Chapter 6
LEVI
I’m not about to get bullied by an adorable browned skin beauty who is maybe half my size….
My back leans against her bedroom door. “You can’t possibly be serious.”
The glimmer in her brown eyes is equally intoxicating and infuriating. “Oh, but I am.”
“Come on, Kadence. Can’t we eat dinner somewhere else?”
“No.”
“What about Shea Sushi? They make an amazing inside out roll.”
“No.”
“Ever been to Dana’s Dive? They have some of the best clam strips I’ve ever had in my life.”
“No.”
“What about Shoreline Steakhouse? Their blackened salmon is unmatched in this city.”
“Nope.”
Her lack of vacillation frustrates me further. “Can we please go literally anywhere else?”
Kadence folds her arms firmly across her sleeveless blue floral print romper. “Did I mention I started learning French just for you? First word I learned? No.”
I roll my eyes.
This can’t be happening. There’s just no way in hell my life has boiled down to me being shaken down by a pint size woman with a pretty face. Where the hell are my balls? Oh yeah….They’re pissed because they are the same color as her outfit and no amount of jerking off this past week has managed to help. That’s the only logical explanation for preparing to cave to this ludicrous demand. What’s that? What do you mean it’s not the only reason? Of course it is.
“You told me I got to pick the speed.”
Which is why my dick is pissed. Not only has it been seven days since I last physically saw her, we’ve spent a few late nights sexting and my hands are no match for what I am envisioning her pussy to be like.
“You told me I got to pick the night.”
Was surprised she stayed true to her word and made me wait the entire week.
“And you told me I got to pick the date.”
Definitely words I am regretting.
“Now, I have chosen the first half of where it is I wanna go. You can either take out the keys to your precious ocean blue Lambo to take us there or you can leave and I will happily throw on sweats, grab a bag of Skinny Pop, and return to binging season two of Lawless Lives.”
My grin is instant. “You’ve been watching my show?”
She tosses me a playful expression. “It’s before your character was even a thought.”
Should’ve known she wasn’t going to just let me have that one.
A heavy sigh falls free. “Fine.”
The joy in her eyes says more than her lips ever could.
It’s only been a couple weeks and she has me wrapped around her finger? I can’t survive a lifetime of this….I mean….Well what I meant was….I…How about we just pretend I never used that poor phrasing?
“We can go, but you get no say about what we listen to,” I state sharply, determined to maintain the tiny amount of dignity still dangling around. “You’re just going to have to suffer.”
Kadence’s face tilts in question. “Suffer? Are you secretly a Jonas Brother’s fan or something?”
I chuckle, extend my hand, and wink. “You’ll be listening to fucking opera if that’s what I’m in the mood for, babe. You picked the night. You picked the date. I’m picking the music.”
She links her grip with mine, face still baring a cautious expression.
Once we’re settled in the car and headed to the last place I ever thought I would end up going for a date, I fiddle with the radio until it’s playing one of my playlists.
The moment the opening notes pour from the speakers, Kady lets out an audible groan of annoyance. “Seriously?”
I cut her a quick glance and nod arrogantly.
“This is knocking at the door of torture.”
“Which makes us almost even.”
Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me” continues blaring despite the death glares she’s shooting me to change it. When it reaches the chorus, I stretch my hand over to fold our fingers together, and effortlessly sing along. As if she has no recollection of her earlier complaints, she quietly joins me.
It’s a catchy tune. Hard not to.
Our drive to Spike’s Shack is smooth and almost trafficless. We don’t say much yet it doesn’t feel like we need to. It’s like we’ve made this trip a thousand times already. Like we’ve been together for years and it’s just another typical Saturday evening for us.
And a huge part of me fucking loves it.
After parking a few blocks down, the two of us begin to stroll towards the infamous area.
Spike’s Shack is much more than a fish market. It’s an experience. An adventure, especially for tourists. While Spike’s is dead center there are a ton of local businesses running alongside it. On one side you can find things like a local Farmer’s Market and a frozen yogurt shop and on the other you can find little shops with unusual jewelry or clothing. Oddly enough South Haven natives love it just as much as the outsiders. It’s actually a great melting pot of the two.
I tuck Kady a little closer to me. “Just wanna give you a head’s up. We’ve got company.”
Her eyebrows lift.
“I’ve got a body guard following us.”
Curiosity creeps into her appearance. “Did you have one when we went out last weekend for a drink?”
“No. It varies situation to situation. The bar was familiar territory-”
“Typical tramp stomping grounds?”
I grit my teeth to prevent myself from snapping back.
The glint in her eyes provides proof of her poor attempt to push my buttons.
She’s a fucking pro at it already.
“Spike’s, however, is not somewhere I go often and is a much larger crowd. When I venture into these types of public settings, I’m advised by my team to have him accompany me.”
“Your team?”
“My agent. Publicist.” Our eyes meet and I add, “My parents.”
