Love and Lies (Small Town Secrets Book 1), page 5
“Thank you.”
“Now eat your cake.” Dad raised his eyebrows, surely ready to tell me not to be sassy. “Please.” That was the first time I’d ever ordered my mother—but she at it and raved about it, giving me two seconds with my thoughts so I could wonder what the hell Scott had been up to.
* * *
That Friday, I came in to work ready to work a short shift, but Ed stopped me. “Casey, can you close tonight?”
“Sure.”
“Do you think you’re ready to cook by yourself?”
“You mean on the grill?”
“No, I mean on your stove at home.”
I wasn’t about to let his sarcasm stop me.
“Yes!” I’d been waiting for that moment. I didn’t know if my colleagues were ready, but it didn’t matter.
“Okay, but first I need you to do some prep. Lunch decimated us, and I’ve got Jim working later until you can take over.”
So, lucky me, I got to prep hamburger garnishes. It was boring fucking work. I had to slice tomatoes and onions with the big slicer and then put a lettuce leaf on the bottom, followed by a tomato and onion slice, and topped with three or four dill pickle slices, and I had to make three layers of the damn things on a tray.
But I got to be in the driver’s seat tonight, so I was excited.
I was doing the prep work in the area behind the part of the kitchen where we cooked, near the dishwasher and where the salad prep staff worked. I was off in my own little world, slicing tomatoes, when Wendy and another waitress, a woman I’d estimated to be in her early forties, came inside after their break outside in the back. They were whispering as they walked through and paused at the door that led to the dining room—and I couldn’t help but overhear. Their hushed voices commanded my attention.
I acted like I was working my ass off—but my ears were the body part straining.
“Yeah, he’s really good with kids.”
“When he saw my Jenny last year at Ed’s birthday party, he played and played with her. Some kind of card tricks. And I’ve seen him with babies. You’re right. He’s so fucking good with kids.”
Wendy’s voice got a little louder so I didn’t have to strain so hard. “When was that?”
“You know…Ed’s birthday party last September—at the park.”
“How old is Jenny now?”
“She’s almost six.” The other waitress moved toward the break room. “Have you set your sights on him?”
“I did a long time ago, but Jim ruined all that.” Was she talking about who I thought she was talking about? “I don’t know, though. After the last few weeks, I think I still might have a chance.”
The other waitress finally entered the break room, but I could hear her say, “Well, Wendy, Scott’s a nice guy, but he has a lot of growing up to do. Give him time.”
I felt my heart beat harder, faster. But why? It wasn’t like I’d made it known to anyone that I was interested in Scott.
And was I?
The jury was out but, if I wanted the guy, I now knew I had competition. But Scott didn’t care about me anyway, so it didn’t fucking matter.
“The right woman can take care of that, you know,” my rival said as they walked back toward the dining room.
Completely distracted, I almost cut my finger on the slicer, so I decided I needed to pay more attention. Worrying about Scott could wait.
A while later, I gladly sent Jim home and took over the kitchen. Ed peeked in but he didn’t need to worry. It was still slow and I could handle a couple of burgers and fries by myself. Scott came in at five, wrapping a black bib apron around his waist.
“So you’re in charge tonight, Casey? How’s that feel?”
Why did my heart warm to his voice? “It’s kind of nice.”
“So where do you want me?”
Right now, at this very moment, I almost wanted him up against the wall with my tongue in his mouth—but I’d already decided he wasn’t worth the effort, hadn’t I? “I don’t know. Where would you like to be?”
“I always like the grill. It’s a little more challenging. But you need to practice.”
“How about sous?”
“You got it.”
I finished up the order I’d been working on and called, “Order up!”
Scott was arranging his station while I ran the grill brush over the grates. His voice cut through my thoughts like a sharp blade. “Hey…you got any plans tonight?”
My heart started thudding in my chest and, if my hands hadn’t been occupied, they would have started shaking.
Wendy who?
But I wanted to be cautious. Assuming anything could make me look stupid, so I responded as my usual snarky self. “Yeah…I’m closing, remember?”
He gave me a grin, and I could tell he appreciated my smart-ass response. “Yeah, I didn’t forget. I meant after.”
I couldn’t help myself. “After work, I plan to shower. I usually smell like greasy shit after I leave here.”
He sighed. “You like to make it hard on a guy, don’t you?” He got into the refrigerated unit, acting like he was counting steaks, but I suspected I knew better.
“I’m sorry, Scott. I was just kidding around. I don’t have any plans after working and showering.”
He didn’t make eye contact, but he said, “A few of us are gonna be at a party tonight. I thought you might want to join us.”
“Sounds fun.” God, I hoped I didn’t sound too eager.
He left the kitchen then, but not a minute later he came back with a piece of paper. “That’s the address. It’s a few miles out of town, but if you don’t know where that is, Google should get you there.”
“How late is it gonna go?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. At least till eleven.” Even closing, I should be able to spend a little time with Scott. “So you’re coming then?”
I wouldn’t fucking miss it—but I needed to sound cool and calm. “Yeah, I’ll be there. I just don’t know when I’ll get there.”
“Newbie. It could take you hours.”
