Cake: A Love Story (9 page)

Mitch laughed. “Give me a frickin’ break! I’m getting married tomorrow. I’m emotional.”

The light mood came back to the conversation. Mitch and I had cleared the air but I definitely needed to make more of an effort with him. Maybe I would just make a trip to Arizona after the end of my tour so we could hang out or something. I didn’t have a ton of people in my life. I couldn’t afford to lose any.

About an hour later, Mitch excused himself. Apparently he needed his beauty sleep, or at least that’s what we all razzed him about. A few minutes after he left I saw Casey walk by. I felt a flutter of excitement.

“That’s her,” I whispered, pointing in her direction. “That’s Casey.” Earlier in our conversation I’d filled my brothers in on the joke she’d played on me.

They all looked over.

Then suddenly, and without warning, Kyle called out, “CASEY!”

Instinctively I ducked.

From my crouched position, I declared angrily, “What the fuck did you do that for?”

“Get up. She’s looking this way,” Kyle smirked, leaving me no choice but to sit back up in my chair. Casey was looking up from her phone and scanning the area.

Kyle nudged me, “You’re up Romeo.”

“I told you I wasn’t…” I started berating Kyle until Casey saw me. A dazzling smile spread across her face and she waved. A weird feeling washed over me and I set aside my trepidation as I waved back earnestly, motioning for her to come over.

Chapter Three

Casey

I felt a tingle run up my spine as I walked anxiously toward him. My heart immediately raced as Jake’s handsome face got closer. He was sitting with his three brothers, one of which was shoving a bottle of whiskey in his backpack.

“You look lost,” Jake remarked.

“No, I’m just one of those people who likes wandering around hotels late at night in my pajamas,” I replied as I attempted to casually walk toward them.

“I didn’t know there were people like that,” Jake joked.

“Homeless people,” his brother chimed in.

I laughed then raised my phone and said, “No bars in my room. So…what are you guys up to?”

“Just a little male-bonding,” one of the brothers answered. “I’m Keith, by the way…Jake’s big brother. And the guy with all the tats…that’s Kyle and this is baby Quinn and that ugly dude…oh yeah…you met him already…that’s Jake.”

“Keith, Tats, Baby and Ugly Dude…got it,” I joked then turned to Jake and said, “See I pay attention.”

He laughed at our inside joke.

“So Jake was just telling us about the prank you pulled on him earlier. That was pretty funny,” Kyle stated.

“Oh, well, thank you. To be honest, I hadn’t meant to punk him but we were just standing there awkwardly and I was nervous and when I’m nervous, word vomit just spills out of my mouth.” I replied.

The brothers all laughed.

Although I was careful not to show it, I was pleased that Jake had been talking about me to his brothers. “But I have to say, Jake really was just too easy.”

“That’s what they all say,” Keith joked.

“Hey!” Jake exclaimed, acting offended.

I laughed. I could just tell that these were some cool guys.

Then Jake turned to me in surprise. “Wait, hold on a second. You were nervous?”

“What part of that uncomfortable, cringe-worthy introduction do you not remember?”

“I remember wanting to get the hell away from you as fast as possible but then you went all rogue on me and I’m like, ‘what the fuck?’” Jake grinned.

I laughed. “Yeah, well, just so you know, I was plotting my escape too.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Jake retorted, amused. “So why would you prank me then?”

“I don’t know. You asked me some bullshit question and the expression on your face…you looked miserable,” I laughed. “Like you were just trying to come up with something to fill the awkwardness.”

“I was,” Jake laughed.

“It just struck me as funny. I couldn’t help myself. You were a good sport though.”

Jake smiled.

“So what do you do Casey?” Keith asked.

“You won’t believe this. She’s an accountant,” Jake smirked.

“Seriously?” Kyle asked.

“Well, an accountant in training. I’m a senior at ASU,” I corrected.

“No shit? I thought accountants were all nerdy, math types,” Kyle said.

“I scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SATs and I was a member of the math team and the debate team in high school.”

“Shut up.” Kyle replied with mock horror. “Did you have any friends at all?”

I laughed out loud, “I had a few but they weren’t the cool kids like I’m sure you and your brothers were.”

