Invidious Betrayal (2 page)

“I don’t care for your little friend. She’s too worldly for you.”

Aria smiled then turned her attention back to applying mascara to her lashes. “You’ve made that clear more than once, Dad,” she breathed. His gaze was unyielding, so she turned away from her vanity and faced him. “Going out with a friend is totally normal. Just like it is normal for you to worry, but…don’t. I’ll be careful.” She got to her feet. “Besides”—Aria shrugged—“who’s going to mess with Sheriff Cole’s daughter? No one has yet.”

From the look on his face, Aria was sure he understood what she was implying. They stared at one another for a few seconds.

“Good,” her father finally shot back.

“I’m eighteen today.” Aria sat on the edge of her bed. “I’d say I need a bit of worldly in my life.” She wasn’t sure why she’d said that, but it was true.

When Aria looked up again, her father was gone. She thought about what he’d said and quickly decided that he needed to lighten up about Gail, because the “protective father thing” was getting old. She and Gail had been friends for years but it seemed he wasn’t going to ever warm up to the idea of their friendship. It wasn’t as if Aria was blind when it concerned Gail. There had been several instances when she questioned Gail’s friendship. There had been one such instance just a few months ago. Aria hated to admit it, but the ache of the incident was still fresh as she recalled what had happened.

“He’s by the pool table,” Elizabeth said with excitement. “Are you going to ask him?”

Aria glanced over at Bucky as he bent over to line up a shot. He was wearing a white shirt that brought out his blue eyes. She thought he looked amazing in white.

“Well...”—Lizzy urged.

Aria rolled her eyes at her friend. Elizabeth, or Lizzy, was not shy when it came to guys. Aria was. “I don’t know... Maybe,” Aria said, glancing at Lizzy. She wasn’t ready to put herself out there. What if Bucky, the blond, gorgeous, and well-muscled farm-boy, said no? It was bad enough no one had asked her to any dance, prom, or even a real date. If she asked one of them out only to be shot down, the tiny bits of ego she still had would probably dissolve.

“Oh hell,” Lizzy spat, “Harlot O’Have‘Em is here now and she’s talking to Bucky.”

Aria didn’t have to look over at the pool tables to know who Lizzy was talking about. Lizzy has called Gail “Harlot O’Have‘Em” since freshman year even though Gail was a year ahead of them. Most of the girls and plenty of the guys had some sort of a nickname for Gail. Rumors surrounded her but Aria refused to acknowledge any of the gossip and just called her by her name. She liked Gail.

Though, Aria couldn’t help the worrisome feeling that slinked up her spine, knowing that Gail was there in the bowling alley talking to Bucky. Aria made her way to the lane she and Lizzy were using. She carefully placed her fingers in the allotted holes then slowly lifted her bowling ball. She ignored the urge to look over her shoulder to see what Gail was doing or to determine if Bucky was interested. She moved toward the foul line as she peered down the lane at the ten pins then released the ball.

“Oh…that slut!” Lilly squawked, getting to her feet. “Could she be any more obvious? Didn’t you tell her that you liked Bucky?”

Aria fought against her natural response to turn around and look at what was happening between her friend and her crush. She had told Gail that she liked Bucky; that she was planning on asking him out. It couldn’t have skipped Gail’s mind, could it? Aria shook her worries away and spun around as she told herself that Gail and Bucky were just talking…

“Ohhh, I can’t believe her,” Lizzy said.

Lizzy was staring at the same thing that stopped Aria in mid-thought. In the arcade section of the bowling alley near the pool tables, Gail had her arms wrapped around Bucky’s neck, in plain sight of everyone. She was kissing him and Bucky was kissing her back.

Granted the signals she’d been getting from Bucky were almost nonexistent, but Aria was sure that Bucky liked her. But looking at the way he kissed Gail, Aria wondered if she’d read the signs wrong. He hadn’t come out and actually said it and she wasn’t a specialist in relationships but she could have sworn that he…oh never mind! Overwhelmed with emotions, Aria turned around and tried to push away the heat that had traveled up her chest, her neck and then her eyes. The sting in her tear ducts had her panicking. She silently chanted to herself to keep from crying.

