“Hey, Bailey. You’re early.”
“I have al the food – would you rather I be late?” I asked with a smirk.
“Not in the least,” he said as he set the bag on the ground and brushed the dust off his hands. “Need help?” I pointedly eyed his arms. “You’re the one with the muscles.”
He snorted, his cheeks a little pink, and playful y pushed me out of the yard toward my car. My heart was clamoring in my chest as I stumbled, feeling like a total idiot. I opened the trunk and started loading his arms ful of bags.
“Geez, Bailey,” he said as I fol owed him into the house. “There’s not going to be that many people here.”
“Daddy owns a chain of stores, remember? I don’t pay ful price for anything.” He set the bags on the table, shook his head in amusement, then went out for the rest.
I pul ed food out of the bags and began sorting it as Col in brought in the last of it.
He peered over my shoulder and his nearness caused another shiver. Towering over me, he reached around to pick up a package of meat. I closed my eyes to stil the spin in my head.
“Steaks? Bailey, this is unnecessary,” he said, his breath tousling my hair.
“I told you – this stuff came from Daddy’s store. Don’t worry about it,” I said, trying to steady my voice, my breathing, and my heart.
“Thanks,” he whispered as he dropped the steak and wrapped his arm around my waist. He gave me a little squeeze and pecked the top of my head. I leaned into him, shutting my eyes, welcoming the contact. My body came to life as every nerve was on edge.
“Col in!” Tori shouted from the backyard.
He moved away from me quickly and strode to the back door. “In here.” I slipped a cool mask over my face and finished sorting the food while Col in shot me anxious glances as he held the door open for Tori.
Tori was pretty – tal er than me with sandy blonde hair that curled on top of her shoulders into a stylish bob. She had hazel eyes and a sweet smile - and she irritated me immensely.
“Hi, Bailey,” she greeted, her smile growing. She carried a ceramic bowl to the table and cleared a spot. “I made a fruit salad.”
“Lovely,” I said with a fake grin. “Col in, do you have any bowls that I can throw this stuff in?” Tori’s smile faltered slightly as Col in gathered a few bowls from the cupboard. He set them in front of me, looking curiously into my eyes.
Raising a brow, I motioned for him to get out of my way. His brow furrowed as he moved to stand near Tori.
I worked quietly, transferring the potato salad from the store containers to the bowls and then proceeded to do the same with the macaroni salad.
“Do you need help?” Tori asked in a smal , uncertain voice.
“Sure,” I said, not looking at her. “You could find some spoons, I guess.”
“Um, I’m going to get the gril going,” Colin said as he slinked out the door.
My heart was torn – mad because Tori interrupted and hurt because he'd let her.
Then the guilt emerged when I remembered Morgan.
“I hope Lucas hurries with the alcohol,” I mumbled.
“Col in probably has a beer in the refrigerator,” Tori offered.
“You know, that sounds good,” I said. I smiled at her and she returned it, her eyes lighting up with hope. I brushed past her to get to the refrigerator where I dug out a beer. I took a long swig and studied the bottle. I’d been drinking quite a bit lately -
that was not good.
The others arrived after Tori and I got the food sorted and stored in the refrigerator.
Col in helped Lucas and Spencer set up coolers ful of ice and fil ed them with al sorts of drinks – alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Irelyn and Morgan helped me with plates and silverware while the guys laughed around the gril .
A preoccupied Morgan seemed miles away. I hoped she’d loosen up as the party wore on but it wasn’t looking promising -especial y with Tori around.
Col in stomped back into the kitchen to grab the steaks out of the refrigerator.
Opening the packages, he shot at glare at each of us girls.
“What?” Irelyn asked.
“You girls need to get out of here. I have to marinade these steaks and you’re not going to see my secret recipe,” he said, a smirk toying around the corners of his mouth.
I snorted. “Not a chance.”
He lifted a brow. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t trust you,” I said. “Who knows what your ‘secret recipe’ is.” He leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest, a chal enge glinting in his eyes. “You don’t trust me? Do you think I’d poison you or something?”
“Not exactly,” I teased. “But I do want to know what this ‘secret recipe’ is.” Barking a laugh, he pushed away from the counter. He bent in my face and my breath quickened. “Never gonna happen, darling.”