Kyle was still shaking his head like he couldn’t wrap his mind around such an oddity. “So were you like one of those girls who blossomed late or something?”

“Kyle?!?” Jake admonished his brother.

“What? Too personal?”

“Way too personal,” Jake replied.

“I’m just saying…she’s a hot nerd…who knew they existed?”

I burst out laughing and everyone else joined in. I couldn’t help but be flattered by his flawed assessment.

“According to Casey, nerds have become cocky creatures,” Jake said, referring to our earlier conversation.

“No shit?” Kyle replied. “I don’t know any nerds so I can’t speak to that.”

“I do,” Quinn jumped in, “And she’s right. They are like the new bullies in school, always putting people down for not being as smart as them.”

“Thank you!” I exclaimed, redeemed, and gave Quinn a high five.

“Goddamn, I wish we had those kinds of bullies when I went to school,” Jake said. “Somehow I can’t see getting too worked up about a bully with glasses and a pocket protector.”

“True,” I laughed.

“So, do you have a boyfriend, Casey?” Kyle asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“Kyle!” Jake admonished again, forcefully. I saw them exchange a look.

“What?” he replied, “It’s just a question.”

“Sorry, my brother doesn’t have any manners,” Jake announced, looking kind of embarrassed. I wasn’t sure what was happening but I was pretty sure they had had a conversation about whether I was single or not. Ooh…interesting.

“No boyfriend,” I replied with a sly smile on my face, “And thanks for pointing it out, Kyle. I’m also not a lesbian, in case you were wondering.”

Laughter burst out from all four of the brothers. I smiled proudly as I waited for them to stop. I could tell they were impressed by my retort.

“Actually that
was
going to be my next question,” Kyle shot back, still laughing.

“Well then I’m glad I cleared it all up for you,” I said smiling.

“You want to sit down?” Jake asked unexpectedly.

YES. YES. YES. I desperately wanted to join them but playing it cool seemed the best strategy with this particular group of hot guys. “Oh well, I don’t want to disturb your male brotherly bonding…or…uh…whatever this thing is that you got going on here.”

“Please…hot, single, non-lesbian nerds are always allowed in male-bonding sessions. It’s an unwritten rule, right guys?” Kyle said.

All the brothers nodded their heads, even the teenage one.

I laughed. “Oh yeah…’cuz this whole thing I got going on here,” I motioned to my face and body in a joking way. “Very hot.”

All the brothers laughed and then Jake pulled out a chair for me. I stared at him a second. His eyes were sparkling and he seemed eager for me to stay so I sat down. It’s not everyday you get an invitation like that. And to think I was feeling pretty damn lucky earlier in the evening just to have met and chatted with him. But this…this just exceeded all expectation. Just wait until my mom heard about this!

Chapter Three

Jake

Really? Wipe the goofy smile off your face idiot. What are you doing? Could you be any more obvious? You’re practically drooling. What was it about her that worked me up like this? My heart was beating faster…my palms were sweaty. I’d never had this kind of a reaction to anyone before. I hated losing control like this but it felt weirdly exciting too. Casey was so fun…and so random. I loved the way her mind worked. She was smart and cool and hot all in one stunning package. It was obvious that my brothers loved her too. Even Kyle seemed to be fascinated with her and he was notoriously hard to please when it came to women.

I, for one, couldn’t take my eyes off her. Casey looked so hot in her simple tank top and sweats. It accentuated her tight body and rounded butt. Her hair was swept back into a high ponytail and she wore minimal makeup. A natural beauty…that’s what Casey was. God, it was so attractive. I was so used to heavily made-up girls hitting on me so Casey’s wholesome look was a welcome change of pace.

And her fun-loving, sunny personality was like a magnet, drawing me in. She had a zest for life that I found incredibly attractive. It was like her light was beckoning my darkness, daring it to crawl out of the shadows. I hung on Casey’s every word and felt almost a sense of pride when she said something to make my brothers laugh. She always had an amused look on her face, like a person who didn’t take life too seriously. God I wondered what that would feel like to lay my head on my pillow every night and not worry about the threat of demons invading my dreams.

