“Buy me a drink?”
“Gladly.” The man started to take her arm and lead her inside the club, but halted as Chase interrupted.
“Sorry, I’m late honey.” He leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth before turning to the three men. He gave them a conspiratorial grin. “Women. You’re a few minutes late; they get huffy and start trying to pick up other men so you’ll be consumed with jealousy. The last time she did this the other bloke and I came to blows.”
Adrienne watched in horror as he let out an exasperated sigh. Shock metamorphasized into the urge to belt him.
“Women,” he repeated.
She shot him a look that plainly instructed him where he could go.
“I do not know this man.” She pulled away from Chase and linked her arm with Jeff’s. “Buy me that drink. Please.”
“Adrienne, honey. Don’t involve these men in our quarrel. I’m sorry I’m late, babydoll, but I had to drop the kids off at my Mom’s. Forgive me.”
The kids at his mom’s? Was he drunk? Delirious? What was he doing? Playing with her, that’s what. Oooooh!
Indecision then withdrawal crossed all three men’s faces. They didn’t want to get involved with a woman who was obviously squabbling with the father of her children.
“He’s lying!” She gave one last attempt at changing Jeff’s mind. She held up her left hand and wiggled her finger. “No wedding ring.”
“Is that what it’s going to take to get you to quit trying to pick up other men every time I run five minutes late?” Chase blew out a long exasperated breath. “You were the one to insist we wait until your dad gets out of prison. You wanted him to walk you down the aisle, but if you’ve changed your mind,” he shrugged. “I understand. But remember once we get hitched you’ll lose the child support payments from the kids’ dads.”
His tone was so patronizing Adrienne almost punched him.
The three men gave her a skeptical look before practically running away.
She turned to Chase. “You big conceited, egotistical, lying son of a-”
“Uh, uh, uh,” he interrupted. “Watch that tongue of yours. What would the kids think if they could hear you?”
“I’ll watch it all right. Watch it filet you into a million pieces, you dirty rotten scoundrel! What did you do with my date?”
“Those three punks you were trying to pick up? Didn’t your daddy ever tell you not to pick up strange men in bars?” came his scolding reply.
“My father’s dead and no, he never did. You didn’t answer my question. What did you do with Mel? Is he tied and gagged in your trunk? Do I need to send a rescue crew out? No, wait. Let me guess. You told him about the six kids I need a surrogate father for.”
“I’m sorry about your father.”
Adrienne blinked at his sincere tone so close on the heels of his teasing words.
“Me too,” she finally answered, the wind falling right out of her sails.
“How long ago did he die?”
“Earlier this year.” A sharp pain zagged across her chest. Her eyes closed, then she focused on her annoyance with Chase because that was much easier to deal with than thoughts of her beloved father being gone.
Earlier this year? That would have been right before she’d come to work for him. Shock riveted through him.
“Quit trying to change the subject. I know you did something to keep Mel from showing tonight.”
“Oh? Did lover boy call?” Chase’s mind still reeled at her revelation about her father’s death. Was that the explanation for the way she’d acted and dressed during these past few months? Had she been grieving her father’s death by downplaying herself and leading an alternative lifestyle? That would explain a lot.
“No, but why would he just no show?”
“Beats me,” he said innocently. Too innocently he knew, but he didn’t try to hide the
“Gladly.” The man started to take her arm and lead her inside the club, but halted as Chase interrupted.
“Sorry, I’m late honey.” He leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth before turning to the three men. He gave them a conspiratorial grin. “Women. You’re a few minutes late; they get huffy and start trying to pick up other men so you’ll be consumed with jealousy. The last time she did this the other bloke and I came to blows.”
Adrienne watched in horror as he let out an exasperated sigh. Shock metamorphasized into the urge to belt him.
“Women,” he repeated.
She shot him a look that plainly instructed him where he could go.
“I do not know this man.” She pulled away from Chase and linked her arm with Jeff’s. “Buy me that drink. Please.”
“Adrienne, honey. Don’t involve these men in our quarrel. I’m sorry I’m late, babydoll, but I had to drop the kids off at my Mom’s. Forgive me.”
The kids at his mom’s? Was he drunk? Delirious? What was he doing? Playing with her, that’s what. Oooooh!
Indecision then withdrawal crossed all three men’s faces. They didn’t want to get involved with a woman who was obviously squabbling with the father of her children.
“He’s lying!” She gave one last attempt at changing Jeff’s mind. She held up her left hand and wiggled her finger. “No wedding ring.”
“Is that what it’s going to take to get you to quit trying to pick up other men every time I run five minutes late?” Chase blew out a long exasperated breath. “You were the one to insist we wait until your dad gets out of prison. You wanted him to walk you down the aisle, but if you’ve changed your mind,” he shrugged. “I understand. But remember once we get hitched you’ll lose the child support payments from the kids’ dads.”
His tone was so patronizing Adrienne almost punched him.
The three men gave her a skeptical look before practically running away.
She turned to Chase. “You big conceited, egotistical, lying son of a-”
“Uh, uh, uh,” he interrupted. “Watch that tongue of yours. What would the kids think if they could hear you?”
“I’ll watch it all right. Watch it filet you into a million pieces, you dirty rotten scoundrel! What did you do with my date?”
“Those three punks you were trying to pick up? Didn’t your daddy ever tell you not to pick up strange men in bars?” came his scolding reply.
“My father’s dead and no, he never did. You didn’t answer my question. What did you do with Mel? Is he tied and gagged in your trunk? Do I need to send a rescue crew out? No, wait. Let me guess. You told him about the six kids I need a surrogate father for.”
“I’m sorry about your father.”
Adrienne blinked at his sincere tone so close on the heels of his teasing words.
“Me too,” she finally answered, the wind falling right out of her sails.
“How long ago did he die?”
“Earlier this year.” A sharp pain zagged across her chest. Her eyes closed, then she focused on her annoyance with Chase because that was much easier to deal with than thoughts of her beloved father being gone.
Earlier this year? That would have been right before she’d come to work for him. Shock riveted through him.
“Quit trying to change the subject. I know you did something to keep Mel from showing tonight.”
“Oh? Did lover boy call?” Chase’s mind still reeled at her revelation about her father’s death. Was that the explanation for the way she’d acted and dressed during these past few months? Had she been grieving her father’s death by downplaying herself and leading an alternative lifestyle? That would explain a lot.
“No, but why would he just no show?”
“Beats me,” he said innocently. Too innocently he knew, but he didn’t try to hide the
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