Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire

  He crossed his arms across his chest. "You're doing too good of a job. Hazel was bitching that you weren't there, and then Calvin started in, too."

  "Did you at least take up for me?"

  "What did you want me to say? Shut the fuck up, Hazel! She's a terrible worker and I don't want her here!"

  "A real friend would have."

  Trenton shook his head. "You make no fucking sense. But I think I like it."

  "Thanks, I think." I pinched the cherry off my cigarette and stepped on it. "Back to work."

  "Always," Trenton said, following me back inside.

  Blia returned to the front kiosk, and then Jorie came up to relieve Raegan. Trenton was working on his fourth bottle of beer by the time Raegan returned, and he seemed more irritated after every drink I made.

  "You okay?" I asked over the music.

  He nodded but didn't stop staring at his intertwined fingers resting on the bar. I noticed for the first time that his T-shirt featured two pale bluebirds, above the words DO YOU SWALLOW? His many tattoos complemented the shirt and distressed jeans, but the pink, white, and purple plastic bracelet didn't.

  I touched the plastic with my index finger. "Olive?"

  He turned his wrist a bit. "Yep." Even the mention of his best friend didn't cheer him up.

  "What's up, Trenton? You're acting weird."

  "He's here."

  "Who's here?" I said, squinting while I shook another cocktail.

  "The preppy douche bag I tossed out of Skin Deep."

  I glanced around, and there he was, just a few feet down from Trenton's left, flanked by Jeremy and Kylie. She was in another short dress, only this one was gold and a lot tighter. "Just ignore him. We're having a good time tonight."

  "We are? I'm sitting here by myself," he snapped.

  Clay smiled at me, but I looked down, hoping not to encourage any snide comments from him that would set Trenton off. No such luck.

  "Look, Jeremy! It's the bitchy secretary!" Clay said. He was drunker than he was in the tattoo parlor.

  I looked for Kody, but didn't see him. He was likely at the entrance, where the fights had been breaking out. Gruber was on the west wall, where scuffles were also known to occur. Tuffy was on break, so Hank was probably at the entrance checking IDs and taking money.

  Clay still hadn't seen Trenton, but Kylie had. She had one arm around Clay's back, and one hand on his stomach, the tip of her ring finger tucked into the waist of his jeans. Even though she was draped against Clay, she kept her eyes on Trenton, waiting for him to notice her.

  "I'll take a bottle of Bud, Bitchy! And you're not getting a tip, because you kicked me out the other night."

  "Want me to do it again?" I asked.

  "I can take you into a dark alley and bend you over," he said, weaving.

  Trenton tensed, and I put my hand on his. "He's plastered. Give me a sec and I'll have Kody escort him out."

  Trenton didn't look up at me, he just nodded, his knuckles white.

  "I'm not in the mood for your shit tonight. Go order from the kiosk."

  "Beer me, bitch!" Clay said, just before he noticed whose hands I was holding.

  Trenton left his seat, barreling through a few people.

  "Trent, no! Goddammit!" I jumped over the bar, but not before Trenton got a couple of punches in. Clay was already on the ground, bleeding. I fell on my knees and covered my head, covering Clay with my body at the same time.

  Jorie screamed over the music. "Cami, no!"

  When nothing happened, I looked up, seeing Trenton standing over us, his fist shaking and high in the air. Kylie was standing next to Trenton, looking down on us. She was simply spectating, not the least bit concerned about Clay.

  Kody and Raegan were standing next to me when I stood up, and Kody helped Clay to his feet. Jorie pointed to Clay, and Kody took him by the arm.

  "All right. Let's go," Kody said.

  Clay yanked his arm from Kody's grasp and wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

  "You want to go again, sunshine?" Trenton asked.

  "Fuck you," Clay said, spitting blood on the floor. "Let's go, Kylie."

  Trenton pulled Kylie against his side and pointed at her. "Is this your girl?"

  "What about it?" Clay asked.

  Trenton grabbed Kylie and leaned her back, planting an open kiss on her mouth. She kissed him back, and for a few seconds they were both more than enthusiastic. Trenton slid his hand down her side and then cupped her ass with one hand, keeping her neck in the crook of his other arm.

