With a shower, fresh clothes, a full stomach as well as some pain killers, Clara was ready for what the day had in store.
Flint opened the bar alongside Najeem as if their lives were unhindered. On the inside, however, Najeem was angry.
How could his friend and boss suddenly change his values, change his entire life to accommodate a girl he'd met just over two months ago?
He knew he had to keep his mouth shut otherwise there would be a huge rift. He didn't want Flint to think he didn't like Clara, that wasn't the case. He just didn't like Flint and Clara together and he had a reason for it. He cared about both of them and together their relationship proved to be a toxic one. Sure, Najeem was willing to protect the girl and help her but Flint was taking protection to a whole new level. Yes, Flint is Clara's boyfriend but... they just started dating. No guy would fight several men to the death in a basement just to get revenge for a girl they'd been dating for some weeks. Maybe it was the principle. What those people did to Clara was unspeakable but this was getting out of hand.
Najeem thought of ways to handle the situation as he helped prep the bar for opening. He tried to remain focused but he wasn't exactly able to multitask.
"Why are you putting the strawberry syrup next to the whiskey?" Flint questions.
Najeem is crouching down behind the bar while Flint stands opposite of him adjusting the barstools.
Najeem looked down at his hands, moving the full bottle of syrup he had just replaced but now it sat next to a bottle of whiskey rather than the sodas.
"I'm just tired," Najeem chuckles.
Flint nods. "Speaking of which... where is Vanessa? If she 'slept in' again and isn't gonna show up, I'm gonna have to cut her hours back and give them to someone who will show up."
"Good luck with that," Najeem laughs.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Flint grips the back of a bar stool, his knuckles turning white.
"She's a little... delusional if you will."
Flint's eyebrows knit together as he relaxes his grip on the stool.
"Please, explain."
Flint's arms fold over his chest, curious as to whether he should be concerned about an employee or simply take the information as gossip.
"She's always had it in her head that she's your favorite. That she can get away with whatever simply because she can... how should I say this... act flirty... act... seduce you," Najeem says his accent getting thicker as he tries to think of the correct word.
"What?" Flint questions simply because he's sure his friend has mistaken the situation but by the look on his face, he is sure the information is true.
Before Flint can respond, the bar doors swing open allowing the bell to ring and announce the presence of someone walking in. It wasn't Vanessa like Flint had expected nor was it Clara. A waitress walked into the bar in uniform. She was short, blonde with spikey hair. Her name was Jaime and she was a favorite of many lunch rush regulars.
"Wheres Vanessa?" Flint asks in a deep tone, irritated.
"She... she said she was going to talk to you about us switching shifts!" Jaime says shocked by the confusion on the Scotsman's face.
"What the hell..." Flint runs a hand over his face frustratedly.
"I'm surprised that she didn't tell you last night," Jaime says laughing.
Flint is confused again and has to lean against the counter to relax somewhat.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Jaime looks over at Najeem then back at Flint.
"Vanessa said she was going to your place last night. She canceled our movie plans. She said you booty called her. She even sent me a picture from your bedroom as proof!"
Jaime pulls out her phone from her pocket. After a moment of searching, she finds the photo and hands it over to Flint.
Vaness is sporting a black corset and matching underwear. She takes the photo using a mirror, the same mirror that sits beside Flint's dresser. In the background is a pair of Clara's shoes.
"Go get clocked in... don't mention this to anyone, understood?" Flint says exhaling angrily.
Jaime nods. "Like, it's none of my business but has she been lying this whole time?"
"What else has she been saying?" Najeem buts incuriously.
Jaime scoffs. "A lot. She's been telling all the girls that you and she are a thing. That it's serious and that you basically worship her but you don't like talking about it or showing affection at work. She has told us stories about you and her... really inappropriate stories."
The bell rings again. Flint shakes his head.
"None of its true," he says under his breath.
Jaime hurries off to the back to clock on and get ready. Najeem begins to wipe down the bar. Flint leaves the bar to go upstairs to the apartment.
He'd have to fire her. That's for sure. What worried Flint was if the stories had gotten to Clara. He needed to reassure her that none of it was true.
Opening the apartment door, Flint calls out for his girl. Her bare feet pat against the hardwood and his eyes perch like a dog as he looks in the direction of the sound.
She walks out of the bathroom, her hair wavy and full. She wore a bohemian style maxi dress in the color red. The neckline was deep but she wore a lace tank top underneath to make it more modest, knowing Flint would argue over it.
"I enjoy the easy access," Flint jokes as he comes face to face with Clara.
"Easy access!" Clara repeats laughing.
Flint kneels down, his hands grasp her ankles and slide up under the dress. His hands rest under her firm backside, he grins when he finds her underwear to be a poor excuse of a Brazilian thong.
