Tantrum Read online

  “How do you two know each other? Aren't you Will Jones's sister's best friend?” Kurt asks Chase and I lean on my hand, interested to get to know a little about him.

  Chase lets out a chuckle. “We used to be pretty close, yeah.” His eyes move to mine. “Kay here helped me get eggs out at Kenshaw Ranch. I went to grade school with her cousin, apparently.” He looks at Kurt again and I can't take my eyes from his eyebrows. I've never seen eyebrows this sexy on a man and I almost giggle at my thoughts. “How about you two? I feel like I remember your face...”

  “I met her through her brother. And I met her brother through Will Jones.”

  “You grow up here?” He's looking at Kurt like he's trying to place him.

  “Born and raised. I went to the only high school around.” Kurt's laugh pulls my attention from Chase and I look at him until he asks Chase, “How old are you?”

  “Thirty,” Chase mumbles. “Last name?”

  “Driar. Kurt Driar. I'm a lot younger than you though.” He laughs rudely and I frown a little, glancing at Chase.

  “Hey, I'm older than you!” I speak up, but Kurt ignores me.

  “You were in Mrs. Roble's Kindergarten class,” Chase blurts. “That's where I recognize you! I was your fucking older brother for that buddy system shit they tried! Holy shit, I feel old now.” He laughs and I'm drawn to that smile again. Resting my elbow on the bar top, I lean my chin on my hand, unable to stop grinning at him.

  “Oh my god, dude. Why do you even remember that? I don't remember shit about school! I hated it.” When Kurt's hand lands on my thigh, I snap out of my trance with a small bounce and smile over at him.

  “I remember school,” I tell him before looking at Chase again. “I liked school.”

  “Told you.” Chase taps his temple. “Steel fuckin' trap.” He winks and chuckles then his attention's on Kurt again. “Good seeing you again, man. I'll leave you two to your date.” His eyes flick to me. “Gotta put those glasses away. Holler if you need anything.”

  I watch as he walks away, my eyes slipping down his body until I feel Kurt scoot closer and his breath is on my cheek. “I'm glad Ty let me take you out, Kay.”

  Offering a smile, I feel guilty as I lie and say, “Me too.” Turning to look at him, he presses his lips to mine and I make the kiss brief. I wasn't expecting or wanting that. I find myself immediately checking if Chase noticed but he doesn't seem to be paying attention.

  The rest of the night, someone else serves us and I can't even catch Chase's eye. I'm somewhat grateful because I am here with Kurt and the fact I spent most of the night wishing I wasn't makes me feel really bad. Kurt is really very nice. I try to stick around long enough to at least say bye to Chase, but Kurt's driving so when he's ready, I follow him to the car.

  Pulling up to my adorable little house, he looks over at me. “Can I come in?”

  “Oh.” I glance at him then the house, knowing Tyler would lose it. “I don't think that's a good idea. Ty's home.”

  “So? We'll go to your room.”

  “Kurt, you're really sweet, but...I'm not like that.”

  “What you mean is you don't like me.”

  “That's not what I mean at all!” I do like him, but one date doesn't justify expectations of sex. “I just don't sleep with people after one date. I'd love to go out with you again.”

  “Yeah, night, Kay.” He leans over and pushes my door open.

  Withdrawing my frown, I get out and tell him goodnight but he's already backing down the driveway before I can close the door. I don't think I warranted that reaction just because I didn't want to screw around with him. Of course I don't mention it to my brother, and when he asks about our night, I just smile. Kurt's rude behavior at the end of the night saved me from something, I'm sure. Because everything happens for a reason.

  I spend most of my Sunday morning on the phone with our mom who's all but begged us to come back. It breaks my heart a little that we're not close to her anymore, but this is where I want to be. When the little Kenshaws come over to play, there is no doubt I belong here. After walking them home, I walk into the house and smile at my brother who's hanging up the phone.

  “I just talked to Kurt's brother.” He glares at me.

  “Oh, how is he?” I don't know Kurt's brother but by the way Ty's looking at me, I think I'm supposed to.

  “He told me Kurt went home pissed because you wouldn't let him come in. Why'd you lie to me?”

