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“I wanted to sit here.”
“Uh huh,” I grin and shimmy my shoulders, showing him how crowded I am.
He has to lean away from me to lift his arm, but once he manages, he drapes it across the back of the booth behind me.
A glance over my shoulder shows me a couple of old ladies tittering at the table behind us and I pinch my lips between my teeth.
Axel’s big palm closes around the back of my neck, “Eat your food.”
Chapter34
Axel
“Oh, shoot,”Maddie grumbles from the passenger seat as we make our way along the shoreline of Darling Lake, headed back to her place.
“What is it?”
She holds up her new phone, showing me that it’s open to a text. “I need to go into the shop.”
“Alright,” I shrug and flick my blinker on.
“Wait,” she sits up straighter, “where are you going?”
“To your shop.” I take the turn onto the road that’ll take us directly to BeanBag.
“Oh, but… Um…”
“Did you need to stop somewhere first?”
Now she’s fidgeting. “No, it’s just-” Maddie huffs out a sigh. “Griff is working tonight, and he just texted to tell me that Caroline didn’t show up for her shift. And he didn’t even realize she was late because the espresso machine was acting up. He thinks he’s gotten that fixed, but now he’s panicking because the evening rush is gonna start soon.”
I hadn’t realized how late it was until she said that. But we didn’t actually leave Maddie’s house until almost noon, add on the phone store, a long, late lunch, and here we are already nearing dinner time.
She blows out a breath, “And he’s right because it’s Saturday and you’d think people would all go to the bar, but there are actually lots of people that come in for coffee instead.”
“You got all that in a text?”
Maddie laughs as she taps out a reply on her phone. “Yeah, old man.”
The speed that she’s typing tells me she’s serious.
Dropping her phone in her lap, Maddie turns to face me. “I’m really sorry, but I’m gonna have to stay ‘til close.”
I slow as I take the turn towards BeanBag. “It’s not a problem.”
“But…” her fingers twist in the skirt of her pretty dress. “Well, I guess I could just take an Uber home. Or ask Griff for a ride.”
My foot presses harder on the brake and the car jerks. “I don’t fucking think so.”
Maddie gives me an exasperated look, “If you’re not gonna take me home first to get my car-”
“Baby,” I cut her off, “I’ll drive you home.”
“But-”
“No buts.” Seeing an open spot, I pull in and turn the car off.
“You’re staying?” Maddie sounds shocked, and for some reason that annoys me.
