Page 59 of Big Bad Wolf

“Where’s Rafe tonight? I thought I saw him earlier.”

Ruby could feel the heat flooding her blood just at the mention of his name. “He … uh… He dropped me off.”

Macy continued her inspection of Ruby’s face like she could read everything Ruby wished she could do to the man as soon as she was done here.

“Are you two really a thing?”

That was what she’d told Lena, wasn’t it? That they were together? She’d better keep her lies consistent. Sierra had perked up again on her bar stool like she was also interested to hear the answer.

“It’s … um… It’s new.”

Macy smiled. “He’s a good guy from what I can tell. Amazing woodworker.”

Ruby nodded, eyes on the tap as Macy filled the last beer, a perfect head of foam on top.

“Not bad to look at either,” she added with a grin. “If I had any interest in people with penises, I’d be jealous.”

“I’d love to see what he can do with his wood,” Sierra said, sipping placidly from her drink.

Ruby choked on her laughter. But it felt good to let some of the tension of the day go. Her shoulders relaxed until she had to lift the tray filled with drinks.

“God, Sierra, keep it in your pants.”

The older woman gave her a mischievous smile. “Live a little, Ruby! If I had a man like that following me around I would⁠—”

“No one wants to know what you would do,” Macy cut in, saving Ruby and the rest of the bar from hearing what Sierra wanted to do with or possibly to Rafe.

Ruby had plenty of her own ideas.

Sierra shrugged, her off-the-shoulder leopard-print top moving along with the gesture. “I’m just saying, the man is positively edible.”

“Thank you for that input,” Ruby said.

“Anytime. And keep us posted. We’d love to live vicariously through you.” She winked and Ruby found herself biting back a laugh as she weaved through the crowded bar.

Unfortunately, the table she was headed to held Trina, Kurt and friends. A surefire way to ruin her mood completely was interacting with these dingbats.

“Thanks, Ruby,” Trinia said. Her smile was saccharine-sweet as Ruby set out the drinks.

“You bet.”

“We heard you’re seeing the new guy in town.” Trinia whispered it like they were sharing a secret. Like they ever had or ever would.

“Did you? From who? Sal?” Ruby gestured toward the bar where Sal was currently regaling some out-of-towners with his last Bigfoot sighting. Sierra was chiming in with her own inappropriate thoughts on big feet. “He’s a very reliable source.”

Kurt’s buddy snorted a laugh and Trina glared at him. Kurt was too busy studying Ruby to pay attention.

“You should stay away from him, Ruby,” Kurt said. “He looks like a serial killer or something.”

Trina cackled like Kurt was telling a joke, but his gaze on Ruby hadn’t wavered. He was even looking at her face tonight instead of her tits so he must really be serious.

“Gee, thank you so much for your concern. I’ll be sure to be careful and to run all my future prospects by you first.”

“Ooo, and he just walked in,” Shreya cooed like they were still in middle school and she was completely missing the point of this conversation.

Ruby turned to look, and Rafe’s gaze found her immediately through the dwindling crowd. His hungry stare tracked her movements like the predator that he was. She knew how he must look to this table of her former peers, his hulking shape hiding in the shadows of the bar, his eyes following her. He looked like a threat. And he felt like one, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“See,” Trina hissed. “He looks like a psycho killer.”