“Do you want a glass?” I point toward the cabinet.
“Nope, I’m starving. Are you ready?” Her eyes bounce toward the glass in my hand then back to me. A sign to finish up before she gets hangry.
Tilting the glass up, I drink the last bit of wine. “Yep.” I quickly wash and dry the glass before setting it back in its spot on the counter. The cork goes back into the bottle. I’m sure we’ll finish that off as soon as we get back from dinner.
“Ready to face the fine citizens of Asheville?”
She scoffs. “Please most of the people are probably running their kids around and getting ready for a weekend of little league games.”
She’s not wrong.
I place my hand on the small of her back, and she leans into me. Being able to touch her freely without second guessing is the confidence boost I need.
Who knew I would be this shaken up having her by my side like this after being a part of her life for over a decade.
nineteen
. . .
piper
One thingI am not prepared for as we make our public debut is the stares we are getting from everyone. People get together and break up in this town all the damn time. Why are we the center of everyone’s attention? Everyone we pass from the car to the restaurant glances at our hands and then has a weird smile on their face. It’s not like we’ve never held hands in public before.
Beau squeezes my hand as he opens the door to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The quiet encouragement manages to soothe my annoyance with people.
In just a few steps we’re standing at the counter. The person standing there looks at us then shuffles through some things in front of the register. His eyes are wide as he glances between me and Beau. “We don’t have a to-go order for you. Did you call one in?”
The fact they know us this well is kind of sad. We always grab food and go home. Both of us have to deal with people on a daily basis and it’s our one time to decompress.
“Um, no.” Beau blushes and it’s adorable. “We’d actually like to eat here tonight.”
The employee’s eyes widen at our unexpected request. We’ve managed to throw him off his game. “Let me see if we have any tables available.”
“Thanks,” I add softly before he rushes off. “By his reaction, you’d think we blew his mind.”
Beau laughs and pulls me closer to him. “Can you blame him? It’s been years since we’ve actually eaten inside. He might think we’re doppelgängers or something.”
“Please, if we were some sort of supernatural being, would we be so stressed all the time?”
His only answer is a shrug. It’s likely we’d still be maxed out to capacity, but I think the stressors would be slightly different. Like trying to stay in one place without folks noticing we don’t age.
“We have a table for you.” Whoa, he popped up out of nowhere. “Follow me.”
Whispers surround us as we wind our way through the tables to the single table without a patron. And it’s right in the middle of the room. Great, now we really won’t be able to hide from the masses. Not that I’m worried what they think about me and Beau being a couple, but because it’s none of their damn business.
This also explains why we had to park in front of Whoopsie Daisy. This place is packed. So much for parents running their kids around.
Once we’re seated, we’re handed menus. I take my time looking over it while pretending not to hear the people at the table next to us.
“I told you there were a thing. I heard they were making out in front of everyone at the carnival last weekend.”
“I always knew something was going on between them. A guy and a girl can never be just friends. And the way they’ve been inseparable since we were kids is weird.”
My knuckles are turning white from the grip I have on the menu. What right do these women have to question anything between me and Beau. They were assholes in high school and it appears that hasn’t changed…at all.
I turn my head to tell them they are doing a shitty job of whispering, but a hand on mine stops me. The soft caress brings me back to my own space and calms the rage building inside of me.
He mouths, “It’s not worth it.” He’s right. I know that. But just once I wish someone would stand up to these mean girls and put them in their place.
