t felt that way in a long time.

She couldn’t deny it any longer that she felt something for him, something more than just a physical attraction. He made her laugh. He made her want to let her guard down. Was that possible? Was there actually someone out there who she could be her true self around?

She pulled out her phone to see what was keeping him, and noticed he’d sent her a text: ‘Rocky should be there soon.’

“Coward,” Brenda said to her phone and felt anticipation weigh her down even more. She had to talk to Neal tonight. As soon as Rocky got there, she would tell him she wanted to call it a night. She needed to go home and wait for Neal. She couldn’t leave it like this for a second longer.

Brenda scanned the room for someone who looked like a Rocky. What kind of name was Rocky anyway? Then she accidentally made eye contact with a guy, who had obviously been watching her for a while. She shook her head and frowned, hoping that would give him the hint, and continued her search. With her peripheral vision, she saw the eye-contact-guy approaching.

Even though this was, technically, why she’d come here, she knew even from across the room that she didn’t want to talk to him. He was young, tall, good-looking, and cocky. Cocky was definitely not her soul mate.

“I couldn’t help noticing you noticing me,” he said.

She opened her mouth to say something when someone said, “Sorry I’m late, doll.”

There stood the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. Dirty-blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, a pretty face if not for the five o’clock shadow, smiling, flirty eyes, and a mischievous side grin. Boots, jean, belt buckle: a cowboy, minus the hat, probably didn’t want to mess up his hair. He took her breath away for a second. But she regained her composure quickly.

She was about to excuse herself from the previous conversation, until she realized he’d already left. Brenda smiled at the ridiculously good-looking guy who’d claimed to be with her. “Rocky, I presume.”

“At your service.”

“Now how did you know I was your client?”

“Neal told me to look for the Barbie doll.”

“Excuse me? Barbie doll?”

“Hold up before you get all women’s lib on me. It’s not what you think.”

“Really? Let’s see: blonde, high maintenance?”

“Okay, well, maybe it is what you think. But you left out beautiful and perfect.”

“You’re good, I’ll give you that. However, I know there are at least three other women in here who fit that description.”

“He also said you were an uptight attorney.” He nodded his head to the right. “Barbie doll on my right is wearing a skirt up to her navel. Barbie doll behind me is sitting with a group of friends and they have about twenty sample glasses of beer on their table, and Barbie doll number three, over by the pinball machine, has some guy’s tongue in her mouth and hand on her ass.”

“I guess that would make me the uptight one.” Brenda felt a surge of melancholy at the thought of Neal describing her that way: an uptight Barbie doll. “Okay, so how did you know that the guy I was talking to was someone you needed to scare away? Maybe I liked him.”

“He’s wearing tennis shoes, cheap ones at that. Your heels, on the other hand, cost at least two hundred bucks. Am I wrong?”

“I didn’t notice his shoes, but you were right to shoo him away. Nevertheless, I would prefer to pick my own friends.”

“Yes, ma’am. I usually tell the girls to ask the guy, ‘Now what was the name of that boxing movie that starred Sylvester Stallone?’ That way, the dude calls me themselves.”

“Clever,” she said flatly.

“First, let’s get you a drink that you will actually drink. Otherwise, there is no conversation starter.” Rocky patted the bar. “Bartender!”

Brenda thought, well, he’d come to help her, the least she could do was buy him a drink.

The bartender turned like she was annoyed at being summoned, but then she took one peek at Rocky and just about undressed, then and there. She pushed her boobs out in attention and smiled a huge toothy grin. “What can I get you?” She twirled her hair.

“The lady will have an Ace Apple Cider, and I’ll take an Alaskan Black.”

“Is that all? Would you like to sample anything?
Anything
at all?”

“Maybe later,” he said, touching her hand and giving her a wink.

She giggled and then poured the drinks without taking her eyes off of Rocky.

Brenda shook her head. That was why she would never go out with a guy with movie-star looks.

The bartender set the drinks on the bar. Rocky went to pull out his wallet, and the bartender said, “It’s on the house.”

