Adjournment (The Fate Series) (12 page)

I swore I just said, “It’s not like I have to see him at work tomorrow,” just two nights ago. How do these things happen to me?

Jacob is talking with Lexi off to the side as I get up to join them.

“What?” He gives me an innocent look.

“Why didn’t you tell me what this was for?” I say, smacking him in the chest.

“Hey, I tried but you were all like ‘I’m in control.’” He flips his hands at me. “And don’t be mad at me because you had a zombie hang over and couldn’t wait to get off the phone. See what happens when you assume. You make an ass of you, not me,” he sasses back.

“That isn’t even how it goes! Argh, you’re exhausting! If you weren’t you… I would do… something—something not nice,” I scowl at him.

I manage to compose myself.

“Okay.” I exhale. “I feel better,” I manage to say, holding my tight smile in place.

“Are you sure?” Lexi puts her hand on my arm.

I give a stiff nod.

“Okay then. Everyone let’s get our shit ready. We are wasting a day standing here staring at each other! We are all pretty, now it’s time to focus on someone else,” Jacob yells making everyone laugh and go back to work.  

Sulking back to my seat, I see he has sit down and dread making best friends with anxiety.

Grabbing the soda out of my bag I lean against the table and glare at him.

“Your phone won’t stop going off, and I think we need to come up with some sheet rules,” he says flatly.

His statement makes me choke on my drink, and Kate giggles behind him. Catching my breath I cap the bottle before tossing it back into my bag.

“The only sheet rule we need is that the two of us won’t be in a sheet again… ever.” My voice is raised higher than I meant, and he continues to smile at me.

“You should warn someone before you tell them to come in then. I could have had a heart attack seeing you like that. Don’t you show concern for anyone but yourself? You drag me in there while you’re half naked and throw yourself at me. Subtlety is not your strong suit, is it?” GQ mocks me.

My flesh begins to heat from embarrassment.

I am just about to snap something witty back when Melissa sits down and Lexi comes running over.

“Oh shit, oh shit, shitty, shit, shit… your sisters are here!” She holds out her phone.

Dun dun dun…

“I had a feeling! They have been texting me like crazy these past two days. Thanks to you they are undoubtedly already at our apartment, and I don’t know how much bail money I have so we have to stop at the ATM on our way to the gym.” I reach back down grabbing more peanut butter cups.

“Don’t forget my cousin Josh still has a restraining order on them.” GQ digs at me as he plays with his phone.

“How is that even possible? It was eight years ago, and they didn’t mean to catch him on fire!” My voice is still higher than I expect but this particular incidence I have a hard time believing they were the cause of.  

“It was two years ago, and you weren’t on the balcony when it happened. They were lucky to put him out and not have him fall over the side,” he starts again as his tone gets an edge to it.

“Actually it was four years ago,” Lexi chimes in.

When we both look at her she shrugs.

“I remember that night very well. It was the second to last time she had a run in with her… friend.” She winks at me.

Ignoring her I turn to do my job.

“I remember that night well too, and I don’t remember you being there.” I send GQ a dirty look.

He wasn’t there; he was off being famous somewhere.

First, I would like to clear something up. They did not almost set a man on fire. That man shouldn’t have been standing next to two pyromaniacs on the Fourth of July.

There I said it.

I mean how dumb can you be right? The restraining order was a little uncalled for since they grabbed him before he sent himself over the balcony with all his hysterics. Do you know how many times I have been caught on fire, and I’m fine! I learned after the second time to keep my distance when they have matches… or a lighter… or an aim and flame… in fact, especially when they have an aim and flame. I really thought by them moving away they would leave me alone… I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters.  They aren’t shallow or stuck up like they have every right to be. Being raised by socialite parents, most kids grow up to expect certain things from life. But instead my sisters are very hardworking and a lot of fun.

Well… let’s not jump the gun on that just yet.