Her laugh jolted me from my self-absorption. I felt that weight lift off me again. How was she doing it? Why was I reacting to her like this? Could it be as simple as Casey just made me happy? As much as I hated to admit it, Kyle was right, it was weird for me to feel true, unfiltered happiness. Yet all it took for Casey to make me happy was a laugh or a smile.

And when she laughed, she did this cute little flip of her head and her ponytail would whip around and nearly hit me in the face. When I mentioned that her hair was like a deadly weapon, she made a point to smack me in the face with her ponytail every time she turned her head. Was she for real? No girls ever joked with me like that. EVER! I loved it.

The round table we all sat at was really only meant for three or four people so adding the fifth person meant that Casey had to sit close enough to me that our legs touched. I was treated to her incredible scent. It was a clean, fresh fruity fragrance…probably just her shampoo…but it was so enticing that I fought the urge to bury my nose in her hair like a friggin’ stalker. God, it was like she wasn’t trying to impress and that impressed me even more. I was so used to women throwing themselves at my feet that I’d never experienced the rush of actually pursuing someone. And judging by the reaction in my body when she was near, Casey was definitely the type of girl I would want to pursue. I shook my head. I was getting all caught up in thoughts of her. I needed to keep in control! I needed to back off and try to retain some level of cool. Then it occurred to me. I was acting like the fan girls who were always fawning over me.

Chapter Four

Casey

And there we stayed for well over an hour talking and laughing. All of the McKallister boys were endearing. They all had great sense of humors. Keith, the oldest, was the most talkative and obviously the leader of the bunch. He had an easy smile and a light, friendly personality. His eyes danced with excitement as he spoke. I liked him instantly. Keith was a catch. Not only was he a good-looking guy with short dark hair and a trimmed beard but he owned his own skate shop business and had been in committed relationship with a woman named Samantha (Sam) for the past three years. Keith talked about her in a loving way, saying that she and I had similar personalities and that he would have to introduce me to her the following day when she arrived for the wedding. Nothing was more attractive than a guy who was dedicated to his woman.

Kyle was a year younger than Jake. He was tall and thin with shaggy brown hair and a careless, hippie look. His body was littered with tattoos and piercings. Really, by looks alone, he should have been the famous rockstar. He had a rougher exterior and temperament and could be a bit harsh and crude…definitely the trouble-maker…but he was funny as hell and had a charm to him that was undeniable. I had no doubt Kyle got his fair share of female attention. In fact, his brothers had basically confirmed that for me when they mentioned his string of past girlfriends. Even though it had been Jake who had offered for me to join them, Kyle was the one who was dishing out the pick up lines, good-naturedly hitting on me non-stop all evening. It was not that he was interested in me…he just liked getting a rise out of Jake. jokingly

Quinn, the youngest, looked the most like Jake, emulating his rock star brother’s looks and mannerisms. He had shoulder length hair and liquid eyes. He was young still, sixteen, and a bit awkward but I could tell he was going to be a knock out someday. Quinn was a somewhat shy and preferred sitting back and enjoying the show rather then taking an active part in it. The older boys teased him lightheartedly and Quinn smiled and took everything they dished out. He seemed to just enjoy being part of this group of cool guys.

But, of course, the brother who surprised and charmed me the most was Jake. I saw no signs of the insecure, despondent and broken young man that he was made out to be in the press. Instead, he had a relaxed smile, a quick wit and an easy-going personality. If Jake had emotional issues related to the kidnapping, he sure didn’t show it. He was the epitome of a cool, confident and charming guy. At some point during the conversation, I completely forgot who Jake was. It didn’t feel like I was chatting up a famous rock star. He was just a normal guy…one I really enjoyed talking to.

It was after one in the morning when we made the collective decision that it was now time for bed. We all walked to the elevator. As we were waiting for it to arrive, I turned to the McKallister boys and said, “Well, guys, thanks for letting me crash your party. That was really fun.”

All the guys agreed with me.

The doors opened and, just as I was about to step in, Jake grabbed my arm gently and said, “Let’s take the next one. I’ll walk you back to your room.”

I was floored by his offer but tried to play it off like I got invitations like this all the time from gorgeous, famous rock stars.

“Yeah, sure. That would be nice,” I replied casually. Inside I was dying of happiness. I could not have been more flattered. Jake seemed to like being around me. Why? I had no idea…but I wasn’t complaining.

