16 comments/ 53749 views/ 32 favorites Damn Ch. 01 By: fightfirewithwater Damn. Damn. Damn. My car would break down. What a fucking week. I am going to be so late. She banged her hands against the steering wheel and then groaned against the pain. A stream of curses flew from her lips as she continued her onslaught on the car. Nearly ten minutes passed and she calmed marginally enough to look around her car and stuff things into her oversized bag. She took a deep breath and got out of the car, slamming the door shut. Sitting down next to the car she switched her heels up for a pair of chucks. She sighed contentedly. Finally some relief from this crazy world. She stood up and dusted off her skirt and cast a glance back at her car. "Fuck." She shouted repeatedly as she kicked her car. It looked crazy; hell she was more than halfway there now. The looks the people walking past gave her, made it quite obvious she had reached and surpassed the crazy line. I can hear them now. She thought walking away hurriedly to her destination. Look at that crazy black chick, freaking out and kicking that car. Pulling out her cell she looked at the time. 2: 58 the clock seemed to taunt her. Shit I've got 2 minutes to make it to this appointment. She looked around for verification. And where I am it takes at least 5 in the car. She pulled out her phone and called the only person she could think of. "'Ello" the groggy masculine voice on the other line said. "Dylan are you still asleep?" she asked incredulously. "No. You can't prove it." He said a bit more coherently she laughed calming a bit. "How's my girl? Don't you have that interview today?" She growled into the phone. "Dylan.. this week has sucked. And to top it off guess what?" "Ooohh Kayla.. you know I love surprises what?" she imagine him sitting up on his bed in excitement wiping his black hair from his brow. "My car just broke down at least 5 minutes away, driving, from my appointment. Which I might add is on the 10 floor." "Ouch… Well.." His response was delayed by a feminine voice telling him to hang up and come back to bed. "Good luck with you interview." He said dismissively then hung up. Normally his liaisons and him hanging up on her wouldn't matter but today wasn't like any day. In fact it was probably one of the most important days of her life second to her wedding day which she was sure wasn't going to happen. She walked faster holding a death grip on her bag. Her life wasn't anything that she dreamed. At the age of 23 she had nothing but her Bachelors degree in Interior and graphic design to her name. Not having support from her family was a pain but she could survive. She felt a surge of anger well up as she quickened her pace while she remembered why she left home with nothing. She felt her fingernails digging into her palm and calmed down a bit. No thinking of the past. No thinking of the past. She chanted to herself. I think about enough at home. She glanced around her and there it was in all its' splendor. The Prescott building one of the biggest design firms in the country. It took her months to even get an appointment. But here she was standing at the doors. She checked herself in the windows reflection. I look run over but I'm late. She took a deep breath and headed in. ----- "Your appointment isn't there Alec. Maybe you should take that lunch you promised yourself." The motherly voice over the speakerphone said. Alec chuckled. "You as well as I know that I don't have time. In fact since my appointment is cancelled I have to attend the Bristol meeting." He sighed drastically. "And you don't need to keep checking to see if I eat." "Oh dear. Well I'll make sure you have food when you come back dear." The line clicked over. Alec chuckled again as the speaker clearly ignored him. His housekeeper Darcy was something else, always the mother figure. He sighed and ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair. He leaned back in his chair and mused Damn I was looking forward to missing that meeting. He looked across his office and sighed again. It felt more like a cage than a place someone worked. Many nights he spent there where filled with pacing like a caged tiger with nowhere to go. He hated this office, hell he hated the building. He'd rather be a janitor than have this job. A self-loathing chuckle escaped his lips before diminishing quickly. He could see it now splashed all over the tabloids. "Heir to the Prescott Company disowned, now a janitor". He sighed again. It seemed like sighing was the only thing he was doing nowadays. He stood slowly and headed towards his nightmare come to life. This meeting was important for the company, which would have been okay if it wasn't for the fact it was a Bristol meeting. He growled as he headed towards the door. Mr. Bristol would have been his father, if his parents had their way. It would have happened too, if he hadn't came home early to pick something up for a meeting. That day he walked into his bedroom and saw her, as naked as the day she was born, with the pool boy. He scoffed as he headed down the hallway past his secretary. G-d his ex was such a cliché and they weren't even married yet. "Oh Alec, darling." The voice called making him cringe visibly. He turned to face the owner of the nails on a chalkboard voice. He grimaced and tried to turn it into a smile. "Good afternoon, Miss White," he said hoping his voice didn't betray his thorough disgust at her being. She giggled shrilly. "Alec darling, how many times do I have to say, call me Bambi?" More like bimbo. He shook his head as he raked his eyes over her body. She was probably beautiful but he couldn't get over her fakeness. Everything about her was paid for. Bleach bottle blonde with extensive plastic surgery, and those damn acrylic nails. Okay so maybe he was being a bit judgmental but she made his blood pressure rise with every word, strike that action she did. Leave it to his father to hire the dumbest woman because she was beauty to society's standard. He probably hated her more for that, and the fact his father wouldn't let him fire her. "You know I cant do that. I like to keep professional courtesy in the office." He said gritting his teeth at the way she leaned forward giving him a good show of her chest. She might be dumb, but her chest was smoking. Her smile widened as she saw him glance down and strain to keep his eyes on her face. "Your 3 o'clock hasn't arrived yet." She said batting her eyes. Thank you Captain Obvious. "Did she call?" "She?" the smile slipped a bit. He wasn't sure how, he was pretty sure she had botox surgery. "Yes the designer I was going to interview. You booked her appointment how do you not remember that she was a she when you spoke with her?" there it goes again. He felt his heart pounding. "Ugh never mind." He said before she managed an excuse. "I'm going to the Bristol meeting. I should be back in an hour or so. Darcy is sending a lunch by for me. Please be sure to pick it up." She smiled slyly. "No problem Alec." He grimaced again and headed towards the elevator full speed. As the doors shut he pressed his button and leaned against the back and ran his hands through his hair. He checked his image in the doors reflection. He wiped imaginary dirt off his suit and took deep breaths. The door pinged and he headed off into the hallway to his destination he barely reached the double doors to the Conference room when he realized he forgot his suitcase. He turned and ran back to the elevator just in time to watch it shut and start it's decent to the lower floors. ------ Ping. The sound nearly made her jump out of her skin. Breathe. Just Breathe. She stepped in and pressed the floor number. She stared at her reflection in the door as it started its way back up the building. She sighed and started smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt. She didn't look too bad. The black skirt went a little past mid thigh; the shirt she wore was white with a black over-shirt with only one button buttoned. She couldn't even fix her hair, not that it needed to be fixed it was stuck in place, and thanks to the insane hair gel that Dylan gave her. The pixie hairstyle suited her oval face. It was the only thing that she wouldn't complain of today. The door pinged and opened. She couldn't tell if her mouth was open. She was hoping it was closed. She stepped aside to allow the man to enter. G-d loves me. She thought as she looked at the mans reflection. What is he 6'2 and he has blue eyes. Thank G-d for eye candy. She smiled a bit and closed her eyes as the elevator started up again. He sighed inaudibly as she shut her eyes. Now this was beauty. She was covered but her clothes hugged all the right places. About 5'4 he figured. His eyes slid over her