Walk with Me (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) (2 page)

“What was that about?” Monica asks when I return to the counter.

I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “Shane. He’s always following me around, trying to help me with stuff. It’s really starting to annoy me.” I play it off to Monica. I don’t want her or anyone else to know why I cowed from Shane’s helping hand.

“I think someone may have eyes for you, Kenna,” Monica teases. “You know he transferred from the Marina store because he broke up with his girlfriend over there.”

“Ick,” I say. “No thanks.”

Her eyebrows arch. “What you’re not into the gorgeous-triathlete type with killer ink scrolled up both sleeves?” Monica asks in disbelief that I would turn down the advances of such a hottie.

She’s right. Any normal girl would be flattered from the attention of a hot guy like Shane, and I would typically go for a guy like him—the emotionally unavailable bad boy and perfect distraction for my busy life. They’re easy, uncomplicated, and never expect anything more than a casual relationship, but we share too much history.

Standing next to Monica at the prep counter, Shane steps up behind one of the five swivel stools. He leans in and whispers, “Hey, Kenna, that guy just leaving wants to know who the cute brunette with the nice bodacious ta-tas is and what’s her current status? I told him I’d check on that for him.”

I roll my eyes up to Shane without lifting my head. “Seriously? Like I’d consider going out with anyone who referred to me like that,” I answer with a bitter taste in my mouth. “Now let me get back to my work. I need to get out of here on time.” Never again will I let men treat me badly. I refuse to be a statistic.

Monica giggles under her breath when Shane skulks back to his station. “Jeez, I think he’s got the message now.”

“I know that sounded a little rude,” I say, “but I’m afraid that’s Shane’s roundabout way of checking if I’m available to ask out, and I need to stonewall any advances that come my way from him. You know I dated his roommate.”
The first and only guy I chose to sleep with.

I’m sure Greg filled Shane in on my little virgin secret. I may not be capable of anything more than a casual and superficial relationship with others, guys specifically, and I might only be interested in a physical connection with them, but I’m no slut. Sometimes I wish I was open to trying something more meaningful, but I don’t think either of us could handle the emotions buried deep within the shadows of my soul.

“No.” She exhales with surprise, rinsing out the mixing bowl. “Is that why you transferred over here to Westwood?”

“That’s one of the reasons.”
That
and the fact that I’m avoiding my crazy parents
. “It’s better for me and Shane, if I just polish my shield and continue deflecting his advances.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had that history with his roommate. That makes more sense. I thought maybe you just weren’t into guys,” Monica says, half joking.

“Not even. I’m just not interested in this one.” At least I learned one thing from my mom’s latest dysfunctional marriage. Don’t let yourself become dependent on any man. The more I keep guys at arm’s length with my tough-girl armor, the safer and more in control I am of my own life.

“I’ll finish washing the dishes for you, if you want to count the tips.” I nod my chin toward the blenders.

“Thanks, Kenna.” Monica stacks the blenders in the sink and dries her hands.

She’s counting the tips for us to split when a new text buzzes my back pocket. I rinse the soapy blender and dry my hands before reaching for my phone. I have a text message from Danielle.

Danielle: Can u pick me up from work today?

Me: Sure what time?

Danielle: 6:30 and I have a surprise for you.

Me: Really? See you at 6:30.

Hmm, a surprise. I hope she’s bringing home some day-old muffins from the coffeehouse. A starving student’s dream—free soup and a sandwich from my place and dessert from Danielle’s.

Once Monica leaves, I power through the rest of my prep work for the next day, undisturbed by Shane, and in no time I’m cruising out the door to pick up Danielle.

* * * *

I pluck the ticket from the dispenser in the parking area at Danielle’s work and pull into a spot next to a Santa Monica Police car. Tyler must be visiting Danielle. He likes to come by for a cup of coffee and chat when she’s working. Danielle started seeing Tyler about a month ago when he came in one night during his patrol of the neighborhood.

