The Intern Serials: Complete Box Set (21 page)

“Then you’re going alone. I am
not
coming back.”

“Oh, yes you are. It’s our only nights off from the bar. You have to come.”

“I don’t know,” I mumble just before we arrive at my house.

“Just think about it. Ignore the fact that Bentley Leighton is your incredibly sinful, hot model that you used to sleep with and just come to class to learn kickboxing.” She smiles as if she’s just made this whole thing easier on me.

“I hate you right now.” I grip the door and open it, letting myself out.

“No, you don’t. You love me!” she yells just before I slam the car door in her face. I smirk to myself because I really do love her, dammit.

I walk into the kitchen to my mom making dinner, stirring something in a huge pot.

“What are you doing?” I ask suspiciously. It’s past seven and there’s no way she’s making an actual home-cooked meal.

“Making a late dinner. I’m glad you could join, because I want you to meet someone.” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“Who?”

She stops stirring and turns fully toward me. “A guy I’m dating.”

“What? You’re dating? Since when?” I nearly shout at her. When the hell did this happen?

“Cecilia, calm down. I’ve been seeing him a couple months now and it’s becoming serious, so I wanted you and Nathan to officially meet.”

“Oh, god. A couple months? You never said anything,” I say softer this time.

“I know. I wasn’t sure it would turn into anything, so I was waiting,” she replies, turning back to the stove.

“Waiting for what?” Her body stiffens, and she doesn’t have to answer for me to know what she’s referring to. “Do I really have to meet him? I’d like to just go up to my room.”

“It would mean a lot to me, Cecilia if you would.” She looks at me pleadingly. “Please.”

I groan because I don’t know why it matters anyway. “It’s not like he’s going to be my new daddy,” I snap. I never thought of my mother dating again. I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me. She never brought guy’s home before. Even if she had dated in the past, I never knew about it.

“Cecilia,” she says sternly. “I didn’t raise you to be a cold-hearted snot. You can be pleasant for one evening. It won’t kill you.”

“Humph. You didn’t raise me at all,” I fire back, turning on my heel and walking upstairs to my room.

*   *   *

Brandon:
I miss you, baby.

A calm smile flashes over my face as I read his text.

Me:
I miss you, too. This is going to be the longest summer ever. :-(

Brandon:
Don’t think like that. It’s going to fly by.

Me:
I hope so. I’m already dreading being here with my mom. I’m meeting her new “boyfriend” tonight. Yay…

Brandon:
Be nice.

I can hear his teasing tone in my mind as I read his last text. He knows my mother and I don’t get along the greatest, but I hadn’t told him why.

Me:
I’m always nice. :-) I’ll call you later, babe. Time for the meet-and-greet.

Brandon’s originally from Wisconsin, so he went back home for the summer. It feels weird to be away from him after all this time as if a part of me is missing.

I sit next to Nathan whose eyes are glowing wide at the guy across from him.
Tony.
What the fuck kind of grown up name is that anyway? Tony?

He looks a couple of years older than my mother with short, brown hair. He’s fairly built with a decent smile, but something about him doesn’t sit right with me. Perhaps it’s because there’s another man in my house, but either way, I don’t like him.

“So,
Tony
, what do you do for a living?” I ask, stabbing the chicken on my plate.

“I’m a college professor. I teach economics.”

Hmm…impressive.

“Have you been married before?”

He swallows uncomfortably.
Good
.

“Yes. She passed away a few years ago.”

Oh, shit.

I look down and apologize for bringing it up.

“It’s all right.” His voice is calm, light even. I look back up at him with a pained expression. “She had cancer.”

“Oh.”

I know I’m acting like a selfish brat considering Tony hasn’t done anything to warrant my nasty behavior, but I just don’t want another man in my house—my dad’s house.

I mainly stay quiet for the rest of dinner. He asks about college and my major before Nathan talks his ear off. Nathan was too young to really remember Dad. He’s never had a father figure in his life before, and from the way his face is lighting up, I can tell he needs one.

I’m anxious to leave, but I promised Mom I’d be ‘pleasant.’ I think I’m in the clear after dinner is over, but then she announces there’s dessert.

Dessert?

We haven’t had dessert in years.

I tap my foot anxiously as I wait for my mom to return from the kitchen. Nathan is talking sports and who’s going to be drafted in some sport this fall. I don’t pay much attention, but I notice how well they seem to get along.

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I have way too much on my mind.

Bentley.

And Mom’s new ‘boyfriend.’

And seeing Bentley again in three days.

Did I want to see him again?
Yes.

No.
Yes.

Fuck, I don’t know.

It’s been two years. I was just getting to the point where I wouldn’t see his picture and cry myself to sleep. I was just starting to move on from him.

Perhaps we could be friends.

