I don't own any Make It or Break It characters or the story. I'm seriously upset about that.
Chapter 4:
Damon Young unrolled his sleeping bag on the padded bench in the sitting room. Going next door to see what Emily looked like was a bad idea.
Bad because he liked what he saw. Bad, because she did, too. Bad because she wasn't going to admit it. Bad, because he was going to make her admit it.
Yeah, he was. Assistant Manager Emily had issued a challenge with her I'm-all-about-my-work attitude and her you-don't-do-it-for-me expression. It had been a long time since Damon had encountered a challenge. He felt like accepting. And Emily of her pale skin, the slicked-back pony tail, and buttoned-up shirt all sales associates wore was definitely a heck of a challenge.
Damon had used his best stuff on her, too. Little songs—woman had fainted over his little songs—the smile, the drawl —none of it had worked. 'Course, she was mad about her computer being fried, but Damon realized his best stuff wouldn't have work anyway. Either he was rusty, which was a real possibility, or she'd convinced herself that men were a distraction from her career. Possibly both.
He lay back on the sleeping bag and crossed his arms behind his head. When he first seen Ronnie Cruz, the owner of the bridal salon, he thought that she was so tightly wound that when she finally did spring loose, he hear the twang wherever he's happened to be at the time. And her assistant, Emily was trying to be just like her. That was just wrong.
Because he was spending nights here, he'd overhead them talking the past few days, long after the place closed down and regular folks had gone home to their families. He'd learned that the wedding-dress business was deadly serious, when he figured it was all smiles and giggles and happiness. That seemed wrong, too.
There had to be a song in there somewhere.
Most of his music inspiration came from him traveling all around the country. Working odd jobs when he wasn't on tour and observing the people around him. It kept him grounded. He'd spend a day or two or maybe a coupe of months, depending on whether he was recognized or not. Didn't really have a timetable, except he was due back in Los Angeles next week to work on his new CD. Since he had a relative who lived in Boulder, so much the better. Since his performances were during the holidays, he liked connecting with family when he could.
He never slept in a dressing room before. It was becoming one of his favorites. He could work on his music without disturbing Jasper in his apartment and he could listen to the women talk.
Damon liked women, but contrary to his ladies'-man image, he kept away from the groupies and singing hopefuls who wanted to latch onto him. That didn't mean he wasn't tempted but he learned early in his career that one-night stand left him hollow and broody. Women were to caught up on D. Young the singer, and not Damon Young, the man. To be honest, part of Emily's appeal was that she not only didn't recognize him, it didn't matter if she did. She wasn't the dazzled type. She also wasn't the type to pull stakes and follow him to Los Angeles thinking he had more to time to give to a relationship he really did.
Which made her just about perfect.
Shoot, he wished he had more time here but he had to work with the time he had.
Emily was one determined woman. Damon had listened to her spend the better part of an hour working her way through a frustrated maze of people to reach her contact, only to discover that her contact had been waiting at the main switch board ever since she discovered they'd lost the computer connection. He definitely loved a determined woman. Especially, one that was about to bust full of frustration.
Genrally, he preferred that a woman was about to bust from another kind of frustration, but until then, he enjoyed he enjoyed hearing Emily talk sweet as anything and then cuss like a cartoon sailor when she was on hold.
Most of the things she said could become a song title. He's keeping a list.
"Lilly of the valley." Emily's voice can be heard coming from the other side of the dressing room.
That's a new one. On his laptop, Damon had switched from his music-notation program to word- processing file and added "lily of the valley" to such expletives as "dreamsicle" and "fudgesicle". She said "fudgesicle"
Apparently, they got all the orders together because I heard her sigh in relief.
"Of course, I like you. I was just saying that if you ever disagreed with me feel free to say so."
Silience.
"Actually, I didn't mean right now."
Damon laughed. He tried to stop it but it ended with a muffled snort.
"Zhin. I've got to go."
Shit. She heard him.
"I'll let Ms. Cruz know that we'll have to recreate the orders. I'll e-mail you when I'm up and running."
He flinched as Emily's voice sounded right next to his ear. "I hope you're enjoying yourself." Then she walked away.
Moments later, he heard the salon door open and close.
He couldn't help himself. Damon leaped up and hurried outside to follow her. He didn't have to go far.
