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  When the song ended, the whole bar cheered and Oliver was on his feet whistling at us. I grinned and bit my lip, suddenly feeling a little e self-conscious. As I came down from the stage, Amy wrapped her arms around me giggling. “Oh my god that was great! I told you that you’d rock.”

  Turning her attention to the guys, she hugged them both equally as grateful. “You guys totally rock too! Awesome!” The blonde guitarist blushed as she pressed her lips against his cheek, leaving her shocking pink lipstick on his pale flesh.

  I could still feel adrenaline pumping through my body when I got back to our table. Oliver was still applauding me when I approached. I gave him a small smile, bowed gracefully in jest and sat back in my seat, exhaling loudly. I didn’t realize I was even holding my breath.

  “Well, well, well. Who knew that the musically named Layla would also be a rocking pop star too?”

  Feeling a little shy, I gave him another quick smile and took a big gulp of my drink. I needed it.

  My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought it was trying to escape my ribcage. I could feel his eyes on me as I tried desperately to concentrate on the glass in my hand. But they were penetrating my thoughts. I glanced sideways at him and the corners of his mouth curled up as he bit his lip. Then almost simultaneously we were diverting our attention, me at my glass and he at a group of guys now setting up on stage. A jolt of exhilaration ran through me. He was flirting with his eyes. Or did I imagine it? If I did then Amy had too. Our exchange had not gone unnoticed. She was giving me a goofy grin as her eyebrows bounced up and down. I rolled my eyes at her as she gave me a knowing look. I was sure we’d be talking about this later.

  The rest of the evening was spent talking about our performance on stage and discussing classes. They would be starting on Monday and everyone was taking something different. Nick and the blonde guitarist, who turned out to be named Eric, were taking sports and music and their other friend Henry was taking Media and Journalism. I turned to Oliver and arched an eyebrow. “So what are you taking?”

  Sipping his drink he smiled. “Psych and music. So I guess we’ll be in some classes together this semester. And there I was thinking it would be boring.”

  Ok he was definitely flirting and I was enjoying every last moment of it. This college thing was going to be more fun than I thought.

  Chapter 5

  Money, Money, Money

  It was finally Saturday morning and I was working. I’d promised dad I’d be home for the weekend so when I called to tell him I was doing the morning shift at the shop, he insisted on picking me up in the afternoon and driving me home himself. I got the feeling he was desperate for me to come home.

  It was quieter in the shop today. I assumed that was because people weren’t at work on weekends so therefore wouldn’t need to grab a coffee on their way in. The majority of customers were students from Cali State. I recognized a few from my dorm but didn’t know them well enough to make conversation.

  No one had come in for nearly half an hour, so I pulled up a stool and sat by the counter. Grabbing a caramel latte, I opened up one of the magazines sitting in the rack next to the register. I rested my elbows on the countertop and blew on my hot coffee. I was just reading an article on how shoes can cure depression when I was distracted by someone clearing their throat.

  The sound startled me, causing me to almost spill my coffee. I jumped off my stool trying to look professional. I put the magazine aside along with my coffee and looked up from the counter.

  Oh what new hell was this?

  Standing in front of me with a wry grin on his face was Jared. He was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt that showed off his impressive arms. I plastered my most genuine looking smile on my face and looked up at him. “Hi. What can I get you?”

  He regarded me almost amused for a moment before scanning the board behind me. All of the day’s special brewed concoctions were listed on it and every day they were changed. At the moment, Lorraine had a “Coffees of the World” theme going.

  I drummed my fingers on the counter impatiently and stared at him, waiting for him to make a choice. I was sure I saw the corners of his mouth curl upwards. Not quite a smile but he was certainly amused by my irritation.

  “So many to choose from. What is one to do?” He had his head angled to the right and was biting his lip. My eyes were fixed to his mouth as I watched his teeth sink into his flesh, wishing I could be doing the same. He may be a douche but my god he was hot. I was only human after all. Continuing to um and ah over the menu I realized he was now trying to provoke my irritation deliberately. Happy to oblige, I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my foot loudly. His eyes darted to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize that your service came with a side of attitude.”

  I couldn’t believe how utterly rude he was. Just when I thought he couldn’t become any more discourteous or irritating, he did. I’d had enough of this game. He was seriously pissing me off and I was going to make damn sure he knew it.

  I leaned across the counter with my hands tightly gripping the edge. “Look, I don’t know what your problem is. I apologized for the coffee. I offered to pay for the shirt and I even apologized for your stupid nose even though the fact remains that if it had been pointing in the right direction you would have seen me through the glass. It’s you strolling in here with your laid back, make her wait while I dick around attitude that really grinds my gears.”

  Oh. My. God. Did that just come out of my mouth?!

