Unexpected Chances (9 page)

Tabitha

Just like that he’s gone. Carter’s leaves me standing in my doorway as fast as he arrived.

Shutting and locking the door, I turn around and slide down to the floor.

It all hits me again, the pain from watching Cory walk away, the past, and being alone.

I wish someone could give me a rule book on how to heal and trust again.

Knowing that I could never move into the next stage with Cory, is the worst pain that I’ve felt since that dreadful night years ago.

But as I looked into Carter’s eyes tonight, I saw a man who could love me the way I am; broken. He could be the one to heal me.

That terrifies me to no return. What if I let him in and he breaks me? How will I survive the next heartache?

As I pull my legs into my chest to cradle them, banging vibrates through my back.

“Tabitha Jean open this door right now or I’m using the key.”

“Screw you Seth!” I yell back at my brother. I’m in no shape to deal with him tonight.

“1… 2…”

I don’t let him get to the count of three. Jumping up I unlock the door and walk away.

“You had to start counting?” I ask, heading towards the kitchen.

“I knew you’d open the door. What the hell was that stunt tonight?”

Spinning on my heels, I raise my finger at him and start shaking it. “Do not come in here and start your shit with me tonight, big brother.”

“Oh, I’m going to start it. You need to pull your head out of your ass.”

“My head is not in my ass. Do you not remember the oath we took? You want me to screw up your friendship with Cory? When was the last time you stood up and opened your heart?”

I’m so mad at my brother; I’m shaking, and pretty sure smoke is coming from my ears.

“I’ve been trying. If you’d stop long enough to notice, you’d see it.”

I cock my head at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you not noticed me disappearing? How I’ve been changing?”

Now that he says something, he has been MIA more here the last few weeks.

“Who is she?”

“No, you don’t get that information. What you get tonight is an ass chewing. When are you going to get over what that douche Robert did to you?”

Just the mention of his name has me crying again, “Don’t you ever say his name in this house. You have no right.” I say in between crying.

All of a sudden Seth’s arms engulf me into his chest.

“Shh… I’m sorry, okay. I know it hurts, but you have to find a way to let that anger go. You’ve got to let people in.”

“Yoga doesn’t work,” I cry into his chest.

“No yoga doesn’t work. Why don’t you join me at the gym tomorrow?”

“Why? What are you going to make me do?”

“I’ll show you. Now take your crazy ass to bed and text me in the morning. You want to hit it up after work?”

“Okay,” I say, in my baby sister voice.

Seth kisses the top of my head as he tells me bye. Following him to the door, I watch as he leaves, and I lock up behind him.

“What have I just agreed to?” I ask, the surrounding air.

I push off and head into my room.

Sleep will come easy tonight.

I’ll give Seth’s idea a try to let some of the frustration and pain out.

I’m not sure it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot.

****

Carter

I’m so screwed right now. I have no idea what to do. Pacing the already worn carpet in my hotel room. I stop and throw my hands upon my head and look at the ceiling.

A mess is waiting for me back home, and I have this broken angel here that I need. Watching her tonight, broke me in more ways than I knew were possible.

Knowing that I need to stop what I’m doing until I’m free of Bethany, I can’t. I’ll do what I have to so Tabitha never finds out about Bethany. I’ll explain things are complicated with work and such, but the fact that I have an arranged marriage out of blackmail, that doesn’t need to be disclosed.

I’ll leave the day after tomorrow.

On a mission when I return to Seattle. It’s time to play hardball. The Edward’s family has been doing it for years, why can’t I?

Tomorrow is a new day, where I plan to sweep Tabitha off her feet. Show her exactly how she needs to be treated.

Tabitha

I’ve been in my own world today. My best friend called first thing in a frenzy over a slip up. I have a date tonight with Carter, which I’ve tried to back out of, but was reminded that he would bust the door down.

Angela returns this evening and I need to be here for her, even though she says she will see me tomorrow. Everything in this office is out to get me today, or is it the world?

Glancing up to the clock, I let out a sigh of relief that the day is over. Now it’s time for me to put my game face on. I was instructed to dress nice but not in a dress.

Home and showered, I search my massive closet for something that screams nice but not too much.

Finding my navy blue skinny jeans, I toss them out and onto the bed then head back in search of the perfect top. After looking, I find my hot pink silk blouse that hangs off my right shoulder. I’ll pair it with my pink heels covered in glitter.

I twirl around and look in the mirror, satisfied with what I’ve done. A quick glance at the clock tells me that Carter will be here soon. Everything is shoved into my tiny purse as I walk out the door.

Figuring I need to make this as simple as possible and informal, I plan to wait for him out front.

While I’m waiting, I send a quick text to Seth and Angela and tuck my phone back into my purse.

Seth is still angry with me, but I know in time he will see my side.

