Fate’s Unseen Shadow (Cager #1)

Chapter 12

12

“ A ll I’m saying is that if I had your figure, I’d rock this leather skirt I just bought. Please, let me bring it for tomorrow night.” Lacy looked over her shoulder at Damon and the guys. “I promise it’ll get you the type of attention you want.”

Ella bent her head farther over the drink she mixed. “I never said anything about wanting attention.”

“You didn’t have to. Every thirty seconds, your eyes track over there. I’m assuming you’re interested in Damon.” Lacy held up her hand. “And don’t say you’re not interested. You are. It’s okay to admit it to me. I won’t tell anyone. Not even Chris.”

She bit her lip and studied the glass in her hand.

“There’s another guy, isn’t there?” Lacy slipped herself between Ella and the bar. “You have got to tell me. You seem too sweet to juggle two men, but hey?—”

“No.” Ella shook her head. “Nothing like that. There was another guy, but that’s over. I don’t have much experience outside of that one relationship with, uh, flirting. I don’t know how to get a guy, is what I’m saying. I’ve tried to flirt with Damon, and he gives me this look like I think he’s interested and then backs off.

“So, he’s hot and cold?”

“No. More like he gets warm and then tepid. He’ll say little things and then change the subject. He’s done so much for me. I’d hate to risk it and force myself on him because I misread his signals.” She looked Lacy up and down. “I’m not like you. I don’t feel sexy and badass. I never owned a shirt that showed my stomach before this job. Even the idea that someone like Damon would consider me for something other than doing his taxes is ludicrous.”

Lacy laughed until she snorted. She reached for a customer’s empty glass. “Listen, you need to be you, okay? That’s what makes you sexy. You’re hot, smart, and adorably sweet. I’d have already hit on you if I wasn’t with Chris. My advice is to own it, Ella. Own what you feel and who you are. Not everyone will be into you. It would be a miserable existence if that were the case. But I bet the man sitting in that booth over there that hasn’t stopped staring at you for the past two days likes exactly what you have to offer.

“And,” she added in a whisper, “I bet if you made your intentions loud and clear, there’s no way he’d refuse.”

“I’ve tried to make them clear.”

“Then maybe you need to hit him upside the head with them.”

She crossed her arms. “So what do I do? Walk up to him and kiss him?”

Lacy wrinkled her nose. “No, that’s no fun. There’s a reason it’s called catching a man. It’s like fishing. You have to tempt them.”

“I’m going to make a fool of myself. I’d rather give a lecture on financial forecasting to an auditorium of engineers.” When the only response from Lacy was a confused frown, Ella groaned and dropped her arms. “Fine. What do I do to make it loud and clear?”

“Simple. Wear my skirt tomorrow.” Lacy gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “And Damon will do the rest. I promise you that.” She moved to the side and set a new napkin on the table. “What can I get you, sweetie?”

The man who sat down pointed at Ella. “I’d rather her wait on me.”

“And I’d rather be chillin’ at the spa. What would you like to drink?”

He continued to stare at Ella. “Miller Lite. Draft.”

“Got it.” Lacy turned, rolling her eyes. “Go down there. I’ll handle this one.”

Shoving the unease of wearing something sexy and looking like a fool to the back of her mind, she headed to the next customer. “What would you like?”

A young woman passed over her credit card. “A bucket of beer for outside.”

“Sure thing.” She took the card and ran it, then gathered the bucket, ice, and aluminum bottles of beer. She returned with the card and the receipt. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” She moved out of the way, another customer right behind her.

“What can I get you?”

And that’s how it went for the next two hours. One person after another. A blur of faces.

Until Damon showed up at her end of the bar. She kept trying to get a clear moment to talk to him, but there was never a break in the crowd.

Finally, with a lull in traffic, she leaned on the counter across from him. “Did your boys kick you out of the cool club?”

He glanced around, the crowd dying down. “No. I need to ask you a few more questions. I’ve been trying to find a suitable time.”

“Any time is fine.”

“You’re wrong. Earlier, when I was in my underwear, it was not a good time.”

A laugh burst out of Lacy’s mouth. “Seriously! Already. And here I thought you were too shy.” She nudged Ella.

“No, it wasn’t like that.” She looked at Damon for help, but he chuckled into his glass of water. “You’re no use.” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Never mind. What did you want to ask me?”

“It’s about your stepmom. Julia. We meet with her on Monday. Do you know if she had a job before she was with your father? They weren’t married long, were they?”

“No, about four years. She was divorced from an investment banker, who is still alive. He has to be in his late nineties by now.”

“How old was your dad?”

“Seventy-four when he died.”

“So, she has a thing for older men. How did he die?”

“They said it was a heart attack. Makes sense. His doctors had warned him for years to change his habits and exercise. But he worked a lot and loved bourbon and wine.” And ignored every suggestion about a healthy diet or encouragement Ella had given him.

“Did he work as much as you did?”

“Yes. I got it from him. Although I take my doctor warning me about strokes and heart attacks a little more seriously than he did. He didn’t care about the high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Just ate what he wanted and drank as much as he wanted.”

Damon nodded, taking notes on his phone. “Sounds like he enjoyed himself until the end.”

