Caleb
Girls were my weakness.
I knew this, but I had never broken my rules for any girl.
Until last night.
Sweat trickled down my face as I gripped the ball in my hands, raised my arms, and took my shot. I cursed under my breath when I missed the second time.
What the hell was I thinking?
I'd already decided I'd give her money so she could rent her own place, but the second I saw her this morning—with the defiance in her dark eyes, but most of all, the sadness she tried so hard to hide—my plans had disappeared like a puff of smoke.
On the way back to the locker room, I caught the fresh towel Cameron threw at me and wiped my face with it. I was distracted, and practice had been brutal.
Justin appeared in front of me, jogging backward. "Did your mommy forget to breastfeed you this morning, Lockhart? Your game sucked, dude."
I threw the towel at his face.
"Where'd you go last night?" Cameron asked, ignoring Justin's whiny complaints.
"Yeah," Justin piped up. "I saw you talking to that hot piece of ass at the club. Did you score?"
Why did I feel like punching his face? Justin always talked like his mouth came from a garbage dump. It hadn't bothered me before, but I found that I didn't like him talking that way about her. Besides, his stone-hard, gelled blond hair irritated me today.
I pulled off my sweat-soaked shirt, balled it up, and, without guilt, threw it at Justin's face. It boggled the mind how his blond hair stayed in place. He must have used epoxy.
"What the fuck, dude!"
Cameron laughed, but he sobered as he turned to me, his gaze piercing mine. He had the eeriest blue eyes I'd ever seen.
"Everything good?" he asked.
Opening my locker, I reached for my bag and straddled the bench to rummage for a fresh shirt and jeans.
"Yeah. Just need to get laid."
Justin snorted. "Like you'd have a problem in that department."
If he knew how hard I was shut down last night, he'd laugh his ass off. God, if he knew I couldn't even get Red's phone number, I'd never hear the end of it.
This morning on my way out, I'd stopped by her room and suggested she give me her number so I could text her the lock code to my apartment door. Simple request. But nooo.
"Just tell it to me," she said.
"What if you forget it?" I waved my phone at her. "It's easier if I text you."
"I can memorize it," she insisted, raising her chin in challenge.
"Don't you have a phone?"
"I have a phone," she huffed. "But it's only for emergencies. Texts cost me a dollar each."
I stomped to my room to find a Sharpie.
"Hold out your hand, then." I wrote the code on her palm.
Stubborn girl.
I was closing the locker door to head for the showers when my phone burped a text. For a second, I was excited, thinking it might be Red. But there was no way she'd be texting me. Since I didn't have her number, she didn't have mine.
Sandra Bodelli: Hey, handsome. Want to come over?
My roommate won't be here tonight.
I frowned. "Who's Sandra Bodelli?"
Justin sneaked behind me to look at my phone. "Damn. You're the man, Cal. Remember the girl from engineering who came to practice last week?"
I looked at him blankly.
He shook his head. "How can you forget? She put her number in your phone. Blond, big eyes"—he cupped his chest with his hands—"beautiful ass...ets?"
I shrugged. "I'll take it."
Justin roared like a maniac. I ignored him and texted Sandra that I'd meet her in an hour.
I'd forget Red tonight.
***
Slightly drunk and running on fumes, I stumbled back home at two in the morning. It was dark, but I didn't bother turning on the lights as I stripped out of my clothes in the living room.
Opening the fridge, I grabbed a carton of orange juice and—because I heard my mom's voice in my head telling me not to drink from the carton—grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured. I chugged three glasses and let out a loud burp.
Ready to pass out, I was heading to my bedroom when a sharp pain hit my back.
"Oww! What the fuck?"
The lights turned on, blinding me as I crumpled to the floor in pain.
"Good God!" Red yelped, covering her eyes. "You're naked!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled, shooting her a murderous look. She was gripping my baseball bat, her eyes wild and round as saucers.
I knew it. She was a murderer, an assassin hired by some psycho to kill me.
"I'm so sorry! I thought you were a thief!" she yelled back.