The brothers said goodbye as the elevator door shut and then Jake and I were standing there alone.

“Well that was fun. Thanks for inviting me, Jake McKallister.”

“You know my middle name is Ryan if you want to throw that in too,” Jake offered.

“Nope, I’m good,” I announced, smiling up at him and batted my eyes.

Jake laughed then said. “You’re a cool girl, Casey Caldwell.”

“Me?” I laughed out loud.

“Yes you,” Jake responded.

“I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“Nope…pretty sure I don’t.”

I stared up at Jake skeptically. “You don’t meet a lot of normal girls do you Jake?”

“No. Not really,” he admitted, shrugging.

“That’s what I figured. Most of the normal girls you meet are probably screaming in your face or having to be physically extracted from you.”

Jake laughed. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“Speaking of being physically extracted from you, did you know that you were originally paired up with Sarah for the wedding?”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah I think Mitch was worried that the two of you would be banging each other through the wedding ceremony so they decided to pair us together instead,” I said.

Jake’s eyes got wide with surprise.

“Apparently they consider me to be rather harmless. I’m not sure if I should be offended. I mean I know I’m no Sarah but I don’t think I’m a third world country either,” I argued.

Jake scoffed.

“What?” I asked, slightly offended that he didn’t correct my musings.

“Mitch got it all wrong.”

“What? The banging part or the third world part?”

“The part about you being harmless,” Jake said matter-a-factly.

I could not have been more shocked by his statement. What did that mean? Did he think we would be a better match than him and Sarah? What was going on in that famous head of his?

“You think I’m dangerous?” I questioned with surprise in my voice.

Jake smiled. I stared at him for a few seconds before smiling back. What the hell was going on here? And stop staring at me with those amazing eyes. I couldn’t think straight.

Without even thinking I said exactly what was on my mind, “Damn I can’t get over your eyes. They’re like a light greenish grey but there are very subtle flecks of amber, yellow and blue around the pupils, like peacock eyes. So pretty.”

Jake looked at me a second and I swear, he might actually have blushed a little bit, before saying, “Thanks.”

“I guess you hear that a lot, don’t you?”

“That I have peacock eyes?” Jake laughed. “No. That is a first.”

“No I meant you must hear that you have pretty eyes all the time,” I giggled.

“Um…not as often as I hear that they are a weird color.”

“Not weird…unique,” I smiled in admiration.

Jake shrugged. “If you say so.”

“I do.”

“I never really liked my eyes,” Jake admitted.

“Seriously? I would kill for that color.”

Jake shook his head. “They draw too much attention.”

“That’s the point.”

“Not when it’s negative attention,” Jake shrugged.

“How can having awesome eyes give you negative attention?” I asked, not buying his argument.

Jake didn’t respond immediately, almost like he was deciding what to tell me. “One time, when I was a kid, this woman, who I’d never met before, came up to me at the mall and told me that I had evil eyes.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

Jake nodded.

“Oh my God, what a bitch.”

Jake laughed. “I know. Who says that to a kid, right?”

“How old were you?”

“Probably ten or eleven.”

“Please tell me you punched her in the vagina,” I blurted out, rather crudely.

Jake eyes widened in surprise at my vulgar comment and I immediately regretted my choice of words. But Jake just shook his head in amusement as he choked out a laugh. “No, I didn’t punch her in the vagina. I don’t hit girls. Geez, Casey.”

“What did you do, then?”

“Then? As if there could not possibly be another viable option to vagina punching,” Jake laughed. “Anyway…I gave her my best crazy look and responded in an eerie voice, ‘and now I’ve cursed you.’ You should have seen the look on her face. She was praying as she ran away.”

I laughed out loud. “That is hysterical. I love it.”

“I was a little shit back then.”

“You were!” I grinned. “But she deserved it.”

Jake shrugged as he smiled at me. “Oh and remind me not to mess with you. You went straight for vagina punching. I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

“Oh yeah...it’s a thing,” I giggled.

“How many have you punched in your lifetime?” Jake joked.

I started calculating in my head.

“Seriously? You have to count?” Jake laughed.

“I’m just playing with you. I’ve never punched anyone in the vagina but if some bitch says that to you again, I will protect your honor.”

