Just Between Friends (Prequel to the Forbidden Series)

8

Mike dropped down on the couch beside David. He had arrived at his apartment shortly after David returned from work at five-thirty. David was filthy from head to toe and worn out by the day’s work. “You look relatively pleased for a man that just wrapped his car around a tree,” David observed. “What brought on this good mood?”

Mike stretched his long legs out in front of him and folded his hands behind his head. “I trashed my car, got four stitches, my head hurts like bloody hell, I had to fill out a police report and spent the afternoon with my insurance company. Oh, and got ripped off by the car rental place… but I would say it’s been a great day.”

“Of course, any day where one can almost kill themselves and get screwed by the man is the best day of one’s life. Why would I have thought you would be in a bad mood, silly me?” David mocked pulling off his steel-toed boots and tossing them aside. “You must have had a cute nurse.”

Mike grinned, David didn’t know how right he was. A man could have the worst day of his life, and the right woman could change it all. He hadn’t seen Chase in eight years, and she still invoked an intense excitement in the thought of seeing her later. “Are we still going to the Inferno tonight?”

David was in the process of pulling his heavy work shirt off over his head and placed it on the floor beside his boots. He studied Mike for a moment before answering. “Do you feel up to it?”

Mike nodded. “My pretty nurse is going to meet us there.”

“I knew it had to be a chick.” David laughed rising to his feet and heading for the washroom. “I need a shower I’ll be out in ten.” He announced disappearing into the small room and closing the door.

“Do you remember the girl I told you about?” Mike raised his voice so David could hear him in the next room.

“You will have to be more specific, there have been a lot of girls.” David’s voice came back from behind the door.

Mike chuckled. Truth rang in his words; there had been many women running through Mike’s young life, more than his fair share he would admit. “The one I told you about after I moved back to Ontario eight years ago.”

The door opened, and David poked his head out. “The cute little redhead?” Mike nodded, drawing his fit young friend from the other room. David was tall but not as tall as him. He was a fit man of twenty-six with short chestnut hair that he wore in the latest fashion. “You mean the one you crossed the country to get away from? The very big mistake?”

“You know how many times I have been reminded of that fact today? Yes, that one. She was the one that found me in my car and called the ambulance. Moreover, she was my nurse too. By the grace of God, I managed to convince her to join us tonight.”

“Why on earth did you do that? You spent eight years trying to forget that girl. Don’t you think this is working backwards?” David protested he had spent too much time standing by his friend watching him self-destruct over some women he wouldn’t let Mike throw all that work he had done to recover away.

“You’ll understand when you see her tonight.”

“Well then if we’re still going you better call Eric and Ronny and let them now. But just so we’re clear, I think this thing with the girl is a really bad idea. She’s gonna bring nothing but trouble.”

“Your objection is noted.”

***

Chase paced the floor of her bedroom, every outfit she owned tossed on her bed. Her close friend Pam Rake was standing on the threshold of the open door. Her short dark hair done up in a stylish short bob. Her bare arms folded impatiently across the chest of her pale green dress. She had been watching Chase trying to decide what to wear for an hour. She could see that Chase was nervous about going out. It had been a long time since she had gone to the bars. “Why not that cute little red shirt with those white dress pants?” Pam suggested.

Chase stared blankly at her for a moment. “Forget it; I’m not going.” She bluntly said. “I must have been crazy to say I would go in the first place. I haven’t seen this guy since I was eighteen, and he took off without a word then. He probably won’t even be there.” She tried to think logically, trying to block out the excitement rushing through her.

“You haven’t gone out with a man in two years; I’m not letting you chicken out on this date. Besides, he might have some cute friends for me.” Pam encouraged.

“It’s not a date. We are old friends that want to go out together tonight. Other people are going.” Chase corrected her.

“You say tomato; I say date.” Pam walked up to Chase and turned around. “Un-zip me, and you can wear my dress. I’ll wear your pants and that shirt.” She decided, pointing to the pile of clothing on the bed. Chase took hold of the zipper and drew it down. Pam slipped out of her dress and handed it to Chase. “Now wear those lacy things you said you bought under them, so you don’t have panty-lines.” She instructed pulling Chase’s white dress pants over her thin hips. “Do you have a belt that goes with these pants?” Pam asked pulling the redshirt down over her head.

