Guided Love (Prick #1) (19 page)

I look over and see Carrie is dark red, I obviously missed a good conversation. “Yes, I am and Ma is never wrong.”

On that note, Paul heads out to the table and we women follow behind. Once I hit the deck, I want to run and hide. I see Camaron looking at me and he looks good, damn him, he has these sad blue eyes and he is just staring at me. Axel is standing next to him as they are taking everything off the grill. I feel a little hand grab onto my arm.

“He loves you, dear, I can see it in the way he is looking at you.”

“I wish, Ellie.”

“Oh baby girl, remember I am never wrong, that boy, he loves you,” I smile down at her, take her hand, and walk with her to the table to eat this delicious meal.

Dear goodness, I have not had so much delicious food at one time. I have to pace myself here. Ellie has pulled barbeque, chicken wings lathered with a homemade honey barbeque sauce, steaks grilled to perfection, assorted salads and a few cakes and pies as well. I make my way through the line and sit down at the long picnic table that sits underneath a gigantic tent. When it comes to Ellie's dinners, I see she pulls no punches, this is truly a wonderful time. Carrie ends up sitting next to me, which makes me feel at ease. That feeling didn't last long as Camaron sits to my right. Roni is still in the line so Camaron takes it upon himself to talk to me then.

“Sam, I'm sorry.” I just ignore him and start pushing my food around on my plate. This whole conversation is making me lose my appetite.

“For what, Cam? Forgetting to pick me up? You did forget right or did you deliberately not pick me up?” He has guilt across his face and he doesn't answer. He doesn't say another word as Roni now sits down to his right. I roll my eyes at him and continue to eat.

“This food is delicious, Ellie, seriously the best wing sauce I have ever had.” She smiles up and pats Axel’s hand. “Oh dear, I didn't make any of this, my boy here did. Now, don’t get me wrong, I taught him everything he knows.” She smiles up at me with such pride.

“Wow, Axel, you not only make me drool because you are so dang hot, you make my mouth water with your cooking as well. Want to get married?” Carrie is so serious even with sauce all across her face.

“I would be the luckiest man alive, Carrie. I would also be murdered by Paul. He is already looking at me like he wants to kill me and I didn't even say it.” Axel laughs as he is pointing to Paul who is trying to hide his emotion. Seriously, I don't understand why those two just don't make it official already. You could tell that they have a real connection, a real love for one another but if you ask either of them they just deny it, there is a story there, and one day, I’ll hear it.

My plate is clean, I’m happy I didn't embarrass myself by licking the plate, it was so good, but really I have been eying up that chocolate cake with peanut butter icing and strawberries all around it. I sit back and watch all of the guys around me. I look and see Axel and Ellie talking about the yard and how she needs him to come back and help out. The look in Axel's eyes, I can tell that he absolutely adores her. I look over and see Paul and Carrie just talking as if they are in a bubble all alone. He looks at her like she is the diamond he found in a coal mine. I don't want to, but I turn and see that Camaron, who is now sitting on the opposite side of the table, is just staring at me. Roni is next to him going on and on about something but his eyes are on me. He mouths, “
I’m sorry. I love you. Please forgive me
.” I want to cry, but I mouth back “
It’s okay
.” I want him to mean it, I really want him to mean it. I see Axel head up to the table with the deserts, so I make my way as well; I didn't want to be the first one up there but being the second person, that works.

“Hey, beautiful, did you enjoy my food?” He nudges me with his shoulder as he starts to cut the chocolate cake. He puts a small slice on my plate along with a piece of apple pie.

“Axel, your food was absolutely delicious. You’ll have to share your recipes with me.”

He hands me the plate, brings his head down to my ear, and says in the sexiest voice possible, “Samantha, if I give them to you, I would have to kill you and, baby, I don't want to kill you. I’ll cook for you anytime you want.”

I truly have to hold in the moan that is trying to escape my mouth. He places a kiss on my cheek, winks at me, and walks us back to the table. This time, he makes enough room for me to sit down next to him.

I sit and feel Camaron staring at me. I avoid his eyes and take a bite of the chocolate cake. Wow! This cake is incredible, chocolate cake is a hard one to get right. Most people end up with a dry cake, to have a moist, melt in your mouth, chocolate cake takes talent, and Axel obviously has more hidden talents he is hiding.

“Did you bake the chocolate cake as well?” He’s shoveling his piece in his mouth and shakes his head no.

“Nope, this is what Roni made.” Well, damn, there goes my stomach. “It’s good right?” I should say yes it's delicious, but I can’t. I know I am acting childish and pathetic but what can I say, I realize it.

“No, I really don't like it.” I push it to the side of my plate. I whisper to him “Did she bring the pie too?” I look up to see Axel smiling at me. I know he knows by just looking at me that I am completely lying, that the cake is delicious.

“No, Samantha, Ma made the pie.” With that information I dig in, I looked like a starved dog as I devour that delectable piece of heaven. The table gets quiet and then all I hear is Allen.

“OH MY GOD! We finally found something that our Rice Cake here doesn't like!” He laughs hysterically. He looks up at Roni and again says in his loudest voice, “Roni, you did it, you baked something that Sam openly admits to not enjoying. Damn, if Rice Cake says it's bad it must really be bad. I’ll stick with the pie.”

Everyone is laughing, everyone except Camaron and Roni. The rest of the pricks agree with him and chime in that they too aren't even going to attempt the chocolate cake, because if I, the one that likes everything, thinks it’s horrible there is no way they will consume it. I see Camaron lean in whisper something in her ear and she just nods. She looks up and her eyes look hurt, I feel bad but honestly, she is nothing but a bitch and it angers me that she is a horrible soul and she could bake like that, damn it.

