Celia

I overheard a little too much to stay around. I couldn’t believe that Leo was trying to pawn off the other woman on his friend. I should have known that he was a player, I did in a way by the way he was talking to me, but I couldn’t have imagined that he was like that. I mean, really? It was wrong on so many levels and I felt like the best thing for me to do was get out of there before I was tempted to stay. He was handsome and had a silver tongue. The combination was not something that I needed to be involved with. He was a heartbreak waiting to happen and I just didn’t have the time to get into it. I didn’t need to be around guys like that, even if they did have a promise of pleasure bursting from their eyes. It wasn’t worth it in the end.

So I told Betty and Mel that I was getting out of there. They asked me to stay, but I told them that I had an emergency to get to. It was the best thing to do and I felt relief when I got out of the hole in the wall bar and back out onto the street. The air was crisp and I could feel winter all around me. As long as I wasn’t going to get drawn into a guy like that, I figured that I would be okay.

I made my way home and though I was a little wet and horny, I felt like I had dodged a real bullet. It was one thing to be attracted to men like him, but it was another thing all together to get roped into it. I had to stay away from guys like that, even if I was attracted to that type. I had been with a couple in my past and they always turned out to be a mistake. I was sure that Leo was one of them.

The apartment was dark when I got back and I didn’t even bother to turn on a light. Why in the world did I find myself attracted to such men? He was in a band for goodness sakes. You would think that I had learned my lesson, but apparently I was hardheaded and liked to think that I could be above all of that. I sighed to myself and turned the shower on, trying to forget about the blonde haired man with the crystal blue eyes and the smile that didn’t quit.

I was better off without knowing him and guys like him, even if I wanted to go back and watch the last set. I had done a good thing, even if I went to bed horny as hell, thinking about what it would have been like with him. It was all for the best. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

***

I got to work a little early the next day. Mel and Betty were there a little while after me and I was already setting up for the day.

“You missed a damn good show after you left. That band got drunk and two of them fell off the stage. It was hilarious.”

I just kind of nodded and smiled. I was still thinking about the drummer, but I refused to ask if he was one of them. I had a feeling that he wasn’t. Leo was too much in control to do something like that. I think anyways. So when they started talking about it some more, I went into the back and started to do the prep. It wasn’t my job, but I just didn’t want to hear about it anymore. I had left for a reason and even though I still wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision, I was sure that I had saved myself some heartache. I didn’t want to be like Betty, yearning for a guy that wouldn’t even claim that we knew each other.

“Hey Celia. Why did you take off so quickly last night?”

I shrugged and just told her that it wasn’t really my scene. It wasn’t if I was honest and though I was trying to make friends here, I didn’t know if that was the right way to go about it.

“I don’t know. I guess I am not that into biker bars and all of that. It is hard to even hear in places like that and the band wasn’t really my style.”

She raised an eyebrow and ruffled up her short black hair. “Oh, see I was thinking that it had something to do with that drummer you were talking to before you left. He was definitely into you. You should have stuck around. He asked about you.”

My heart skipped a beat, even though I didn’t want it to. My heart and my head never really got along and this was just more proof that it was a dumbass. I should have known that I wasn’t going to be able to get him out of my mind. It didn’t help that Betty was bringing him up. I tried to get her off of the subject and I asked her about Carlos.

“So did you and Carlos have fun? He was definitely into you.”

Betty smiled but it was a sad one. “No he isn’t. We were together before and he never called me back. He is the type that makes you want him and once he gets what he wants, he moves on. It was nice of you to get me another dance, but he ended up going home with another girl. I should have known better, but those bad boys are hard to ignore. Kind of like that Leo guy.”

“Yeah he is bad news.”

“Well at least he was clearly into you. He asked a lot of questions. Wanted to know where he could find you and everything.”

I felt alarm go through me. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Betty looked guilty and I felt my stomach lurch. “No, I mean, well I did kind of tell him that we worked together, but I don’t know if he will actually come by like he said.”

“I wish you wouldn’t have done that. That man is no good.”

She shook her head like she didn’t agree. “I don’t know. He seemed really into you and he was so gorgeous. I wish he would have asked around about me. I would have given him what he wanted in a heartbeat. Guys like that don’t come around that often.”

Leo may have been unique in his looks, but I had met a million guys like him in the city. He was a guaranteed player and after what he said to his friend, I could imagine that he would do the same thing to me. It wasn’t right and I still wanted him, but I knew better. I had learned from past mistakes to stay away from guys like him. It really was for my own good.

“Maybe not, but I am not looking for that kind of guy. I don’t even know if I am looking for a guy at all.”

“Well I just wanted to let you know that he was asking about you. If he was being for real, he told me he was going to come down later and see you. Like I said, I don’t know if he actually will or not, but he said he would when he had time to take a lunch break.”

I wasn’t sure what to say or think. The man was dangerous for more reasons than one. I don’t know if I wanted to see him or not, but I knew if I did there would be trouble. I just didn’t know if I was prepared for that sort of trouble or not.

“I doubt he will come. You know how guys are like him. He will forget about me and go on to the next one. I bet he is just another guy like Carlos.”

Betty didn’t say anything one way or another. I was sorry that she had been hurt by Carlos, but it was a reminder to me not to feel anything for guys like Leo and him. They were trouble and I refused to get my hopes up. I refused to be a woman that was just another girl to him. I doubted that he would come and I doubted very seriously that I would even see him. I wasn’t going to worry about something that wasn’t going to happen. It just seemed like a big waste of time and energy, two things that I didn’t have much of to spare.