“Wow, I feel so special,” Jake smiled.

I looked up at him in all his glory. He was irresistibly attractive. At that moment, I could not imagine ever meeting anyone as good-looking or as intriguing as Jake McKallister.

“You’re easy to talk to,” I stated. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Jake replied, his expression changing.

“I didn’t mean that disrespectfully,” I backtracked.

“I didn’t take it that way.”

Jake smiled down at me. I was melting inside but I couldn’t let him see how those damn, gorgeous eyes affected me. I wanted to reach out and touch him but I refrained. I heard some hushed whispering and looked over to see a couple of women staring and pointing excitedly at Jake.

“Oh shit…let’s go,” Jake whispered. He pushed the elevator button multiple times, as if he was willing it to come quickly. As luck would have it, the door miraculously opened. We stepped in and Jake quickly pushed the close door button.

“What floor?”

“Four.” The doors closed just as the women came in view. Jake looked immensely relieved, as the elevator started moving.

“We just dodged a bullet there,” Jake stated.

“Yeah, they looked pretty needy,” I replied.

Jake laughed. “Needy…that’s funny.”

“So you have some pretty freakin’ awesome brothers. And your dad is a riot. It must be interesting at your family dinners.”

“You have no idea,” Jake laughed.

“Your dad’s story was…” I started to say but was interrupted.

“Embarrassing! I know.”

“No. I was going to say cute.”

“He had a little too much to drink I think,” Jake laughed.

“I don’t know…I thought it was pretty funny. In fact, I was thinking I might just call you ‘oops’ from now on.”

Jake balked. “You better not.”

“Oh, you don’t like that, huh?” I teased. “Then I’m definitely going to call you that. Oops McKallister…it kind of has a ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Okay, I see where this is going. Two can play this game…from now on I’ll call you “poops’ Caldwell.”

I laughed out loud. “Poops? That’s pretty funny actually. Okay yeah that’s good. That will be our Hollywood couple name…oops/poops.”

Jake laughed, “Or poops…oops?”

We laughed together. The elevator door opened on four and we got out.

“You know,” I finally said, “I think we should just stick with Jacey.”

“Wait a minute! Since when did we get a Hollywood couple name?” Jake laughed. “I’ve known you for about six hours.”

“Oh…um…oh geez…this is awkward…I just thought…uh…,” I jokingly stammered. “Is it too early? Oh man, that’s just embarrassing.”

Jake laughed as he shook his head in amusement. I smiled up at him. I noticed for the first time a faded inch long, raised scar on his jaw line and then another faded one on his cheek. I wondered how those came to be but I would never dare ask him. We started walking again. I hadn’t realized we’d stopped. Somehow we had made it down the hall on my floor and stopped in front of my door. It felt like I was floating…like an out of body experience.

“This is my room,” I said with clear disappointment in my voice. God, how I wanted to take another lap around. We stood there for a couple seconds then Jake nudged me good-naturedly. I nudged him back. We both smiled. I wondered what Jake was thinking. Did he walk me to my room in hopes of getting something? I realized that I would be pretty powerless under his charms if it came to that.

“Well, it’s been fun, Casey.”

He gave me a quick hug. I could feel his muscles under the fabric of his shirt and it made me tingle in all the right places. I wanted to hold onto him and not let him go. How big of a slut would that make me if I invited him in?

Instead of acting on instinct, I used my brain. “It has. Thanks for walking me to my room,” I said.

“Yeah, no problem,” Jake replied then hesitated like he wanted to say something else but thought against it. “Well…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, tomorrow.” I said.

Jake started walking away, then turned and said, “Oh and, by the way, I think our Hollywood couple name should be Cake.”

I laughed out loud. “Cake?!? Oh my God, Jake…I LOVE it! Short and sweet.”

“Yep, short and sweet,” Jake agreed. He continued on his way. “See you Casey.”

“See you, Jake McKallister,” I called after him. Jake turned back toward me, rolled his eyes and smiled. I watched his really, extraordinarily nice butt walk away before going inside my room and shutting the door. I flung myself onto the bed and mouthed ‘Oh My God’ over and over again as I pounded my fists into the mattress. I silently cheered my good fortune. Jake was a perfect gentleman, making me like him even more.