She suppresses her giggle by pressing her lips tightly together.
“Steel does his best to blend into the surroundings. He typically keeps a safe, but spacious distance.”
“What happens if you get attacked? Do you know any self-defense moves to fend off the person ‘til he gets over here?”
The concern in her voice has me almost tripping over myself in a rush to soothe it. “Considering my attacker would most likely be a star crazed chick starving herself on Dasani water and diet pills, I think the few moves I’ve learned over the years would be fine.”
Kady doesn’t look comforted. “Which are what exactly?”
A bit of mirth sneaks into my tone. “Oh….You wanna see?”
“Uh-huh Bro Lee.” Her joking nature finally crashes back into mine. “Show me your Crouching Surfer Hidden Dancer moves.”
Without warning, I let go of her hand spread my arms wide and lift them high along with one of my legs. For a brief moment I twist them back and forth, maintaining the most serious expression I can. As soon as her interest appears to deepen I let them descend upon her waist, scooping her into a tight hug.
Her head falls backwards on a laugh I wanna bottle up and keep in my pocket for the rest of my life. “You’re gonna cuddle them to death?”
“I’m keeping your arms held hostage.” My smiling face motions down to her arms that are trapped against my chest. “Totally defused the situation.”
Kady giggles once more, this time receiving a chaste kiss in return.
We link hands again and return to maneuvering around the buoyant crowd. The entire area is flooded with couples chuckling, families fussing over where to go next, and loud 80’s music for everyone to enjoy.
The moment we cross the threshold into Spike’s my eyes shoot to my dad who is joyfully shouting behind the counter.
You don’t have to say it. I’m aware how much we look alike. If I ever put on a beer gut and grow some unnecessarily thick sideburns, we could be twins.
I use my free hand to casually point his direction. “That’s my dad.”
He tosses the fish to a panicking redhead while her group of friends film the entire moment on their phones.
People come from all around the world to do this. It may seem idiotic and look mildly stupid, but it really is a good time.
The girl catches and the entire place claps in approval. Her friends giggle, take selfies with the creature, and eventually toss it back.
You’re right. Most places you’re not supposed to play with your food. Here? It’s expected.
They move along to the restaurant ordering station to the right as opposed to the market purchasing side on the left.
Immediately, my dad catches a glimpse of us and starts waving like a madman. He motions the two of us to come over, bragging to everyone who can hear him how special he is because his son swung by for a visit.
I never come here anymore. Spent plenty of time in this place trying to make rent, passing out contact cards, and trying to impress anyone who would give me a moment of their time. All those in between dancing like a complete moron in a costume.
“Ready to catch a cold one, Levi?” Dad questions, moving towards the back display to grab a larger one still sitting on ice.
I quickly shake my head. “Not this time, Dad. I don’t wanna smell like fish all night.”
“Why not? Isn’t that your normal Saturday night routine anyway?” Kadence taunts loudly.
A deep crimson color coats my cheeks as the crowd chuckles at her insult.
Did she….Did she really just say that in front of all these people!?
Dad’s grin reaches his ears. “This one is the type you marry, Squirt.”
Why the hell can’t I stop myself from thinking the same thing?
“Not sure I can marry someone who can’t even catch a fish,” Kady continues her pushing. She slides her hand away from mine and folds her arms across her chest. “How would you ever fend for our children?”
The crowd eats up her sass and I simply shake my head. “You wanna see a show, babe? I’ll give you a damn good one.”
This time they cheer loudly for me in encouragement.
I roll up my black long sleeves at the same time I instruct, “Big and cold, Dad. Bring out all the tricks.”
He encourages the members behind the counter who aren’t working to join him in singing the Spike’s Shack song. They begin the legendary chant fisherman used to sing on cold mornings to help them forget about the frigid temperatures.
I convince myself to ignore the voice pestering me in the back of my mind not to make a spectacle. The one rambling on about the media frenzy this is going to create and the hell I’ll catch from my agent and publicist for doing this. The one begging me to be cautious about the pictures being taken and video footage most likely live streaming.
You know the bigger you become the more people wanna watch every aspect of your life, but the truth is, I swore to myself when my career started growing I wouldn’t stop enjoying the things that I wanted to do. And I won’t. Even if it costs me an earful.
Dad hauls the large tuna my direction making an unnecessary grunting noise. Catching the fish is effortless, just like chanting along, but the spin move I do before throwing it back grabs me applause. My dad chuckles proudly. We continue passing it back and forth between us as well as a few other employees, each change of possession accompanied with a trick worth the squeals. I toss it under my leg. Juggle from hand to hand. Slide it gracefully down my arm and across the room. The cheers grow as the crowd does, but there’s only one person I really give a shit about impressing, and she’s gawking at me like I’m a Greek God.
Damn, I don’t think I could ever grow tired of that look.