Chase went to her closet and studied her belts selecting the chain-link dress belt she often wore with the pants Pam now had on. The doorbell echoed through the apartment. “That would be the taxi. I’ll be right out.” Chase reassured her friend as she started to undress.

“Ok, but if you’re not out there in five minutes, I’ll come back in and drag you out.” Pam chuckled and exited the room.

***

The Inferno was full of customers, people looking to be having a good time. The live band was talented Mike thought. Eric Walker had been discussing the possibility of getting a gig there for their group sometime later that month. When he returned to the booth they had claimed for the night Eric was grinning triumphantly. The short light-haired twenty-six-year-old lowered himself into the booth beside David and Ronny Creek, a large black man who kept his head void of hair by choice; a look that even Mike himself could not pull off.

“I got us a gig, eight weeks from tomorrow,” Eric announced proudly. “We get a flat fee, and they take the cover. It’s a big deal we just signed on for the Halloween party. If we bring in enough business, I’m sure they will hire us again.”

“Are they doing the promoting or are we.” Asked Ronny, bringing his rum and coke to his mouth and drinking half of it in one shot.

“They are, but it wouldn’t hurt if we spread the word a little ourselves. The more bodies we put in here, the better our chances are at getting a callback.” Eric added, he was the one with the mind for business, and the group followed his lead when it came to getting noticed.

Mike scanned the crowd looking for Chase. He had been glancing out over the sea of people repeatedly for an hour, and his friends were beginning to notice his impatience. They said nothing but gave each other knowing glances over the rim of their glasses. Was it possible that for the first time Mike was the one being stood-up? The thought was mildly amusing to them he could tell. The truth was Mike was starting to wonder if Chase would show up.

Mike turned back to them and glared at their amusement, he raised his glass to his lips and drank the whole thing at once. He was an impatient man and hated waiting. He was seriously starting to wonder if she had changed her mind. The liquor burned his throat as it made its way down the narrow passage. Returning the empty glass to the table, Mike studied the captivated stares of his friends and following their gazes he turned to look at the dancefloor.

Making her way through the crowd was Chase. A vision of sexuality and beauty. The innocent girl he had once known replaced by this goddess in pale green. Her flame hair was flowing free down her back. The dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly, not tight but accenting her natural attributes. The dipping neckline showing just a hint of her soft ivory breast, and the skirt drew all eyes to those incredibly long shapely legs. His eyes met hers, and they held each other’s gaze for a moment before she started toward him.

Mike released the breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. Rising to his feet, he turned his head to the men at the table, who had also noticed her emerge from the crowd, a smug grin on his face. “That’s Chase.” He told them, there had been many beauties in his life but nothing like Chase she was in a league of her own.

“That is the women you’ve been avoiding for eight years?” David asked in disbelief.

“That’s her.” Mike smiled.

“Did she look that good the last time you saw her?” David asked, his surprise plain on his face. Avoiding her made no sense, this woman was a knockout. Mike nodded, she looked as appealing now as she did when they were kids, maybe even better. Only now she carried herself with more confidence, which in turn only increased her appeal. “You were stupid.”

He felt his pulse racing as she approached the table. Suddenly Chase paused and spoke to the women that had arrived with her. The other woman leaned into her so she could be heard over the music and people. He felt dread grip him, would she turn and leave? The other woman gave him a heated look and a flirtatious smile, and then they started walking again. He felt calm. It would seem they had just been talking about him.

He noticed the warmth flooded Chase’s skin even from that distance. It was a sight he had seen many times and become very good at deciphering. He didn’t look the way he had when they had met earlier that day. He was dressed differently for the city nightlife. He was perfectly aware that his dark leather pants sparked wicked thoughts in a woman’s mind, and his long-sleeved white shirt rested snug against his broad shoulders and chest, emphasizing the firmness of his fit body. His raven hair rested on his collarbone, and his strong jaw was shadowed with the day’s growth. He knew he was an attractive man and he abused that knowledge every day to get what he wanted.

The ladies reached the table, and the men moved over to make room for the two beautiful women who had just arrived. Mike reached out to take Chase’s arm, the urge to touch her again too strong to resist. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up.” He confessed feeling the relief wash over him. Mike offered her the seat beside him, and she took it while Pam slid into the booth beside Eric.

