Meant to Be (13 page)

I knew she hit her threshold when her nails moved into my skin. Her moans became louder but they were still raspy. Feeling her small form underneath me, tangled and folded, made my cock twitch with pleasure. I didn’t stop myself from coming. I joined her and released at the same time. I filled her so many
times, I didn’t understand how any room was left.

When we were both satisfied, I pulled out of her then moved to my back. Scarlet crawled back onto my chest and fell silent immediately.

“Good. Now I can get some rest.” I kissed her forehead then drifted into dreams of my wife, the object of my every fantasy and thought.

15

Hazel

I hadn’t stopped thinking about Flynn since our last conversation. It replayed in my mind over and over. He was so witty and quick on his feet. He always had a response to every statement I made. But he was so calm and collected at the same time. Nothing made him uneasy.

When I went to practice at our next session, I tried not to look at him. The last thing I wanted was for him to think he’d gotten under my skin—which he had. My mind started to wander to those artic eyes and that chiseled physique. I mean, I assumed it was chiseled…his clothes indicated it was.

After I tightened my shoes and hit the stage, I concentrated on my steps and moves. I forgot about Flynn entirely, for a moment at least. When we took a break for lunch, or water and lettuce, the girls swarmed to him like they usually did. I tried not to let it bother me but it did. And it shouldn’t bother me. He was hardly my friend.

I didn’t bring any food because there were no groceries at the apartment,
and I didn’t have any money to buy them. I’d have to wait until my next paycheck before I could do anything. My stomach rumbled in hunger. I thought about asking Cortland if I could borrow some money from him, but I felt too guilty just thinking about it. It was wrong to borrow money from friends. I took a seat in the corner and downed my water. Hopefully, that would sate my appetite until I went home.

“Hey.”

I looked up and saw Flynn standing over me. I wasn’t expecting him to talk to me. “Where’s your fan club?”

He smirked. “Probably still huddled in the same spot watching me talk to you.”

I glanced at the girls, seeing their looks of disapproval as he spoke to me. I hated girls. They were so catty.

He opened his bag and tossed me a sandwich. “It’s turkey and cheese.”

God, I was so starving but I tried to hide it. “No, thank you.” I handed it back to him.

He held up his hand. “I brought my own. You never bring lunch but you never leave to get food so I assumed you were hungry.”

Damn, this guy really did watch my every move.
“Oh.”

“Flynn!” Dan, the director, called him from the back of the auditorium.

He peered over his shoulder then turned back to me. “I got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. See
ya.”

He headed to
the back and engaged Dan and two other men in conversation. As soon as he was gone, I devoured the sandwich and felt my stomach tighten as food was deposited. It felt so good, I thought I’d cry. I hated being poor. I never had food because most of my paycheck went to rent. I’d loved hanging out at Cortland’s place because he was good company and usually cooked for me. I never told anyone that I was barely keeping my head above water because I didn’t want any sympathy. If it really bothered me that much, I could get a real job. But I loved dance too much to turn my back on it.

After I was done with my sandwich, I opened my phone and played a game. I glanced up and looked at Flynn’s backside a few times. His shoulders were broad and his waist was small. When my
eyes moved down to his ass, I knew I should stop. I concentrated on my phone.

“Hey.” Vanessa was standing in front of me, the queen bee of the show.

“Hi.” She and I never spoke, so this meeting was misplaced and awkward.

“You and Flynn friends?” she asked. Her arms crossed over her chest.

“What business is it of yours?” I shouldn’t put up such an attitude but I couldn’t help it. No one could come up to me and ask me a question like that without even knowing me, especially if she was a bitch.

Her eyes flashed open like I just slapped her. She clearly expected me to tell her everything she wanted to know because she was just so perfect and amazing. She got whatever she wanted. “You sleeping with him?”

I rolled my eyes. “Who I sleep with is none of your business.”

“Well, Flynn is mine so you should back off.”

“You can have him. I don’t want him.”

That dulled her anger a little bit. “So, you aren’t into him?”

This bitch wasn’t going to leave until I threw her a bone. “He’s my friend and boss. That’s it. Now get the hell out of my face.”

She didn’t like that response. After she glared at me, she walked back to the huddle of her friends.

The rest of the week continued the same way. Flynn
always went out of his way to say hi to me. And he brought me lunch. I pretended I didn’t care and I wasn’t hungry, but I devoured that thing like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. I desperately needed to get paid but that wouldn’t happen until the end of the month. The only thing I had at the apartment was peanut butter, saltines, and bread. I had toast every night for dinner for the past few nights. It was pathetic. I was certain I was malnourished and unhealthy.

When Saturday night came around, I was nervous. And
I never got nervous. I tried on three different outfits until I wanted to scream. I decided to go with jeans and a blouse. I wasn’t in the mood to be fancy and pretty. In fact, I didn’t expect this to go anywhere so it didn’t matter.

I arrived at the ic
e cream parlor ten minutes late because I had to walk instead of taking a cab. And I hadn’t factored in how slowly I would move due to my aching feet.

I peered through the window and saw Flynn sitting at a table full of kids. Surprised, I stared at him for a second. They were playing head
s or tails. Flynn would flip the quarter in the air and the kids would call out their answer. I watched the smile on his face while he entertained the table. He was so lively and carefree. It seemed like nothing bothered him or got under his skin.

I walked inside then approached the table. “I didn’t know you were a babysitter on the side,” I teased.

“And I didn’t have anything else to do while I waited an extra ten minutes.”

I smirked. “Touché.”

He rose from the table. “Keep the quarter, kids.”

“Yes!” the smallest boy shouted.