The apple pie is devoured in minutes and the cake, yeah, no one touches it. All the pricks went off to start their horseshoe tournament while Carrie and I helped Ellie with all the left overs and dishes. We are in the kitchen getting all the food put into containers, as Ellie is sitting at the kitchen table, with a beer—an actual beer. She is too cute for words.

“Come on, ladies, let that be. Come join me and we can have girl talk.” She takes a long chug from the beer and actually burps. “Oh, goodness me, now that, that right there is tasty.”

Carrie and I both laugh out loud, I have never met such a spunky 84 year old. I wipe the counter down with the paper towel and make my way to the table. She has two beers waiting for Carrie and me. “So, ladies, how has life been treating you?” Carrie and I both nod and respond with a good. “Carrie, when are you and Paul going to get hitched?” Carrie is taking a drink of her beer and spits it out, hitting me with it.

“What!? Paul and I aren't dating, Ellie. We are just friends.” Carrie has a flush color all over her face and neck.

“Oh, silly girl, don’t bullshit a bullshitter. I could have told you when I first met you that you and Paul are in love. What is keeping you from each other?”

I remain quiet, no sudden movements I do not want this kind of questioning during our “girl talk.”

“We are friends, I mean, yes, we kissed once, but Paul and I decided that friendship was more important than a quick hook up so we are friends.” I am so shocked that she just admitted that they kissed once.

“You have? You kissed?”

Carrie is turning red again and nods at me as she brings the beer to her lips.

“Yep, just once.”

Ellie is sitting there with her hands smoothing out the tablecloth.

“Well now, Paul is just scared and blind. Carrie, if he knows that you are friends, and he is happy with the relationship just as friends than you need to open his eyes.” Carrie and I both look at her with confusion written across our faces.

“What do you mean?”

Ellie lets out a small chuckle and looks at Carrie and me like she is about to let us in on a little secret.

“Okay, ladies, I am going to share with you one of the top secrets every woman should know. You need to keep this on lock down; your men, even if they are your friends, they never hear this got it?” We both nod quickly and lean in like we are about to hear the secret to life. “Well, first off, let me ask you something Carrie—do you want Paul? As a life partner?”

Carrie has her bottom lip between her teeth. She is thinking hard on that question.

“I . . . I would yes.”

She is still sitting there biting on her lower lip like she is so nervous to hear what Ellie is going to say.

“Well then, make him yours, baby girl. First rule to being a woman: If you want it, then make it yours. I can tell by looking at Paul that he’s in love with you, doll. He looks at you with such love that he would give you the world. Before you interrupt me, to say ‘okay, well, if he loves me why isn't he making the move forward?’ That’s easy, because Paul is scared to risk your friendship. He thinks that if it doesn't work, you wouldn't be friends anymore. What he is not thinking of is you may find someone who will snatch you up, he isn't thinking this because you are always there for him. You are there to go to barbeques and dinner with. He calls you, and you answer each and every time, right?” Carrie nods and Ellie continues. “Well, baby girl, you have to stop. When you say you have plans, that boy will wise up. I don't care if you are sitting home painting your nails, and yes, ladies, we should always have nice painted nails this chipped polish stuff is unacceptable. He will see the future he wants with you. Believe me, girls, I did all of this with Mr. Martinelli.”

“You did?” I asked.

Ellie smiles and starts to pats my hands.

“Oh dear, of course. He was a real looker. All the women loved him, he was handsome and he wore that Marine uniform so well. I think he could hear every woman’s heart beating from her chest. But, you know what?”

In unison, Carrie and I both answered “What?”

“He never heard mine. Nope, even though that man had me melting where I stood, he never knew. I was the mystery, I was the only one not throwing myself at him and it worked. Thirty days after meeting him, I was married to the love of my life, kissing him and sending him off to war. It works every time, ladies, believe me.”

Ellie smiles and you could feel the love she had with her husband, you could feel it with each and every word she said.

“Hey, ladies! Oh man, it looks like they are having some major discussions—they all have tears in their eyes,” Allen yells to the pricks following in behind him.

I look up and see Paul immediately walking up behind Carrie and whispering in her ear asking if she is okay. Ellie is right, Paul is in love with her—you can see it all over his face. I look up and see Camaron is missing but Axel is standing with his waist against the sink and he mouths to me “
Are you okay?
”
I smile up and nod and he winks, of course, I feel myself start to blush. I look and see Ellie's eyes are on me like a hawk, so I just look down.

“Well, I am heading out, you ready Paul, Carrie?” Allen is gathering all his left overs that Ellie put on the side for him. He walks over, bends down, and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Ma, dinner was fantastic!” Paul and Carrie do the same.

I look up and see Camaron coming into the kitchen alone.

“You ready to go, my anchor?”

Before I can say anything, Axel is walking towards me.

“No worries, Cam, I can take her home.”

“No, I got this, Axel, thank you. I would like to talk to MY Sam if YOU don't mind.”

Seriously, Camaron is being a douche right now and I don't understand why he keeps emphasizing his words.

“Well, you all could have talked when you brought her  . . . oh, wait, you left her home.” Axel is letting him have it. I am so thankful that he is, because for just a moment I matter.

“FUCK YOU, AXEL!”

Camaron is steaming mad—things are getting heated. Then, I see is this little Ellie get up, stand on her chair, and smack Camaron across the face. One quick slap and I mean, wow the woman can smack hard, because all I heard was a loud CRACK!

“Stop this right now, Camaron Willis! You will not use that word in my home. Do you hear me, young man?” Camaron is staring at Axel, sending daggers to him with his eyes. In a louder more abrupt tone, Ellie asks him again, “DO YOU HEAR ME, CAMARON WILLIS?”

His eyes go directly to Ellie’s and they soften immediately.

“Yes, Ma'am, I’m sorry.” With that, she pats his cheek and he helps her down.