love, and a tight purple See Food T-shirt. In the spirit of pissing off my mother, I throw on a pair of black Chuck Taylors, because I know how much she hates them.
My phone buzzes, and I frown a little as I read Dare’s message.
I’ll make it in by dinnertime later. I’ll miss my lunch date, tho.
The dude won’t make lunch with me, after I spend one night at his house, and I’m feeling disappointed ? I give myself a mental shake, and then I actually slap both of my cheeks with my palms.
Get it together, Berk-baby. He’s not yours.
He’s not mine, but in my head, I picture him the way he was last night. The way he looked when he opened his front door to me. My toes curl in my sneakers and my muscles all tense up at the memory. He was darkly sexy. I didn’t even know that combination appealed to me. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s just Dare that appeals to me.
And the way he cradled me in his arms as I fell asleep, and the way I kissed him out of his nightmare this morning. The low murmur of his voice as he spoke to me while I lay against his chest. The territorial look in his eyes as he observed me walking into the kitchen wearing his clothes.
I wish he could be mine.
Then I think of the look on Grisham’s face when he asked me to marry him, when he knew full well I didn’t want to. And my happy thoughts crumble into a pile of rubble all around me.
I pulled out my phone to send another text.
We need to talk, Grish. I’m working all day today. 2moro?
I head downstairs, thankful that my mother is nowhere to be found, and climb into my Escalade. When my phone buzzes, I look down at it.
Headed to Cali for a couple of days with my dad. Talk when I get back.
I nod, sighing as I pull out of my neighborhood. A couple of days to breathe and think. That can only be a good thing.
When I arrive at See Food, Lenny is sitting at a back booth, cradling her head in her hands. The restaurant isn’t open yet, so we’re alone. I know Boozer is in the back, prepping his cooking materials for the day.
“Oh no, Lenny,” I croon sympathetically. “A migraine?”
She nods miserably, shielding her eyes from the dim restaurant lights overhead.
“I’m going to get right on the prep work, then. Why don’t you just go lay down in the office? Daniella will be here soon, and I know we can handle the lunch crowd without you. Maybe by dinnertime your head will feel better.”
She looks up with a look of pure gratitude. “You’re the best, sweetie. Thank you.”
Her skin is pale and she looks a little green underneath the chalky pallor, so I shoo her away and head into the back of the kitchen to help Boozer finish prepping.
After a solid forty-five minutes of cutting meat and seafood, chopping vegetables, and making sure the walk-in freezer is stocked for service, I leave a thankful Boozer in the kitchen and go flip the sign on the door to OPEN. I send Daniella a grateful smile for completing the dining room prep herself, and tie on my apron.
The first customer in the door is Mea, and I laugh as I seat her. She’s practically bouncing on her toes as she walks beside me, and I make her wait an entire minute before I finally ask the question she’s dying to answer.
“What are you so happy about?”
She squeals, and I roll my eyes. “I rented an apartment today!”
My mouth falls open. “I had no idea you were moving out!”
Then I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “Wait…do you have a job that I don’t know about? You know, other than the one where you sell jeans and shirts for a living?”
Throughout college, Mea never stopped working at the job she began in high school. She worked retail at the mall, in one of the most popular clothing stores. She worked at a different local store when she was away at school, but now that she was back she worked in Brunswick County again.
“Actually…” She dragged out the word like it had about eight syllables instead of just four.
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her
My phone buzzes, and I frown a little as I read Dare’s message.
I’ll make it in by dinnertime later. I’ll miss my lunch date, tho.
The dude won’t make lunch with me, after I spend one night at his house, and I’m feeling disappointed ? I give myself a mental shake, and then I actually slap both of my cheeks with my palms.
Get it together, Berk-baby. He’s not yours.
He’s not mine, but in my head, I picture him the way he was last night. The way he looked when he opened his front door to me. My toes curl in my sneakers and my muscles all tense up at the memory. He was darkly sexy. I didn’t even know that combination appealed to me. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s just Dare that appeals to me.
And the way he cradled me in his arms as I fell asleep, and the way I kissed him out of his nightmare this morning. The low murmur of his voice as he spoke to me while I lay against his chest. The territorial look in his eyes as he observed me walking into the kitchen wearing his clothes.
I wish he could be mine.
Then I think of the look on Grisham’s face when he asked me to marry him, when he knew full well I didn’t want to. And my happy thoughts crumble into a pile of rubble all around me.
I pulled out my phone to send another text.
We need to talk, Grish. I’m working all day today. 2moro?
I head downstairs, thankful that my mother is nowhere to be found, and climb into my Escalade. When my phone buzzes, I look down at it.
Headed to Cali for a couple of days with my dad. Talk when I get back.
I nod, sighing as I pull out of my neighborhood. A couple of days to breathe and think. That can only be a good thing.
When I arrive at See Food, Lenny is sitting at a back booth, cradling her head in her hands. The restaurant isn’t open yet, so we’re alone. I know Boozer is in the back, prepping his cooking materials for the day.
“Oh no, Lenny,” I croon sympathetically. “A migraine?”
She nods miserably, shielding her eyes from the dim restaurant lights overhead.
“I’m going to get right on the prep work, then. Why don’t you just go lay down in the office? Daniella will be here soon, and I know we can handle the lunch crowd without you. Maybe by dinnertime your head will feel better.”
She looks up with a look of pure gratitude. “You’re the best, sweetie. Thank you.”
Her skin is pale and she looks a little green underneath the chalky pallor, so I shoo her away and head into the back of the kitchen to help Boozer finish prepping.
After a solid forty-five minutes of cutting meat and seafood, chopping vegetables, and making sure the walk-in freezer is stocked for service, I leave a thankful Boozer in the kitchen and go flip the sign on the door to OPEN. I send Daniella a grateful smile for completing the dining room prep herself, and tie on my apron.
The first customer in the door is Mea, and I laugh as I seat her. She’s practically bouncing on her toes as she walks beside me, and I make her wait an entire minute before I finally ask the question she’s dying to answer.
“What are you so happy about?”
She squeals, and I roll my eyes. “I rented an apartment today!”
My mouth falls open. “I had no idea you were moving out!”
Then I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “Wait…do you have a job that I don’t know about? You know, other than the one where you sell jeans and shirts for a living?”
Throughout college, Mea never stopped working at the job she began in high school. She worked retail at the mall, in one of the most popular clothing stores. She worked at a different local store when she was away at school, but now that she was back she worked in Brunswick County again.
“Actually…” She dragged out the word like it had about eight syllables instead of just four.
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her
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