The Perfect Stroke (23 page)

“I’m afraid we don’t have enough seats,” Cammie says, saccharinely sweet.

“Here, sweetheart. Sit here and I’ll get the waiter to bring us another chair,” I jump in, shooting Cammie a look of disgust. Not that she gets it.

“Aww, thank you, Gray,” CC says, sitting down. “It’s so nice having a boyfriend who does these little things to show how much he cares,” she adds, and that might make me feel good if I didn’t feel the bad vibes coming off of her. I quickly find another chair. Cammie slides over to give room to put a chair in between her and CC. That’s not happening. I gently nudge CC next to Cammie and sit close beside her with Neil Brayden, another investor, on my other side.

The next few minutes are consumed with everyone ordering food and getting settled. CC says very little, but right now I’m calling it a win that she doesn’t get up and walk away. I’m doing my best to ignore Cammie’s little digs she’s adding to the mix; all are designed to make CC feel unwelcome, or to talk about things she has no idea about. All this time, I thought Cammie was ditzy, mostly an airhead, but I’m starting to see the error in assuming that. Small talk continues while we wait on our food. It’s stilted at best. I never thought I’d be so glad to have a waitress come and interrupt us as I am in this minute. I’ve got my arm wrapped around the back of CC’s chair, the message clear:
I’m with her
. I’d feel better if she would at least acknowledge me.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” I ask, trying to get her involved—at least with me, if nothing else.

“I’m fine, darling. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asks, and the sweet, innocent routine is definitely fake. She turns around to talk to Cammie. “He’s always so attentive, worrying to make sure I’m okay,” she smiles. I squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. She remains stiff, but doesn’t pull away.

“I care about you, sweetheart. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

CC looks up at me, and that’s when I see it: hurt in those big green eyes. For a minute, she lets her guard down, and I can see it clearly. Acid churns in my stomach. I can deal with her anger, as that’s what I was expecting, but what I see is pain and hurt. That’s more than I can handle.

She turns over and leans into Cammie like they’re the best of friends. That should warn me what to expect.
Sadly, it doesn’t
.

“He’s always doing this. It drives me crazy.”

“Gray’s a very thoughtful man. I’m sure he’s just being kind,” Cammie says as if she’s offended on my behalf. “You should be grateful,” she adds, reaching over to pat my hand. I pull it back immediately, but it doesn’t seem to faze her. “I’m sure the men you’re used to dealing with aren’t like that, only there because of what you give them. But a real man is different, Claudia. A real man expects a more
adult
relationship with a woman.”

I start to interject, but CC responds before I can. “You’re most likely right. Though Gray and I do have the adult part down, most of our talking is done in the bedroom. Isn’t that right, dear?” she asks, smiling at me innocently. I hear Brayden cough, nearly choking on his food. Riverton’s indrawn breath is larger than it should be and almost overpowers Cammie’s gasp. Me? I’m torn between holding my head down, banging it on the table, or laughing. Still, CC doesn’t know who she’s with if she thinks she’s going to wiggle her sweet little tongue and get back at me. I know how to deal with this.
This
I can handle instead of the pain.

“Really, Claudia,” Cammie says, sounding scandalized.

“I just like to make sure my woman is happy,” I tell her before Cammie can say something else. “So gentlemen, I’m sure we’re all anxious to get home. I know I am,” I say, looking at CC and leaving nothing about my intentions hard to read. “How about we get down to the real reason we’re here?”

“Maybe they would like to finish their dinner,
dear
.”

“I’d like to get home and make sure my woman is happy.”

“Your woman seems to have developed a headache,” she says, and Brayden laughs out loud. CC gives him a genuine smile that, oddly enough, makes me want to punch the man.

“Grayson, you never pull any punches,” Cammie croons. “It’s one of the things I so admire about you. You’ve been doing outstanding on the greens. You practically bury every opponent. And your form is so outstanding. A mark of a champion.”

“Thank you, Cammie. It has been a good tournament. I’m looking forward to South Carolina. The competition there promises to be more challenging.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will handle it and come out on top. It’s one of the many things you and I have in common. Competition just fuels us. We find something we want and we don’t stop until we get it,” she says. I start to respond, staring at my food and wishing this was over and done. I should have ignored Seth’s orders and just kept going like I was. I would have made it to the Beach on my own. My head jerks up when Cammie screeches like a wet hen. Her pale beige gown has a crimson red slowly soaking into it. I look over at CC and she’s holding her wine glass—
now empty
, and doing her best to look innocent.
She’s failing
. 

“I’m so sorry, Cammie. Here let me help you dry that up,” she says, grabbing her napkin and moving it to Cammie’s breasts to try and dab the liquid.

Cammie yanks the napkin out of CC’s hand in outrage. “I think you’ve done enough,” she growls. “Really, I know you don’t get out of that garage very often, but you could try to be a little civilized!”

CC pulls back and a look comes on her face that I’ve not seen. She looks almost calm. “Funny thing. You’re right. I didn’t get much of a chance to be accepted in the civilized world,” she says, her voice a funny tone. She’s not looking at Cammie, however; she’s looking at Riverton. “A fact I’ve never been more grateful for than I am tonight. Mr. Brayden, I’m sorry we met under such strained conditions, as I think I would have enjoyed meeting you.”

“It was my pleasure, Ms. Cooper,” he says, standing up when CC does. 

“Yes, well, I think I’ll just be going. My headache seems to be worsening,” she says, and I stand up to join her. I pull her chair out, putting my hand at her back. There are things we need to discuss.

“Lucas. We haven’t discussed the upcoming matches. I think it would be in your best interest to stay.”

“I’m afraid…”

“Yes, Gray, you should stay. Don’t let me ruin the night for you. I’ll just grab a taxi,” CC says, already turning away from me.

