The Wild Ones (3 page)

Rusty growls and runs a hand through his dark red hair.  “Seriously?”

“You’re the expert.  You should know.  I mean, I could be wrong, but I just don’t see it happening.”

He sighs.  “I thought it was worth a shot.  But I think you’re right.  I knew if there was anybody that could make it work, though, it’d be you.”

“The brilliant pansy?”

Rusty grins.  “The humble brilliant pansy.”  He wipes his hands on a towel and comes around to lean up against the grill of the ‘Cuda.  “I gotta check out a car for a guy tonight.  Out in the field.  You coming?”

I shake my head.  “You’re not talking me into this again.”

“I’m just asking in case I run into trouble with it.  It’d be nice if you could at least be there.  I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need you, man.  This could be a big deal for future restorations, though.  This kid comes from money.  I helped out a friend of his and now he’s willing to give me a shot.  Who knows where it could lead?”

Rusty’s dream since we were kids has been to be a world-class muscle car restoration expert.  I know his garage makes good money, more than enough to pay the bills, but he has dreams. 

Just like I had dreams.

“If I let you sucker me into this, you owe me, Rus.  Big time.”

Rusty nods.  “Done.  Anything.”

I sigh.  “All right. What time?”

“9:30.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

His face breaks into a huge smile. 

How do I let him talk me into this shit?

CHAPTER FIVE- Cami

“Jenna, you should totally get that, especially if you want to make a little extra money,” I say as she twirls in front of me.

She stops spinning and stares at me, confused.  “Make a little extra money? Huh?”

“Sure.  If I had some singles, I’d be trying to stuff a couple in your g-string right this minute.”

“Oh. Ha. Ha,” she says caustically, turning toward the bank of mirrors behind her.  “Is it that bad?”

“Good Lord, Jenna!  That skirt is so short I can see London, Paris and France from right here.”

Her lip pooches out in a pout.  “Well what about the shirt?”

“Shirt?  Is that what you’re calling it?”  Although I do like the soft pink color and the lettuce edge, the top needs at least two more inches of material to
not
be considered one half of a bikini.

“God, when did you become my mother?”

“When you started dressing like a stripper,” I tease with a wink.

Jenna’s shoulders slump.  “Is it really that bad?”

She isn’t finding my teasing funny, which isn’t like her at all.  She usually gives as good as she gets.  “You know I’m just picking on you.  It’s just…different.  That’s all.  I love the color and the trim.  And the skirt is really cute, it’s just a little shorter than stuff you usually wear.  That’s all.  Who are you trying to impress anyway?”

She comes over and sits in the chair beside me. “Trevor and I have dated since our freshman year in high school.   I know he loves me, but lately, I can’t help but feel like I’m losing him a little.”

“And this is how you plan to win him back?”

“Of course!  What hot-blooded American guy doesn’t love a stripper?”

“For the night, maybe.  But for longer?”  I look at her skeptically.

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t try to spice things up?”

“Spice things up?”

“Yeah.  You know, spread my sexual wings a little.”

“Exactly where are your wings located?” I kid as I look down at her short skirt. 

She flips me the bird.

“Jenna, I’m not saying that at all.  You know I, of all people, have zero advice to give.  I’m just saying if it’s a temporary thing, fine.  But if you feel like you’re losing him, like if it’s an emotional thing, I don’t think this is gonna help.  At least not long term.”

She screws up her face and sticks her tongue out at me.  That’s the Jenna equivalent of
Cami, you’re right
. 

“You’re so smart it makes me sick.”  She shoves her shoulder against mine in that gentle way that friends do.

“Have you talked to Trevor about any of this?”

Jenna wrinkles her nose and shakes her head.

“You should, you know.”

“I know, but it’s not that easy.”

“Well, find a way.  He’s a nice guy.  Maybe it’s fixable.”

“I hope you’re right,” she says, sighing.  Jenna stays slumped in her chair like Eeyore for a few more seconds before she perks up.  She looks at me.  “You totally get me, you know?”

“I know.  And it scares me.”

She grins, which is always a good sign. “So, stripper or no?”

I laugh.  “Maybe one night as a stripper wouldn’t hurt anything.”

“And it might be fun.”  She waggles her eyebrows comically.

“All right, all right.  Settle down.  I think we’re about to go into territory that makes my brain bleed.”  I have a strict policy about Jenna grossing me out with her TMI tendencies.

“You shouldn’t think of it that way, Cam.  You should look at my life as your own personal ‘What Not To Do’ manual.”  She turns to me with a wicked smile in place.  “Of course, it more often serves as the ‘What
To Do’
manual.”

I roll my eyes as she struts back to the dressing room.

********

“It looks gorgeous,” Jenna says from the edge of my bed as she watches me curl my hair.  “If you keep messing with it, you’ll ruin it.”

I push the handle to release the last curl.  It falls into a gentle spiral.  My hair has a natural wave.  It’s not curly in that enviable loose-curl way and it’s not straight in that enviable poker-straight way. It’s just wavy, wavy in that has-a-mind-of-its own way.  Basically, I have two options in life:  a curling iron or a flat iron. 

“Why are you so worried about it anyway?  You never go to this much trouble for Brent.”

“What?  I can’t spice things up, too?”

“Since when does your relationship with Brent need spicing up?”

“It’s not that it
needs
spicing up.  I just thought it could use a little…”  Greenish-gray eyes flash at me from my memory.  It could use some of
that,
some of what Trick made me feel in less than five minutes.