“I bet I could get it out of you,” I said, not backing down.
“Never,” he said, his eyes brightening with the banter.
“Come on, Bailey,” Irelyn urged, taking my arm. “Let’s go outside and let him work.” With a shrug, I grabbed Morgan’s hand. “Fine,” I grumbled but I glanced at Col in over my shoulder and winked. His grin morphed into a sexy smile that got my heart al worked up again.
As soon as we stepped onto the porch, Tori nearly knocked us out of the way as she hurried past us toward the kitchen. Reaching out, I snagged her arm to stop her. Her face was pale and drawn and her lips a tight, frightened line. My heart jumped for a moment, remembering the night Irelyn fel down the stairs and I wondered if something bad had happened again.
“Um, Tori, are you al right?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure,” she said, her eyes darting from my face to the back door. “I just need to see Col in about something.” Figures. Maybe she'd just realized she was in love with him. Maybe she'd had an epiphany like I’d had. Maybe she wanted to declare her feelings. Maybe I wanted to puke.
“He doesn’t want anyone in there right now,” Irelyn said rol ing her eyes. “He’s working on his secret marinade.” Tori brushed my hand off her arm, her face flushed, her tone haughty. “He won’t care if it’s me. It’s fine.” Pushing past me, she darted up the few steps and disappeared into the house.
Her words sliced my heart like it was a hunk of deli meat on a meat slicer. I chanced a quick glance to gauge how Morgan was doing but she appeared off in space as was usual for her lately.
I shrugged at Irelyn, adjusting the mask on my face to make sure it was perfect, and made my way to the drink coolers. Grabbing a beer, I glanced around at the new faces. I recognized a couple guys that did the sound board for the band at Rusty’s but the guy talking to Spencer was someone I'd never before met -
although he did look a little familiar.
A tight blue t-shirt stretched across his wel -defined chest while his blond, spiky hair reflected the sun. When he turned my way, his green eyes sparkled as they darted up and down my body.
I had to meet this guy. Maybe he’d take my mind off Col in.
I stepped toward Spencer but Irelyn snatched my arm. “What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Going to talk to Spencer and meet his friend,” I said. I raised a brow at her. What –
did she want to hog al the gorgeous guys?
“That’s Owen and he’s not very nice,” she said.
Owen - right. I'd heard Spencer talk about him several times and, if I remembered correctly, he'd attended the little party Spencer had thrown at his place last year. I might have met him that night but I couldn't be sure. The thing I remembered most about that party was Irelyn fal ing down the stairs and having to be taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Snorting, I glanced at her. “Is that what you’re worried about? I can handle him.” Shaking her hand off, I approached the guys peeking at the charcoal in the gril .
“Hey, Spence. Who’s your friend? I don’t think I've met him.”
“This is Owen,” Spencer said, peering at me curiously. “Haven’t I ever introduced you to him before?”
“Yes, I think so,” Owen said as his eyes traveled very deliberately up and down my body. “Briefly, at Spencer's birthday party last year. How I could I ever forget someone like you?”
I rol ed my eyes as I clutched Spencer’s upper arm. “Like you’d know what to do with me if you ever had the chance.” Laughing, Spencer pecked my cheek. “She’l tear you up, dude.”
“Great. I love a chal enge,” Owen leered.
I knew his type at once. I’d seen it plenty of times with the pretty boys from high school – the ones that were good looking and knew it. They’d play around with a girl
– get what they wanted out of her and throw her away when they grew bored. And they thought they were it – that everyone wanted to be like them and that no one would ever tel them no.
“I eat worms like you for breakfast,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Oh,” he said as his lips curled into a lecherous grin. “I like how that sounds. Maybe you can get your little friend, Irelyn, to join us.” I laughed as Lucas glared and took a step toward him. “I told you to stay away from her,” he growled.
Owen held up his hands, chuckling. “Just getting a rise out of you, man, that’s al .
Perhaps the little shy one wil join us instead.”
“How about not," I said in a near growl. I glanced over my shoulder at Morgan, standing close to Irelyn. "How about you keep the hel away from both of them?"
“That's fine, baby,” Owen said, advancing on me, his handsome face drawn into a look of lust and arrogance. “You want me for yourself. You want Owen to teach you a thing or two?”
