Unlikely Hero (Atlanta #1) (40 page)
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not that much of a wimp, but the adrenaline rush is gone. I always feel it a little harder the next morning,” he chuckled.
Two icepacks, four Tylenol, and a cup of coffee later, Marcus was feeling like a new man. He pulled Erin back over to him and took a deep breath. Erin paused when he hesitated. He looked almost tense.
“Erin, I want to tell you something…about when I was a kid.”
“Oh,” Erin had hoped he would broach the subject, but she didn’t expect him to so soon. “Ok.”
Marcus looked conflicted about saying whatever it was he wanted to say, so Erin just waited for him to find his voice. She brushed the back of his hand with her finger sweetly while she waited. Finally after another heavy breath, Marcus continued.
“Ok, so my dad came home another drunken night and started in on Cassie. I got between them like I always did. I think we were about fifteen. Looking back, I’m pretty sure he went after her just to watch me get pissed off. He found it pretty funny that he could always knock me down, no matter how hard I tried to fight him. He didn’t fight fair. He wasn’t that strong but the pipe he used sure was.” His voice was flat like he was telling someone else’s story. Erin cringed and stayed quiet.
“By the time he had me down and in pain, he usually just walked away. This time stuck out in my mind because he got in my face. He said, and I quote, ‘look at what a pathetic weak piece of shit you are. No one is ever going to love you. Who could?’
Then
he walked away.”
Erin sat in stunned silence. She couldn’t even imagine what that home had been like. She searched his face while he stared at the floor after his story. Her heart broke at the furrowed brow and sad eyes she found there. Then his eyes softened a little and he looked up at her with the sweetest, softest smile.
“So, anyway, thanks for proving him wrong.”
Epilogue
Scott put on his charming grin as he knocked on Erin and Marcus’s door for the housewarming party. The couple had just moved in together and wanted to have a small get-together before tax season was in full swing.
Scott gave Erin a quick hug and shook Marcus’s hand. Marcus, like always, stood tall and intimidating. Scott matched him in stature and was well-toned from competitive swimming, but he was no match for Marcus’s raw power. Few people were.
The evening was relatively low-key with wine, bottled German beer and a nice variety of appetizers. Erin set classic rock to play in the background. The party was tame and comfortable, which wasn’t usually Scott’s style. He was more for loud and crazy where he could charm some cuties into spending more time with him.
He saw by far the prettiest unattached girl at the party was standing by the sliding glass doors to the back patio completely by herself. Maybe this party wouldn’t be a total waste, he thought. He walked directly over to her and with his most charming dimpled grin, started to introduce himself. Before he could even say hello, she reached to shake his hand and said, “Hi, who are you?”
He was taken off guard at her boldness, but smiled anyway and said, “I’m Scott Merchant, from Erin’s accounting firm. And you are?”
“Constantly awesome.”
Scott just laughed, unsure how to respond to that.
“I’m sorry, you looked like you needed that. I’m Cassie Walker, Marcus’s sister, but you didn’t answer my question. Who are you?”
“I just said…Scott. I’m a friend of Erin’s…”
He could see she was amused at the look of confusion on his face and she didn’t hide her enjoyment of his squirming.
“Sorry, I’ll behave. I just think everyone should know who they are.” She still grinned at his squirming.
He figured trying again couldn’t hurt, especially since he’d use the chance to impress her. He’d let her in on some of his best secrets to gain some ground. Cassie seemed a little obnoxious in his opinion, but she was definitely the most interesting thing going on.
“Ok, well, I’m a Senior Tax Manager from Erin’s firm, former Olympic swimmer, and all-around nice guy,” he said with his practiced panty-dropping smile. He had to throw in that bit about the Olympics. This brown-eyed flirt would be impressed with that. All women were. Using the best part of his life as a pick-up line was cheap, but nearly always effective. Plus, Cassie was pretty in spite of her obnoxious grin, and he was going to enjoy chatting her up.
“You still haven’t told me who you are,” she said, smiling wider.
Scott had no idea how to answer that. He hadn’t received the typical “wow” or jaw-drop he usually got after announcing his athletic glory. This girl, he fast realized, was not typical in anyway. He took a moment to take in her entire appearance.
He already noticed her deep brown eyes and glossy brown hair. He hadn’t yet noticed her slightly eccentric outfit which included a turquoise peasant shirt, lots of long necklaces and a smattering of bangle bracelets on each arm. Covering her long legs was a pair of skinny-jeans that had been hand-painted with some tribal design.
He only realized he was ogling her when he heard her say, “Um, if you want me to spin around for you, I can.”
“Uh…oh, sorry, I was just noticing your outfit. You look very nice,” he almost stuttered.
Yeah, Very smooth,
he thought to himself sarcastically.
“Stop worrying. I don’t care if you look. I wouldn’t wear this much jewelry if it bothered me when people noticed. So, I’m still waiting to hear who you are.”
He smiled at her, completely unable to figure out how to talk to her. He shook his head and tried anyway. “Ok, my favorite color is blue, I just got a big promotion, and swimming is still my favorite pastime.”
“Oh, there’s that swimming thing again. Fine, I’ll admit it. I’m impressed with your having been in the Olympics. That’s actually quite cool. Do you feel better?” Her voice was not at all condescending. In fact, she smiled so broadly he knew she was impressed; she had only been messing with him.
“Yes, actually I do feel better, thank you. That’s usually my best line,” he laughed with her now, completely shocked he admitted to using the Olympics as a line.
He was used to women falling all over him. He was 6’2”, blond, and blue-eyed. He was still lean and muscled from swimming, and he was a successful accountant. He was 27 years old and held the position of Senior Manager at his firm. He was the youngest in the firm’s history to make that level of management. But Cassie Walker didn’t seem to care about any of that.