A thief. In my own home?
She'd only hit my back, but everything hurt. My head, back, arms, legs. Moaning, I lay on my stomach on the cold floor.
"You better put that baseball bat down, or I swear I will paddle your ass black and blue," I threatened.
She must not have taken my threat seriously because I heard her move around. A moment later, a cloth landed on my bare ass. I was sure I'd find the humor in this once my body stopped hurting.
I felt her kneel beside me, her breath on my neck. "I'm sorry, Caleb. I really thought... Hey, are you okay?"
When she placed her hand on my shoulder, I flinched—not because her touch repelled me, but because it felt so damn good. She quickly withdrew her hand.
"Do I look okay?" My voice sounded harsher than I meant it to. "Why don't you just shoot me and get it over with?"
I could feel her glare drilling a hole in my head. "If you'd turned the lights on like a normal person, I wouldn't have hit you."
I had enough strength to lift my head and frown at her, but when I saw what she was wearing, I forgot my mad. She had on an oversize white T-shirt with a picture of a fat, orange cat drinking a margarita.
"Where'd you get the fat cat?" I couldn't help but grin.
She blinked. "What?"
"I don't think I own that shirt." I paused. "Do I?"
"You'd probably gain some respect from me if you did, but no. I stowed my stuff in my campus locker and went there to get it while you were out today."
Something must have been wrong with me because Sandra hadn't turned me on in her lingerie, but Red's shapeless shirt did. Or maybe it was just Red. I'd had to make up a lame excuse so I could leave Sandra and ended up spending the night drinking with Cameron instead.
"Why are you smiling now?" she demanded. "I swear there's something wrong with your head."
Was I smiling? I didn't even notice. Resting my cheek on the floor, I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent. I could smell the strawberry shampoo she'd used.
I decided strawberries were my favorite fruit from now on. Yeah, I was drunk. So what?
She was still kneeling beside me, close enough for me to touch. I wanted to flip over and pull her on top of me. Something told me that would get me a kick in the balls, so I stayed where I was, content to just breathe in her scent.
"I'm sorry, Caleb," she murmured after a while.
My God. This girl would be the death of me. One moment she was snarling like a wounded tiger, and the next she was as soft and sweet as a kitten.
"It's okay, Red. I think I have a few more limbs left for you to abuse. But just no more tonight, all right?"
I wiggled my fingers and feet for effect, but she didn't react. Pulling her legs to her chest, she rested her cheek on top of her knees, and a lock of dark hair fell across her face. I had the strongest urge to tuck it behind her ear.
"Why call me Red? If you haven't noticed, my hair is dark."
My eyelids felt heavy, and I was about to close them when I noticed her toenails. She'd painted them a sexy red. And she wondered why I called her Red.
"You were wearing that hot red dress last night. And your lips. Your lips made me think of... I don't think you'd care to hear my thoughts about that."
Ignoring my comment, she got up from the floor.
"It's late. Do you need help getting to your room?" It sounded like she wanted me to say no.
"You know I'm naked, right?" I looked up at her. She was glaring at me. "This towel you covered my ass with isn't big enough to cover what's on my front."
What the hell did I just say? I expected her to stomp off, but she surprised me by laughing instead. It was a big, bold laugh so unguarded that it made me smile. I wanted her to keep laughing, but I was too exhausted to think of anything else to say.
"I can always get you a body bag," she offered. I could hear the smile in her voice.
"You're so creepy." I chuckled.
"Not as creepy as you."
I closed my eyes, grinning like a fool. "Are you flirting with me now, Red?"
***
If she replied, I missed it because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the smell of bacon. I was still on the floor, but she had placed a pillow under my head and a blanket over me.
Groggy, I sat up and noticed my clothes weren't scattered on the floor anymore. She must have picked them up while I was asleep. My body still ached. Sleeping on the floor probably didn't help. I stood up and wrapped the blanket around my waist—for her sake—and headed to the kitchen. I stopped short in the hallway when I spotted her in front of the stove.