The booth was now full, and he found himself happy that his friends had insisted on a booth. With the six of them seated at the table, the limited space forced Chase’s soft body to press against his. Mike breathed Chase in deeply. She still smelled like lavender oil; he had missed that smell. “This is Chase and…” He paused not recognizing the guest she brought with her; she had not been anyone that they had known in high school.

“Pam.” She introduced herself.

“Pam. This is Eric, Ronny, and David… all single by the way.” Mike smiled at Pam. His buddies glared at him for his obvious setup. “If you want my advice the women say Ronny is hung like a horse, David has mad skills, and Eric’s is very good at…” He trailed off with a smug smile when his friends glared at him to shut up. “Well, I’ll let you fill in the blanks.” Pam blushed, and the two ladies laughed.

“Don’t pay no attention to him; he tends to exaggerate,” Eric said trying to relieve the uncomfortable spotlight Mike had turned on the poor woman beside him.

“Speak for yourself,” Ronny laughed, “he was right about me.” He smiled winking at Pam over the rim of his glass.

They began talking about work and hobbies. Pam’s interest gravitated towards the topic of their band. After a few drinks Chase relaxed and opened up, the girl he used to know starting to come through once more. She was witty, charming, and utterly sexy. She had captivated his friends’ attention, and they talked in depth of how she rescued Mike from his early morning crash.

“I swear Mike is the only man I know who can get carried into a hospital and walk out with a date.” David mocked raising his glass to Mike’s remarkable talents.

“It’s not a date.” They corrected David in unison. Both surprised at the other’s urgent tone.

“We’re just…” Chase paused not sure how to describe the complexities of their unusual relationship.

“Friends.” Mike finished her statement, hoping it was the answer she was looking for. “Old friends that are simply catching up.”

“Nothing more.” Chase finished taking a rather large swig of her rum and coke.

David raised a questioning brow; he had never known Mike to be friends with any female. “I stand corrected.” He started grinning at the uncharacteristic behaviour of his longtime friend. He had never seen Mike with such restraint around beautiful women, by now he would have seduced her and been off in some secluded corner or heading back to her place.

The table was quiet for a long moment, and Eric broke the silence first. “Pam, would you like to dance?” He asked feeling the need to redirect attention off the topic of Mike and Chase’s relationship.

“Very much so.” Pam smiled at Chase as she stood up and walked out onto the dancefloor with Eric right behind her.

Ronny cleared his throat and turned to the lovely redhead that was wedged between Mike and himself. “Well, if you’re not here with Mike, then why don’t we dance? I’m very good; I promise not to step on your feet more than once.” Ronny joked, signalling Mike to move so they could get out. Reluctantly he did, and Mike watched as Ronny took Chase’s small hand in his and led her out onto the dancefloor. Immune to the moody stares he was receiving from Mike, Ronny wrapped his arm around her shoulders and enjoyed the way her body felt against his.

David waved for the waitress to bring more drinks, then settled back in his seat. “If looks could kill.” He observed, his voice drawing Mike’s gaze away from the couple on the dancefloor.

“Excuse me?” Mike questioned, pretending not to know what David was referring too. He forced an expression of indifference. A skill he had not had to work at since high school. He had mastered his ‘I don’t care who you date’ look when they had been friends eight years ago. Pretending to support her dating choices and subconsciously wishing they would fail and she would come back to spend her time with him. It was a skill he had not had to use since his time with Chase.

He honestly never did care either way with other women. Come or go, one or two, it was all the same to him. They were all the same to him. Shallow, phony, snobby, social climbers. They were always looking for the man with the better car, better job, fatter wallet, or hotter body. Always willing to sell themselves for one thing or another provided the right price was named. Chase was different; she always had been to him. She was real, never acting a certain way or saying things she didn’t mean to appease him…or anyone that he could remember.

“It is so obvious that you are not just friends,” David said smoothly underlining his observations of Mike’s reactions to the beautiful lady in Ronny’s arms. “You have never been jealous of any of us, but right now you look as if you could hit Ronny.”

