Not Expecting to Collide (COMPLETE) - ABP Fanfiction

Chapter 18 - Warning

October glanced back at Bam as Jaime pulled her by the waist into the gallery. "Let me show you how I've showcased your work." He said as he firmly held her by his side. 

For the first time in the entire weekend, Bam felt the need to check his temper. His hands curled into tight fists as he followed Jaime's long strides. October nearly had to run to keep up. Finally she lost her patience, planted her feet firmly in place and wrenched herself free of Jaime's grasp. 

"Jaime! Stop!" She demanded. "You already showed me the entire setup yesterday. You don't need to drag me around like a rag doll." She gave him a pat on the arm. "Now please, you must have so many more important thing to look after tonight." She reached for Bam's hand as he caught up to them. Jaime's eyes hardened as he watched Bam touch her with such easy familiarity.

"Of course." He said tightly. "I'll come find you later." With a curt nod, he left them. 

October exhaled loudly. "Jaime can be a little intense when he's stressed." She turned to face Bam. A smile fell across her features as she looked up to him. "Did I mention how sexy you look tonight?" She whispered. 

Bam watched Jamie's back as he walked away from them, then lowered his mouth to her ear. "If you did, I didn't hear you because I was too busy thinking about that dress you're wearing." 

October's body temperature rose a few degrees at his words. "You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now." Her eyes locked on his lips. 

"I have no objection to that. What's stopping you?"

"Lipstick." She replied.

Bam tilted his head. "Not following."

She grinned. "I just put lipstick on and I don't think you want it on you."

On the contrary, he did want it on him. In fact he could think of several places on him that he would like her lipstick to be.

She splayed her hand across his chest and felt his heartbeat under her palm. "Tonight." Was her one word promise.

"The girl of the hour!" Exclaimed a voice behind them. October turned her head to look, then smiled to greet the owner of the voice. 

"Robert!" She grinned as a nice-looking gentleman with dark chestnut hair put his arm around her and hugged her to his side. "It's so nice to see you! Thank you for coming."

Robert released her from his embrace. "I had to come out to support my best customer." October turned towards Bam, who was eyeing Robert warily. 

"Robert, I'd like you to meet Bam Brown. Bam, this Robert. He owns the photography supply shop where I source all my equipment. I usually see him at least twice a month." 

Robert shook Bam's hand. "She used to see me twice a month." He corrected. "The last three times you have sent your brother to pick up things for you." He grinned. 

August appeared behind Robert and handed him a drink. "I see you have met my date." August grinned and placed his hand in the crook of Robert's elbow. 

October's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Now I know why Auggie was so eager to run errands for me the last time he was in town." She glanced over to where one of her pieces was on display. Jaime stood in front of it speaking to a group of women who were admiring it. "Oh, time for me to go to work." She squeezed Bam's arm and nodded to August and Robert. All three of them watched as she made her way over to the group. She flashed a brilliant smile to Jaime as he introduced her to the ladies.

"What is he doing here?" Robert muttered as they watched Jaime beckon a waitress over and give drinks to October and the ladies she was speaking with.

"Who?" August questioned. "That's Jaime. He's coordinator of tonight's show. He's the one who got October's name into the selection committee."

Bam took his eyes off Jaime and October to look at Robert. "Do you know him?"

Robert ducked his head closer to Bam so no one outside their circle would hear him. "I've never been introduced but I know who he is. The photography industry in this community is a rather close-knit group. Jaime has a reputation for having no respect for females. There have been whispers behind the scenes that he is dangerous. Nothing has been substantiated but she needs to be warned."

August and Bam exchanged worried looks. "She has been." Bam ground out through his teeth.

"Several times." August added.

For the rest of the evening Bam watched October from across the room as she answered questions and talked to people about her photographs. Clearly, she enjoyed talking about her craft. Her eyes would light up every time a new person would ask her something specific about one her works that were on display. Bam had heard through bits of conversation here and there that she had already sold two of the five she had in the show that evening. 

Every once in a while she would raise her head and her eyes would zero in on his across the room and he would see that invitation to touch her that had ignited a flame inside him. He was trying to be patient but as far as he was concerned, the show couldn't be over soon enough.

Nearing the close of the evening Bam felt the hair in the back of his neck stand up. He looked around the room to find Jaime watching him carefully with a stoic look on his face. Bam smiled and tipped his drink to him, all the while seething inside.

August and Robert had left an hour before, after saying their goodbyes to Bam and October. August did remind Bam that he had sharpened his chef's knife just that afternoon.

Soon after that most of the people had filed out of the gallery. October found Bam standing alone by the window and gave him a tired smile. He gathered her into his arms for a congratulatory hug. "You were amazing tonight." He said as she pressed up against him.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I just have a few things left to finish up with Jaime. Then we can go home." She left him at the bar with a wink and a promise that she'd be quick. She handed him her purse. "The keys are inside. You want to start the truck and warm it up?"

Remembering that October had left her jacket in the truck, Bam left to warm up the vehicle and drive it up to the front entrance, glad to be going to October's home and away from Jaime for the rest of the weekend.

October found Jaime in the office in the back of the gallery. "Hey Jaime. Thanks for everything. Tonight was great. Let's have lunch later this week to follow up." She leaned on the doorframe. 

Jaime got up from his desk. "You wanna go for a drink?"

"No. Thank you." She shook her head. "Bam and I are going to head home. He leaves late tomorrow afternoon and I've barely had time to spend with him."

Jaime smiled widely. "Of course." He held a small box out to her. "Help me carry this to my car?"

"Sure." She accepted the box and waited for Jaime to pick up a few more packages and followed him out to his car parked in the alley behind the building. Once the packages were in the trunk of his car, October hugged her arms around herself. "It's cold out tonight."

Jaime opened his passenger door and gestured to her. "Hop in. I'll drive you around the building to the parking lot." October gratefully accepted and slid into the heated car. Jaime came round and buckled himself in the driver's seat. He put the car in drive and travelled to the end of the block.

Then, instead of turning left to go to the parking lot, he signalled right and sped up.

"Jaime!" October laughed. "What are you doing?"

There was no humour in Jaime's voice when he replied, "I'm finally taking what should have been mine all along." The streetlights glowing orange on his face reminded October of Mr. Hyde as he whisked her away into the night, away from the gallery and away from Bam.