“Your turn, baby doll!” My dad shouts preparing to toss the fish to her. “You get the final catch!”
“Nonononono!” The word comes out in such rapid succession I’m not even sure she took a breath. “No! No way!”
I mock loudly, “How will you ever fend for our children?”
There’s laughter and a wink from my dad before the fish soars her direction.
With a horrified expression, she extends her arms, bracing for the impact. The creature lands with a thud that topples her forward yet she triumphantly traps it against her chest. There’s an uproar of cheers, claps, and traditional close call whistles.
Kady gives everyone a slight bow, still cradling the fish. She snickers, tosses it back to my dad, and joins in the clapping for the all the talented men behind the counter.
Just for the record, she’s even sexier when she successfully completes a challenge.
After everything dies back down, the two of us get in line on the restaurant side of the building. We place our order and quickly rush to an open table we spotted, knowing it won’t stay that way for long. Thankfully, the spot we managed to snag not only gives us a good view of the customers on the market side, but the busy courtyard area where people are posing and dancing with the mascot.
I feel for that poor fucker. I really do. But I’ll be blatantly honest. Right now, I’m grateful more people seem concerned with taking his picture than mine.
Kadence pulls her attention away from the crowd outside and gives it back to me. “Can’t believe you made me catch that fish.”
“Can’t believe you called me out in front of everyone.”
She lets the corner of her lip slip upward. “You handled it well.”
The stroking of my ego causes me to sit up a little higher. “What can I say? When it comes to you, I’m always ready to rise to the challenge.”
A mischievous gleam thrums through her expression. “We’ll put that to the test after dinner.”
My mouth twitches, prepared to make a demand for more information when my dad interrupts, “Great show, Squirt!”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Kady’s face illuminates at the childhood nickname. “Squirt?!”
I do my best to bat away the embarrassment. “Since I was kid.”
“He was eye level to a starfish for the longest time,” Dad teases, hand giving me a solid pat on the back. “We were convinced he was never gonna grow.”
She doesn’t bother hiding her snicker.
“Then I did, and they kept the nickname anyway.”
“It had been over a decade of calling you that!” Dad argues. “You don’t just ditch a family nickname like that.” His eyes swing to Kadence’s. “Am I wrong, baby doll?”
On another laugh, she shakes her head.
“Since Squirt is acting like he was raised in the corral instead of a respectable home, I will introduce myself. Douglas Stone,” he extends his hand to shake, “but everyone calls me Dougie.”
“Kadence. Most people call me Kady.”
“I was going to make introductions,” I chime in, back hitting the chair.
He gives me a pat on the shoulder. “Sure you were, Squirt.”
Stop laughing at the nickname.
“Did you have a good time?” He asks my date.
Kadence immediately nods. “That was so much fun! What you guys do here is incredible!”
“First time to The Shack?”
“First time participating.”
The leak of information expands my smile. “Glad I could be your first.”
Her face begins to redden, which causes Dad and me to chuckle.
What do you expect? Gotta get those jabs in when I can.
A waiter appears at Dad’s side prompting him to depart. “Well, I should get back to work. Just wanted to say hi and meet the woman Squirt was willing to bring around his family.”
Kadence’s stare transforms to an inquisitive one, yet I ignore it. “I’ll try to stop by this week for dinner.”
“Bring Kady.” He winks.
The server places our trays in front of us, the shared chips and queso between us, and flags someone over to refill our water glasses.
As soon as the water man rushes away, she asks, “When’s the last time you let your family meet a woman you were seeing?”
I’m reluctant to answer.
Not a conversation I really wanted to have yet.
“It’s a been awhile.”
“Obviously.” The worry in her eyes pangs my chest. “You said you didn’t really date-”
“And I meant it.”
“-but I now need to know, for my own sanity’s sake, when was the last time you were in a real relationship, Levi? Dated for more than two days?”
“Those are two very different questions,” I mumble, picking up my taco, needing to busy my mouth with something other than the confession she wants.
To no surprise, Kadence doesn’t cave. She folds her hands defiantly in her lap and pins me with a demanding look.
I finish chewing and sigh, “The last time my family was ever around a woman I was involved with was seven years ago.”
“Seven?!” She squeaks. “Was this because of a curse from a broken mirror?”
Don’t laugh. Wasn’t funny.
“Once upon a time, I didn’t avoid relationships like I do now. Once upon a time, I was a sap. I was the guy who advocated for coming home to the same woman night after night. Who believed love could survive anything.”
Kady quietly questions. “What happened?”
“Anna left me.”
“Who was Anna?”
