I turned to her. “Girl. I’m not that boujee.”
She blinked.
“Food is food,” I continued. “And I’m fucking starving.”
I was ready to make my plate but I paused and took in my surroundings. All conversations died down and I felt curious eyes on me. Probably wondering who the hell I was.
I smiled wide.
“Hey y’all. I’m Aurora. But you can all call me Rory!”
Silence.
“Damn, it’s like that? Alright, let’s see about them bonuses.”
That broke the tension instantly.
The woman by the counter laughed. “Ohhh, you’re the boss’s kid.”
I winced. “I guess you can say that. The other boss though. Not tight ass.”
A few other people laughed and Lavender hovered nearby, clearly unsure what to do with me.
I grabbed a plate, loading it up like I hadn’t eaten in days. Then I turned to the nearest table and slid in next to a guy in a hoodie and work boots. “Mind if I sit?”
He shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“Lav! Come sit!”
She politely shook her head. “I’m good. Take your time.”
“Don’t worry about her. Her and the boss have their own lunch in his office.”
My eyebrows raise. I hope I wasn’t walking around all this time with a bitch who was fucking my man.
“Oh? I didn’t think Marlon’s ass even made time for lunch.”
“Ahhh, he’s not so bad.” The guy slid his plate over to me. “Want some cilantro rice? It goes good with the chilli.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I loaded it into my bowl of chilli and took a bite. “Okay, whoever cooked today? I love you.”
“That’s Jack!”
I pointed my fork. “Jack, you a real one.”
Laughter rippled through the table.
I looked at the guy beside me.
“So,” I said. “You know my name, what’s yours?”
“Just call me Patch.”
“Nice to meet you, Patch.”
“Likewise.”
We dug in now that the pleasantries were addressed. But we still managed to make light conversation.
