The Lucky Ones - Chapter 3
Yeah I know I haven't posted anything on this in awhile. I have about 5 stories I am currently working on and that is a little too much at the moment. But I promise that I am trying to work on them....
He made a half hearted protest as she stole another one of his fries, but they both knew he didn’t mind. A man who won that much money in one night could afford to be a little generous.
“Do you play the track often?” he asked before taking another swig of his beer.
“No, not usually. Only if I’m short of cash.”
“Well when you can make money like that...” Alcide stopped and stared at her making Caitlyn squirm in her seat.
“What?”
“You didn’t go back to the betting booth the second time. I was placing your bet, wasn’t I?” He felt his heart sink as he thought back to how they had both placed five dollars on OughtaBePresident in the first race, but how he was the only one betting in the second race. He only had $255 after all. Damn it, he knew it was too good to be true.
“No, that’s all your money,” she assured him.
“But you didn’t bet. Some hot tip if you aren’t going to risk it yourself,” he shot back.
“I don’t need the money,” she shrugged as she looked out the window. The whole thing smacked of a hand out and his pride reared its ugly head. Resentful, he stood and threw twenty dollars on the table, and walking away. “Where are you going?” she called from behind him.
“I don’t need your charity,” he growled over his shoulder.
“But I drove,” came the bewildered reply and Alcide stopped in his tracks.
God damn it.
*&*
“So are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole way back?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, hating to acknowledge that he was acting like a two year old. “I just...I can take care of myself. And Janice. We’re...just in a rough patch right now.”
Caitlyn nodded. “I can understand that. When I left Ireland, I had nothing but the clothes on me back. I cleaned houses for awhile, waited tables, but couldn’t really make ends meet until I applied at Janice’s shop. She’s been kind enough to take me on while I’m just starting me schoolin. I’d really like to do anything I can to help her out.”
Alcide uncrossed his arms. “I know that she can use the help,” he admitted.
Caitlyn nodded solemnly. “And I’m guessing a few more dollars in your pockets wouldn’t do you any harm either. I heard you say you might have to sleep in your truck. What if someone steals it?”
“No one would take that rig with me in it.”
“I’d take it because you were in it,” she teased and he felt a grin tug at his mouth in return. Damn it felt good to be flirting with a woman again. Especially one that was small enough to tuck in your pocket, with masses of red hair. “So besides your truck, where are you hanging your hat these days?”
“I have an apartment on Cripinuck.”
“Stony River?” She asked in surprise. “I’m in building three.”
“Building 12, in the back of the property.” He stretched his arm across the back of her seat and felt his heart kick up a notch when he noticed her surpress a smile. “Looks like we’re neighbors.”
“Looks like,” she smiled back at him.
*&*
“You don’t have to walk me up.”
Normally Alcide would have taken the hint, but she had be acting off since she dropped him back at the shop. When he tried to steal a good night kiss she blushed and smiled, but ducked underneath his arm and got back in her car. He would have thought he was just playing hard to get, but when he parked outside her building instead of continuing on towards the back of the complex, she seemed uneasy and was most definetly trying to get rid of him.
First she saves his finances, then flirts...now wants him to get lost?
“I’d feel better if I knew you got home safe,” he replied, walking with his hands in his pockets at an arms length away. He didn’t want her to think he was being a creep. But if she was married, he damn sure wanted to know now.
“I’m fine.” She walked to her door and stopped. “Good night.”
“Good night Caitlyn,” he leaned against the railing and waited for her to open the door.
She searched his eyes for a moment and he felt like a dick for some reason as he saw her eyes grow sad and then she opened the door.
A teenager with blonde hair sat on the couch playing a hand held game. “Hey Stephanie,” Caitlyn called, and the teen looked up.
“Oh hi Miss Caitlyn. She’s been asleep for about two hours. She had dinner and then went down like a dream.” Caitlyn nodded and fished some of her winnings out of her pocket and handed $100 to the girl. “Oh wow, thanks!” The young woman walked out of the apartment, stopping when she saw Alcide and glanced back at Caitlyn. “Well, have a good night.” The girl headed down the stairs and Alcide heard another apartment door open and close beneath them.
Caitlyn looked back at him from the doorway and her resigned expression tore at him. “So I understand if you just.....” she shrugged her hands helplessly, “want to head for the hills now. It’s fine.”
Alcide frowned. “Why would I do that? You think I can’t handle this? I love kids.”
“You aren’t the first man to say that and then mysteriously lose my phone number.”
In a bold move, Alcide stepped forward and kissed her hard. It was a thank you for her help, but it was more than that. She roused his passions, his protective streak. For a man like him, it was an intoxicating combination. And on top of all that - he genuinely liked Caitlyn. “I’ll be at the shop on Friday and I’m taking you out for dinner, ok?”
