Looks Can Be Deceiving

“Fucking hell,” I grumbled irritably, signing off on the paperwork I’d completed.

Looking at the clock in the corner, I read the time and sighed. I’d been working for the past ten hours, and I was feeling worn out. I’d had no choice; the adoption center had been extremely busy with the new influx of pets needing homes. Two of the cats had just had kittens, and we’d needed to get the vets in to examine them and set them up for the appropriate shots. We’d also gotten a few more dogs than usual in the center.

Not to mention the fact that I had to get enough money saved up to get my own place. As much as I enjoyed staying with Matt, I knew it had to be tiresome for him to have a house guest, and I didn’t want to wear out my welcome. I missed having my own space. Walking around in my underwear and blaring my music as loud as I wanted. Clearly I couldn’t do that there.

I turned back to the paperwork in front of me and grabbed a manila folder, slipping the papers inside and labeling the folder. I then wrapped a rubber band around the thick stack of papers before placing it in the file cabinet behind the desk. I shut down the computer and cut off the lamp by the desk before standing, grabbing my jacket and my keys.

“Shadow,” I called out, walking through the dimly lit hallways, “C’mon, it’s time to go!”

I heard the scuffle of paws on the floor and waited for him to come bounding around the corner. I’d taken to bringing him to work with me so that Matt wouldn’t have to worry about him tearing up the house. He didn’t seem to mind it, though; he’d spent every day playing with the other dogs and following behind the staff as they cared for the other animals.

“There you are!” I grinned, leaning down to scoop him up off the floor. I grunted as I lifted him, noting that he was steadily getting heavier. It wouldn’t be long before he stopped looking like a puppy, “You ready to go?”

Knowing he wouldn’t answer, I began cutting off the majority of the lights and checking the windows. Making sure that everything was in order and locked up, I continued towards the front of the building and slipped outside. The night air was a little cool, but I didn’t mind it. Taking out my keys, I swiftly locked up the glass doors before returning the keys to my pocket. I then rummaged through my bag to find my car keys; it was dark out and I was by myself. Not the best situation for me, even if I did have Shadow.

“Bingo,” I smiled, spotting the brassy metal at the bottom of the bag. I snatched them and began walking towards the car, stopping short when I noticed a dark figure leaning against the driver’s side.

I looked around. I knew Matt owned the building beside mine, but I didn’t see his car anywhere. I knew then that it wasn’t Matt leaning against my car. I looked down again, pretending as though I hadn’t seen anyone by the car and went rummaging back through my purse for my phone. I knew I should’ve brought my damn gun, but no, I had to go and think that I was just being paranoid and wouldn’t need it.

Hadn’t I been through enough? I mean, really. Lyndsey and I had nearly been kidnapped and beaten, possibly even raped, not too long ago. I’d had to fucking kill my attacker just to keep him from killing me, and nearly killed Lyndsey’s attacker, too. I was terrified to set foot in a church now for the pure fact that I’d broken a damn Commandment, no matter how good a reason I’d had for doing it.

And now this. Now there was some creep waiting by my car, most likely to cause some sort of harm to me. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? Obviously, I couldn’t run away. They’d been waiting for me, and I was only a few yards away from them. If I ran, they’d catch up easily, not mention I’d be running away[ from my car.

“Are you going to come say hi, or are you just going to pretend you don’t see me here?”

All my worry flew away at the sound of that voice, only to be replaced with annoyance, “What the fuck do you want?”

“To talk,” Tyler shrugged, stepping forward.

I couldn’t see his face very well, but I didn’t need to see him to know that it was, indeed, him standing there. What the hell he was doing here at this time of night, at my job was beyond me. I didn’t like the idea of him being able to approach me so easily, and stood my ground as he advanced.

“You’re mighty quiet,” he mused, stopping just a foot away from me.

“I have nothing to say,” I answered simply, fixing him with a blank stare.

He chuckled, raising a brow at me, “Nothing to say? After all this time? After all we—“

“Why should I?” I challenged him, cutting him off, “You sure had nothing to say before.”

