Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) (6 page)

“Gladly. If you hear from Casey, tell her I expect to see her at work tomorrow bright and early.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” I grumbled. Who was I kidding? Would I ever tell her to quit her job? And if Eric was telling the truth at all, she was safer there than any other coffee shop. When a Urusus decides he wants a girl as a mate, he doesn’t let her get hurt. The same can be said for a Pteron. I stalked off. I had three men watching her place. I’d know if anyone got too close.

Chapter Seven
Casey

For the first time ever, I was late for work. I’d slept straight through my alarm, and I wasn’t even fully awake when I left the apartment. I didn’t remember much about my first date with Toby the night before except for the amazing coffee and how incredibly attractive he was. I’d had the most sensual dreams ever that night, and I woke up disappointed to find my tiny bed empty. I also had a vague recollection of him asking me out again. Hopefully he’d follow up on the offer. I definitely wanted to see more of him.

I tried to slip into work undetected but, of course, Eric caught me.

“You stood me up.” He stood there with his arms crossed, his massive biceps visible underneath his t-shirt.

“I specifically told you I wasn’t interested.”

“You take playing hard to get to a new level.”

“It’s because I’m not playing at anything.”

He laughed, and it didn’t sound forced. In fact, it sounded more natural than any other time I’d heard him. I looked up at him, wondering what had changed. He noticed my perusal and his face immediately went hard. “Get to work. You’re staying later to make up for your tardiness.”

“Right.”

“You’re lucky I don’t fire your ass.”

“Should I be kissing your feet too?”

“Not my feet.” He grinned and stalked off. So weird.

“How was it?” Remy asked eagerly when I got back from stowing my stuff in the break room.

“Probably the best coffee date ever.”

“I thought you were getting dinner.” She set down an Americana for a customer.

“I chickened out on it. I thought coffee was more casual.”

“And was it?” She leaned in expectantly.

“Yes, mostly.” I really wanted to remember more of the evening. I wondered if the forgetfulness was tied to hitting my head. If so, I really needed to suck it up and see a doctor.

“Mostly?”

“I could barely control myself, I wanted him so bad.”

She burst out laughing, scaring the customer who was retrieving her drink.

“Sorry,” I apologized to the woman who practically ran out of there. The exchange did nothing to stop Remy’s laughter.

“It’s not funny. I’ve never felt that strongly. I even had dreams last night.”

“Dreams?”

“Yeah, you know what kind.” I wasn’t about to go into details about the vivid image of showering with Toby that was probably seared in my brain forever.

“Was there a reason you didn’t sleep with him?” Her laughter died down, but it was replaced by a smile that was almost as bad.

“It was our first date.” That excuse generally would have covered it, except this time it was the guy putting on the breaks. I refused to read into his reluctance to come in. He had to work.

“Did you take care of it yourself then?” She grinned.

“No.” I looked away. That was just something I couldn’t do. I didn’t view myself as a prude, but a lot of people would.

She shook her head. “Were the dreams satisfying at least?”

“Kind of.”

“You might have a chance to live them right now,” Remy half yelled.

“What?” I turned around just as Toby walked over to the counter. I groaned. I was positive he’d heard her.

“Hey.” He smiled at me, but it was kind of warily. As weird as it sounds, he seemed worried that I was going to attack him or something.

“Hey.” I filled a cup with coffee and set it down. “Want anything to go with this?”

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“Dinner Saturday night.”

A rush of excitement flowed through me. “Didn’t I already agree to a second date last night?”

An amused expression crossed his face. “You did, but I wanted to make sure you didn’t change your mind in the light of day.”

I looked him over. He looked fantastic in the light of day, and although not filled with thoughts of ripping off his clothes, I definitely wanted a second date. “It’s still a yes. Saturday sounds great.”

“Terrific. I’ll give you a call with the details.” He grabbed his coffee. “See you soon, Casey.”

“Bye.” I waved before moving on to the next customer.

***

Mental note: When a rich boy asks you out to dinner, dress up. I’d thought my choice of dark jeans and a black, three-quarter length shirt was perfect for a casual dinner. I was feeling great until I answered my door to find him in a suit.

