Perfect Bastard (Mason Creek)

She stepped back. “Let me enunciate myself better. Never. Going. To. Happen.” She extended her hand, palm up.

“One date. No sex.”

She shook her head. I sighed and reached into my pocket. I pulled the bracelet out slowly, realizing I was reluctant to part with it. “Avery…”

“Nate,” she parroted, but in a mocking way.

When I placed it in her hand, that spark was there like a live wire. She snatched her hand back and spun on her heels, marching away. The view going was as good as it was coming.

A truck pulled in just as Avery reached her Jeep. Aiden glanced at her and then at me as he got out. I shook my head. He pulled a six-pack from his truck and had to dodge Avery’s Jeep as her tires kicked up lingering snow and mud as she hightailed it out of my drive.

“So that’s her?” he asked when he reached me and followed me in the house.

I frowned. “Her?”

“You know, the girl from the bar you sang with. Emma showed me the video from last night.”

My mouth opened. “What video?”

“You haven’t seen? According to Emma, it’s all over social media.”

I dashed upstairs to get my phone. Before I could search for it, I noticed I had several missed calls from Jean and Mitch. I came downstairs slowly as I watched the video Jean had sent.

The view was dark, but my face and hers were lit by the tiny glowing lights above our head. Our eyes were locked and in slow motion, as if magnetized, our mouths met, and things went deeper until the video ended. The caption read, “Who is Nate’s mystery girl?”

“Fuck my life,” I muttered. Aiden was in the kitchen putting the beer in the fridge. “I’m going to make a quick call to Mitch.” I’d already texted Jean that I’d seen. But my younger brother was going to hand me my ass.

“What the fuck, bro?” Mitch said instead of hello. “I thought I told you to stay away from that chick.”

“It wasn’t planned.”

“It never is,” he shot back.

“FYI, I have you on speaker. Aiden’s here.”

“Aiden can’t save you. I can. Whatever you do, don’t piss her off and you’re going to have to keep her happy until I get these contracts negotiated.”

“Too late for that,” I said.

“I second that. She did not look happy when she left,” Aiden offered before letting the two of us go at it.

“Jesus, Nate. You can’t keep you dick in your pants.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“I’m not in the public eye. You are. And you have half a billion dollars in contracts in limbo over your dick’s action, since apparently you have no control over it.”

“For your information, I haven’t touched her,” I yelled.

“That video says otherwise.”

I took a deep breath. “We kissed. That’s it. Nothing else.”

“Yet she’s leaving your house this morning.”

“No. She stopped by to pick up her bracelet.”

“So she left it at your house.”

“No, and stop acting like Dad. She lost it last night. I gave a message to a friend of hers that I had it. She stopped by. End of story.”

Then Mitch switched his tune. “You have to date her. If you don’t, you’ll look like you hooked up with another random woman.”

“Too bad she doesn’t want to date me.”

“Find a way to fix it, bro, or you can kiss your endorsements goodbye.” He hung up.

“It’s that bad?” Aiden asked.

“It’s not like I need the money. I’ve made enough. If I ever had kids, their kids would want for nothing. But yeah, shit’s bad.”

“You like her.” He said it like it was a fact.

“Damn if I don’t. Thing is, I’ve never been this interested in a woman ever. I don’t know if it’s because she’s making me chase her or…”

“Or if she’s that one. That one woman who will linger in your mind no matter what other options are out there. Emma was that for me. Hell, I moved away, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”

“Thing is, I don’t know two shits about the woman. She’s got a mouth on her that makes me want to kiss her every time we have a battle of words. She sings like an angel like my mom did. And she’s stunning. Though she’s not the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen, I can’t seem to focus without wondering what she’s like naked. I’m not even sure I care.”

“She’s the spark.”

I nodded, but more to myself because I’d thought that very thing. “Who knows? We may not even get along, but I want to find out.”

“Give her some time to cool down, then try again. Be honest with her about whatever you’re feeling. And not just the naked part.”

I laughed. “Good advice. But who knows when I’ll see her again? I don’t have her number or her last name.”

“She’s not done with you. I’ve seen that look before. God help me. She reminded me of Darcy when we’d break up, only for her to be back the next day. Did you ever figure out her name?” he asked.