“Until recently,” he added, taking a step closer to me, “I just came to talk to you about Shadows.”

“Shadows? Who the fuck is Shadows?” I sighed impatiently, holding Shadow tightly in my arms as I began tapping my foot.

“That asshole you were with at Thompson’s party the other week,” he practically hissed, causing me to smirk, “I don’t want you getting involved with him.”

I blinked, “Excuse me? Who the fuck are you to tell me who to get involved with?”

“I don’t like him,” Tyler shrugged as though I hadn’t spoken, “I don’t think you realize just who he is.”

“And I don’t think you realize who you are,” I seethed just then, “You’re my ex. You’re insignificant and irrelevant. You have a lot of fucking nerve to make any comment about him, or anyone else I choose to involve myself with.”

“Dammit, Britt, just hear me out!” he exclaimed, taking another step toward me.

I glared irritably, “I’m not in the mood for this shit. I don’t want to fucking talk to you, so bounce.”

Stepping forward, I pushed past him so that I could get to the car. I clutched Shadow tightly to my chest. The fucking nerve that man had to come seek me out and talk to me, as if I would be completely okay with it. I wasn’t sure whether to feel hurt, or pissed, but it seemed that my body had chosen for me. I was suddenly quivering with anger, fingers gripping the door handle tightly.

“He’s not who you think he is.”

I turned and cocked an eyebrow, “You’re not who I thought you were, either. What difference does it make?”

With that, I got into the car and sat Shadow in the passenger’s seat. I could still hear Tyler speaking from outside the car, but I paid no attention to what he was saying. I just wanted to get away from him before I ended up doing something stupid. Once again, when I thought everything was going smoothly, he showed up to ruin things.

I jammed my key in the ignition and roughly turned it, forcing the car to roar to life as the engine started. I tossed my bag on the floor and grabbed Shadow, holding onto him as I peeled out of the parking lot in reverse. Tyler was right where I’d left him, and without another thought, I switched gears and drove off.

I felt as though my good mood had completely shattered, though I was determined to salvage what was left of my night. Stopping at a red light, I reached over and hooked my iPod up to the stereo, scrolling through the artist list before selecting Korn. I always loved listening to them while driving. Politics came blasting through the speakers, and I smiled, turning it down some so that it wouldn’t bother the puppy in my arms.

Everyone’s corrupt, you should just shut up
Lay down, back off, the demon you’ve disrupted

Don’t wanna talk about politics
Don’t preach or talk about politics
Don’t let me talk about politics
Don’t give a shit about politics

You wanna sleep with him to get to who you need to know
Think that’s the way to go, don’t you?
It’s in religion, sex, and everything we do and say
I’ll look the other way, won’t you?

I glanced down to see Shadow looking up at me as though I’d lost my mind and giggled. I turned the music down some more and continued the drive back to Matt’s house. Shadow seemed relieved, relaxing in my arm just a bit. I stroked his fur with one hand and drove with the other.

The driveway was relatively empty when I drove through the iron gates. The Sanders property still amazed me everyday. It was so surreal to be staying in such a lavish home. I knew that by staying with Matt, I’d begin to feel spoiled after a while. No doubt, when I eventually saved up enough to get my own place, I’d be severely disappointed no matter what I bought. Nothing could compare to the fucking castle he lived in.

“Matt?” I called out, setting Shadow down on the floor before stepping inside.

The mansion was dimly lit; a few lamps here and there were on, but the majority of the big lights were cut off. I stepped out of my shoes and left them by the door, shuffling slowly through the foyer. The house was relatively quiet, though I could hear music playing upstairs. No doubt, a TV or stereo was on somewhere in the house. Shadow had long since scurried off in the direction of his food and water bowl. I could hear him happily munching away on his puppy kibble. I decided to leave him be and climbed the long staircase, calling Matt’s name once more.

“I’m in here,” came his muffled voice through one of the doors.