Warmth filled my chest. She was cooking breakfast.
For me.
I had to remind myself that she was just holding up her end of the bargain. Still, it made me happy.
I leaned against the wall, enjoying the view. There was something sweet and cozy about watching a girl cook breakfast for me. The smells, the sounds...the girl.
She'd tied her hair in a messy knot on top of her head, and a few tendrils had escaped, curling at the delicate line of her neck. The grace and fluidity of her movements reminded me that she was a fantastic dancer.
"Hey there, stranger," I greeted her as she turned around.
She squealed in surprise and almost dropped the plate.
"Are you always so jumpy in the morning?" I asked.
She gave me a halfhearted smile. I figured there was more to it than she was letting on—she had attacked me with a baseball bat last night—but I let it go. For now.
"Why don't you get dressed? Then you can eat your breakfast," she suggested.
Tongue tucked firmly in my cheek, I said, "You mean get undressed and eat you for breakfast?"
Sometimes I wondered if my mother had dropped me when I was a child. Even I thought my mouth needed to be soaped because of the things that came out of it. Red must have been getting used to me because she only shook her head.
I padded to my bedroom, brushed my teeth, and put on jeans.
By the time I headed back to the kitchen, she had a plate of bacon and another of eggs balanced on one arm. How the hell did she do that?
Watching her expertly put the plates on the counter, I took a seat.
"Three out of four shelves in your fridge are stocked with cartons of orange juice," she observed, her brows raised, curious.
"Yeah. Can you tell I hate the stuff?" I picked up my fork and watched her walk to the cupboard and pull out a glass. "Where'd you learn to cook?" I asked.
She took her time as she opened the fridge and poured orange juice in the glass before turning around to answer me. "My mom had three jobs when I was growing up, so I was by myself a lot. I had to learn how to cook or eat peanut butter and toast for the rest of my life."
I paused, thinking. "You like peanut butter?"
Something about her smile triggered a faint memory, but it was gone before I could catch it.
"It's my favorite," she answered.
"Okay, I'll get some, then."
"You don't have to," she said quickly.
"I know." And because I knew she'd argue if I said grass was green, I changed the subject. "Hey, I have an idea of how we can make this meal fun."
She gave me a dry look as she placed the glass of orange juice beside my plate and moved behind the breakfast bar. Away from my reach.
"You know those sexy French maid outfits?" I continued, scooping eggs, bacon, and toast onto my plate. "Small black skirt, white apron, lacy headband? Of course you'd have to have the white stockings and high heels too. Oui, Monsieur Lockhart, I'll get that for you. Oui, Monsieur Lockhart, you look fantastique today. Fantastique."
"I have a question for you," she started, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. "What exactly do you want to do if you grow up?"
With that, she turned and left.
What the hell did I do now? Bummed, I put my fork down. Leaning back in the chair, I rubbed my face.
I wanted her to eat breakfast with me.
I wanted her company.
What the hell was happening to me?
I felt like a dog begging for attention.
I was Caleb Lockhart. I never begged for a girl's attention. They were the ones who flocked around me, wanting my company.
I realized that I had been spoiled, and that this girl was very, very different.
Looked like I got my wish after all.
***
Veronica
My heart was pounding by the time I locked the bedroom door behind me. Still gripping the doorknob, I leaned my forehead against the wood and closed my eyes.
Did Caleb have to walk around half-naked all the time? The guy was a walking poster boy. It was hard to pretend he didn't affect me. Sooner or later he'd see right through my stoic facade.
Caleb moved with relaxed self-confidence, too aware of his effect on the female population and very comfortable with it. He was exactly the type of guy I stayed away from.
Wasn't it ironic that I was living under the same roof with him now?
Pushing away from the door, I glanced at my watch. The campus library should be open. I needed to use the computer there to apply for jobs online and print copies of my résumé so I could bring them to businesses downtown. I had done this a few times before—to no avail—but I had to keep trying.