“Hey.” He smiled slightly, looking past me into my apartment.

“Hi. Should I change?” I wasn’t going to beat around the bush.

“No. That’s okay. I’m just still dressed from work.”

“Work on a Saturday?”

His smile grew. “You work on Saturdays.”

“Yeah, I work at a coffee shop. Where do you work?”

“Uh, it’s a complicated business.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Complicated business? Because that’s a detailed description.” Evasiveness wasn’t an attractive attribute.

He shrugged. “It’s not worth the time to explain.”

I put a hand on my hip. “I hope you have a better answer than that.”

“I work in management.” He put a hand in his pocket. “Is that better?”

“Not really, but at least you’re trying.” I stepped back into my living area. “Do you want to come in?”

“Oh…sure.” He seemed reluctant. I was starting to feel self-conscious about Rhett’s tiny pad. Maybe it wasn’t up to Toby’s standard. I wasn’t usually so insecure, but I couldn’t help but worry even though he’d done nothing to make me feel that money mattered to him. Somehow having him standing there in a suit that probably cost more than the monthly rent made it feel different.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t change?”

“Why do you keep asking that?”

“Because I feel underdressed compared to you. Am I going to be appropriately dressed for wherever we’re going for dinner?”

“Yeah. Perfectly dressed. I told you it was casual.”

“Okay. Then let’s go.” I grabbed my black purse and followed him out into the hall. After closing and locking the door, we headed to the stairs.

“Have you lived here long?” Toby asked as we walked down the first flight of stairs. Funny, he hadn’t asked me anything about that over coffee. It’s like we hadn’t done anything but flirt on our first date.

“Only a few months. I was in a dorm at NYU before this.”

“Oh. Did you graduate?” We reached the final flight.

“No. I only did one semester. I’m going to go back though.”

“Sounds like we’re in the same boat.” He held open the door for me at the bottom and I slipped out with him following.

“Yeah, I heard you were at Princeton.”

“You heard right.”

He turned left without saying anything. I followed behind him, stepping closer to his side when an ambulance went by. I loved the city, but I hated the constant noise.

“Do you have an aversion to burgers and fries?”

“Burgers and fries? I guess my jeans are okay.”

He laughed. It was light and sexy, and it fit him. He needed to do it more often. “I told you.”

“I love burgers. Sounds perfect.”

“Great. I thought I’d introduce you to my favorite burger joint. It’s just a little bit north of here. It’s down the block from my place.”

“Oh. Cool, but I could have met you there. Why didn’t you suggest that?”

“Because I wanted to come by and get you.”

“You’re all about the vague answers tonight.”

“Does that bother you?” He watched me carefully.

“I guess it’s better than you not answering at all.”

“Are you more straightforward? If I asked you a question, would you answer it head on?”

“Yes,” I answered confidently which was pretty brave considering I had no idea what he’d ask.

“Why are you living in that apartment? Why aren’t you at NYU?”

“My dad lost his job.”

“So he couldn’t pay?” He studied my face.

“No. My parents would have probably taken out loans, but I couldn’t do that to them.” I glanced toward the street. There wasn’t a chance I’d put more on their plate.

“So you made the decision to drop out?”

“Yeah, but it’s only temporary. I’ll go back to school eventually.”

“That’s really selfless of you.” He slipped off his jacket, folding it over his arm.

“They’ve done enough for me already. I can handle taking a semester off.”

“That’s a refreshing way of viewing things.”

We kept walking, and I was incredibly glad I’d worn my most comfortable boots. Toby’s idea of a little bit north was different from my own. I turned the questioning back on him. “So what’s your story? Why did you drop out?”

“I guess after your disclosure, I owe you mine?”

“Owe is a strong word, but it would be nice.” I smiled, hoping he felt he could trust me enough to tell me something. Anything. The more I talked to him, the more I wanted to know.

“My grandfather died unexpectedly, and I had to step up in the family business.”

That was not the answer I was expecting. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

His face turned hard, expressionless. “Don’t be.”