As I trudged through the hallway, I saw a splash of light coming from inside the master bedroom. I walked to the door and knocked apprehensively. He said to come in, and so I did. I smiled upon seeing him stretched across his bed, hair disheveled and dress shirt untucked and unbuttoned as he scrutinized a stack of papers in his hand.

“Hey, stranger,” I smiled softly, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Looking up at me, his hazel eyes darkened before he offered me a smile of his own, setting the papers down and beckoning me towards him.

“How was work?” he asked conversationally, pulling me into his side for a friendly hug. I exhaled softly, leaning against his side as I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Work was fine,” I shrugged, allowing my eyes to flutter shut as I thought about the hectic workday filled with paperwork and phone calls.

“Then why the long face, sweetheart?” he asked curiously, tilting his head to the side. There he went again, psychoanalyzing me and reading me like an open book.

I sighed loudly with a roll of my eyes, “Just…stuff.”

He cocked an eyebrow, staring disbelievingly over at me, “…Stuff?”

I nodded, “Uh huh. Just stuff.”

He chuckled, “Sweetheart, I’m not as dense as I apparently seem to you. What happened?”

The idea of telling him about Tyler making another appearance seemed appealing. I could tell Matt anything just like I could with Lyndsey, only he was more understanding of my more aggressive and revenge-driven thoughts because he was so similar to me. But then, I remembered the edge to the threat he’d made at Richard’s dinner party the other week.

“And I hope for that little fucker’s own sake that he stays away from you, otherwise I’ll fucking kill him.”

I was sure that Matt would never kill anybody, but that didn’t mean a man couldn’t get angry. If his anger issues were anything like mine, then it wouldn’t take much to set him off. Mentioning something that got him worked up would be a bad idea. There was no telling how he’d react to Tyler annoying me earlier.

I chose my words carefully, “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

He was quiet for a minute, eyes narrowing in on my face, “And just what would you need to handle?”

I knew better than to give him a short or super vague answer, “This guy was bugging me earlier, but I got him to leave.”

He made a sound of thought, “Were you by yourself tonight?”

“I-I,” I was caught off guard by his eerily calm question, “N-no?”

He seemed unimpressed, flattening his hand against my back and running a hand up and down the fabric of my shirt, “Really now? So then, there’s another reason as to why your muscles are so tensed up right now?”

I growled to myself, “Oh, fuck it. Tyler showed up at my job, okay? He wanted to annoy me and I told him to fuck off and then left.”

He went rigid then. Glancing up at him, he was completely silent as his eyes darkened considerably. His gaze was cast in the other direction, though I could tell by the stony expression on his face that he was on his way to being very angry. I knew I had to act quickly.

Scooting closer to him, I placed a hand on his arm, “I told you that I handled it. He said he wanted to talk, but I told him I wasn’t interested and then drove off. He never got anywhere near me; it’s fine.”

Still, Matt stayed quiet. He sat stock still, muscles bulging as he began to quiver with anger. I shook my head fervently, taking his face in my hands so that I could redirect him attention, “Calm down. Nothing happened, okay?”

“I don’t like the idea of him showing up at your work in the middle of the night,” he growled, sending cold shivers running down my spine. He was angry. Damn, was he fucking angry. I held onto him anyway.

“I didn’t know he’d show up. I was just leaving when I saw him,” I sighed, daring to look into his hardened gaze once more.

“Tell him to watch where the fuck he steps should he contact you again. Guys who do stuff like that are up to no good, and I wanna know if he decides to show his face again,” he hissed, pushing me flush with his side.

“O-Okay,” I nodded quickly, “I will. Look, I just wanna forget he even showed up tonight.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” he asked gruffly, looking down as I took his hands in mine and fiddled with his fingers.

I shrugged, “I don’t know…let’s go out and do something. You’re the one with all the connections.”

He chuckled then, “I see. How do you feel about a club? There’s a new place opening tonight in LA.”

