Caught in the Flames (19 page)

“What?” I step around him to peer in the mirror. My cheeks are still flushed and my curls are out of control. The volume my hair contains at this moment is higher than a high school dropout. “Oh, God!”

“Do you ever straighten it?” He tugs at the curls. “Or is that even possible?”

“It’s possible!” I huff. Then examine them again. “But not probable at the moment.”

He turns me to him and kisses my lips once. “I’m out. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah.” I nod.

“Bye, love.” Another peck at the cheek and his footsteps fade out the door.

I glance at the clock and my phone and then back at my reflection.
Shit.
I don’t really have the time but I’m a hot mess. I tug off my clothes and make my way to the shower. I’m not leaving this house until I look like a mother fucking beauty queen. And we
will
run into Chase and his friends tonight. I’ll make damn sure of that.

“Where the hell have you been? And fuck, Callie, you look hot!” Alicia stands from our favorite tabletop at The Chronicle and squeezes me in a hug. Jill smiles wide and hugs me next. We all slide onto the barstool chairs and I toss my straightened dark locks over one shoulder with a grin.

“You look like sin tonight.” Alicia’s lips pull wide and her eyebrows rise.

“Yeah, well, I’m feeling rather devilish.”

“Where’s the dick?” Jill nods behind me.

“He had other plans.” I pout and then widen my lips to a pleading expression. “I was sort of hoping you’d be down to track him and crash his little man party.”

“Ugh, no more flip cup.” Jill shakes her head in the negative.

“No! They’re meeting up for beers. Maybe if you’ve been keeping in touch with Cam the Man . . .” I steeple my hands together and Jill huffs out a deep breath.

“Why don’t you just text Chase, find out where they went?”

“Because I want to surprise him.” I give her my best puppy dog pout.

“Ugh.” Jill rolls her eyes. “Let it be known I think this is a bad idea.”

“Can’t be any worse than you and Cam,” I tease, and give her the eyes again.

“Am I missing something?” Alicia shares a look between us. I hold my lips together in a tight line and Jill glares across the table. She mouths “No,” and I try to avoid eye contact with Alicia.

“Callie . . .” Alicia says sweetly. I glance around the room and study the décor on the ceiling.

“Is that Chase at the bar?” she gasps.

“Where?” My eyes snap to look where she points. She maneuvers her face in my line of sight and I break under pressure, falling prey to her trap. I’m no match for Alicia’s stare down. “She hooked up with Cameron!” I point at Jill the way a child tattles on their sibling.

Jill groans and drops her forehead to the table with a thunk.

“What?” Alicia gasps with a wide smile. “Jilly silly, holding out on me! For shame! But why?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she mumbles from the table. “I’ll text the idiot and find out where they are.”

I squeal and clap my hands and Alicia laughs with a loud guffaw. Jill rolls her eyes and exaggerates her movements as she types out a text to Cam. We order a round of drinks and Jill’s phone buzzes on the table. She glances down.

“Wingers. Original.” She rolls her eyes.

I pop off my seat and pull out cash to cover my drink. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Why do I feel this has disaster written all over it?” Jill stands as well, and leaves enough to cover her tab.

“You worried you won’t be able to resist Cam’s charms?” I tease, and Jill sighs.

“No. More like his package. If he were mute I could stand his company.”

“I bet he loves it when you tell him sweet stuff like that.” I sling my arm around Jill and follow Alicia out of the bar. Wingers, a dive just a few blocks over is a cheap cab ride away. We slide into the first taxi we see and arrive at our destination within minutes. Alicia grills Jill on her relationship with Cam, which isn’t much more than one night and considerable sexting. Nerves bubble in my belly as we pull up to the curb. Why I’m anxious I can’t really name, I only know I’ll feel some reprieve as soon as I find my man.

We parade out of the cab and into the bar. There’s a packed house tonight. It’s not really the type of place we’d frequent and I’ve only been here a time or two during my time at VCU. Dim lighting showcases the floor to ceiling wood paneling, with more hardwood on the floors, and oak tables and built-in booths. It’s basically a 1970’s basement frozen in time. A big sign at the entrance announces the day’s specials of cheap beer, but I don’t stop to read. My gaze travels over the crowded room to search out Chase.

He stands a few inches taller than his friends, all congregated near the bar. He laughs with his head tilted back at something one of his buddies says, and his deep boom draws attention. I release a whoosh of breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. He’s just here. With the guys. Like he said. I start to move toward him when I’m stopped dead in my tracks. A leggy blonde in a too tight dress stands out like a sore thumb.
Shit.

“Hey, that’s Pancake Bitch!” Jill whispers in my ear. I know exactly who she is. I just want to know what she’s doing here. And why she’s strutting her perfect figure toward Chase. I wait and watch. Alicia and Jill flank my sides and hold my arms as if they know I need their strength.

Chase doesn’t notice her right away, he’s too busy talking and laughing with Pants. But when she steps in front of him, his lips pull wide into a smile that’s blinding. Or heart stopping. More like heart breaking. He pulls Tiff into his strong arms and lifts her right off the ground. He releases her with a kiss on the cheek and my chest burns. Her hand lingers and strokes his arm in the most intimate of ways. All I want to do is hide, run, and get the fuck away from this place.

“Wait.” Alicia says, nodding at Tiff. We watch as Cam pulls her into a familiar embrace and swings her around in a circle. Tiff laughs and screams for him to put her down, and when he does he kisses her cheek the same way Chase did.

“Let’s just go,” Jill says, her voice hard and angry.

“No,” Alicia and I say at the same time. I need to find out who Tiff is to him. A past lover? A friend with benefits? Old friend? And why the hell is she always popping up where he is.

