Racing Hearts

Chapter Five- Sugar Coated

Forging the strings of her apron into a crossed hold around her back and returning over her abdomen, Kayla attempted to place the events from the previous week deep within her mind. She attempted to chalk them up to be simple stepping stones for the path she was meant to truly be on; but with each attempt to eradicate Devon from her mind, she could not tear the feeling of his kiss from her body. Even as she looked at her reflection, standing in conviction that today would mark a new start for her ‘single and loving it’ mentality, a portion of her was mourning what she felt she would never have with the famed racer. However, she took a breath of relief when realizing she would no longer have to appease a man both cruel and selfish and rely exclusively on herself; and the guest room of Amanda’s apartment that she was allowing her to use until she could pay her half of the rent. 

With the majority of her feelings and emotions leading towards empowerment, she took this and ran with it as she moved towards the bathroom to brush her teeth before the start of the day. But as the bristles of the toothbrush navigated the caverns of her pearly whites, her eyes came to the large display of makeup that Amanda had left out for her own use. At least three types of every form of makeup; one liquid, one airbrush, and one powder, had lay in view-not to mention the plethora of choices that existed with both lip color and eye shadow. 

Emerging from the bathroom with a new appearance of a winged liner erected perfectly on each eye, thicker mascara than what she had normally worn, and a rose hue of blush to her cheeks, she was making a true attempt with her appearance; a comment she wished to spite from Jeff’s rant against her. 

“Absolutely not…” Amanda spoke with her arms crossed over her chest as she shook her head with annoyance.

“What?”

“You CANNOT leave MY apartment lookin’ better than me! I mean, come on!” Amanda pulled her friend into the mirror that would be hidden by the front door whenever it would come open, before pressing her jaw into the soft recess of Kayla’s shoulder. “This is the girl I knew was always in there! I am so glad she finally came out!” They shared a kind hug before an alarm on Kayla’s phone informed her that she would be late for work unless she left in the next few minutes. Bidding adieu to her closest confidant, Kayla disappeared down the street and into the direction of a classy restaurant reserved for the classier of the folks on this side of Dallas. But the moment she arrived, she found all attention to have been on her. 

Although she looked back at those gawking at her with uncertainty, she remained looking mostly at peace, before moving to the employee section within the back of the establishment. To access this point, she had to make her way through the kitchen portion of the restaurant, which forced her to receive even more of these gazes as she was left entirely confused for the majority of the slow morning of her shift. At first, she believed this had been jealousy for having taken her week long vacation during the beginning of NASCAR season as this town treated that more holy than Christmas, but considering the fact that every set of eyes; including patrons, looked to her this way-she eliminated this as having been the source. 

She attempted to distract herself with orders of eggs, coffee, and pancakes before retiring into the restroom for a break. Splashing the water onto her face, she pulled her hair into a ponytail as she prepared for the lunch rush to prepare bombarding the venue, but found one of her peers, to whom she held no significant relationship with, to seek her out. 

“Someone is asking for you…” The woman shrugged before leading Kayla into the main floor of the eatery to find Devon sitting in a section not designated to her serving space, and yet, one she would be forced to as she was forced to abide by the rule ‘the customer is always right’. Attempting to appear professional, she moved to the table and hid her eyes onto the surface of her pad as she could feel his eyes dissecting every aspect of her appearance to the wisps of hair falling loose down her face from a hard day’s work already commenced to the way she stood with stiff tension to his presence. 

“I’ll take a black coffee and ten minutes of your time.” Her eyes shot up to him to find that million dollar smile looking back at her; the same smile that would weaken the knees of millions of girls, and yet, she was too hurt by his behavior of hers to do anything more than repress a glare towards him. 

“The coffee will be right out.” She attempted to remain efficient in her occupation and returned to find him having been watching her without a break of his gaze. He wore the same type of expression that a man does once a woman approaches him sexually; as if she made every one of her movements to entice him-and yet all she had done was retrieve his coffee, with an attitude no less. But it seemed that this ‘attitude’ had been what made him enthralled in her. 