  “Ty.” I smile and move farther into the house. “I didn't lie. We had a nice night and yes, I turned him down when he asked to come in.”

  “Maybe stop dressing like this and guys wouldn't want only one thing from you.” He shakes his head at my shirt that's a little low cut, but not too provocative.

  “Oh, Tyler,” I huff. “Stop acting like my dad,” I whisper and head to my room.

  I haven't really felt down since I've been here but my love life isn't going anywhere. Not that I need it to, but it'd be nice if one guy wanted something more than sex from me. They say they do, and I believe them every time, because why lie? But just because I'm a happy person doesn't mean I'm stupid, or will let a guy take advantage of me unless I want him to.

  I take my depression med and lay in bed, thinking about the weeks at a time that my sister wouldn't leave her room. As my eyes start to water, I sit up and push a smile onto my face, thinking about the time we went to her prom and she was so happy. She was beyond beautiful that night. I hadn't seen her smile like that her entire life. She was like a different person that day.

  Clearing my throat I leave my room and see Tyler's gone so I decide to head to town for groceries. I offer smiles to a few people walking out to their car. I don't know them, but that's no reason not to try to brighten someone's day. When I reach for a cart, a guy that was reaching for the same one backs off after our fingers brush briefly.

  “Sorry.” He smiles.

  “Go ahead.” I push the cart to him and grab the one behind it.

  “Awesome shirt.” He points to my Run the Jewels t-shirt and I grin.

  “Thanks!”

  We stand in the parking lot talking for twenty minutes before he asks me out and I excitedly accept. Maybe a cute stranger from the grocery store will break me out of my unlucky dating life. I have to wait a couple days for our date, which is fine because I like the anticipation of a first date. So when he picks me up, I'm more than ready to go. It seems like if you're going out for drinks, Willies is the only place to go. We walk in and my eyes dart to the bar and I see Chase, immediately smiling.

  “My friend Chase is working.” I point and lead Gerald toward the bar. “Hey, Chase.” I grin at him as he comes to stand in front of us.

  “Sup, Kay?” His eyebrows dip as his eyes dart to Gerald. “Hey.”

  “This is Gerald. We met at the market just down the street.”

  “Hey.” Gerald nods while Chase taps a beat out onto the bar before nodding his head in return.

  “What can I get you?” He looks at me again.

  “You know what I'll have.” I can't stop smiling because I'm excited for the beer, happy to see Chase, and Gerald is really down to earth.

  “Gotcha.” He winks at me. “Gerald?” The tone in Chase's voice isn't one I've heard before, but he's grinning at Gerald as he takes his order. “Have a seat. We're dead tonight anyway. I'll bring them to ya.” When Chase walks away to grab our drinks, we take a seat across the bar in the corner.

  “So, I was thinking we could have a few drinks, then maybe watch a movie?”

  “That sounds fun.” I smile. “You lived here long?”

  Conversation flows effortlessly and when Chase heads our way my smile broadens. I know I shouldn't be this happy to see him when on a date, but it comes naturally with him around.

  “Have you had the pumpkin ale?” I ask Gerald and he cringes. “No one likes pumpkin beer here!”

  “It's an acquired taste. It was always a big hit in Vegas,” Chase says, setting the glass
es down. “Gerald, your Dos Equis isn't anything to write home about.”

  I smile over at Gerald while he drinks his beer. “What's your favorite, Chase?” I ask before he can walk away. “You probably taste hundreds of beers a year.”

  “I don't drink beer. Get's me out of control.” He smirks then chuckles. “Don't lead anywhere good.”

  I furrow my brows a little but smile at him. “That's responsible,” I comment while he winks at me and walks away.

  Speaking of responsibility, I forgot to take my pill this morning so I quickly pull the bottle from my purse, trying to keep it all under the table.

  “You gonna share?” Gerald grins and I chuckle.

  “It's nothing good. Just vitamins.” No way I'd tell him they're depression meds; he'd for sure run for the hills. Most people don't want to deal with anything like that.

  “You're really pretty, Kay.”