In a playful mood, I stuck out my tongue. “Very funny.”
The smirk he gave me in return melted my core.
David came in for his shift around six and for two hours, the three of us had fun laughing and joking, even though we worked our asses off. Time had never passed so quickly at Bob’s. Soon, both men were doing their pre-closing duties, leaving me alone to finish up.
When he was done, Scott pulled his apron off and said, “See you later, okay?”
He really wanted me there. Wow.
I nodded, stuffing the giggly girl deep inside. She’d embarrass the shit out of me if she escaped. David asked, “Casey’s comin’?”
“Unless she just lied to me.”
My mouth gaped as if in disbelief. Scott grinned and David said, “Way cool!” Then he tackled me with a hug.
Nearly giddy, I couldn’t remember when I left Bob’s if I’d done everything right closing down the kitchen. But my brain was somewhere else.
I went home and showered before carefully choosing my outfit. The clothes I wore at Bob’s weren’t flattering in the least, so I needed to show off my assets a little bit. I chose snug blue jeans with rhinestones on the back pockets, a camouflage baby doll tee that fit like second skin, and cute silver sandals. When I walked out to my car, I nearly squealed. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this excited about anything.
Chapter Seven
I knew, stepping out of my car, that this would be my kind of party. Scott hadn’t been kidding about the location being outside of town. It seemed far removed from civilization—probably a good idea, considering the music blasting out of the house was loud, almost concert level, and neighbors in town wouldn’t have tolerated it.
It was great music, though, and it again made me wonder how much David and Scott talked about me. Scott and I had never discussed music, but David knew I loved hard rock and heavy metal and we shared a lot of favorites. Had he told Scott my proclivities?
I parked out on the dirt road, because there were lots of cars lined along it, the driveway of the large home already filled beyond capacity. But even though this house was out in the middle of nowhere, the lights around the home belied that. It almost looked like a hotel.
As I got closer to the house, I was able to make out the notes of the song, and I identified it as something I’d heard before, but it wasn’t something I was completely familiar with. It was a metal tune, but the metal I listened to wasn’t as heavy as it could get. What I was hearing had an industrial thrash sound—perfect for a party.
I walked up the steps to the front door. There was a deck there swarming with people, and I was sure that, during the daytime, the views were spectacular. Winchester was nestled right up against beautiful green forests, and breathing in the crisp country air out here made me see my old home with fresh eyes.
The front door was open, but the screen door was closed. I let myself in, because there were people everywhere, moving in and out freely. The place was packed but I didn’t recognize a soul. I did notice, though, that the music was quieter inside, so I figured the music was being played outside. I made my way through the crowd toward the back of the house. I saw people with plastic cups full of beer, too, and I figured I’d get something to drink later, but first I wanted to find the music…and see if I could spot anyone familiar. Scott and David were here somewhere; I just needed to find them.
When I got to the kitchen, I saw past all the bodies a sliding glass door that led outside. The music changed and this time I recognized the tune. It took me a few seconds, but I finally realized it was Lamb of God’s “As the Palaces Burn.” But…it wasn’t off their album. And it wasn’t exactly Lamb of God. The music was live. I was hearing a cover. Holy shit. I was at a way cool party with a band playing, and now I was bummed I’d missed part of it. As I walked out the door onto another deck, I joined one lone guy standing above the crowd. He was looking across the lawn at a band rocking out with lots of people swarming around them. I asked him, “Who are they?”
“Oh…they’re local boys. They call themselves Pain and Agony.”
“Nice. How much have I missed?”
“They just started playing half an hour ago or so. They’ll probably take a break here in a little bit and then play for another hour. That’s what they usually do.”
“This is a great cover.”
“Yeah, it is.” He stuck out his hand. “Name’s Keith, by the way.”
I shook his hand. “Casey.” I looked across at the band, and I noticed first the huge amps around them, explaining why this concert seemed as loud as one at Red Rocks. The lead singer had gorgeous long brown hair and he was doing a great death metal scream. “So…where’s the beer?”
Keith chin-nodded down the deck where there were three kegs and a cluster of people. “Right there.”
“Thanks.”
He walked with me down the length of the deck while I waited for someone to hand me a cup of beer. “So, Casey, are you here with anybody?”
I glanced at him. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy—closely cropped blonde hair, steely brown eyes. But I wasn’t interested, nothing against him. “Not exactly. But I was invited by someone, and I’m looking for him.”
Keith nodded. “Well, if you can’t find him, hunt me down and I’ll show you a good time.”
Ooh. Pre-marriage Casey might have taken him up on the offer, even with a guy waiting in the wings, but I didn’t do that anymore. I nodded and smiled, thanking him, but I made my way toward the steps and onto the ground. I kept looking around for Scott or David and couldn’t see either. Maybe they’d already left, but I had the feeling I hadn’t even seen half the party yet. I figured I’d check out the band for a while, because David was bound to be near the music—and, when I got tired of looking, I could text him. For now, though, I wanted to hear more of the band. They didn’t sound exactly like Lamb of God, but there was no denying they were awesome.