“You don’t need friends like that Aria.” Lizzy’s hands were on her back, moving in small circles. Aria tried to concentrate on the calming sensation.

Aria forced a smile. “It’s no big deal. He’s not my boyfriend or anything.”

“Yeah but that skuzzy ho knew you liked him. She’s…”

“Hey Aria! I didn’t know you were going to be here.” Gail’s voice was sweet and upbeat.

Aria tensed a little but quickly pushed away the hurt she felt when she heard Gail’s voice. She turned around and when she saw Gail heading in their direction Aria quickly grabbed Lizzy’s arm. If she hadn’t, Lizzy would have met Gail halfway and started in on her. “Don’t say anything,” she whispered.

“What! Why not?” Lizzy demanded.

“I mean it Lizzy. Gail doesn’t have a lot of friends. I don’t know why she kissed Bucky and honestly it’s none of our business. He’s not mine but she is my friend.”

“But she knew! You are too nice to be treated like-”

“Please,” Aria begged. She added the puppy dog stare which probably looked even better with her glossed over eyes. She could tell the exact moment that she had Lizzy under control. “And be nice.”

“I don’t have to be nice,” Lizzy said, “but I won’t kick the horse in her teeth either.”

Aria was able to mouth the words “thank you” just as Gail reached them. “Hey Gail, I didn’t know you were coming to the Alley tonight. We could have come together.”

Gail smiled that winning smile of hers. It was wide and pretty and as far as Aria knew it usually got her most of what she wanted. Gail also looked amazing as usual. Her blonde hair seemed the perfect shade and length for her features. Her shirt showed the perfect amount of cleavage, and her heels looked expensive.

“Lizzy,” Gail sneered, not even looking in Lizzy’s direction.

The sound Lizzy made in response to Gail’s greeting sounded suspiciously like a horse neighing. Aria had to suppress her laughter. She smiled, feeling a bit better than she had minutes ago.

Gail seemed to have not even noticed. “I’m more surprised to see you here. Your daddy probably has his deputies posted on the property, watching and waiting to intervene in case a guy gets too close.” Gail laughed with a knowing smile.

“At least she has a dad who gives a hot shit,” Lizzy said, in a loud whisper. Aria smacked her arm and Lizzy grunted.

Again, Gail must have not heard the comment or the smack because she started bragging on her shoes and the purse she carried. Lizzy sighed, then took her turn to bowl while Aria and Gail took a seat and watched.

Later, as they were about to leave, Aria’s co-worker Calvin approached asking if she and Lizzy wanted to hang with him and Bucky. They were going to grab some burgers. Gail had left so it would be just them. Aria noticed that Bucky was standing a few feet away, over by the entrance, waiting. When their eyes met he looked… embarrassed. He looked away but Aria continued to watch him as Lizzy and Calvin conversed. When a hint of fear briefly twisted Bucky’s handsome face Aria followed his gaze to see what had caused it.

Her eyes widened as she saw her father in the parking lot, walking their way.

“Um, I’m not going with you guys,” Aria said, walking away from her friends, “I’ll see ya’ll later.” She quickened her pace to leave the building and reach her father before her friends had to deal with him. “Hey dad.” she said with a cheery smile she didn’t feel.

“Ree,” he said, looking over her shoulder at her friends who had just exited the bowling alley behind her. He pinned his sights on Bucky and frowned but quickly covered it up with a smile before kissing Aria on the head. “Getting late, you headed home?”

“Yup,” Aria sighed. She let her father walk her to her car. He waited until she got in, fastened her seatbelt and then pulled off. Aria sighed; she should have known better than to assume someone from this town would take a chance on her with her father breathing down their necks. Gail was beautiful and Bucky was hot. They could possibly be happy together. Being hurt about the kiss was stupid and useless, especially when you were the over-protected daughter of Sheriff Cole.