A very furious Emily stood standing outside the shop's door, cell phone press to her ear. "Do you mind? This conversation is going to be bad enough without you listen— Ronnie? Sorry to bother you." Emily angrily waved him back into the shop before pressing a finger to her mouth.
Damon shook his head, and made a cutting motion over his throat. He didn't want her to ruin Marty's night. Damon saw the way Marty looked at Ronnie, and the expensive suit he wore this evening was any indication he had serious intentions.
"Don't say anything." He mouthed to Emily.
After glaring at him, she turned.
EmilyPOV
After watching Ronnie Cruz give her every order of the day, from the person who ordered it to the sizes, she ducked out of here. She left. As in left the shop.
Either her boss was having a nervous breakdown or…
No, her boss was having a nervous breakdown and she let her walk out of the salon.
She ran out in time enough to see Ronnie get into her car. Wait a minute. That's Marty's truck. And Marty wasn't inside the truck. And Holy Goddess, Ronnie peeled out of the parking lot with an audible screech of the tires.
"Well, that looks promising." Damon's voice says, standing at the entrance of the Tuxedo shop. "So, how'd it go?"
"Didn't you hear?"
"Didn't hear much. Couldn't see anything."
She gave him a sarcastic look. "I'm surprised you haven't drilled a peephole."
"Y'all would have seen it."
Ten mintues later, Emily didn't know when or how she even let him convince her to let him into the Bridal's salons office. He's sitting in the des chair, the only chair. He sets his laptop on top of the desk and takes out his hard drive.
"Um, are you some kind of computer geek?"
"Do I look like a computer geek?"
"Are you trying to?"
"Not very hard."
"Good job."
His dimples appealed. "I know a little bit about computer."
"I think, I'll wait for someone who knows a lot about computers."
"Just hand me a screwdriver." I begrudgingly walk over and hand him a screwdriver. Damon began opening the salon's laptop. "You are excitable." He states.
"Only when there's a reason to get excited."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Please don't. Work is exciting enough."
"It's worst than I thought." He shakes his head.
"What the computer?" I ask looking over his shoulder.
"No, you. Work is exciting enough?" He looked pained. "Selling wedding dresses is exciting you've sworn off men? Do you not see the irony?"
"Not really."
"So to be clear, you're not attracted to me?"
That was blunt. "No." I answered. The real answer was I wasn't going to let myself be attracted to him. I wasn't going to act on the attraction.
Damon grinned. "Fair warning—I'm going to change your mind."
"Don't bother really."
"It's no bother. Really"
"How do you know so much about computers anyway?"
"Since I spend a lot of time on the road, I've had to learn because there isn't much time to leave my laptop at a repair shop."
"Are you a salesman or something?" I asked curiously.
"I suppose I am."
Once Damon finished installing the hard drive, he said, "Cross you fingers," and booted up his computer.
Emily didn't dare to breathe. He gestured towards the keyboard and she opened the connection to Yhing.
"Everything is there." Emily went dizzy with relief. She immediately e-mailed Yhing .
WOO HOO, came right back and a sounding chime sounded as Yhing accessed the network and the orders. Emily stared at the icon indicating Yhing had signed onto the network until it sounded with a tone and blinked off.
She leaned over the keyboard and typed, Got everything?
Yes.
Her knees actually went weak. "It worked. You actually made it work." Emily said to Damon and said goodbye to Yhing.
At his silence, she realized that her breast were just inches in his face. She tried to pretend as if she didn't know that her breast were just inches away from his face and logged out of the network.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She straightened. "I'm so relieved and so grateful I could just—"
"Kiss me."
The words hung in the air. "I was going to say burst."
"Let's go with kiss."
Before Emily could protest, Damon hooked his arm around her waist and tugged her into his lap, using a precise maneuver with the chair to buckle her knees. Scooping her hair away from her nape and cradled her head with one hand and pulled her against him with the other.
And then he kissed her.
A/N: I finally updated chapter 4 for you guys. I finally written the next chapter and I am happy with it. I know I said it before but college is really kicking my ass and its becoming harder for me to write out my chapters, because of my homework load. I promise to have the next chapter up before thanksgiving. Bye, see you next chapter.
Review please!
XOXO,
BellaRosa