“Since when?”  Jenna’s perceptive stare pins me from across the room.  “Unless this isn’t about Brent at all.”

I look away from her eyes.  “I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean.”  But I do.  I know exactly what she means.  And she’s right.

“Camille Elizabeth Hines, are you still thinking about that guy from last night?”

“No!  What guy?”

Jenna’s mouth drops open and her eyes get wide.  “You are!”  She slides off the bed and walks toward me, her hands on her hips.   “You’re still thinking about that hot guy from the bar.”

“You’re crazy.  I have—”

“You are such a liar!  I know you too well, Cami.  Tell the truth.”

I turn toward her and lean against my vanity.  “Okay, so what if I am?  It’s not like I’m ever gonna see him again.  What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that you finally found a guy who really does it for you.  Good God, I’ve been waiting for years for this to happen.”  Jenna steeples her fingers in front of her mouth, her forehead wrinkled dramatically.  “My baby’s growing up.”

I throw my brush at her.  “Oh, stop!”

Her expression turns serious.  “Listen to me. You’re my best friend and I love you. I’m not saying that you need to chase after some guy you met once in a bar.  But you should give this some thought, Cami.  If Brent doesn’t make you feel all that and more, something’s wrong. I’m just sayin’.”

Deep down, I know she’s right.  I love Brent, but he doesn’t turn my insides to mush or fill my thoughts day and night.  But he’s a great guy who treats me well and has my father’s approval.  And he’s hot.  Who doesn’t like to have a hot date to kiss?

“Well,” I begin, straightening.  “None of this affects our plans for the night.  How do I look?”

Jenna scans me from the top of my dark red curls to my black shorts and cowboy boots.

“Hot enough to go trick-or-treating,” she responds with a wink.

CHAPTER SIX- Trick

Even in the dark, with only the glow from the lights around the makeshift stage that used to be the floor of a barn, I see her.  The instant she walks through the gate, she draws my eye like honey draws a bee.

Her hair is all wild around her face, making me want to run my fingers through it. She’s wearing a skin tight shirt and a pair of shorts that show off the longest legs I’ve ever seen.  I can’t help but get lost in the thought of what those legs would feel like wrapped around me.  And the best part is, she’s with another girl.  The same girl she was with at the bar.  Not a guy.

“Hey, Leo,” I call to the guy setting up the keyboard.  He plays for the cover band that’s entertaining in the field tonight.  “If Rusty comes looking for me, tell him I’ll be right back.”

I make my way around the edge of the crowd, back to where Cami and her friend have stopped to watch the band set up.  As I come up to her left side, she turns to look at me. 

Now, I’ve got an ego just like any other guy, but I also know when a girl is attracted to me.  And this girl is attracted to me.

Her eyes light up and her lips spread into the most beautiful smile this side of heaven.

“You really should stop following me,” I say with a grin.

“Apparently I can’t seem to help myself,” she replies, her eyes twinkling.

“I’m unfortunate in that way.  So much animal magnetism the ladies just lose all control.”

She laughs, a deep, husky sound that makes me want to groan.  “And so humble, too.”

“That’s the second time I’ve heard that today.  I’m not sure what it means.”

“That you know two delusional people?”

“Most likely.”

She smiles.  I smile.  I could just look at her all night long.

“So, what brings you to a field party?  I’m pretty sure I’d remember if I’d seen you here before.”

“Oh, really?  Come to a lot of field parties, do you?”

I shrug.  “Not anymore, but if I’d ever seen you at one, I would remember.  Trust me.”

The glow of the stage lights is enough for me to see her blush. 

“You’re really gonna have to quit doing that.”

“Doing what?” she asks coyly.

“Blushing like that.”

“I assure you, if I could avoid it, I would.”

“But then I’d just have to make it my mission in life to make you blush. By whatever means necessary.”

Her smile falters a little and her eyes dart to my mouth. 

God help me!

“So, what did you say you were doing here?”

“I didn’t.”

“But you were going to.”

“Was I?”

“Well, it’s either that or you were going to take me up on my offer.”

I hear her soft gasp, even above the noise of the crowd around us.  It squirms in my stomach and makes my palms itch to touch her.

She clears her throat. “Actually, I’m here with my boyfriend.”

“Damn.  I knew you were too beautiful to be unattached.  It’s just a shame you’re dating an idiot.”

“An idiot?  Why is that?”

“Any guy would have to be out of his mind to leave you alone at a party for one second.”

“I’m not alone.”

She turns around to her friend, but she’s gone.  “Well, I
wasn’t
alone.”

“But now you are.” 

She nods her head, but doesn’t try to make any excuses to leave.  She just watches me.  And I watch her. 

This might be the only chance you get, Trick. 

I take a step closer.  She doesn’t move away.  “There is one thing I should’ve told you last night,” I say, taking one more step toward her.  I reach out and loop one long fiery curl around my finger and bring it to my mouth. It feels like silk and smells like strawberries.

“What’s that?” she asks, her voice a little breathless.

“I don’t mind a little competition”

“You don’t?”

“No, but I hate to lose.”

“Do you lose often?”

I lean down, my face only inches away from hers.  I watch those incredible eyes as they flit between my mouth and my eyes over and over again.

“Never,” I whisper.

And then I press my lips to hers.  They’re soft and warm and just as lush as they look.  I keep expecting her to pull away, but she doesn’t. 

Deciding to make the most of my one shot, I slide my fingers into her heavy hair and tilt her head to the side.  Her lips part and I slip my tongue right between them.