The sound of an engine roaring through the parking lot causes me to look and see what’s going on. As the motorcycle pulls into a spot in front of me, I notice it’s Carter.

Stomping over towards him, “No! I’m not getting on that thing. I’ll drive,” I say, as I turn to walk over towards my car.

“Tabitha! You will get on the back of this bike or I’ll put your ass on it,” He shouts out.

I stop and turn around, giving him a glare of death.

“I don’t do bikes, Carter.”

“You do now. I promise you’ll be safe. Come on,” He gestures for me to head back over towards him.

Not happy, I give in as I ask, “You promise, you’ll go slowly?”

“I promise. Put this on and throw that leg over and wrap your arms around my waist,” he says, as he hands me a helmet.

“You think I’m going to cuddle with a complete stranger?”

“It’s not cuddling, sweetheart. It’s called being safe.”

I do as I’m instructed, even though I don’t like this whole idea. Not knowing where we are going and worried I’ll now have helmet hair. The engine comes to life, and the vibrations run through my body. My heart starts to skip a beat from being so close to him like this. I lean forward and wrap my arms around his waist.

As he backs us out of the spot, he turns his head, “Hold on tight and lean when I lean. Same direction.”

The cat has taken my tongue, causing me only to nod my head against his back. 

Speeding down the highway, a sense of calm washes over me. All the tension in my body feels as if it’s melted away. Closing my eyes, I wrap my arms around Carter a little more and relax.

The fresh air hits me and it’s as if the wind is washing all my worries away. I feel us coming to a stop, opening my eyes I look around to see where we are. It doesn’t feel as if we’ve been riding this long. The sign above the cafe shows me that he’s chosen one of my favorite French restaurants.

Once the bike is settled into the spot, Carter taps my leg motioning for me to climb off. I hand him the helmet and shake my hair out.

“I hope you like ‘Le Café du Coeur’?” He asks, motioning to the building.

“I do. I come here all the time,” I state, with a little confusion. Most people don’t know that I love this place. The décor reminds me of Paris, or what I think Paris would look and feel like.

Watching Carter climb off the bike causes my stomach to drop. He’s so different from anyone that I’ve ever dated or known. Something about him just makes me feel safe. Which then causes me to want to run away in the other direction.

Safe is never a good thing.

Holding out his hand towards me, I take a chance and grab it. I look down to our entwined hands. His makes mine look like a toddlers, his engulfs my petite hand.

“Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving,” he says, opening the door gesturing for me to enter before him.

Hmm. Holds your hand, opens the door, and comes to find you after you walk out of dinner. Mentally making a note that something has to be wrong with him.

He has to have faults; I just need to find one.

“Table pour deux s’il vous plait,” Carter says, to the hostess, earning him a smile from her and a strange look from me.

“What did you say?” I question.

“Table for two, please,” he chuckles, as he motions for me to follow, placing his hand on my lower back sending chills up my spine.

“Are you cold, Tabitha?”

“No, why?”

“I felt you shiver for a moment.”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” I say, as I turn to look at him and see a slight smirk on his face.

“Ici me laisser,” he says, as he pulls out my chair and gestures for me to sit. I’ve no idea what he just said, but I take it he’s telling me to sit or something.

“Thank you,” Is the only response I can give him, as I watch him pull his chair out beside me.

“Vous regardez magnifique ce soir.”

“Cut the French, Carter. I have no idea what you’re saying, and how do you know French?”

“Prep school,” is his only response, as he hands me a menu. I don’t need to look at it since I already know what I’m ordering.

I place the menu down in front of me and ask, “Prep school?”

“Yes, my family made sure I went to the best schools growing up,” he answers, but seems to be a little nervous with his response.

“Hmm,” Is all I answer with, as I look down at the one-page menu, like I’m trying to decide what I’d like to order? 

After we order a glass of Bourgogne Chardonnay, both of us order the same Porc a la Dijonaise for dinner.

“So how long are you in town for?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow. Some things have come up that need to be taken care of.”

“Sounds important.”

“It is.”

“Well, this is awkward. We have nothing to talk about,” I state.

“No, let’s start fresh. Tell me about yourself, Tabitha.”

“Not much to say. I have a brother, and you know where I work.”

“What’s with the name of the company? What’s SHI stand for?”

Covering my face from embarrassment, no one ever wonders what SHI stands for. “Angela will kill me for telling you this. Sparkles Hospitality Imperium.” 

I watch the sides of Caters mouth turn upward, “Now you have to tell me how you came up with that one.”

“Late at night after a party in college, we had the idea of the company, but not a name, a stack of post-it notes and a jar. Each of us wrote down what we thought was catchy. Folded them up and threw them into the pot. Angela had to draw one piece of paper out and whatever it was, that was the name.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. She tried and tried to plead with me. But I wasn’t backing down. A deal is a deal. We shortened it to SHI and went with it.”

“I guess that’s one you wrote down?”

