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t I would soon have a new coworker.
I didn’t doubt it.
Sighing, I stashed my stuff and got to work. We weren’t supposed to leave anything but our purses out front, but I wasn’t about to go in the back room to be confronted by Smiling Jack again. Might as well enjoy a few minutes of freedom from his presence.
I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting much of it from now on.
Sure enough, Fox strolled out a short while later, hands in his pockets and an interested smile on his face as he listened to Carmine blather on about the costs of running a bar in Brooklyn. Fox clucked in all the appropriate places then gave Carmine a hearty clap on the back when my boss—our boss—said he’d see him bright and early on Thursday, since we were expecting a shipment.
“Sure thing. I appreciate the opportunity. See you tomorrow.” Fox shot me another of those taunting grins before the door shut behind him.
“Guess he got the job,” Shelly said with a wistful sigh.
“Surprise,” I said under my breath, attacking the glass I was polishing with new fervor.
“You think he’s single?”
“How the hell should I know?”
She didn’t pay me any mind. She was used to my random bursts of inexplicable anger. Most people who spent any time in my orbit got used to that facet of my personality quick.
At least I saved my urges to punch people for the cage. Mostly.
By the end of my shift, my mood had evened out. My feet hurt, yes, and that morning’s sparring session had resulted in more than a few sore muscles. Mix in my bruises and wounds from the other day and I was hobbling around like a senior citizen. But I wasn’t feeling freaked out or overwhelmed by Fox anymore—he hadn’t shown up all night, thank God—so I slotted the day in the win column.
Until I walked outside and found him leaning against a lamppost, waiting for me.
“Hi there.” His quirked mouth was barely a shadow under his hood.
Muttering a curse, I tightened his jacket around me. “Why are you here?”
“This is my new place of employment. Didn’t you hear?”
“You planning on staying here overnight to wait for your shift to start?” As was our way, I started walking without waiting for him to catch up. Since he could’ve outpaced me in his sleep, it wasn’t much of a lag.
“Maybe.” He fell into step beside me. “Actually, I asked what time you got off so that we could—”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. “Are you really this clueless or do you think you’re being cute?”
He grinned. “You think I’m cute?”
Back on that again. I nearly smiled before I caught myself. Jesus, he was like a puppy, who came with brass knuckles instead of claws.
But I wasn’t looking to take him home. Let him go pee on someone else’s rug. I didn’t have time for this nonsense.
I turned to face him outside one of the many bars in the area. I’d be damned if I stood around and watched this train wreck happen. If he needed a freaking boot to the face to get that I was not girlfriend material, I’d give it to him. “Are you that hard up for a date that you can’t understand when someone’s not interested? I don’t want to date you.”
He pushed back his hood. “Date me?” His smug smile slipped a notch. “What do you think this is? Grade school? I’ll write my phone number on your wrist and you’ll tell your friend Kizzy—wack name, by the way—that you’re crushing on me?”
His derision made me want to step on his instep. Hard. Since I wasn’t real good at ignoring my physical impulses, I did as I wished and had the satisfaction of hearing him grunt before I spun around to yank open the door to Shooters Bar. It was the typical meat market hookup joint and therefore the kind of place I usually avoided unless I needed some cash.
Loud rock music pierced my eardrums the second I stepped inside. I never saw if he followed me into the throng of people crowding the bar. I assumed he did, but it wasn’t my problem. I was going to do something drastic, and if he witnessed it, even better. If not, I’d hit the reset button on my libido and end this idiocy once and for all.
He wasn’t going to throw me off my game. After I fought Fox, I’d never see him again. And if I played my blowjobs right tonight, hopefully he’d label me as a worthless bimbo and leave me alone.
The momentary nausea at dropping to my knees again would pass. I just had to soldier through and get it done. Anything to get Fox off my scent—for his benefit and mine.
Little did he know the favor I was about to do for him.