  “Thank you.” I grin at him, hoping this will work out. He's really nice and approached me at the market because he liked the musicians on my t-shirt. That means he noticed something about me other than my body.

  We get a few more drinks and the conversation remains easy before a small group walks in and heads straight for us. I'm worried at first until I realize these are a few of his friends. He doesn't introduce me, but I don't mind, even when they don't really seem to notice me. Left out of another conversation I glance toward Chase and he gives me an acknowledging nod and wink. I find myself biting my lip while I grin and pull my phone from my pocket. I scroll through social media while Gerald talks to a friend and the others from the group have moved a few tables away. He's not intentionally excluding me but they're having a private conversation.

  “Hey, I gotta run outside. Gonna grab a smoke. Be right back.” He pats my hand and I smile with a nod.

  While I sit at the table and stare at my empty glass I drank while Gerald's been away, I start to wonder if he ditched me. I slide from my stool, thinking I should go check outside because he just went to smoke, but instead I head toward the bar. I'm a little buzzed but not so drunk I don't have control over myself. Yet my feet take me toward the bar, so this must be where I'd rather be.

  I lean onto my hands and smile at Chase. “Hi.”

  “Hey there.” His lips turn up but it's not a full, real smile. “Where's Gerald?” He glances around and I let out a huff.

  “Just outside. He'll be right back. It's slow in here tonight. I think Gerald's friends were only the tenth customers since we showed up.”

  “Well it's a Wednesday night. Most weeknights are pretty dull around here.” Our eyes lock on each other and his smile starts to pull upward. “They used to be, at least.”

  “I feel like a regular.” I chuckle and watch those enticing lips. “Everyone in this town comes to this bar for drinks. Shouldn't you have my drink preference waiting when you see me approach the bar? Isn't that what you do for regulars?”

  He nods, leaning back against the bar. “You are here a lot, aren't you?” He shifts, eyes scanning the room. “Not usually with the same guy, I noticed.” He's staring at me, almost looking like he wants an explanation, but I hardly think that's his business. “They your excuse to get back in here to see me?”

  I laugh. “Can I just get a beer please?” While he gets me another beer I mumble, “Not really my fault I'm unlucky with relationships. Must be the red hair.” I wink at him when he sets the beer down.

  “Can I tell you a secret?” He leans over the bar and I lean closer to meet him. He whispers, “The red hair's hot as fuck. So that's definitely not it.” He waits a moment before standing back and smirking at me.

  I giggle. “They all probably think I'm crazy. Kinda like you do.”

  “Crazy is fun.” He shrugs. “I never said there was anything wrong with it.”

  “Well, I'm not crazy. But I think I'm fun. Apparently, though…” I turn and look toward the door when I hear it open, but it's not Gerald. “My dates don't really think I am. I keep dating too young. Gerald's the first guy I've met on my own and not through my brother or Will, but even he's two years younger.” I sigh. “So, here I am. Unlucky in love.”

  “Maybe you're lookin' in all the wrong places, Kay.”

  “I'm not really looking, Chase. But can I get our tab?”

  He walks over to the register and grabs his chin. “Hmm...interesting.”

  “What's interesting?” Moving down toward the register, I lean over the bar to try and see what he's talking about.

  His eyes flick to my cleavage that's practically sitting on his register and I didn't mean for that to happen, but I'm tipsy and apparently feeling a little too adventurous tonight. Looking into my face, he shrugs. “Your tab's all taken care of.”

  “By...who? Gerald? Did he pay?” I start to chuckle. “I didn't really think he ditched me. I just thought he was outside with his friends.” I plop back onto a stool. “Well. Everything happens for a reason. How about a shot? Let's start a new tab if I don't have to pay that other one.”

  Chase stares at me for at least a minute and before I can ask him why he's looking at me like that, he says, “Is that your life motto? Do you ever get mad about anything? I've watched you show up with three different guys, each of them losers, but you're not even affected that they've seemed to treat you like shit.”

  “Hey!” I blurt through my chuckle. “Kurt was nice!”

  “Kurt talked to your boobs all night. I was embarrassed for the guy.”

  If he did, I didn't notice, probably because I was more interested in getting Chase's attention than paying attention to where Kurt's eyes were.