My lips press together hating the fact I have to say her name. Hating the fact I even have to think it. “Anna Young was my high school sweetheart. We started dating as freshmen in high school. Moved in together when we graduated. She started classes at a community college, managed to get a decent job doing desk work, and I kept pursuing acting. I rotated through shit jobs, because they were more flexible when it came to auditions. Money was always tight. Time together was always tighter. And one day….” I give the side of my face a scrub. “One day, I came home to an empty apartment and a note that said she wasn’t cut out to live like this. That she couldn’t handle ‘waiting around for my big break’ any longer. That she had been waiting for me to pick her over my career. That if I wanted to choose her instead of it she would be waiting for me at her sister’s.”
Kady’s shoulders fall.
“You can obviously see which one I ended up going after. Of course, I couldn’t afford the apartment we were living in when it was the two of us, which meant I definitely couldn’t do it alone, so that’s when Calen and I became roommates.” I try to lighten the tone in my voice. “It was a great time too. His was moving out to move in with his girlfriend, and I was moving in ‘cause my girlfriend moved out.”
An uncomfortable lull lands between us.
See what I mean about not being a great date subject?
All of a sudden, Kadence reaches her hand across the table and folds it firmly with mine. “It takes balls to chase a dream. A real dream. A dream with no guarantee of ever panning out. Some people can’t handle the impracticalness that chasing one can sometimes entail. I’m sure it wasn’t easy having to choose whether or not to keep pursuing your dream of acting or the girl of your dreams.”
“Never said she was the girl of my dreams,” I thoughtlessly interject.
Pretty sure she’s the one staring at me right now.
The blush that hits her cheeks this time fills me with unusual warmth.
“All I’m saying is I respect how you kept working at your career and didn’t just throw in the towel when life was rough. You stuck to your plans. You kept working at your goals. It’s admirable and a little sexy.”
My expression becomes playful. “You mean a lotta sexy?”
She rolls her eyes, snatches her hand away, and picks up her taco. “Tell me more about your family, Squirt.”
I grump. “Please, don’t call me that. It’s embarrassing enough that my parents do.”
Kadence snickers between bites, but makes no promise to comply.
The list of reasons to love her keeps getting longer and longer….Huh? I didn’t mean love. I meant like. You can’t love someone after only a couple of dates. That’s…a little too make believe, even for a guy like me who spends more time pretending to be in relationships than ever actually building one.
**
My arm drapes itself across her shoulder. “A dive bar, huh? Didn’t even realize these still existed in SH. Was pretty sure everything in this city was a chain or an upscale money sucker.”
Kadence slides her arm around my side and my cock unnecessarily hardens.
Shouldn’t get this turned on from basically a side hug.
“The trick with dive bars is the same as everything else in this city. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And this one is courtesy of Maddie.”
“Maddie? She’s the lawyer right?”
“So you do listen to me do more than dirty talk.”
Listening to Kadence describe fingering herself during one of my breaks was the absolute best and worst decision I made all week.
Kady’s eyes lift to mine. “Wanna know the best thing about this place? They do karaoke on Saturday nights.”
I remove my touch to open the door for her. “Wait. Why is that the best thing?”
Her face grows a devilish grin.
This night is about to take another unwanted turn, isn’t it?
The two of us grab a round table off to the side of the large stage where a couple is already drunkenly crooning their guts out to “Livin’ On a Prayer”. The woman’s hair is wildly whipping back and forth while her husband head bangs slightly off beat. Despite their inability to get all the words into the microphone the crowd sings along and enthusiastically encourages them to keep rocking out.
Once we’ve placed a drink order with our waitress and she’s sauntered off, I turn my attention to Kady. “You sing?”
“Along,” she quickly answers and motions a finger towards the other patrons, “just like the rest of the crowd.”
“But never on stage?”
“No.”
I playfully poke. “Afraid?”
“Nope. You weren’t allowed to be afraid of that shit in my house.”
My head tilts in question. “Pushy stage mom?”
“Not exactly. My mother is a stage actress. She’s been in numerous musicals on and off Broadway. Before I was born she was quite often cast as an understudy, but the frequent distance put a strain on my parent’s marriage. When she accidentally got pregnant with me everything changed. Nowadays she either stars in local productions or joins the chorus cast for short tours, like one’s traveling the state as opposed to the entire country. But growing up, loving musicals wasn’t a choice. It was more like a commandment to obey. And not singing along, whether it was just the two of us or the entire neighborhood watching, was like committing the ultimate sin. Shyness was not an acceptable trait in my household.”
Disbelief drops my jaw. “Wow.”
Our whiskey and lime drinks are placed in front of us.
“Is that why you don’t date actors? Hits too close to home?”
Kady’s head bobs back and forth. “Between her and Henley, I know what most actors in the business are like.”
“Most.”
“Yeah...most.” She lifts her glass with a small smirk. “You, Levi Stone, are proving to be the exception.”
“You have no idea how much I really love hearing that.”
More and more every time she admits it. And I wanna stay the exception.
“What about you? Can you sing? Is that a skill I would find printed on the back of your headshot?”