I should have known this was coming, though. The warning signs were all here. Constant texting, phone calls… We talk a lot but there are signs when they want to come in… or have already arrived. This is Lexi’s fault, it was her idea to give them keys to the apartment. So whatever happens, I blame her this time.

I decide to wait on texting them back. I’m actually afraid of what their answer might be if I ask exactly where they are. 

GQ opens his mouth to say something again but snaps it back shut when our eyes meet. I look at Kate who is chewing her lip while doing his hair, no doubt finding loads of humor in all of this.

I bend down to fix his… are those scratch marks on his neck? 

I can’t help to smile inwardly, pinching my cheek between my teeth so I don’t smile outwardly.

Kate breaks the silence by talking about her night after we left. 

Maybe I should bring a big group of girls with us if we go out. They won’t be able to arrest all of us… will they?

Well, we haven’t actually ever been arrested.

I turn to the vanity, knocking quickly on the wooden countertop. When I spin back, I notice GQ’s questioning eyes and shrug.

I am so frustrated by everything that I don’t notice how hard I’m pushing the sponge into his neck.

“I like my skin on my body; could you possibly leave it there and just fix the marks that you gave me the other night?” he smirks.

Heat races across my face and down my body once again as I feel my skin start to burn with what he just said. Everyone who wasn’t with us that night has now stopped what they are doing to look at me. 

“Excuse me?” Melissa looks up from her phone.

Great!

“It’s not what you think, he wrote on my chest.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

“Excuse me?” she grits through her teeth.

Dropping my head I stay knelt down hoping the ground will somehow open and suck me in.

“I—personally did not touch him!” I snap back through my tight smile and gritted teeth.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try to mask the annoying effect this has on me. Once I’ve checked my emotions I open my eyes and look up at him.

When our eyes meet for a brief moment I completely forget Melissa sitting not more than five feet away from us.

“I can’t help it if you have… adoring fans,” I smirk.

He flashes a quick smile back before straightening his body out so I can finish covering the nail marks and… what looks to possibly be teeth marks on the side of his neck.

Lightly tracing my fingers over the circular bruise I squint at it as my head moves in to examine it closer. Shifting around in his seat he turns back toward me, inches away from my face freezing me where I am when his eyes lock on mine.

“No, that is not a hickey…” His voice is filled with anger and humor at the same time.

He obviously has forgotten all about Melissa too since he is so close to my face that if I move the slightest our lips will touch.

A smile attempts to make itself known but I break his stare and pull my lips over my teeth to contain my laughing as I finish covering it. This is the kind of guy I need, flirty and fun, but still serious with his life. Yes, he would be perfect if it weren’t for all the baggage that comes with his job.

When I am done he gives himself a look over and heads to the set.

I stand up next to Kate who nudges me with her elbow.

“What is going on with you two?” She makes sure to whisper.

“Nothing. I have no idea what that was.”

I really don’t.

Leaning back onto my makeshift vanity, I look over at Lexi working on Melissa, who has now gone back to beating on the keys of her phone like a mad woman.

I can’t worry about her right now… I have bigger things to attend to.  

“Sid, I might not be able to see you, but I can feel the hole you’re burning through my head so just say whatever it is you are thinking,” Lexi says without turning to look at me.

She knows me so well.

“I’m thinking my sisters are here. We haven’t seen them in a couple years and somehow I have to keep them from getting into trouble or getting us into trouble. Hey when do we start shooting?” I jump up looking around.

“I am thinking that you have undiagnosed ADD, and we need to find safe activities for us to do while they visit. We also need to find out how long are they in for?” she mumbles.

I don’t have ADD I’ve been tested… a lot!

I have stress and family.

Family who are a bunch of triggers.

“Can’t you die from that?” Melissa asks, looking me up and down horrified.

Kate turns her face away to keep from laughing but her shaking shoulders give her away. Squinting my eyes at Melissa, I slowly shake my head to the side and open my mouth to answer her, but quickly snap it shut.

I don’t have time for a lesson in attention disorders.