“No, sweetheart. I’ll get you home and make sure you’re okay. You are my priority,” I tell her, making it clear to everyone—or at least trying to.

“Listen to Claudia. She’s making sense. Business should come first. She’ll be fine. We’d like to talk to you about becoming the face of the tour.” He’s dangling a large carrot that pretty much has never been done before. Favoritism is rarely shown except in carefully controlled media shots. At one time, this offer would have been a major score. Right now, I find I don’t give a damn.

“Yes. Mr. Riverton is right. I know exactly how businesses are. I’m afraid I have to return to mine tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s right. Cammie was telling me you run a garage?” Brayden says.

“I own it, and I’ve let it go for way too long, really,” CC says. “Way too long,” she says again. She reaches up to place a cold kiss on my cheek and then leaves. I should be chasing after her, but I feel like I just been sucker punched.

She’s going back to Kentucky?

“Where have you been?” I ask CC as she opens the door to our hotel. I’ve been sitting here on the couch staring at the door since I got back. I tried to rush out and catch her at the restaurant, but she disappeared much too quickly. I came home to find an empty hotel. She didn’t answer her texts and her clothes were still here, so I’ve just been waiting. It’s a fucked-up feeling and I’m pissed off she ran instead of facing this head on.

She looks at me but doesn’t respond. In fact, instead of answering me or talking to me at all, she ignores me and walks into the living room. I follow her like a damn dog, and that just pisses me off more.
When the hell did I start chasing a woman?

“I asked you a question,” I tell her, standing. I watch as she gets her overnight satchel she’s been using and starts pulling stuff out of the dresser drawers and shoving clothes into her bag.

“I heard you,” she mutters, not bothering to look up. I walk over, and when she turns to go back to the dresser, I pull the clothes out.

“An answer would be nice,” I tell her as she comes back to the bed. She looks at the clothes laying on the bed and then back at me. Then, she throws the clothes in her hand at me.

“You want an answer? You’re a selfish asshole!”

“I’ll admit to that. You want to tell me why you’re leaving?”

“
Because
you’re a selfish asshole!”

“I’ve been that from day one and you’ve still hung around.”

“Because I was stupid!”

“Sweet lips…”

“Don’t you ‘sweet lips’ me! I can take a lot of shit. But you made me trust you and then you turned around and lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie exactly.”

“You did! Lying by omission is still lying. You let me walk into that den of vipers unprepared!”

“You wouldn’t have gone otherwise!”

“That was my decision! Which is why
you
should have told me!”

“I wanted you with me!”

“So you voluntarily made a decision that threw me to the damned wolves?”

“I wanted to prove to you that—”

“Prove what? That you’re a selfish prick? Are you even listening to yourself?
You aren’t even apologizing!
It’s all I want. Let me tell you what
I
want, Grayson Lucas. I want a man who respects me and realizes that I put my whole damn life on hold to support him. All I wanted was you to be honest with me.”

“I didn’t lie!” I growl, but I know it’s weak.

“Fuck you.” She’s finished stuffing the clothes back in the bag, so she throws the strap over her shoulder and moves to walk around me…
away from me
.

“I was an idiot. I’m sorry, CC. I didn’t mean for it to go down like this.”

“What on Earth did you think would happen? Hasn’t the past shown you that I’m oil and water with the Rivertons by now?”

“I wanted to show them that you’re mine. Shit, CC, I don’t know. I knew they would be crawling tonight, asking me to reschedule into the bigger tournaments and I just… I wanted you there to share that with me. I wanted us to be there together like a team.”

She studies my face and I let her. I want her to see the truth there. I didn’t mean for this to go bad. I wanted to show that we were a team. I fucked up.

“If you wanted us to be a team, you should have told me the truth.”

“You aren’t telling me the truth,” I tell her before I can stop myself.

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s something between you and the Rivertons. More than just you and Cammie hating each other. If tonight showed me nothing else, it showed me that.”

“There’s a difference between lying and just not telling you something because it’s none of your business.”

“
You
are my business,” I tell her.

“Not anymore.”

“Wait, just like that you think it’s over? Fuck that shit, Cooper. We’re having this out, then I’m stripping you bare and reminding you just how well we match up.”

“Sex is just sex.”

“The hell it is. What we have is special, Cooper. You have to admit to that much.”

“What I have to admit is that I can’t trust you!”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake! I made a mistake, I admit it! But—”

“It was a big damn mistake. You kept something from me that I needed to know. I walked into that restaurant and got blindsided!”

“What do Cammie and her dad matter? They’re idiots! They aren’t worth this shit.”

“You just don’t get it!”

“Then explain it to me, Cooper, because I’m missing something here.” I take a step back and bottle the frustration I’m feeling. I want her to stay. I don’t need to give her more reasons to run because I know my woman and she has that look in her eyes that tells me she’s close to running.

“My whole life, the Rivertons have done nothing but make me feel like trailer trash… the dirt under their fingernails. I thought Cammie was my best friend and I got to school one day and the shit she pulled, the things I learned… it nearly destroyed me.”

“Destroyed you? You told me you were in the fifth grade when the two of you started having problems. What in the hell could happen in the fifth grade that could destroy you? I get that I should have told you things, CC. I do. I fucked up. But don’t be melodramatic here. What’s in the past is in the past. It doesn’t have to color the people we are now. It doesn’t have to interfere with the lives we have.”

When I finish talking, CC looks white. Her whole body is tight and I can see small tremors in her hands as she holds her arms close at her chest. I feel like the biggest bastard in the world.

“You have no idea,” she whispers, sadly.

She’s right. Before I fuck up everything else, I drop down on my knees in front of her. I brace my hands on her hips and I look up at her.