Possess (16 page)

I hadn’t been alone.

The reflection of a tall figure disappeared around one of the shelves before I could turn around. Snatching my bag from the table, I quickly followed after them only to find myself in an empty aisle as adrenaline pumped through my veins.
Maybe I had imagined that
, I told myself as if it would be any comfort. I knew the truth though. I didn’t just feel like I was being watched.

Someone
was
watching me.

Awkward Irish Boners

As I neared the pub, my head was still swimming with thoughts of Ashley, Claire, and the mystery figure that had been watching me. Every few seconds I would glance back, but so many people filled the streets, any one of them could be following me. Having to work my shift at Finley’s didn’t serve as any comfort either. My thoughts wandered, rather vividly, to Nolan’s kiss as soon as I walked in the door. 

Aggie was busy with customers, but nodded in my direction with a rather benign look. I had expected her usual mischievous smirk, given the position she had last seen me and Nolan in. I hesitated at the kitchen door as my heartbeat thumped loudly in my ears. Nolan was somewhere on the other side and all I could think about was how his body felt pressed against mine.  

Stop it, Harley, he's your boss
. I bit my lip as I forced the thoughts back and made myself run over the specials for the day to busy my mind. 
Five dollar fish and chips, three dollar domestics, oh, and it's ladies' night tonight!

“Mornin', Harley.” Nolan's husky tone sent a shiver through me as his cerulean eyes caught mine. He stood by his office with a pen and clipboard in hand, studying me as I stood awkward and stiff at the opposite end of the kitchen. I immediately looked to his lips as they pursed into a concerned pout and was reminded of the taste of them. Goosebumps ran down my arms at the thought of gently biting at his bottom lip.
Jesus Harley, you haven't even clocked in yet...and there are much more pressing matters at hand.

I shook my head and he raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Um...ya alright?”

“Yep, I'm great!”  I nodded with a big smile as I forced my legs to move again and went to clock in.

“Ok, I was just askin' how you were handlin' things. Ya took off before I woke up this mornin'.” 

I hadn’t even realized he’d been speaking.

“Right! Thanks, I think I'm doing okay today. I just needed to take care of Remy and run a few errands before work.” I managed to speak despite his close proximity and busied myself with tying on my apron. I could hear his short, nervous breaths as he watched me and I prayed he wouldn't bring up what happened between us.

“Listen, about last night...”

Shit.

“Yeah, about that. I was really emotional from everything that had happened. It was completely inappropriate of me to do that, since you’re my boss and all.”

“Um, right…well if ya need someone ta talk ta about what happened with yer friend, my door’s always open.” A look of disappointment flickered through his eyes as he stared at me and I bit my lip as my own breathing hitched.

“Ya sure yer alright?” His voice pulled me back and I noticed his gaze as it dropped to my mouth.

“Yeah. I should probably get out there and help Aggie.”

“Right. I’ll see ya later then. I've got more inventory ta go through back there,” his lips twitched into a nervous smile as he motioned toward the storage closet behind me, the pen flinging out of his hand. “Aw, feck.” We both watched as it rolled into the storage closet and underneath one of the metal racks. He got down on his hands and knees in front of it, cursing under his breath as he tried to squeeze his large hand between the small gap underneath.

“Did you need me to grab you another pen?” I asked as I pulled one from my apron.

“No, that one was my lucky pen. My father gave it ta me.” He sighed as he pulled his hand back. “Hmmph, I can't grab it. The opening's too small.”

“Maybe I can try?” I held up a hand, and wiggled my fingers at him.

“Sure. I mean, if ya don't mind.” He stood up in the narrow closet to allow me room and I got down on my hands and knees, peering underneath before I slipped my slender arm under the rack and grasped the shiny silver pen with my fingertips.

“There, I got it!” I grinned up at him as I pulled my hand out and went to sit up, “Ow!”

“Ah, Christ I think it snagged yer hair.” I let out another yelp as I confirmed the obvious. I couldn't reach where it was caught and remained helpless, stuck with my face an inch from the floor. “Hold on, I can get it fer ya.” Nolan moved behind me, kneeling down and leaning over my back so that he could get a good view of where the hair was caught. I became very aware of the heat radiating from him as his large form gently pressed against my backside and his fingers slipped into my hair.  I tried to distract myself, staring toward a box of condiments, but something else caught my eye.

“A spider!” I let out in involuntary squeal as I saw eight fuzzy black legs creep down the side of the box and under the rack next to me.

