Surrender by Rue Volley Page A

and I watched as Keegan handed her one and then pulled out a silver lighter. She grinned and placed the black cigarette to her crimson lips. The light shining off of her pale blue eyes, almost silver in nature, as I sat there stunned and not quite sure what was happening. The flame went out and she drew smoke into her mouth, sucked it down and then released it slowly, as she tilted her head back. Keegan smiled at her and then turned to me. He tapped another cigarette on his case and offered it to me, I took it as the shock of seeing them standing here together was almost too much for me.
    “Calista,” she said, as she extended her small hand out to me. I held my cigarette up and Keegan lit it as my hand shook. I took the smoke into my mouth and then sucked it down, as if I had been doing it my whole life.
    “Keegan’s Calista,” I said, as if he owned her. Keegan smiled and Calista grinned at me, placing her red nail to her teeth and then eyeing Keegan. Her pale eyes were mesmerizing, just as I had written them. Her skin pale and flawless. Keegan was right, she was beautiful…my idea of beauty too, seeing this is how I envisioned her in my dirty little short story.
    “I didn’t know you were back,” Keegan said to her and she tapped him on the chest two times. Her hand stopped and she adjusted his tie, as if it was something she often did.
    “You never knew how to properly put on a tie, now did you, my love?”
    I turned in my chair and grabbed my Martini. I slammed it back as they both turned and watched me. I set the glass down and then tried to grin, but my heart was in my throat. This was her, the red head in my book. Calista, a woman I dreamed up, but here she was, in the flesh before me. I cleared my throat and put the cigarette out as the woodsy flavor of it lingered on my tongue. It tasted of sandalwood and vanilla, just as Keegan smelled not only in the flesh, but in my book. I held my hand up and the bartender walked back over to me. I nodded to him and Calista eyed Keegan, who then took it upon himself to order.
    “Scotch, two please,” he said as Calista stepped up and slid into the chair next to me. I looked straight ahead and saw her beautiful reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Her skin was flawless, pale…her lips matched her hair…red and gorgeous. She was more than pretty as Keegan had said, she was otherworldly. Suddenly, my little black cocktail dress seemed to pale in comparison.
    “So,” she said as she placed her cold fingers on my arm. I looked down and saw her dainty hand lying there. I moved and broke the connection. I turned in my chair and smiled at her, my lips not parting, but it did not matter. She could probably feel the tension from me and I had no idea how to mask it.
    “So.”
    “How long have you been dating this one?” she asked Keegan as he stood there and watched her.
    “This one?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
    She touched my hair. “Keegan likes to play, he always has. I guess it is just in a man’s nature to want to taste as many fruits from the forbidden tree as he can.”
    I narrowed my eyes and Keegan leaned up and took his scotch. He tapped the bar with his knuckle.  Calista looked at the scotch left there for her to enjoy.
    “What do you want Calista?” Keegan asked her as he took a drink and then stared at his glass.
    “What does any woman want?” she asked him as she kept her eyes locked on me.
    I laughed under my breath and then started to stand up. My second drink came and I waved my hand at it.
    “Have it….” I turned and looked at Keegan. “And him.”
    She grinned and licked her top lip as she placed the glass to her lips and took a sip. Keegan reached out to me as I walked by him and then I stopped.
    “Fay,” I turned to look at him.
    “I should have known. I mean you lied about teaching and now this. If you have a girlfriend, it is totally fine,” I leaned into him. “But don’t try to make a fucking fool