body appreciatively. Damn. He thought as he gazed at her legs. She looks fit. A smile snuck onto his face as he gazed at her shoes. His gaze drifted back up and stopped as he realized her breathing was pushing her chest forward. A c-cup he figured. G-d I hope they're real. The elevator pinged again and they headed off down the hallway. She stopped abruptly and started to go through her bag. He smiled and continued on to his office and walked in. "Alec darling, back already?" "Just heading into grab my suitcase. I'm leaving soon after." He headed into his office and shut the door. He sat in his chair and relaxed a bit. After a moments rest he stood and grabbed his suitcase and stopped by his closed door as he heard an argument in process. "So are you saying Mr. Prescott isn't going to see me? Or are you just refusing to let me see him?" he heard the feminine voice say calmly. "You're late. You missed the appointment and didn't call. Try some other firm." Bambi's shrilly voice called. "What do you mean I didn't call?" the voice started to get exasperated. " I called you didn't answer. IF you had you would have known my car broke down. And I had to walk the rest of the way here." He could hear Bambi scoffing. " Well that excuses the shoes darling. But what of the rest of your… attire." "Listen hear Bimbo…" the voice said angrily enticing a laugh from Alec. "Bambi." "Bambi.. I call these clothes. You should look into it not everyone wants to see what your parents paid for." Alec chuckled deeply. I like this woman. He thought. He laughed even harder as he heard Bambi sputtering. At that he opened the door slightly. "It's okay Bambi. I can see her." He could hear her continued sputtering and struggled to keep his laughter silent. He went and sat back down. Victory I don't have to go to meeting. He shut his eyes and he heard a scuffle and the door slam shut. When he opened them he saw the woman from the elevator with her back to him. "Mr. Prescott, sorry about that display earlier. Every time I call I either get hung up on or it just continues to ring. It was immature and I apologize for my outburst." G-d let him believe I mean I'm sorry. I hate that woman. She turned towards him and gasped. He smiled. "NO worries. I've wanted to call her bimbo for ages. Best thing I've heard in a few weeks." He watched as she visibly relaxed. "Oh thank G-d." She said, "I hate lying." She smiled slightly as she saw him grin. She walked towards him and extended her hand. "Kayla Watson." He grasped her hand firmly, and she noticed how they seemed to fit nicely. "Alec Prescott." He released her hand and stared into her eyes. She cleared her throat. "It's a pleasure to be here for an interview." She said averting her eyes looking around the room at everything but him. "The pleasure is all mine." He drawled softly. Her gaze snapped back towards him and a small smile tugged at her lips. He sighed for the millionth time that day but this time not from stress. He looked her over again and smiled. The pleasure is definitely all mine. He thought. Damn Ch. 02 So this chapter continues the interview. And shows a bit more of Kayla and Dylan's relationship. * "Kayla Watson." He grasped her hand firmly, and she noticed how they seemed to fit nicely. "Alec Prescott." He released her hand and stared into her eyes. She cleared her throat. "It's a pleasure to be here for an interview." She said averting her eyes looking around the room at everything but him. "The pleasure is all mine." He drawled softly. Her gaze snapped back towards him and a small smile tugged at her lips. He sighed for the millionth time that day but this time not from stress. He looked her over again and smiled. The pleasure is definitely all mine. He thought. -- "Sorry, I'm late." She sat down trying to muster up a bit of a professional attitude. She crossed her legs and tried to sit as straight as possible. Think professional. Think professional. She chanted to herself. What I wouldn't give for a nap and some chocolate. And maybe a steak. Yeah I definitely want a steak and chocolate cake. "No worries, believe me." He said after a belated pause not stopping his eyes perusal of her body. Why does he keep staring? She shifted in her seat uncrossing and re-crossing her legs. She cast her eyes around the room to avoid his gaze. As she looked around, she almost shuddered. This room is depressive even with all the lights on. She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs and cast a glance at Alec. He unconsciously licked his lips and she felt her stomach clench in response. He was staring. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't seem to look away. When she first shifted to cross her legs he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of black lace and he was gone after that. His mind taking him to what he liked to call an explosive journey. He coined the term in college when he realized erotic fantasy was a bit to light for what his mind was working on. When she uncrossed her legs his mind took off full speed. He could see himself kneeling before her admiring her rich chocolate skin that was begging for his touch. He would start by pushing up her black skirt and kissing his way up her inner thigh. He would stop mere centimeters away from her heat. Close his eyes and breathe in the sweet scent of her arousal. She would shift in her seat slightly and bring her hands up to his head and bring him closer. He would kiss up and down on lace denying them what they both wanted. He'd place a kill on the center of her heat only to find that he could taste her on the lace. Alec drew in a raggedy breath and licked his lips as if he would find her taste on them. And then she did it again, re-crossing her legs. "Would you like to see my portfolio?" she finally asked after what seemed like hours. Honestly it was more like 5 minutes, but his almost non-existent blinking stare unnerved her. She shifted uncomfortably again. Do I really look that bad. She scoffed softly looking at him. I don't even think he knows I'm here anymore. She tilted her head a bit and confirmed her suspicions, his eyes looked glazed over. Yup, I might as well be the wall. "Mr. Prescott?" He wanted to pleasure her. Hear her moan his name as she rode his fingers, her hips pushing instinctively towards his lips. "Mr. Prescott?" her soft voice coaxed him back to reality. "Uh.. I'm sorry?" he shook his head as if to clear cobwebs. "What was that?" Cute but not too bright. Shame! "My portfolio." She explained. "For the interview." She cocked an eyebrow when it seemed he still wasn't listening. "You know I can come back because this obviously isn't a good time for you." Shit maybe I should sound more like an ass. Who's not getting this job. She sang sing-song like in her head. Meeeeeeee. "Not its fine." He cleared his throat. "I would love to see your work." She uncrossed her legs again and bent to reach into her bag. He really wished she would stop doing that. He couldn't help but stare at her legs every time she shifted. Then again a part of him really wanted her to continue. The part of him that he was desperately wishing down so he could actually concentrate on the interview. She pulled out a cd and two binders. As she walked over he was thankful for the distance between her and his desk, his heavy breathing probably would have scared her off. He took them as she handed them to him warily avoiding any further contact. She must have caught me staring hard. He smiled and did what he knew he was going to do after looking through her portfolio. "You're hired." The look of shock on her face almost caused him to laugh. He struggled to keep his face stoic as he watched the emotions flit across her face. There's confusion, there goes elation, quickly replaced by confusion, wariness, and there goes confusion again for the finish. She couldn't breathe, did he just hire her. He couldn't have, he doesn't even know what my work looks like. She eyed him warily again and scrunched up her eyebrows. "You haven't even looked at my work." He finally let out a chuckle. "Has anyone ever told you not to look a gift horse in the mouth?" She sighed and sat back down nodding. "Yeah and I thought it was as stupid then as it is now." She mumbled and the corners of his mouth twitched. "What was that?" "Nothing." He smiled inwardly. "Oh, I thought you said something." "No that was just me… breathing?" He looked away and tried not to choke on his laugher. So this beauty was a bad liar, which probably meant she didn't do it often. A blessed break from the blue-blooded sycophants he dealt with everyday. "I can go over your portfolio if it makes you feel better." He watched as she relaxed a little bit. She was still hired, but somehow he knew that she wanted