“A wha? Quit moving Harley, yer goin ta snag yer hair more!” I shook my head scooting back the couple inches I could as the arachnid continued on its path straight toward me.

“Hurry Nolan! It's coming for my face!”

“Well stop moving and I will.” Nolan snorted as he fought back laughter. I tried to remain still, but the spider made a sudden skitter toward my hand.

“Nolan! Please!” I pulled my hand back and it turned toward my other hand. “Just rip it out!”

“I'm not going to rip out yer hair! Just quit wriggling about!” The demented spider turned back in my direction, inching closer toward my face as its little black eyes gleamed at me.

“Hurry Nolan! It's going to bite my face!” I squirmed back against him as he emitted a “umph” and a hand tightly squeezed my hip.

“Quit, wr-wriggling, w-woman!” His voice was suddenly strained, like someone had knocked the wind out of him. 

“What in God's name are you two doing?” Aggie's voice startled us both as Nolan's hand squeezed harder.

“It's not what it looks like! I dropped my pen!” He huffed as his other hand continued to tug at my caught strands of hair.

“And where precisely did you drop your pen?” Aggie giggled.

“Guys?” I pleaded.

“No! Her hair got caught while she was grabbing my pen!”

“Guys!”

“That's not exactly sounding better, you know?”

“It's right by my face!” I shrieked as one of the spider's legs brushed against my forehead and I threw myself back against Nolan as my hair gave way with a painful snap.  He caught me as he fell into the rack behind him and the spider skittered back into hiding, having accomplished his goal of scaring the shit out of me. I held a hand to my forehead where my hair was yanked out as Nolan shifted uncomfortably beneath me. “Oh god, I’m sorry, Nolan.”

I pulled myself off of him and stood, reaching a hand down to help him up. He only shook his head, as he gathered his legs together and bit his lip.

“I’ll get up in a second.” His voice still sounded strained.

“I didn't hurt you did I?” I looked down at him with a worried expression as his eyes avoided mine.

“No! No, I’m fine. Ya go on. I’ll get up in a second.”

“Christ Nolan, can't ya control that thing?” Aggie laughed and Nolan gave her a fierce stare as his ears and cheeks burned bright red.

“
Agatha
, don't you have some customers to get back to?” His eyes narrowed at her as his hand shielded any further proof to her teasing.

“I'll go see if anyone needs a refill,” I could feel my own cheeks growing as red as Nolan's and quickly turned for the front.

“Aggie, quit grinning like that,” I turned in the opposite direction as she re-emerged from the kitchen.

“Oh don't get so embarrassed, Harley. So you got Nolan a little excited with all that squirming about you did in the storage closet.” She giggled. “Looked like you two were doing worse last night.”

“Aggie, shh!”  

Her lips curled at the corners as she lifted an eyebrow.

“Fine, fine! I didn't just come back there to harass you two. I was going to tell you that my birthday is tomorrow and I was thinking the three of us should go out on the town tonight to celebrate.”

“Me, you, and Nolan?” I shook my head, “I don't know. I'm not much of a dancer.”

“After a few drinks I'm sure you will be. If not, just stick to your moves from the storage room.” She waggled an eyebrow and patted my cheek before grabbing the food for her table.

Dancing the Night Away

Somehow I managed through the rest of my shift, though Nolan was notably less present for most of it. Aggie made the occasional comment about the incident in the storage room but for the most part left me alone. During the few lulls in business, my mind wandered back to the other girls. The girls like me. I still felt clueless and I wasn’t sure how great the idea of going out with Aggie and Nolan was given my situation.
Well, at least that means I won’t be alone. I’ll be out with them.

“Harley, Nolan said we could leave a little early. Did you want to run out and go shopping for tonight?” Aggie was bounding toward me from the kitchen when I looked up. Even if I wanted to tell her I didn’t feel like going, I couldn’t. I liked Aggie. She was my friend. Something I hadn’t had in a long time thanks to Jackson.

“Sure. When are we leaving?”

“Right now, c’mon!”

“My god, Harley. Not to go all lesbian on you, but your arse in that dress. Wow. That’s definitely not a white girl booty.”

I blushed as I smoothed the tight fitting turquoise dress over my thighs and fixed the ruching that ran down over my hips. “Well, I’m not all white girl.”

“Well, I figured as much. I look practically albino next to you.”

“My dad was Brazilian.” I giggled and adjusted the peacock feather charm that hung from a leather cord and rested just above my cleavage. I still was a bit wary of such a daring neckline.

