“I swear to fucking God, you little shit, you do not want to fuck with me. I will fucking make you pay, you – ”
“Do it,” Daniel challenged through gritted teeth, his eyes ablaze. “Let’s see you do something besides put your hands on her. Show me, asshole.” His voice was merciless, unrecognizable as he continued to hold Ben in a w
ay that rendered him completely useless, his sleeves twisted too hard for his arms to move let alone swing.
“What, you fucking her?” Ben’s nostrils flared as he was reduced to accusations – they were all he had left with Daniel so easily subduing him, unflinching despite his threats. “You fucking her, huh? How about this… you touch my fiancé and I’ll fucking kill you, you piece of shit.”
“Okay, enough! Just stop it!” My frantic pleading for them to stop went ignored – either that or it didn’t come out of my throat at all. In my breathless panic, I could hardly tell. At one point I had been shoving Ben but now I was tugging on Daniel’s arm. Everything felt like a blur.
Including Mr. Davies coming through the door. It wasn’t until he spoke that I snapped out of my fog.
“What in God’s name is going on in here?” he bellowed, using very much his teacher voice as his old eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Shit. Daniel promptly released Ben, who stumbled backward before regaining his composure, his first instinct to straighten the wrinkles on his linen Brioni shirt. It was silent as the three of us stared at Mr. Davies. He looked close to a heart attack, which was probably why even Ben remained frozen.
“Does anyone care to explain what just happened in here?” Mr. Davies finally asked, relieving me. I’d been convinced for a second that he was going to collapse. No one could answer the question though, because a tipsy trill soon came from behind him.
“What do we have here?” Mom poked her head in through the door, a big smile on her face before a she gave a sharp gasp. “Oh my goodness… all my favorite people in one room!”
She waltzed in, breezy and clueless with an hors d’oeuvre in one hand and champagne in the other. Now, it was the four of us staring as a gaggle of her equally oblivious friends streamed in. I saw Daniel exchange a look with his fellow wrestling coach and immediately, my shoulders eased with relief.
Mr. Davies cleared his throat. “Nothin’ going on in here, Marilyn, besides the party you just brought in!” he said good-naturedly, recovering remarkably well from his outrage.
“Well, well. I see.” Mom sashayed towards Ben. “Everyone getting to know each other, hm? Ben, sweetie, did you get a chance to meet these lovely gentlemen?” She gestured to Mr. Davies. “This is John Davies, he’s been coaching Jake since sixth grade, can you believe it?”
“Ah.” Wearing his big, phony smile, Ben held out his hand to Mr. Davies, whose mouth twitched as he shook it.
“And this is the famous Daniel Cole.” Mom winked at Daniel before continuing. “He coached Jake for all four years in high school and he had Nina for English senior year!”
Fuck.
I watched Ben’s eyebrows rise with genuine interest. And delight. “Really.” He turned to face Daniel. “So you’re a teacher… and you had my girlfriend,” he repeated Mom’s words, though they sounded a whole other way coming from his mouth. A vicious guilt tore at my stomach as I realized that I’d just put Daniel on the ridiculous, vindictive radar that Ben often bragged about. Before I met him, he’d apparently gotten a bouncer fired for refusing his attempt to buy entry to a club, and in front of work associates. But he didn’t stop there, eventually getting the guy arrested after digging up outstanding warrants for marijuana possession.
My only comfort was that Daniel had nothing for Ben to use against him.
Besides me.
“You still teach at the high school?” Ben asked Daniel, his eyes bright with curiosity.
“Yes.”
“Nice.” Ben nodded, a smile spreading his lips when he got his answer. And then he turned to Mom with a story about why he had to suddenly go – some work-related lie that I’d heard a thousand times. As she protested, I eyed Daniel. He was already looking at me. I’m so sorry, I mouthed. He simply shook his head in response, his cold eyes returning to Ben as he approached me to say goodbye.
“When’d you say you were coming back to the city, babe?” His voice dripped with phony sweetness and there was a smirk in his eye as he brushed hair from my face. I said nothing. After waiting a few more seconds for my answer, Ben chuckled and let his hand fall to my backside, giving my ass a hard squeeze while watching my jaw tighten. Mom’s friends politely averted their gaze, completely oblivious to my utter revulsion. Avoiding Ben’s eyes, mine went to Daniel, whose body was rigid as he watched Ben hold the nape of my neck and pull my face close. He pressed a long, hard kiss onto my lips before murmuring into my hair. “I know you hate when I have to leave early, babe. But I’ll see you really soon.”
CHAPTER 5
“Okay, we need to talk. I have so many stories. But first off, why are you wearing that?”
Kelsey’s silent treatment broke ten minutes into the bus ride. I had a feeling it would end sometime during the trip back to the city, and probably so she could ask about the blouse I was wearing. It was floral with a big, rolled collar that looked like a cat food bowl around my neck.
“For a job interview. At some art gallery in the Upper East Side. I have the job, essentially. I think this is meeting’s just a formality.”
“What? You’re quitting Todos Santos again?” Kelsey pouted. “No more free food? Or parties? Or Aussie Harry and his gorgeous ass?”
I shrugged, though I was genuinely sad about the prospect of quitting again. “My mom wants me to. She set up the interview and,” I plucked at my truly hideous top, “gave me this to wear.”
“When did all this happen?”
“After Jake’s party.” I’d been so overwhelmed by the fight between Daniel and Ben that I could hardly stand up against Mom’s demands. Somehow, I’d promised to quit Todos Santos and take the gallery internship offered by Mrs. Lockman. “One of the people from the party owns the place. It apparently doesn’t pay much and I’ll basically be spackling walls all day, but I have to check it out.”