Mindless

Nine

~Cole~

"Relax." 

"I am relaxed." 

"Callie," She lifted her head up to look at me. "You are the furthest thing from relaxed." Her shoulders dropped slightly as the elevator continued to drop levels. "It's gonna be fine. No one's going to know." The doors in front of us opened, landing us into the empty hotel car park. I'd booked the last 2 rooms at the hotel a 5 minute drive from the wedding venue for tomorrow, a 10 minute drive from the rehearsal tonight. The closer we got, the more I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves.

She hadn't told me much about her parents and what she had, was the bare minimum. Their names, what they did for work, her siblings names. I guess nothing else really mattered. Not when it came down to it. I was here as- hell, I don't even know what. It didn't exactly make sense as to why Callie needed me anyway. I've seen the guys that talk to her. She could have had much more suitable guys to bring home to mum and dad than me. I'm no parents ideal boyfriend in anyway shape or form. 

We walked around to the front of the hotel and Callie immediately tried to settle herself. Hands running over her red dress. 

"Okay," She sighs, "a-uh- a few things. Don't tell anyone I work in the bar. Or that I have a second job. It won't go down well. We've only been together a few months, it's still new which is why I haven't mentioned you at Christmas. We only became official recently. They'll probably look right down their noses at you so I'm sorry in advance." I grabbed Callie's hand, pushing my giant fingers between her delicate ones, a move that immediately stopped her talking. 

"Let's go. Before you freak yourself out anymore. It's going to be fine. If it goes south, I'll find an excuse and we'll leave." I squeezed her hand, taking a step forward and urging her to take that step with me. She pressed her lips together, and followed, letting me lead us both up and into the hotel. 

We walked into a sea of people. The room covered in candles and golden lights that left a warm glow on everyone's skin. Our presence didn't cause a disturbance like I was half expecting. We just slipped in and Callie reached up on her tip toes to try and see through the crowd. She squeezed my hand and lowered herself down before pulling me through the crowd to a smaller group at the far end of the room. 

"Hey." Callie exhaled, tapping one of them on the shoulder. The guy turned, immediately causing a small commotion as she dropped my hand and was swallowed into hugs by the entire group. They held onto her face, asked her how she was, thanked her for making time to come and see them. Polite but ever so slightly condescending. "Guys, this- this is Cole." That was all it took for all eyes to land on me. I gave them a soft smile, pressing my lips together and raising my eyebrows as a polite welcoming. Well. As polite as I could give them. 

Looks were exchanged between the group as Callie came back to me, pulling my arm around her waist and forcing on her customer service smile but I could feel her heart pounding. 

"Cole?" 

"Yes, Sir." I nodded. "Cole Ambrose." Her dad scrunched his nose at me. Perhaps a signed jersey won't be a hit. "Pleasure to meet you." I extended my hand out. Waited. But brought it back down when it wasn't taken. Definitely no jersey. Callie sighed. 

"Dad." She raised her eyebrow at him and he turned to his wife. 

"Caroline, have you seen Sebastian yet, I know he's around here somewhere!" Caroline? Callie's mum started looking around the room, seeking out whoever Sebastian was. Either way, Callie stiffened under me. 

"Do we not like Sebastian?" I leaned down, whispering in her ear until she lifted her head to see me. Callie shakes her head once. "Why not?" 

"He's an ass." 

"Got it. Want a drink?" 

"More than I've ever wanted one in my life." 

"Good thing they're on me then me isn't it? Come on." I pull Callie across the room, landing a glass of whatever into her hand and watching her drink half of it before coming up for air. "An ex?" 

"What?" 

"Is he an ex? This Sebastian guy." 

"Sebas- No. He's-" 

"CAROLINE!" She immediately went a ghostly shade of white. Here we are then. "Your mum said you were- oh. Sorry. Was I interrupting something?" Callie spun around, drink in hand, beaming smile on her face. 

"Sebastian, hey, this is Cole, my boyfriend." I turned to face the blonde haired, blue eyed guy, barely taller than Cal in her heels. His eyes darted to me, ran up and down my body and then back to her. 

"Boyfriend? Nice title." Callie sipped from her glass, shrugged and looked back to me. 

"Nice to meet you Sebastian." I held my hand out and the guy hesitated before shaking it. I was sure to squeeze his clammy hand hard enough to make him wince, just a little. "Can't say I've heard much about you." 

"Can't say I've- or anyone for that fact- has heard anything about you." 

"Well, we've only been together a few months. I tend to have people watching me all the time for work and we wanted to work things out first. Didn't we honey?" 

"Sure did." 

"So tell me, how did you two meet?" 

"That's none of your business Seba-" 

"No, it's okay Cal." I turned to Sebastian. "It's not a fancy story. Her friend Lilah is engaged to one of my team mates. They threw a party, we were both there."

"Hm." He sized me up again. "So. Caroline, when are you coming back home? You graduated this summer right?" 

"I sure did." 

"Great! Congratulations. You moving back in with your parents soon then? You know they- we all miss you like crazy. I bought that house you liked up on the outskirts. We're all in the middle of fixing it up. You know, when you're done burning through-" He trailed down me again, ever so slightly gesturing to me not half as subtly as he thought he did. "being young and careless." 

"I'm not moving back home." Callie states simply. "I have a place back in Kredrith. Fully independent girl."

"Yeah, well you know, you never did like the city. You'll be home when everything goes wrong and your mum has my number when it does. I'll pick you up." He winked. WINKED. At Callie, immediately after telling her she was going to fucking fail and end up back here? I got it. One statement from him and I got exactly why Callie works as hard as she does. Because being back here would put out that flame I've seen in her eyes and I'll be damned if I'll let them do that to her. 

"Well, actually, me and Callie were talking about buying a place together. Big house, white picket fence with a tonne of land kind of thing." I blurt out and he immediately looks back to me as I pull Callie back to me, wrapping an arm tight around her. "When you know, you know, right?" I look down at Callie who nods back at me. "So, thanks for the offer Shaun but she won't be coming home. I know what I've got and there's no chance in hell I'm letting her go." 

"It's Sebastian." 

"Oh shit. Sorry." I wince at myself. "It was really nice to meet you Sam but I desperately want to spin my girlfriend around on this dance floor. Will you excuse us?" I set her glass back on the bar, not giving Callie an option as I dragged her out to the middle of the dance floor, pulling her close and swaying along to the music. I'm not a dancing guy but I needed an excuse to get her away from him before I went full Mount Vesuvius on him. 

"We didn't talk about the house thing." 

"He was all up in his head about you coming home. Had to convince them somehow you weren't fucking your life up by doing something for yourself." 

Callie mutters under her breath but it's too quiet to catch it. 

"Pardon?" 

"I said you've got two left feet. I'm going to have to teach you how to dance." 

"Oh yeah? What makes you qualified for that?" 

"I'm literally qualified as a dance teacher." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on. We'll start now because I'm terrified you're going to step on and break my toes."