I smile at the never ending playful punches. “Took one musical theater appreciation class in high school, which never required us to do more than analyze the emotions that were invoked watching recorded performances like Cats, and another one during the only semester at community college I somehow survived. The final for that required us to sing a few lines in front of the entire class. I didn’t fail but let’s just say thank God I’m pretty.”
The two of us exchange a loud round of laughter.
Afterwards, Kady casually says, “I wanna hear.”
“I’ll serenade you on the ride home.”
“Let you open for Nickelback? Nah….” She leans slightly forward at the same time she states, “Besides, I can’t wait that long. Sing for me here.”
My eyebrows pull together. “You can’t possibly be serious.”
“Is this going to be the dinner conversation all over again?”
Fuck, I swear this woman spends all of her free time creating hoops to see me jump through. Problem is, I wanna hop through of all them and receive the reward of her smiling. Shit….She’s turning me back into a sap. Can’t be that guy. That guy gets his heart stomped on and contemplates philosophical shit like is it better to have loved and lost than to have ever loved at all while hitting the bong. I can’t turn into him again. Too much in my bank account to lose.
My fingers tap the rim of my glass. “What exactly am I getting out of this performance?”
Kady’s expression brightens indicating she’s well aware I’m going to give in. Again. “What do you want?”
I remain quiet for a moment and stare at the woman I have no doubt I’d dive to the bottom of the ocean for without question. The thought instantly ignites an idea. “I sing for you in front of all these people and you join me back at my place for a soak in the hot tub.”
“No.”
The lack of consideration is expected. “Seems fair to me. Tit for tat.”
Her eyes narrow. “Except you’re not deathly afraid of public performances.”
“And I’m not convinced for a second you’re deathly afraid of hot tubs.”
She glances away rather than responding.
“Come on, Kady. Five minute song for five minutes in my hot tub.” When her eyes fall back to mine, I add, “Plus, your swimsuit is still at my place from last weekend, so you already have something to wear.” The scowl remains. “Oh and I didn’t need my shirt or shorts back in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
Silence oscillates between us imploring me to back down. To back off. To not push her away, which is what challenging her like this might actually do.
Here’s the thing. Part of me needs to know if I’m the only one here willing to sacrifice something for the sake of the other person. I already did that shit once. I’m not really looking to do it again. I did whatever I could to make Anna happy with the exception of throwing in the acting towel, and it was never enough. I don’t want that with Kady. I wanna know she’s willing to meet me in the middle or at the very least give, not just take.
She tosses the fallen strand of hair out of her face and lets out a seething sigh. “Fine, but I get to pick the song and I want a helluva performance. We’re talking dance moves and bring the crowd to their feet like this is fucking American Idol.”
Excited, but doing my best to contain it, I question, “What if I don’t know the song?”
Her smirk is vindictive. “Trust me. You will.”
On a scale of one to Insidious level of horrifying, how terrified do you think I should be?
I lift my glass and tilt it towards her. “Deal.”
Kady clinks hers against mine, and we both have a sip.
Almost immediately after we make our agreement, she struts away to the sign-up area. The instinct to be nervous begins to cultivate, however the sight of her slightly leaned over, giving me a very picture perfect shot of her ass, manages to stomp it out.
I’m probably just overreacting. How big of a challenge could she really make this? Wait. Why are you smirking like that?
A few minutes later my date plops back down in her seat with a huge grin plastered on her face. “You’re up after Cher.”
“What?”
“The next person is singing Cher. You’re after them.”
Just as I reach for my beverage a man dressed in drag takes the stage with enough confidence to rival the iconic pop queen herself. He flips his black wig hair off his shoulders and places his hands on his white sequin dress covered hips. “I just wanna say, I recently went through a tragic break up and never thought I would fall in love again.”
Fuck, am I supposed to monologue first?
“But I am here tonight to tell all of you, that I saw this dress yesterday, and am glad to announce I was wrong!”
The audience snickers at the same time they applaud the announcement.
“D.J.!” He calls with a dramatic finger point.
Opening notes to “Believe” fill the room accompanied closely by an explosive dance number. Not only does he match her pitch perfectly, he croons with so much passion it’s impossible to look away.
I grouse loudly, “I have to fucking follow this?”
Kadence cuts me a sardonic smirk. “Yup.”
Should’ve added stipulations to the fucking bargain like she had to be topless. Swear this woman is always three steps ahead of me in the contest department. It’s like she comes prepared with detailed plans to push me. Holy shit…does she?
We clap along with the drag queen when asked. Sing along when encouraged. Praise profusely when the performance comes to a close. If I wasn’t about to reach a new low of humiliation for the woman I lack the ability to back down from, I would probably insist on buying a round of drinks for everyone in the place.
“Next up we have Tristian McAdams coming to the stage!”
Another knot of nervousness expands in the pit of my stomach, yet I pretend I don’t notice. “Nice. You used my character’s name from the show.”
Kady tosses me devious glare. “I did.”