“Now the ten minutes?”

“I can’t. I’m working…It wouldn’t be ethical.”

“Even if  I want you to tell me the details of the menu...that way I know exactly what I want to get.” Although his words seemed innocent enough, the way his fingers traced the menu, his tone attempted to coerce her into defying her stubbornness, and the dominant pull of his eyes had informed her that he was no novice in the art of seduction. Yet, she was too upset to fall for any of these attempts. 

“Fortunately, I have other tables to get to-”

“Have I done something to make you angry? I thought you would be happy to see me...”

“I am swamped…” She explained as his eyes looked to the establishment to find two other tables; neither which had been on her portion of the restaurant to be looking at them with intrigue to her words as well. “Or maybe I simply don’t wish to see you…” She explained as he let out a scoff to himself before sliding from the booth in a graceful rise before disappearing into the back of the employee’s only door. Within five minutes, her boss emerged with a forced smile on his face, before pulling her away from earshot of everyone else. 

“I don’t care what it is you have to do...Make Mister Adams happy.”

“I understand Gerald, as I would with any customer-”

“Maybe try a little harder with him, okay? He just gave you a two thousand dollar tip and agreed to endorse us as one of his sponsors...So do whatever you need to in order to make him leave with a smile on his face.” Gerald, a man struck by premature balding and an attempt to hide it with a dark cap of his very establishment, spoke as he ran his fingers over his mustache and disappeared into his office. Not even a minute had followed until Devon emerged with a victorious smile over his face as he slipped back into the booth and smiled arrogantly in her direction. 

“I don’t want your money...And I don’t want you here...I will get you whatever you want and I’ll do so with a smile, but I want you gone after you’re done...and I don’t want you to come back…” He was surprised at how dedicated she had been to these words as he expected to find her thankful to offer him such a kind incentive. And yet, with what he received, his face twisted into a pensive stillness that came with the continuous rejection only she seemed to give him. 

“What did I say? Was it about the kiss? Because from what it seemed like to me...you didn’t seem to mind it all that much...In fact…” He now brought his elbows forward on the table and his palms flat on the surface before leaning closer to her. “I think you liked it. I think it scares you how much you did…”

“You brought me to that raceway with the intention of extorting me...for what? What was your BIG plan?”

“Honestly?”

She nodded with aggravation. 

“I was hoping I could make amends for how I first introduced myself. I was under the impression by what your ex said that you were kind of ‘down for whatever’ and he told me you would be hard to get as it was enticing for you that way...But then you flipped me off.” He chuckled at the last detail as she furrowed her brows in confusion at him. “No woman has rejected me let alone given me the bird…”

“Maybe if they had, you’d be a bit more humble…”

“I am quite humble. However...I have seen how fragile life is...And I don’t intend to sugarcoat anything...there are times there are exceptions to keep those we care for from feeling more...broken...But for you...I am going to be entirely honest with you.”

She smirked, preparing herself for whatever cheesy pickup line he would deliver ot her, but that was not exactly what he had spoken…But to further his dominance against her, he now moved to her side of the booth, pinning her in place as his body was turned entirely to face her and hers was attempting to remain focused on anything but him. Her current choice was between that of a salt shaker and the wrapped silverware arranged per seating. Yet playing with the paper edge of the cheap napkin ring, she struggled to think of anything but his close proximity. 

“I want to learn what it is about you that makes you ‘tick’. I want to take you to dinner at a place where you are served with sterling silver and have Beethoven or Mozart serenading you. After that, I want to take you dancing at a place where you can’t understand a word a person says across from you, but none of it matters because I would have you pulled to my body enough so you could understand how much I would want you...And then…” he now slid closer to her as she tensed even further.

 “The part I look forward to the most...To have you entirely to myself...talking….With my hand moving up your leg and slowly up your skirt until I met the line of those damp panties...and then I would slide my fingers between your thighs and take that smug stubbornness from your body as I rub your tension away.” 