“Thanks, doll.” Rocky leaned back on the bar and nudged Brenda. “Okay, give me sense of who we are trying to attract. I’ve never really done this for real, but it might work.”

“What do you mean? You’ve never
really
done this for real?”

“You know. The whole scarecrow thing.”

“Neal said you did this all the time. Was that incorrect?”

Rocky seemed to weigh the question by rocking his head back and forth. “Yes and no. You see, occasionally my reputation precedes me.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Brenda took a drink of her cider and decided it was pretty good, which she didn’t like at all.

“There have been a few times where I’ve met a girl who refuses to go out with me because they’ve heard rumors. If I think they are really not interested, I leave them alone. On the other hand, if I sense an ‘I want you, but I don’t want to get hurt’ hesitation, I suggest being their scarecrow. It saves a lot of time when they’re going to end up in my bed anyway.”

“How exactly would that work out in your favor, seeing as you’re only the decoy?”

“I shoo away a couple of dudes, in the meantime, we get to talking, and I get to wooing.” He leaned in, his ice-blue eyes the only family resemblance to Neal, giving her the look she was sure had held plenty of prisoners and whispered, “A couple hours later, we’re in my bed. My best time is fifteen minutes. She didn’t even finish her girly drink.” He grinned as he sat back.

Brenda felt all her blood rush to her face. She couldn’t move or breathe or hear anything else Rocky said or anything that was going on in the bar.
Bump-bump, bump-bump
, her heart beat in her chest as her mind flashed back to the first time Neal had offered to be her scarecrow and how he and Zadora had tried to trick her. All he’d wanted to do since she’d meet him was to convince her to live there rent-free. She blinked back to reality as a girl walked up between her and Rocky.

Brenda turned her barstool the other direction and stared at the floor. That son of a bitch. Neal hadn’t been trying to help her. He probably didn’t even like her. Why should he be interested in her? She’d done everything in her power to turn him away. So why hadn’t he run like a normal man would have? Why had he stuck around and been so nice? Because it had all been some game,
that’s
why. How long had it taken Neal to get her defenses down? That story he’d told about his best friend’s wife was probably fiction, made up on the spot to earn sympathy points. Not to mention all the compliments and understanding about how Larry had treated her. What had she been thinking? They were buddies. They’d probably even laughed about it.

Lies.

She had fallen for the whole thing.
Idiot. Idiot!
This had been his plan all along. He had probably thought that after sex she would let him stay rent-free without having to do the house. Maybe he and Rocky had more in common than just the blue eyes. Neal was a playboy. And that look in Neal’s eyes after she’d thrown him out wasn’t hurt, it had been defeat because his plan had failed.

Well, at least she hadn’t let her guard down this morning . . . but it had been close. And the contract had been signed. All she had to do was wait on him to screw up, and that would be that.

“Did you hear me?”

“What?” “I was wondering if I could buy you another drink. But if not, it’s okay.” The guy with black square glasses, a suit coat, no tie, hair combed to the side, started to walk away.

“Wait. What’s your name?”

“Eugene,” he said, wide-eyed.

“I’m Brenda. And do you know what? I would love another drink. Do you want to get a table? I’m starving.”

The guy’s teeth were a little crooked, his ears were a little big, and his clothes were really expensive. Perfect.

“Give me a second?” He practically ran to a table in the corner where a couple of guys sat. He said something to them, and they glanced her way, and then gave Eugene high-fives.

Brenda sighed, satisfied with her decision.

She looked back over to Rocky, who now talked to three girls. She thought he was the one who needed a scarecrow.

Rocky managed to direct his attention to her and nod his head, acknowledging that she was with someone she wanted to be with. How the hell did this guy know? She had to smile at him, even though he was Neal’s cousin, and said, “Thanks. I’ll send you a check.”

He shook his head and said, “It’s on me, doll. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Brenda directed her attention to the nervous guy. His friends had left, and he waved her over. As she tucked her hair behind her ears and headed his way, she thought
I’ll do whatever the hell I want
.