to earn it. He flipped through a few of the pages of both binders. "Damn these are really good." "Thanks." "Well now that I have looked at your portfolio," she smiled slightly "I just need to get your name in the system and you'll be able to start tomorrow." She cocked her eyebrow again. "Isn't tomorrow Saturday? Do you really want me to start that bad?" she teased. "I meant Monday." He felt himself blushing slightly and turned to pick up the phone and called Bambi. "Hey please send Maria a message…..that she should be in my office first thing Monday morning…. First thing… 8:00am the time work always starts…." While he conducted the call Kayla felt light. These types of things never happen to her. She thought back and grimaced. They did but there was always a catch, a dirty trick somewhere waiting to ruin the happiness she felt. Upon her inner musing her cell rang. Dylan probably. Hopefully. She checked, it was. "Dylan… sweetheart." She heard the deep chuckle and smiled a bit. "Whatever you want…. I am not doing." Her smile widened. "I love you…" he laughed again. "Fine, what is it?" "Come get me and can you call Tim to come get my metal contraption from the street?" As her conversation continued, she neglected to notice Alec who had finished his call, staring at her. She has a boyfriend? He mentally kicked himself. It wasn't that hard do believe but, he wanted her. I better throw down some Prescott charm, come next week. As she ended her call, she noticed him watching her. "Sorry, I was just making sure I had a ride back from here." She smiled shyly not sure why she felt the need to explain herself. He nodded slightly. "Would you mind if I kept your portfolio over the weekend." He asked breaking the silence. He continued on when he noticed her brow furrowing. "It'll give me an idea of what I can expect from you… And some things could be mix and matched to the Prescott taste." Kayla walked towards Alec with a wide smile and stretched out her hand. "Thank you Mr. Prescott. I'll see you bright and early on Monday." He grasped her hand and nodded. "You're welcome. Good bye." He would have gotten up to see her to the door, but her smile of pure joy only managed to increase his dilemma. He watched her hips swish as she walked to the door unconscious of the feminine sway that had him glued to his seat. --- Kayla was so ecstatic she practically skipped out of the office and nearly ran into Bambi, who was standing a few feet from the door brooding. Feeling generous and more like herself Kayla blew her kisses and bounded for the door happier than she had been in years. As the doors shut she wiggled her fingers at the annoyed secretary and laughed at the evil glare she sent her. The elevator pinged starting its decent and Kayla couldn't help but dance spastically throwing her arms in the air screaming 'Yes'. She closed her eyes and kept up her elated act and missed when the doors opened on the last floor. After a few moments she noticed the lack of movement and opened her eyes. Only to stare into the shocked and slightly appalled faces of men in upper class business suits. "Hi." She said loud and awkwardly, pushing past them and laughing at their obvious distaste for her actions in a public area. Pushing past the exit she stepped outside and took a deep breath. She turned on her mp3 player and leaned against a parking meter, shutting her eyes waiting for Dylan to come and get her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand grasped her shoulder roughly. She spun around to confront whoever it was. The person was Dylan and his amused face made her angry. "What the hell. You almost gave me a heart attack you ass." She poked him hard in the chest. He laughed loudly and gave her his winning smile as he deflected another blow to his chest. She tried to glare harder but only managed to smile. She looked him over and smiled inwardly. He looked good, his black hair tousled about with the just rolled out of bed look, indicating he did just get out of bed. 6'foot, green eyes, and a smile that drove women crazy, it drove her crazy too, in a way that made her want to kick his ass up and down a block. "Don't smile at me you ass." She said trying to hold onto a bit of her anger. "Fine.. be that way." He pushed out his bottom lip pouting like a child. "I take it the interview went badly then?" he said sobering up and looking concerned. "Dylan…." She broke off wanting to postpone the moment. "Yes.." "I got the job." She said jumping up and down. "I got the job." She chanted laughing as she saw his shocked face. "Ah I told ya sweet.. I knew you could do it." His smile brightened his entire face and he swooped to grab her into a hug. He picked her up and spun her around until they where to giddy and dizzy to do anything else but fall on the sidewalk. They looked around and noticed the attention they brought onto themselves and laughed. Kayla grabbed his hand and headed towards his car. "You're taking me out to dinner and buying me a steak… and dessert… something chocolaty." She situated herself in the car and leaned her head against the window. "Aye, aye Capitán." He touched his brow in mock salute. "And since I'm buying you have to keep up the dinner conversation. I want to know all about how you charmed your way into a job at the prestigious Prescott Firm." With that he started the engine and drove them back to their apartment. -- Alec groaned and let out a deep breath after she left his office. He didn't even know her and she was wreaking havoc on his body. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. I wonder if they have a Guinness record for the most amount of unconscious sighing. I would totally win. He thought ruefully. He glimpsed at his table and ran a hand over her binders. She was really talented which was great. Not so great that she had a boyfriend or whatever. He waited a while before he walked over to the window and opened up the shades to see if he could still see her. Well not just see her, he wanted to size up his competition as much as one could cast first impressions of someone from the 10th floor of a building. His eyes searched the sidewalk in front of the building. He almost gave up, but he finally caught sight of her, and at that moment he really wished he hadn't even opened his window. He watched as the man, Dylan, picked her up and swung her around on the sidewalk. He would have laughed when he saw the people avoiding being hit by the spinning couple if he hadn't felt like an empty weight dropped in his stomach. He wanted to look away, but it was like a car crash, he couldn't help but stare. The rest of the scene unfolded before him, and he watched as she grabbed his hand and rushed towards the car. That did it. He officially hated Dylan, and decided under no circumstances was he to call him anything other than 'that guy'. "Alec darling." Bambi's voice rang over the intercom interrupting his thoughts. He cringed, he really hated when people called him that. "Yes Miss White." "I wanted to remind you of your dinner tonight at Amante Di Alimento. You're reservations are at 6:30." "Thanks." "You're welcome darling." He couldn't remember booking a reservation for there. In fact he didn't need to, he was the proud owner of that restaurant. It was one of those things he did subtly, when he was younger, as to not raise alarm to his parents. Food places, according to his father, were not part of the Prescott legacy and would never be. On another note he couldn't even remember the last time Bambi gave him an accurate time and date. She only ever did that when he had to meet…. "Shit!" he said heading out of his office. He'd have to go change and get ready; he was on his way to an interrogation. -- Dylan was true to his word and took Kayla out to one of the best restaurants in town. It was not everyday that his best friend gets an amazing job and to top it off, is happy. Over dinner he watched her as she sat across from him eating and relating all of her day. Effectively placing the 'really now's, 'seriously's', and 'you're shitting me's'. He could tell by the way she Kayla said Alec's name that he had already managed to get under her skin. He was glad that she was happy. He didn't think he could handle her breaking down again without attacking someone. As he listened to her he couldn't help but feel that she got hired for more than her artistic talent. "… And I laughed and pushed through them. And that's my story." Kayla finished finally breathing. She smiled dreamily. He didn't know that he was spacing out until he saw her fingers snapping in front of him. "What? What is it D?" Shit. How do I bring this up gently? "He just gave you a job? Without looking at your stuff?" "Yeah… I said that." Kayla said eyeing him. "And he