Chapter 11

Scott

I had been nervous all day about the bar that night, barely even able to focus on my work, unlike the days before where I was pushing through at record speed. I didn’t see Cassie but in passing and decided not to ask about whether she would be there or not. I got there early and took a shot, trying to calm my nerves. As I sat there sipping my beer, I watched the clock hands tick down. She knew I would be here, and she knew when I would be here, but still, she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Maybe I was stupid for thinking something like this could work. I had given her too much time between telling her when to meet and the actual meet-up. It looked like she was going to stand me up, and that was a blow to my ego and my heart. I had taken a chance and put it out there, feeling there was a reason I’d met this girl. There was a reason she was there around every corner, and there was a reason she was stuck in my brain everywhere I went. Apparently, though, I misread those signs and found myself sitting alone drinking on a Friday night, feeling more than sheepish.

I turned back toward the bar and drank my beer, figuring maybe it was all for the best. Things were starting to get intense, and knowing who her father was, I was playing with fire. Everything could come crumbling down on us in the blink of an eye if I didn’t stop being so reckless. Still, I was willing to take that chance for her, to try to make it work and prove I was good enough to be with her. I guessed, since she didn’t show up, she didn’t feel the same way. The risk was too high for her, and I had to try to understand that. Besides, she knew her father better than anyone. She knew exactly what he was capable of, and I figured if I were her, I might make the same decision. She had things to lose too, like her family, her internship, and her relationship with her father. She was in line to take the company one day, and that was not something she should gamble with.

I sighed and finished off my beer, motioning to the bartender for my tab. I pulled out some cash and laid it on the bar before standing up and putting my wallet back in my pocket. It sucked. It really did. But I had to believe it was for the best. As I turned around, my feet stopped, and a smile moved over my face. Cassie walked through the front doors, looking around with worry but letting out a deep breath and smiling as she saw me. She walked over and shook her head, peering up at me with those beautiful green eyes.

“I almost chickened out.” She laughed.

“But you didn’t.” I smiled. “Let’s get a drink.”

“Sounds more than great.” She laughed again and sat down at the bar.

I ordered us a couple drinks, and we started talking about the day and how she was glad she had decided to throw caution to the wind. It was so natural for us to talk, like there were no barriers in the way at all. It was the moment we really started opening up to each other, telling each other the intimate parts of our lives. It was fun, something I hadn’t experienced with a woman before. My interest in women had been carnal, and any conversation we had was usually post-sex and lasted only long enough to get them out of the house. This was different though. I wasn’t trying to pick her up. I wanted to get to know her, and I could tell she felt the same way about me. It was the most relaxed I had felt in years.

“How did you sneak away?” I asked.

“I told my dad I was going out with Whitney, my best friend,” she said. “I did have to tell her just in case my dad was suspicious, but I think he bought it.”

“You told her I worked for your father?”

“No, that I was using her as a cover.”

“Why don’t we go snag that booth over there? It’s a little more private,” I said.

“Sure.” She smiled, taking my hand and pulling me across the bar.

We sat across from each other, but we both leaned forward, clasping each other’s hands. We wanted to get to know each other better, to really feel like we were moving past just raw need and lust. I wanted to know everything about her, everything she kept inside and hid away from the world. I knew I wouldn’t learn everything in one sitting at a dusty old bar, but it was a start.

“So,” she said, “you said your dad worked for the company. Did he retire?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “He was killed in an accident on-site when I was sixteen years old.”

“Oh, my God,” she said, putting her hands to her mouth. “What happened?”

“Someone didn’t do their job right and part of the house came down with him in it,” I said. “It was rough, really rough, so I dropped out of high school and started working for the company to help pay the bills.”

“What about your mom?”

“She was good until about four years ago when she got cancer,” I said. “But she missed my dad so much that she was ready to go when it started to get bad. She wanted to be with him, and I understood that. The company was really good to her during that time, and that was part of the reason I stayed so long. Your dad helped with the hospital bills for her, or at least the company did.”