The memory still felt tender but Aria wasn’t one to hold a grudge, and she had never brought it up to Gail, or Bucky for that matter. Her crush for Bucky was still there, sort of, but it wasn’t as strong as before.

She pulled on her black heels and tied the straps around her ankles, then stood. Aria made her way over to her full-length wall mirror and looked herself over. Her dark hair was perfect. The front was pulled up with pearl pins, while free-flowing spiral curls settled over her shoulders to complete the Greek-inspired style. She wore a form fitting electric blue dress that came just above her knees, accentuating her flat stomach, ample breasts, and round behind.

Aria sighed when she looked at her face. She rarely wore makeup, but Gail had insisted on it tonight. Makeup was a hassle, and her mother often told her that her natural beauty made it unnecessary; but again, Gail thought it best if she wore some tonight. At Aria’s insistence, her mother had picked out the perfect blue base as well as the light silver eye shadow that she’d applied to the inner corners of her eyes for a kiss of glow to accent their darkness. Aria had applied her makeup liberally but tastefully, embracing any chance to shed her pure, good-girl, boring image.

The shimmer of her birthday gift, a scalloped edge bracelet made with magical blue twin beads, had her smiling as she glanced at her wrist. Aria loved the hand crafted item that was custom made just for her and she beamed with the thought that her mother knew her so well.

“All right, Aria, you can have fun. You just have to want to,” she spoke to her reflection in the mirror. She left her room and bounded down the stairs like a girl going to her junior prom—one of many things she had missed because of her overbearing father. It wasn’t his fault really, Aria rationalized; most fathers were protective. But then again, they weren’t like Sheriff Gavin Cole.

Both her parents waited at the bottom of the stairs; her mother’s face aglow with pride, her father’s hard and sour. Aria hugged her mother.

“Have a wonderful and memorable night baby,” her mother told her.

Aria stepped in front of her father, wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed, then let go. “I’m going to try, Mom. Oh, I’m staying with Gail for a few days,” she said.

“Who gave permission for that?” her father croaked as she kissed his cheek.

Aria smiled. “The law, Dad…hello”—she pointed to herself—“eighteen.” She grabbed her purse and overnight bag, then opened the front door and sashayed down the walk to Gail’s waiting car, knowing her father watched her every step of the way. He was probably wondering how he could put a stop to this without a major incident.

The car door creaked as Aria pulled it open. “I could totally drive, you know,” she said as she leaned over and peered into Gail’s car that was probably older than her parents.

“Look, princess,”—Gail rolled her eyes—“I’m driving, so get your spoiled ass in the goddamn car.”

Aria shrugged, then slid inside, dropped her bag on the floor, and fastened her seatbelt. She was used to Gail’s crass attitude. “Fine, I just hope we make it,” she sighed.

Nothing could have kept Aria off the dance floor, and now she was paying for it. Her feet felt like someone had beaten them with a stick. But dancing, laughing, and having the time of her life was worth the pain that pulsed through her tender soles. She’d never felt so free.

Aria glanced over at Gail as her friend buckled her seatbelt, put the car in drive, and sped out of the parking lot. Gail always drove like she was late for something.

“I’ve had a wonderful time but my feet are killing me,” Aria groaned with a smile.

Gail briefly took her eyes off the road and glanced her way as Aria rubbed her aching feet. “We have to make a quick stop before we go back to my place.”

Aria looked out at the city landscape as Gail drove. It was bright and beautiful and the people she saw went about their business at a fast clip. It overwhelmed and excited her at the same time. They had gone to two clubs in downtown DC; she’d flirted with dozens of guys, and several had bought her non-alcoholic drinks throughout the night. She didn’t have to spend one red cent, not even to get inside of the clubs, thanks to Gail. A few had even asked for her number.

“Alright,” Aria nodded absent-mindedly, it was just a little after 11pm. “The night’s still young,” she said, as she continued to rub her feet.

“One thing, I need to blindfold you.” Gail glanced over at her again with that wide smile.