Chapter Thirteen

 

If I want her, I need to fight for her. – Drew Callahan

 

Fable

 

I cruise into the restaurant late in the afternoon humming under my breath, offering a hello at the bitchy chick who works the hostess’s desk. Her jaw about drops to the floor and I smile blithely at her, thrilled I threw her off her catty game.

Nothing can get me down today. I’m on a complete Drew high.

Heading toward the back, I go to clock in and see Jen’s already hanging out in the small employee longue area, sipping on a Starbucks frap and watching me. “Fancy you coming back to work,” she drawls.

“I trade one shift with someone and it’s suddenly I don’t want to work? So unfair.” I stash my purse in one of the lockers provided to keep our stuff safe and twirl the lock, keeping my back to Jen for fear of any judgmental staring on her part.

“Colin wants to talk to you. He asked me to tell him when you got here,” she says quietly.

I turn to face her, fear turning my blood ice-cold. “Is he going to fire me?”

“No.” Jen doesn’t offer any other sort of explanation.

“What’s going to happen, then?”

“He’s going to ask if you take this job seriously. He sees a lot of potential in you, Fable. He wants you to eventually take it to the next level here.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Give me a break. I’m a freaking waitress. Yeah, from what I can see so far, the tips are fabulous. Better than any other place I’ve ever worked at. But there’s not a lot of room for growth at The District. I’m not stupid.

“You know how T goes around helping him open restaurants and training the staff? Colin has huge plans. He wants to open up a bunch of Districts all over the state and eventually the West Coast, turning it into a chain. And he needs more training staff.”

“I’ve been here only a couple of weeks,” I point out incredulously.

“I told you, he thinks you have potential.”

“You’ve been with him longer. Why wouldn’t he choose you for his new training person? Or any of the other girls who work here?”

“I don’t…like to travel.” Hmmm, there’s something she’s hiding, I can tell. “And the other girls, they’re just here to get dressed up and look pretty and pick up guys. They view this job as a way to get spending money and keep Mom and Dad happy while they nearly fail college. They don’t have future aspirations for the food industry.” Jen shakes her head.

“Well, I don’t have future aspirations for the food industry either,” I retort. Hell no, do I want to work at a restaurant for the rest of my life. I hate this sort of thing. I’m doing it because it’s all I know.

“Well, what are your future aspirations?”

Funny thing is, I haven’t a clue. I always talk about having hopes and dreams and wanting to get the hell away from this small town. But what do I really want to do? What do I want to be when I grow up?

I haven’t a fucking clue.

“Is she here—oh.” Colin stops short as he strides into the room, looking totally surprised to see me standing there. “Fable. I was looking for you.”

“I heard,” I can’t help but say, earning a death glare from Jen.

“Have a minute? I’d like to talk to you.” He smiles, his stance relaxed. All that easygoing don’t-worry charm buzzing all around him. He looks damn good in dark jeans and a white button-up shirt he left untucked, the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong, tanned forearms.

I may be in love with Drew, but I can appreciate a handsome man when I see one.

“Am I in trouble?” I ask, making sure Jen wasn’t lying.

“Not at all,” he says quickly, his voice smooth.

I raise a brow, letting him know I don’t quite believe him. “Shouldn’t I be preparing the tables for the evening?”

“Jen has it under control for now. Besides, I only need to take up a few minutes of your time. Then you can go polish glasses to your heart’s content.” He chuckles and presses his hand to my lower back when he approaches me, guiding me to his office, his hand never leaving me.

I shrug away from his touch the second we walk into his office. He shuts the door behind us, rounding his desk and pointing a finger toward an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

Sitting on the edge of the seat, I tap my heel against the bare wood floor. We’re wearing the lace shirt/black shorts getup again and I know when Drew picks me up from work, he’s going to probably attack me.

Dirty girl that I am, I can’t freaking wait.

“What happened with the shift change, Fable?” Colin asks once he settles in behind his desk.

“I had something come up.” I shrug. “Something personal.”

He raises a single brow. “Is everything all right?”

“Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.”

“I don’t mind when my employees switch out their schedules as long as everyone’s covered and as long as people don’t make a habit out of it. I do have some concerns, though.” He rests his folded arms on top of the desk, his expression dire. “Are you happy here?”