  My stomach dropped, and just like everyone else, I froze until Trenton stood her upright and gently pushed her toward Clay.

  Clay made a face, but he didn't react. Kylie was more than pleased, and turned to give Trenton one last flirtatious glance while Clay dragged her by the hand toward the entrance. Kody followed them out, but not before making a what the fuck face to Raegan, and then to me.

  It wasn't until then that I realized every muscle in my body was tense.

  I approached Trenton and pointed at his chest. "You pull that shit again, and I'll have you thrown out of here."

  One side of Trenton's mouth turned up. "The punching, or the kissing?"

  "Is your ass jealous of the amount of shit that comes out of your mouth?" I said, walking around the bar.

  "I've already heard that one!" Trenton called back. He grabbed his beer off the bar, and then strolled over to the pool tables like nothing happened.

  "Not to piss all over your parade, sister, but you look angry," Raegan said.

  I began washing mugs like I hated them, because in that moment, I hated everything. "I couldn't stand him in high school, and I can't stand him now."

  "You've been hanging out with him a lot for someone you can't stand."

  "I thought he'd changed, but apparently not."

  "Apparently not," Raegan deadpanned, popping the top on three beer bottles, one after another.

  "Shut up, shut up, shut up," I chanted, trying to drown out her words. I didn't want him, anyway. What did it matter to me if he was a man whore who stuck his tongue down someone's throat just to piss off her boyfriend?

  The fast pace behind the bar continued, but fortunately the fights died down just before last call. It was always a huge pain in the ass trying to get out of there when the whole place broke out into a brawl at closing time. The lights came on, and the crowd dispersed. For once, Kody and Gruber didn't have to go into asshole mode to get the stragglers out. Instead, they politely encouraged people to leave, and Raegan and I closed down the bar. Lita and Ronna walked in with brooms and other cleaning supplies. By 3:00 a.m., the bartenders were all ready to leave, and per policy, Kody and Gruber walked us to our cars. Walking Raegan out every night and filling those short moments with subtle charm was exactly how Kody had finally convinced her to let him take her on a date. Gruber walked me to the Smurf, both of us pulling our coats tighter to ward off the cold. When Trenton's car, and then Trenton standing next to it, came into view, Gruber and I paused at the same time.

  "Need me to stay?" Gruber asked quietly as we continued walking.

  "What are you going to do?" Trenton hissed. "Nothin'."

  I wrinkled my nose, disgusted. "Don't be a dick. You don't get to be an ass to guys who are mean and nice to me."

  "What about those of us who are both?" he said, his eyebrows moving in.

  I nodded to Gruber. "I'm good."

  Gruber nodded, and walked back into the Red.

  "You're drunk," I said unlocking the driver's-side door of the Jeep. "Did you call a cab?"

  "Nope."

  "One of your brothers?"

  "Nope."

  "So you're walking home?" I said, pulling on the shiny red bottle cap opener key ring sticking out of his jeans pocket. His keys came along with it.

  "Nope," he said, smiling.

  "I'm not driving you home."

  "Nope. I don't let girls drive me, anymore."

  I opened my ca
r door, and then sighed, pulling out my cell phone. "I'll call you a cab."

  "Kody is going to give me a lift."

  "If he keeps taking you home, you're going to have to make it Facebook official."

  Trenton laughed, but then his smile faded. "I don't know why I did that. With her. Habit, I guess."

  "Weren't you the one talking about nasty habits earlier?"

  "I'm a piece of shit. I'm sorry."

  I shrugged. "Do what you want."

  He looked wounded. "You don't care."

  After a short pause, I shook my head. I couldn't bring myself to lie out loud.

  "Are you in love with him? Your guy?"

  "C'mon, Trent. What is this?"

  Trenton's face compressed. "You and me . . . we're just friends, aren't we?"

  "Sometimes I'm not sure if we're that."

  Trenton nodded, and then looked down. "All right. Just checking." He walked away, and I huffed in frustration.

  "Yes," I called out to him.

  He turned, watching me expectantly.

  "We're friends."

  A small smile touched his lips, and then it spread into a full-blown grin. "I know." He shoved his hands into his pockets as he strolled across the parking lot like he owned the world.

