Avery: Sensual Desire: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 2) (2 page)

“
As soon as I get my first paycheck, I’m going to take you out to dinner, Grandpa. It’s a promise.” I get up and walk over to the stove to take care of the food while he sets the table.

As usual, we eat our dinner in silence, because he’s a taciturn person, and I’m busy wondering whether I ought to tell Trudy the truth about my family. Her eyes spoke volumes when I told her the lie about my parents. My mom really is dead, but she never fought some tragic, fatal illness. Instead, she overdosed on heroin. As for my dad, I have no idea where he is. He’s gone. Maybe not dead, but not a part of my life—more or less a stranger. I must’ve seen him a few times as a child, but I’ve repressed a lot of the things that belong to my past.

Chapter 2

This Avery guy didn’t show up when he said he would. Apparently, he had to cancel because of his girlfriend. I’ve been lending Trudy a hand for a week now, and he’s supposed to come today, but on his own, at least that’s what Trudy told me. Sounds strange to me. Don’t people just want to spend all their time together when they’re in love? I have to admit that assumption stems from Grandpa’s tales—I’ve never had a boyfriend of my own. So who am I to know? I lost my virginity when I was fifteen because I was yearning for affection, but it was not a nice experience, and I've refrained from sex since then. And I’ve never been in love. It makes me sad sometimes.

After walking the quarter-mile from the bus stop to Trudy’s house, I ring the doorbell. I don’t feel comfortable using the key, even though she told me I could.

The door opens, and I freeze when I see the young man standing there, because his eyes are breathtakingly beautiful.

“
What can I do for you?” he asks with a smile, but I can read curiosity and even slight distaste in his expression. I probably look too poor to fit in here in this neighborhood.

“
My name’s Dahlia Walker. I work for Trudy,” I explain.

“
Why don’t you use the key?” He looks me up and down.

It’s making me uncomfortable, so I stare at his feet, which are huge. “Because I don’t like to barge in unannounced,” I say in a small voice. I can’t help sounding embarrassed.

He nods and steps aside. “You can come in, Miss Walker.”

“
Thank you.” I step inside and stay close to the door, because I feel awkward walking around on my own with him watching me.

“
Granny is out back, sitting on the porch. She’s waiting for you.”

I nod and quickly make my way to the back door. His gaze follows me, as I noticed a few seconds ago, and it doesn’t feel good at all. I feel like I’m being sized up—and probably found wanting.

Finally, I step out onto the porch and see a young woman who is stunningly beautiful. Beside her is Trudy. “Hello, Trudy,” I say.

“
Child, I’m glad you’re finally here. I was expecting you earlier.” She smiles. “Pearl, this is Dahlia Walker.”

The beautiful girl looks me up and down as well, cocks an eyebrow, and then grins at me in a way that tells me she feels superior to me. “Hello, Dahlia.”

I nod to her. “Nice to meet you.”

She looks away again and lifts her chin, making her look haughty.
Rather arrogant
, I think to myself. I already loathe her.

Then Avery joins us and sits down next to Pearl. He tries to take her hand, but she pulls it away and throws him an angry glare. How strange.

“
Come sit with us, Dahlia,” Trudy says. “Avery was just telling us about his time in Texas, and it’s a really nice story.”

“
I thought I could do some work,” I say, because I assume her grandson doesn’t want me to join them. At least he’s looking at me as if he’s ready to kill me, but that may just be due to his girlfriend’s behavior. If I were with her, I wouldn’t look happy either. “Maybe I could clean the house?” I suggest.

“
Oh, nonsense. Sit with us,” Trudy insists.

I exhale tensely and then sit next to her. Trudy pats the back of my hand as if sensing that I don’t feel comfortable, but she doesn’t say anything, so I don’t either. Then she pours me a glass of iced tea. “Please go on, Ave,” Trudy says.

“
I’m afraid that was it, Granny. Nothing more to tell.” He blushes and looks at her apologetically.

“
Oh, okay. Then why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, Pearl?”