I’m taken aback by his question. “Um, yeah.”

His eyes harden. “Really?”

“What are you digging at? I mean, I’ve only been working here a few weeks. If you’re not happy with me, then go ahead and fire me.” I perch farther on the edge of my chair, ready to take flight if need be.

“You automatically assume the worst, don’t you?”

This little meeting is getting ridiculous. “Listen, say what you need to say and get it over with. I’m not in the mood for a bunch of games tonight.”

“Fine. Get over your pissy attitude and I’ll tell you everything you need to hear.”

My jaw drops open. I can’t believe he just called me pissy. But he’s right. I am. “What’s up?” I ask weakly.

“I know you’ve only been here for a few weeks, but you impress me. A lot. You only need to be told once what to do and how to do it, and you have it under control. The customers like you. T thinks you’re fantastic and I value her opinion above anyone else in this place.” Colin leans across his desk, as if he really wants to get his message across. “I want to give you more hours, but I won’t do it if you’re going to bail on your shifts all the time.”

“I won’t bail on my shifts,” I say automatically.

He smiles. “So you’ll take the increase in hours.”

“Absolutely.”

“I’m giving you a sixty-day probation period. Once that passes and I’m satisfied with the job you’re doing, you’ll automatically receive a raise.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”

“Really.” He nods. “I plan on opening up a few more locations in the Sacramento area over the next twelve to eighteen months. I need people who are able to train my new employees like T does. Is that something that interests you?”

I’m like Jen. Travel is near to impossible for me, what with Owen in school and my mom never around. But I can’t say no, can I? The restaurant biz definitely doesn’t interest me long-term but I need a steady, good-paying job, especially if I really go through with it and get an apartment for just Owen and me. What Colin’s talking about sounds like my every current financial wish come true.

“Um, possibly?” My vague answer doesn’t please my boss at all. He’s frowning at me big-time. “Look, I have a little brother and our relationship with my mom is…complicated.”

His bunched expression smoothes out completely. “We’ll discuss everything further once we get closer to the possibility of my needing you for training purposes. Truthfully, the plans for the restaurants are just that—still in the planning stages.”

“Sounds amazing,” I say weakly, because it does. This guy is ambitious as hell and I can’t help but admire him.

“It will be, trust me.” The grin he flashes me is so bright it momentarily blinds me. “Now get back out there and help Jen. We have three reservations tonight, all big parties.”

Groaning, I stand and hurry out of his office, my feet already aching, and I haven’t even really started working yet.

 

* * * *

 

 

“Do you work tomorrow?”

I grab my purse out of the locker I stashed it in and shut the metal door with a loud clang. I’m exhausted. Tonight’s shift was rough and I can’t wait to go home and collapse into bed. “No, thank God.”

“Me either. Look.” Jen glances around, as if she’s afraid someone’s going to catch us talking. Weird, considering we’re all alone in the room. “There have been some things going on in my life and I’m dying to go out and blow off my steam, you know? So you want to go with me tomorrow night and grab some drinks? Maybe have a girls’ night out?”

My first response is to say no. I don’t want to miss out on one night with Drew, which is ridiculous and needy, but damn it, he only just came back into my life. I want to spend every moment I have with him.

Then I catch the look on Jen’s face, the worry and need in her gaze. Does she not have any other friends to ask? Or is she just like me, with really no friends at all?

“Sure,” I say before I can talk myself out of it. “Where do you want to go?”

The smile that appears is worth my few hours away from Drew. I think this girl needs my friendship more than I realize. “I don’t know, La Salle’s?”

I smack her lightly on the arm. “Good one. I don’t think so.”

“How about Jake’s? It’s always hopping.”

“Well…you do realize I’m underage.” I used to have a fake ID but I lost it. After that bouncer guy made me sign a piece of paper to make sure the signature matched that one night about a year ago when I was with some loser dude on a date, and it didn’t match? I was done for. He snatched that license from me and I haven’t bothered to find another one since. “So I’m not much fun on the go-out-and-get-drinks deal.”

Jen laughed and shook her head. “I forgot. You act so much older than twenty, you know? You’re like an old soul.”

“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.” I wrinkle my nose.