Esther Falls is one of the biggest cities in Manitoba, with a population of six hundred thousand. But the economy had not recovered fully after the recession. Now more than ever, it was hard to find a job, especially one that wouldn't conflict with my classes. I didn't know if I could even afford to finish my courses now.
Maybe it was time to move to a different province where jobs were more plentiful, but I loved being surrounded by the lakes of Manitoba. I appreciated the friendliness of the locals, the diversity of cultures and social practices. Besides, it wasn't like I could afford to move again.
I wondered where I'd be if Caleb hadn't offered me his spare bedroom. I owed him, and I'd find a way to pay him back somehow.
Gathering my books, I opened the drawer on my bedside table to store them and nearly shrieked. The drawer was brimming with condoms!
Good God. Was this room where Lockhart slept with his groupies? I could only hope that he changed the sheets. What if he didn't? Stripping the sheets, I decided to wash them later. Maybe sanitize the whole room too.
I took a shower and got ready for the day. I was double-checking everything in my bag as I left my room when I crashed into a very solid, wet body.
"Ow!" I cried out, rubbing my forehead.
"Hey, Red."
I looked up and was rendered speechless.
Caleb was shirtless again, his unbelievable chest gleaming with sweat. His hands held the ends of a white towel around his neck. There were small bandages on his fingers, and I could see calluses on his hands.
"Going somewhere?" he asked. His green eyes twinkled like he was up to no good.
I cleared my throat and nodded, refusing to look below his neck. "Work."
"Ah. I see." He paused. "Always so serious."
The heat emanating from his body was beginning to bother me. A lot. The way his vibrant green eyes studied me wasn't helping either. I took a step back.
There was a naughty gleam in his eyes as he asked, "Wanna see something?"
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Not really."
His smile widened before he shamelessly stretched his impressive biceps. The lines and curves on his arms were tight, his skin tan and healthy.
"Watch this." With a wolfish grin, he turned to his side so that I could get a view of his butt. It was noticeably round and firm and... This was getting out of hand.
"Note the butt pop." He winked. "I'm popping it, popping it just for you. Keep your eyes on me. I haven't shown you the best part yet."
He turned and started moving the muscles on his chest. It looked like little bugs were twitching under his skin. It was creepy. I started laughing so hard that I had to wrap my arms around my stomach. This boy was insane.
"What do you think, girl? I got it good, huh? I got it really good."
I shook my head. "The only thing going good for you is that no one has picked you up for the zoo. Your cage is waiting. You'll be able to showcase yourself among your fellow apes there."
He batted his eyelashes. "You'd pay to see me. Admit it. Hey, Red?" His face turned serious as he asked in a low, deep voice, "Want a strip dance?"
We both jumped when we heard the buzz from the intercom. Rubbing his face with his hand, he muttered, "Damn. I forgot I'm supposed to go to a charity event with my mother today. Can you hide in your bedroom for a few minutes? Be really, really quiet."
"Scared of Mommy?"
"Hell yeah. It might be awkward to explain why you're staying here with me. Just give me a few minutes. Half an hour tops, then you can go."
If his mom was going to have a problem with me staying here, then I'd better find another place as soon as possible. I needed to find a job today.
I let out a frustrated sigh. "I need to leave, Caleb. I have a lot of things to do today. I can tell her I'm housekeeping."
"No! You don't even have a broom with you. Trust me. I'll get rid of her quickly, and you'll be on your way. Okay?"
"Fine." I headed back to my room.
I stayed close to the door, listening to the sounds outside the bedroom. I heard the soft voice of an older woman, followed by Caleb's deeper tones. Twenty minutes later, there was a gentle rap on the door.
Cautious, I stayed where I was and waited. The door slowly opened an inch. "Red?"
I stood right behind the door, still out of view. "I'm here," I said.
"I have to go. So...I'll see you tonight?"
We stood on either side of the door, whispering like kids sharing secrets.
"Sure," I answered.
"Are you going to miss me?"
I paused. "Sure, Caleb."
He cleared his throat. "Later, Red," he said softly as he closed the door.
"Later, Caleb," I whispered to no one.