Pearl clicks her tongue, but it sounds nothing like the way Trudy does it. “I’d rather not,” she says in a very soft voice that seems falsely gentle.

Trudy gives a sigh. “What about you, Dahlia? Won’t you chat with me?” She sounds a little sad, and I don’t like that.

“
I’m not sure what to say, but I guess we’ll find some kind of topic,” I say with a smile.

She returns my smile happily, which causes Pearl to snort, but Avery seems to like the way I care about his grandmother.

“
Well, what did you do on your day off?” she inquires. “Did you go shopping, or do you have a hobby maybe?”

“
I … I went for walk along the beach, but I went home early, because I needed to help my grandpa work on his truck. Made a real mess.” I hold up my hands to show her. “I still haven’t been able to scrub off all the oil stains.”

Trudy giggles. “At least you’re woman who knows how to work, I appreciate that. Unlike some people.”

It’s truly unbelievable how often Pearl snorts while Trudy and I are chatting.

“
Are you in college, Dahlia?” Avery butts in.

That suffocates my good mood immediately. I can feel it falter and die. “No. I can’t afford it. I’m working to save up to go eventually but it’s going to take a while,” I explain.

“
You still need to save a lot?” he asks.

I look at Trudy, who looks at me inquisitively. “Sort of,” I stall, wringing my hands nervously. I don’t want to sit in the midst of these rich people and talk about not being able to afford college.

“
Hmm,” he says. “And where do you want to go … eventually?”

“
I’d like to stay here and try The U, but it’ll be a few years before I can apply there,” I murmur.

“
You know they offer grants for disadvantaged people, don’t you?” he goes on.

“
Avery! Just because she wants to pay her own way through college doesn’t make her disadvantaged!” Trudy barks. “Some others would do well to follow her example!”

He blushes. “Sorry.”

“
It’s plain as day she grew up in some kind of dump,” Pearl barges in. “You can almost smell it.”

Shock washes over me, but I react quickly. “I apologize for coming today, Trudy,” I say hoarsely, lowering my eyes, feeling like someone hit me over the head with a frying pan. With all their might. “I thought I might help out today, but I think I’ll just go home.” Then I quickly stand and abandon all manners, running through the house and leaving as fast as my feet will carry me. Luckily, I don’t own a purse or anything else I could forget.

From now on, I decide as I slip out the front door, it’ll be best if I only come here when I know I’m going to be alone with Trudy. But I can’t help wondering what I did to Pearl to make her detest me like that. I don’t know whether Trudy is going to take my side. What I know of her makes me think she will, but I don’t want to stick around for the discussion.

“
Dahlia?” somebody calls, or maybe I’m only imagining it. I hurry out of the front yard to the sidewalk, only slowing down when I hear the call a second time. “Dahlia, please wait.”

I stop and turn around. Avery followed me out.

He stops in front of me and takes a breath. “I’m so sorry Pearl said such an awful thing. I gave her a piece of my mind, and my grandmother wants you to come back. She’ll be very angry with me if I don’t bring you back.”

I shake my head. “I’d rather go home now. Please tell Trudy I’ll be back tomorrow at the usual time.”

“
Can I at least drive you home?”

I shake my head again. “No, thank you, Mr. Morrison.”

“
Please say yes! I have no other way of apologizing, or rather, making up for it. Please, Dahlia.” Then he takes a step toward me and brushes a tear from my eye with his thumb. “Please let me take you home.”

“
I don’t live that far away. Please tell Trudy I’m sorry, and that I’ll be back tomorrow, and that I hope she doesn’t fire me, because I really need this job.” My voice becomes more hushed as I finish.

“
My grandmother is not going to fire you. If anything, she’s going to be mad at me.” He gives me a dazzling smile.

With a nod and a relieved sigh I turn around. “I have to go, Mr. Morrison.”

“
Please call me Avery.”

“
Okay.”

I try to walk away, but he says, “Dahlia, will you give me your cell phone number?”

“
I don’t have a cell phone,” I answer and continue on my way. I can practically hear his jaw drop. He probably doesn’t believe me, but that’s the last thing I’m worried about.

