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“Your mother wants to have dinner this weekend,” he said without even greeting me.
“Can’t wait.”
“And she wants Adam there.”
I froze. “What—what does she want him there for?”
“She said she didn’t get to speak to him as much as she’d liked at the wedding, and since we’re coming for a meeting, if he’s in town, she’d like to see him.”
Shit.
Fuck.
Ass.
Assfuck.
I was in trouble.
Again.
“Oh, right, well, um.” I turned away from Avery’s flapping hands. “When is it? Saturday?”
“Yes. At six. She booked a table already.”
“At least I don’t have a cook,” I said. “I can see if he’s free. He’s pretty busy at the minute.”
“I saw his new deal. Cool, huh?”
“Yep. Very cool.” Please stop talking.
As if he knew what I’d been thinking, Dad coughed. “Right, I should be off. Have a conference call coming. Just thought I’d give you the heads up.”
“Thanks, Dad. Appreciate it.”
“Love you, Pops.”
“Love you. See you Saturday. Bye.” I hung up and put my phone on the table, clapping my hand over my mouth.
Avery got up and walked over to me. “What’s wrong?”
“My parents are coming into town for dinner on Saturday.”
“Oh no.”
“And they want Adam there.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.” I slumped into my chair and buried my face in my hands.
“Well,” she said, opening the fridge. “I guess you have to call him after all.”
I flipped her the bird. “I need to think.” I got up and walked to my room, shutting the door behind me.
Then, I flopped face-first onto my bed and screamed into my pillow.
Fuck.
***
I pocketed the tip from the not-so-generous table and tossed the ticket in the bin. Today had sucked—work had been good, but my mind wasn’t fully focused. I couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid dinner.
I hated past me. She was an idiot.
“Hey, Poppy? You have a new table. He’s been there a few minutes.” My curvaceous co-worker Yvonne slipped behind me, rubbing her sizeable bosom against my back, to get to the register.
I looked up. “Oh, thanks. I’ll head over there now.” I pulled my pad out of my purse and clicked my pen as I approached the table. “Hi, I’m Poppy and I’ll be your server this evening. What can I get you?”
“I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger.”
Oh no.
“With a lemonade.”
Oh fuck.
“And a conversation?” Adam Winters dropped the menu and looked at me with a smile that sent my heart skipping through the roof.
My lips parted, but no sound came out. I was completely frozen in place, except for my heart. Holy hell, that thing was beating.
Me? I was dying.
“Well, I was expecting shock, but not total horror,” he quipped.
I brought my hand to my mouth and stifled a small laugh. “I’m sorry. I just—yeah. I didn’t expect you to be hiding behind that menu.”
“Surprise.” He smirked. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Uh…I have to finish my shift.” I moved uncomfortably. “It’s like thirty minutes. Can you wait?”
“I didn’t order a burger to sit and stare at it, Red.”
A shiver went down my spine at the nickname. “Oh—you, you actually want the food?”
He scratched at his jaw, grinning. “Yeah. If I’m coming in here, I’m breaking my diet.”
Of course. Of course he wanted food. Ugh, I was an idiot.
“Okay. Sure. What burger was it?” I swallowed.
“Bacon cheeseburger.”
“And a drink, was, uh…”
“Lemonade.”
I scribbled it down. “Is that everything?”
“Do I get that conversation?”
I nodded.
“Then that’s everything.” His smile was lopsided.
I dipped my head to hide my own. “I’ll be right back with that lemonade.”
It took everything I had in me not to run back to the counter and punch the order through the kitchen on the machine. My co-worker was still standing there, and she looked at me with a twisted smile.
“Is that Adam Winters?”
I nodded.
“Do you know each other?”
I cleared my throat. “You could say that.”
“You slept with him.”
“That’s neither here nor there,” I replied.
“So, what’s he here for? To deny his undying love for you? To profess his desire to have your babies?”
I coughed on my own spit. Seriously. “What are you smoking? No, here’s not here for that!”
She raised her eyebrows. “Girl, how do you know?”
“Because it’s not like that.”
“Yeah? Is that why he can’t stop lookin’ at you like you gonna be his dessert?”
I glanced over at him, and Yvonne was right. He was staring at me, a smile on his lips.
“Oh God,” I moaned, my cheeks flushing bright red.
“Mhmm,” she said, looking at me. “This more than a booty call, huh?”
“I get it from Avery at home. You stop it.” I tapped her with my pen and walked out of our station. “Don’t you have customers to serve?”
She glanced over at Adam appreciatively. “I’d like to serve yours,” she said with a wriggle of her huge bosom.
“Oh sweet Jesus,” I muttered. “Well, he wants a lemonade. You’re free to handle that.”
She tugged down her shirt and adjusted her boobs. “I got you, baby girl.”