was staring." "Yeah… I also said that." The tone of her voice belayed her annoyance. "I think he hired you cause you're…. how shall I put it" he snapped his fingers as if a light bulb went off in his head. "Innocently sexy." He smiled as she glared daggers at him. "What?" he shrugged his shoulders. "It's true." Kayla felt her anger bubbling. "So I'm not talented, is that what you are saying. Sometimes Dylan I just want to…" He shook his head and stuck out his hand to stop her tirade. "All I'm saying is you have no idea when you do things that a guy likes." She opened her mouth to speak. "No KayKay" he said using his other pet name for her. "I am not hitting on you. We know how well us dating turned out." It was his turn to glare at her as she snickered. "And you are talented. You know you're like my little sister… from different parents, which is great because I can give you back." She smiled. "I just don't want you to get hurt again." "Dylan, I don't want to talk about it. Can you at least pretend to be happy for me?" Her sad face almost broke his heart. Kayla stiffened waiting on his response. He felt like an heel trying to get her to talk about the past. He knew it would make her feel better but she never did. "God KayKay, I'm happy you're happy I swear. But I'm doing my brotherly duties. Besides its been a while since I've had to kick some ass on behalf. I must be going through withdrawals." At this she smiled brightly. "That's it Kayla smile." She laughed and tossed a spoonful of water at him. "There's my little hellion." Suddenly it hit him. He knew exactly what to do to figure out what Alec wanted. "Kayla darling.." he said in a sugary tone. "No Dylan. You are not going to work with me on Monday." Damn. How does she always know what I am thinking? This must be karma biting me in the ass. "But…" "No Dylan!" He pouted and started sniveling. "Don't you dare Dylan." She said her voice taking on a motherly tone. He let out a tiny sob causing the people around them to turn to see what was happening. "Dylan stop." She hissed, kicking him under the table. He started to sob louder and Kayla tried to ignore him. I am going to kill him. She stared at her plate trying not to notice the attention he was drawing. He started to sob louder. "I'm going to kill you." She hissed through clenched teeth. "B-b-b-but Kayla.." He let out a wail. "Fine.. Fine you can go. But just to let you know. My foot your ass when we leave here." He stopped immediately and smiled his eyes twinkling. "I should have been an actor." He blew kisses at her. "I hate you." Kayla sighed fighting a smile. "Say it!" "No" "Saayy it! Or no turtle cheesecake." Kayla gasped. "You cheat." "Say it." "Fine." She said exasperated slinking in her seat. "Dylan Adam Montgomery Jr. you are a god among men." "And." "And… I want to be as amazing as you. But since that's impossible, I'll just stick with following in your shadow." She glared at him as she spoke and watched as he mouthed the words along with her. "See, now was that so hard?" he said smiling and gesturing to a waiter. He whispered in the waiters' ear and sent him off. "You are an incorrigible ass." She laughed. Dylan couldn't have been happier Kayla had been through too much to not have good things happen to her. He shot her a smile. "What did you order?" she asked after a few moments of companionable silence. "There it goes." He pointed to the waiter coming back with a large covered tray. It better be cheesecake. She thought as the platter was placed down. Or I am really kicking his ass up and down the block. The waiter uncovered the platter and revealed an entire cheesecake in a box, and a slice on a plate. Kayla couldn't help it, she squealed and clapped her hands. Some women like diamonds, some like rubies, and I love cheesecake. Ah delicious artery clogging. Dylan smiled and watched as she ooh'ed and aah'ed over her cheesecake. Thanking him profusely. "Stop saying thank you. And eat your damn cheesecake so we can leave and watch one of your stupid Sci-fi movies." Kayla gasped dramatically and covered her mouth in mock anger. "You're just jealous, that you don't have a dragon for transportation." She tried to keep a straight face and failed when he started to shake his head. "See this…. This is why you are so lame. Now hurry up and eat." ---- The man sobbing a few tables behind his was annoying. But it was nothing compared to the inane ramblings of the woman sitting in front of him. "Can you believe that?" The woman asked Alec pointing her finger at the man openly crying. She tsked. "All that ruckus and in a public area." Alec ignored her finger ant turned back to the binder. "Mom can you please just pay attention instead of judging people." He grimaced and sighed. That would be 81 sighs. He pushed the binder closer to the older feminine version of him. "Look through the images and tell me what style you like." Damn Ch. 03 Sorry for the delay loves. Working and school kind of nipped me in the arse. Please take pity as you read through if you find any errors. It's a bit more difficult editing it yourself. This goes out to the anonymous commenter about the whole Dylan and Kayla situation. Nope I'm not going to do that again. But I felt it was needed. Its like reading the back of a movie and reading A girl falls in love with a guy and with the aid of her friend..... Well it was something that I thought was needed to be known. But I swear no more spoilers, just pure surprises. The ride home was silent and Dylan feared what would happen as soon as they got back to their place. He kept glancing back towards Kayla hoping to see any flash of emotion on her face, but saw nothing, not one glimmer of any emotion. He wished she would say something, anything. He cleared his throat hoping to gain her attention, and only received silence. He conceded. Silence it is. He drove as fast as he could back to escape the audible sounds of breathing and fingers tapping against the window. He was never more thankful to see their place in his life. "Dylan we need to talk." He barely heard her, he thought about ignoring her and rushing to his room instead, but that would only delay the inevitable. He turned towards her his eyes cast on the ground. The tension was palpable and he started to shift from foot to foot trying to brace himself for the verbal onslaught that he knew was going to be thrown at him. "Sit down." She said pointing to the couch. When he didn't move Kayla snapped. "God damn it, Dylan, I said sit. She moved to grab his arm and he flinched uncontrollably. Her heart tugged as she watched his face droop even more. Her anger quickly took over again when he didn't move to sit or even look at her. She started pacing in front of him. "You told me your parents where dead!" He didn't respond, he just looked away and stared at the rooms' décor. He finally started noticing how well the room was put together. Man is she talented. Kayla felt like strangling him. How dare he lie to her for over 4 years? She watched him avoid her and look around the room. Oh, she was beyond pissed. Today was supposed to be a good day. And unfortunately she didn't know what or whom she was more pissed at; Dylan for lying or Alec's mother for being such a bitch and raining on her parade. "Dylan!" he still was glancing around the room hoping she would quit talking. "Dylan, look at me or I swear I won't be held accountable for my actions." He snapped his head towards her at that. She wouldn't... he let the thought trail off in his mind. The uneasy feeling was even heavier. He almost felt like he couldn't breathe. "Dylan?" Kayla called a bit unnerved. She was wishing he would stop looking at her like that, in fact she was wishing she hadn't asked him to look at her. He looks like I just told him I killed his puppy.. on purpose. What is it about me that makes people stare off into oblivion? She watched his chest rise and fall rapidly, and his hands clench and unclench. She called his name over and over, only noticing that his breathing got faster. "Oh God.. Dylan..?" Why isn't he responding? She felt like crying she didn't know what was wrong. Her anger dissipated as her concern took the lead. "Dylan.. stop that... wake up or whatever or move... just anything." She shook his arm lightly and he twitched so hard she heard his shoulder pop. He couldn't hear her anymore. All he could hear was the angry drunken sounds of that man. Maybe if he stood still enough, he couldn't find him. The sloppy footsteps heading towards his door, made him shiver with fear. He didn't want to go to the hospital again, not like this. He felt his shoulder pop and mewled in pain. He braced himself for the assault of punches and kicks. "D. I am officially freaking the fuck out... so if this is a