CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cami
“Boring as fuck today,” Sketch commented as he flopped down on the couch in the front.
I couldn’t argue with him and I honestly had no idea why all four of us were here. Blade was currently tucked away in his room and when I peeked in his window a bit ago, I found him napping in his chair. And Brand was in his room cleaning his station, not that it really needed it. I’d come to find out that he was not only very clean and organized, but he took pride in this place and the work he did.
“So it’s that time,” Brand said coming out of his room, holding a bag of M&Ms in the air.
I looked at Sketch wide-eyed because I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Already?” Sketch said with a little hint of a whine in his tone. “Blade, get your ass out here!”
“I don’t know why you’re even bitchin’,” Blade said, a hing of amusement in his tone. “It’s not like you ever actually get stuck doing it. It’s like the candy gods are watching over you every time, I swear.”
“True that,” Sketch said with a triumphant smile as he sent a wink my way.
“Okay…what’s going on?” I asked, my eyes darting around to each one of them.
“So, Brand had this dumb-as-fuck idea of how to pick who does the shop scrub down every month. We each pick out one of these bad boys, then he shakes the bag—like it fucking matters—and digs out another one. Whoever holds the match to that one, is the winner, or loser, I guess. They get to stay behind and clean this place top to bottom.” Sketch explained all of this as he reached for the bag and did some sort of weird massage over the thing.
“Kinda like in that movie?” I asked, then couldn’t place what movie that seemed familiar from.
“Empire fucking Records, hell yeah!” Sketch lit up like I’d just said the coolest thing ever.
Yes, that was it. Another one of those movies that had come out when I was little and I wondered if Sketch had even been born yet at the time it was popular.
“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Blade said, unfazed by the whole Sketch thing, unlike me.
Brand tore open the top of the bag and passed it around. I tipped it sideways and shook it until I had one in my hand.
“We should do two since there are four of us here now. Hey, if anything, it will make the cleaning go faster.” Brand was looking at Sketch as he spoke. “Blue,” Brand said as he pulled out the first M&M after we all had ours.
“Nope!” Sketch said with a smug smile.
“Shit,” Brand said as he looked at his hand, then tossed both of the offending colored candies into his mouth.
“What do you do when two people have the same color? I mean, now it would make sense, but say on the next one if Blade and I had the same color?” I asked.
“Then you rock, paper, scissors it.” Brand flashed me a smile then shook the bag again, dumping out the candy that would choose one of our fate for the evening. “Red.”
“I’m out!” Sketch said tossing his brown one up in the air and catching it in his mouth.
“Ever single fucking time,” Blade grumbled, shaking his head at Sketch. “Not going to complain this time though.” He held up his orange candy, then tossed it into Sketch’s opened mouth.
“Wait, what if I had orange, or yellow?” I asked trying to be smart. I didn’t. Nope, I had the chosen color. And I may have been taunting them to hide the trepidation and nervousness about being stuck with Brand alone for who knew how long.
“Then Brand gets to do it alone. I think that is the way it should go.” Sketch shrugged like it was the best solution to the problem. A problem that didn’t really exist.
“Let’s see it, Cami,” Brand said, his eyes dancing with some sort of mischief.
“Fine,” I said with fake annoyance as I held up my red M&M. “I’m at your service, Sir,” I added a little head bow as a joke.
And when I looked up there was something in his beautiful eyes that had my head reeling. But before I could get lost in it any further, Sketch stepped in between us, ripped the bag out of Brand’s hand, and poured half the candy coated chocolates into his mouth.
And later that night after the shop was closed, Brand and I got to work. For the most part, we were quiet. There was a list of things that were to be done, and honestly, I wasn’t even a little bit surprised by it. That seemed to just be the way Brand was. I had to admit that I found it cute.
I’d been lost in my head the last two hours. Thinking about the very man that was breathing the same air as me right now. We were alone. It was mostly quiet. There was the occasional grunt from him and yelp from me, because I was clumsy as all get out, and couldn’t manage to wipe something down without catching my nail or smashing my foot when moving things around. And so sweetly, he asked if I was okay every time.
“I’m done. You want me to help you finish this up?” Brand asked squatting down to my level. I was currently wiping down the glass on the cases, the bottoms seemed to collect the most dust, so I was having to wipe it three or more times to keep from leaving wet dust streaks.