I thought about it. It’d been a while since I’d been clubbing. I hadn’t been in the mood to do so lately, and I never went much as my relationship with Tyler progressed. He was jealous, as all men are, and didn’t like others’ eyes on me. I was notorious for dancing my ass off and gathering a crowd in a club. He was never too comfortable with that.

I smirked over at him, “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

“I’m glad you approve,” he flashed me a dimple smile, patting my thigh, “Go get ready and meet me downstairs in about an hour. I need to make a few calls.”

“Okay!” I practically squealed, pulling him into a neckbreaking hug before bolting for the door.

I was genuinely excited for this little outing. Other than the occasional fancy dinner party I went with Matt to, I didn’t really get out much. There were plenty of opportunities to do fun things, but I’d just never really felt into it. That was stupid of me; to let someone like him rule every aspect of my life, even after we were done. I’d become weak with Tyler, but I was going to put a stop to that.

I was going to do what I wanted to do for a change.

Strutting over to the large closet in my room, I threw the doors open and walked inside with a grin. I eyed each of my dresses with scrutiny, flicking them to the side in search of just the right one. I wanted to wear something head turning tonight, but so far, I was coming up empty handed. Just as I was ready to give up hope, something shiny met my eyes.

I smirked to myself, snatching the dress and holding it out. It was perfect.

***

”We’re on our way there,” came Brian’s voice over the receiver, ”Have you two left yet?”

Matt shook his head before choosing to speak into the phone, “No. Britt should be ready within the next few minutes. We’ll head out then.”

”Alright, man. We’ll catch you there.”

“Alright,” Matt concluded before hanging up.

He’d made a few business calls before calling up the rest of the gang, seeing who would want to meet up at the club. From what he’d heard, it was supposed to be rather impressive, though he’d be the judge of that once he got there. Tossing the phone on his desk, he straightened out the dark button down shirt he wore and rolled up the sleeves on his arms.

“Britt, you ready?” he called, leaning out of his office door and looking up towards the staircase.

“I sure am,” came a soft voice from his right, laced with that familiar southern twang.

Turning, he grinned when he saw her leaned against the wall, ankles crossed. She looked nothing short of amazing. The dress that covered her smooth, brown skin was a metallic gold. It brought out the undertones in her skin, making the color pop. The dress was tiny, low cut in the front and completely backless from what he could see, clinging to the curves of her hips like a second skin. The hemline of the dress was short, exposing nothing yet everything at the same time. Matching gold shoes adorned her feet, as well as the gold dusted across her eyelids. Her fiery hair was loose and curly, cascading over her shoulders nicely.

“Never do you cease to give me a heart attack,” he chuckled with a shake of his head, motioning towards her outfit.

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently, sauntering over to him and placing a hand on her hip with a smile.

He couldn’t help himself, and he knew she’d understand. He grabbed her by the hips and forcefully pulled her into him, looking down at her shocked expression with a smirk, “You know you can’t go walking around like that and not expect to gain some male attention.”

Her infectious laughter sounded in his ears, “I’m simply embracing being single, Matt. I suspect that you know exactly how that goes, hmm?”

“I may have morals, Britt, but I’m still a man,” he nearly growled in her direction, eyeing her with absolute lust, “And you’re pushing it.”

She snorted, moving from his grasp and grabbing hold of her clutch, motioning towards Matt’s keys on the countertop. “Mattie, I’m wearing my freakum dress. I’ll be doing more than just pushing it tonight, trust me. Now grab those keys and let’s roll.”

Matt watched as she sauntered away, her hips swaying as she moved. With a silent groan, he loosened the collar of his shirt and unbuttoned the first few buttons. Pocketing his car keys, he followed behind her, his eyes shamelessly glued straight to her ass.

This woman was going to be the fucking death of him.

***

“Ooh, this is my jam!” I screeched, holding my drink high as I tugged Raychel in the direction of the dance floor.

She giggled, struggling to catch up in her heels, “Britt, you’ve said that for the past hour about every song they’ve played so far.”

I shrugged, “They were all really good!”

