Perfect Bastard (Mason Creek)

“Need anything?” I asked sweetly the next time he looked my way.

His cheeks heated with a rosy blush. “No, ma’am.”

I couldn’t make him talk and went back to work. I finished two out of the three cars Dad asked me to work on before calling it quits and heading home.

Clothes had never been my thing, not even in college. Yet here I found myself angry I had absolutely nothing to wear. “You’re overthinking this,” I chided myself. So what if Nathaniel was there? I wasn’t dressing to impress him. I planned to demolish him in the press.

I settled on a dress with blue wildflower print. It had a few unnecessary buttons at the top. I left one set undone. Because it was more of a summer dress, I threw on a jean jacket over top. Of course, I’d have to wear a coat on the trip in, but I’d keep the jacket on while inside the dance. I wasn’t sure how warm it would be in there. After adding a little makeup, I texted Haley I was on my way to pick her up.

Five minutes later, she got in my Jeep when I pulled up to her place. “Took you long. But damn, girl, you look good. You’re going to have those Mason Creek boys eating out of the palm of your hand.”

“Not interested,” I said with a smile because she wore one.

“Yeah, right.” Then she paused, and with a quick glance over at her, I spotted her narrow eyes. “You aren’t hoping to see Nathaniel Bowmen, are you?”

“Hell, no.” I tried to laugh it off, but she knew me too well.

“Avery! What the hell? Enemy number one!” she reminded me.

“He is.”

She waved up and down me. “When was the last time you wore a dress?”

I didn’t have to think. “Forever.”

“Exactly. So why are you wearing one now?”

“I don’t know. I need more information out of him. If he’s there… maybe he’ll notice me and I can get him talking.”

We both heard the lie.

“Avery, this is a bad idea. You’re going to get caught up and you’ll never finish what you started. What will your dad think?” She didn’t say what about her feelings, but I heard it all the same.

“It’s strictly business. He’s a royal bastard. I’d never fall for him. Promise. Now tell me about Agan,” I said.

It was her favorite topic lately. Surely, she would forget all the Bowmen mess I was stepping into.

“I don’t know, Avery. I really like him,” she said, true to form. “I know what you’re going to say, and I swear I don’t expect anything. I’m just enjoying the ride.”

We were both lying to ourselves. I turned on the radio to cover the silence as we thought about the mistakes we were both making.

When we arrived, Haley practically leaped out of the car. Agan was waiting outside as if he knew the minute she’d arrived. Parking was easy, as it was a barn. It was every man for themselves. I basically left the Jeep where I’d stopped next to someone else and hoped I didn’t get blocked in.

As I reached the door, Agan was putting something around Haley’s wrist—a corsage—and I overheard part of their conversation.

“I never went to prom,” she said, gazing lovingly into his eyes.

“Me either. Shall we?”

Boy, he was laying it on thick, or I was just that jaded as he held out his arm and walked her inside. It was going to be a long night. I went in and tossed my coat on a table with others. It wasn’t special, and it was unlikely anyone would confuse it for theirs. Then I made a beeline to the makeshift bar.

“What are you having, love?” Though the woman had hard eyes, she had a patient smile.

I was driving, so I said, “Beer.”

“Sorry, hun. The beer hasn’t arrived yet.”

I was just about to say “Surprise me” when he walked in, rotating a keg on its side to roll it forward in the direction of the bar. A cute brunette was in tow with a huge grin on her face. I spun around, hoping he wouldn’t see me, and came face to face with Tugboat.

“Hey,” I said, grateful for a familiar face. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “My cousin lives here, and I came. I was going to tell you earlier, but you looked busy.”

I remembered how he’d kept looking in my direction, like he wanted to say something. “Oh, sorry about that. I was so focused.”

It wasn’t until he asked the question, I noticed the music. I’d been so in my head.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked. There was a hopefulness that I hadn’t expected to be aimed my way.

I made the mistake of glancing in Nathaniel’s general direction and saw the proprietary grip the brunette had on his arm. “Sure,” I said, glancing back at Tugboat.