“For just an extra fuck you?”
She promptly nods.
On a deep breath I stand, cross to the stage, and offer the crowd a wide smile. “I um…I haven’t sang in front of a crowd in like a decade, so I hope I don’t disappoint.”
“Just shake those hips honey!” The man in drag calls from where he’s sitting at the bar.
There are waves of drunken laughter that solidify my fear of this being the worst idea I’ve had in a long time.
In a really long time. Much much worse than tossing a fish around. Why am I doing this again? Is she really worth it?
My eyes glance to Kady’s excited face and all doubt is erased.
Absolutely….
“D.J.,” I speak into the microphone to let him know I’m ready.
The beginning to Rock Lobster by the B-52’s unapologetically invades my ears. A mixture of disbelief and displeasure roll around my expression, but there is no time to let it settle. My mouth is open and stating the words on cue.
This means war….
Rather than run any risk of her not keeping up her end of the deal by claiming I didn’t do my part, I yank the microphone off the stand and begin moving around the stage. I use my free hand to do classic 70’s and 80’s dance moves in between playing the air guitar. The crowd bops their heads along, eventually singing the parts they do know. At some point, I’m pulling people onto their feet to dance with me, and even give the man in drag a good shimmy, which earns me loud cheers. Every word falls off my tongue from memory and every ounce of energy I have goes into proving to Kadence I can handle her silly tests.
I can handle the unexpected.
I can handle her.
By the end of the set, the audience is clapping and asking for an encore. I take a quick bow and hustle back over to the table to see Kady still laughing hysterically.
“Was that good enough for you?
She can barely gain enough composure to nod.
I pull out two twenties and toss them on the table. “Good. Now, can we please get the hell out of here?”
“But what about your new friend?” Her giggles increase as she waves at the drag queen. “Pretty sure she wants to buy you a drink.”
My face leans down to hers. “Drinks with a drag queen may momentarily postpone your punishment but will not prevent it from coming.”
Kady’s laughter finally fades.
“Personally, I’d rather be completely sober during our first time in the water together.”
“Only time.”
It’s my turn to slyly smirk. “We’ll see….”
After a quick drive across town to my house, we part ways to put on our swimwear. At first I linger around the guest bathroom nearest the patio doors expecting her to change as quickly as I did. However, the moment I realize she’s probably giving herself some sort of pep talk, I announce she can meet me on the side of the deck whenever she’s ready.
The highly under used hot tub is on the opposite end of the outdoor kitchen area. Despite the fact, I rarely use it, I still have it routinely cleaned and maintained on the off chance surfing causes an injury that needs to be soothed by hot water.
Or in case my other best friend, Marlz, is in town crashing at my place. He prefers to bang chicks in this rather than in my guest bedroom. What’s even more fucked up is, he’s probably slept with more women in my beach house than I have. It’s a rarity I bring them back to my place. What can I say? As far as I’m concerned my home is sacred to me and reserved for people I consider worthy like family or best friends. And Kady….
I remove the cover, fiddle with the jets, and slink myself onto the bench directly across from the stairs. My arms extend along the back and my attention flows over to the beautiful ocean.
You know, the only thing that can compare to the beauty of the water at night is the beauty of it when the sun first hits it. I mean, just look at it! Look at the way the water bumps into those rocks, like it’s trying to court them into joining it permanently. Look at the way the entire thing seems to glow underneath the moonlight. The way it appears to be vast and never ending. It’s naturally spectacular. Naturally calming. How anyone could be afraid as opposed to intrigued is still something I don’t fucking understand.
All of a sudden, the sound of feet crossing the deck steals my attention.
Seeing Kady in her swimsuit for the second time does to me exactly what it did the first. Thankfully, my cock gets the cue to bow out almost immediately. The vision of her paralyzed in fear several steps away from the hot tub is heartbreaking.
“Come on over, babe,” I softly call out.
Her bottom lip trembles.
A distinct pain pumps harshly throughout my chest.
Fuck, I’m an asshole for this, aren’t I? Too far. I’ve gone too far.
I rise to my feet and slowly stroll across the tub to her, not quite convinced I’m ready to let her fear win. “It’s gonna be okay, Kady.” When I reach the top stair, I extend my hand out for her to take. “I promise.”
She gradually inches over until her hand is in mine. Carefully, she descends the three steps, but the shaking never ceases. The look of dread never subsides.
Protectively, my arms wind around her, caging her body to mine. The ache in my chest deepens as I whisper, “Babe, you really are terrified, aren’t you?”
Kady’s swallow is deafening.
Torn between the decision to get out and take all of her agony away or stay in and help her work through it, I tighten my hold. “I swear I’ll save your life before my own. I’ll totally Titanic this shit if necessary.”
A very light laugh greets my ears. “They could’ve both fit on the board.”
“Yeah, I saw that Myth Busters too.”