“He did. The night before he died, we flew in from Italy. God, that was a fun trip. We closed on a deal that I’d spent nearly a hundred hours hammering out with our partner over there. We both inadvertently learned Italian. Brought my dad with me for the closing negotiations and to sign the contract. We celebrated that night. Listened to music. Got drunk.” Ella swiped at a tear when it rolled down her cheek. “I haven’t thought about that trip since he died. I miss him.”

He glanced up from his phone, concern filling his expression. “It’s ten minutes till close. Lacy, you got this? I want to take Ella home.”

“I can stay.” She swiped at both cheeks.

Lacy walked over, scowling at Damon. “What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing,” he said, holding his hands up.

“It’s not him. I was thinking about my dad. I’m fine now.”

Lacy waited for Damon to head back to the guys still in the booth before she spoke. “Go home, girl. Get your beauty sleep. Tomorrow you’re done with this cat and mouse game.”

“Am I the cat or the mouse?” She laughed, the rest of her tears drying up.

“I have a feeling you’ll start off as the cat until he gets his feet underneath him. I’m going to bring you that skirt, so wear a shirt that goes with black leather and be prepared.”

“I can’t do this. I’m going to embarrass myself.”

Lacy gave her shoulders a small shake. “No, you won’t. It’s time to force the point with him.”

“I haven’t known him very long. Like three days. That’s not long enough to even think he’d be interested.”

“Doesn’t matter. When it hits, it hits. Those flashbangs are some of the best relationships you’ll ever experience. Good night, girl.”

Ella moved out from behind the bar and met Damon at the front door. Without any hesitation, he took her by the hand, walking out the door and to his car around the side.

“I’m okay. Promise.”

He opened her door, not replying.

With a humph , she sat down. When he started the car, she told him again. “I’m not a wimp. Sorry. It’s thinking about my dad. I haven’t slowed down enough to think about him. Or talk about it.”

“It’s fine. But you don’t have to do it in the middle of a nearly empty bar at two in the morning.” He drove to the apartment and parked, once again holding her hand as they went to his apartment.

“I want to change the bandage on your finger.”

“And I can change yours. Do you want to take a shower?”

He lifted his eyebrows and pushed open the door. “Absolutely.”

Ella laughed. “I meant, do you, alone, want to shower? I can change the bandage after it.”

“Worth a shot. Your finger first.” He led her to the bathroom, cleaned, and rebandaged her finger. “I know you like wine, but there’s a good bottle of bourbon in the kitchen if you’d like a drink. I’ll be out shortly.”

“Okay.” She found the bottle and poured a small glass before relaxing on his sofa and kicking off her sneakers. She sipped her drink. The warmth of the bourbon burned down her throat to her belly, and she closed her eyes. And simply existed.

For the few minutes the shower ran, she listened to the water and thought of absolutely nothing. It was incredible.

“Not asleep, are you?” He walked in, wearing a pair of sweatpants low on his hips, shirtless. He brought new strips with him. “After this, they should be good for a few days. But I wanted to change it after this first shower.”

She took the bandages and knelt at the end of the sofa. “Turn,” she said, trying to focus on the task and not his body. She peeled off the old strips. Luckily, he had facial tissue right there. She dabbed at the small trickle of blood. “Sorry.”

“Why? It’s my cut. I assumed it might bleed.”

“I think you need stitches.”

“I’ll get them if it’s still bad next week.”

“Such a guy.” She taped him shut, pressing the tissue there until the bleeding stopped. “There. Excuse me if I don’t kiss your boo-boo.”

He smirked.

“Don’t.” She stood. “I’m not kissing anything else either.”

“I didn’t say a word.”

She threw back the rest of the bourbon and held out the glass. “Here. I’ll go to bed before you carry me there when I fall asleep standing upright.” She grabbed her shoes and went ahead of him.

He followed her out the door. “I’m working all day, so you might not see me until it’s time to go to the bar. Be sure to eat.”

“I can help.”

“Help? With what?”

She slowed on the stairs. “With your work. I’d love to help. I can go through your books. I always enjoy getting down to the lower level of accounting, seeing where the money goes. I can offer suggestions, if your ego can take it.”

He half smiled and pressed his hand along her lower back, continuing their ascent. “My ego can take it, but not tomorrow. I’ll be running around town for most of the day.”

“Oh.” Mildly disappointed, she finished climbing the stairs. “You have nice toes.”

“Never had someone say something about my feet.”

“Some guys have ugly toes. Yours are nice. Just take the compliment.”

He rolled his lips inward, studying her for a moment. “Didn’t expect to end the night talking about my toes.”

“How did you expect it to end?” After Lacy’s confidence boost, Ella pushed her luck when he didn’t make a move. She rested her hand on his chest. “Since I’m not allowed to comment on your shirtless torso, I picked something safe.”

He scratched the back of his head, taking a step back. His abs contracted with a quick laugh. “I can’t say if our positions were swapped that I’d be as polite and only comment on your toes. Good night, Ella.”

“Good night, Damon.” She closed the door and locked it. Tomorrow was it. She’d do what Lacy had suggested, wear the skirt, but if Damon didn’t make a move then, she’d back off. She needed his help, and throwing herself at him only to be rejected would make their arrangement uncomfortable for both of them.