  He took a step back from the counter and stared back at me. His eyebrows were raised and his mouth was pulled into a tight line. I stood back and crossed my arms again, staring right back at him. He cleared his throat and smirked wickedly at me. Urgh!

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were busy. I’d hate to tear you away from your very important task of sitting on your ass and reading articles about how chocolate is better than sex.” He glanced over at my magazine which was still sitting on the counter. Ah crap. “By the way, I can assure you that it’s not.”

  I could feel my cheeks warming. This was getting tiresome. I had a job to do and he was a customer. We couldn’t go on like this. I decided to take the moral high ground, which itself was very difficult for me. I always had to have the last word.

  “You’re right. I apologize for my rude behavior. What do you say we start over?” I shook my head back a little and tried to regain my serene and impassive disposition. I walked up to the counter and smiled at him. “Good morning sir. What can I get you?” He eyed me cautiously and then tipped his head back and laughed so loudly, I thought he might shatter the windows. His heavy shoulders bounced up and down as a deep laugh rumbled through him. Wiping his eyes, he shook his head at me and grinned. “First of all, call me Jared. Secondly, that was by far the best performance I have ever seen. I recommend a dentist though, because you were gritting your teeth so hard the whole time I think you might need a root canal. You should probably work on your fake smile too because that was hilarious.” He stifled another laugh with his fist.

  My mouth opened wide in irritation and pure shock. How dare he! Here I was, trying to be nice, trying to be polite and he had the sheer audacity to insult me! I was just about to let him have it when he held up his hand to silence me. “That being said. I appreciate the effort. I’ll have whatever it is you’re drinking there.” He pointed to my cup which was sitting on the counter.

  I rolled my eyes and walked over to the coffee machine. It was only then that I had thought to look around the shop. I glanced up and my eyes took in the room. There were a handful of people sitting at their tables staring at me. A few had begun to speak softly to each other and were nodding in my direction. I felt the embarrassment creeping up my skin all the way to my cheeks. Just like that, I was back in the high school cafeteria. I cursed myself for allowing this man to get under my skin. Causing a scene at work was just one more thing to add to my list of horrible experiences this week. This one was certainly up t
here with laying spread eagle at Oliver’s feet.

  I put it to the back of my mind and served Jared his coffee to go. Placing it on the counter I gave him my most genuine smile. Well, as much as I could force myself to give to this man. He gave me a cautious look as he grabbed the cup off the counter. “That’s $1.96 please,” I reminded him.

  He gave me a quizzical look. “I said that’s $1.96. You know? Cash? Around here people generally pay for coffee.”

  The corners of his mouth curled up and he took a sip of his latte which he had yet to pay for. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Glowering at him, I placed my hands on my hips, gripping them firmly; mostly to stop myself from slapping him hard on the face.

  “Well I don’t usually, but since it’s you I’m only too happy to oblige.” He reached into his pocket and produced a $10 bill. I held out my hand and he pressed the bill between our palms. I felt like a bolt of lightning hit me. What was that? Gripping my hand he leaned in to the counter and I could smell his aftershave. It was deep, sensual, musky and yet sweet at the same time. Or maybe that was just him, his natural scent. It inflamed my nostrils and I felt my blood beginning to boil. What on earth was he doing to me? He was a rude, insensitive dick and yet his touch had left me stripped of my senses.

  “And because it’s you I’ll even let you keep the change. Call it a tip for your warm customer service.” He gave me a wink and turned on his heel. He pulled the door open and then shot me the sexiest smile I had ever seen.

  Wide eyed and shocked I walked to the window, $10 bill in hand and watched him as he walked down the street. Once he was out of sight I turned around and leaned against the counter. I shook my head and massaged my temple. Get a grip girl. What the hell had just happened? I’d gone from absolutely outraged one moment to intensely aroused in a matter of seconds.

  He was so infuriatingly frustrating. So then why the hell couldn’t I stop thinking about his touch?! My heart was pounding and I could hear my breathing quickening as I thought about it all. I needed some air. I ran to the back of the shop and opened the door. The cool air washed over me as I tried to calm my racing pulse. I darted my eyes over to the clock next to the doorframe. 11:30. Only thirty more minutes and I was going home. Thank god. I didn’t think my heart or my nerves could take one more encounter like that one. And yet, deep down, I really hoped it would happen again. Soon.

  Chapter 6

  You Spin Me Right Round Baby

  I couldn’t get what happened that morning out of my mind. How could that one small connection of our fingers make me feel so alive? The electricity I’d felt was still pulsing through my veins as I walked back to the dorm. This was insane. I hardly knew him and what I did know of him, I certainly didn’t like. He was rude, cocky, arrogant and insensitive and as if that wasn’t enough, he was a total dickweed too. So why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?!

  As soon as my dorm was in sight, I practically ran to my room. I needed some space. I had to forget the whole thing.