I got closer to where the band was, and there were lots of people surrounding them. I was having a hard time getting closer, although, if I’d been willing to spill my beer, I probably could have gotten up close faster. If I’d rubbed up against the right guys, I could have advanced more quickly, too. But that was part of what was taking me so long—I was still on the lookout for my fellas, and I couldn’t see them anywhere.
The band finished playing Lamb of God and the lead singer started talking. He had a nice voice, smooth and rich, and I hadn’t expected that after the death-metal-type scream he’d been rocking. “Okay, guys, you’ve been listening to our specialty all night—covers of some of our favorite bands. But now we’re gonna play an original tune for you, something we like to call ‘Fuck You’.” I almost started laughing, because that was definitely metal but blatant.
So the band started up…the song had an insistent, hardcore beat right off the bat. I liked it and I wondered why these guys were playing in this rinky-dink town instead of going to the big city where they could really draw a crowd. I swallowed a large gulp of beer and thought, To hell with it. I became a little more aggressive about making my way through the tight-knit mob surrounding the band and, at last, I wound up at the inner circle. There. Now I could see these guys.
Wow. So fucking cool. The lead singer had the crowd enrapt. Now that I was closer, I could appreciate how hard these guys were working…two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer all working their asses off. But…wait a fucking minute. What the hell? The drummer was—I felt a shiver crawl up my spine and wrench me at the base of the neck—Scott. Holy fucking shit! He’d never said anything about being in a band, and he hadn’t even mentioned it when he’d invited me to this little shindig.
I froze. Scott was maniacal on the drums, beating out the kind of rhythm usually demanded by speed metal. God…no wonder his guns were so well defined.
And, loving metal music, seeing Scott in a band solidified my crush on the man. Hot as hell, a bit of playfulness, some sweet tattoos I’d barely seen, and he played in a band? I was fucking smitten and ready to jump that boy’s bones. Any hesitation I’d felt before was gone.
I couldn’t pull my eyes off him. Jesus…he was really good. I wondered what the hell he was doing flipping burgers at Bob’s. He was intense, really into what he was doing. His hair was matted against his forehead by sweat, and every time I felt a cool breeze, I was sure he was grateful. Or maybe he didn’t even notice. He was so focused, it wouldn’t have surprised me.
As the song ended, the lead singer shouted out a long thanks and started introducing members of the band. It was then that I noticed Scott’s eyes were scanning the crowd. The giggly girl hidden inside me squealed with delight, waiting to see the look on his face when he spotted me. But the singer called Scott’s name before he could finish looking around. At the mention, Scott stood and bowed his head while the crowd (myself included) went wild. Of course, we cheered for each band member, but I personally gave a little extra for the guy I now lusted over.
The lead singer said, “We’re gonna play one more song and then take a break. So, folks, could you give us a direct line to the beer when it’s time? Otherwise, our break’s gonna last a long time and you won’t be able to say shit about it.” While he was talking, Scott started scanning the crowd again. His eyes found me and, sure as shit, they lit up. I smiled and waved and he pointed a drumstick at me to acknowledge me.
I thought I was going to die. Did he know what he was doing to me?
Then the band started playing Machine Head’s song “Locust” and Scott joined them a few bars in.
I didn’t take my eyes off him, and I was pretty sure he could tell my eyes were glued to him. God, I hope I wasn’t making him nervous. At the same time, I wanted him to have the satisfaction that he’d gotten my attention on a huge level.
I’d never realized how long the song was until I had to wait impatiently for it to end. But it did finally and the band set down their equipment to get some refreshment. Scott walked over to me, though, instead of heading for the kegs with his bandmates. I asked him, “Did you want to get some beer?”
“Hell, yeah.”
So we caught up to the other band members and made our way back to the deck where all the beer was. The crowd had parted, just as the singer had asked, to make room for them. “Why’d you keep this such a big secret?”
Scott chuckled. “What? The party?”
From one smartass to another, I had to give him a good comeback. “Yeah…I’m wondering why you didn’t tell me about it weeks ago. I could’ve lined up a date.”
He must have liked my stupid joke and dry delivery because he laughed again. “I dunno.” But then he gave me a real answer. “I don’t talk about it, but everybody knows.”
“Yeah…everybody except the new girl. And…”—he looked over at me, eyebrows raised—“I suspect you wanted to surprise me.”
The smile never left his face. “You might be right.” We started walking up the steps to the deck. “So…what do you think?”
I tried not to over-gush. I needed to be cool, even though my tendency was to go all batshit fangirl on him. But spazzy was not sexy. “You guys kick some serious ass.”
Scott looked skeptical. “Not just saying that?”
“No way. The music’s not exactly my cup of tea…”
He frowned as we got close to the keg. Someone was filling up cups for all the band members, and they were passing them down. “If I had a dime for every girl who said that…”
“No, don’t get me wrong. I like it. I love it actually. Your music’s just a little harder than my usual.”
He raised his eyebrows and took a cup overflowing with beer. “Thanks, man.” Scott looked at me again. “Yep, I’ve heard that one too. What kind of music do you usually listen to?”
“Hard rock, metal. Just not as heavy as what you’re playing.”