He applies pressure to the back of her thighs and lifts her. Squealing for a moment as she is unstable and then suddenly able to rest against Flint. Her arms wrap around his neck, her legs around his torso.
"That's more like it," Flint sighs with content.
He carries her effortlessly towards the couch. Sitting down carefully, Clara settles on his lap, one hand not leaving her backside. Flint pulls her in closer, her lacey tank top is pulled down with his free hand.
"Are you wearing a bra, Mrs. Clara?" Flint nearly grunts.
"Why don't you check?"
His eyes shoot up to hers and he grins. The seductress within her was mind-blowing and took him off guard every single time. He pulls the tank top down more until he is able to see the curvature of her breasts and part of her nipples.
"Fuck," He groans.
"You should look at what's on the bottom half. You felt it but... you should probably still take a look," she teases.
"If I do... we will probably never leave this couch let alone this loft."
Clara giggles.
"I could live with only hearing your laugh."
She nods. "I know. You've told me."
"Because it's true," he says.
***
Flint's hands on the steering wheel were tight. His knuckles turning white and his eyes focused firmly on the road.
Clara decided to change her outfit due to Flint's constant touching. Sticking with a pair of skinny jeans, a grey henley, and a pair of sneakers.
The outfit change didn't matter though. Flint was strict on keeping his hands on the wheel, though his thoughts drifted to touching the woman beside him often.
"So, how long have you known Josie?"
Clara's eyes are fixated on the moving scenery beside them.
"I've known Josie for years. We used to be neighbors but then she moved away. But we stayed in touch and then ended up at the same high school."
"Did she know about... about-"
"No. She knew about the rape. I mean I was known as either the super religious girl or the girl that was raped."
"I meant about your parents. How can you be known as the girl who was raped, there is rape shield and non-disclosure stuff, right?"
"She didn't know they were a part of the cult until yesterday when I told her. There is but it was just known, I'm not sure how. People tip-toe around me at school. People try not to say the wrong thing all the time and when they think they did then they apologize profusely."
The car slowly comes to a stop at a red light. Flint irritably taps his fingers on the wheel. His nostrils flare as he takes in a deep breath.
"They... they just don't..."
What could he say? How could he help?
As his words falter, Clara lends out her hand over his on the stick shift. Her thumb runs over his knuckles.
"You can't fix everything," she says.
His foot hits the accelerator as the light turns green. Their hands stay there the rest of the way.
***
The home of Callum Cavenaugh sits on a mountainside. Its dark features are what make it the scene of many local tales. Some say it's haunted, some say a cursed man lives there. Those who say the latter is closest to the truth. Callum Cavenaugh lives alone although the ghosts of his past keep him company. The house consisted of over sixty rooms, one large kitchen and two kitchenettes, a dining hall, a basement, an attic, and three floors in between. When he first toured the home it took him 3 hours to tour it without repeating a single room. Why would a single man buy such a massive estate? A whim possibly, the exercise of power, maybe to show off his wealth.
Callum greeted the group, Flint, Clara, and Josie, as they exited Flint's mustang. The crashing of waves could be heard off the cliffside making Clara jump and Josie intrigued.
"You have a beautiful home, Callum," Clara says.
"Thank you. And you must be Josie," Callum says turning to Josie suddenly.
"I know you. I've seen you and your... goons... at the Harlow's farm just outside of town. You guys made a lot of noise over there a few months back. I was surprised the cops didn't show."
Callum grows tense instantly. He tries to relax his shoulders but it's obvious he is on edge. His usual smirk is gone in an instant. He grinds his jaw and bites his lip.
"We should go inside," he says quickly turning back towards the large and thick wood doors. They creek open and an echo casts out through the home.
The mansion was antique looking. Hardwood floors, earth-toned walls, large round chandelier type lights with amber bulbs. The dark corners of the room were filled with sunlight as maids opened the curtains.
Once they walked in they were greeted by a U-shaped grand staircase. Clara instinctively grabbed Flint's forearm. Being in a new place she felt anxious, she could hear her own breath begin to shakily withdraw from her. Flint noticed and he immediately put an arm around her shoulder.
"You okay?" He whispered in her ear.
She took in a sharp breath.
"Yea, I'm fine."
Flint nodded, understanding she was just showing face. He looks up at Callum as they follow him to a grand dining room.
"Lets hurry this up, Cal," Flint says irritatedly.
"Why? Big plans today?" Callum asks a sarcastic tone.
"I'm gonna visit Dominik and Wen, start my training again," Flint lies as to not embarrass Clara. He realizes he has made a mistake he will have to fix later.
"I have to sit beside this asshole?" Josie groans.
Callum gives a smug look and pulls out Josie's chair for her.
She sits down and returns the condescending look.
With Josie sitting beside Callum, they sit across Clara and Flint.
The table having already been set, the four of them wait for their lunch.