joke it is not funny at all." Kayla knew he wasn't joking, but it would have been a lot better than the alternative she was thinking. He was shivering in fear, a cold sweat had broken over his skin and she couldn't think of anything to do. She grasped his arm lightly and dragged him to the couch and forced him to sit down. She ran to the kitchen opening and slamming the cabinets shut. How do I not remember where anything is? "Fuck." She shouted as she filled two cups with water. She ran back towards the now seated Dylan and splashed one cup into his face. She almost cried for joy when she saw him come to. She launched herself into his arms forgetting about the cup in her hand and poked him in the chest. "I swear you do that again and I will kill you. You almost gave me a heart attack." He chuckled self depreciatingly and let her settle down on the couch next to him. She opened her mouth to speak and quickly shut it. She didn't think she could go through another one of those episodes. "What? You look like a guppy opening and shutting your mouth like that." She laughed and shook her head. "Nothing." Kayla figured that if that's what happened when she tried talking about his parents. That she was better off not knowing what the hell happened. "God you are such a bad liar." She kept her mouth shut. It was obvious whatever it was Dylan had an issue with it being exposed to her in this state or any state for that matter. "It's not important, lets just watch that movie." She moved to get off the couch and he grabbed her arm and jerked her back down. "If I tell, you tell deal?" Kayla shifted further away from him to the other arm of the couch. She wanted to know what happened to him, but not at the expense of telling her own stories. She shook her head viciously. "No? This is a one-time offer KayKay.... I'll show you my scars if you'll show me yours." "Fine" she nodded curiosity getting the best of her. "But you go first." Dylan blanched. He wasn't serious about telling her. He was hoping that she would hide behind her past so he could as well. Well shit.... Major shit. There was no way he could back out now. Not when he could finally figure out what happened to her. "See you didn't even want me to know." Kayla said shaking her head. "But I wont back down. So what do you want to know?" "Ohh you know D. why would you tell me your parents are dead? When they are obviously so alive." "Well I was emancipated finally at 16. And even before that I didn't actually think my parents where alive per say." "What?" "Well my fath... my moth...." Dylan took a deep breath to calm himself down. "My maybe sperm donor and incubator were not exactly parents of the year or ever really." "Maybe sperm donor? What? Can you use their names that's going to get tedious?" Dylan glared at her. "Whose story is this? Yours? Feel free to tell it to yourself then." She shook her head and gestured for him to continue. "Thank you now stop interrupting or I'll stop talking." He took another deep breath. "Well Dylan Sr. and Priscilla where the epitome of an arranged money marriage. Well Priscilla was, is.. a really big slut," Kayla gasped and opened her mouth to speak. "Damn it Kayla. This is my story do you want to hear it or not?" "Yeah sorry. Continue." "Well around the time of my debut as fetus Dylan, she was known to have several... activity partners including my fath... the maybe sperm donor. A couple of years later I think I was about 6 or 7 she got caught in a very telling situation and her activities where exposed. Of course the maybe sperm donor caught wind of it and started to drink heavily. He quit paying attention to me, what little he had done before anyways. And Priscilla, she stopped caring.. actually I'm not even sure she did. I know she cared I ruined her figure." "Jesus Dylan.. I'm...." He cut her off. "I'm on a role now.. so please don't stop me." She nodded and he continued. " It was years before he actually looked at me. I know I prayed that they would come around and take me out and give me those hugs that I saw other kids my age getting. But the day he actually paid attention to me, I don't think I ever prayed so hard to disappear in my life." Dylan paused. He had to reign in his anxiety, and the distraught look on Kayla's face was making it harder for him to do so. " I remember I was 10. It was my birthday actually. I just came back from all my tutors and raced in the house to see if this day I would actually see them. I fantasized that they would come and pick me up in a spinning hug or something corny like that. And they would have this huge celebration just for me, to make up for their neglect. All I saw was the butler and a few maids, and they all stopped and looked at me with pity and shook their heads like they always did to let me know that they we're not home." "I remember running to my room and crying for hours. You can't imagine what the does to a kid. How it fucks with their mind when they know that even their parents don't want them. But anyways, it was later that night. I heard him come in. I could tell something was wrong because all of our helpers where on edge when he stumbled passed them. I was standing by the railings and he did what I had been waiting for him to do. He actually looked at me, 3 years of waiting. All of our helpers had gone home. I raced down the stairs to see him. I didn't notice anything was wrong until too late. He reeked of alcohol and his eyes were all glassy. Then it hit me. He hit me. Over and over." Kayla reached and grasped his arm, and he shook her off violently. "Sorry don't touch me right now." She nodded slowly and he continued. " He just left me there broken, and bleeding, and went about like nothing had happened. Priscilla came in some time after he had stopped. And she just stepped over me like I was a part of the floor. She didn't call for help or anything just left me there. It wasn't until our butler found me the next morning that I was taken to the hospital. It's amazing what funding part of a hospital can do for you if you abuse a child. Apparently I was trying to skateboard down the stairs and failed miserably and broke a couple ribs, knocked out a tooth. "It gradually got worse and no one did anything to stop him. Well the butler did but he got fired immediately. The last time it happened and I was sent to the hospital it was sheer luck that the other doctor was out. This lady took one look at my charts and then me and called the cops and child services. God it was terrible. When I told them I was going to be emancipated, I almost died. That was all it took. The doctor got me a lawyer and they could either pay me off, or have the huge expense of a trial and lose all their credibility. So of course they did what they 'needed' to do." He took a deep breath he could hear Kayla crying. He felt that he should comfort her but hell he was feeling a bit teary eyed himself. He swiped at a renegade tear that ran down his cheek. "Dylan are you crying?" Kayla asked incredulously. Its not like he doesn't have a right but I've never seen him cry before. It's kind of like watching my parents cry. Only a bit more disconcerting. "No," he coughed to clear up his throat. "I just got a bit of dust in my eyes. That's all." Kayla smiled. "And you call me a liar?" "Anyways, that's about the time I met you. I figured it would be easier if people thought I didn't have parents, or money, or come from money. It was a lot easier to make that up than to tell people 'I got emancipated cause the people who birthed me thought I was a waste'. I actually forgot they existed up until about an hour ago." Kayla turned her head and swiped at the tears on her face. She couldn't speak. She thought her past was bad, but at least her parents where there for most of it. She wanted to strangle his father, or maybe sperm donor, and his mother, and Alec's mother. What the hell was it about those blue bloods that made them so pretentious? "Are you still upset about me lying?" Dylan asked when she didn't reply for a few minutes. His heart started racing, scared that the only person he considered part of his family would walk away from him. What he wasn't prepared for was her fierce punch to his arm. "What the hell?" "You know I am upset..." Fuck my life. "I am upset that for some reason you thought you could hide the fact that you had money from me. When you never held a job for more than a week. Ever. I'm upset that, that bastard is still breathing and that Mrs. Victoria stick-up-my-ass Prescott had the audacity to talk to you like that. Fucking rich people." Kayla looked at Dylan's confused face. "Minus you rich boy." "I prefer to be called King." She smirked "But now it's your turn KayKay. Show me yours cause I've showed you mine." Her smile