Another small chuckles escapes, and I let out a slow exhale.
She needs this. She needs to know that water isn’t always the enemy. That I’m not the enemy. I want her to see I can do more than just make her smile. I can be her lifesaver if she needs me to.
I carefully ease the two of us down into a sitting position. However, the minute more of her body is submerged in water, her trembling escalates tremendously, and her breathing becomes choppy. Unable to even move my face because hers is buried at the base of it, I do the only thing I can think of. I hold her closer and begin to softly sing the first song that comes to mind.
It takes a few moments for the panicking to disperse, but the moment it does, her eyes meet mine exposing the humor in them. “Did you really just serenade me with ‘Kiss the Girl’ from The Little Mermaid?”
No-huh. No judging!
My hands slide down to anchor themselves onto her hips. “It was my favorite movie as a kid.”
“Because you wanted to be a pretty little redhead in a barely there seashell bra?”
Glad to have her snarky attitude back, I give her a crooked grin. “Because of the ocean, smart ass.”
She smiles softly.
“I’ve always been in love with the ocean. Always. I think it’s because my mom went into labor with me on a boat.”
“What!?”
“Totally unexpected. See, my dad got this brilliant idea to take her on a romantic lunch date a couple weeks before I was supposed to be born. He thought it would be a good idea for them to have one last spontaneous baby free date. He booked it out on South Haven Island, so they took the ferry and about ten minutes in, her water broke.”
“Shut up….You can’t be serious.”
“Absolutely. She likes to joke if it were up to me, they would’ve never made it to the hospital. That I anxiously went from swimming inside of her to wanting to swim in the ocean.” We chuckle together. “Apparently, her water broke, and then it was just like BAM! I was ready to come out. She had no ‘labor might be soon’ signs. Even during her last doctor’s visit they had discussed the probability of having to induce her.”
Kadence shakes her head, still smiling. “That’s wild.”
“I was probably a Merman in my last life. It’s the only logical explanation I can conjure up.” We exchange another laugh and I confidently inform, “You have now successfully experienced sitting in a hot tub.” Her body starts to tense and I rush to add, “I’m not gonna let you go, Kady. I just wanted you to know you did it. That it’s okay to take risks every once in a while. That you can make room for a few fun activities on your five-year plan.”
She gives the bubbling water a long hard stare.
Silence arises yet I don’t feel the need to shoo it away. My thumbs give her wet skin a comforting stroke, and I continue to enjoy the cool night creating a comfortable contrast to the heat.
Unexpectedly, Kady quietly questions, “Why me?”
My confusion is instant. “What do you mean?”
Our gazes drifts back together. “I mean, be honest with me, Levi. Completely honest. You don’t have to chase women; they fall at your feet. You don’t have to put in this much work with almost any other woman on the planet. You don’t have to be pushed and challenged. You can be pleased and worshiped. You were just getting a blow job from a super model like three weeks ago! A super model who I bet has called you at least three times or sent you some very sexy, probably over filtered pornographic photos. So why me? Why the book nerd with the b-class body who makes it a sport to give you blue balls?”
I fucking knew it!
“Why chase a woman who makes your life so damn difficult?”
“Because you’re so much fucking fun,” I effortlessly reply. “It’s exciting to go through this shit with you. It’s nice to not wonder if you’re interested in me because of a character you’ve seen or a person you think I can introduce you to or what you can score out of me during our time together. You make me feel good, Kady. Genuinely good. And since you asked for complete honesty, I’ll tell you, I get a high from being around you that I only thought I could get on my board. You bring chaos and serenity in the same breath. Why wouldn't I wanna try to capture that?”
Kady’s lips part yet she’s seems speechless.
Ha. There’s a first!
Deciding to drag the conversation away from reaching even deeper depths, I sigh, “There is one huge problem I have with you.”
Her eyebrows dart down. “What’s that?”
“You look even sexier wet. Like a perfect eleven because ten just isn’t enough.”
She offers me a pleased smirk and I smile wide at the sight of her face flushing.
“Alright, babe. Our five minutes are up. Ready to head in?”
The answer that falls out startles me. “Not yet.”
I start to question her reply when her fingers wrap firmly around my hard cock.
My head falls backward on a heated groan.
Kady seductively teases, “You look pretty sexy when you’re wet too.” She gives me another squeeze and I dig my teeth into my bottom lip. “Does your cock?”
Another groan is grabbed as I meet her steamy stare. “Why don’t you find out?”
There’s no time wasted in taking the next steps. Her fingers hook around the waist band of my shorts and tug. In a thoughtful yet acrobatic like maneuver I cradle her close with one hand while using the other to ditch our barrier.
The moment our lower halves are back in the water, her hand curls around my dick and instantly starts a slow stroke.
My eyes fall shut at the same time I rock my body into her touch. “Holy shit, babe….”
Kadence hums her approval of my lackluster choice of words.
