Charade

A weird, desperate feeling overcomes me. It’s so strong that it makes me feel reckless.

I’m not proud to admit this, but after Tattoo Guy gets his coffee and leaves, I throw my purse over my shoulder, grab my caramel macchiato and then I’m out the door behind him. He has long legs and mine are short so I have to jog to catch up. Not that I know what I’m going to say when I get there, but that’s beside the point.

              “Hey!” Gah. What’s his name? “You. Hey you with the tattoos.”

              He stops and turns, then waits as I catch up with him. “Hi…um…hi.” I stumble. The first thing I notice is he’s pretty, too, but in a totally different way than Gregory. He has great lips, straight teeth. His eyes are incredible. Bright blue, somehow darker toward the center and get lighter on the outside. Definitely pretty, but with an edge to him that Gregory doesn’t have.

              Pull it together, Chey.

              “Hi. I’m Cheye

              “Colt.”

              “Colt?”

              “Are you really approaching me to talk shit about my name, Princess?” His voice is slightly softer than when he spoke to Gregory, but not much.

              “You’re right. I just…” Have no idea what to say. But then I think of how Gregory looked with Maxine. The heated anger that passed between him and Colt. The way I felt when I walked in on Gregory with her.

              “So...that guy in there?” I say. “The one who was sort of a jerk to you?”

              “Frat boy, dickhead? What about him? Friend of yours?” He smirks.

              My recklessness fades, leaving the panic that I hate. It pisses me off. I’m not supposed to lose the strength. The new Cheye

              “You know what? Never mind.” Turning, I take a few steps away from him.

              “Suit yourself,” he says behind me. I don’t know why, but his response surprises me. Isn’t he the least bit curious what I was going to say?

              “Do you have a girlfriend?” I blurt. This stops him.

              Colt turns and looks at me, one of his eyebrows cocked. “Are you hitting on me, Princess? No thanks. I’m not the kind of guy you can piss off your parents with by slumming.”

              And just that simple, he starts to walk away. I’m still trying to figure out what just happened. This guy didn’t even give me a chance to explain. That’s not the part that pisses me off though. I run to catch up. “You don’t know me, so don’t pretend you do. I don’t have parents to piss off. And, I wasn’t hitting on you.”

              I expect him to ask about the parent comment. I’m a little surprised I even said it, but he doesn’t. Amusement bounces off his words when he says, “You weren’t hitting on me, but you followed me out of the coffee shop and now want to know if I have a girl? I don’t know whether to be offended or flattered.”

              His words and our fast pace make me stumble. He reaches out his hand and catches me. It’s warm and calloused and I jerk my arm away. “You don’t have to be an asshole about it. Not that I was flirting with you, but still.”

              “Listen, if there’s a point, you need to get to it. I have somewhere I need to be.”

              It takes a minute for me to reply. I consider walking away, but I can’t get Maxine and Gregory out of my head. The way he threw me away. I swore I’d never be thrown away again.

              People always fall at Gregory’s feet. I loved that about him. This guy? He didn’t. That’s what I need.

              My head high, I tell him, “You never answered the question.”

              He groans as though he’s about done with me, but then he answers. “No, Princess. I don’t have a girl. I’m not looking for one either.”

              The princess thing is about to piss me off, but I let it go. “Good. I’m not either.” He grins and I realize what I’ve said. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend! You know what I mean.” Do lesbian jokes ever get old to men?

              “Tick tock.”

              “I have a question for you and its very private…Colt. It wouldn’t be good for this to get out.”

              Which is putting it mildly. Talk about ruining my reputation—my plan. Having it get out that I’m trying to score a fake man would do that more than anything.

              He crosses his arms and I try not to study his tattoos. “I’m all ears.”

              Or all attitude.

              “That guy you just got in an argument with?”

              His jaw tightens and he nods. Someone walks around us on the sidewalk and I wait until they’re gone until I finish. He’s going to want all the answers. I know it. A guy like him won’t be willing to do this regardless. I’m nauseous at the thought.

              “He’s my ex-boyfriend. We’ve been together forever and I just found out he cheated on me. I walked in on it, actually, and I kind of made him think I had another boyfriend to make him jealous. So now I need that. A boyfriend I mean.”

Oh. My. God. My stomach drops out. I said it. I really put it out there.

              Colt’s eyes get huge, and he stares at me for what feels like forever. He opens his mouth and I’m waiting to hear what he’ll say, but it’s not words that come out. He laughs. Hard. Much harder than he did in the coffee house.

              My face is hot. I’m not sure if it’s anger or embarrassment or both.

              “Very fu

              “I’m serious! Do you think I would make something like that up?”

              He stops and studies me. I almost want to turn away. No one really looks at me like they’re trying to figure me out. They all know who I am now, but this guy, it’s like he’s looking for something deeper. Something I don’t want to be there.

“You really are serious, aren’t you? Didn’t I just tell you I’m not looking for a girl? I have much more serious shit on my plate than playing this game with you.”

              “I don’t really want to be your girlfriend! It’s a charade. Hello? I would figure that much would be obvious.” Is he dense, or what?

              Colt moves and his arm pulls out of my grasp. “And why would I do this? I don’t even know you and I’m definitely not that hard up.”

              Ugh. Perv. “It’s not like I really want you either and I could find someone I like, if I wanted. The point is, I don’t.”

              I’m never giving someone that kind of power over me again. The more I think about it, the more appealing a fake boyfriend is at the moment.

              “Forget it,” Colt says. “Good luck, Princess.”

              He’s walking away. My one chance to save face is walking away, and I can feel myself clinging, needing something, anything.

              “I’ll pay you!” I say to his back.

              He freezes. Turns. By the way his face hardens and his jaw ticks, I can tell my offer didn’t go over very well.

              “Wrong answer. I don’t need your money.”

              And with that, he walks away.

~CHAPTER FOUR~

Colt

              I don’t do pity. I don’t know or honestly give a shit if that chick is seriously about what she just asked me, but I can tell you, offering charity isn’t going to fly with me. Even though honestly, the money would be nice. It would help.

              Regardless, it’s not like I would play some stupid game with her anyway. I have too much shit going on to add a spoiled princess to the stack.

              Even if she is hot as hell.