“Go get ’em, tiger.” Alicia gives me a little push and that’s all I need to make my way through the crowd. I’m not angry, per se, just determined and fired up as I weave through the bodies. Tiff notices me first and she nods at Cam and grabs his glass of beer to walk my way. She’s coming at me again, that predatory gleam in her eye and I straighten my spine, chin up, and match her step for step.

“Callie!” Chase shouts way too loudly before Tiff and I meet. The sound of his voice causes her to turn just slightly out of my path. I lift my gaze and I’m met with warm, melty chocolate. Chase’s eyes heat my skin with their stare and his lips pull into that all knowing smile. Tiff brushes by and mutters some insult I can’t understand, nor do I want to.

“You came!” Chase shouts, this time staggering my way. I’ve seen Chase drunk, really drunk, but I’ve never seen him the way he is now, loose and almost humorous in his swagger. He pulls me into his arms and attempts a kiss, only he misses my mouth and gets my left eye instead.

“Oops.” He chuckles and pulls back to meet my stare. He shakes my shoulders, “Callie, you came! You found me!”

“Oh, look. All the dicks are here.” Jill sounds bored as she and Alicia step into our little conversation.

Alicia narrows her gaze at Chase. “Who was that skank you just kissed?”

Chase peers over each shoulder and then at Alicia. “Wha—?”

“Yeah, you, fucker. Who was that woman?” This time Alicia jabs him in the chest with her finger.

Chase only laughs. “You mean Tiff?” He scrunches up his nose and laughs again, louder this time. “You’re mean when you’re not drinking.” He pulls me into his side with a hand around my waist. “Your friend is being mean to me.” He says it so seriously but can’t keep his head from bobbing back a few times.

“And you’re fuckin’ wasted.” Jill laughs and drags Alicia by the arm toward the bar. I don’t have to glance behind me to know Alicia’s probably still giving him the stink eye.

“Baby, you came,” he murmurs in my ear and kisses me just under my earlobe. “What are you doing to me? I can’t get enough of you.”

“You really are drunk, aren’t you?” I look up at him from under my lashes and he grins the laziest smile I’ve ever seen. His eyes sparkle in the dim light and then widen with a blink.

“Shit. You’re beautiful tonight, Callie.” He steps back and stares again, blinks several times. “Your hair.” His lips pull wide and I can’t help but grin back. He’s sort of adorable like this. “It’s so different. You look amazing.”

“Thanks, Chase.” The skin of my neck heats and tingles as I’m sure a blush works its way over my skin.

“Now, you needa get drunk with me so I get less stupid.”

“Less stupid?” I laugh and he tucks me back to his side before he leads us to the bar.

“I’m dumb as shit right now so there’s only one problem to the solution.”

“I think you mean solution to the problem.”

“See. You’re too fuckin smart right now. Time to lower your IQ and inhibitions.” He nods to the bartender. “Keith! Another pale ale for me, and two shots of whatever this one wants!” He looks at me as I slide onto a vacated stool. “Fuck me,” he swears, shaking his head. I think he meant for it to be under his breath but the entire bar probably heard.

No matter. By the end of the night, I’m sure I will be.

I love Fireball.

It tastes like Christmas time.

When I was little, my aunt used to mail a box of Christmas cookies for me and my dad to enjoy. They were the home baked kind, something I never had unless I was visiting in the summer, except these had sugar frosting and were decorated, artistically horrible, by my cousins. Most of the cookies in the box were covered in red and green sprinkles, but there was always one, usually cut in the shape of a snowman, that was head to toe red cinnamon candies. My dad wouldn’t eat it and I wouldn’t let him throw it away. There was something about the burn of the candy mixed with the sugary sweet of the cookie that became my favorite. The Red Hots brought fire to my tongue and tears to my eyes, but once I persevered through those first chews, the sweet frosting and dough soothed the pain.

Which is why, in some fucked up way, I love Fireball. The sneaky burning liquor that tastes a little too much like Christmases past and goes down too smooth to regulate. I’ve lost count of the shots we’ve done, but I do know my body feels warm, even with my attire of this lightweight sundress, and my straightened hair seems to make my head feel ten pounds heavier than it should as I attempt to stand up straight without using the bar top for support.

At least we’re all having fun, the guys and my friends. Tiff has kept to the other side of the establishment, closer to the entrance at a table for two with one of her friends. Neither has come near our boisterous group and I’ve almost forgotten she’s here.
Almost.
Pants, Cam, Chase, Mustache, and Troy claimed an empty table about an hour ago and we’ve been laughing non-stop. So much my side hurts and my face is frozen into a permanent grin. Chase is different with his friends tonight. Carefree and entertaining throughout the constant banter between friends.

With drinks running low, Alicia and I move to the bar to order more. Even though the alcohol here is cheap and they pour generously, the service sucks so it’s best to go straight to the bartender.

“Umm, I’m gonna head out now.” Jill stifles an exaggerated fake yawn as she joins us. I refrain from rolling my eyes but Alicia doesn’t hold hers back as we appraise our very tipsy friend. “I’ve got an early wake up call. Need my rest. Eight hours. You know, that’s what they say. Healthy and rested, that’s what I’m about.” She’s trying way too hard.

“You at least going to pretend you’re not getting in Cameron’s car for a ride home?” I raise my brows.

“Oh, she’s gonna ride him,” Alicia mutters.

“I’m not getting in his car. Get me a Bible, I’ll swear on it now!” she shouts.

“We don’t need to mock the creator of the universe. We just want you to be honest,” I say, and Jill scrambles, digging in her bag to retrieve her keychain. She holds it up with a bright smile and look of utter achievement.