She laughs some more. “It’s definitely a compliment. We can go out to dinner. I’ll drink and you can watch me.”

“Ooh, sounds fun,” I say sarcastically but I really do mean it.

“I’ll text you details tomorrow.” Jen slings her purse over her shoulder, studying me. “You don’t mind, do you? I know you have that guy in your life now.”

I squirm, suddenly uncomfortable. I’m not prepared to talk about Drew with anyone yet. “I can stand to be away from him for a few hours.” Maybe.

“Are you sure?” Her gentle voice and twinkling eyes tell me she’s teasing, but I also wonder if she’s worried I’ll bail on her for a guy, which I have no plans in doing so. Drew and I don’t need to spend every waking moment together.

Though sometimes it sure feels like we do. Being away from him is hard. Silly, considering he’s been back in my life for only a matter of days, but we share such an intense connection, it’s hard to ignore it.

“By the dreamy look on your face, I’m going to guess this guy must be pretty special.” Jen nudges me. “You can tell me all about him tomorrow night.”

“Yeah,” I agree with a laugh but I doubt I will.

What I share with Drew is still a little too special to blab about with my new friend.

 

Drew

 

I watch Fable exit the restaurant. She’s with the same girl who worked with her the night of Logan’s party. Tall with dark hair and olive skin, she’s the complete opposite of Fable in every way. It’s sort of funny, watching them talk animatedly with each other. A yin to each other’s yang.

My heart squeezes in my chest when I see Fable laugh and shake her head. She looks happy. The happiest I’ve ever seen her. I’d like to think I’m responsible for some of that happiness.

I know she’s made me the happiest I’ve ever been.

She waves goodbye to her friend and walks across the parking lot toward my truck. I’m struck anew with how beautiful she is, the smile I see growing on her face as she comes closer. She’s wearing those damn shorts again, the ones that are way too short, and this time she’s added black tights to the mix. They make her legs look incredibly long.

And incredibly hot.

Pushing away from the side of the truck, I meet her halfway, slipping my arms around her and pulling her in for a quick kiss. She’s warm to my cold since I’ve been standing outside for the last ten minutes and she brushes her nose against mine before she pulls away. “You’re freezing,” she murmurs.

Her voice alone warms me up and I open the truck door for her without a word, pushing her inside by cupping her backside, making her squeal. I slam the door and round the truck, eager to take her back to my place though I have no idea where she wants me to take her. She probably has to get home. She has responsibilities, after all.

And I have none, as my shrink so kindly reminded me.

“Where to?” I ask casually once I slip behind the wheel.

“I should probably go home.” She won’t meet my gaze and I wonder why.

“No problem.” I throw the truck into gear and pull out of the parking lot, turning onto the street. “Busy night?”

“Exhausting. Thank God I’m off tomorrow.”

“We should do something.” I don’t have school and she doesn’t work. We could stay in bed all day and I’d be perfectly content.

“Um, about tomorrow.” She sounds hesitant. Even a little nervous. “My friend Jen, the girl I work with? She asked if we could hang out together tomorrow night. Go to dinner and have drinks. Stuff like that. You don’t care, do you?”

I care a lot. I’d rather she never left my side, but I’m being completely unrealistic. And also thinking like a jealous ass. “I don’t care. I mean, I’m not your keeper.”

She’s watching me. I can feel her eyes on me though I face straight ahead. “It’ll only be for a few hours. I get the sense Jen doesn’t have many friends. I don’t either. It’s nice to find one who doesn’t think I’m out to fuck her boyfriend behind her back.”

I have to look at her now, shocked at the harsh way she just spoke. “Did you used to do that? Fuck other girls’ boyfriends behind their backs?”

She shoots me an icy stare. “ No. ”A sigh escapes her. “Fine. I made one mistake. Only because he lied to me and said he didn’t have a girlfriend. I was a sophomore in high school and he was a senior. Gorgeous. Popular. Played on the football team, sort of like a weak copy of you. We went out on a few dates. He was always sneaking me around, never taking me out in public or with his friends, but I didn’t care. I was too far gone over him.”

This story is going in a bad direction. I can feel it. “A weak copy of me?” What, does she have a pattern? A type she prefers? Is she saying I fall under that type?

