Sea Breeze 02 - Because of Low

“Ouch... guess not. Daddy Hank. Never thought I’d hear that one.”
    She shrugged and pulled Marcus closer. “It’s okay, I got me a handful of Marcus Hardy to make it all better,” she cooed.
    Marcus glanced down at me and I forced a smile then turned my attention to the stage that Jackdown had just returned to after their break. I couldn’t watch him walk away with her. Seeing him with someone like her just reminded me of how out of my reach he was. “One dance,” I heard Marcus say.
    Jess squealed and led him into the crowd.
    I would not think about it. I would not think about it.
    “She’s Rock’s cousin. He couldn’t turn her down.” Dewayne’s voice interrupted my mental chant. My face instantly heated at his words. He could tell it bothered me. Well that was freaking perfect. Now I was really pathetic. The low class plain jane crushing on Marcus Hardy. Suddenly I wanted to leave. I wanted Cage. I needed to feel safe.
    “Doesn’t bother me. I didn’t come here with him.”
    That didn’t even sound believable. My voice had cracked for crying out loud.
    “Hmmmm,” was all Dewayne said through drags off his cigarette.
    “I need some fresh air and I need to make a phone call,” I said standing up. Dewayne raised his eyebrows and then nodded. I didn’t need his all-knowing eyes on me. I headed for the door. Away from the warmth of the overcrowded bar and Dewayne’s cigarette smoke blowing in my face.

    Chapter Five

    The night air was still cool. Even though our super short spring weather was almost gone our nights hadn’t begun to warm up yet. I took a deep cleansing breath of ocean air and stepped into the white sand wishing I hadn’t worn boots. I could have slipped off heels easily and felt the sand between my toes.
    My phone rang in my purse and I pulled it out. It was Cage.
    “Hey you,” I said holding the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder as I walked down the beach toward our apartment.
    “Where are you?”
    Figures this would be his question. Knowing Cage he was in the middle of sex and realized he didn’t know where I was tonight and grabbed the phone to call me in between thrust. Gross, bad mental image.
    “Currently I’m outside Live Bay on the beach getting some fresh air. Jackdown is playing tonight.”
    “Who’s with you?”
    “Well, I was with Preston but he left with a girl and Marcus said he would give me a ride home.”
    “Where’s Marcus?”
    “Inside dancing with a girl.”
    There was a pause.
    “You ready to leave?”
    I was, but telling Cage that would have him leaving his date and rushing to my side. He had a hero complex when it came to me. I often wondered if it was because no one ever saved us as kids. No one saved his Mom when his step-dad beat her. He was just a kid but I knew he blamed himself for not stopping it.
    “I’m good.”
    “No you aren’t Low. I can hear it in your voice. Something’s wrong. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
    “Cage don’t--”
    But he’d hung up. Oh well. No doubt the girl will let him come right back. They always did, which baffled me. If a guy ran off on me to go help some other girl while we were on a date I would not let him just run right back and jump in my bed later. But then I wouldn’t be having casual sex with a strange guy either. So this was a moot point.
    Heading back up to the street I glanced over at the lights of Live Bay and figured I’d just call and let Marcus know I was leaving instead of going back inside. Besides from the looks of the blonde bombshell in his arms he probably wouldn’t realize I was gone for awhile.

    Marcus

    ` I finally managed to untangle myself from Jess. I wanted to dance with Willow. I’d watched her briefly when I’d first arrived and all I could think about was being close to her and touching her while she moved like that. Jess had come along and delayed me. Dewayne sat at the table with Rock and Trisha. They were laughing and talking but there was no Willow. I glanced toward the bar but I couldn’t see her in the crowd of people.
    “Where’s Willow?”
    “What? No love for me first?” Rock taunted as he smirked up at me.
    I turned to Dewayne. He was leaned back in his chair with a long neck beer in his hands as he watched me.
    “Where’s Willow?” I asked him specifically this time.
    He flicked the metal bar in his bottom lip and tilted his head toward the door, “Went to get some air a while ago.”
    Oh no.
    “How long ago?”
    Dewayne