Page 23 of Pining for Pierce

All of which makes no sense of why I blew up at Pierce, when I found him waiting for me outside work on Tuesday morning. He’d seen me with Kaiden, crossing the street, he said, and I knew that meant he must have seen us kissing… or rather Kaiden kissing me, because I didn’t feel as though I’d had any control over what had happened.

Pierce didn’t mention the kiss, though. What he said was that, as it was my first date with Kaiden, he hoped he wasn’t too late to warn me off.

For some reason, I saw red then. He was telling me about Kaiden’s reputation with women, when he’s no better himself, and that got to me. Naturally, he tried to defend himself, but that just made me even more mad. I could still see him sitting in that restaurant with Monica, and even if she really was ‘the one’ for him, I’d lost count of how many other women he’d dated and walked away from, like they were playthings to be picked up and discarded. Just because he’d always chosen to share his personal life with me didn’t give him the right to dictate what I do in mine.

That was what I thought, and I think I made my feelings pretty clear, although I wish I’d found a better way of doing so… one that didn’t involve losing it with him.

That’s not because I think he has the right to tell me what to do. It’s because I miss him. He’s always been there, for as long as I can remember. And even if I’ve never shared anythingpersonal with him before, it would be good to talk to him now. Okay, so it would mean admitting I was wrong, but I could use his advice. He might know how to get Kaiden to understand I don’t want to see him anymore… because Kaiden isn’t taking the hint.

I thought he was to start with. I didn’t hear from him on Tuesday, and even though he’d said he’d wait, I wondered if he’d been offended that I’d rejected him. Had he gone home and decided I wasn’t worth it? In a way, I hoped so. It would have made things easier.

Except he wasn’t… offended, that is. He was just lulling me into a false sense of security, because he accosted me on my arrival at the office yesterday morning, and in my panic, I agreed to see him for drinks again after work. I could have kicked myself, but I didn’t have his number, and had no way of canceling. I wondered what might happen if I didn’t show up. Would he come and find me? He didn’t have my home address, but he knew where I worked and could make a scene. I didn’t relish that prospect, and decided I’d go, and make my excuses when I got there.

I’d even planned what to say, although I didn’t get the chance, because he was waiting for me outside the office again, and grabbed my hand the moment I stepped through the door.

“Kaiden… I can’t…”

“It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?” he said, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. I didn’t have any say in the matter, but at least he kept his hands to himself, and when he pulled back, he took my hand in his, talking over me as he led me across the street.

“I need to…” I said, but he soon interrupted.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“It was okay, but we should really—”

“Aren’t you gonna ask what I’ve been doing?”

“Well, I know you haven’t been working.”

“No. I’ve spent most of my day in the pool.”

“You have a pool?” I was surprised, forgetting my rehearsed speech as I turned to look at him.

“Yeah. Mom had it put in a couple of years ago.”

I remembered hearing he lived with his mom, although I wasn’t sure where, and I just nodded my head, waiting as he opened the door to the bar, and walking in ahead of him.

I hadn’t intended for us to get this far, hoping to have made my excuses before now, but he’d already ordered our drinks and found us a booth before I got the chance to say a word.

Sitting opposite him, with a much wider table between us than on Monday evening, I didn’t feel so uncomfortable, and I listened as he told me about his parents’ divorce. Not living in the town, or taking very much interest in what goes on here until I started working at the doctor’s office, I hadn’t realized he wasn’t a native of Hart’s Creek, and asked when he moved here. That was unfortunate, because it suggested an interest I didn’t feel.

“It was about fourteen years ago,” he said. “I thought about staying with my dad, but they decided it would be better if I came here with Mom, and she did okay out of the divorce, so it wasn’t all bad.”

I marveled at his attitude and shook my head, jumping when he reached across the table and took my hand.

“Hey…” he said. “Don’t look so sad. I’m okay.”

There was no doubt in my mind about that. Kaiden was someone who took care of himself… regardless of others.

“I’m sure you are,” I said, getting to my feet.

“Where are you going?”

“The ladies’ room.”

I needed a break, and made my way to the back of the bar, into the restrooms, where I took my time, trying to thinkthrough how I could break the news to him that I didn’t want to see him anymore. He didn’t seem to be very good at listening, but I had to get him to understand… somehow.

As I made my way back to our table, I was so busy thinking, trying to work out what to say, that I walked straight into Dawson Pine, the owner of the bar, and I stepped around him, apologizing.

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