“Ok,” she whispered back.
He made a half hearted protest as she stole another one of his fries, but they both knew he didn’t mind. A man who won that much money in one night could afford to be a little generous.
“Do you play the track often?” he asked before taking another swig of his beer.
“No, not usually. Only if I’m short of cash.”
“Well when you can make money like that...” Alcide stopped and stared at her making Caitlyn squirm in her seat.
“What?”
“You didn’t go back to the betting booth the second time. I was placing your bet, wasn’t I?” He felt his heart sink as he thought back to how they had both placed five dollars on OughtaBePresident in the first race, but how he was the only one betting in the second race. He only had $255 after all. Damn it, he knew it was too good to be true.
“No, that’s all your money,” she assured him.
“But you didn’t bet. Some hot tip if you aren’t going to risk it yourself,” he shot back.
“I don’t need the money,” she shrugged as she looked out the window. The whole thing smacked of a hand out and his pride reared its ugly head. Resentful, he stood and threw twenty dollars on the table, and walking away. “Where are you going?” she called from behind him.
“I don’t need your charity,” he growled over his shoulder.
“But I drove,” came the bewildered reply and Alcide stopped in his tracks.
God damn it.
*&*
“So are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole way back?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, hating to acknowledge that he was acting like a two year old. “I just...I can take care of myself. And Janice. We’re...just in a rough patch right now.”
Caitlyn nodded. “I can understand that. When I left Ireland, I had nothing but the clothes on me back. I cleaned houses for awhile, waited tables, but couldn’t really make ends meet until I applied at Janice’s shop. She’s been kind enough to take me on while I’m just starting me schoolin. I’d really like to do anything I can to help her out.”
Alcide uncrossed his arms. “I know that she can use the help,” he admitted.
Caitlyn nodded solemnly. “And I’m guessing a few more dollars in your pockets wouldn’t do you any harm either. I heard you say you might have to sleep in your truck. What if someone steals it?”
“No one would take that rig with me in it.”
“I’d take it because you were in it,” she teased and he felt a grin tug at his mouth in return. Damn it felt good to be flirting with a woman again. Especially one that was small enough to tuck in your pocket, with masses of red hair. “So besides your truck, where are you hanging your hat these days?”
“I have an apartment on Cripinuck.”
“Stony River?” She asked in surprise. “I’m in building three.”
“Building 12, in the back of the property.” He stretched his arm across the back of her seat and felt his heart kick up a notch when he noticed her surpress a smile. “Looks like we’re neighbors.”
“Looks like,” she smiled back at him.
*&*
“You don’t have to walk me up.”
Normally Alcide would have taken the hint, but she had be acting off since she dropped him back at the shop. When he tried to steal a good night kiss she blushed and smiled, but ducked underneath his arm and got back in her car. He would have thought he was just playing hard to get, but when he parked outside her building instead of continuing on towards the back of the complex, she seemed uneasy and was most definetly trying to get rid of him.
First she saves his finances, then flirts...now wants him to get lost?
“I’d feel better if I knew you got home safe,” he replied, walking with his hands in his pockets at an arms length away. He didn’t want her to think he was being a creep. But if she was married, he damn sure wanted to know now.
“I’m fine.” She walked to her door and stopped. “Good night.”
“Good night Caitlyn,” he leaned against the railing and waited for her to open the door.
She searched his eyes for a moment and he felt like a dick for some reason as he saw her eyes grow sad and then she opened the door.
A teenager with blonde hair sat on the couch playing a hand held game. “Hey Stephanie,” Caitlyn called, and the teen looked up.
“Oh hi Miss Caitlyn. She’s been asleep for about two hours. She had dinner and then went down like a dream.” Caitlyn nodded and fished some of her winnings out of her pocket and handed $100 to the girl. “Oh wow, thanks!” The young woman walked out of the apartment, stopping when she saw Alcide and glanced back at Caitlyn. “Well, have a good night.” The girl headed down the stairs and Alcide heard another apartment door open and close beneath them.
Caitlyn looked back at him from the doorway and her resigned expression tore at him. “So I understand if you just.....” she shrugged her hands helplessly, “want to head for the hills now. It’s fine.”
Alcide frowned. “Why would I do that? You think I can’t handle this? I love kids.”
“You aren’t the first man to say that and then mysteriously lose my phone number.”
In a bold move, Alcide stepped forward and kissed her hard. It was a thank you for her help, but it was more than that. She roused his passions, his protective streak. For a man like him, it was an intoxicating combination. And on top of all that - he genuinely liked Caitlyn. “I’ll be at the shop on Friday and I’m taking you out for dinner, ok?”
“Ok,” she whispered back.