slipped off her face. She pulled up her shirt and Dylan started to freak out. "What the hell Kay, I'm pretty sure me looking at your chest has got to be some form of incest." She paused halfway with her shirt still up. "No you idiot, sometimes I wonder about that brain of yours." She shook her head ruefully. "You showed me your scars now I'll show you mine." "What?" Dylan asked as she pulled up her shirt and stopped. "WHAT? What the hell is that?" Dylan jumped up from the couch and pointed at a jagged scar that rose from her side to middle ribs. "And the answer better be 'this is a birth mark' Dylan." "Yeah D, it is a birthmark." She smirked pulling down her shirt as he started pacing in front of her. "Did that happen the time you went missing for about a week and mom and dad pretty much went crazy?" "You got to tell your story without interruptions..." Dylan cast her a glance. "With minimal interruptions so let me tell mine." He nodded and kept pacing. "And stop that shit, it's making me nervous." "I'm making you nervous?" Dylan almost shouted out incredulously as he dropped into the couch. "You're kidding me. You just show me the mother of all scars and I'm making you nervous." Kayla gasped. She knew he was going to be an asshole about it. She stood up to walk away, surprised that she was surprised he was overreacting. "Sit down Kay Kay." He said grabbing her arm. " And I'll let you tell your story with as minimal outbursts as I can. Besides, you promised." Fuck. She sat back down and wracked her brain. Where would she start? Maybe I could tell the highlights of it and it won't be so bad. "Start from the beginning Kay." Dylan said staring intensely at her. "And don't even think about editing out parts. I want the whole dirty deed. No cliff notes here mon ami." "What?" "What do you mean what? Tell me what happened." "What does mon ami mean? Then I'll tell you my story." "Didn't you ever watch that X-Men cartoon back in the day?" She nodded her head. "Gambit says it all the time to Wolverine." "And that means what to me?.. just tell me what it means." "It means my friend. Now get on with the story." "See that wasn't so hard was it Dylan. That's all you had to say in the first place." Kayla said hoping to steer the conversation away from her. "Yeah I know. And start talking or not, I can wait all night. Its not like you don't live here too." After a while she still didn't respond. So he started snapping and humming the Jeopardy theme obnoxiously. When she still didn't respond he hummed louder and poked her in the shoulder continuously. "Damn it. Stop Dylan. I'll tell you." She slapped his hand away and twisted her body so she faced away from him. "So this all happened after I met Richard." She said still facing away but gesturing to her scar. "Super Dick?" Dylan growled out making Kayla laugh. He always hated that kid. "Yeah Super Dick. Anyways after he asked me out it was probably one of the best moments in my life and possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done. Every girl wanted him, well and you too of course." Dylan groaned. He hated that guy, he always tried to steal girls from him when they where younger. And for a while he stole the most important one from him. Fuck him... right in the ass.. with several sharp objects. Kayla turned her face towards the window. "I have to skip parts..." Dylan started to speak but she held out her hand. "The other parts don't really add up to this. Not really anyways. So remember when I went on that road trip?" Dylan nodded his head. He had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was going. Actually he knew it wouldn't end up anywhere close to the location he wanted it to be, seeing as it ended up with Kayla being scarred. "It was Richards idea. Travel around the US before we got settled." She scoffed and shook her head. "It was a pretty good idea. Until we went to a club somewhere in the boondocks of West Virginia. I'm not sure of the town but it was a decent club. I had left to go to the bathroom and when I came back Super Dick was all over this girl, or she was all over him. I dunno but from where I was standing, they were about ready to consummate their newfound love right there on the dance floor." She sighed and put her head into her hands. "I don't know what came over me but I saw red. All I was thinking as how could he, he loved me. I broke that bitches nose, gave Super Dick a black eye, and headed out of the club before the cops could be called." "Ah sweet, that brings joy to my heart just hearing that." Dylan said clapping for a bit. Kayla laughed quietly and immediately sobered up. "I wandered around for a little bit before I headed back to the hotel. I should have thought the entire thing out better, seeing as we were sharing a room. By the time I got back he was there nursing his wound with ice. I had calmed down a bit and had decided that I didn't want to be in a relationship with such a jerk." Kayla shut her eyes and leaned her head back against the couch. "He was being real sweet. Telling me how wrong he was and that he messed up. I almost fell for it again, until he brought out his handcuffs and knives." "What?" Dylan almost shrieked. "What?" he asked again after clearing his throat to make sure it was at the correct tenor sound. Kayla shrugged. "He was a bit into BDSM. And by a bit I mean a lot. Like scary into it." Dylan shuddered. For as long as he lived there were two things he never wanted to hear about, how the elderly in the homes still had it in them for sexual romps, and the fact that Kayla was naked ever, let alone deflowered. Up till now he was pretty sure he thought she took a shower with all her clothes on. "I kept telling him I wanted to leave. I may be a fighter, but its kind of hard to do anything when you're handcuffed to the head board and the person you're trying to fight off has at least 80 pounds on ya. I guess he thought it was all a part of the foreplay or something, up until there was some foot-crotch action. I kicked so hard I swear I heard a crunch." Dylan moaned and his hands subconsciously cupped himself as he imagined the sickening sound and pain. " He didn't even flinch, his eyes were blank, and his smile curved up into.. a half smirk thing." She shuddered and brought her hands around herself. " He started.... He started waving his toys in front of me and I started screaming. It wasn't like we hadn't done knife play before, it was the look he had in his eyes as he twirled them in front of my face. A couple of hits later I sure stopped screaming. He cut through my shirt the same time I tried to buck him off. And that's how this," she gestured to her side again. "happened." "He didn't....?" Dylan let the rest of the question slide. He felt murderous. Not that he wasn't planning on flaying Richard the next time he saw him. He just needed to know how long he was going to have to postpone the torture. Kayla shook her head as the tears poured down her face. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Damn Ch. 04 Sorry it has taken me so long to update. Life just popped up and bit me right on the rear. I hope it doesn't confuse too much. Believe me it is definitely going somewhere! Thanks for reading and all the feedback. Also many thanks to angelicsounds for editing this chapter for me! FightFireWithWater('Chi) "Hey Alec." Kayla turned and saw Dylan's smiling face. Oh that asshole. "It would be a pleasure if we could sit with you," Dylan said, acting way more gentlemanly than Kayla ever thought possible. "Oh trust me, the pleasure's all mine," Alec responded, gesturing to the seats, his eyes never leaving Kayla's. Here we go again, Kayla thought as heat rushed through her body. Round three, here I come. ------- Kayla sat down quickly next to Becca, fearing if she were any closer to Alec she'd either have a major panic attack or she would just molest him. And her thoughts were leaning towards the latter. "Hi," she said breathlessly to Alec. Oh hell, didn't I say that already? I don't know. Oh God strike me down now! "Soooooo," Dylan started after a long period of silence. Kayla kicked him swiftly under the table. "Ow! What? No one was talking and it was awkward." Becca smiled and stifled a giggle. The silence continued even after Dylan's attempt to strike up a conversation. It wouldn't have mattered to Kayla if anyone had been talking; all she could do was watch Alec's throat contract every time he swallowed. She licked her lips and cleared her throat nervously, drawing Becca's attention away from her food and onto her. "So Kayla, what is it that you do? And how did you manage to meet my dearest Scruffy?" "Uhhmm, Scruffy? Well, we met when he hired me. I'm a designer." "Really? Oh this is perfect, another art fag," Becca