“Sure, if you really feel like it,” I said with a laugh as I set down the thing of wipes so he could reach them.
He flopped down on his butt and started working without so much as an irritated sigh. My eyes kept darting over to look at him as I continued working.
The lights were mostly turned off, leaving the place only lit enough so we could see what we were doing. It was almost weird being there when the place was like that. I mean, I’d closed down the shop enough times that I’d been in there when it was like that, but it had never been longer than it took to walk to the back door and leave. The music had been cut the moment the doors were locked and there was something almost strange about the silence that hung in the air around us.
He smelled good. Yep, even after working a long day and cleaning for the past two hours, he still smelled amazing. It was not fair in the least because I was pretty sure I smelled about as ripe as a trapeze artist after a performance. I hated him for it, even as I discreetly leaned a little closer to him and took a big breath in through my nose.
Awkwardness took over and maybe I felt a little guilty about what I’d done. So naturally, I tried to cover it up and at the same time remind myself that he was taken.
“So, you and Chris are really cute together. I mean, I just want to let you know that I think that, and I’m totally okay with…you know?”
His head snapped to look at me, his brows furrowed deep in confusion.
“I mean, I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes looking at anything but him at that moment. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I just think you guys are kinda perfect for one another. And I know it doesn’t matter what I think, but I…”
Yes, I needed to shut my mouth right now.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head tilt back as a boisterous laugh boomed out of him, echoing around the silent space around us. I knew I was a mess but that didn’t mean he had to laugh at me. Then it was still and quiet again as he snapped his mouth shut. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn’t dare look up.
“Cami, look at me,” he said in a calm tone that had a hint of a serious ring to it.
I shook my head because I couldn’t look at him or even open my mouth to tell him so.
“Cami.”
“Just forget I said anything,” I mumbled completely embarrassed and I knew my face was bright red.
“Chris and I aren’t together,” he said and I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. “I’m not interested in guys. I know that for a fact.” There was something in his tone that sounded slightly humorous but I sensed it was more than just the fact that I thought he was gay.
“Wha—huh?”
“You really thought that Chris and I were a couple?” His eyes squinted and he scratched his head like he was really thinking about it. “I guess I could actually see that, though, now that I think about it.” He huffed out a small laugh.
“It’s just that…well, he’s always taking care of you and you seem to really care about him. And Sketch made it seem like you guys were together. Or, he didn’t bother correcting me, I guess.”
I clamped my mouth shut. Suddenly every interaction, every conversation, started to replay in my mind. I was looking at them all with different eyes.
“Oh, shit!” I blurted out and yes, I said ‘shit’ out loud. I was hit with a huge wave of embarrassment that was far more clenching than what I’d had felt a few moments ago. “The bathroom. Oh, God. You saw me in my underwear in the bathroom. And you’re not gay!”
I’d only felt semi-comfortable standing there with him in that small space because I thought he wouldn’t even be remotely attracted to me or taking in my body with any sort of sexual thoughts. Because I thought he wasn’t into women. Then again, maybe he wasn’t. But the attraction that I felt for him was a lot easier to deal with when I knew it would only ever be one-sided.
“You’re laughing?!” I all but screeched. He was doing his best to hide his laughter behind his hand, but the way his whole body was shaking was a dead giveaway.
“I’m sorry,” he said shaking his head. “I know. It’s not funny. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just…if you knew how hard it was for me not to actually look at you in that bathroom, you would definitely know that I’m not gay.”
“I thought you were just like, not looking because you didn’t want to see my no-no bits because they gross you out or something.”
“Did you just say ‘no-no bits’ for real?” he asked and his laughter was back in full force and this time he didn’t even bother to try and hide it.
“That’s what you choose to focus on?” I stared at him.
Then it happened. The laughter worked its way up my body and before I knew it, I erupted into a fit of giggles.
It felt like forever before we both were able to get it under control. He looked down at the floor, his breaths so heavy they made his chest heave with each one.