She laughed, rolling her eyes as we squeezed into a spot on the dance floor, “Whatever.”

The club that Matt had suggested going to ended up being a lot of fun. It was their first night open, so everyone was allowed in for free. However, Matt had a paid a pretty penny for the VIP section, I was sure. There were only a few people allowed up there. Johnny, Raychel, and Zacky were already there waiting for us by the time we’d arrived.

I was in love with this place. It was a real friendly atmosphere, and everyone was hellbent on having a good time. The bartender gave me free drinks every time I went over. I was sure it was my dress doing all the work; every time I turned around, he was charging everyone else for drinks. Needless to say, I was a little gone. I’d happily taken every free drink he’d offered, flirting harmlessly with him in exchange.

And now, here I was in the middle of the dark club, a little too plastered and dancing a little too provocatively. It was the alcohol in my system, and I was perfectly fine with that. I rolled my hips suggestively as Raychel danced a little more modestly beside me. Little being the keyword. She knew Zacky was watching her every move from the VIP section.

I think I’m ready
Been locked up in the house way too long
It’s time to get it
Cause once again he’s out doing wrong

And my girls are so real
Said it’s been a while since I had some
He’s been acting up
But tonight he won’t be the only one

Cause when he acts up, that’s when you put it on
Get him uptight, this is your song
Hold out your back, time to impress
Pull out your freakum dress!

Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on

Oh, every woman got one
Oh, shut it down when the time comes
Oh, pull out the big guns
Oh, and put your freakum dress on

I was going crazy by then. The chorus was my favorite part of the song, and I made sure to show it. I’d gathered some attention, but paid the crowd of onlookers no attention. I brought my drink to my lips, smiling as the vodka burned its way down my throat before dancing my way to the bar.

“Another one, little lady?” the bartender smirked in my direction. I grinned and nodded, bracing myself against the bar before climbing on top of it as the song continued.

Soon as he saw me
Turned on by how the dress was fittin’ right
Short and backless
See my silhouette in the moonlight

Such an attraction
Keep tellin’ me how my outfit’s so nice
Little did he know
Ha, my man gon’ take it off tonight

Cause when he acts up, that’s when you put it on
Get him uptight, this is your song
Hold out your back, time to impress
Pull out your freakum dress!

Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on
Oh, put your freakum dress on

Oh, every woman got one
Oh, shut it down when the time comes
Oh, pull out the big guns
Oh, and put your freakum dress on

I dropped low and grinned at the bartender, snatching the glass from his hand and sending him a wink. I downed the drink and popped back up, shimmying around as people started howling. Again, they were the least of my worries; I just wanted to dance.

I squealed as a pair of hands grabbed me by the waist and lifted me from the bar. Flailing my arms and legs did me no good as my back hit a hard, muscular chest. I was prepared to go for the jewels when a familiar scent cloaked me.

I relaxed immediately, turning my head and grinning, “MATTIE!”

He chuckled leaning into my ear, “You’re drunk.”

“I am not!” I insisted, “I just don’t give a fuck right now. COME DANCE WITH ME!”

He moved to protest, but I was having none of it. I was going to enjoy the rest of the night.

***

Matt fought hard to keep himself under control as the small redhead moved her hips against his. He’d kept an eye on her the majority of the night and could tell she was a rather flirtatious drunk. Her behavior was innocent for the most part. She was simply having fun.

However, this was getting to be painful. His body moved in sync with hers, though she was putting in much more effort than he was. She would arch her back, swing her hips, and drop to the floor rather aggressively. Her skin glistened with sweat as she gripped onto the nape of his neck and grinded her hips into his own, a smile lighting her face the whole time. He willed himself to stay calm with everything he had.

He’d tried moving away from her so that she could dance on her own, but she refused to let him leave her. So, he stayed with her at his expense, his eyes never straying from her glistening figure. For someone so drunk, her coordination was surprisingly decent. She danced for a bit longer before he noticed her slowing down.