“I’m not jealous.” Mike protested. David pointed out the fact that Mike’s hands were fisted on the table, so tight his knuckles were turning white. Startled at this unknown display of aggression he was unaware he had been displaying, Mike flattened his palms out on the table and restated his protest. “I am not jealous. She can dance with whomever the hell she wants to.” He said drolly, but when Ronny’s hands slid down her back and toward her bottom, Mike stood up so abruptly his long legs almost knocked the table over spilling the drinks.

“Watch it; you’re wasting good rum,” David complained shifting quickly to dodge the spilt liquid drizzling over the edge of the table.

“Ok, so I’m jealous.” Mike stormed out onto the dancefloor, tapped Ronny on the shoulder and glared at him to go away. Taking the silent cue, Ronny made up an excuse to leave the floor and turned Chase over to Mike’s capable hands. He held her close, his embrace almost possessive.

She drew her brows together in disapproval. “You chased him off.” She accused.

“I did not.”

“Did to.”

“Do you like this band?” He asked nodding his head toward the stage.

“Don’t change the subject.” Chase scolded.

“I like your dress.” Mike complimented her, not willing to argue about his actions. “It is very flattering.” He smiled wickedly at her and felt her melt in his arms. He grinned down at Chase as he remembered those nights when she would sneak into his bedroom, and he had held her through the night as they shared his tiny twin bed. She would fall asleep with his arms around her, and he would breathe in her sweet aroma. He inhaled deeply taking in her familiar scent, it had been far too long, and she still stirred his senses.

“You clean up rather well yourself.” She returned his compliment. “All though you’re bigger than I remembered.” She smiled sliding her palm up over his muscular arm as she studied the handsome man who held her.

“It’s been a long time, I’ve filled out since I was eighteen.” He said his words thick and husky. Feeling bold Mike leaned into her pressing his arousal against her belly. “In more ways than one.” He whispered into her ear, his breath warm on her neck, and he felt her shudder against him. He was well accustomed to reading the signs of the female libido, and her skin was warming under his touch. How badly he wanted to seduce her. He didn’t think he could handle it if she fell for Ronny or one of the others. Selfishly he wanted her all to himself; but he had done her wrong, he didn’t deserve a second shot at her.

“Please don’t.” She pleaded her voice so low she could hardly hear the words herself.

Had Mike not been so close he would have never heard her. Her eyes were closed, and her body reacted to his warmth even though she protested his advances. “Don’t what?” He asked his voice like silk.

“I can’t go through this again Mike, the last time I gave into you I never saw you again.” She asserted herself pulling away from his embrace, hoping the distance would allow her to regain her self-control. “I’m not eighteen Mike; your smile is not enough anymore.” Desperate to distance herself before he could change her mind Chase turned and went over to Pam and Eric to offer her friend a ride home with her. Pam declined and, Chase said her good-byes to the men at the table and swiftly left the club.

Dumbfounded, Mike drooped into the booth with Ronny and David. His friends in awe, they had never seen him get rejected by any women. It was a novel experience for them. He sat quietly, his mouth partly open in shock, trying to sort out where things went wrong. His confusion showed, and Ronny broke the tension first with a chuckle. “Wow, you got dissed and dismissed. I guess there is a first time for everything.”

“What the hell just happened?” Mike hissed, anger welling up at his wounded pride. It had all been going so well then somehow it had gone wrong.

“You must have pissed her off somehow,” Eric observed sliding into the booth with Pam’s hand in his.

“What did you do to her?” Pam snapped. Her eyes are accusing.

“I didn’t do a damned thing.” Mike barked defensively.

“You must have said something.” David mused.

“She was having a good time with me,” Ronny pointed out, “and then you took over, and she just takes off.”

“I didn’t say anything… I don’t think.” He wasn’t sure. He had shown his interest in her and up to that point, the night had been going well. He had offended her, he decided, and he needed to apologize. “Pam where does she live?” Mike asked determined not to lose her again. Pam said nothing not sure Chase would appreciate her telling him. “Pam!” He growled, his gaze warning her he was not interested in asking again.

She rolled her eyes and gave in. “12436 Willow Dale Ave, apartment six. Don’t upset her.”

Mike pulled forty dollars from his wallet and tossed it on the table to cover his share of the evening. Pushing through the crowd and out the front doors, Mike stepped into the brisk night air. In a matter of minutes, he was in his rental car and flying down the road.