“Sure is and it was one of the better ones. Like I said, it was a long night on the floor laughing and planning our future.”

“I take it you love your job?” Carter asks.

“I do. I enjoy it and have the freedom to be creative when she needs my help.”

“Tell me about Georgia’s Inc.?” I ask.

“That’s easy. I didn’t want to associate it with my family, so I picked the first place I went on vacation as an adult. Senior year, a bunch of us went to Georgia. I had a blast with no worries and no commitments. Seemed fitting when I picked it.

“You like having no commitments then?”

“No I have plenty of commitments, what I mean is, that was before life got complicated and burdens came into play.”

“Oh…” I say, as I look around the restaurant and down to my watch. Noticing we’ve only been here for thirty minutes or so, I’m ready to move it along.

“Do you have any sisters or brothers?”

“No, only child. My parents decided with their careers one was enough.”

“What does your family do?”

“My father’s a political lawyer, while my mother stays at home. She’s busy with fundraisers and any event you can think of. What about yours?”

“Mom’s a Pediatric Heart Surgeon, on the board of directors at the children’s hospital. My dad’s a history professor.”

As soon as I finish, our food is placed down in front of us. Inhaling the aroma, I close my eyes to take it in. It smells divine. Just as I go to say something to Carter, my stomach lets out a loud growl.

Embarrassed, “Sorry, I don’t think I’ve eaten today.”

Pointing his fork over towards my plate, “Eat, and you shouldn’t go all day without feeding yourself.”

With a mouth full of food, “What do you do for fun?”

“Not much. I ride my motorcycle and work. That’s pretty much it.”

“Is that yours or did you rent it?”

“I rented it for the evening.”

“Oh okay,” I say, as I push around the food on my plate.

“What’s wrong?” Carter asks.

“Just a little tired and confused.”

“What’s to be confused about, Tabitha?”

Gesturing back and forth in between us, I say “This. What we’re doing.”

“It’s simple, not confusing. Two adults are having dinner and getting to know each other.”

“I understand that, but we work together and I need you to know I don’t mix business and pleasure together. Ever.”

“Understood,” Is all Carter says, but I have the feeling that even though he gets it, he really doesn’t.

Both of us finish our dinner and I decline dessert. The light chit chat has continued with Carter flirting here and there with me. I’m trying to hold it together and keep my feelings out of this dinner.

There’s still something about this man that drives me crazy and makes me feel safe.

In my own world, I feel Carter’s hand touch my forearm, “Tabitha, you ready to go?”

“Oh yes… Okay,” I stutter out.

“I think I lost you, am I that boring?”

“No. Sorry I’m a little distracted.”

“I can tell. I’ve already paid, and we can go when you’re ready.”

Pushing my chair back from the table, I go to stand abruptly almost causing me to fall backwards.

I catch my footing and balance myself before we head out. Dinner was surprisingly beautiful, and I feel as I need to call a taxi. I need to avoid the back of his bike again. The feel of the engine, my arms wrapped around him, and his scent which is intoxicating.

As we step outside I turn to say, “I think I’ll call a taxi home. Thank you for tonight. It was fun.”

Carter steps closer to me, pulling me to him by my waist. His face is mere inches from mine as he says, “I picked you up, and I’ll be the one to take you home. Stop fighting me and feel.”

With a big gulp, I look over at the bike and then back to him. I lean my head back to say something, but then I’m caught off guard as Carter crashes his lips onto mine.

It’s not a gentle kiss at first.

The force of his lips onto mine has me letting a small growl escape from deep within. Carter begins to slide his hands up my back and into my hair, pulling me closer to him.

He parts my lips more with his tongue as he continues to kiss me as if I’m his dessert for the evening.

Pulling back abruptly, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, but your lips have been begging me to taste them since the first day I saw you.”

I’m speechless.

Pulling back out of his grip, I start to walk over towards his bike. I can’t look at him right now, I need him to take me home. This ride is going to be the longest one in the history of time.

“Let me help you,” he says, as he unbuckles the helmet and hands it to me.

Still not making contact, I slide onto the back of the bike and wait.

****

Carter

Dinner’s moving along, until she zoned out on me. I’ve no idea where she went, but I could tell she went far off.

Trying to bring dinner back around, I suggest that we head out. I’ve planned to take her for a ride along the coast. Having her on the back of the bike, was more than I had expected.

I’m always the one on the bike alone. Bethany would rather walk than be seen on the back of my bike. Tabitha was scared at first but once I talked her into climbing on back, I felt her relax. She’d squeeze her arms a little tighter as I we went around the curves, but her face was pure joy when we parked.

Out in the parking lot, I could sense that she had the need to escape; and quickly. There was no way I was going to let that happen. I’ve been watching her lick her lips all through dinner and it was killing me to not reach over and grab her by the face. I needed a taste and this was my chance.