“Okay, I’m tired,” she sighed sometime later, leaning against his broad frame and wrapping her small arms around his middle. Matt couldn’t help but to look in the direction of the Heavens and smile. Finally, the torture would be over.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” he murmured, grabbing hold of her waist and leading her back towards the section where the group was gathered. Johnny was in one corner, flirting away with some girl he’d found. Jimmy and Zacky were taking shots together, Raychel looking on in amusement. Even Brian and Lyndsey had shown up, having come back early from their date night.

“Everyone’s here!” she cheered excitedly, stumbling as she attempted to rush forward. Matt’s grip tightened around her and he nodded, catching Brian’s eye from across the room, “Hi, you guys!”

Lyndsey eyed her friend and immediately burst into laughter, “What have you had to drink? You reek of liquor, kid.”

Matt watched as Britt gracelessly climbed over Jimmy and Brian to get to Lyndsey, seemingly forgetting that she was in a dress and that people were sitting where she was crawling. Lyndsey shrieked with laughter as her friend pulled her into a giant hug, taking a seat on her lap, “I’unno. It started with some Cîroc, then some…Well, I only remember Cîroc first. I lost count after that.” She smiled cheesily.

“Yep,” Jimmy nodded in her direction, “She’s good and plastered, no matter how well she’s walking.”

“Am not,” Britt pouted in Matt's direction, “Mattie, tell them I’m not p-pr-pl-plastered!”

Matt snorted as she frowned at the way she’d attempted to pronounce ‘plastered’. It hadn’t come out right, so she tried again. Again, she made a face before she slowly sounded out the word. The look on her face was priceless, causing the others to break out into laughter. She looked around and pouted, clamoring back over poor Brian and Jimmy before she came stumbling in Matt’s direction.

Stepping forward, he pulled her against him and lead the way to another booth, sitting her beside him as he leaned back in his seat. The table in front of them held an ashtray and a few coasters. Not even a minute later, did someone appear to take their drink order. Matt waved them off, even though Britt had pouted at him. He wasn’t sure how much liquor the small girl could hold, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

“I like this place,” she smiled over at him, bopping her head to the music. The music was almost muted beneath the glass walls of the VIP lounge, which sat high, overlooking the rest of the club. Everyone else seemed to be a massive sea of dark colors, illuminated by bright strobe lights.

Matt grinned as she threw her arms around his neck, “I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart. We’ll have to come here more often, then.”

She nodded feverishly, “Uh huh.”

She continued wiggling in her seat, a bright smile plastered to her face. Even if she was intoxicated, it was the happiest Matt had seen her since they’d met. He’d always hear from Lyndsey’s stories that she was a wild, happy personality for the most part, save for her short temper. He could see just what Lynds had meant, and was glad that she was slowly morphing back into who she used to be. No longer would that asshole who’d broken her keep her from living her life.

Matt’s thoughts were abruptly cut short as he felt Britt’s small arms wind around his middle. He chuckled, mentally adding ‘affectionate drunk’ onto his list, alongside ‘flirtatious’ and ‘goofy’. It was surprising, to say the least. Whenever sober, she never seemed to really attach herself to anyone. She was mildly distant with others, but maybe that was just the façade she used to protect herself. Maybe this was who she really was, just slightly enhanced as a result of the alcohol.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” he asked with a laugh, watching in amusement as she shimmied closer to his body before swinging a leg over his lap, nearly straddling him as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine as her lips brushed against his skin in an innocent gesture.

“I’m cuddling with you, that’s all,” she murmured into his skin with a giggle.

He wasn't one to get nervous easily, but damn if he didn't stutter out a nervous laugh, suddenly becoming aware of the arising problem growing due to their closeness. He looked over to see all his friends smirking in his direction and rolled his eyes, mouthing for them to help him. At that, the others all looked away with big smiles, leaving him on his own. He sighed and turned his attention back to the woman occupying his lap and absentmindedly began stroking her side.

Just as he’d predicted, this woman was driving him insane. He wasn’t sure if it was a bad thing or not just yet.