Sure enough Tyler is standing over Danielle when I walk into the coffeehouse. Freshly ground beans fill the air, making me wish I liked coffee.

Tyler towers over Danielle with broad shoulders and a narrow waist and hips. Kind of like a swimmer’s body, lean but cut. He’s always running his fingers through his dark brown floppy bangs—his signature move when he’s trying to charm Danielle.

Danielle is looking up at Tyler’s dark brown eyes and laughing at something he’s saying. He reaches up and tucks a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Unlike me, Danielle resembles her mom—tall and thin with short blonde hair and cerulean-blue eyes. I must take after my bio dad, because I’m nothing like my mom. If my mom had a theme song, it would be “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue.”

I walk up to the two of them, clear my throat, and interrupt their conversation. “So this is what you police do all night? Hanging out at coffeehouses talking to girls? No wonder crime is at an all-time high.”

At first Tyler’s expression when he turns around to face me is one to fear, but once we make eye contact, his expression softens. He smiles broadly. “I usually prefer the coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts but I can’t keep away from the coffee here for some reason.” Shifting his attention back to Danielle, he gives her a wink. “I’m glad you’re here,” he adds, “because there’s someone I want you to meet.” He nods his head in the direction behind me.

I turn around, following his gaze, and striding toward us is a guy wearing a Santa Monica Police uniform, but it fits him differently than Tyler’s. Where Tyler is built more like a swimmer, this guy is a gladiator. His eyes are down, focusing on securing the lid to his coffee so I can’t see their color, but his hair is dark brown—almost black—and cut short with a little bang falling on his forehead. His nose to me is the perfect shape. I like guys with big noses. Not so big they look like a clown, but the classic Roman nose.

He looks up from his coffee and his hazel eyes widen. A look I’ve seen before from other guys and a slow smile builds across his face when he comes to a stop in front of me, his spicy scent trailing behind.

Tyler motions in my direction and introduces me. “Donovan, this is Kenna, Danielle’s roommate I’ve been telling you about.”

What? Tyler has been talking about me to this guy? Is this some sort of setup?

Without looking away, Donovan extends his right hand to take mine. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Kenna. Tyler has been singing your praises,” he says with a casual smile.

I nonchalantly wipe my sweaty palm on my pants before shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” I reply with a crack in my voice, twisting my lips into a shaky smile.

For a longer period than normal, Donovan holds on to my hand, seeming reluctant to release it. When our hands separate, I try to make small talk, although, I have no idea what the hell I’m saying or if I’m even making any sense. “Are you and Tyler partners?” I begin.

“No. We drive single-officer cars, but we occasionally meet up for coffee and Tyler seems to prefer the coffee here.” He raises his eyebrows and looks over to Danielle. “I wonder why?”

“Oh. I only saw one police car outside, so I just assumed you were riding together.” I nervously cross my arms and then fold them in front of me. If only I had a cup of coffee, I could play with the lid or the sleeve. I’m usually not so uneasy around guys. I need to get a grip on myself before I say or do something stupid and embarrassing.

He finally speaks and takes some of the pressure off me. “So I hear you rent a room from Danielle’s parents and you’re going to SMC, too. Have you decided where you plan to transfer?”

Danielle chimes in. “Kenna’s already been accepted to UCLA for next year, and she’s part of a special program at Santa Monica College for high achievers.” Danielle knows I won’t brag about my GPA, and she’s trying to impress this guy for me. I’m right. This is some sort of setup.

Donovan’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really? That’s impressive. Do you work around here, too?”

“No, I work at the lunch counter at a health food store in Westwood.” I point behind me. “I’ve been working there for a couple years now.” He seems to be listening, nodding at breaks in my comments. I only hope I’m talking in proper sentences. “What about you? I know you work in Santa Monica, but where do you live?” Watch, I think, he’ll say he lives in the Valley, making it impossible to ever see him.