"Let us hurry this up then," Callum says. "Josie, I heard you and Clara ran into a few people at the mall yesterday."
"This lunch better be five-star level," Josie responds.
Callum sighs. "Answer my questions and you can eat at Rows this weekend with your boyfriend, how's that?"
Josie's eyes lighten up a sly smirk arises.
"Well... Clara and I did run into some people yesterday at the mall."
Clara held in her giggle. She knew Josie would be a hell of a Lawyer or a rich businesswoman in the future and Josie just confirmed it.
Callum reaches into his suit jacket pocket and pulls out his phone. After a few clicks he pulls up some photos and shows them to Josie.
"Any of these men look familiar?" He asks sliding through the photos.
Josie looks and takes her time, occasionally shaking her head.
"No, not really. I saw the guy who chased us to the parking lot but only for a second," she explains.
Callum shows the phone to Clara.
"Any of these men look familiar?"
Clara does the same as Josie, occasionally shaking her head.
"Did you talk to Carter?" Flint asks Callum
Callum nods. "This morning. He said the guy he saw was a registered sex offender. I did some digging through the guy likes girls... younger than Clara," Callum says with a cringe.
"Why would he want pictures of Clara then?" Josie asks.
"I'm thinking he was paid to by someone else to do the dirty work, possibly not with money but with favors. I'll know more about that by tomorrow. For now, I just have a few more questions."
Lunch was served, taking the attention away from the conversation. Crab, potatoes, some steak, vegetables, and desert had been consumed and complimented on by late afternoon. Josie and Clara talked about school, their class schedules. Clara found that her schedule was more open with her credits having almost been completed. Josie had to cram in an early morning class to make up for a requirement she failed the year before. Clara offered to tutor her.
Flint and Callum talked sports, the economy, how the bar was doing and so on. Flint tried to steer the conversation away from fighting. He had not told Clara yet about fighting for Callum in exchange for taking down her father. He especially didn't want her to know that it wasn't an official boxing or fighting match but rather underground MMA fighting which sometimes led to death. Not only is it illegal and deadly, but it is also dangerous to even witness. Of course the wealthy like Callum Cavenaugh had total protection and separate seats.
"Before I forget. There are no bugs in your home. And I found out who the intruder was," Callum says with a chuckle.
"That's good. We can go home then?" Clara questions.
"I suggest getting a new security system, but yes it is safe," Callum says.
"Who broke in?" Clara asks.
Callum shakes his head. "You two can talk about that. I'm not getting in the middle of it. Speaking of not getting in the middle of things, I am gonna be late for meddling in on that parole meeting," Callum says taking the napkin off his lap and standing from the table.
"My assistant with show you out, stay as long as you like... except you," Callum says to Josie.
"I don't trust you. You seem like the type to take advantage of that offer plus I think you are under 18," Callum says to Josie.
Josie at first looks offended but then shrugs after hearing his explanation.
"You're not as dumb as I thought you were," She says standing up.
"Josie!" Clara scolds.
"What? Its a compliment."
As the group exit the home, Callum pulls out his phone again and shows it to Josie.
"Who is he?" Callum asks. It seemed as though it was a warning. Answer or something bad will happen, kind of warning.
"That's Dax. He used to date the daughter of Mr. Harlow," she explains.
Callum puts his phone away and continues on as though the exchange never occurred.
The group approaches their vehicles. Flint opens the door for Clara and she climbs in the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Callum whispers to Josie.
"How well do you know the Harlows?" He asks.
Josie felt a surge of fear in her. Why would he want to know?
"Um... they were my neighbors after I moved out of Clara's neighborhood. Gwen is like an older sister..."
Callum nods. "Alright. Well then, that concludes my questions. Have a nice day, Josie." He says which sends a chill up Josie's spine.
"Flint, Clara," Callum says waving as he enters his own car.
Josie is frozen for a moment before Clara calls her to hurry up. The entire ride home Josie isn't sure whether Callum Cavenaugh was one of the good guys or if he was pure evil.
A/N:
Hi! I know it's been forever since I updated anything. But the good news is that I am quitting my job because I want to focus on school and I am sick and tired of people not wearing their freaking masks and I have two parents who will die if they get Covid so... not worth it. I will be able to set aside time on the weekends to write and then properly update. I know you all are thinking "She's said that before" but I really want to get these stories done. I am thinking about finishing the stories for Flint and Clara, for Allison and Mads, Callum's story (yes, he is getting a story), and a story for a special character near and dear to my heart. I will give time for people to read and enjoy after they all have been published and then I am going to take them down. I am nearing the part of my life in which I can say I wrote some stories, people read them, and now I can move on. I don't want to write love stories for a living, I don't want these to be published professionally (not that I think they would but I did get some offers). I am also paranoid about plagiarism.
All in all, please enjoy these stories while I write them and while they are still on here.
Lots of love.
-Annelie Leddy