  “Seriously though, why go on dates if you don't care?” He crosses his arms, not making the shot I asked for. “Is it just to score?”

  “No!” I gasp before I start to laugh. “It's not like I don't care, but what can you do? And Gerald's a nice guy. I'm sure he has his reasons. Everyone has reasons for everything, right? And I'm not a whore,” I insist, guided by my buzz. “I date these guys, but I'm not a whore.”

  “I'd never call you a whore, Kaydence.” He leans on his elbows, his face close to mine. “I'm just wondering why you're runnin' the gamut of young pups lookin' for one thing when there's so many more men…grown men, available.”

  “It's not really easy meeting the available guys my age...or older when your brother is the one with all the friends and you meet most of your dates through him.” I grab my phone and text Ty, asking him to pick me up from the bar. “The available, grown men don't seem to be too interested. And Brandt says he wouldn't let any of his friends within ten feet of me.” I shrug and set my phone on the bar while I ask softly, “Can I get that shot?”

  “Kenshaw said that, huh?” he murmurs then says, “I'll get that shot.” When he slides the blue liquid toward me, he quietly says, “I'm very...interested...in where you're looking for these uninterested grown men, Kaydence.”

  “Well, Chase, like I told you.” I glance at his lips then quickly take the sweet shot. “I'm not really looking. Is it so wrong I hope the right guy notices me first?”

  He pours himself a shot and swallows it, but it wasn't blue. It was dark and looked like it burned going down. I don't know how, but his shot reminded me of him. And now I'm filling my wild head with silly, immature thoughts. My shot was blue and happy looking…like me. And his shot was dark and dangerous looking…like him.

  Breaking me out of my contemplation, he says, “And if one did?”

  “Did what?” I almost forgot what we were discussing.

  “Noticed you first.”

  I push the shot glass forward and wait for the liquor before I answer. The blue funnel swirls into my glass and the bright color makes me happy. Meeting his eyes, I tell him, “I'd hope he'd be a nice guy and say something. I'm not a mind reader.” I take the shot.

  He chuckles while pouring another dark shot, then throws it back and quietly hisses at the burn before nodding at the door. “Your brother's here,” he says, his eyes not le
aving mine.

  “Well then. Can I get my tab? Your shots were on me.” I glance toward our shot glasses.

  “Kay, I'm here. Let's go, I'm tired,” Tyler mutters from the door before I hear it open again, but I don't look away from Chase.

  “They've already been taken care of.”

  “You don't have to do that, Chase.” I pull random bills from my purse. “Please let me pay. What is it? Twenty? Twenty five?”

  “It's nothin'. Your cash ain't good here, doll.” He winks. “It's the least you deserve after being ditched by that fucker.”

  “He was a nice guy. Maybe something came up.” I smile and stand before stepping on the ledge so I can lean over the bar and kiss his cheek. “And you're really sweet, Chase. I'll see you later I'm sure. This seems to be the place to take dates,” I drone, headed for the door.

  When I step outside, my brother flashes the car lights and I head that way until someone grabs my arm. “Kay, where you going?” Gerald asks and my eyes go wide.

  “I thought you left?”

  “No, I was just talking to my friends. I told you I'd be right back.”

  “It's been…it's been like forty minutes,” I murmur, but he ignores me.

  “You want to get out of here?”

  “Oh.” I glance toward my brother's car then back at Gerald, feeling guilty I never actually checked to see if he left me.

  “Kaydence, get in the fucking car! Now!” Tyler screams from his rolled down window.

  “I'm sorry, Gerald. I had a nice time, but I asked my brother for a ride 'cause I thought you left me. I'm sorry,” I apologize to him again then rush to Ty's car before he walks over here.

  Getting in, I smile at Tyler. “Thanks.” With a huff I lean my head back and close my eyes.

  A beautiful smile comes to mind and it belongs to the guy that's usually on the other side of the bar where I come with my many dates.

  My phone rings at ten and I groan, rolling over in bed and reaching across to the nightstand.

  “Yeah?” I grumble, rubbing my eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing? Why do you sound like you're dying?”