A guy in his late teens or early twenties sauntered up, a huge smile on his face. He had “bad boy” written all over him with his spiky hair and combat boots. “Kayla Keller, will you marry me?” He puffed out his chest and glanced back at his friends with a mischievous grin.
I knew the type. I used to be that guy. Wild and crazy. Full of myself. Thought of women as conquests.
But when God changed my heart, He gave me new desires. I saw women differently now and understood they were to be cherished and treasured, not used for one’s personal benefit. I once believed edgier women were my type, but after meeting Kayla, I had a different viewpoint on that.
Mr. Bad Boy was looking at her in a way that made me want to deck him, but I held myself back. Doing something stupid like that would get me fired, not to mention the Lord wouldn’t be pleased with that kind of behavior.
Kayla glanced at the dude and flashed a smile. It wasn’t a real one. I’d gotten to know her well enough to figure that out, but she was trying hard to please her fans.
“Honey, you’re too young for me,” she teased, “but you’re cute. I bet you have no problem finding girlfriends.”
“I’ll take an older woman any day.” He pushed his way forward, and I stepped in front of him.
“Back up, please.”
He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”
“Security.”
“Figures.” He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. “Here’s my phone number.” He winked at Kayla and one side of his mouth edged up. “Give me a call, and I’ll show you a good time.”
What a loser. Did he really think she’d fall for that line? I grit my teeth and took the scrap of paper because I refused to be the jealous guy who pushed the competition away. Not that a nineteen or twenty-year-old was competition, but she was the one who had to make that decision. It wasn’t my job to interfere in her love life, no matter how much I wanted to. Didn’t mean I had to like it though.
As the evening wore on, I collected a few more numbers from prospective suitors hoping to get a date with Kayla. At one point, she smiled at me and winked, causing my insides to tumble as if I’d just stepped off a cliff. I winked back and turned around, keeping my eye on the growing crowd.
I’d already scouted out all the exits and had a plan to get her out of here if a threat presented itself. Thankfully, nothing serious had occurred since I’d taken on the job, barring that one incident with that guy at the charity event who wanted a second date with her. Either the things that happened to her before I was hired were truly random, or someone was waiting for the right time to strike. The thought sent a wave of uneasiness over me.
I would not let anything happen to her.
If anyone wanted to hurt her, he’d have to bring me down first. And good luck with that. I wasn’t easy to take down.
An hour passed, and the crowd started to dwindle. People came in and out, and then Kayla finished her last song and packed up to go. It was late, around midnight, and everyone cleared out once the music was over. When I glanced at Kayla, she didn’t look tired in the least.
“You were amazing tonight,” I said, handing her the handful of phone numbers.
“Thanks.” She smiled at me and held eye contact for a full three to four seconds, causing my pulse to jump. “I won’t be needing these.” She glanced around to make sure no one was looking and then dumped them in a trash can.
I couldn’t help the pleased smile that spread across my face. I was smiling like a fool, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“Do you mind if we hang out a little longer?” she asked. “They provided free coffee the last time I performed here.”
“Sure. Are you inviting me to sit at the table with you?”
She laughed. “Of course. Did you think I’d ask you to sit elsewhere?”
“Maybe.”
A slight smile pulled at her lips. “There’s no one I’d rather sit with, and I mean that.”
“Cool. Let’s have some coffee.”
Minutes later we took our lattes and instead of sitting at a table, we plopped down on one of the comfortable couches. A coffee table with a board game stood nearby, but neither of us reached for the game. I wouldn’t mind a diversion like that, but I was content to just sit and talk for now.
We were both quiet for a few minutes and then I broke the ice. “Quick question. Were you ever homecoming queen?”
She cocked an eyebrow and gave me a strange look. “Nooo… Why?”
Guess I’d been wrong in my initial impression of her. I’d pegged her as the popular type who thrived on drama, and I had all kinds of associations that went along with that. Stuck-up mean girls. That kind of thing. But Kayla was nothing like that. “The first time we met…” I chuckled. “Never mind.”
“Why did you think I was homecoming queen?” Her voice was soft and melodic, sweet but curious.
I shrugged. “You’re attractive. Outgoing. Just thought it fit.”
She smiled smugly. “I was pretty shy in high school, believe it or not. And I spent lunches in the library studying.”
“Are you pulling my leg?”
She shook her head. “Nope. It’s the truth.”
“You’ve
