“Wait. Let me show you.” I tapped the screen a few times until a photo of her standing by the ocean appeared, the very first one of her that caught my eye. She was wearing a flowing black strapless top and shorts. Her long brown hair was blowing in the wind, and she was wearing sunglasses. I stared at her for a moment, smiling like an idiot. “Here’s the first picture I ever saw of her.”
“She’s beautiful, Kayden. I love her hair,” Tom said to me as he moved his face closer, trying to get a better look.
“Her hair caught my attention first. She’s not only beautiful but smart as shit, dude.”
“Is she going to come here?”
“I’m working on it. That’s why I’m taking all these damn photos. She’d love it here,” I told him while switching back to camera mode.
“You’ll do it. You’re a persistent bastard,” Tom said, handing me a drink.
I wouldn’t give up. I was never a quitter. I knew whatever this was between us was worth the work. Sophia was the type of girl who deserved to be courted, and I was working my ass off to maneuver my way under her skin.
5
Sophia
The Big Leap
Iheldmy breath as I hit send. I finally caved. I didn’t know if I was going crazy or was just so horny that all reasonable thought went right out the window.
Me: I’ve decided I’m going to come to New Orleans to see you.
Summer was slipping away, and so was my chance to meet him before I had to go back to work. When the school year began, everyone wanted to swap stories about their summer trips. As of this moment, the only place I’d been was the community pool. I wanted that great story, the excitement.
Kayden: Seriously?
Me: Let me know when you can get off work, and I’ll be there.
“Hello,” I said, picking up the phone on the first ring. I’d expected him to call immediately when he finally realized I wasn’t full of shit.
Deciding how long to stay in New Orleans wasn’t easy. Most of the time, I set the first meeting to last a couple of hours or over a cup of coffee, but I agreed to a long weekend.
I’d have my own car and a means to exit the city—and his life—if it didn’t work out, which put my mind a little bit at ease. I wanted to get to know him, and it would be nice to reminisce about home with someone who actually knew the places too.
“I can’t believe you’re really coming,” he said.
It would be a long drive, and I wanted time to relax and enjoy myself before having to do it again to head back to Tampa. I hoped that the trip and our meeting wouldn’t be a disaster.
Kayden had made it clear in our early conversations that he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend—he was finished with relationships. He’d been burned by women too many times and wasn’t eager for it to happen again. He wanted a physical relationship with someone but not an emotional connection or a girlfriend—although, I felt a shift in his attitude toward me. I was seeking excitement, and he promised just that.
“I told my brother that I’m coming to see you.”
“What’d he say?”
My brother remembered him but made a few phone calls to check him out since it’d been fifteen years since they were in high school. If he gave me the all clear, I’d finally pull the trigger and head to New Orleans.
“He said he had a call to make and immediately hung up on me,” I replied.
“Do you think he’s calling some of my friends?”
“No doubt—knowing my brother, he’s looking for any red flags.”
“I have to tell you something.” His voice had changed, and the playfulness had vanished.
“Okay,” I said and scrunched up my face. Nothing good ever came after that statement.
“I was arrested a while ago, and I’m on probation right now.”