Could we do that? Did I want to do that?

Perhaps it’s too soon.

Chapter Eleven

Bentley

GOD, WHAT WAS I doing?

I shouldn’t have followed her out. But I did. I didn’t even have a chance to talk myself out of it before I was standing in front of her.

And now my emotions were all over the place—remembering her scent, her delicate facial features, the way her body would tremble underneath me—memories that were impossible to forget and now they were all slapping me back in the face.

One second I wanted to hate her for all the agony she’s made me feel over the last couple of years, and another second I wanted to get in between her legs.

Make up your fucking mind!

It’s impossible when I  spent the last year trying to forget her completely and then to have her show up in my class—a class I wasn’t even supposed to be teaching.

Was it fate?

Or just a coincidence?

There are plenty of other gyms in the city that offer kickboxing classes. There are plenty of instructors. But she showed up in mine.

That has to mean something.

My mind isn’t anymore made up by the time Thursday arrives. All I know is that I want to see her. Even if we can’t talk, I just want to watch her. I want to get a glimpse of who she is now. I can still remember all the intimate details about her. The way she eats. The way she nervously rubs her shoulder. The way she bites down on her lower lip. I can’t help but wonder if she’s the same girl with all those traits.

“What’s up with you today?” Maya asks as I walk into her office. “You’re…cheerful.”

I slap a hand to my chest as if I’m offended. “I’m always cheerful.”

“You got laid, didn’t you?” She raises an eyebrow in suspicion.

“No.”
Not yet.
“Have any friends looking for company?” I tease.

“Not that’d be interested in you,” she taunts.

I flash her a pained expression and she laughs. Maya has become a really good friend to me this past year, and I value her friendship more than anything. She’s the one person I’ve really been able to open up to since leaving my father’s company. I lost all my ‘friends,‘ or rather acquaintances, and I haven’t had the urge to find more.

She deals with my crazy traveling schedule when I get booked up, and always gives it to me straight—no bullshitting around.

“Excited for your intro class tonight?” she asks as I sink into the chair across from her.

“You could say that.”

“You have quite the fan base.”

“They’re not fans. They’re admirers.”

“And the difference is…?”

“You’ll see.” I wink, teasing her because it’s just too easy sometimes. “I can’t help what God gave me, Maya. Sometimes it’s a curse.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re so annoying sometimes.”

“And you love me.”

“You’re an arrogant asshole, you know that?”

I push myself up and bend over the desk to where she’s sitting. “I know.” I smirk at her, knowing it always gets me out of trouble. “Wish me luck. I’m heading to vulture city now.”

“I hope they eat you alive!” she calls out as I walk out of her office.

“Trust me, they will.”

But I’m only
slightly
interested in one right now.

I walk into the studio at quarter to six, a few girls already sitting on the floor and waiting for class. Their eyes instantly light up as they see me. I flash a small smile at them, hoping they stay put.

No such luck.

“Bentley, we are like huge fans of yours!”

“Like totally! Such huge fans!”

“Can we have your autograph?”

They’re looking up at me like lost puppy dogs. Fucking great.

“Sure. What do you want me to sign?”

“Oh…um…” one girl stumbles, looking back at her friend. My eyebrows rise in suspicion, as they have no paper or pens in their hands.

“Actually, can you sign
us
?” the other asks. It’s a pathetic plea, but I go with it anyway.

“Um, sure.” I step back to my stereo cabinet and grab a marker that’s sitting next to it. “Where do you want me to sign?”

The both giggle as they push their shirts down, revealing their sports bras.

This is so unprofessional in so many ways. If Maya catches me, she’ll chew my ass out. Instead of arguing, I quickly scribble my name on one of the girls’ unimpressive chest.

“Oh, my god! Thank you!” she squeals.

“Me next! Do me next!”

Oh, god. Someone please make her shut up.

This is the exact reason I stopped traveling and shooting as much as I was before. I just want to live a normal life while doing something I enjoy. But I know that’s nearly impossible.

I sigh and turn to sign the other girl’s chest. I hear the door open and glance over to watch Ceci and her friend walk in. She grimaces and turns her eyes away from me as she walks to the back of the room.

Fuck.

More people start piling in, so I quickly sign my name and shoo the girls back to their spots. I ignore the others that say hello to me as I make my way to where Ceci is.

“You’re not going to stay back here the whole time, are you?” I cross my arms over my chest, smiling down on her. “You won’t get a very good view.”

She’s on the floor changing her shoes and tying them as she replies, “I think the view is fine. I’ll just follow bimbo one and bimbo two’s leads.” She mocks, standing up finally.

I cock a grin, leaning my body in toward her. “Jealous? I can make a spot up there for you.”