I shook my head in disgust. “Thanks but no thanks. I’ve learned al I need to know in life from better men than you – and worse.” Just then Col in appeared on the porch, Tori clutching the back of his t-shirt. His eyes were dark and ful of raging anger. It startled me to see him look that way – he was usual y so laid back.
He padded down the steps with his lips pressed together so tightly, they were turning white. Tori kept hold of him as they joined the group.
“Who're you hitting on now, Owen?” Col in asked, a hint of anger in his voice.
Owen either didn’t hear or just ignored it. He nodded at me. “This lovely young lady but I think I’ve met my match.” A touch of pride flickered in Col in’s eyes as he glanced at me. But the darkness returned when his eyes fel on Owen. “Yeah, wel , I think you’re right. She does have taste.”
I laughed, my heart rejoicing. The moment would have been so much better if Tori didn’t have a death grip on Col in’s arm.
I waved toward the gril , my tone bored. “I’l leave you boys to your …whatever. I know how you like to compare things: who has the fastest car; who can build the best fire; who has the biggest…steak.”
With a wink, I walked away, hurrying toward Irelyn and Morgan.
“He’s an idiot,” Irelyn said.
“He’s an arrogant prick,” I agreed. “He needs to be put in his place.” I glanced at Morgan who was staring at the pack of guys. And Tori.
Spencer was whispering something in Col in’s ear and Morgan’s eyes were glued on the two of them. Or maybe on Tori standing so close to Col in
– I couldn’t tel which. My heart ached for her and I had an irresistible urge to go punch Owen and ‘accidental y’ knock Tori off of Col in with my backswing. Childish?
Yes. Immature? Absolutely. Satisfying? Without a doubt!
Col in final y deemed the steaks ready to gril and before long, a delicious aroma floated in the air. I shook Morgan out of her stupor by suggesting that she help me select music to play in the CD player in the garage. Lucas and Spencer had dragged the rather large speakers near the door so the music would filter out into the yard.
“Morg, what’s the matter?” I asked as we flipped through the col ection of CDs.
“Aren’t you having a good time?”
“Yes,” she said as she dodged my eyes and picked up a Coldplay CD. “Play this one next, please.”
“Sure,” I said as I took it from her. “Morg, I’m worried about you. You haven’t been acting like yourself lately. Talk to me, please.”
“Nothing is wrong, Bailey,” she snipped.
Taken aback, I could only blink stupidly at her. She had the most even temper out of al of us.
“Fine,” I mumbled. “But you know that both Irelyn and I are here for you – you know, if anything is wrong.” She nodded her bent head and picked through the CDs.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” After we ate, we sat around drinking, talking, and listening to music. It would have been perfect and relaxing if it wasn’t for the fact that Tori shadowed Col in like a two year-old fol owing her mommy and the fact that Spencer hardly noticed I was there.
Throw in Morgan’s mopey mood and we had one hel of a party.
Good times.
I was trying to figure out if Spencer was pissed at me for what I said to his friend or if he was just tired of acting like I hadn’t hurt him when I'd ended things. Either way, he was definitely avoiding me.
I was tempted to just say something – just stand up and blurt out the truth about what the hel was going on around here. I wanted to yel at Col in that Morgan liked him and he was hurting her.
I wanted to scream at Spencer that if he was upset with me then he needed to let me know so we could hash it out.
I wanted to chastise Irelyn and Lucas for being so disgustingly happy that they made the rest of us miserable. Okay, so maybe not miserable, per se, but envious at the very least.
Maybe it would piss a few people off but at least they’d show some life and maybe work things out.
But as I pondered this, I wondered would I scream out the biggest truth? Would I stand in the middle of my friends and admit that I’d slept with Col in and it had been the best and worst night of my life? Would I tel them that I was final y in love with someone but that someone regretted sleeping with me and in fact had taken an extended guilt trip over the whole matter?
What would Spencer say to that? And Morgan?
The only person showing any real life at the party was Owen. I thought for sure the idiot would leave when the sound guys had but no, he stuck around. He kept leering at Irelyn and Morgan like they were pieces of succulent meat hanging in a meat market window and he hadn’t eaten for months. If Lucas didn’t do something about it – I would have to soon.