Before Lucky (Forever Love #2.5)(3)
Author: J.S. Cooper

***

“So, I was thinking we could go back to your place, and I could show you my latest yoga moves,” Emily whispered in my ear as I got into the car and started the engine.

“Not tonight,” I ignored the urge to flick her fingernails off of my arm as I started the car. “Let me take you home.”

“I don’t want to go home.” Her voice changed abruptly and I could hear the anger in her tone. “I want to go home with you.”

“I’m busy.” I turned on the radio and turned it quickly when I heard the sound of Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude”. I finally left it on the country station and listened to Tim McGraw tell me about how much he loved his dad.

“Too busy for me?” She purred again, obviously realizing that she wasn’t going to get me by being surly. “I went shopping especially for tonight,” she giggled, and I turned to look at her quickly. Her face glittered in the moonlight as we drove along Washington Avenue and I was struck at just how beautiful she really was. She was beautiful and vapid, and I had no interest in her whatsoever.

“What did you get?” I was curious. Not curious enough to change my mind, but curious enough to want to know.

“Crotchless panties.”

“Oh,” I grinned at her, my mind wondering if I shouldn’t perhaps give her the opportunity to show me her new purchase.

“And the rest are edible.” She shifted in her seat so that she was closer to me. I could smell the faintest hint of her perfume, it was obnoxiously heavy and I wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t wear a perfume that was heavily marketed to someone her grandma’s age. It wasn’t sexy, and I turned my head to avoid the smell.

“Edible, eh?” I shifted in my seat at the thought of demolishing her underwear. The stirrings of unwanted desire grew in my pants for the briefest second, and then recoiled again as I thought about who I was with.

“And I’m sure you’re hungry, after that horrible meal.” Emily wrinkled her nose in distaste. “What a horrible restaurant: the food was awful and that waitress sucked, she was so rude and tacky.” Emily’s fingers ran down my now tense arm. “I suppose I should feel horrible for the girl; her life obviously sucks, working at a tacky diner, wearing cheap clothes, and well, if I looked like her, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“Looked like her?” My voice was low and I tried to not let her see how angry I was becoming at her words.

“You have to admit she was very plain,” Emily continued and moved her fingers from my arm to my thigh. “I would hate it if I was that plain and had that horrible frizzy hair. Doesn’t she know to go to a hairdresser? I can’t believe they let her come into work looking like that.”

“She looked fine.” I gently shoved her hand from my thigh, it was dangerously close to my crotch and I was no longer interested in the possibility of bedding Emily, crotchless panties be damned.

“Well yes, maybe she looked fine, but I mean, who wants to look fine? I’m so glad I’m beautiful.” Emily’s voice was sharp. “Don’t you think I’m beautiful, Zane?”

I looked over at her clinically and nodded. “Yes, you’re beautiful.” But you’re not heartachingly pretty, you’re not adorable and genuine. You’re not a girl I would want for more than a night.

“Sometimes, I think guys like you take girls like me for granted.” She giggled and placed her hand in my lap again. “You’re lucky I said yes to tonight’s date.”

“I am.” I tried not to roll my eyes at her words. I wasn’t being cocky when I said I could have almost every woman in Miami. The only ones that would possibly say no were lesbians, and I’d even dated some of them.

“I want to go back to your place.” Her voice was firm, and I knew that Emily was a woman used to getting what she wanted.

“That’s not going to be possible.” I pulled onto I-95 and pressed my foot on the gas. I was fuming inside at what she had said about Lucky. But not only was I fuming at her, I was also mad at myself. What did I care what Emily had to say about the girl? Some of it was true. Lucky was poorly dressed, likely because she was poor and she was working in a somewhat trashy diner on a Friday night. She wasn’t a girl I would normally look at twice, for a number of reasons. Yet, something about the glint and smile in her eye wouldn’t leave my mind. Emily may have called her plain, but there was nothing plain about Lucky. Her big brown eyes were expressive and beautiful. They were so open and honest, and I’d been able to read her every emotion; that was something I couldn’t really do with the crowd I hung out with. And yes, her hair had been somewhat frizzy, but it gave her character. The loose tendrils surrounding her face had been sexy as hell, and I could picture myself playing with her hair in bed, as those tendrils teased my chest and face.

“Well, I guess you’re not exactly as Braydon said.” Emily’s voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to her quickly.

“Oh?” I looked at her through narrowed eyes. My heart had slowed and I kept my voice even. Did Braydon suspect what I was up to already?

“Yeah, he always said that you were just after sex, and any girl that dated you would be a fool to think you were interested in anything else.” Emily looked at me with a wondering and weak expression. “But, I don’t think you took me out just for sex? I mean, you’re taking me home…” Her words trailed off, and I could tell she was confused, concerned, and slightly hopeful. I knew she was worried that she had lost her mystical powers of entrapping any man she wanted with sex. But I also knew she was wondering if perhaps, she had been the one to tame me, and maybe I was holding back on sex because I wanted a more meaningful relationship with her. I almost laughed in her face. There was no way in hell I wanted a relationship and it certainly wouldn’t be with her, if I ever changed my mind.

“You almost seemed to pay more attention to that waitress than you did to me.” Her voice was upset and my breath caught. “I felt like you didn’t even listen to me much.”

“I…”

“Like, when I told you that Braydon had asked me to go to a party with him in St. Barths next weekend and if you thought I should go, you didn’t even respond.”

“Wait, what?” I frowned at her words. “I don’t remember you saying anything about a party with Braydon.”