“Good,” she said. “That is the least they could do.”

“I struggled with my mom’s death for several years, but then I got a rhythm in my own life and have been pushing forward,” I said. “In this world, you can’t let life pass you by. You have to keep moving.”

“I’ve never been through anything like that. I have been really privileged, and in some ways sheltered,” she said. “It’s a good thing and a bad thing.”

“I think you turned out great,” I said, not believing how I had completely let down my guard. “You can’t pick your upbringing. You have to make the most of the opportunities in your life.”

“That’s right.” She smiled. “So, do you plan on working for the company until you retire?”

“God, I hope not.” I laughed. “I know this is a way of life for most people around here, but it doesn’t fit me, and I’ve known that since I was a teenager. I’ve been saving up money because I want to open my own hardware shop. I want to own my own business and break the construction cycle in my family. I don’t want to raise another generation of roughnecks.”

“That’s awesome. Is that why you work two jobs?”

“Yep,” I said. “I want to save as much money as fast as I can. I live simply. I play simply. And it’s all because I want something more for my future.”

I couldn’t believe I was telling her everything from my hopes and dreams to my goals. I had never told someone so much at one time, not even my best friend. She took it well though, truly looking like she was excited for me. She was the first person to ever say she thought it was a great idea and not in the back of her mind think it was bullshit. It felt good to have someone believe in me for once. That didn’t happen often, especially since both my parents were dead. We talked for a bit longer, and when the bar began to get crowded, I thought of an idea.

“Hey, do you like to dance?”

She smiled. “I do.”

“There’s a club across the street. It opened like a month ago. Do you want to go over there?”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Great.” I smiled. “I’ll get the tab, and we can go.

We headed over to the club and walked inside, smiling at each other as the music thumped in the background. She grabbed my hand and immediately pulled me out onto the dancefloor, putting her hands around my neck and pulling me close to her. She looked up at me with lust in her eyes as she rubbed her body against mine. The dance floor was so full that no one was paying any attention to us, which was perfect since I could already feel my dick getting hard. She turned around and put my hands on her hips, grinding her ass against my cock. She could feel how hard she was making me and turned her head, giving me a coy smile. I leaned forward, rubbing my hands down her thighs, digging my nails in as I pulled back up. She lifted her arms and moved her body like a snake, whimpering as she turned her head and kissed me deeply. I grabbed onto her sides and moved my hands up to her breasts, massaging them gently and lowering my head to her ear.

“You are so sexy,” I whispered. “I want to fuck you right here in front of all these people.”

She grinned and grabbed my hand, sliding it down between her legs. She was hot and moist, and I could feel light moans vibrating in her chest. I squeezed her pussy and pulled her into me, her ass grinding even harder. I pushed my fingers carefully over the edge of her shorts and rubbed against her naked skin. I glanced around, but between the sheer number of people and the lights, no one could tell I was inches away from fingering her right there on the dance floor. She ran her hand over mine and pushed against it, showing me she wanted more. She tilted her head back and kissed my neck, dipping my hand lower and carefully sliding my finger inside her.

She moaned into my ear, her body still moving against mine. I slipped my finger in and out of her slowly, methodically, making her feel every inch of it. She reached her arms around and grabbed my back, pushing harder against me.

“If you keep this up, I’m going to have to take you into the bathroom and fuck the hell out of you,” I whispered. “Is that what you want?”

She bit her lip and ground more, up and down my hard shaft. I groaned, reaching down and fingering her hard and fast for a moment before pulling my finger out and turning her toward me. She came in close, licking my lips as I cupped her ass and pushed my hips forward.

“You want it?”

“So bad,” she whispered.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard you can’t walk for days,” I said on her ear. “Come with me.”

I adjusted myself and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her through the crowd. We walked quickly back to the bathrooms, but the lines were wrapped around the building. She looked up at me with a mischievous smile and nodded toward a black closet door in the shadows. We walked over and looked around before disappearing into the closet.