I do wonder why he asked for my number in the first place. I wasn’t making eyes at him or smiling at him, or anything else that could have given him ideas. Quite the opposite, actually.

Behind me, he sighs. “Goodbye, Dahlia.”

I don’t turn around, I don’t glance back over my shoulder, I simply walk to the bus stop and get on the bus headed to Liberty City—home, a place anyone not from there would avoid.

***

I go home, but leave again a short time later. I go to sit on the beach and try to clear my head. Pearl’s words keep echoing in my mind. The pain won’t go away, and I’ve cried several times already.

Sometimes I sleep out here on the beach overnight, but today the area is being tightly controlled by both neighborhood security and the police. I don’t want to risk being taken home by the cops; I don’t want to do that to Grandpa again. I was caught sleeping in the sand once, and that was not only embarrassing, but also led to a good scolding when I got home.

I keep writing my own name in the sand with a stick, and then crossing it out. Gripping the stick tighter, I carefully draw a girl with a broken heart in her hands in the wet sand. It’s the only way I have of practicing my true passion. I can’t afford those brilliant, expensive drawing pens. Once, Grandpa gave me a case full of those pens, but they were stolen when I took them with me to school. I remember crying for days. He’d saved up for them for a long time, and I let someone steal them after only a few days. That was awful as well as stupid.

While I doodle in the sand, a couple pauses and looks at what I’m doing. I raise my eyes to look at them. “Never seen anyone draw in the sand?” I mutter.

“
I just wanted to see what you’re drawing,” the man answers. He’s wearing a baseball cap, his hair is a little too long, and he’s holding hands with a brown-haired girl.

I nod brusquely and look back to my pattern.

“
Looks like you do this often,” the girl says.

“
If you want to ridicule me, get it over with,” I reply in my small voice.

The guy starts to laugh, but the girl stiffens. I can see this just by looking at their feet; I don’t want to raise my eyes again. “Don’t worry, we’re not here to criticize. You look pretty young. I mean, not
that
young. You wanna join us for a party, by any chance?”

Now I look up again in spite of myself. “Uh, no, thank you. I’m not really a party animal.”

“
Well, it’s going to be a great evening. In case you get in the mood later, we’re just up the beach a little ways. Ask for Cami and Delsin, and watch out for the campfire,” he advises.

I give a curt nod. “Okay, maybe I will.”

Then they walk on.

What the hell was that?
I ask myself. Total strangers just invited me to a party. Do they intend to drug me and ship me to Mexico so I can walk the streets for some pimp? I know I’ll have to pass the place they indicated when I head back to the bus stop, or else make a long detour. I could evade the whole party by walking across the promenade, but I’d rather not, because people there tend to look at me weird for not wearing designer clothes. Right now I’m wearing a faded pair of jeans with rips at the knees and a tight red T-shirt. When I first got the shirt, it was a loose fit, but that was four years ago. I guess it’s time to visit Katrina and get some new clothes. I don’t like going to the Salvation Army store, but I really need new stuff.

After a while, I heave a sigh and get up to catch the bus. I’m hoping the party is crowded, so the couple won’t recognize me when I slip by. If I ignore everything and everyone at this beach party, no one will bother me.

I take off my shoes and let them hang from the shoelaces as I walk on and let my mind drift. The closer I get to the hustle and bustle of the party, the more young people cross my path.

Finally, I’m so close that the bass makes my eardrums vibrate. I try to be inconspicuous as I weave my way through the throng, aiming for the set of stairs that leads up to the promenade. But then someone pulls me close. “Dance with me, sweetheart,” he says.

I don’t know him, so I’m doubly frightened. Why would he do something like this? “Could you … would you please let me go?” I ask, sounding way too scared. I’m not used to dealing with people my own age and feel awkward and dumb.

“
Why so shy, darling? I’m only asking for a dance; then I’ll let you go.” He laughs. It’s a throaty sound that sends shivers down my spine—the good kind of shivers.