  Amy was sitting on her bed with her laptop in front of her. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Letting my head fall back and closing my eyes, I let out a long sigh. When I finally opened them to peek over at her, she was watching me with a questioning look on her face. Great, I was going to have to relive it all over again.

  Leaning her head to one side she eyed me with concern. “You ok honey? You don’t look so hot.”

  I walked over to my bed and collapsed onto it. I flung my forearm over my eyes. This was exhausting. “He came into the shop again today. I tried to be polite. He decided to be an ass.”

  I exhaled loudly and sat up with my legs hanging over the edge of the bed. “Anyway, we got into it in the middle of the shop and I told him off. And not quietly either.” I stared at my feet and then sheepishly raised my head to look at her.

  Amy was staring at me wide eyed with her hand over her mouth.

  “I tried to be professional so I apologized for my behavior and tried to start again. The jerk laughed in my face! We did a little more to and fro and then he finally ordered his coffee. When I asked him to pay, he seemed confused. It was like he’d never been asked to use cash to purchase goods or something. When he finally handed me the money, our hands touched and…” I swallowed hard and took two deep calming breaths. “It was like electricity Amy. My heart was pounding and my pulse was racing. His scent was amazing and it was lingering for what seemed like forever. I can still remember the smell even now. I can’t stop thinking about it. When he winked at me I swear I felt my panties get looser!” Just thinking about it again was making my blood warm. My cheeks were flushed and I could feel the heat radiating from my skin.

  Amy stood up and sat next to me on the bed. She put one arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder. “Well I’d say you’ve had a hell of a week. First you crash into Oliver, who is so into you by the way; we’ll get to that in a minute. Then, you almost break some guy’s nose at work. And to top it off you go and fight with him and he gets you all hot under the collar. Damn girl. What the hell do you do to these guys? Oliver was practically undressing you with his eyes last night. The entire time we were on that stage he could not take them off you. It didn’t change once we sat back down. And I saw the way you were smiling at him. His eyes, when he bit his lip, were practically begging you to sink your teeth into it for him! And now there’s this guy at the coffee shop. Whatever it is you’re doing…keep doing it! Have a little fun. Take a chance. If he comes into the shop again just play it cool. You know, be aloof, even if you are boiling hot on the inside!” She winked at me and smiled so wide, I could see her perfect white teeth.

  After we got back from the bar last night, we were both so tired we never had the chance to discuss the whole Oliver thing. But I’d had the feeling it was going to come up. I was right. I shrugged and got to my feet. Dad would be here soon and I needed to get my things. “Thanks Amy. I think I’ll just play this one by ear.” I gave her a half-hearted smile and hoped it would make her feel that I was alright. Inside I was so confused it made my head spin.

  Amy was right about Oliver though. That moment we shared at the bar was more than just flirting. It was almost suggestive. But could I really read into it as much as Amy had? Maybe he was just the flirtatious type. Maybe he had a little black book full of women he’s shared “moments” with; though he really didn’t seem the type to indulge in meaningless and casual encounters. At least I hoped he wasn’t. Those lips did look delicious though. And it had crossed my mind to just lean in and give that bottom lip the tiniest of nibbles. But unfortunately, I wasn’t that kind of girl. After today’s events I wasn’t even sure what kind of girl I was anymore. How could this guy that I hardly even knew make me feel so hot? I’d heard that people change at college but this was ridiculous!

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes at myself. Grabbing an overnight bag from the closet, I chucked in some cosmetics and a change of clothes. Grabbing my cell, I realized that dad had sent me a text.

  On my way sweetie. Can’t wait to see you. I’ll call when I’m outside.

  Received: 13.38

  From: Daddy

  Typing a simple ‘Ok’ in reply, I hit send. I was just about to slide the phone into my front pocket when it chimed in my hand.

  It was another text but I didn’t recognize the number. I opened the message, curious to find out who had acquired my digits without my knowledge.

  Hello Layla. Sorry to disturb you but I thought I would let you know that the bill for my expensive Armani shirt is $275 exactly. I’ll be by the shop on Monday. You can pay cash or give me a check. Have an enjoyable weekend. Jared

  Received: 13.42

  From: Unknown

  “What!” Amy jumped slightly and stared at me. I was gripping the phone so tightly in my hand I thought it might shatter into a thousand pieces. “That asshat! Just look at this!” I handed her the phone and began pacing around the room. “How the hell did he even get my number? Is he seriou
s? $275 for a dry cleaning bill? He’s got some nerve!”

  Amy shook her head in disbelief. Her jaw had dropped and she appeared to be as shocked as I was. And what the hell was with that smiley face at the end? Like that made it all ok. I could almost imagine that stupid smirk on his smug face as he sent it. What a jackass!