“That was a line?!” Now she was outright laughing.
“Cut me some slack, it usually works.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to contain her giggles. “It was very smooth. No, really. I almost threw myself right at you. But you should know, ‘lines’ never work on me.”
“None of them?”
“Nope.”
Now that was a challenge if he ever heard one. He was ready to bust out every cheesy line he’d ever used or heard to see which one would make her laugh hardest. He’d use them all like one big conglomerate line to keep the conversation going. The plan was fool-proof and would keep her attention. She was a bit irritating, but he loved a challenge.
“Ok, give me your hand.”
She raised her eyebrows at him and put her hand forward. He turned her soft hand palm-up and studied and traced the lines there. “I can read palms, you know. Look at this…you’re life line is really short. You must be
wild
…” He drawled out that last word seductively and sent her off in a fit of giggles.
“Wow, that was awful.”
“Wait, I have more,” he smiled, laughing with her and still holding her hand. “Are your legs tired? Because you’ve been running through my mind since I got here.”
“Please watch me carefully while I roll my eyes at you,” she said, still giggling, and emphatically moved her entire head with her eye-roll. “Plus, I’ve heard that one before.”
“Hey, I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Well, as amusing as that was, I’m bored with your lines now,” she said as if dismissing him was a delightful thing. She turned on her toes and wiggled her fingers in a wave goodbye. She grinned at him broadly before she walked over to the appetizers where her brother was standing.
Scott was dumbfounded. This was the most unpredictable woman he’d ever met.
Cassie laughed and caught her brother’s eye as she strolled away from Scott Merchant. Marcus was shaking his head at her from across the room, grinning at his uncontainable sister.
Cassie walked over to Erin and Marcus to compliment them on their party. Cassie sipped at a glass of wine innocently and grinned at herself. She knew she had completely baffled Erin’s boss and couldn’t stop smiling. He seemed like a decent guy, but he was obviously pretty impressed with himself. She always enjoyed taking guys like that down a notch.
She had to admit, though, she liked that he got playful instead of just flustered. Maybe there was more to him than his gorgeous blue eyes and dimple…not to mention those shoulders. God, Cassie loved strong shoulders. His v-shaped physique was a sight to behold, and he obviously dressed to accentuate his toned build. Yes, he knew exactly how hot he was…and Cassie agreed with him, not that she’d ever tell him that.
“Cass, are you toying with my boss?” Erin asked knowingly.
“Absolutely.”
Erin just laughed. “Behave.”
“So what’s his deal, anyway,” Cassie asked about Scott.
“Scott doesn’t really have a deal. He’s nice enough and I get along with him pretty well. He’s one of the few people at the office I talk to at all. He knows how impressive he is, which is kind of annoying, but I think you already took care of that based on how paranoid he seems over there. He’s looking at you right now, you know.”
“Yeah, I figured,” Cassie said with a wicked grin. “I should go let him off the hook so he doesn’t feel awkward for too long. I mean, I can be reasonable…” She spun back around on her toes and walked directly back to Scott.
“Ok, I can take one more line. Make it a good one.” She smiled at him, waiting for his next cheesy joke.
“Well, thank you for the permission,” he said, rolling his blue eyes and smiling. “Here’s my best one: I think you’re fun. Will you have dinner with me?”
Cassie was caught a little off guard by his sincerity. She had been ready for more pathetic pick-up attempts. Did he actually want to have dinner with her? Now that was something to consider. Only half a second passed before she knew she
would
like to have dinner with him, but telling him that right away would only feed his ego. Plus, she had a reputation to maintain in this moment. She wouldn’t disappoint him by accepting too easily.
“Hmmm. A little better. What else you got?” she said playfully, waiting wide-eyed for his next phrase. She knew she knocked him off-balance again while she watched him struggle with what to say next.
“Cassie Walker, you are ridiculous, you know that?” he finally said, smiling.
“Scott Merchant, you are not as smooth as you think, but I like you anyway. I’d love to have dinner with you.”
Frankly, Cassie was surprised he asked at all. Most guys walked away after a big dose of her sense of humor. Scott was at least willing to think of her as “fun” rather than just obnoxious. She knew she was both, but she liked being appreciated for her fun side.
“I’m a lot smoother than you give me credit for. I think I’m just not able to concentrate from the magnetic pull of all of the metal around your wrists.”
“Ha! Then at dinner, I will wear no bracelets and you’ll have no excuse when I baffle you again. Here, give me your phone.”
He handed over the latest smartphone model and she added herself to his contact list. She watched him laugh when he looked down at his cell and saw she listed her number under the name
Idont Thinkursmooth
.
“May I return the favor?” He held out his hand for her phone and thumbed a few characters in. She laughed as she read his contact name:
Imnotsure Whattosay
.
She loved that he admitted his bewilderment rather than try to impress her again. Yep, there was more to Scott Merchant than she would have thought. Which was nice, because when he smiled, the only thing she wanted to do was kiss his dimple. Maybe at dinner she would.
Author's Note
First, allow me to thank you for taking a chance on a new author. This whole experience has been so much fun for me, and now to have a book out there that people are actually reading? Simply amazing.
The inspiration for “Unlikely Hero” came from a basic case of curiosity. I wondered how I could get two of the most opposite people I could imagine and bring them together in a unique way that would fit only them. The entire concept was built around the journal. Developing the relationship actually got my heart fluttering as I wrote. What an experience.
In terms of the second book in this series, “Real Challenge” is Cassie’s story. I absolutely adore her character and had so much fun putting more of her personality in the book. I smiled throughout the entire process. You can find her story here:
Thank you again and happy reading!
~Kemmie Michaels