“Brazilian, huh?”

“Yep, that’s actually all I know about him. Well that and he rode a Harley.”

“Ah. So, that’s why your name is Harley?” Aggie looked practically smitten at this revelation.

“My mom met him during Mardi Gras. Said he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.” She actually went into further detail about the man but I didn’t care to go on about him. According to her he was bronzed god with a head full of long dreads that ran down his back and an intoxicating presence that made her weak in the knees just thinking about him.

“Wait, did she at least get his name?”

“Nope. She said liked the mysteriousness of it all.” I couldn’t help the sarcastic tone my voice took on. I loved my mother, but sometimes she really was a damn hippy.

“She sounds like a rare specimen.”

“That she is.” I let out a sigh and slipped on some grey tights before putting on my brown boots and my jacket.

“Do you like my new scarf?” Aggie wrapped a silk emerald scarf around her neck, tucking it into the short black fitted pea coat she’d bought.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Nolan bought it. He’s surprisingly good at finding nice birthday gifts.” She flashed me a smile as my cheeks grew a little red. Despite the confidence I'd had in my outfit earlier, I couldn't help feeling a little self-conscious at the thought of seeing Nolan in the next few minutes.

“So who is watching the pub tonight?”

“My uncle is already over there.” Aggie gave me a knowing look, but didn’t bring the subject back to Nolan.

“Oh, before I forget. I thought you might like these.” I pulled a small box from my purse and handed it to her. She looked down at it then pulled it open. A beaming smile crossed her lips as she looked at the pair of twisted copper earrings I'd bought her.

“Harley, these are great!” She squeezed me into a hug, then went to her mirror to put them on.

“I saw them when we were out today.”

“I love them.” She gave herself one last appraisal in the mirror then took my hand. “Let’s go. Nolan will be waiting down in the bakery for us.”

I followed her down the stairs and to the front of the bakery, stopping in the doorway as I saw Nolan. Aggie pounced at him, giving him a big hug. It was obvious those two were more like siblings than friends.

“Thanks for the scarf.” She smiled up at him.

“I thought ya’d like it. Brings out yer eyes.” He planted a kiss on her forehead and let her out of his embrace as his eyes drifted to me. I couldn’t help the smile that crept over my lips at their touching exchange, but tried to wipe it away as I felt his gaze run over me. Suddenly all too aware just how much cleavage I had on display.

“You look,” he cleared his throat, “ you look very nice, Harley.”

I felt a rush of heat run over me at his veiled words. The look in his eyes and his teeth gently dragging over his bottom lip conveyed something else entirely as he stared at me.

“Thanks. So do you.” The words left my lips quietly. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he looked away, allowing the heat running through me to lessen some. I watched as he grabbed food from the counter and set it on the table. It appeared he too had obeyed Aggie’s orders to dress up. He was wearing a black dress shirt, left untucked with the top buttons undone, a fitted leather jacket, and dark boot-cut jeans. A braided leather necklace hung around his neck with a small, silver triquetra that sat just in the hollow of his throat. This time, I was the one biting my lip as I took him in.

Stop it, Harley. Don’t even think about him that way.

I shook my head and started toward the table, situating myself on the opposite side from him as I looked over the spread. Steak, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake.

“Carrot cake?” I looked up curiously.

“Mmhmm,” Nolan smirked, patting Aggie's head, “Angus makes it every year. For his little carrot top. I told him he should make gingerbr – Ow!” He rubbed his ribs tenderly after Aggie elbowed him.

“That's really sweet,” I giggled.

“Well, I don't know about ya two ladies, but I'm starving, shall we?”

“Alright, we're going to Spanky's.” Aggie's eyes lit up as we headed to the main strip of clubs and bars in Midtown.

“Spanky's?” I looked to Nolan.

“It's a pretty popular club.” 

“They have test tube shots!” Aggie grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her as we neared the entrance, which was illuminated by a large neon cartoon monkey spanking itself just above the door.

“Yes, it’s quite the classy joint,” Nolan said dryly as he tugged at the dark cabbie hat he was wearing and pulled it lower over his eyes. I glanced back at him as his blue eyes flickered to me and felt another swell of heat run through me. I forced my gaze away as I followed Aggie inside.
Stop looking at him like that.

We had been in the dark smoky club less than a minute when Aggie located a waitress carrying a rack of glowing concoctions in test tubes. She flagged her down and we each took two, downing one after the other. 