She jokingly laughs in my face as if being jealous is not even on her radar. “No, we’re good back here.”

It’s six o’clock, and I know I have to start class now. “Well, don’t think hiding back here is going to keep you from participating in my class.”

“Of course not, sir,” she replies in a professional tone. She grins as she steps in front of her bag.

I can’t help the stupid grin that forms on my face as I make my way to the front of the room. I laugh to myself as I think of her calling me sir. Shit, that brings back some memories.

I start with a refresher from last class. Having them show me their stances and punches. After watching most of them successfully nail it down, I demonstrate kicks again. We didn’t have much time last class, so that’s where I begin again. I show them a routine that I want them to learn.

“Keep doing it and soon we can add in some music to match the pace and rhythm,” I call out as I walk around. I’m dying to rush to the back right away and get a chance to touch her again, but I’m not so sure she’d let me this time.

I finally make my way back toward her and her friend. Her friend is stumbling around like a spider on a hot plate. I re-position her body, pressing my hands against her hips and tilting her body to the right angle.

“Damn, Celia. You were right about his hands,” she says right to Ceci as if I’m not here listening.

“Oh, my god.” Her cheeks blush instantly. “Ignore Cora. She has no filter.”

I laugh, amused. I walk toward Ceci and watch her, nodding my approval.

“Celia, huh? How many names
do
you have?” I mock, walking away and heading back up to the front.

It’s a rude comment, especially since we ended things on
okay
terms. We aren’t friends, but I still care about her. I have so many questions I want to ask her—what she’s been doing the past couple years, if her mom ever came clean, if she plans to go to her dad’s lock box next year. But I’m not sure I deserve answers to those questions. The moment I let her walk out of my office was the moment I let her walk out of my life.

I see her scowling at me as I stand up in front of the class. She moved, angling her body and giving me a direct view of her now. Her body’s matured some since the last time I’ve seen her. Either she’s been working out or she’s on the ‘college diet’ she use to pretend she was on before—ramen noodles if I remember correctly. God, she sure played that well.

Everything in me is fighting against each other. What she did versus who she is. Knowing why she did it helped give me closure, but it doesn’t change the fact that she lied and manipulated me. It also didn’t change the way I felt about her, but that was something I had to let go of the moment I found out.

I blast the stereo and tell them to do some freestyle moves. I tell them it’s good to get to know the bag well, to know their strength, and to have fun. It’s only the second class, and I like letting the students enjoy their time, especially in an intro class.

I use the opportunity to walk around, watching them punch and kick the bag with all their strength. It’s humorous as I see girls the size of my pinkie beat the living shit out of a punching bag.

I step behind Ceci and watch her in amusement as she kicks the bags’ ass. I can hear her laughing with her friend as I move in closer to her.

“Looks like you’re really enjoying that,” I say in a deep tone. Being this close to her again is putting every one of my senses on alert. I can practically feel the shiver that ripples through her.

“I am,” she replies without looking back, giving the bag another hook. “Using your face as a target really helps my game,” she spits out quickly.

I hold in a laugh at her serious tone because, fuck, she’s so goddamn adorable when she’s pretending to be pissed off.

“I guess I deserved that.” I step around her and plant my feet next to the punching bag, crossing my arms. “Show me what you’ve got.”

She eyes me curiously before curling her lip up into a suspicious grin. She cracks her knuckles and swings her arms around. She gets into the stance position I taught her and gets her arms up before kicking and punching the bag. She then swings around and back kicks it before one last jab.

She then stands upright with her feet together and puts her hands flat together, bowing down in front of me, like you would in the Japanese culture.

I try to hold in a laugh, but once our eyes lock and she bursts out in a laugh, I can no longer hold it in.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs lightly. “Practicing.”

“It’s a part of her major,” Cora interrupts, breaking our connection.

My brows raise in question.

“I’m studying Sports Management,” she clarifies quickly.

My lips curl up in a hasty grin. “Looking for an internship?”

Her eyes narrow, obviously not amused by my joke.

“You’re an asshole,” she spits out, annoyance laced in her voice.

“I see you still have the same attitude as before.” I smirk, unable to stop myself from spewing the words out. Her body remains still, the chemistry building between us doesn’t go unnoticed.

I step toward her and place a hand against her cheek. I don’t even realize I’m doing it until she leans her face into it, making me forget we’re in a room of thirty other people.

“Good work.” I nod, frazzled from the way two years of suppressed feelings rush back in. I step back, needing to put space in between us. She watches me with wide eyes as I back up and walk toward the front.

Once I’m in front of the class again, she doesn’t make eye contact with me, and I avoid her for the rest of the class.

This is a bad idea.

A really fucking bad idea.

But then again, nothing involving her has ever really been a good idea…and that never stopped me in the past.