Tyler speaks up now on Donovan’s behalf. “Donovan still lives with his parents,” he teases, but the jab doesn’t seem to faze Donovan. As a matter of fact his expression or smile never changes from one of confidence.

“I live in my parents’ guesthouse. I just finished college and I have less than a year on the job, so I’m trying to save some money to buy my own place.” He shoots his gaze to Tyler, his mouth firm. “I don’t like throwing my money away on rent when I can pay toward a mortgage and something I own.”

Tyler does pay a pretty penny for his apartment here in Santa Monica, living like a playboy. Donovan seems more focused and responsible.

Donovan shifts his eyes back to me and smiles. “So yes. I guess I sort of live with my parents.”

I like this guy. He doesn’t take Tyler’s crap, either. “Guesthouses can be very private. It’s like living in a duplex or condo.” I show my support. “You have your own private dwelling but share the same land.”

“Right.” He smiles, nodding at me.

“Okay, you two. We better get back to work before we get written up,” Tyler says to Donovan. “You’ve seen, you’ve talked, now let’s go.”

Again, not taking his eyes off mine, with a ghost of a smile, Donovan answers Tyler. “Okay. I’m ready.” Reaching out to shake my hand, he leans in like he’s about to kiss me, stunning me with his beautiful eyes and full lips. My stomach drops and my mouth goes dry. “I’m glad I got to meet you, Kenna. I hope we can do it again, soon.”

“That might be nice.” I nod and exhale, leaning toward him. My eyes dart back and forth between his lips and his eyes. I don’t want to let him go, but I reluctantly release his hand this time, and he walks away.

When I float back down to earth, I turn and watch Tyler and Donovan leave. No, Donovan doesn’t have a swimmer’s body. He actually has a butt, a nice round firm one. I bet he looks good in a pair of jeans. When the door closes behind them, I exhale sharply and narrow my eyes to Danielle. “What the hell was that? Do you think you’re Match.com or something?” Not that I mind, but a little warning would be nice.

Danielle smirks deviously, motioning to the door. “I’ll tell you on the drive home,” she says on half a laugh. “My mom needed to use my car today because her car is in the shop. Tyler and I have been talking about getting you two together for a while, and when I knew you were coming to pick me up after work, I texted Tyler to come now.”

I unlock the doors to the car and we both get in. Danielle knows I’m not finished with my questions. “How come I’ve never heard you talk about this Donovan before?”

She shrugs. “I didn’t know if he was your type. You seem to go for the guy who’s a little more bad boy, and Donovan is very straight—he’s a cop. I thought you might turn the idea down before you even meet him.”

She’s right. It doesn’t bother me that
she
is dating a cop, but I never pictured myself with one.

“So what do you think? He’s cute right?” Danielle smiles smugly, pleased at her matchmaking skills.

“Yeah, he’s very cute and he has a nice smile. I don’t know.” I sit slumped in the car seat. “I might be interested in going out with him once and see how it goes, but we don’t know if he’s interested.”

“The way he was looking at you. I bet he’s interested in seeing you again. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you.” Danielle checks her phone. “Tyler just texted me and says Donovan wants to see you again.” She starts texting something back, tapping words quickly onto her screen.

“What are you texting back?” I ask nervously. “Don’t tell him anything embarrassing.”

“I’m not,” Danielle says, staring into her phone. “I’m just telling him that you think he’s cute and he has a nice smile and you wouldn’t mind seeing him again.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I guess.”

Danielle puts the phone down in her lap and turns toward me with an enthusiastic smile. “We were thinking it might be fun for the four of us to go out on a double date some time. That might be less pressure for you two, and you can get to know him better that way. Although, Tyler and I think you two are a good match. You’re both very focused, he on his career and you with school.”

I bite my bottom lip. “A little distraction could be fun.”
And he might be the perfect excuse to get Shane off my back.
“Maybe in a couple weeks.” I play it off like I’m only slightly interested.

“I wouldn’t wait too long,” Danielle adds. “Tyler says Donovan is very popular with the police bunnies at work.”