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“Okay.” She gave me a soft smile, one that felt fucking good to be on the receiving end of, then closed the folder and lowered it to her lap, suddenly looking uneasy. “I do have a concern,” she said. “About him going with you…”
I watched her tongue wet her lips before her teeth caught hold of the full bottom one.
“You don’t want him on a bike?” I asked, figuring this might’ve been the thing giving her discomfort.
Not that I had experience with parents or anyone giving a shit about safety, but Shayla seemed the type to give a shit. And this was her brother.
Her brows lifted. “No! No, that’s not it at all,” she said, shaking her head. “My dad rides…um, well, he used to ride. He can’t now. But we’ve all been on the back of his bike. We’re used to it.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“He doesn’t know you. And Dominic basically hates everyone right now, so I’m not sure how open he’ll be to this plan. He might refuse to leave with you.”
“He’ll leave with me,” I told her, standing then since I figured this was settled and I needed to be getting to work.
“I’m not so sure…”
“Worry about the other one. I’ll handle him.”
“Wait!”
I stopped halfway to the door and turned back.
“You don’t even know what he looks like,” she said, a soft giggle escaping her as she stood. “I can text you a picture of him, if you want to give me your number…” Shayla pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her uniform pants, and waited, holding it out to me.
Right. I did need to know what this kid looked like. And if something happened, I would need a way of getting in touch with Shayla.
Not that I was anticipating something happening, but I didn’t want to be shit out of luck if it did.
I walked back over, keeping her eyes, until I had to look away to take the phone.
“Wait. Here,” she said, punching in the four-digit passcode she didn’t even bother hiding from me. “Oh, I’m still in Snapchat. Let me just close that out.” She laughed under her breath. “You probably don’t even know what that is…”
My mouth twitched, then hardened immediately, because I’d forgotten what that felt like.
When the fuck was the last time I’d smiled?
“There you go,” she said, handing it over again.
Refocusing, I pulled up the keypad and typed in my number.
She took the phone back when I was finished, slowly dragging her fingers across mine, then held the phone against her chest and looked up at me, breathing slow and heavy.
I wasn’t breathing at all, just looking down into her face, at all of it, wondering if her mouth tasted like honey too, or if it was just her lips and the soft skin around them.
Yeah…Time to fucking get to work.
“Send me the picture and whatever else I need to know,” I ordered, getting to the door and sliding the lock over. “And quit worryin’.”
“Okay. Um, thank you! I really appreciate this!”
I walked out before I turned around again, saw the smile I knew she was wearing, and officially fucked myself. I was already well on my way without even looking back.
The door to the lounge swung shut behind me.
Tori paused whatever the fuck she was doing at the bar to kill time before she could get up in my shit, then proceeded to get up in my shit when her eyes slid from the closed door to me and narrowed.
Cursing, I cut a right and moved through the restaurant in the direction I had come, just as Tori made for the lounge.
“I’m watching you,” she hissed at my back.
“Yeah? Big fuckin’ surprise,” I bit out, turning the corner into the kitchen.
Jesus.
Knowing I had work to do, I pushed up the sleeves of my thermal and washed up at the sink, then I got the shit together I needed to make the daily special—crab cakes—and carried the ingredients over to the counter.
“Chicks. Am I right?” J.R. commented at my back.
I ignored him and kept at the crab cakes. I was working on my third when the lounge door swung open again.
Tori emerged first, eyes sparkling and mouth smiling at me in a way I’d never seen from her before as she moved quickly in my direction.
Looking past her, I watched Shayla step out of the lounge next.
She’d put on more makeup. Her eyes were black-lined again, and her lashes were darker. That was all I got to notice before Tori stopped in front of the window and leaned over the ledge, blocking my view.
“Those crab cakes look amazing, sweetie,” she commented. “Super yummy. I can’t wait to try one.”
I locked eyes with her, and when I did, that smile she was wearing became a grin, one of absolute beauty.