  Once he hopped inside Kody's truck, my stomach sank. I was in trouble. Big, disastrous, Maddox trouble.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Still no word on Thanksgiving?" I hated asking, but he wouldn't mention it if I didn't, and at that moment I was nearly desperate to know. I was beginning to forget what it felt like to be near him, and I was getting confused about things I shouldn't be confused about.

  T.J. didn't make a sound for several seconds. He didn't even breathe. "I miss you."

  "So that's a no."

  "I won't know until the day before. Maybe the day of. If something comes up . . ."

  "I understand. You warned me. Stop acting like I'm going to throw a tantrum every time you can't give me a straight answer."

  He sighed. "I'm sorry. It's not that. I'm just worried the next time you ask, and I answer . . . you're going to say something I don't want to hear."

  I smiled against the phone, wishing I could hug him. "It's nice to know you don't want to hear it."

  "I don't. It's hard to explain . . . wanting this promotion and wanting to be with you just as much."

  "I get it. It's not easy, but it's going to be okay. We won't always have to miss each other. We just have to get over the tough part in the beginning, right?"

  "Right." His reply was immediate and without hesitation, but I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

  "I love you," I said.

  "You know I do," he said. "Have a good night, love."

  Knowing he couldn't hear, I nodded, but it was all I could manage. We hung up without discussing Coby, or my second job, or that I'd been spending so much time with Trenton. My weekend tips had helped my brother pay most of one payment, but I worried it would just be a matter of time before he dropped out of his program.

  I slipped a long-sleeved lacy black top over my head and fought with a pair of my favorite ripped jeans. Then I dabbed on some lip gloss before running out the door before I was late for my Friday night shift at the Red.

  As soon as I walked into the employees' entrance, I knew something was off. Everyone was dragging ass, and the bar was quiet. Too quiet. Normally I would treasure that first hour before everyone poured in through the doors. Friday was ladies' night, so the rush began even earlier, but the bar was dead.

  Thirty minutes in, Raegan was grumbling under her breath as she wiped down the bar for the third time. "Is there an underground fight thing tonight?"

  I shook my head. "The Circle? It's never held this early."

  "Oh, look. Something to do," Raegan said, pulling down the Jim Beam.

  Travis Maddox was trudging to his usual barstool, looking pitiful. Raegan put a double in front of him, and he sucked it down in one gulp, letting the glass crash to the wood.

  "Uh-oh," I said, taking the bottle Raegan handed me. "There's only two things that could be that bad. Is everyone in the family okay?" I asked, bristling in anticipation of his answer.

  "Yep. Everyone except me."

  "I don't believe it," I said, stunned. "Who is she?"

  Travis's shoulders fell. "She's a freshman. And don't ask me what it is about her. I don't know, yet. But, when I was bagging this other chick today, I felt like I was doing something wrong, and then this girl's face popped into my head."

  "The freshman's?"

  "Yeah! What the fuck, Cami? This has never happened to me before!"

  Raegan and I traded glances. "Well," I said. "It's not the end of the world. You like her. So what?"

  "I don't like girls like this. That's what."

  "Like this?" I said, surprised.

  He took another shot, and then held his hands over his head, moving them around in circles. "She's all in my head."

  "You're such a pussy for a guy that doesn't lose!" Raegan said, teasing.

  "Tell me what to do, Cami. You know about girls. You're kind of one."

  "Okay, first of all," I said, leaning toward him, "suck my dick."

  "See? Girls don't say that."

  "The cool ones do," Raegan said.

  I continued, "Second of all, you're Travis fucking Maddox. You can have any girl you want."

  "Almost," Raegan said from the sink, five feet away.

  Travis's nose wrinkled. "You were Brazil's girl. I've never even tried."

  Raegan narrowed her eyes at the youngest Maddox brother. "Did you just say that to me?"

  "Well," he said. "It's the truth."

  "Still would have never happened."

  "We'll never know," he said, raising his third shot before letting it wash down his throat.

  "Easy, Mad Dog," I said.

  Travis cringed. "You know I fucking hate that."