What the hell do you want from me? I’ve got a sexy fucking chick beginning to give me a hand job. I don’t exactly have a clever line to just spout when this shit happens. Fuck, I honestly don’t remember the last time I even had one of these. The blow job I got a few weeks by….a slew of letters that are impossible to remember was decent. Damn sure didn’t feel this good. Damn sure didn’t have me this….um….I….excuse me.
Despite my desperation to have her move faster, Kadence maintains a strong, steady pace. Her grasp toys with my sanity by gripping harshly then randomly pulsing, like I imagine her pussy will when I’m deep inside.
I grumble again this time drilling my fingers unforgivingly into her sides.
Bruising her would be bad. I know it would be bad. Extremely bad. You don’t have to tell me that….But um…any chance it would be good? Any chance it would act like a cock block on her skin to scare away all other men interested? If there’s even a smidgen of that being a possibility I’m gonna fucking doing it. This woman belongs to no one else. She’s mine.
The barbaric declaration has me moaning her name, “Kady....”
She increases the pressure, but maintains the long, tantalizing strokes. Each one spans from my leaking tip to the base. Every time she brushes against my balls they tighten in anticipation of joining the fun or at the very least being momentarily acknowledged.
Barely capable of lifting my heavy lids, I beg, “Grab my balls too.”
Her lack of hesitation to follow commands damn near makes me come on the spot. Kady proceeds with her agonizingly slowly jerks and the addition of my nuts being rolled around in between soft tugs has my entire body reaching its boiling point.
I ignore the nagging voice telling me to hold in my confession. “Babe, I’m not gonna last much longer.”
She smirks proudly and begins to roll her body into every rub.
The visual melds with the staggering sensation of the hot water and her hotter touch. My dick surrenders blazing burst after burst, burning everything in its path. A sweet whimper seeps free from her, and my mouth rushes to collect it. Our tongues crash feverishly against one another, yet her hand doesn’t abandon my cock. She continues the carnal caressing as if eager to claim me the same way I’ve already claimed her.
When Kady finally relinquishes her grip, her lips follow suit. “Now I’m ready to get out.”
A small chuckle springs from my chest. “Yeah? Um…I’m gonna need a minute. Or five.”
She snickers and runs her fingers up my chest. “You ready to take me home?”
Never.
“Wanna watch Police Academy first?”
“Oooo…Steve Guttenberg was a hottie back in the day.”
“Really? You’re gonna call another man hot while sitting that close to my bare dick?”
Kadence’s bright smirk stays though her wet fingers run through the back of my hair. “Sexy when wet and jealous. Impressive.”
I helplessly smile.
Insane. She is going to drive me in-fucking-sane. I have no doubt it’ll be worth the high therapy bills if this relationship doesn’t work out. Huh. Can you call three dates a relationship without sounding like you’re rushing shit? Fuck. I am completely falling face first towards the floor of love, aren’t I? At least I’m doing better than Calen and the helicopter thing!
“Do you mind letting me borrow another shirt until time to go? Squeezing back into my romper while I’m still damp is gonna be more of a challenge than I wanna deal with.”
“What if you don’t change back into it until the morning?”
Kadence’s body becomes completely still.
“What if you sleep in my shirt instead?” My expression remains hopeful. “What if you wear it to breakfast after spending the night in my arms?”
Her tone takes an accusatory twist. “Are you suggesting we sleep together after three dates?”
Don’t bother mentioning that is the national average in this country or the fact most women don’t even require this much effort because it doesn’t matter. Kadence is not the average anything, and I love it.
“Yes. I’m suggesting you sleep with me in my bed after three dates.”
As soon as she realizes there is no sexual implication, no pressure to take shit any faster than we are, she purses her lips briefly together. “What’s for breakfast?”
A warm grin returns to my face. “Whole wheat banana chocolate chip pancakes.”
She gags.
“What! They’re really good and the ones I make are pretty healthy.”
“Pancakes and healthy do not belong in the same sentence.”
“Watching what I eat is a constant requirement. Like working out.”
“Do you work out at home?
“Sometimes.”
The gleam in her eyes becomes sexual. “Will you do it in the morning for me? Shirtless?”
“If you stay the night, absolutely.”
She wets her lips, and I can’t stop my cock from stirring.
“Add bacon to the lineup.”
“Turkey sausage.”
“You are making this so difficult.”
I give a wry grin. “You’re one to talk.”
Another snicker is stolen before she agrees, “I’ll stay for breakfast.”
We exchange wide smiles and reunite our parted lips again.
Honestly? Between you and me? I’m not even sure if I’m prepared to sleep with her. I’m not saying I don’t have condoms or anything like that. Best brand. Top drawer. Always a spare box under the sink in my bathroom. What I mean is I came so fucking hard from just a hand job I’m not sure my dick can handle more. At least not yet. At least not without a pep talk and some Kama Sutra style practice.