“You know what I mean.” She waves a hand. “He was my first. I gave up my V card to him because I was stupid, thinking it would bring us closer and he would fall totally in love with me. Then I find out he has a girlfriend, right after I had sex with him. He was totally using me because she wouldn’t mess around with him, so he ran out and found the first dumb girl who would.”

I both feel sorry for her and infuriated with her that she would do something so careless. “So what, you were fifteen when you were first with that guy?”

“Yeah.”

“How many guys have you been with, Fable?” Okay, now I totally sound like the jealous asshole boyfriend. I don’t want to be that guy. I know she needs to get her past off her chest and it shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t hurt me. I didn’t know her then. We were both different people then.

But knowing about her past does hurt. I can’t deny it.

“You’re going to automatically assume the number is outrageous, aren’t you? I really didn’t expect you to pass judgment on me like everyone else in my life.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “You disappoint me, Drew. I figured you were better than that.”

Fuck. How do I respond? I’ve blown it completely. Now she’s pissed. I can practically see the steam rising out of her ears. She refuses to look at me too. Instead she chooses to stare straight ahead for the rest of the ride to her apartment, her jaw hard, her eyes narrowed.

From happy to angry in a matter of minutes, that’s what I just did to her. And why? Because I’m feeling a little possessive of her time and I want her to spend it all with me? Am I that insecure? I’ve never had a real girlfriend before. I’ve never been someone’s boyfriend. Twenty-freaking-one-years old and I’m a complete, clueless idiot when it comes to relationships and how to make them work.

I pull into the parking lot of her apartment complex and her hand is already on the door handle. She looks ready to leap out of the vehicle while it’s still in motion, she wants to get away from me that badly. “Fable, wait.”

Hitting the brakes, I wait for her to respond but she doesn’t. Her back is to me, her body poised to take flight and escape right out the door. I’ve hurt her and I hate that.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice soft. “I didn’t mean to pass judgment on you. I have no right to do so. You accept all my faults, it’s the least I can do for you.”

She turns to glare at me. “Because I accept your faults, you’ll accept mine? Is that all this is? If so, I need more from you, Drew. This isn’t some tit-for-tat sort of deal. I need your trust. I need you to believe that I want to be with you and only you. And my past can’t shade our present or our future. My past has always followed me and you know what sucks? Most of the stories out there are completely untrue. I make a few wrong steps, a few bad mistakes, and it turns into me ruling a multiyear Slutdom over all the guys. Through high school, outside of high school…”

I remain quiet, absorbing her words. She’s right. I can’t let her past bother me or darken our future. If I do, I’m just setting us up to fail.

“I’m not perfect,” she murmurs. “No one is. But I’m not going to pay for my mistakes every time you get mad at me or jealous. Going out with Jen tomorrow night isn’t about me trying to flirt with other guys or anything like that.”

“I never said it was.”

Her eyes soften the slightest bit. “So what’s the problem? Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m not good at this sort of thing. I’m fucking it all up and I don’t know why.” I tap my fingers against the edge of the steering wheel, unsure of what to say next, feeling edgy as hell.

She holds all the cards in this argument right now. I’m scared she’s going to say I’m not worth the trouble.

“Using that as an excuse isn’t going to fly forever, you know. After a while, it’ll just get old.”

“What are we doing, Fable?” I ask incredulously.

She shrugs. “Having our first fight as a couple?”

I want to laugh but I don’t. “I mean this. Us. What’s going on between us?”

“If you have to ask, that scares me,” she answers warily.

“Are we really a couple? Are we in a relationship? We haven’t defined it yet.”

“Do we need to? Can’t we just take it day by day?” She turns away from me and stares out the window. “I’m tired. Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this now.”

Panic rises within me. “But…”

“I think I want to be alone. I’m super tired and the last few days have been sorta overwhelming.” She opens the door and climbs out of my truck, bending over so she can meet my gaze through the still-open door. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”

It’s like she’s leaving me for good. My throat’s dry and I can hardly force any words out, I’m so worried this is it. With my luck, I’ll never see her again. “Yeah,” I croak before she slams the door. “Call me.”

She offers me a tiny smile before she lets the door close. And then she turns and walks away.

Taking my heart with her.