replied, smiling and clapping her hands jovially. "This means we have more than Scruffy in common." "Art fag?" Kayla asked. She wanted to be offended, but the smile on Becca's face didn't make the phrase seem like that big of an insult. "What is it that you design?" Becca waved off the question, asking one in its place. "Well, Alec hired me to do some interior design...." Kala trailed off as Becca turned towards Alec. "Ooohh, this is good! An employee, Alec? Whoda thunk? And what could you possibly need an interior designer for, mate?" He cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. "She's redesigning some rooms in the manor." "Oh... so your house is getting redone?" Becca asked her brows knitting in confusion. "I wouldn't think you would charge that work on company time." "No, if you recall, I don't live in the manor, or a manor, or anything that resembles a manor." "You're shitting me." Becca chuckled darkly, causing Kayla to study the pair more closely. "Oh, that's beautiful. How's your mum handling that one?" "Well..." "No way!" Dylan exclaimed, cutting him off. "No way in hell is Kay working for or around that...person you call mom." Becca snickered. "Actually he calls her mother, she detests the word mom." "I don't care what he calls her, there's just no way." "You know, that's exactly how I felt about my mum working for her," Becca responded, feeling her level of respect for Dylan rise. "Shut UP!!" Alec and Kayla said simultaneously, looking at their respective friend. "Damn, D. You'd think I was 5, the way you're acting. I'm taking the job. I need it." Dylan glared at Kayla and she whispered, "I want this job." "We'll talk about this when we get home," Dylan stated, dismissing her. Kayla let out a soft snort and glared at him. "No we won't, D. My mind is made up." She kicked him hard underneath the table, smiling when he winced. She pressed two fingers to her head, using the code they made up together so the other knew not to push any further. Dylan snarled and glared at her, but kept quiet. An angry Kayla meant a bruised shin and some surprise ipecac in his food. Alec turned to Becca. He bet it was payback for talking about the 'love of her life'. "What's with you, Bec? Has something happened in fantasy love land that's made you such a b—?" "Stop, ok. I'll stop teasing." Alec raised an eyebrow and Becca glowered. "Fine, I meant being a complete arse." "Great now that's that settled. You," Kayla pointed to Dylan, "shut up, just in case you didn't get it the last time. And you," she pointed to Alec and almost sighed as she watched him visibly gulp. "How long will I have to work with her? Do I actually have to see her or talk to her, or hell, be within smelling distance of that nauseating perfume of hers?" Becca snickered. "And you, stop laughing. Honestly, I feel like the only adult in a room full of children." This is it. I feel it. I'm about to be fired, Kayla thought. Obviously the universe is out to get me. I must have been a terrible person in a past life.... I wonder if you can get fired before you even start. "Oooh, somebody's cranky," Becca whistled softly. "It's too early for this crap," Kayla said, shyly ducking her head as Alec's eyes perused her body. Dylan checked his watch. "It's almost 11, sweet. Sorry to say you've been munching on food for hours now." "Well, I just had cheesecake. It's too soon after that for any anger." "Why can't I get cheesecake for breakfast? I asked and you said no," Becca whined as she chucked a piece of egg at Alec. Alec sputtered and was saved by Dylan. "Because, sweet over here can kick my ass up, down and around town. Plus, she just got a job. That calls for two days of spoiling." "Three." Dylan grimaced at Kayla's sly smile. "That angry face you had on earlier tacked on an extra day, my dear," Kayla informed him. "Oookay, three days, I guess." Alec watched the banter between the two friends desperately trying to keep a soft smile on his face. He shifted uncomfortably and sighed. That's one. As continued to shift, he realized that, surprisingly, it wasn't to adjust himself. He watched the smiles spread across Kayla's face, lighting up his world. Just once, he wanted her to look at him that way. Hell, he would even settle for a smile at someone behind him, just so he could get the full glow. That guy...er, Dylan, he mentally chastised himself, seemed like a decent guy. Alec wondered if he could snag a few ideas about winning Kayla from him, well, if Dylan didn't want her for himself. --- Janet was excited as she headed back to the table. Who wouldn't be, with that attractive man sitting there? Her pace slowed as she got closer. Two more people, she thought, I should get more menus. She came to a stop when she realized exactly who the extra two were, her mind reeling. She poured her heart out to friends of Dylan? That was just her luck. She reached the table and plastered on a huge fake smile. "Is everything alright? Do you need anything?" she ground out through clenched teeth. "Oh, it's fine, thank you," Becca replied. Janet had turned to walk away when Becca spoke again. "Oh, sweetheart, it was the truth." Janet's back stiffened and she walked quickly towards the back. She couldn't deal with this shit any longer. She headed into the break room and slammed the door behind her. She let out a frustrated scream as she plopped into a chair. No more of this crap. She went to her manager and turned the table over to someone else. She headed out the door and snagged a cigarette from her purse. Before she could reach for her lighter, a man held one out. "Here ya are, gorgeous." The man peered down at her as she inhaled deeply and let out a billowing cloud of smoke. "What's got you so down?" Before she knew it, she was ranting and raving about her day. She barely even noticed when the man snarled as she mentioned Kayla and Dylan's names. When she finished, he handed her a card and smiled. It was then that she realized how gorgeous he was with his buzz cut blonde hair, brown eyes and chiseled face. "I know just the remedy for that." He looked her up and down and licked his lips. "There are plenty of ways to make him pay." She smiled and looked down at the card. "Rick?" "That's me, baby doll, and you are?" "Janet." She sighed as he brushed his lips across hers. "Always nice to put a name with such a gorgeous face. Don't worry Jan, I know just the thing to bring Dylan to his knees." "Well... I'll.. I'll call you," she said breathily and walked towards her car. She hummed as she pulled out of the parking lot; her day was starting to look a whole lot brighter. ------- "What was that all about?" Dylan asked after watching Becca smirk at Janet's exit. "Nothing," she said smiling, her gaze rolling over him. If she weren't currently seeing Richard, she'd probably fall all over Dylan. "So Kayla's an art fag... then what do you do, Dylan?" Other than being fine... Dylan cleared his throat. "Uh.. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. You could say I'm a connoisseur of sorts." "And that means?" "I'm into several.... business ventures." "Oh, so you work the stocks and the like?" Dylan cleared his throat again. "Yeah... that's it. So, Becca, what..." A phone ringing interrupted him. Becca's hand snagged her phone and as she looked at the caller's name, she smiled dreamily. Alec stared at her harshly, feeling the desire to vomit rising. It was the douche bag, he'd bet his life on it. He could tell by the way her eyes twinkled and the right side of her mouth curved slightly into a smile. "Don't answer it, Bec." He hoped his voice lacked the pleading tone he heard in his own head. He sighed when she rolled her eyes at him and placed the phone to her ear. That's two. Alec stabbed angrily at his meal. His hands gripped the utensils tightly as he heard her promise to meet him in an hour. He was shaking his head fervently by the time she hung up. Kayla looked from Alec to Dylan and mouthed, "What?" Dylan shrugged and rolled his eyes, giving her a look that said, 'How the hell should I know?' "Seriously?" Alec sighed after Becca hung up. That's three. "Did you just make plans with someone else after you woke me up at bumfuck o'clock?" Becca shrugged and seemed to shrink into her seat. Kayla squirmed uncomfortably; she knew that look. It was the same look Dylan gave her every time she gushed about Richard. She glanced at Dylan, hoping to catch his eye so they could leave. But his undivided attention was on Becca. "I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks," Becca said defensively. "You can't possibly hate him that much." Alec's hands clenched tighter around his utensils. The pain of the metal biting into his hand kept him from jumping over the table and smacking the mess