“And have you ditch me again? Fat chance, doll.” I gesture toward her purse on the counter. “Give me the keys and tell me what you need.” When she doesn’t move, I click my fingers impatiently. “Do I need to turn that key in your back to get you going? I have three sisters. It’s hardly the first time I’ve had to buy stuff for someone’s period. Do you want pads or tampons?”
Her eyes are wide and unsure. “Um…tampons, please.”
“What size?” That’s right. I know they come in sizes, thanks to Iris bitching about what having Ella has done to her body.
“Regular is fine. And if you could grab my backpack from the office, that would be great.” She tugs on the hem of her skirt. “This will scream ‘walk of shame’ tomorrow.”
I’m not sure what Jade has in her backpack, but it probably isn’t something to sleep in. I pop into my room to grab my favorite Indian Motorcycle T-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts that are a bit small for me. “Here. You can change into these if you want.” I trade the clothes for the keys and head downstairs and out into the brisk night, immediately regretting not throwing on a jacket. My breath comes out in white puffs as I fumble for the correct key. Eventually, I get inside Quinn Brothers and flip on the lights. I find the tampons easily enough and grab a toothbrush as well. Then I head back into the office to grab Jade’s bag.
Bag in hand, I leave some cash on the register. Would you look at that? There’s still some candy left over. My sisters are always saying they can’t get enough chocolate when they’re pmsing, so I grab the bowl as well. I’m about to lock up, when the entrance door flies open and Deputy Douchebag strolls in. Actually, since he’s dressed as a pirate, that name doesn’t quite fit. Let’s go with Captain Cockblock.
When he sees me, he stiffens. “You’re not Jade.” His eye that’s not concealed beneath an eyepatch narrows on the items clutched in my hand. “Are you stealing those?”
I roll my eyes. “No. I left money on the register.”
He stalks toward me, his hand falling to the pocket of his silky genie pants. Out comes a pair of silver handcuffs.
You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. “Since when do pirates carry handcuffs?”
“Since now,” he grinds through clenched teeth. “I’ve always known you were bad news, but this is low, even for you. Seducing my girl so you can rob her store. Turn around and put your hands behind your back, asshole.”
This is not happening. “Something wrong with your eyes?” I say, holding up the stuff in my hand. “If I was going to rob the place, I’d hardly be hitting the toothbrushes and tampons. Jade gave me the keys.”
“I said turn around.”
This guy is ridiculous. I shift everything in my hands to the crook of my left arm so I can fish my phone from my pocket, determined to clear this up once and for all.
Nate whips a fucking taser from his other pocket and points the damn thing at me. “Freeze!”
“Seriously?”
“I said to put your hands behind your back.”
He sounds frantic enough to actually shoot me with the thing, so I give in and set everything I’m carrying on the ground. Next thing I know, my wrists are being pulled behind my back, and I’m standing in the middle of Quinn Brothers wearing a set of metal bracelets.
Captain Cockblock keeps the taser aimed at me as he dials his cell phone. “Jade? It’s Nate Williams. I need you to come down to your store right away.”
I guess this is happening.
Two minutes later, Jade bursts through the door in my shorts and slippers that are way too big for her and my leather jacket zipped to her chin. Her eyes expand when they land on me.
“Hey, baby,” I say to her.
“Dylan—what happened?”
Nate steps between us. “After you disappeared from The Rocking Horse, I came in to see if you were here and all right. I caught this perp trespassing and stealing. He claims you gave him your keys.”
Jade gapes at him. “That’s because I did give him my keys! Get those handcuffs off him, Nate.”
“Not until—”
“Nate, if you don’t take off those handcuffs right now, I’m going to chargeyouwith trespassing.”
The prick takes forever unlocking the cuffs, but he looks pretty chastised, so I decide not to be a total ass and keep the nasty comments on the tip of my tongue to myself. Jade snatches up her stuff and grabs my hand.
When Nate sees our fingers threaded together, he stalks out of the store with a childish huff and slams the door.
I almost feel bad for him. Almost.
