I opened the door and climbed out. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to kiss him goodbye. He unsettled me. Deeply. And I couldn't help but notice the storm of emotions swirling behind his eyes. He could keep the rest of himself in check, betraying nothing. But those eyes flashed and churned, a window to the wolf inside. But, he kept it hidden for now. I turned and waved as I walked to the crooked porch and slid my key into the lock. Bas waited until I was safely inside. Then, he revved the engine of his truck and slowly backed out of the driveway.
I swear I felt his steady heartbeat in my ears as I watched from the window blinds. It only grew silent when his truck made the turn at the end of the street and drove out of sight.
Chapter Eight
"'It'll be fun,' you said. ‘We'll only stay for an hour,' you said."
I threw a peanut shell at Kendra's head as she reached over me and grabbed two shot glasses, handing one to Darby over her shoulder and lifting the other toward me with a wink. They linked arms and did their tequila shots in unison, right down to the crinkled look of disgust on their faces a split second afterward.
"Hey, you're supposed to be our designated driver!" I threw another peanut shell at Darby. He shrugged and laughed, but twirled away from me with Kendra in his arms.
"Traitors," I muttered, lifting two fingers to the bartender. I was on my second jungle bird. One more and I was going to start making some really bad decisions. I couldn't help it. I was happy for Darby and Kendra, but seeing them together only reminded me about those few stolen moments with Bas and what I'd almost let happen. He'd been on my mind all week. I'd kept myself buried in paperwork and research at the congressman's office. He and Dale had traveled to D.C., so mercifully, I wasn't sent on any more errands to Wild Lake Outfitters. I sipped my drink, and sliding my finger around the rim, I contemplated ordering another one. It might do me good to get well and truly sloshed for once.
Before I could order another drink, Cal Winters slid into the empty seat next to me that Kendra had just vacated. He was on his fifth or sixth beer and far past me. He put a heavy arm around my shoulder. I tried to peel it off, but he only pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. He nodded toward the bartender and signaled something. A second later, he slid another shot of tequila under my nose. Cal grabbed his and downed it neatly. The rum from my jungle bird made my head swim a little and I knew this was probably a mistake, but I lifted the shot glass and tipped it back. The second I set it down, I felt it hit me right between the eyes, warming my belly and making my vision blur.
Shit. Big mistake.
"You gave me a run for my money, Winslow. But my throne is secure."
Gross. A night out at the Stacks had become a first year tradition after exams and major paper deadlines. We'd all just turned in our Appellate Brief projects for Research & Writing II and Cal got the A. No one really cared but Cal, but he cared a lot and wasn't above rubbing it in everyone's faces. His round head weaved back and forth as I gripped the bar to steady myself. Time to make myself scarce if I could still put one foot in front of the other. The last sip of my cocktail started to hit me along with the tequila, and I could barely feel my feet touching the ground.
I succeeded in ducking under Cal's arm and grabbed my drink from the bar. Ned, the bartender, shot me a look to see if I was okay dealing with Octopus Cal as he tried to reach for me again. I neatly dodged him, then swayed on my feet while I gave Ned a wink. I thought I'd made a clean getaway when a pretty second year took my seat and Cal looked her up and down. But, as I stepped toward the dancefloor, Cal followed.
"Let's dance," he said, sliding his arm around my waist. I got catcalls from Darby and Kendra on the dancefloor. I rolled my eyes. Cal was a dork, but basically harmless, and I didn't want to be rude. I downed the last of my drink and put it on a nearby table as Cal took my hand and tried to spin me. My stomach lurched, and I put a hand on his shoulder to steady myself.
"Congratulations," I yelled above the noise. "Seriously. You're having a great semester. Your dad must be really proud."
Cal's nose wrinkled at the compliment. Admittedly, it was a little passive aggressive. Cal had gotten a lot of ribbing for taking a job with his father rather than finding something on his own like the rest of us.
"He's going to retire in about five years. It's a multi-million dollar business, Abby. I'll be the richest guy in our class by the time I'm thirty."
"Great! I'm really happy for you!" I couldn't help feeling a little like shit for bringing his father up. Cal really could have been a sweet guy if he could just drop his insecurities and the constant need to one-up everyone. In that, he was his own worst enemy.
"You know I turned down the job with Foster. That's how you got it. Did you know I recommended you?"
I stiffened in Cal's arms. God, he really couldn't help himself from being a dick. "You know, we had a moment there Cal. But, I think the song's about to end. Thanks for the dance."
I pulled away, but Cal grabbed my hand. "Aw, come on. Lighten up. I was just trying to tell you I did a nice thing for you."
"Hmm. Well, maybe don't try so hard, next time." For the second time, I successfully ducked out of Cal's grasp and started heading for the tables to look for Darby and Kendra. The floor seemed to tilt, and I put my hand against the wall until the wave of dizziness passed. I really, really should have passed on that shot of tequila. If Kendra and Darb weren't ready to go, I'd had about enough this evening. I'd take a cab home.
Cal bobbed in front of me again. "Thorp asked a ton of questions about you when I interviewed with him. Did you know I did that? I knew I was going to be with my father's firm, but I thought the interview experience would be a good one. It really was. Eye-opening, you might say."
He wagged his bushy black eyebrows up and down and gave me chip-toothed grin. He had a hawkish nose and lanky frame. He bobbed on his heels like a prize fighter about to step into the ring. I really wasn't in the mood to join the main event. I needed food. I took a fistful of popcorn from one of the baskets set out on the bar. Hopefully, it would help to absorb some of the alcohol. Or I could use it to throw at Cal if he said anything else stupid. But, he had me curious, even though my better judgment told me to turn and walk away. I crossed my arms in front of me and blew out a breath to move the hair away from my face.
"All right, fine. What the hell are you talking about, Cal? You've obviously been dying to tell me this."
He smiled wide and put an arm around me again, leading me to the nearest table and sliding in a chair across from me. "Thorp's got a reputation, that's all. I'm giving you a heads up. Just watch out."
"For?"
"Let's just say Lud Morris had his meltdown after Thorp passed him over for the internship."
I shook my head, wanting to pretend I already knew what Cal was talking about. But, he'd seen my eyes widen and knew this tidbit caught me off guard. "Why did he do that?"
"You really are naïve, aren't you? For a smart girl, I mean."
"Hmm. Though I'm clearly not as smart as you, right?"
"Well, I'm your friend, Abby. Seriously. When I told him I'd have to pass, he asked me if I knew anyone who might fit at the congressman's office. His eyes lit right up when I told him about you. He went berserk when I showed him a picture from my phone. I just thought you should know that. It seemed kind of lecherous. He hasn't tried to get anything off you, has he?"
My blood simmered. I knew who and what Dale Thorp was, and that wasn't it. But, the way Cal leered at me now told me he'd probably started a new set of rumors about me.
"Good night, Cal. It's been grand."
"Oh, come on, Abby. I'm just trying to have a little fun."
"Go home, Cal. You're not doing yourself any favors."
Darby and Kendra staggered breathlessly off the dancefloor as I turned my back to Cal. Tipsy as she was, Kendra saw the look on my face and straightened her back.
"This dickwad causing trouble?"
I shook my head. "He's nothing. I'm just ready to head home."
A look passed between Kendra and Darby. I put up my hand and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll Uber it. Just promise me you'll do the same thing when you're ready to leave. I mean it."