Captivation

Captivation Part 10

When Jared returned in for the final time, she was nowhere to be seen. And strangely enough, Jared felt disappointed. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't continue to annoy her, it was a strange sense of loss that settled within. Loss. Hardly, he remonstrated with himself.

"She didn't last." He glanced around, "Gone to demand a front of house job."

Caitlin heard him, as the back door was open and she had literally just stepped out with the first loaded carton of hired crockery to put in the van. She heard Anne snicker when they exited the kitchen. Caitlin didn't allow their comments to affect her. She was so over that man! Yes there had been a moment or two when she couldn't believe her luck when he'd spoken to her. But now, well frankly now she figured she'd had a lucky escape! He was excessively arrogant. Way too self-assured. Way out of her league. Tame men were her best option She could handle tame. And that man even unconscious wouldn't be tame!

There were eight cartons of crockery to shift. So through lucky timing Jared and Caitlin missed each other. Caitlin shifted two more cartons on her own. Jared helped Douglas bring in the remaining chairs. While others milled around attending to other tasks that needed to be done.

It was therefore quite a few minutes later before Douglas saw her again. "Hey!" Douglas noticed Caitlin when he stepped out of the storage cupboard just as she hefted a box into her arms and prepared to head for the van, "Wondered where you'd got to." He looked at the cartons, smiled wryly. "I should have noticed they were going down in number. Where do you want them?"

"It's ok. I can manage." She was pretty sure he'd be summoned away if he attempted to help her. And worse, he'd probably rope in his annoying wingman to help if she accepted his offer.

"I'm sure you can. But I could help." He threw her a charming, warm smile. Caitlin nearly chuckled. She recognized a charming rogue when she met one.

"Ok, that would be lovely. Thank you." She told him with a grin. "There's a van out back." She said and waited for him to pick up a box and then follow her out of the kitchen. When they returned a few minutes later having taken the time to secure the various boxes she had carted out previously Caitlin all but groaned. For Douglas and Caitlin were laughing as he recounted his earlier stint in goody bag filling when Caitlin saw Jared enter the kitchen with a stack of chairs. Caitlin instantly squared her shoulders, blanked her emotions and looked past him as she prepared to hear something vitriolic.

"We've shifted what felt like it weighed a ton." Douglas told his friend as he walked with Caitlin toward the remaining boxes.

"Yeah right." He looked at Caitlin. She ignored him. She was so over this man. So what if at one time she had thought he was her idea of a perfect man. He wasn't. He was a gullible twit! That's what she thought. And she didn't have the time for, or interest in, twits!

Caitlin picked up a carton, lifted her chin and promptly left the kitchen. She didn't have to tolerate the idiot. She had a task to do and when it was done she was going in search of her family. She planned to enjoy herself today and Jared D'Olivera was not going to affect her mood. She had met many an arrogant man in the past, and none of them were of any consequence as far as she was concerned.

Douglas glanced over at Jared, somewhat surprised to see that Jared had no qualms about annoying Caitlin. "See for yourself. Grab one of these. And follow us." Douglas waited for Jared to put the chairs in the storage cupboard and then said, "Over there. That one." He waited for Jared to get closer. He wasn't sure why his best friend was being so difficult when it came to being polite to Caitlin. "Why are you baiting her?" Douglas asked his friend as he hefted a box.