“I’m glad you find this so funny,” I said, my mind was still trying to play catch-up. “The more I think about, the more I feel embarrassed. I mean here I am, thinking I didn’t have a chance, and that all those thoughts I have of you and the fact that when you touch me it gives me goosebumps…”
I clamped my mouth shut. I so did not mean to say any of those things, especially not all of them. But there they were, hanging in the air, showing exactly how crazy I was.
“Thoughts?” he asked and as he bit the inside of his cheek, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I could see a little color creeping its way up his neck.
“Um, no. Just forget I said anything.” I moved to stand. We were close enough to being done with the cleaning that I was going to call it good enough. It was time for me to go. I needed some air and a whole lot of space between me and this guy that I’d had a huge crush on that I just found out isn’t in a relationship—or gay!
My head was spinning, to say the least.
“Cami,” he said. And I hated how he said my name. I hated how it sounded like a sweet whisper in my ears. I hated the way his eyes softened as it passed his lips.
Had it always been like that? Did he always get that look? Or was I just being crazy? Maybe it was like some sort of pity plea. Yes, I could completely see that. Like ‘oh this girl has a crush on me and I don’t know how to tell her that I’m not into whatever kind of mess she has going on there.’
I shuffled back, my feet refusing to lift up and carry me far, far away. In doing so, I tripped over the cleaning supplies. I felt myself going down and my eyes pinched closed so tight I could feel my nose scrunch up. Then I wasn’t moving backward, no, I was plastered to a hard chest with strong arms wrapped around me. I could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest against my cheek.
“Look at me,” he said and I kept my eyes closed as I shook my head back and forth frantically. He didn’t release me but I couldn’t open my eyes. I could admit that I was way beyond embarrassed right then and I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. “Breathe and look at me, please.”
Had I been holding my breath?
I answered my own question when my lungs started to burn and my mouth fell open as a huge gasp came from what felt like my toes. The cool air of the shop rushed into my deprived lungs and I blamed the lack of oxygen on the wooziness I felt in my head.
Slowly, so slowly, my eyes moved up his shirt, the gray, cotton fabric not only looked soft, it felt that way too. I knew this because my hands were awkwardly gripping onto his sides. Why was I focusing on his stupid shirt, I had no clue. A cute, smart, funny guy was all but begging me to look at him and I was taking my sweet time to honor his request.
My eyes followed the lines of his silver necklace that never could make up its mind if it wanted to be tucked under his shirt or waving hello to everyone around. Currently, it was tucked away but part of it was visible around the back of his neck. Then I followed the line of his strong neck. How could a neck seem strong? It was the way it held up his head with pride and the corded muscles that bulged and strained with each emotion.
I realized I sounded a bit creepy and maybe a little mental. It wasn’t like I’d spent so much time studying him, though I had to admit I had. It was more that I was familiar and curious about the human form. And let me tell you, his form was perfect.
My eyes roamed over his perfect, stubble-free chin and full lips that I’d stared at and thought about more times than I should ever admit. Finally, I met his eyes, my heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to beat out of my chest.
His brown eyes were more like dark chocolate than milk. His pupils blown wide-out and I couldn’t stop my body from shaking.
“Oh, fuck,” he breathed out and it was like he had read my mind.
His hand moved to cup my face and my hands fisted that soft, gray shirt.
His lips were on mine, gentle and testing at first, but the moment I closed my eyes and opened up for him, he took it all.
Passion. Something I’d never experienced outside of my art. My whole body felt it right now. I was aware of everything. My lips. My tongue. The blood rushing through my veins. The fine hairs on my body that were now standing on end. My heart.
My.
Fucking.
Soul.
The only thing I couldn’t seem to get a grip on was my brain, because right then, it was a blank mess.
The kiss felt like it went on forever but wasn’t long enough at the same time. I didn’t want it to end. I held onto him like my life depended on it and he kissed me like he never wanted to kiss anyone again.
“Shit, Cami.” His breath fanned across my lips, but I didn’t dare open my eyes.
I only prayed that he felt it too. The intensity and magic. The feeling that this had to be. That we were two planes destined to crash into one another. I only hoped we wouldn’t go down in a fiery death.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a—”
Crash.
What the cheese balls was that?
Before my brain could fully flip the switch back to its on position, a loud succession of popping noise rang through the air. Brand’s body was suddenly covering mine as I hit the hard floor with a thump, causing all the air to be forced out of my lungs.