He smirked then stepped toward the counter, eyeing the menu. “You look great.” He said it without looking at me.

“Oh. Thanks.”

He cleared his throat. “And I…?”

I chuckled. “You look nice too.” He was wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt. His clothes weren’t impressive but his body was. I noticed it immediately. He must play sports or actively seek the gym on a regular basis.

“What are you going to get?”

Honestly, I was hungry for food, not ice cream. But I wasn’t going to complain. “Just a single scoop in a cone.”

“Come on…that’s pathetic.”

“I try not to eat too much sugar on an empty stomach.”

“Hypoglycemic?” he asked.

Was he a doctor too?
“Slightly.”

He nodded. “Then let’s grab dinner first.”

That’s not what I meant.
“No, this is fine.”

“But you just said you haven’t eaten.”

“I’m good. Don’t worry about me.”
Please, don’t worry about me.
I had five dollars in my checking account. If we ate anywhere, I’d overdraw then I would owe a twenty-five dollar fee. I’d take the hit but I just couldn’t afford it. And I was way too proud to ever admit it.

He eyed me. “Well, I haven’t eaten either. Let’s get some grub then come back here for dessert.”

“Nah, it’s—”

He walked out the door without giving me a chance to talk.

I sighed in frustration then followed him. He was standing on the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. “What sounds good to you?”

How did I get myself into this mess?
The only way I could save face is if we went to a food cart. “Let’s just get a hot dog.”

“A hot dog?” he asked incredulously. “When I go on a date, I don’t take her out for a damn hot dog.” He laughed at his own comment.

“Well, you wanted to get ice cream. That’s not exactly romantic.”

His arm moved around my waist. As soon as he touched me, I inhaled deeply, caught off guard by the sudden and unexpected affection. He leaned his face toward me. I could feel his warm breaths fall on my face. “I’ll give you romantic.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek then stepped away.

My cheek burned like it’d been burned by a firework on the Fourth of July. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might give out. I wasn’t sure if it was because his touch was so unexpected or because I felt something for him, but it happened too quickly for me to process.

“How about Chinese?” he asked. “Everyone likes Chinese.”

“Sure.” I was too winded to fight him.

We walked a few blocks together, saying nothing in particular. He asked me how my day was and I asked the same of him. But I was in a daze so I couldn’t think straight. I probably looked like a loser to him. It was just a kiss on the cheek but it really ignited my sense
s.

When he said he wanted to get Chinese,
I assumed it would be a little hole in the wall shop. But we stopped in front of a four star restaurant where a line stood outside. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

“I don’t think we meet the dress code…”

“But our wallets meet the money code. That’s all they care about.” He headed to the podium and spoke to the host. “Hey, Toby.”

“What’s up, Flynn?” He smiled at him then did a quick hand shake. “You’re eating here?”

“If I can get in.” He peered at the line waiting. “Looks crowded tonight.”

“Not for you.” He winked. “Come with me.”

Wow. Did he just pull that off?

Flynn
beckoned me over. “Let’s get our grub on.”

I sighed then followed him. I guess I’m go
ing to overdraw my bank account after all. I may have to ask Cortland for money out of necessity. It was about survival now.

We arrived at a table in the corner. A single candle was in the center of the table, burning dimly. The romantic aura made me a little uncomfortable. I kept thinking about Kyle and our first date. Even in that moment, I thought he and I would last forever. I was total
ly wrong about that.

Flynn sat up straight then handed me the menu. “The kung
pao chicken is good.”

‘Thank you for the suggestion.” I opened my m
enu and browsed. I cringed at the price.

I sneaked a few glances of Flynn while he read his menu. His ice blue eyes were glued to the selection before him, but I noticed the brightness within. His chiseled jaw had a small line of stubble like his hair was finally starting to grow back after a shave. His broad shoulders looked chiseled with muscle. I could tell by the way the fabric clung to his body. When I realized I was staring far too intently, I looked down.

“What did you decide?” Flynn put the menu down.

“A salad.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And…?”

“A water.
”

He leaned over the table. “Eat like a real person. I won’t tell anyone.”

It wasn’t about the food. It was about the money. But I would never admit that. “I have to watch my figure.”

“I watch it all the time. It’s perfect.”

That made my cheeks redden slightly.

“Now
get the kung pao chicken. I’m telling ya, you’ll like it.”

“Thank you for the suggestion.” I looked across the room at all the other tables. People were eating quietly, hidden in the limited light of the room.

The waiter approached our table with his tab in his hand.

Flynn cleared his throat. “I’ll order for the both of us. I’ll have the garlic chicken with the hot and sour soup, and my lovely date will be having the
kung pao chicken with a side salad.”

That bastard.

“Very well, sir.” He took the menus and walked away.

“Do you always have to get your way?” I asked.

He drank his water. “Yep. So, how’s the practice going?”

“It’s fine.”

“The show is starting soon. Nervous?”

“No. Once we start performing, we practice less. I’m looking forward to that.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

“It just gets boring, you know?  And I hate being around the same group of girls for so long.”

He chuckled. “What did they do now?”

“Well, Vanessa, who’s never spoken to me in the year I’ve known her,
confronted me about you and asked if I was sleeping with you.”

“Really?” He rubbed his chin. “What did you say?”

“What do you mean what did I say? No, obviously.”

“And her response?”

“She was clearly irritated by the thought of you and I being together.”

“Well, she’s not going to be happy as time progresses.”

What did that mean? “Is she one of your admirers?”

“She’s one of the girls I slept with. She’s been trying to get back into my pants for a while.”

I felt the jealousy well up inside me but I didn’t show it. I wasn’t sure why I cared. I shouldn’t care.