Her lips parted as she pressed her thighs together beneath the table. “One smooth stroke at a time…. Quickening as you moan for me” By now, his lips were against her ear as she had closed her eyes and fallen victim to envisioning this scene he narrated into her ear. “As you tremble for me and I tell you how I like you...that wet for me...just like you are now…And finally, when you grip onto my wrist...thrusting against my fingers, begging for me inside of you...I’ll let you come...But only for me…” 

“Kay?!” A voice suddenly withdrew her from these sinful thoughts as she opened her eyes to spot Devon at her side first, his gaze now directed to the man standing beside the booth as her gaze then followed shortly after. “Can I talk to you?” Although she was no more in desire of sharing oxygen with Jeff as she was with Devon, she took any excuse she had from moving away from this s****l entity as she knew if she remained in his presence much longer that she would have no choice but to allow him to bring her to that point of completion he promised in his explanation. 

When they were left alone in the back of the restaurant between the corridor of Gerald’s office and the kitchen, his uneasy demeanor changed as he was now aggressive in this isolation. 

“I need your money.” Her eyes narrowed as he suddenly showed her the ‘past due’ notice he had received. “Three months of back pay-and let’s say another fifteen hundred for restitution…”

“WHAT?! I don’t even live there anymore!”

“No...but you did in the time you owe for.”

“Or you could always get off your ass and get an actual job...or maybe convince your little side screw that you need a handout…”

“Or I could sell ‘old blue’.” Her face became flaxen. 

“You wouldn’t…”

“I would say that car is at least worth that...After all, it is a collector for the fact it was your dad’s...But not really wanted due to the fact he ended his own life the last day he rode it...So get me that money or I’ll get it myself by getting rid of the last thing of your dad that remains....” But as Jeff attempted to leave the scene on cloud nine with his threatening words, he turned to find Devon standing in the doorway. 

“Everything alright Kayla?” He asked as she nodded, not wishing to involve Devon into any more aspects of her life.

“This doesn’t concern you hotrod.” Jeff spoke against him as Devon c****d a single brow before moving towards Jeff, towering him by at least six inches, but his opponent did not falter. 

“And SHE isn’t a concern of yours anymore either, is she?”

“Just go race a track or something-” As Jeff attempted to ‘dismiss’ Devon, his eyes only remained on Kayla, who was attempting to hide her tremulous nerves. Suddenly Jeff was taken by the collar of his shirt and forced into the nearby wall. 

“You are going to stay away from Kayla from now on. And you ever threaten her again...I will make sure that the last thing you see are headlights...Are we clear?”

“She’s not worth it…” Jeff commented as he was released and forced from the back of the once sacred space as Devon now moved in her direction, but she moved beyond him, and out the back door. 

“You’re welcome, Devon?” He questioned her as she moved to the farther side of the small alleyway that then curved into a remaining section of parking for the restaurant. 

“You DO realize that every time you try to ‘help’ me, you just make it worse, right?”

“I thought we were on an understanding of respect at least...I mean...most girls would be appreciative that I-”

“You want me to say thank you for taking my credit cards and my ID? Making me drive in a car despite the fact I am deathly afraid of them? For threatening my ex-boyfriend who can single handedly ruin my life at the drop of a hat? Or the fact that I opened up to you about my father; moments I have never told another person, and you couldn’t get out of there fast enough?”

His eyes fell in realization. “Kayla, I didn’t know...”

“I don’t know how many other ways I have to tell you this, but I am not a fan of yours-in any sense. And I don’t want anything from you! So whatever you want with me...go pick some other girl who will actually fall for that bullshit...There...thank you.” Finalizing their interaction with these words, Kayla finished out her shift without another sight of Devon. But a portion of her had felt as though she had been impossibly cruel to him, while another part of her felt empowered. 

“That’s it….I am tired of men...I am tired of people in general...I don’t want to think for tonight. Are you coming or not?” Kayla asked Amanda as she held up two different cocktail dresses to signal that she intended to actually GO OUT as opposed to their usual version of this as having been coffee and a walk down the strip. 

“Finally!” Amanda spoke with excitement. “That's my girl!”