Switching my attention back to Lexi I continue our conversation. “Pfft.” I wave her off. “I’m just under a lot of stress and with my sisters being here for…” I drift off thinking of all the things that can and will go wrong.

I wonder how long they will be here.

More importantly why are they here?

“Let’s just go home, hide anything flammable and the scissors… and my clothes…” Lexi says, finishing Melissa. “Actually leave the scissors and some of the clothes; those shorts they made out of old jeans and t-shirts are my favorite pair.” She smiles.

They are cute.

“Oh! That’s it! We can take them to the thrift shops and pull out the sewing machine we keep for them. Then they can make us clothes! That will keep them occupied for at least three or four days!” she says, bouncing up and down as she lays out her plan.

“Why don’t you just buy clothes from stores… you know where they sell designer clothes,” Melissa leers at us.

Opening my mouth again I snap it shut… again…

It’s just not worth it.

“Why don’t you go to work?” Lexi snaps at her.

Where did that come from?

I watch Melissa huff her way where she has to go and glance back at Lexi with a bright smile.

“I freaking hate her,” she barks at me.

“Whatever you say.” I shrug.

Thinking over Lexi’s plan, I have to admit it is pretty amazing. How did we not think to do this before?

The photographer Andrew motions for us to join them.

Pushing off the board that is holding mine and Kate’s things, I grab my apron that is filled with everything I just used on him—for touch-ups. 

“Just watch the cords so you don’t trip and stand by with some tissues. It’s getting hot under these lights, and I need you to fix his makeup every few shots so those marks won’t show up,” Andrew informs me.

Waving back a silent okay, ready whenever you are, we begin. Lexi comes over after grabbing her apron and stands next to me, silent for a little while. 

Probably pondering how we are going to afford bail and rent this month.

However I can’t stop looking at GQ with his shirt off.  He has a nice tan that’s probably from running in the sun and the lighting they use just enhances the deep tone, along with every muscle on his chest and in his arms…

I wonder what it would be like to date him… or at least be a body artist.

Everyone gathers their things to move to set but I still have some shading left to do on his chest and lower abs. The sudden rise in temperature has his skin glistening with sweat as I kneel in front of him trying to dab it away before it runs down his stomach.

“You missed a spot,” he says, his breathy voice sending shivers over my skin.

Taking my hand in his, he glides it lower until my fingers are resting on his waistband.

My eyes fixate on this thin piece of material that lays between me and him.

Grazing my fingertip across the sensitive spot I watch his stomach tighten, and my heart starts pounding against my chest.

My throat is tightening from what feels like a loss of oxygen. The room that once fit twenty odd people now feels too small for the two of us.

His hand is still lingering on mine, brushing lighting over the back of my hand as I continue to tease him. He begins to drag the tips of his fingers up my arm and then back down, repeating the motion over and over. Each time making the journey slower. His touch leaves goosebumps all over my skin, and I’m paralyzed at his waist. I close my eyes when he starts to lower himself. I should leave, this is completely unprofessional. As the thought enters my mind his hand cups my jaw, his thumb running over my lips, and I involuntarily swallow while my lips part.

My head is spinning, the blood pumps through my ears, and my chest rises and falls with each panting breath.

I want this… I need this…

Bringing my hand up to the back of his neck, I twist my fingers into his hair. My lips tingle with desire as he leans in, slightly brushing against my lips when he whispers my name.

Sucking in my bottom lip, I grin wide, my heart racing so fast I think it might explode out of my chest. Yes, I’ve waited an eternity for this. I open my eyes to see his beautiful dark blue eyes, his perfect ink black hair…

You’ve got to be kidding me!

I can’t even have a good daydream without
him
ruining it!

“SID-NEY!” Lexi growls through her teeth.

The sudden pain from her elbow to my side is all I can focus on now. I focus and see they are repositioning him. People are walking past us moving things in and out of the next shot.

“I hate you,” I whine, trying to gather my newly wrecked thoughts.

“Me? If you were paying attention I wouldn’t have elbowed you,” she snaps.