“Let's dance!” Aggie grinned at me and I obligingly followed her to the dance floor, warmed and buzzed from the shots. I looked back to see Nolan going to the bar in the opposite direction.  We found an open spot on the dance floor and started dancing as Nolan reappeared and handed us drinks.

“Not going to dance, Nolan?” Aggie teased him as she sipped on her drink. 

“Mmm, no. I've not had enough ta drink just yet,” he shook his head as he took another drink from his glass. “I'll be right over there, though.” He nodded back toward the bar and his eyes went to Aggie's then mine and lingered for a moment.

“Well, forget him then,” Aggie giggled in my ear after he’d walked off. We finished our drinks and danced as 80's music echoed from the walls. I listened, keeping thoughts of Nolan at bay as I danced with her, but every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of him.  The lights would run over him, catching his blue eyes for a couple of seconds as his intense gaze remained steady on me over the rim of his glass.

“We should get more shots,” I turned back to Aggie and flagged down another one of the shot girls. We both downed two more of what I found out were Kamikazes. Whatever they were, they were working and that was all I wanted. I didn’t want to worry about anything or anyone, especially Nolan. I could feel his eyes on me still, but I didn't care. The alcohol was doing a nice job of dulling my nerves and, at the moment, all I cared about was dancing.

“Oh, well, look at these fine lookin’ lasses.” A male voice caught my attention. I opened my eyes to find two guys standing next to Aggie and myself, one with light brown hair, eyeing her up and down with an appreciative grin. Aggie smiled back at him as his friend turned to me with a similar look.

“Can I dance wit ya?” He asked. I went to speak right as I felt an arm snake around my waist and saw a pink drink held in front of me. 

“Ya looked like ya were thirsty, Harley.” Nolan said in my ear as the other guy held up his hands and backed away.

“Sorry, didn’t know ya were here with someone.”

“You could tell I was thirsty from all the way across the room?” I ignored the other guy and turned to Nolan with a skeptical stare. 

“Just take it, will ya? I'm not standing around holding some frilly pink drink.” He frowned at me.

“Fine, thank you,” I took it from him with a smirk and downed it as he watched in amazement.

“Christ, woman! Pace yerself.” He pulled the empty glass away, shaking his head at me.

“Oh, shush, I've only had a couple of drinks.” A giggle tumbled out as I rested my hand on his chest. He glanced down at my hand for a second before his eyes shot back up to mine. “So, Nolan, have you drank enough yet, or are you just going to stop everyone else from dancing with me all night?” Nolan let out an indignant grunt and placed the empty glass on a nearby table before he pulled me against him. His hips moved, gyrating against mine perfectly in step with the rhythm of the music.  I let his movements guide mine as I stared up at him, unsure of what was more intoxicating, the drinks or him.

“Ya didn't think I could dance, did ya?” A smug grin crossed his lips as he stared down at me.

“Well, no.” Another giggle escaped as he pulled my arms around his neck and leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke.

“It wasn't a matter of skill. I just needed a little liquid courage first.” His eyes stared into mine as he turned my face to his, “Ya look amazing. I've hardly been able ta form complete sentences with ya wearin’ that dress. Much less dance.” His voice was feral as his lips brushed mine. My mouth fell slightly agape at is sudden forwardness and he didn't miss his opportunity, pressing his lips against mine in a lingering, torrid kiss that brought back flashes of the night before. My legs turned to gelatin as I leaned against him. I stared up at him in a mixture of shock and fascination as his lips formed a crooked grin.

“I- I think I'm feeling that last drink,” I pressed my face against his shoulder to hide my blushing, though I was sure it was dark enough that he probably couldn't tell. His arms hung loosely around me as a finger gently traced up and down my spine.

“I told you to pace yourself,” he laughed. I breathed in his scent as I turned my head into the contour of his chest. I was feeling a slight head rush, but I knew it wasn’t from the drinks. I looked toward Aggie to see her dancing with the guy from earlier, both of them were laughing as the guy leaned in and kissed her. I smiled, but stopped as someone else caught my eye.

“Brody?”

“What's that?” Nolan tilted his head to hear me.

“Uh…nothing.” I forced a smile as I looked up at him. I let my gaze dart to Aggie once more, but Brody was gone. The sadness in his green eyes lingered though. I didn’t understand.
Did he and Aggie?
My mind wandered as I watched Aggie. Sensing something was off with me, Nolan guided me off the dance floor and found an empty spot to lean himself against the wall.