out of her. "I swear, Alec, he's not that bad. Ri---" Alec's glare cut her off. If she said that douche really truly loved her one more time, he was going to go beyond thinking up inventive ways for him to die and actually kill the son of a bitch. And while he was at it, he would knock some much-needed common sense into Becca. Hell, that would be a headline he would keep in his cell, 'Prescott heir murders one and beats the other'. "I can't fucking believe you would do that. Aren't you going to be here tomorrow and the day after that?" His voice dropped an octave and had a hint of deadly calm. For that moment, it seemed like the entire world stopped to brace itself in anticipation of the immediate explosion. Kayla found herself holding her breath, and wondering if the others were as well. "You haven't seen me in months and now you're going to run off with...." Alec took several deep breaths, his voice seemed as quiet as a whisper as he strained to maintain his calm. "You're really going to leave and run off with the biggest douche this world has ever seen?" "Leave it alone, Alec," Becca's stern voice slapped at him. Her eyes and mind pleaded with him to take the hint and back off. How dare he humiliate her in front of Kayla? Screw Kayla. How could he do that in front of Dylan? Her thoughts slowed. Dylan? Now how'd he slither his way into her thoughts? "Why?" Alec asked harshly. "Captain...." He took a breath and rethought his words. "Captain Douche can wait." The sound of a masculine snort jolted him out of his angry haze. He turned and looked in the direction that the noise had emanated from. Shit! How could he have forgotten that Dylan and Kayla were there? Well, I just took a giant leap in the opposite direction, Alec thought as he watched Kayla shift awkwardly. "Thanks for breakfast, Scruffy," Becca said shoving back from her seat, and heading swiftly to the exit. "Fuck." Alec watched the door swing shut behind Becca. "Captain Douche, you say?" Dylan asked after he watched the angel leave. Alec snorted in response. "Captain Douche is probably the dumbest, albeit nicest, thing I've ever called him. She tends to get more upset when I call him the cock-sucking scum of the universe." Dylan chuckled darkly. "I know how you feel," he said as he jerked his head towards Kayla, "She used to date the biggest prick on the planet." Kayla smiled uncomfortably. Please, if there is a God let me spontaneously combust. Her discomfort heightened when Alec cocked his head to gaze at her, as if he was gauging whether she could really bring herself to date some lowly asshole, like Becca had. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as he turned away. "I swear if Becca talks about him one more time..." Alec broke off and growled deeply, the corners of his mouth twitching as he imagined Richard in several deadly scenarios, ones that pleased him to no end. "Trust me, when I see that prick..." Dylan trailed off as well. What the hell? Kayla thought to herself. She hoped this wasn't some sort of freakish, male bonding time where they just bash their friend's exes or, in Becca's case, current boyfriend. If it was, she needed a leave fast. Now would be the time for a movie-style get away. All I need is the Knight Rider car to crash in through the front, do a 360, and swing its car doors open so I can dive in. As the silence continued her thoughts progressed, or digressed, she couldn't tell. Before she could rationalize her thoughts, Dylan's phone rang. The shrill noise startled them out of their silent reveries, and as he rose, he cast a hopeful glance at Kayla and wiggled his eyebrows. He retreated to the shadows, his voice a low fading hum. "She'll get out of it," Kayla said softly after Dylan left. Her heart broke as she watched the emotions play on Alec's face before he schooled his features. She'd seen that look, all those looks, whenever Dylan talked to her about Richard. "Yeah," he sighed. That's four. He felt the tension ease from his shoulders when she smiled. "But it's how she'll get out of it that I worry about." In that moment, Kayla felt a warmth surge through her. What she wouldn't give for someone to love her as fiercely as Alec loved Becca, but in a less platonic manner, and for that someone to be Alec. She watched his fingers slide nimbly around his fork, toying with it. God, he had great hands. She wondered if they were slightly rough. Would he run his fingers down the inner parts of her thighs, teasing her before they delved into her depths? She let out an involuntary moan, catching Alec's attention. "Are you ok? You look a little flushed." Mortified, she looked around for Dylan and let out a sigh of relief to see him coming back. God bless his timing, saving her from trying to come up with another terrible lie. "Oh no," Kayla groaned as Dylan walked back towards them, his face downcast. "What?" Alec asked, glancing from Kayla to Dylan. "He's pissed. This is not a good sign. It's way too early for anyone to be angry, or awake for that matter." Alec checked his watch. 11:30 is too early? Before Alec could respond, Dylan came and slammed his hand down on the table. He picked up a spoon and started twisting it angrily between his hands. Alec gulped. Note to self, never piss off Dylan...ever. "Damn it, I have to go." Dylan stated. His face was flushed and his eyes flashed angrily. He placed the spoon back on the table in a deformed state. "Then let's go, D." Kayla pushed back her seat and started to stand. "NO," he growled, startling her so much that she fell back into her seat. "I can't take you to go get your car. Fuck. I ... I can't take you with me. I gotta go." Kayla and Alec watched in disbelief as Dylan practically charged out of the restaurant. "I'm not even going to lie," Alec said as he glanced at the mutilated spoon, "a pissed off Dylan is really intense!" Alec let out a breath and smiled as Kayla chuckled softly. "Yup." She smiled, thinking of all the guys Dylan had scared off just for her. Slowly, the grin faded away. "I've never seen him like that before. God, I hope..." her voice trailed off. Please don't let him kill Richard today, God, she thought. "So, you got any plans for today?" Alec asked. Please don't let her say no to going out with me. Kayla chuckled richly. So, she's laughing at me. I'll take that as a no. "Well, darling," Kayla leaned in conspiratorially and said in a stage-whisper, "seeing as our other plans fell through, I think we should have a crap-ton of fun to spite them." Alec bit back a groan as his gut clenched. The way the word darling rolled of her tongue made him wonder what it was about Bambi that made it sound unmanning. And sweet mother of God, she said yes. He placed down some bills and reached for her hand. Oh shit, she said yes. Where do we go? What do we do? Don't panic... Breathe! He inhaled deeply. Alec led her to his car and Kayla let out a startled laugh. "What?" he asked, his eyebrow lifting in confusion. "Why, Mr. Prescott," Kayla drawled as she looked from his car back to him, "now I know you're just a regular person. You drive a Toyota?" "Get in the car," he growled playfully. "And keep your eyes closed till I say so." He shut her door and practically skipped to the driver's side. Alec slid into the front seat and exhaled deeply. Please God, let the rest of this day go by smoothly. The engine turned over and he pulled out of the parking lot. "Why must I keep my eyes closed?" Kayla asked, her hands covering her eyes, as she felt the car smoothly pulling onto the road. "It's a surprise." As he spoke, Alec racked his brain. Oh God, oh God. Where can we go? I have no clue. I did not think this through. "What if I hate surprises?" He inwardly groaned. Now why didn't he think that was an option? Think fast. "Not this one," he said as he figured out where they were going. Alec turned up the music a bit and continued to drive. Kayla leaned back into the seat and shut her eyes. The silence wasn't as disconcerting as she thought it would be. It gave her time to think and check things off on her mental list. Caring.... check... Funny.. check... Good taste in music.... check... Attractive... she peeked to look at him. Check and check. She settled back into her seat and enjoyed the ride. ----- "Don't open your eyes yet," Alec said as he pulled the car into a spot. He reached in the backseat and pulled out a tie. "Turn a bit." She did so without hesitation and gasped slightly as the silk slid across her eyes. "What's this for?" "So you can't cheat... wait here for a second and let me get your door." Alec bolted out of his side and gave himself a pep talk as he slowly walked to her door. "Be a gentleman... be a gentleman." He glanced down at himself. "That means you too. No sudden appearances."