“Oh…you weren’t close?”

“Something like that.” His expression didn’t change, and I decided to drop it.

“Where do you live?” I steered the conversation back to safer territory.

“5
^th
Avenue and 14
^th
.”

“Oh, wow. Nice area.”

“My place kind of came with the job.”

“That’s nice. Mine didn’t.”

He laughed. “So any particular reason you chose to live there then?”

“My cousin offered me a closet.”

“A closet?”

“He calls it a bedroom, but it’s more of a closet. There’s just room enough for a twin bed and my alarm clock. My clothes and everything else are tucked in a corner of the living room.”

He half-laughed. “Seriously? That’s pretty crazy.”

“He only charges me a couple hundred a month, and it beat moving back in with my parents.”

“Where are you from?” He slowed down, probably realizing I was struggling to keep up with his brisk pace.

“Long Island.”

“What part?”

“Port Jeff.”

“That’s out east, right?” His hand brushed against mine.

“Not that far east, but eastern Long Island.”

“Cool. I went to high school in Westchester, but I spent most of my childhood upstate.”

“Oh, that must have been a big move.” I’d lived in the same house my whole life until leaving for college, and even then I was only an hour away.

“It was definitely different.”

“Which did you like better?” Did he prefer the ritzy burbs or the quiet rural life? I’d never known anything other than suburbia and just recently the city.

“They both had their perks, but I like the city better.”

“Do you have any roommates?” He was finally talking, and I wanted to keep it going.

“I live alone, and I like it that way.” He said it so simply, like it was the only possible answer. It was the first quasi-personal piece of information he’d given me. I took it eagerly.

“Are you an only child?”

“Digging for more, are you?” He steadied me as a dog ran between us. The owner chased after.

I recovered my footing. “Maybe a little.”

“To answer your question, yes. I’m an only child.”

“Maybe that’s why you like living alone.”

He smiled. “What about you? Any brothers or sisters?”

“I have a sister.”

“Older, younger?” He looked at me questioningly.

“Older. She’s twenty-one.”

“Is she still in school?”

“No. Not anymore.” Once again, I didn’t feel like talking about Vera. Hopefully, he’d get the hint.

“When did you start working at Coffee Heaven?”

Once he got started, the questions didn’t stop. “In September, but I only started working full time in January.”

“Cool.”

“I guess.” I smiled up at him as we walked. I checked out the store fronts, wishing I had the money to actually go shopping once in a while.

He held open the door to this hole in the wall looking place.

“You come here a lot?” The burger joint was a hundred and eighty degree change from the swanky coffee house the week before. I wondered why he was changing things up so much. I hoped it had nothing to do with me. I shook myself for even thinking it. He’d asked me out a second time, hadn’t he?

“Yeah. It’s quiet and no one bothers me.”

“Have you always been this anti-social?”

“No.” He followed behind me, holding the door as it closed so it wouldn’t slam.

I knew I wasn’t getting more of an answer.

We seated ourselves at a little booth with cushions that should have been replaced years before. Toby was definitely right about being dressed just fine. I probably looked over dressed, and I couldn’t imagine how Toby felt.

“The burgers are good here?”

“Some of the best.”

“Okay, so I guess that’s what I should get.”

“You’re not a vegetarian, are you?” he asked, like he wanted to know whether I had an aversion to puppies and kittens.

“No.” Hadn’t I already told him I was okay with the cuisine choice? Maybe he expected me to order a veggie burger or something.

“Okay, good.”

“Would it matter if I was?” His expression piqued my interest enough that I had to ask.

“No. It would have surprised me though.”

“Why’s that?”

The waiter came over to take our order so I didn’t get my answer right away.

“Two burgers, and you want fries, right?” He turned to me.

“Yes.”

“And two orders of fries. Would you like anything to drink? I want a Coke.”

“Just a water, please.”

The waiter nodded, jotted down the order and walked away.

“You still have to answer.” I took out a couple of napkins from the plastic dispenser. The table hadn’t been cleaned well, and I couldn’t stand looking at the little puddle of ketchup next to my elbow any longer.