Blindsided By The Boss

22 - Callum

Eloise is so infuriating, yet she's also fucking hard to resist—she's ruining me.

After I paid for hers and my drink, she bolted, grabbed Isabelle away from Rory, and headed to the beach, the two of them standing at the ocean's edge, laughing like two young school girls when the waves collided with their feet.

Rory stood beside me, watching the same as me—his gal and Eloise goofing off. And as he stood next to me, sipping his drink, I felt a conversation I didn't wish to discuss was coming. And I was right... "So, are you going to admit, finally, that you found the girl you could settle down with?"

"Who me? Hell no."

"Come on, Callum. You know, deep in your heart, you did. And you do know; it's not wrong if you feel that way. You know that, right?"

I looked at him. "I don't feel that way. So drop it."

At least, I don't think I do.

More so, I don't want to feel that way. But the fucked up thing is I do, and I can't admit it, and I don't want to because I'm fucked up in the head.

He shook his head, bringing his drink to his mouth as he continued looking ahead of him. "Whatever..." he took a long sip of his bourbon, swallowed, and continued giving me a rundown of shit I already knew about Eloise, "Eloise is a beautiful woman, a good-hearted woman, a hard worker, funny, and she's full of energy. But I don't have to tell you that; you already know."

"A good-hearted woman," I scoffed, "a hard worker, yes. Funny? She thinks she is. Full of energy? That you don't have to tell me either, I know. As for her being beautiful? You don't have to remind me of that, either. I already know she is. In fact. She's gorgeous, but that still doesn't mean I found a woman I'd settle down with. I'm content with not having a woman exclusive to my heart and mind. Eloise is just a woman I enjoy fucking with. She gives it, and she takes it well."

"And she's perfect for you. You know it. I know it. And everyone else we're here with knows it. Even Aaron, your doppelganger, knows it. Why you refuse to admit it is beyond me." He looked at me finally. He had a serious look in his eye as he questioned, "Tell me, Callum. What would Victoria say if she saw what you've been doing these past seventeen years? Do you think she'd high-five you? Congratulate you? Encourage you to keep doing what you've been doing? No. You know damn well she wouldn't. Instead, she'd kick your fucking ass for what you've been doing, and she'd make good work of destroying your face to make the women you go after stay away."

My nose flared in annoyance.

"Please stop bringing her up."

"No. I can't, and I won't. And by you telling us to stop bringing up Victoria shows, you know we're right. Get over her and move on. It's what she'd want you to do. And Eloise is someone I think you should give a chance. You'd be a fool to let her slip through your fingers."

"We don't get along. We despise each other. We do everything to get under each other's skin. She's a pain in my ass. A thorn in my side. A—"

"A woman you find intriguing," he finished for me. And that part is true because Eloise is intriguing. "And so perfect for you," he added. "And everything you listed is lies. She can't be that bad if you're fucking her," he said, his lips pulling into a massive smile, knowing he got me there. "Just admit it, Callum. If not for us, at least admit it to yourself."

"It's hard to admit something when you can't admit to something that isn't true," I mumbled.

He shook his head and sighed—displeased with me again.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a fucking disappointment to everyone. I hear it practically every day," I groaned, walking away from him. Eloise just reminded me of that again last night.