“And to think I came in here to be the ‘forward’ person you were expecting.”
“When you decide to stay in this town, give me a call.” There’s no humor in my words. I’m as serious as a pig looking at a plate of bacon. My heart isn’t capable of handling more destruction in this one lifetime, so unless I’m sure that a chick isn’t wearing me like a temporary fashion trend, I’m all done with getting involved. No matter how damn good a kiss is.
“Oh, you’re not a risk taker. I get it,” she says. “I suppose there is no real good reason to let life just play out on its own, I guess.”
“You’re right. There isn’t.”
“Then why did you kiss me?” She tries to cross her arms over her chest in a movement of frustration, but she realizes it’s not possible to comfortably manage with her cast, so she drops her hands by her side. That kind of makes me feel bad for her. She can’t even be pissy in a proper manner. “Well?” It’s been a second since she asked me the question and I get that I’m not fast enough for her, but damn, she is up my butt, and I’m cornered in a locker room of all places.
“I only kissed you in case the opportunity never came up again,” I tell her. “So, it’s a good thing I did what I did, wouldn’t you say?”
“Ah, the risk factor. It makes sense.” Scarlett takes a couple of steps back, and I’m debating every single decision I’ve made about her. I know why I’m single. I know why I can’t find the right woman. I know all this, but nothing changes. The outcome will always be the same. “Except, why would you care if the opportunity to kiss me never came up again?” She releases a groan of frustration and sweeps her hair off her shoulder. “You know what, Austin? If you don’t take a risk, you don’t stand the chance to win or lose, and that’s just sad.” Scarlett moves across the room quickly, grabbing ahold of the door handle to leave.
“Is that what you were thinking when you went walking through the woods with four-inch heels?”
She snickers and points at me with sarcasm oozing out of every feature on her cute face. “That’s the best comeback you have? You’re a funny one. Seriously though, itwasa nice kiss to hold onto. So, thanks for that I guess.” With the door partially open and a foot into the hall, she turns back once more. “Oh, and just so you know, I’m not the type to make life changes for any man. I make them for me, and that’s whyI’msingle. So, if you thought your sexy tan, ripped ab muscles, and tats were going to be the reason I stay here, you’re a little cockier than I thought.” Holy shit. She’s me, but she doesn’t know it. “Bye, Austin.”
When the door shuts, I throw my shirt on, change my pants, and I’m out of the locker room within thirty-seconds of Scarlett’s dramatic, but impactful goodbye.
I don’t do this.
I don’t go after a woman just because she’s got a sassy mouth and says all the right things at the wrong times. So, I don’t know why the hell I’m doing it right now.
“Go get your girl,” Daisy yells as I jog by the desk.
“Will you quit your yappin’?” I shout to her.
I walk out through the emergency room sliding doors where the sunset is blazing down on me, causing a glare I can’t see a damn thing through.
“It’s okay, Austin, I can be a little cocky too.”
I spin around, looking for where her voice is coming from. I almost miss her while struggling to see through the blinding light, but I find Scarlett casually leaning up against the brick wall next to the doors.
“Cocky as in, you knew I’d be leaving work at the same time you walked out, so you figured you’d just wait a minute to see if I would, in fact, follow you?” I say.
“No,” she laughs, regaining all that control she once thought was gone. “Cocky as in, I know you like me. I know you know I like you, but we’re both too stubborn to consider something good is happening.”
I walk over to her, holding my back to the sun, shielding us from the surrounding glare. “Good things don’t happen in my life, Scarlett.”
“Why?” she asks.
“They just don’t.”
“Telling me that good things just don’t happen to you isn’t a good answer,” she argues. This woman sounds so knowing and sure, yet she has no clue what she’s talking about.
“Fine. If you don’t like my answer, what should it be, then?” I ask.
“Your answer should be, ‘Because something good hasn’t happened … yet.’”
Pretty, smart, and a hellion—just my type. Lord, am I in trouble … “Maybe you’re right.” Did those words just come out of my mouth? It’s like she made me say it. She’s an evil little thing.
“I know I am,” she says, confidently. “I’m going home. You can stop me if you’d like, but I’m not giving you what you want.”
“What do you think I want?” I ask her, taking another step closer.
“To escape whatever loneliness you’ve brought upon yourself.” If she had any clue how true her statement was, she might not have even said it.
“You have a lot of words to say, but what I don’t understand is how a risk-taker like yourself is basing a life decision on some self-imposed thirty-day trial. What kind of person follows a thought process like that?”