  "I know," I said lifting the bottle. "But it gets your attention. Here's your plan. Number one, stop being a little bitch. Number two, remember who the hell you are, and work your magic. She's no different from any other--"

  "Oh, she's different," Travis said.

  I sighed and looked at Raegan. "He's got it bad."

  "Shut up and help me," Travis said, frustrated.

  "There are three tricks to landing a hard-to-get: patience, having other options, and being aloof. You are not the BFF. You're sex on a stick, flirting just out of reach. In other words, Travis Maddox."

  "I knew it. You've always wanted me," he said, smug.

  I stood up. "Uh . . . no. Not at all. Not even in high school."

  "Liar," he said, standing. "I never tried with you, either. My brother has always been in love with you."

  I froze. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did he know something?

  Travis continued, "Aloof. Other options. Patience. Got it."

  I nodded. "If you guys end up married, you owe me a hundred bucks."

  "Married?" Travis said, his face screwing into disgust. "What the fuck, Cami? I'm nineteen! Nobody gets married at nineteen."

  I looked around, checking to see if anyone heard him admit to being underage. "Say that a little louder."

  He snorted. "Me getting married at all is unlikely? Anytime soon? Never gonna happen."

  "Travis Maddox doesn't walk into a bar upset over a girl, either. You never know."

  "Shame on you for wishing that on me," he said, winking. "I better see you at my next fight, Camille! Be a good friend, would ya?"

  "You know I have to work."

  "I'll make sure we schedule a late one."

  "I still won't come! It's barbaric!"

  "Come with Trent!"

  Travis turned to walk away, and I stood, stunned. Was he talking about Trenton before? So, Trenton was talking about me. Who else had he told? As Travis walked out through the thick, red door, a large group walked in, and then the crowd continued to trickle in after that. I was grateful that I didn't
have time to worry about whether or not there were rumors circulating, or if those rumors would get back to T.J.

  *

  Late the next morning, I walked into Skin Deep, already in a bad mood. T.J. hadn't called or texted me back, which only fueled my paranoia about possible fallout from Trenton's big mouth.

  "Cami's here!" Hazel said with a smile. She pushed black, thick-rimmed glasses up her nose.

  I forced a smile. Hazel pouted her red-stained lips. "Why so sad? Did the Alpha Gamma party put you out of business last night?"

  "Was that it? You went?"

  She winked. "Gotta love sorority chicks. So what's up with you?"

  "Just tired," I said, flipping the OPEN sign.

  "Heads up. Calvin is going to ask you to start working Sundays."

  "Are you serious?" I said, a little whinier than I'd intended. Today was not a good day to ask me to up my hours. By the time I rounded the counter, Trenton walked in.

  "Chamomile!" he said. He was holding a bowl full of plastic fruit.

  "Oh, please don't. It wasn't funny in middle school, and it's definitely not funny now."

  Trenton shrugged. "I liked it."

  "You didn't even know who I was in middle school."

  He frowned. "Says who?"

  I made a show of looking around. "You didn't speak to me until I grew tits."

  Hazel cackled. "Work has been so much more entertaining since she was hired!"

  "Doesn't mean I didn't know who you were," Trenton said, unamused.

  Hazel pointed to the bowl in Trenton's arms. "What's with the fruit?"

  "For my room. It's decoration."

  "It's hideous," she said.

  "It was my mom's," he said, unfazed. "I decided I needed something of hers at work. Puts me in a good mood." He walked down the hall and disappeared into his room.

  "So," Hazel said, leaning her elbows on the counter. Her thin, penciled eyebrow shot up. "The sexual tension around here is getting ridiculous."

  I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you liked Calvin."

  Hazel wrinkled her nose. "No one likes Calvin."

  "I heard that!" Calvin called from down the hall.

  "Good!" Hazel yelled back. "So, you're really not interested in Trent?"

  "Nope," I said.

  "Not even a little bit."

  "I have a boyfriend, and he makes me very happy," I said, licking my thumb and counting forms.

  "Damn," Hazel said. "I kinda liked you two together."

  "Sorry to disappoint you," I said, straightening the stack in my hands before returning them to their bin.

  The door chimed, and a group of four girls walked in: all blond, all tan, and all showcasing their doubleD-cup breasts in tight shirts that were in various shades of pink.